Kort Propulsion.

The photo above was taken by me on Friday lunchtime - click on it for a larger version. It shows the Erith Boathouse, home to both Erith Rowing Club, who occupy the ground floor, and also to Kort Propulsion, the world famous marine engineering and consultancy firm whose high tech offices take up the first floor and overlook the River Thames. I had a meeting with Dave Parsons, the Managing Director of Kort Propulsion, along with his Mother Rose, who also works for what is a genuinely independent, local, family run firm that does business worldwide. Kort Propulsion have been operating for around eighty years, and have been based in Erith for quite a while; they were originally based in the Bank Chambers building, close to the bend in Colebrook Street, opposite to the old Blockbuster store (more on that later). About four years ago they moved to their current riverside location, next to the old Erith Police Station, in the building that used to house the River Police unit. Kort Propulsion was originally founded in 1935 in Germany; once war broke out the licence with the German originator was suspended, and after the war the company was established as a purely UK based enterprise. Kort was then owned and operated by R and H Green and Silley Weir, a ship repair company based mainly on the River Thames and in Falmouth. Current owner David Parsons, along with his father Norman Parsons and colleague Malcolm Breeze, had a wide range of experience in marine engineering and production. Kort was subsequently bought out by P and O for several years, until the Parsons family arranged a management buyout of the company. Nowadays David Parsons is the Managing Director, and runs the worldwide business from their Erith riverside headquarters. The company has strong business links in such diverse locations as India, China, Taiwan, Romania, Egypt, Greece, Portugal and Ireland, and is widely regarded as the "Rolls - Royce" of marine engineers. They export their specialist knowledge around the planet - any it is ironic that very few Erith residents are aware of the existence of such a world - class company which exists on their doorstep. There will be a further feature on Kort Propulsion next week. 

The photo above shows the interior of the old Manor Fish Bar in Manor Road Erith, taken almost ten years ago to the week. Click on the photo for a larger view. The classic 1950's marble - effect formica was very easy on the eye, and back then was kept immaculately spotless and clean. More on the fish and chip story shortly. Both the Bexley Times and the News Shopper reported the jailing of the crook who I caught illegally fly – tipping pallets full of rotten bananas in the recycling centre behind Morrison’s supermarket in Erith. Unfortunately both publications got the details of the sentencing wrong; I wrote to both reporters, correcting them, but no updates have yet been forthcoming – it does seem to me that both papers are guilty of “don't let the facts get in the way of a good story”. I have noticed that over the last year or so, the emphasis that the News Shopper places on stories has changed. I suspect a change in editorial policy away from “hard” news, and towards a more tabloid “fluffy animals and human interest” format. Last week the headline on the News Shopper website was “fox photographed eating a discarded kebab”. Not exactly Pullitzer prize winning stuff, I suspect you will agree. Instead they are running a series of articles, one of which is entitled “Nine of the best fish and chip shops in South East London and North Kent”. The only local one is the Frying Pan in Parsonage Manorway, Upper Belvedere. I have not tried the place myself, but the omens are good – not only does the place get a very good write – up in respect of the quality of the cooking, but the shop also scores five out of five on the Scores on the Doors food hygiene rating system. It is a pity that central Erith no longer has a dedicated fish and chip shop. The nearest one is the Pom Pom Fish Bar in Alford Road, just off Fraser Road, well on the way to Upper Belvedere. There used to be a fish and chip shop in Manor Road, which in the late 90’s / Early 00’s was excellent – I used to be a regular customer. Over the years however, it changed hands several times, and with each change, the quality of both service and cooking declined. Eventually a couple of years ago the place closed for good, and the shop was unoccupied for several months. It was then taken over and refurbished, and then re-opened as the King of the Grill kebab and burger bar. It does serve the odd bit of fish, but it is not the same thing. Still, it gets a very creditable four of of five on the Scores on the Doors rating system, and it seems to keep pretty busy.

On the subject of crime, the general perception seems to be that levels of crime are high and the level of “on the ground” policing is down. In reality this is not the case – at least according to the statistics recently published by the Home Office. It turns out that the level of reported crime in the London Borough of Bexley is the joint lowest in Greater London – a distinction shared with the London Borough of Harrow. You can see the breakdown of reported crime levels in the annotated map above – click on it for a larger version. The cynic in me would say that the map only shows the levels of reported crime – not the actual level of crime – and it may well be that people in Bexley just don't think that crimes are worth reporting, and thus the figures are skewed – I really could not say. If you have any insight into this, please drop me a line to hugh.neal@gmail.com.

There seems to be some light at the end of the tunnel as far as the widening of the Bexley Road bridge over the railway adjacent to Erith Station. The project was due to have been undertaken some time ago – all of the roads that meet at the hideous fish roundabout are two lane, but any traffic turning into Bexley road has to filter down into a single lane as it crosses the railway bridge. This choke point causes all sorts of congestion problems, especially at rush hour. Traffic can be seen standing waiting for several hundred yards back along Bronze Age Way when the situation gets really bad. Many local drivers know to avoid the area, especially on a Friday afternoon because of this. Bexley council have managed to secure a nearly £3 million grant from Transport for London to fund a number of local travel initiatives including further “improvements” (I use the word loosely) to Bexleyheath Broadway, work to improve transport connectivity around Slade Green, and work to improve provision of cycle lanes and pavements, along with what I understand to be the long delayed work to widen the road across the aforementioned bridge. You may recall that only a few weeks ago I wrote that I thought that the only way the bridge widening would ever get done would be if TFL put their metaphorical hand in their pocket, as Bexley Council are currently cancelling or closing as many public services in the North of the Borough that they think they can get away with.

