The cleanup.

The photos above were taken a little earlier today; they show the environmental charity Thames 21, who, along with volunteers from FORGE (Friends Of Riverside Gardens Erith), the Explorer Scouts and the Army Cadets spent most of the day clearing up items dumped in the Thames mud. The event was scheduled so that the river would be at low tide during the work, and the record for the numbers of shopping trollies from Morrisons that were retrieved from the mud was broken. Last year they rescued a total of 21 trollies; by 1pm the volunteers had collected 25 trollies, and there were still several still in the river. In an improvement on previous years, the volunteers did not just clear up the river, they also collected dozens of bags of rubbish from the Erith Riverside Gardens, which were to be collected by Bexley Council's waste management contractors. I have been reliably told that the collected shopping trollies will be recycled by local scrap processors, the Manor Road based European Metal Recycling. It is not possible to properly clean the muddy trollies, even with a pressure washer, and the mud contains all sorts of harmful bacteria, so they will be melted down and repurposed instead. The trollies cost Morrison's £60 each, so the supermarket will have lost something in the region of £1500 through the thoughtless and malicious actions of local vandals, not to mention the potential danger to the environment and the wildlife inhabiting the river and the Riverside Gardens. The number of volunteers helping with the cleanup was the highest I have seen - something in the region of eighty young people were on site, supervised by Thames 21 and FORGE. Not many appear in the photos above, as I took them when lunch was being served. Morrisons, McDonalds and KFC all donated free food for the volunteers, who were able to use the facilities in Erith Rowing Club next door to the wooden river jetty. 

You may have recently seen in the national news that the British Government is being challenged over its supply of computer and phone surveillance equipment to governments with a poor record on human rights. The issue is complex, and a number of factors are involved. The government and agencies such as GCHQ and MI5 in the UK, and the NSA in America have not recently covered themselves in glory. A lot of classified documents originating in the American National Security Agency (NSA) have been leaked and posted online, initially by Germany's Der Spiegel newspaper. They have been independently verified as genuine by a number of sources, and they make for fascinating reading. Basically, between the American NSA and the British GCHQ every form of electronic communication in the world can be monitored, recorded and decoded. This has been suspected for some time, but this is the first time that it has been backed up with documentary evidence. I was not surprised, by that, but I was astonished as to the level of commercialisation that is now not just government departments spying on other governments, but a lot of it is outsourced to commercial organisations. More on this later. A clanger of jumbo scale was made by British Intelligence when Julian Assange took refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. MI5 deployed a device called a Typhon HX; this is a device that mimics a mobile phone providers’ base station and collects phone calls, texts and web traffic – effectively tapping mobile phones. The spying was uncovered as people in the area around the embassy started getting “Welcome to Uganda Telecom” messages on their phones. It would appear that the spooks had not correctly reconfigured the Typhon HX from a previous spying mission in Uganda! I would imagine that the individual responsible would be given a rocket for exposing the whole operation in such an incompetent manner. On top of this, the leaked documents show that no computer, whether it be a server, desktop, laptop or tablet is safe from intrusion. The same is true of mobile phones. The security services are able to remotely control your mobile phone – they can switch on its’ camera and microphone to watch what you are doing, and listen to what you are saying. The phone appears in standby, and there is no way of easily telling it has been hijacked, other than the battery life is far shorter. The documents even detail an exploit for the iPhone code named DROPOUT JEEP which can take complete control of any phone running iOS and is “one hundred percent” reliable. There is some speculation that Apple may have actually helped the NSA to develop the exploit in a bid to assist in potential counter terrorism. A lot of the documentation is quite technical and in great depth, so I will not bore a general readership with it, but you can see more by clicking here.  Earlier I referred to the commercialisation of surveillance; the NSA actually manufacture a wide range of electronic spying equipment which they sell to friendly (and sometimes not so friendly) governments to spy on their citizens. There is even a catalogue complete with price list – almost like a parody of the (now defunct) Maplin catalogue. The trouble with all of this is that the security services are (nominally) controlled by politicians – who almost to a person don’t have a clue about the technology that has been developed – there is a real issue as to who is actually in charge when it comes to digital interception and decryption. On the subject of the commercialisation of the intelligence domain, much of the sales documentation of the software and hardware suite designed to hack and remotely monitor “targets” – a euphemism for people - the documentation also makes it clear that the software is capable of monitoring "up to hundreds of thousands of targets" - if you were genuinely monitoring even the largest of terrorist organisations, I would have thought a couple of hundred "targets" would have been all that was required. It sounds to me like they are enabling repressive governments to spy on substantial proportions of their citizens. The Italian company “Hacking Team” behind it are one of a handful that sell their products all over the world; I wish this was some paranoid fantasy, but it is all too real. Please feel free to leave a comment below.