Some good news for Erith Riverside Shopping Centre; the long empty unit that was occupied by Blockbuster before they went bankrupt may have a new occupant before much longer. A planning application has been submitted to convert the unit from retail use and into a children’s soft play centre. I am unsure if the application has been submitted by the same company that applied to do the same to one of the never occupied since they were built units directly on the opposite side of the road, facing Erith Health Centre, but the application looks very similar. Whilst I am no expert in such things, it would seem to me that the area could do with such a facility, and anything is better than an empty and dilapidated shop. Another building that has been the subject of speculation is the former White Hart, also known for a relatively brief period as Potion, before the place closed down under a cloud. Locals have seen activity inside the empty building recently, and there has been speculation as to whether squatters had moved in. From my understanding, a private security company does visit the former pub on occasion, and lights are sometimes seen from the first floor function room, which I suspect are connected to a timer. Despite the note on the frontage of the building which states that the property is protected by a security firm, I seriously doubt that anyone is on site for any length of time, as the associated costs would be prohibitive. There has been speculation as to the eventual fate of the White Hart / Potion building. I originally heard vague rumours that it was to be converted into an Indian restaurant, but nothing has appeared on the planning application website, and I now suspect that the rumour was more wish fulfilment than anything concrete. Anyone who buys the place will need to invest a King’s ransom on refurbishing the building, and installing all new facilities – the place had been run into the ground – only the bar area (the part seen by the public) was given a cheap makeover when Potion took the place on. I won't rant on about how they illegally ruined the frontage by ripping out the acid etched glass and locally made green glazed tiled fascia, to be replaced by hideous plate glass, as I have covered this on more than one occasion in the past. Any new owner will have to restore the frontage to very close to the Victorian original – which will also cost a fortune. I know that many property developers would love to get their hands on the site, as it would be an excellent place to build a block of flats with a clear view of the River Thames. The White Hart / Potion is not only a locally listed building, but located in the Erith conservation area, and thus (I hope) immune from such vandalism. Having said that, Bexley Council are so venal and money grabbing that little would surprise me – if a developer came along and offered the right kind of package, it would not be beyond imagination that the building would become de – listed and planning permission granted. Hopefully that is a worst case scenario, and something better for the local area will eventually happen. Time will tell. Other nearby planning applications have been submitted recently, but for reasons which will become adequately clear in due course, I will not mention them now. Suffice to say that a lot of stuff is happening locally, and it is going to be very good indeed, and far more in keeping with both historical and contemporary Erith.

Some people have expressed shock at the midweek announcement that the Tesco store in Picardy Street, Lower Belvedere is to close in March. I have to say that I was not surprised in any way. When Tesco announced the cancellation of the construction of new stores in both Bexleyheath, on the site of the old Bexley council offices, and the proposed new store in Lowfield Street in Dartford – the source of so much bad blood over the last few years, due to well – founded accusations of Tesco “land banking” the proposed site and leaving the road blighted with empty and derelict buildings. I understand that things got so bad that Dartford Council ended up coming up with an ultimatum to Tesco, essentially saying “build on it or lose it”. The Tesco store in Lower Belvedere has never really been that popular, certainly when compared to the well – loved Co-Op that used to occupy the same site. The feedback that I have heard is that Lower Belvedere locals used the Tesco as there was no alternative – for those without cars, and maybe with limited mobility, the small Tesco had a monopoly on trade. That is, until Asda opened across the road, taking over part of the existing B and Q superstore site. As soon as that happened, it was next to inevitable that the expensive and poorly stocked Tesco would fold. I am only surprised that it has taken so long, as I understand the place has been unable to break even for quite some time. I feel sorry for the staff, many of whom were former Co-Op employees who were taken on when Tesco bought the store. I would imagine that some if not all will be able to find employment in Asda, as the store is very successful – I have been told “off the record” that the Lower Belvedere Asda has reduced the volume of trade in the Erith Morrison’s by close to twenty percent, which I can well believe. Competition is benefiting the consumer, though not always the Tesco employee. I wonder if another retailer will take the old Tesco store? I would imagine that no other supermarket chain would want to operate what is essentially a large convenience store so close to a large and very well run Asda – it would make no economic or business sense. What other kind of retailer would be interested I the unit remains to be seen. I would not wish to see the building standing empty for any period of time. What do you think? Leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Bexley Neighbourhood Watch recently made the following announcement:- Thamesmead could be in with a chance of winning £900k thanks to the Mayor of London's Big Green Fund, but we need your help! Peabody, along with Royal Borough of Greenwich and Sustrans has put forward a stretch of the Thames Path in Thamesmead to a public vote, to canvas support and win funding to help the area reach its full potential of becoming a bustling route for commuters, walkers and cyclists with fantastic views of the river. It would also make a fantastic spot for local residents to get out and enjoy, as well as improving access along the river. However, some sections of the path need improving, in particular to make it passable during winter. The Thamesmead Thames Path Transformation project would enhance the pathway and also create designated look out points along the river; mini green havens with seating and information on the rich local wildlife, habitats and history of the Thames. The proposed scheme is competing with seven others for a slice of the money. We know how passionate residents are about Thamesmead, why not show it by voting here.

A horse has been rescued from marshland this week, following the death of a foal last week which was reported in the News Shopper. On Thursday a horse was found up its neck in water on the Slade Green Marshes, just off Moat Lane. Unlike the previous rescue where the animal died of exposure and hypothermia, the adult horse survived and was treated by a vet. Horses have been grazed and housed on Slade Green Marshes for hundreds of years, and periodically incidents of this nature are reported. From my understanding the horse in question was owned by a responsible person, and it managed to escape the enclosure it was housed in. This seems to be the exception, rather than the rule though; most ponies and horses in the local area are “fly grazed”, and in some cases completely abandoned (an offence under Section 9 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, and the Animals Act 1971). The problem, as I have previously outlined, is that these animals have no intrinsic value, and cost a lot to look after properly. My observation last week that if Britons started to eat horse meat, it would have the effect of creating value in the animals, and thus mean that they would be far more likely to be looked after in a responsible way was not intended as a controversial talking point, but as a serious but pragmatic solution to an ongoing problem. We are going to see more incidents of the nature described above, unless some drastic changes are put in place.

Another local organisation in the news are the Friends of Christ Church Erith (FOCCE); a secular group dedicated to maintaining the fabric of the Grade 2* listed building located on the junction of Bexley Road and Victoria Road, Erith, within sight of the hideous fish roundabout. FOCCE aims to promote the church and hall as a centre of the community, and as a social resource for those of all faiths and none. It also aims to preserve the historic building and raise money for maintenance and improvements to the available facilities. Christ Church provides a vital social service to the area in a very practical way; it co – runs the Bexley Food Bank in conjunction with the Queen Street Baptist Church, the Trussel Trust, St. John's Erith, and plenty of local volunteers. The Friends of Christ Church Erith are currently recruiting new members. If you would be interested in joining this very worthwhile organisation, you can click here to see how you can get involved. Membership is £10 a year for an individual, and £15 a year for a couple. Corporate members are also sought – the membership for companies and other organisations is a very reasonable £50 a year.

Something that Maggot Sandwich readers may find of interest:- St. Augustine's Church (Slade Green Road, Slade Green, Erith, DA8 2HX) are hosting a Choral Concert by an a cappella choir 'The Ensemble of Friends' and a barbershop quartet 'Double Take' at 7pm on Saturday 7th February.   The conductor and director is Douglas Coombes (who has been awarded an MBE for his services to music). Douglas appears on television and contributes to programmes such as Songs of Praise, and he broadcasts a regular music programme on local radio.   The last 'gig' for the choir was the annual Barnardo's concert at St. Paul's Cathedral ! There are still some tickets available (£4 each, pay at the door, refreshments are included). It will certainly be a different way to spend a Saturday evening.

The construction of the Crossrail terminus at Abbey Wood is now proceeding apace; fellow local Blogger Malcolm Knight of Bexley is Bonkers regularly covers the work, complete with photographs. Crossrail will provide a vital new means of travelling around Greater London and the surrounding counties. The impact on the use of the North Kent Line may well be to substantially reduce the number of passengers – this is also in view of the report this week from the News Shopper, who state that Southeastern Trains have the worst customer satisfaction rating of any train company in the United Kingdom. The News Shopper reports that the National Rail Survey questioned 27,000 passengers last year, and Southeastern was bottom of the list with just 74 per cent of people satisfied - an 11 per cent drop compared to the previous year The company - which recently had its franchise renewed to general astonishment - ranked lower than any other UK train operator. The survey figures also show a gradual rise in the number of delays and cancellations on Southeastern services over the past twelve months. Customers highlighted a lack of sufficient room to sit or stand on the company's trains, and dissatisfaction with staff availability the way the company deals with delays. All in all a very poor performance indeed. How Southeastern got their franchise renewed is beyond me. If any reader has any insight into the situation, please drop me a line to hugh.neal@gmail.com.

The end video this week is a real treat; it show the workshop and stores used by "Mythbusters" presenter Adam Savage, who when he is not presenting the TV show is a real life Hollywood movie prop - maker. Do give it a watch and see what you think.

Radio Erith.

The photos above were taken by me yesterday morning when the Mayor of Bexley, Councillor Sharon Massey launched a new boat at the Erith Rowing Club; she poured a bottle of bubbly over the new craft, which has been sponsored by local marine engineering company Kort Propulsion. The event was well attended by around forty people, including some representatives from Kort, whose offices are located in the old River Police building on Erith High Street, adjacent to the Erith Riverside Gardens. Once the boat was christened, she was then launched from the old wooden Erith Pier for a short demonstration run by some of the clubs' more experienced rowers - you can see a photo of the launch below - click the picture for a larger version. Tea and nibbles were then served. Despite the blustery and very changeable weather, it was an extremely pleasant event, and I would like to thank club treasurer Alison Fisher for inviting me along. 

I sometimes wonder if anyone in a position of power in Bexley Council reads the Maggot Sandwich? I don't think the Mayor really counts, as it is a purely ceremonial post. As you may recall, I have been raising the issue of the terrible state of Erith’s roads for many months. The two worst potholed and damaged roads in the area are with no shadow of a doubt are Fraser Road and Manor Road. There is a clear correlation between both the volume of traffic and the weight of the vehicles that traverse these two main roads. Both see a constant stream of heavy goods vehicles throughout the day and early evening; both roads also form key parts of the very busy 99 bus route between Bexleyheath and Woolwich. As I have previously mentioned, it is no coincidence that the very worst road damage occurs at the bus stops – the heavy double decker buses rip up the surface of the tarmac as they brake on approach to the stops, then accelerate away shortly thereafter. In recent years, Manor Road has been resurfaced twice – partially back in 2011, and previously to that in May 2009, it was lauded as a real step forward in new road technology. The top layer incorporated materials that were designed to reduce road noise and tyre rumble, and thus make things a bit more tolerable for local residents. The ploy worked, and when the surface was first laid, the passing traffic was measurably quieter than before. It would appear that the Highways Department and the civil engineering company that carried out the work did not take into consideration both the volume of traffic along Manor Road, or its' weight. Heavily laden HGV lorries and double decker 99 buses are regular visitors, and as you can see from the photo above, the road is falling apart in rapid order. I took the photo below (which I have to say that I am rather proud of) from the opposite side of the road, as the precisely the section of carriageway pictured above was being laid, back late in the evening of May 31st 2009 at around 11pm. On both occasions I spoke to the chief engineer – the same person on both occasions. He said that the works on both occasions were little more than a sticking plaster – a temporary repair that would last only for a couple of years before it would need to be completely redone. It would seem that this fact has been recognised by the highways department of Bexley Council. Manor Road is closing to all traffic for a period of ten weeks from the 16th June. What is troubling about this is that local residents have not been notified to date; businesses based in the road also have had no warning, which may be very difficult, especially for shops like Londis that rely heavily on passing trade, or for major organisations like European Metal Recycling that rely on a constant supply of vehicles arriving at and departing from their yard. What is not in doubt is the need for the work to be undertaken. I also understand that some traffic calming measures are to be incorporated into the rebuild. Manor Road is fairly unusual in that the Western end of the nearly mile long road is residential, whilst the Eastern end is exclusively industrial. The road suffers extensively from speeding drivers, a fact not helped by the very straight and long layout. Anything that can be done to reduce the number of traffic accidents would be welcomed. The fundamental problem with the two previous resurfacing attempts was that they did not address the underlying problem which is that the foundation layers of the road needed to be massively reinforced to cope with both the volume and the weight of the traffic running over it. A ten week complete road closure will give sufficient time for a fundamental re-engineering of the highway, something that really should have been carried out back in 2009. It will be very inconvenient for local residents (myself included) and I currently have no idea where people will have to park their cars (I am guessing Morrison’s car park, but I don’t yet know for certain). Anyone who relies on internet shopping for their groceries is going to be severely inconvenienced. I feel that the council have really dropped the ball in terms of communication. If the work had been carried out in a “posh” part of the borough like Danson, the council would have bent over backwards to inform and reassure the residents, but it being Erith, they don’t much care.