A mystery has been brought to my attention, and I know that some correspondence has taken place on social media, including FaceBook. For several weeks a large, quite old camper van has been parked outside of the main gates of Erith Hospital. There have been rumours and suppositions as to why it is parked there, and if indeed anyone is living in it. I have passed the site several times whilst on the B12 bus to and from Bexleyheath, and the camper van has mystified me. If anyone has any concrete background information about the strange, out of place vehicle, then please do let me know - Email hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

Much has been written - both by me, and others in respect of the threat that streaming video services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and even YouTube have made to traditional broadcasters. Linear video - as in, you have to remember to watch a TV show whilst it is actually being broadcast, is now far less of a factor than it used to be. The BBC have responded with BBC iPlayer, and other commercial stations have done similar things, with a greater or lesser degree of success. The one major broadcaster who seem to be still rooted in the past is Sky. Although they have announced that all of their services will eventually be available to be streamed on demand, they are still in my opinion culturally tied to their linear satellite services. Historically, before fast digital networking and the World Wide Web were in common use, the only way to send data over a large geographical area was either to build and operate a large and high powered network of terrestrial transmitters, or alternatively to purchase or lease a number of broadcast satellites in geostationary orbit. Each satellite costs somewhere in the region of £100 million to build and launch, so the financial commitment is extremely high, either way. Nowadays the requirement for very expensive broadcasting infrastructure is no longer present, but Sky don't seem to be moving anything like as quickly as I feel they should to respond to the changes in technology, and where the market is inevitably heading. Also, their pricing structure for their "standard" HD service is now prohibitive. A package with all channels minus the sports ones currently costs around £65 per month, and is due to increase to £68 per month in April. On top of this, Sky and the other broadcasters using the Sky platform all show adverts during the programmes. In essence you are paying to watch commercials. In contrast the newer streaming services such as Amazon Prime Video and Netflix offer unlimited viewing starting at around £7.99 a month, depending on the package desired. On top of this, the streaming video services have no adverts whatsoever. It seems to me that market forces will cause Sky to alter their business model; if they don't, then in time they will cease to exist.

Founders of not for profit organisation The Exchange, Sarah and Peter have made the front page of the Bexley edition of the News Shopper this week; their hard work in the ongoing refurbishment and repurposing of the old Carnegie Library in Walnut Tree Road, Erith has been recognised by the local paper. The Exchange are converting the former library into a community and arts centre. Phase one of the project - the opening of The Bookstore Cafe has already been completed, and phase two, the refurbishment of the ground and upper floor of the building will take place when further funding has been confirmed. You can read more about The Exchange by clicking here.

One of the few land based pirate radio stations to make a successful transition to a legal commercial radio station celebrated its fiftieth anniversary last week. Radio Jackie started life as a pirate in 1969, with occasional programmes. The first transmission was just 30 minutes long before it expanded to a weekly broadcast. It was created by current owner and founder Tony Collis. It pre-dated Independent Local Radio in the UK and was raided by the authorities on several occasions. After initial broadcasts from houses and flats, Jackie decided that these regular locations were going to attract the attentions of the authorities, so they became the first station to move transmissions to open spaces. While it meant that they couldn't broadcast live and no longer had access to mains electricity for the power-hungry valve transmitters of the day, it did make operations considerably less risky. The equipment could be set up in the undergrowth with an aerial between trees, while station staff could be on lookout from a distance, ready to either whisk the equipment away if they had enough warning of the arrival of the Post Office investigators – or to simply run away if they didn't. Gradually Radio Jackie refined its mobile broadcasting, at one time even making use of a pram to house all the heavy equipment. From initial broadcasts in Sutton's Nonsuch Park, for a long time they could be found every Sunday in a corner of Beddington Sewage Works. Transmissions moved to 227m, where they would continue for most of their part-time pirate life. In 1971 they also experimented with VHF transmissions every Saturday night, at first on their own and then as part of the London Transmitter of Independent Radio group. At this time the authorities found it hard to track VHF transmissions, but when they could they rapidly wiped them off the dial and in 1973 Jackie were back to AM-only broadcasts. 1975 saw Radio Jackie disappear from the airwaves for most of the year. Several of the staff had jumped ship to Radio Kaleidoscope, while founder Mike Knight was caught in a raid at another station and sentenced to 28 days in Pentonville Prison because of his previous four convictions. After their return the format of the station began to change, positioning Radio Jackie as The Sound of South-West London and with more content for their broadcast area – though mostly confined to local listings. In 1983 Radio Jackie launched a full 24 hours a day service with Dave Pearce and Paul McKenna amongst the people involved in their early careers. As a pirate, it operated with full-time staff, high street offices and the support of locals. In 1984 a petition, calling for the station to be given a licence, was signed by over 55,000 people and supported by many local councillors and the MP for Mitcham and Morden. Offices and studios were set up in Worcester Park, a more professional transmitter and aerial system installed in Cheam and Jackie registered as a proper business with PAYE-enrolled employees. There was even a Radio Jackie shop. After the introduction of the 1984 Telecoms Act, Radio Jackie seems to have known it was living on borrowed time. On Friday 1st February 1984 the new DTI Radio Investigation Service launched separate raids on Radio Jackie's offices and studios and at the transmitter site. They stripped the premises of every last piece of equipment and all the paperwork that was needed to prove individuals' involvement in the station. Concluding that they could not continue operating in the way they had before and that if they didn't then it would not be Radio Jackie, the station decided to close down. They came back on the air using makeshift equipment and prepared for a final farewell on Monday 4 February 1985. Hundreds of listeners turned up outside their offices at Central Road, Worcester Park to say goodbye, with programmes also going out on a VHF transmitter from the same location to ensure they could not be taken off. Even then the DTI couldn't resist raiding the medium wave transmitter site in the last minutes of the broadcast. Members of Radio Jackie continued campaigning for a licence. When in 1996 the Radio Authority finally advertised one for South West London they applied, only to be beaten by Thames Radio. When Thames ran into financial difficulties Jackie bought the loss-making station for £1, returning as Radio Jackie in October 2003, restoring live broadcasting and local news bulletins. Radio Jackie is now a successful legitimate commercial radio station serving South West London. You can see their website and listen to them online by clicking here. 