Many column inches have been written in the press over the last couple of weeks regarding the speculation that Apple may be purchasing niche audio manufacturer Beats. For the uninitiated, Beats market a range of headphones and audio processors / amplifiers that are incorporated into certain PC’s under a licensing arrangement. Personally I am mystified why Apple would want to buy Beats. If you have ever used a laptop equipped with Beats Audio, you will no doubt have noticed that there was a dramatic difference in sound quality when Beats Audio was switched on and off. In essence, the technology behind Beats Audio is pretty simple. The Beats Audio specification includes a tiny solid state power amplifier that is physically separated from the PC’s motherboard, and a clean, direct link to the headphone socket, which should be electrically isolated from all other sources. Other than that it is all down to audio frequency equalisation, and this is where Beats quite brazenly cheat. If you have the Beats Audio switched off, the sound of most kinds of music seems very lifeless and flat, whereas if it is switched on the sound is very lively and dynamic. The reason for this is that in the “off” position, the audio equalisation is deliberately set to reduce most low and high frequencies, leaving only the mid range relatively unchanged. When Beats Audio is switched on, the bass and treble are dynamically boosted, making the audio sound very punchy and live, which is particularly noticeable when playing urban / dance music. Neither option reproduces the true sound found in the recording studio or concert hall. You can use third party audio mixing and equalisation software to tweak the audio to give a more accurate rendition of the original recording, but to be honest, if you want hi fidelity sound, you should purchase a PC that does not feature Beats technology. It is all marketing hype aimed mainly at young people who listen to Hip Hop and Rap – where a bright top end and bass heavy sound is all they really care about. The same is true for their overpriced and gaudy headphones. Beats are the only mainstream headphone manufacturer that refuse to publish the full technical specifications of their products. If one carries out a direct A/B comparison with a pair of Beats by Dr Dre Pro headphones costing around £350 with a pair of Sennheiser HD 650 headphones costing a full hundred pounds less, most listeners will choose the Sennheisers. Please feel free to leave a comment below, or Email me directly at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Everything regarding the Manor Road KFC Drive Through seems to have returned to normal now. No further notices in the window or applications for a change in the opening hours have been posted. I think this is just as well, as if the outlet had gone 24/7 opening, it would have started a trade war with the McDonald’s which is directly opposite. Personally I don’t use either outlet – I have been in the KFC once out of curiosity, and the McDonald’s a couple of times in the last seventeen or so years. I don’t have anything against them, they just don’t really serve the kind of things I like to eat. I do recall something that McDonald’s sold back in the mid 1990’s that most people don’t know about. Did you know that certain selected McDonald’s restaurants sold pizza? True – I recall that the main McDonald’s drive through just outside of Colchester used to sell the individual pizzas in about 1994. From memory they were actually very nice – unlike most McDonald’s stuff which to my palate tends to be both too sweet and very bland at the same time. Apparently the pizzas did not catch on, as each one took eleven minutes to cook in a special oven the franchise holder had to buy, and this was too long for people wanting fast food – what generally happened was that you would take away anything else you ordered from the counter, and a staff member would then bring you your pizza later, once it was ready. Obviously in a place that works on a the premise of a fast and efficient kitchen crew, having members continually leave the food preparation area to deliver pizzas is a bad idea. On top of this, customers did not associate the restaurant chain with pizzas, and marketing provide difficult. As previously mentioned, the irony is that they were actually rather nice. A lost footnote in fast food history.

Whilst digging around online for information about the history of Erith and District hospital radio (more of this later - who says I don't plan these things?) I came across an account of a chap who had served in the Belvedere Home Guard during the war. Unfortunately the gentleman is no longer alive, but Ken Chamberlain assured me that if he were, he would be delighted for his story to reach a new audience. Here is an account, which was written back in 1983 of how local man Bob Shrimpton spent much of World War II:- During the war, being employed in what was known as a ‘reserved occupation’, I enlisted (a euphemism – I had no choice) in the 56th Battalion Home Guard disrespectfully known as Dads’ Army. I became a private first class in No. 1 Platoon A Company. Platoon HQ was in a tin hut at the rear of the Belvedere Social Club in Nuxley Road and Company H.Q. was in a villa, long since demolished, which stood on the corner of Woolwich Road and Essenden Road. At the time I joined full kit and weapons were available. Most of the platoon rode bicycles to parades with full kit including army boots, a greatcoat in winter and a .303 rifle slung across the shoulders. It took a lot of practise to mount and dismount. If one ran with the bike and cocked ones leg over the saddle too hurriedly, the weight of all this equipment could hurl one flat on the ground. As in Dads’ Army we had our characters who could obtain anything for you - at a price. There was a slit trench in the front garden at Essenden Road and a sentry was supposed to jump into this when an air-raid was in progress. One night it poured with rain nearly all night. A raid was on and the duty sentry was trying to keep dry in the trench whilst some of us were in the house porch watching the raid. Suddenly there was a great agonising howl of rage. The rainwater had burst through the sand bags around the top of the trench and poured straight down the back of the sentry’s trousers! Once a month we did sentry duty at Battalion H.Q. in the mansion that once stood at the corner of Bexley Road and Park Crescent. ( The original Battalion Commanding Officer was Lt. Col. Briggs and later LT. Col. Tobin. Military exercises were held from time to time with other platoons. Our platoon Commander was Lt. Butler and his second in command was Lt. Shirras, who was the manager of Reeson’s Chemist in the Erith High Street. I remember one summer’s evening Lt. Shirras leading his section stealthily down Clive Road towards the enemy, with his revolver at the ready, when a hoard of youngsters burst upon us whooping and urging us on with shouts of ‘Go it Mr. Get ‘em’. etc. The Lieutenant’s blackened face turned a shade blacker as he shouted ‘-----off you b------ kids.’ He really was an officer and a gentleman though. We held manoeuvres on Belvedere Marshes taking us right through the gypsy encampment. I remember lying in delicious terror by the side of the line near Belvedere railway station with my bayonet a few inches from the live rail whilst trains sped by. One weekend was spent on night manoeuvres at Mount Mascal in North Cray, under the care of the Scots Guards. The night was so dark that it seemed superfluous to blacken one’s face. In fact, because of lack of visibility, our officer lost his platoon! I had been appointed runner, which meant I had to stick to the officer in case he wanted me to take a message – where to, goodness only knows! The officer walked along North Cray Road looking for his platoon when he sensed, rather than saw, a blackened face peering from a hedge, whereupon the following short conversation took place. Officer: ‘Is that No. 1 platoon?’ Blackened Face: ‘Sorry Sir. No, we are the enemy.’ We fired .303 rifles and Lewis guns on a range in the sand-pits right next to Birch Walk. The recruits were always the best shots. One of our platoon worked in the Woolwich Arsenal. He wangled a Sunday morning visit to the small arms proof ranges. There we were, large as life, marching in full kit inside the grounds. It was a different world inside – haystacks, cows grazing etc. We shot at 500 yard range (not at the cows) and we took it in turns to don little waist-coats and mark the shots at the targets. One was supposed to check on the field telephone that the men firing had ceased firing. Something went amiss and as we walked to the targets a bullet sped over our heads fortunately not hitting anyone. 

The 2014 Bexley Beer Festival was a great success; in my opinion it was the best one ever. The weather was glorious, the organisers had learned much from last year, and instead of housing the racks of beer barrels in the sports club hall, they instead had them set up in a large Marquee to the rear of the building. As I mentioned last week, the fact that a cricket match took place on the pitch whilst the drinkers looked on was an added bonus, even if it did mean having to duck out of the way of the odd flying cricket ball! The Bexley Beer Festival is big enough to have an interesting selection of beers, but small enough to still be personal. I was served a pint by a chap with a large beard and a pirate’s tricorn hat. He asked me “What kind of music do pirates listen to?” to which I said I didn’t know. “Aaar n B” came the reply. Ouch – I walked right into that one! Still the turn – out was good, the beer excellent, and the post festival curry hit the spot. Here is a short video slide – show of the event, courtesy of the Rev.  Do give it a watch and see what you think .

Whilst I have covered the history of arms making in Erith to some depth, until now I have neglected other forms of heavy industry that have had their roots in Erith. Did you know that historically much of the world’s mining could only take place courtesy of heavy equipment which was designed and built in Erith? Anglo American heavy engineering company Fraser and Chalmers had a factory on Fraser Road which opened in 1890, adjacent to the armament  factory owned and operated by Hiram Maxim. Fraser and Chalmers made all sorts of  mining machinery and power plants, boilers, engines and compressors, pumps, turbines; concentration, conveying, dredging, metallurgical, mining and miscellaneous plant. They exported a lot of equipment to South Africa, for use in gold and diamond mining, Later the company was taken over by GEC, but continued in Erith making a lot of pump and compressor components for use in both conventional and nuclear power stations. The last reference I can find for them is dated 1964, when they had all but discontinued the mining equipment manufacture, and were concentrating on power generation. Their old factory site is still in use, but is now occupied by BATT Cables, so the tradition of heavy engineering in Erith is still being maintained.

You may recall that last week I asked if any reader had information about Radio Erith, the hospital radio station that ran at Erith and District Hospital. Local historian Ken Chamberlain kindly put me in contact with a chap called Derek Smith, who was deeply involved in the station. These are his recollections:- My involvement started in about 1973 when I was given contact details for the Chairman. I rang him and was invited along to the studio in the old surface air-raid shelter just inside the gates. The building had been used as a storeroom but at some time the radio equipment rack for the BBC had been put in to supply the three bedside channels. If I remember correctly the channels were Radio 1, 2 and 4. I could never really pin down when Radio Erith actually started - there was a sort of vague 'about 5 years ago'. The station was run by a committee headed by the founding member Dennis Burrage, who I seem to remember lived in Slade Green. He must have been well into his 40s when I joined and I believe he has since died. There was also an elderly lady named Joyce, who lived in a very dilapidated house in Queens Road while waiting for re-housing. The engineering member of the committee was Terry Brett, a BBC engineer who had been building a new studio mixer (when time allowed - which wasn't often). In terms of presenters other than Joyce and Dennis there was Brian Lee, another chap who was OCD about Johnny Mathis, and Alan. The last named was a great experimenter and would often sit at home getting steadily drunk making up tapes to play on his show. His 'piece de resistance' was to mix Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of The Moon with The Clangers - interesting but not quite sure what the patients made of it! Finally there was Peggy, the hospital switchboard operator, who presented the Wednesday night request hour. I was 'interviewed' and sound checked and given the job of engineering the request show. The studio was small and consisted of a small 'green room', the studio control room and a presenter's booth. The control room was set for both engineered and self op programmes. Peggy was a great laugh but always presented her programmes with style - the patients loved her. Together we revamped the hour long request show as a two-hander before Peggy disappeared and I carried on with a general music programme for another hour. Normal broadcasting was carried out from 7pm to 9.30ish, with extra hours on a Saturday afternoon and Sunday. We gradually attracted more young presenters but these were not always welcomed by the Chairman - who had very set ways. Erith being a small hospital, had very few listeners so we decided to spread our wings and raised enough money to rent a post office line to Dartford West Hill. This enabled us to broadcast to both hospitals simultaneously but relied on the hospital engineer at West Hill switching us on at set times. Unfortunately our Chairman had rubbed the guy up the wrong way and he could be less than co-operative, so we were broadcasting to nothing as far as Dartford were concerned most evenings. The friction between some of us younger members and Dennis came to a head in early 1977. There were big changes in the world of hospital radio but Radio Erith wasn't keeping up. Brian and I suggested we should move our studios to Dartford and broadcast back to Erith - Dartford being the much bigger hospital. This suggestion was met with mounting anger from Dennis, and at a hostile committee meeting Brian and I announced we were moving to West Hill and were in talks with the Hospital Administrator to find a suitable building to house the studio. West Hill were delighted and allowed us to use an old store room over A1 ward as the studio - one great benefit was that it had a couple of large windows that looked out over the hospital, which made us feel a bit more part of it. In July 1977 we attended the Dartford Show as the fledgling 'Dart Radio', and received a lot of support. Part of the money raised from the show was donated to us to buy equipment and by September 77 Dart Radio was operational. I left after about a year to join the local cable station 'Greenwich Television', and Brian went on to become a star in local politics. with the destruction of West Hill, Dart Radio moved in with Radio Joyce Green and has now been absorbed by Valley Park Radio at Darent Valley. Radio Erith continued on after we left but not for too long. Don't have a date for closure but it was winding down by the end of the 70s and with the closure of the operating theatres in the early 80s the need for a dedicated hospital radio station had gone. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures - there was an article about the station in the Erith Times in about 1975 I think, with a photograph of some of the presenters. Funnily enough the sign outside the old studio that you featured was made by me in 1974 - so it has survived OK (probably better than me!) Brilliant stuff from Derek – many thanks for a fascinating recollection.It would be brilliant to think that Radio Erith could perhaps be resurrected as a local community radio station, though knowing the costs and bureaucracy involved in such an endeavour, I doubt that this is a wish that would be fulfilled, although I would love to be proved wrong. What do you think? Leave a comment below, or email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