Now for the weekly local safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly from Barnehurst ward:- "Barnehurst are pleased to report there have been no burglaries in the past week. On Tuesday 12th March 2019 at 23.00 hours there was an attempted burglary in Erith Road whereby the victim heard someone tampering with the lock on the front door, the victim did not open the door. The following morning a small knife was found outside the address, this has been sent off for forensics. In Taunton Close on Thursday 14th March 2019 registrations plates were stolen from a Ford Transit. The team have been distributing Smart Water to all residents of Hillingdon Road following a spate of vehicle crime recently. We hope to continue in getting over areas of the ward covered in the near future. Coffee with cops at the Barnehurst Golf Club has been very successful in recent weeks. Following requests from residents we will be arranging some of these meetings at later times to accommodate those who are unable to attend earlier sessions. The next coffee with cops will be held at the golf club at 4.00pm, please join us to hear about what we are doing in your area and to discuss any concerns you may have". Belvedere ward:- "Throughout the last week, as part of Operation Sceptre, the team have continued to take part in ‘weapon sweeps' in several areas of the ward – Mitchell Close, Halt Robin Road, Salmon Road, Albert Road park areas, Parkside Road ad Franks Park to name a few…. .so far we have found no items of concern; On Thursday 14th March, PC Holmes and PCSO Worrall, during patrols of Picardy Street and in particular Mary Slessor House, discovered a motorbike in the rear courtyard of the building which (after checks were completed) transpired to have been stolen in the early hours of that morning. The vehicle was swiftly returned to a very happy owner. There have been four recent burglaries, three of which took place in the lower part of the ward – one in Gordon Road and two in Stanmore Road (these were thought to have taken place on the same day). The same method of entry was used here as rear patio doors where damaged / glass smashed in gaining entry. The fourth occurred in Milton Road and was an apparent attempted break in as the person(s) responsible do not appear to have entered the property after the house alarm sounded. Staff at the Lesness Abbey ruins site contacted the team recently as they happened to discover a discarded gun in the undergrowth whilst carrying out gardening duties around the site. The team attended and discovered that this weapon was in fact an air pistol. We have now removed this item to a safe location in order for it to be destroyed. Our next Community Contact Session is due to take place on Monday 25th March at Starbucks on the Belvedere Park estate from 4pm". Bexleyheath ward:- "On Thursday 14/03/2019 – There was a report of a burglary along Broomfield Road Bexleyheath. Alloy wheels had been stolen from the side gate access to the property; On Monday 18/03/2019.  There was a report of a theft of motor vehicle along Mayplace Road East that was taken from the driveway, taken by means unknown . This had taken place between 1am in the morning and 12 midday; Also on Thursday 14/03/2019 - There was a theft of a catalytic converter from a vehicle that was at the CIVIC office car park; Tuesday 19/03.2019 – Along Church Road Bexleyheath, victim had reported that their vehicle was scratched. There were four reports of theft from motor vehicles all on Monday 18/03/2019. The location are Midfield Avenue and Albion Road Car Park, two had taken place at each location and all of them seem to be during the day. On the Thursday 14/03/2018 – Victim had reported that they had their credit card stolen in Iceland's Store on the Broadway when the suspect had deliberately bumped into them. A person was stopped by the Premiere Inn with possession of cannabis and also 9 stop and searches conducted at the cinema car par. Also just to make you are, we have had problems with our ward phone and is now up and running again. We apologise if anyone was trying to call us and was unable to get through to us. Please note our contact number is not for emergency use and anything that does need reporting should ideally be via 999 or101 and 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 or 101 for non-urgent reporting".  Crayford ward:- "On Wednesday 13th March at approx. 13.37 a laptop valued at £1600.00 was stolen from Currys, the cable ties securing it were cut. There was a business burglary in Crayford High Street at 3am on Friday 15th March, a significant amount of fishing equipment was stolen from the premises, entry and exit was via the smashed front door, a white van was used and two suspects were seen. A white Ford Transit, number plate BW11TWZ was stolen from a property in Stour Road overnight Sunday 10th to Monday 11th March, the van had work tools inside. Number plates KF07XMU were stolen overnight Friday 15th in to Saturday 16th March in Mayplace Road East. these should be on a black Vauxhall. Two Males were seen stealing number plates from a black 1 series BMW and placing them on a White Audi A5 at Church Hill/Perry Street. Number plates PF57FFP were stolen from a white DAF overnight Sunday 17th - Monday 18th March whilst parked in Swaislands Drive. A Black GTF Vespa was stolen along with the chain and padlock from Bourne Road on Thursday 14th March between 12.00 - 13.00. Please be vigilant if using Bookers at Thames Road. On Sunday 17th March a lady's vehicle was hit from behind at Thames Road, she got out to exchange details with the driver, the accomplice snatched her handbag and just purchased cigarettes off the passenger seat. On the same day a lady had her handbag stolen containing a large amount of cash, driving licence, bank and credit cards, the suspect in this instance was seen to get in to a black Landrover before heading off towards Dartford. Please keep bags secured and out of sight whilst in your vehicle. We will be at Beano's café on Wednesday 27th March between 11.00 and 12.00 if you would like to come along and speak with us. Our next ward panel will also be held on Thursday 28th March at 7pm. The venue will be Vintage Lindy Lou's". Erith ward:- "We have unfortunately had a few burglaries in Erith this last week, All areas have been and will be patrolled more both plain clothing and in uniform, we will be checking residents CCTV and offering crime prevention advise to residents as well as trying to set up more Neighbourhood Watchesin the areas. Tower Road - By suspect(s) unknown breaking into the rear of the premises by smashing a rear window and conducting an untidy search and appropriating items unknown at time of report and making off. Bexley Road - Victim reporting attempted burglary at home address. Front doors smashed, no entry gained. Park Crescent – suspect detained nearby to venue who opened unlocked front door with no legal reason or good cause before being disturbed by occupier and making off on foot. Riverdale Road - By suspect(s) unknown entering garden then smashing rear window of property and conducting an untidy search and making off direction unknown". There was also a contribution from a Neighbourhood Watch member who observed:- "'A somewhat unusual event to report from Tuesday (19th March). I was just picking up a few supplies from Morrison's and spotted a man apparently keen to set his own bonfire by Wharfside Close, apparently trying to burn some sort of papers and other material(?!) with the aid of what I believe was a jerry can'. We understand that the Fire Brigade was called and the incident reported" There will be a special report on this incident in next week's Maggot Sandwich update. Northumberland Heath ward:- "This week the team have continued target area patrols. The team had 1 horse seized by the RSPCA and have reported a second horse. The team have also recovered a stolen moped that was found in South Road, DA8. In the early hours of Thursday 14th March officers were called to York Terrace where it was reported a male was rooting around in a garden shed, police attended and arrested a male for burglary. Unfortunately we do have a few crimes of note this week :- On Thursday the 14th March a white ford transit van was stolen from Hurst Road. On Thursday the 14th March there was a shed burglary in Belmont Road. On Monday the 18th March we had a theft of number plates from a vehicle in Carlton Road". Slade Green and Northend ward:- "We had a burglary reported on Saturday 16/03/2019 on Elm Road whereby a suspect was able to gain access to the property via an open window on the ground floor. This serves as a timely reminder to make sure that all windows are secured when going out especially as the weather (hopefully) starts to improve. We have also noted a slight rise in the number of reported thefts of motorcycles and mopeds, some of which are preventable. If you own one then I would encourage residents to remember ‘LOCK, CHAIN, COVER'. For more information go to: www.met.police.uk/scootersecurity. The team have had an eventful week which has even including seizing a horse and leaving it in the capable hands of the RSPCA, seizing a stolen moped found on South Road, Erith as well as a number of stop and searches, mainly for drugs".