As I have mentioned recently, Pewty Acres is currently undergoing a bit of a makeover both internally and in the back garden. More on this next week; one of the side effects of the back garden refurbishment work is that I have had to have my shortwave amateur radio antenna temporarily taken down. I have had a couple of people ask me about amateur radio in the last week. I thought the easiest way to explain the technical hobby was to show you this short video from a chap called Jim Salmon. He and I go back a very long way, though unfortunately we lost contact for some years. This video succinctly summarises exactly what amateur radio is all about. Do give it a watch and see what you think. Comments below as always.

Forty three versus one.

Work continues on the old Cross Keys building, as it is slowly converted into office and classroom space for international management consultancy firm The Aleff Group. From what I have been able to observe, the upper floors in what was the private accommodation have been refurbished, and decorators have been seen repainting the interior. Below this, the two huge and very distinctive bay windows that dominated the first floor level above the bar have been removed, and at the time of writing the holes are covered by two large blue tarpaulins - see the photo above - click for a larger view. The ground floor, where the bar once was located appears to be a building site, and quite a way from completion. The level of interest in the work has been quite high; I think many locals (who may not be aware of this blog) are unaware of what is going on, or the plans to reinvigorate the building with new occupants and a new purpose.

The project to extend the platforms at a number of railway stations on the Dartford via Greenwich line has mysteriously resumed after the best part of a years’ gap. Whilst Erith Station platform extension is completed (but not open for use – there are barriers preventing commuters from walking on the extended sections), other stations, notably Plumstead, had been abandoned and have resembled a building site for many months What has prompted the resumption in construction work is anyone’s guess. I had heard all sorts of explanations as to the reason for the halt on the extension work – the most plausible one to my mind being that there was no point in extending platforms on the line, as the existing power supply infrastructure would not have sufficient capacity to provide the motive energy for longer trains, and that the reason for the disconnect was that station engineering and power infrastructure were overseen by different teams within the South Eastern Trains engineering department, who did not talk to each other, and outsourced the physical work to different contractors. Presumably any issues related to this have been resolved, and it would appear that the work is back in progress. It does beg the question, why exactly are longer trains being introduced? The original explanation was to provide additional capacity for travellers during the Olympics, but as you may have noticed, these have been and gone. To be honest, with the exception of the morning and evening rush hour, the current provision of five or eight carriage trains every ten minutes is more than adequate, and during the rush hour, if they made all trains ten or twelve carriages for this period, there would be no need for any further provision. The platform extensions, and thus longer train capacity seems to me to be a solution in need of a problem. Please leave your thoughts below.

Last weeks' rant about paper telephone directories has prompted local activist and blogger Malcolm of the Bexley is Bonkers website to drop me a line in order to correct a couple of points I raised. I am always happy to publish constructive feedback – here are his thoughts: “I think you were a little hard on BT last week for sending you a telephone directory that few want any more because I seem to remember that when I worked for BT in 1984 - the year of privatisation - they were statutorily lumbered with providing all the basic telecoms services while the upstart new companies were allowed to cherry pick. My quick perusal of OFCOM's website suggests that nothing has changed. OFCOM is compelled to produce a paper directory and BT gets the job. Like you I see little need for a Phone Book in the internet age and it makes me a little sad to see what a pathetic little effort it has become. From 1967 to 1971 my job was to get all those massive A-D, E-K, L-R, S-Z tomes published - HMSO did the printing - and it was a totally manual job. Across the country 57 separate groups prepared the Telephone Directories and it was my bad luck to be in charge of the London one based in Old Street. Every name and phone number was indexed on cards which overlapped each other in a metal frame which was then photographed in readiness for the printing process. Lots of scope for errors and the Post Office Corporation, for that is what it was called at the time, set up a project team to get the whole operation on to a computer. I got roped in as the nearest 'directory man' to POHQ. Because directories across the country had been a local responsibility no two directories were exactly alike. Although most of the staff knew the alphabet ran from A-Z the rules applied to numerical entries and names that were double barrelled, some hyphenated some not, or included apostrophes, varied considerably. Similar problems arose with the sequencing when a lot of (for example) T. Smiths were all due to appear in the same book. Computerisation was going to fix all that. For some unfathomable reason the Daily Mail became obsessed with what we had planned and headlined it as a scheme to publish directories which would not be in alphabetical order. Their journalists must have been spending far too much time in the Fleet Street taverns. I was interviewed by a DM reporter and found myself on the front page next day confirming that their story was true. I had said nothing of the sort and if the principal Press Officer hadn't been with me during the interview I might well have been for the high jump. I've never really trusted newspaper journalists since then. The computer allowed for a new directory to be compiled, printed and ready for distribution in four days and the first one off the blocks was the Sunbury (Middlesex) local book. My boss insisted the new book was compared end to end with the source records before distribution and we found nearly 100 errors, far fewer than would have been the case with manual preparation but such was his fear of the Daily Mail that he insisted on it being pulped and the thing reprinted. This may seem an extreme over reaction but the PO Corporation Chairman was sacked for his perceived mishandling of what was in effect a pack of lies by several national newspapers". A fascinating story from someone in the know. Good stuff.

I took the photo above (click on it for a larger version) a couple of Sundays ago whilst I was walking around town; Erith Rowing Club is a long established club that rows both on the Thames off Erith, and on Danson Lake in Bexleyheath / Welling. Their club house is in what used to be the car park of the old Erith Police Station, on the river front, next to the Riverside Gardens. They share the area with marine engineering specialists Kort Propulsion, who not that long ago moved into what used to be the River Police HQ (to the left of the photo) and the Police station building itself, which is now (badly) converted into private flats.

As I have written previously, the “Scores on the Doors”  food hygiene rating website provides hours of innocent and instructive amusement. In the last few weeks the entries for many of the food outlets in the London Borough of Bexley have been updated, and the results make disappointing reading.  Whilst Dartford Borough reports only one food outlet with a zero out of five stars for food hygiene (the Ship pub in Sutton at Hone), Bexley Council reports forty three zero rated food outlets! Bearing in mind the fairly similar population numbers and social demographics of the neighbouring council areas, something has to be going seriously wrong. Either Bexley is incredibly strict on its’ scoring of restaurants and takeaways, or Dartford is incredibly lax. I don’t know what the statistical  chances are of such a radically different result are, but if it is not down to differing ways of assessing the hygiene levels of an outlet, then it is extremely worrying for any and all Bexley residents. Having the most unhygienic food outlets in the entire country has to be a source of shame for the Council. Also one needs to bear in mind that any food shop that scores three stars or less is to be regarded with suspicion – clean places are those with four or five stars. This means that a majority of the cafes, restaurants and pubs in the London Borough of Bexley are not recommended to frequent, which is a scary thought.  As I have said before, I strongly believe that any place scoring less than two stars should have to take immediate remedial action (say, within two weeks of the inspection, prior to a compulsory re – inspection) and that any outlet scoring a zero should be closed immediately, and not allowed to re – open until a re – inspection scores a minimum of three stars. I believe that the “Scores on the Doors” score sticker should be legally binding, and compulsory to display prominently in the window, next to the menu, if possible. It should be like a vehicle excise disk – you could not operate without a current certificate. I know this sounds like wishful thinking, but if Bexley Council are going to improve the hygiene levels of commercial food retailers in the borough, they are going to have to take bold and brave moves to substantially improve the situation, and this inevitably should lead to enforced closures. I am contacting local MP Teresa Pearce to see what influence she can bring to the matter. *Update* I have been in communication with Teresa Pearce since I wrote the piece above; she is taking up the matter with Bexley Council as I requested. She did also comment that from her previous investigations, it would appear that the Environmental Health team issue a detailed questionnaire to each food outlet as part of the hygiene inspection. The questionnaire is only available in English, and apparently a lot of the owners and staff of takeaways don’t have English as their first language, and some have very little English at all. In these cases the document does not get completed, and this considerably marks them down before the inspection proper has even begun. This is an interesting point that I must admit that I had not even considered. It will be instructive to see what other information that Teresa can dig out of Bexley Council about the whole thorny subject. Hopefully more on this in the weeks to come.

A second guest writer makes an appearance this week. Brian Spurrell is a stalwart behind Erith and Belvedere football club. He asked me a while back if I would write a feature on the club; after a bit of consideration (and bearing in mind my knowledge of football could be fitted into a very small matchbox, without taking the matches out first!) I decided to hand the editorial reins over to him to give some background to the historically significant local football club:-

"ERITH and BELVEDERE FOOTBALL CLUB

The next month could be historic for Erith and Belvedere FC.  With 11 Kent League games left, “The Deres” are six points clear of nearest rivals VCD Athletic, with a game in hand and superior goal difference.  They visit Lordswood this Tuesday for the Kent League Cup semi-final second leg, defending a 3-0 lead.  The winners play Corinthian in the final.  So Deres have a good chance of a double as well as promotion to the Ryman League. Deres have been groundsharing with Welling United since 1999, but their local roots are deep.  The first football club in Erith was founded in 1885 at Easton and Anderson’s factory in the town.  Its first match was against Royal Arsenal - the Arsenal club’s future would be more distinguished than Erith’s! There were several small clubs in Erith but none representing the area until Belvedere and District FC formed in 1918.  In 1922 they became Erith and Belvedere and joined the Kent League, playing their first match on 26 August 1922 at Park View, Belvedere (adjacent to Belvedere station).  Up against numerous semi-professional clubs and nursery sides for the likes of Spurs and Chelsea, Deres never finished any higher than 3^rd place in 1928-29, but greater success came in amateur competitions.  They twice reached the final of the Amateur Cup: in 1924 they lost the final 3-0 to Clapton at Millwall’s ground, The Den – with the biggest football crowd of the day, over 32,000 - and Erith Town Band played the returning team through the streets to a reception at the Cross Keys (where Deres’ captain Billy Swayne happened to be landlord!)  In 1938 they lost 1-0 to Bromley, again at The Den, with a crowd of 33,346, and supporters danced on the Park View pitch at the civic reception while waiting for skipper Len Scott to return from guesting on BBC radio’s “In Town Tonight”. In 1939 the club joined the wartime South-East Combination league, alongside other prominent London clubs, and found that geography was in their favour.  With many of their players in reserved occupations, working at Woolwich Arsenal or Callenders, Deres lost fewer players to the Forces than clubs in leafier parts and became one of the top clubs in Kent.  In 1941-42 they won a league and cup double, became the first amateur club in 30 years to win the Kent Senior Cup, scored 253 goals in 44 games and had a 64-game unbeaten home run ended only by an Army side fielding four full internationals. After the war Deres were founder members of the Corinthian League, remaining there until 1963 before joining the Athenian League, where they stayed until 1978.  Its most successful manager during this period, when they won the Kent Amateur Cup four times in five years, was Roy Dwight, a Belvedere boy who had won the FA Cup with Nottingham Forest in 1959 and whose cousin Reg was about to become better known as Elton John.  They reached the Athenian premier division in 1971, and won the League Cup in 1974, but chose to return to the Kent League in 1978 for economic reasons.  A local junior club called Welling United took their place in the Athenian League, which was the point at which the clubs swapped places in the local football hierarchy. In 1982 Deres were Kent League champions, their only peacetime league title so far, and entered the Southern League.  Life was hard for Deres in the Southern League, with just six top-half finishes in 232 seasons and a best placing of 7th in 1992-93.  Then on 1 September 1997 arsonists destroyed the main stand at Park View.  The club was based in portakabins for two years before moving to Welling, the Park View ground being sold to B and Q. In 2005 the Deres were relegated for the first time in their history, back to the Kent League.  They were in promotion contention until the final day of 2005-06, but were out of the hunt in the following few seasons.  Current manager Micky Collins, formerly a player with Gillingham and Dartford, took over in May 2010 and guided the team to 5^th in 2011 and runners-up last year.