Thamesmead East ward:- "Good News - After a lengthily investigation and subsequent court appearance a male was found guilty of criminal damage and a public order offence. Male is awaiting sentencing. Reception years 1 and 2 Pupils from St John Fisher RC School enjoyed exploring the CCTV Van - see the above photos. CRIMES THIS WEEK - Theft from Motor Vehicle: WOLVERCOTE ROAD Monday 18/03/19 between 8:30am-3pm Vehicle broken into and property stolen from inside by person/s unknown. Burglary: OVERTON ROAD Tuesday 19/03/19 between 11:30pm-9am Wednesday unknown suspect/s entered the victim's rear garden and broken into victims shed". West Heath ward:- "There have been no reported burglaries for 16 days. However after a break of 24 days we had two theft from motor vehicles overnight on Friday 15th- Saturday 16th March. One was in Whitfield Road where a nurses uniform was taken and found later discarded at the end of the road. The other was in Knowle Road where the car was broken into using keyless entry, no damage was caused and nothing was taken. We have held two well attended street briefings one in Milford Close on the Friday 15th March where the only issue raised was some historical suspicious activity in the garages to the rear of Milford Close and today's street briefing was held in Heath Avenue junction with Marley Avenue. The main issue raised was possible drug activity from people in cars late at night. Two males in a car were moved on by the team on Sunday night. The team continue to patrol the area both in uniform and plain clothes at various times to disrupt and deter such activity. We have been busy assisting our colleagues on Crook Log Team with a dispersal zone over the last week end as well as attending the local Mosques and other places of worship following the recent terrorist attacks in New Zealand. The team assisted in patrolling the Crook Log leisure Centre during the Mayor's Peoples Question Time. The next Street Briefing will be on Friday 29th March at 11.30am on the Hurst Lane Estate".

The end video this week features South Thamesmead - an area that is undergoing a great deal of change and redevelopment. A number of the buildings featured in the video will soon be demolished; indeed a number of the locations used in Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange" no longer exist. 

The Odeon.

Next Sunday the annual Erith river clean up will take place, organised by environmental charity Thames 21 and the Friends Of Riverside Gardens Erith (FORGE) with help from several local volunteer organisations. I will be attending with my camera to get some photos of the invaluable work that will be undertaken. I wonder how many shopping trolleys will be removed from the River Thames this year? Details of the event in the photo above - click on the image to see a larger version. 

Moments before this Blog update went to press, I received a press release from local not for profit group The Exchange:- "The Old Library in Erith, an impressive local architectural spectacle, sits at the gateway to the town reminding visitors and residents of Erith’s proud history as thriving port town and industrial centre. Built in 1906 using funds granted by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, the Library represents what communities can achieve by working together – local architect William Egerton designed a building incorporating bricks made locally, and utilising the skills of local craftspeople including builders, carpenters, plasterers and Sidcup’s Crittall window factory. It then served the community as a library, and later as the town’s museum, until 2009 when it was closed owing to major building dilapidations and lack of funds to deal with them. 10 years later, and the Old Library has reopened as ‘The Exchange’ – a not-for-profit social enterprise that deliver a community-led programme of events and activities that aim to encourage better cohesion and provision of opportunity for Erith. For the past 3 years, The Exchange has been working in partnership with Bexley Council, who own the building, to bring the disused and dilapidated historic space back to life. The Exchange programme started five weeks ago, bringing the historic bookstore back into use as a new café and bar run by a talented local chef, and providing access to other beautiful spaces that have not been used for years. Members of the community are defining what happens in these spaces, including exhibitions, pilates workshops, performing arts classes for young people, film and photography shoots for emerging local artists and makers, and an upcoming market supporting local producers. “Local people are choosing how this building should be used in the future, and the variety and the quality of resident’s aspirations is exciting.” Says Sarah Batten, Co-Director of The Exchange. The Exchange was set up by two Erith residents keen to reopen the Old Library, and maintain it for public use and community benefit. For the past three years, The Exchange has been delivering activities in the town – at Erith Lighthouse, Erith Fun Day and the Christmas Tree Festival – asking people what changes or additions they would like to see in Erith. These conversations and relationships that developed are now informing what happens next at The Old Library. But there is a lot more to do to secure the building’s future: the recent redevelopment project, costing approximately £1.8m, has ensured that the building is now watertight so no further damage is being done, and has brought the lower-ground floor back into full use. However, the ground and upper floors still need a lot of work - there is no heating or proper lighting, walls and floors require repair, and the building needs a lift to make it fully accessible. The Exchange and Bexley Council have been successful with an application to the Heritage Lottery Fund, and will be submitting a second-round application later in the year. If successful, this will secure a further £1.2m towards the building works. However, The Exchange needs to raise £300,000 as match towards this figure, and is responsible for how this building is fitted out and used. “Ultimately, it will be the community that save this building. If we as local residents can make it busy, and vibrant with activity, ideas and opportunities, we will get the support we need from funders to make the building’s future viable.” Says Co-Director Peter Nutley. If you are interested in finding out about The Exchange or in getting involved with the programme, please visit or contact The Exchange through their website: www.theexchangeerith.com". 

Some readers may be aware that last Tuesday marked the 30th anniversary of the World Wide Web. This was created by British Scientist and engineer Tim Berners - Lee.  He called it the World Wide Web, and he was given a NeXT workstation (a sort - of precursor to the Apple iMac) develop his system. Berners-Lee – now Sir Tim – built a very basic website that had further details about his World Wide Web project plus some software for accessing it. The site is still hosted publicly here.  To call the website basic is an understatement, but it did spread the word about the WWW's protocols. Crucially, the project's designs were published openly along with the source code for servers and browsers, allowing anyone to set up on the web without having to pay a penny in royalties or licenses. It is probable that this was the biggest boost to mankind's ability to share information since the invention of moveable type. I actually encountered Sir Tim almost by accident seven years ago. I attended a meeting at The Royal Society in Carlton House Terrace, London. As I came out from the meeting room and headed into the reception area, I noticed a tall figure waiting close to the main entrance; he was wearing a long and rather impressive drover style coat. I recognised him, but could not recall his name. I then realised that there was a life - sized portrait of the same person on the wall, right next to where he was standing in real life. The penny then dropped. I must admit that I was tempted to go up to him and say hello, but fearing I would only make myself look like an idiot, I thought better of it and left the great man alone. 

I have been aware for some considerable time that Nick Hair, landlord and owner of the Kentish Belle micro pub in Pickford Lane Bexleyheath, very close to Bexleyheath Station has had plans in place to upgrade and improve his already impressive facility. He has recently announced that the micro pub will be closing on the 24th March and reopening on the 4th April to allow for a mild refurbishment of the bar area and the replacement of the beer chiller system with an upgraded version; I also am led to believe that Nick will be altering the fascia of the pub to include an awning and some outside seating for the milder weather to come. In order to run down the stock prior to the commencement of the building works, The Kentish Belle will be holding a "bin end" sale from Wednesday the 20th March, so some beery bargains may well be on the cards. Nick told me:- "Everybody is welcome to attempt to ‘drink us dry’ from Thursday 21st to Sunday 24th as we will be putting on yet another vast array of beers when we reopen". The Kentish Belle celebrates its first birthday this weekend. Congratulations to Nick and his team. 