Remaining fixtures:

March   26         Lordswood (a)   Kent League Cup semi-final 2^nd leg (lead 3-0)

            30         Erith Town (a)

April       1        VCD ATHLETIC (H)

              6        SEVENOAKS TOWN (H)

              9        Corinthian (a)

            13         Whyteleafe (a)

            16         ERITH TOWN (H)

            20         BECKENHAM TOWN (H)

            22         TUNBRIDGE WELLS (H)

            27         Lordswood (a)

            30         GREENWICH BOROUGH (H)"

Thanks Brian - an interesting read to everyone, not just your local league fan. Do visit the club website here if you would like some more information.

On a further hospitality based thread, I read that Bexley Council are not going to charge a late night opening levy on licenced premises that open between midnight and 6am. The council are legally permitted to make a charge, which is supposed to go towards cleaning sick off the pavement and the like. Fortunately Bexley is not exactly Las Vegas, and I struggle to think of anywhere that would be open overnight. The only night clubs in the vicinity are out of the Borough in Dartford or Woolwich. I understand that the amount of revenue that would have been raised had a charge been made would have been so low that it would have hardly covered any administration charge.

You may recall that some time ago I wrote a brief account of an amusing incident that happened as I was waiting at a local bus stop; I was standing, looking down the road for a sign of an impending 99 bus, when a woman walked up to me and told me that aliens were controlling the weather. She made a couple of other rather strange remarks which I did my best not to respond to. Luckily I was saved by the arrival of the bus – the woman did not get on. Well, she has now achieved a fame of sorts, as she features in the most read and commented on story in the News Shopper last week. You can read about her claims that aliens are guiding the British economy back to prosperity, that they are also controlling the weather, and even giving Arsenal football manager Arsene Wenger advice on cup winning strategy. I get the impression that she may well have beamed down a few too many times. You can read the story here – and check out the comments too.

When Doctor Who returned in 2005 I absolutely loved the show; I thought that Russell T Davies was very much the best person to reboot the programme, and that Christoper Ecclestone was inspired casting as The Doctor. I thought the same about David Tennant and I also like Matt Smith. What I have not liked over the last couple of years have been the story lines and the scripts - for my taste the show became an ensemble piece, and more reminiscent of a sci fi soap opera. A lot of this I feel can fall at the feet of current show runner Stephen Moffatt - multi coloured "Fisher Price" Daleks, for example. Moffatt is an excellent script writer, as some of the best earlier episodes can attest, but he has treated the show with what I feel is a certain degree of contempt. I stopped watching two seasons ago, and I know that the viewing figures have dropped alarmingly, so I am obviously not alone in this respect.  I know that the show has had a recent minor reboot, and I am hoping it has regained its' charm and magic. I will give the forthcoming new series a fair chance. Here is a mini prequel for the new series. See what you think. Comments below, as always.

People who know me well long ago realised that the first place to look for me if I was not at work or at home would be in Erith Morrison’s. In fairness, I do visit the store pretty much every day, but I don’t do a “big shop” – I tend to just buy bits and pieces as I need them, which is convenient for me, as the supermarket is on the way from the station to Pewty Acres. In the past Morrison’s has been pretty staid and unimaginative in its’ range of food products, which seemed to reflect its’ roots in the frozen North. That started changing exactly a year ago this week, when they introduced the wider variety of vegetables, and their unique chilled water vapour tables. Recently they have really pushed the boat out with a wide range of both chilled and frozen cuisine from a number of diverse cultures. I currently have in my freezer the following:- Frozen, oven bakeable Seekh kebabs, a selection of Jamaican patties, African Jollof rice stuffed samosas, oven baked masala fries and some kosher chicken and beef sausages. In my store cupboards I have South Korean Ramen noodles, Japanese Miso paste and chilli sauce from the Bahamas. About the only cuisine I have been forced to avoid is the Polish range; the veggies are fine, but it seems that pretty much every meat product contains pig in one form or another, which is a real problem for me, as I am pork intolerant - eating any pork, especially pork fat makes me violently unwell - don't get between me and the toilet if I do eat something pig related by accident.  Still, the variety of stuff available is excellent, as is the new range of spices, pulses and raw ingredients. It is still no Waitrose of course, but it has the advantage of being on my doorstep.

The ending video this week is a previously undiscovered gem. It is a public information film made by the former Greater London Council (remember them? You are showing your age). It was made in 1974 and is called "Living in Thamesmead". The main characters in the thirty minute film are played by professional actors, but all of the smaller parts and the extras are real Thamesmead residents of the time. The place certainly looks a hell of a lot nicer than it does nowadays!