The upper photo was taken in May 1985, and shows the old Art Deco Erith Odeon cinema, which by that time had been converted into a Mecca Bingo hall. Built for the Oscar Deutsch chain of Odeon Theatres Ltd. The Odeon Cinema was opened on 26th February 1938 with Barbara Stanwyck in "Stella Dallas". Located on the corner of High Street and James Watt Way, the huge frontage was entirely covered in glazed tiles, broken only by long narrow window, just above the canopy. To the left of the facade was an impressive sweptback 65 feet high fin-tower, which became a landmark in the town centre. Inside the striking Art Deco style auditorium, seating was provided for 826 in the stalls and 420 in the circle. On each side of the proscenium were panels with horizontal bands, that were back-lit. There were a series of decorative plaster bands along the ceiling towards the proscenium, which were broken only by a daylight fitting in the centre of the ceiling. The Odeon was taken over by the Independent Classic Cinemas Ltd. chain on 10th December 1967, and was re-named Classic Cinema. The Classic Cinema was twinned from 16th September 1973, with a 1,000 seat Mecca Bingo Club operating in the former stalls area, and a 400 seat cinema in the former circle, which opened with Glenda Jackson in "A Touch of Class". Classic Cinemas leased the entire building to Mecca Ltd. from 3rd January 1974, and the cinema was re-named Mecca Cinema. The Mecca Cinema was closed on 25th September 1976 with Robin Askwith in "Confessions of a Driving Instructor" and Anthony Sharp in "House of Mortal Sin". The building was de-twinned and the Mecca Bingo Club took over the stalls and circle levels from November 1976. In 1995, it was taken over by the independent Jasmine Bingo Club chain, and was closed on 4th February 1996. The building was boarded-up and lay unused until late 2002, when it was demolished. A block of retail / office units and flats was built on the site in 2005, which you can see in the lower photograph. It was a great pity that the original cinema building could not have been retained; Oscar Deutsch’s cinemas were the most exotic architecture in many British towns and cities. Oscar Deutsch was the Birmingham-born son of a Jewish scrap metal worker who had emigrated from Hungary. By the time he died from cancer at just 48 years old, he had opened a total of 258 cinemas across the UK. the name of the cinema chain came from “Odeon”. It was an ancient Greek word meaning “singing place” – and Deutsch and his team decided it wasn’t too exotic to risk alienating the British cinema going public. Additionally, it started with Oscar Deutsch’s initials, and was used to spell out “Oscar Deutsch Entertains Our Nation” in advertising campaigns. In 1940, the year before Deutsch’s death, Odeon cinemas sold 100 million tickets, but this level of popularity would eventually wane, as home television and then video rentals took over. In 1984, the entire British cinema industry sold 54 million tickets. As the silver screen fell out of fashion, Deutsch’s cinemas were at risk of coming down as quickly as they went up. Rank came up against similar opposition in 1981 when it tried to demolish the Woolwich Odeon. “We would love to take over the place and run the place … as we feel it should be run,” an impassioned Tom Myatt, a projectionist at the cinema, told BBC Newsnight in a contemporary interview. Today the old Woolwich Odeon is Grade II-listed but is now known as Gateway House, and is run by the New Wine Church. Seventeen of the surviving 173 Odeons are listed, with 10 of those now used as churches or bingo halls, or standing empty. The Erith Odeon is now little more than a distant memory for many locals, and the block which took its place on the site offers little than a vague similarity to what stood there before. What do you think? Leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

Bearing in mind Erith is very much a maritime town, the River Thames does not really get the exposure or use one would expect. Historically Erith was an important port outside of London. Many ships which were too large to make it into the Port of London were unloaded at Erith, with their cargoes being taken further up river by Thames sailing barges similar to the one in the photograph above - click on it to see a larger version. This was before the river was fully dredged and managed as it is nowadays. Today one can watch huge container and bulk carrier ships passing Erith river front on a daily basis; the best time to see ship movements is at or around the changing of the tide. As previously mentioned, some of the small and medium sized vessels can often be seen moored on Erith Pier as well. Until 2013 there was an annual Thames Barge race, but for reasons unknown it has not been run since. The origin of this historic competition is well documented. It was the brainchild of a man who was nick named “The Golden Dustman”. His real name was Henry Dodd. He was born in 1801 into a very poor family; his first job was as a plough boy in arable fields that were within view of St. Paul’s Cathedral, which he did until he was in his early thirties, when he found employment as a “scavenger” – a sort of prototype recycling consultant. He soon discovered that the big money was in transporting waste, rather than actually sorting it. London was rapidly growing in size, and the population was booming. As the number of people in the capital increased, the amount of rubbish they generated went up. Dodd saw this as a very lucrative business opportunity, so instead of using slow and somewhat unreliable horses and carts to haul rubbish, he first hired, then purchased a fleet of sailing barges, which could transport far greater cargoes at a higher speed than any contemporary road solution. Most of the waste material Dodd was transporting was burned outside the capital, and the resulting ash was a vital ingredient in making bricks, which in turn were used to build the expansion of London. Never one to overlook a business opening, Dodd invested in several brickworks, including a very large site on what is now Manor Road in Erith. Nowadays, this kind of end to end ownership of all stages in a manufacturing process is known as “vertical integration” and Henry Dodd was a pioneer of it. All this made Dodd incredibly wealthy; he was one of the richest commoners in England, right at the start of the then new middle class. Dodd’s money bought him a degree of respectability in Victorian society (though I am sure there were whispers behind his back – though after having been brought up in the environment he had, I somewhat doubt if this bothered him). Dodd became a very enthusiastic patron of the theatre, and through this mutual interest he became very good friends with Charles Dickens. Dickens scholars believe that Dodd was the inspiration for the character of Mr. Boffin, the millionaire dustman who appears in the novel “Our Mutual Friend”. Dodd invested a large amount of money in sailing barges, and soon discovered that there was an intense rivalry between barge skippers. Never one to miss a main chance, he decided that in 1863 he would stage a sailing barge race – for entertainment, but also as a means to improve the business. The first race was only for his own sailing barges, and was run from Erith to Canvey Island and back, with the first barge and skipper to make the round trip being awarded a generous cash purse, which was awarded under the auspices of the Prince of Wales Yacht Club. Many in society assumed that the event had Royal patronage (something that Dodd did little to discourage), but in fact it was named after an Erith pub! In 1864 the race was opened to all comers, and after a while it became such a big event the running of it was passed over to a committee of barge owners. Within ten years, specially built racing barges were being constructed purely to try and win the race. Passenger steamers would be chartered to follow the racing barges on their course, and records show that over 10,000 people watched the race from on board these steamers. Henry Dodd, the “Golden Dustman” died in 1881; he left a fund to sustain the match – an eye watering sum of £100,000, which today is equivalent to tens of millions of pounds. In the latter years of the 19th century, the event was covered by Charles’ Dickens son (who confusingly was also called Charles) in his annual gazetteer. For the Centenary Match raced in 1963, the two principal rivals in Britain’s coasting trade, F T Everard and The London and The Rochester Trading Co. lavished money on their fastest barges in an attempt to ensure success for craft which were, by that time, an anachronism in transportation terms. The 48 mile course was from Mucking to the Mouse Lightship, and then back up to Gravesend. F T Everard’s Veronica was the winner, leaving the rest far behind in her wake. Not only was this spectacle thought to be the second oldest sailing contest in the world after the America’s Cup, unlike the America’s Cup of 1851, it was still sailed in craft virtually unchanged since those times until 2013, and as such is in itself was an especially important part of this nation’s maritime heritage.

Now for the weekly local safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly a report from Barnehurst ward:- "Another good week crime - wise across the ward with only one crime of note reported (please note we do not include domestic related crimes in this report) Overnight from 5pm on Sunday 10th March in Colyers Lane a Ford transit van was broken into by unknown suspects forcing the door locks. Please make sure that anything of value is removed from vehicles when left unattended especially work tools. Please see https://www.met.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/theft-of-a-vehicle for the latest up to date crime prevention advice. A member of the team will be at Barnehurst Golf Course on Tuesday 19th March at 11am. Please pop along for a chat about any local issues that may be of concern. As always, please follow the team on twitter @MPSBarnehurst and Face Book - Barnehurst police to find out what the team are up to and the latest crime prevention advice". Belvedere ward:- "Good news to start - the team have now been joined by PC Marc Smith which puts us back at full strength. PC Smith has worked in Belvedere previously so is aware of the areas and issues that arise throughout the ward. Our most recent ward panel has taken place, and it was decided that the team will focus on burglary, road safety/ motor vehicle crime , and also anti – social behaviour in the coming months. We have also continued our Street a Week initiative with a successful visit to Alfred Road recently, where we were able to speak to many residents about a wide range of topics. This gives the team opportunity to consider various issues when patrolling the area, and has made us aware of what we need to be looking out for. Street a Week will continue on the ward, look out for the team in your street soon. After a recent call from a concerned resident, PCSO Worrall attended the Gordon Road / Parkside Road area to discover various documents and several passports had been dumped at the location. These were collected and moved to a safer place for checks to be completed. It transpired that these items had been taken from a burglary in the Sidcup area and as such, they have been returned to their owners. During patrols of the Picardy Manorway underpass last week, a small amount of drugs (namely cannabis) was discovered near to the public walkway area. Unfortunately, there were no people in the area for the team to question in relation to this. Our patrols will continue. Our next Community Contact Session is due to take place on 18th March at Belvedere library In Woolwich Road". Bexleyheath ward:- "On Saturday 9th March there was a burglary in Arbuthnot Lane between 2005 and 2030 where a laptop was stolen and an untidy search of the property was conducted; There was an arson attack on a car in Chapel Road on Saturday 9/3/19 around 0340 hours, fire brigade attended along with police and it was contained. Between Saturday 9/3/19 and Monday 11/3/19 there was a van broken into in Grace Avenue, small box of electrical items taken and alarm tampered with; Monday 11/3/19 1645 – 1650 Mobile phone left on side at till area and whilst busy with their child the phone has been taken and switched off; Sunday 10/3/19 – Male detained under mental health act following incident at Jolly Millers Public House; Friday 8/3/19 Whilst parked in The Mall multi storey car park between 1145 and 1545 a car had its catalytic convertor stolen from underneath the car; Distraction theft on Thursday 7/3 at Asda Bexleyheath 1130, victim took money from cash machine whilst distracted suspect has taken cash as it came out of machine. Police were nearby location and staff at Asda had located the suspect who was still in the store. Suspect was apprehended and detained at the time; Friday 8/3/19 Theft of purse from The Mall shopping centre between 1200 and 1500; Friday 8/3/19 Theft of items from inside an office of a shop on The Broadway between 1230 and 1700 nothing of value taken; Tuesday 5/3/19 Theft of child's micro scooter from footpath in Martens Avenue between 0930 and 1440 hours. The team are continuing to patrol the ward and support the smart water initiative being rolled out around the ward. Patrols are carried out around all the local known areas for anti-social behaviour. If you do wish to pass on information to the Police then please contact Crime Stoppers on 0800 555111. Please do not hesitate to contact us via Twitter, Facebook, email and the ward phone. Remember in an emergency please dial 999 or 101 for non-urgent reporting. Keep phones and purses safe whilst out and about, be vigilant and stay safe". Crayford ward:- "Not a bad week crime wise for Crayford with two burglaries to report. There was a residential burglary on the 8th March in Green Walk however it appears this property was targeted as it was currently undergoing refurbishment and was empty. Several tools were taken from the property. There was also a burglary of a commercial premises in Crayford High Street on the 11th march with a hand tool being taken. A vehicle in Iron Mill Lane had both number plates taken overnight of the 7th March. Shoplifting in the Retail Park continues with Boots being hit for baby milk on the 11th March. Crayford SNT are working closely with the shops in an effort to identify suspects from CCTV images. Enquiries are ongoing. Officers from Crayford SNT are being pro active in an effort to reduce anti social driving in and around the car park at Hall Place in Bourne Road with perpetrators being identified and given warnings for their unacceptable driving. These warning last for 12 months and if either the driver or vehicle concerned are involved in a similar incident it will result in the vehicle being seized. Also anti social behaviour and drug use / dealing in Town Hall square is being dealt with by increasing patrols in the area, this has resulted in several youths being stopped and searched. Although knife crime is not a major problem for Crayford at the moment, officers are still taking the threat seriously and under the banner of the MET's Operation Sceptre they have conducted weapons sweeps of several open spaces and built up areas in Crayford but these searches have thankfully proved negative thus far". Erith ward:- "We have been out this week on daily weapon sweeps in a lot of areas across Erith. This involves searching bushes and other areas for hidden weapons, and this is a national operation at the moment. Burg Res 08/03/2019 Riverdale Road – window broken items taken. Burglary Residential Monday 04/03/2019 Riverdale Road – door opened items taken; Theft from Motor Vehicle Saturday 09/03/19 Lowry Close; Theft from Motor Vehicle Sunday 10/03/2019, Erith Road; Burglary Residential Monday 11/03/2019 Rutland Gate – nothing taken window opened and entered; Attempted Burglary Residential Tuesday 12/03/2019 Hampton House Erith Road; Wednesday 13/03/19 Theft from Motor Vehicle Thwaite Close. Regular drug dealing in the vicinity of Rutland Gate and use of drugs in stairwells of one of the blocks and adjacent areas outside. Resident will report to Orbit as it appears there could be improvements put in place to help prevent the issues. Is also contacting the SNT team direct. NW office have passed on basic info to SNT and are putting her in contact with NW Coordinator to help support". Northumberland Heath ward:- "This week the team have been conducting weapon sweeps across the ward as part of Op sceptre, with the aim of reducing knife crime. It's good news to report that no weapons have been found thus far on Northumberland Heath. The team have continued target area patrols, and have had 2 x positive stop searches, a quantity of cannabis has been found, the subjects have been dealt with accordingly. Unfortunately we do have a few crimes of note this week - On Friday 8th March between the hours of 6am - 8.30pm a motor vehicle was stolen from Parsonage Manor Way; On Sunday 10th / Monday 11th March overnight, the front and rear number plates were stolen from a vehicle on Frinstead Road. On Sunday 10th March we had an overnight non-residential burglary on Parsonage Manor Way". 

Bexley Fire Brigade report:- "On Wednesday 6th we attended another fire on the Darent Industrial Park in Landau Way Slade Green and Northend ward. This was at 23:18 hrs. with just one call being received by our mobilising control. Twelve pumping appliances, 2 hose layers and an aerial attended this fire which occurred within the yard of a metals recycling plant. The yard was approximately 160 metres by 95 metres in size and was sited at the end of a long access road on an industrial area adjacent to the River Thames. On arrival of the fire crews they found a developing fire within a 10 metre high pile of scrap metal which was 15 metres by 15 metres. They used a number of water jets and breathing apparatus to fight the fire, with assistance from on site staff who used grabber cranes to pull apart the pile of scrap metal. This allowed deep seated pockets of fire to be accessed. Crews remained at the scene throughout the night and into the following morning". Slade Green and Northend ward:- "Unfortunately we have three burglary type incidents to report this week. In the early hours of Friday 8th March a suspect was seen looking into the window of a flat at Old Church Court (Bridge Road). At this exact time fortunately response team officers were driving past, arrested the male and he was found to have drugs on him too so a double result. There was nothing taken from the address. In the evening time on the same date a resident in Alexandra Road was disturbed by noise in his back garden and as he went to investigate 2 suspects ran away across the garden after smashing his back door to try and gain access. PC Mark Brookes - Smith was the first to attend and the investigation continues. Finally, at 3am on Sunday March 10th an unknown suspect gained entry to Bushey Court Sheltered Scheme in Hazel Road by using a fire drop key and tried to take items from the padlocked communal fridge. CCTV has no clear image of the suspect but evening patrols will be made at the scheme. There have been seven stop and searches carried out by our team in the last week with one suspect given a fine for cannabis possession. The team assisted Belvedere SNT in executing a warrant on their ward last Saturday with suspected drugs seized at the location that have been sent for analysis". Thamesmead East ward:- "Stop and Search: Wednesday 6/3/19 Midnight Male stopped and searched found in possession of x2 bags of cannabis. Arrest: Wednesday 13/3/19 Male was charged and remanded after being forensically linked to Theft from Motor vehicle x2. Child Abduction Warning Notice: (CAWN) Saturday 09/3/19 As part of the fight against county lines and violent crime a male was served with a child abduction warning notice to safeguard some of our vulnerable youngsters on the ward. Theft of Motor Vehicle Manordeane Road Thursday 7/03/19 1:15am unknown person attempted to steal vehicle, pushed down road and unknown person made off. Kale Road Sunday 10/03/19 2:30am Vehicle interference by a group of males in an old shaped Ford Focus in blue or grey - who tried to steal victims van - the lock was drilled and the wires were pulled out. Bazalgette Way Wednesday 13/3/19 9:16 am Theft from motor vehicle. Victim left personal items on view inside the vehicle unknown suspect has smashed window and removed items". West Heath ward:- "We are very happy to report that there have been no burglaries or motor vehicle crimes reported over the past week. Even so the team have been busily patrolling the ward in both uniform and plain clothes. We stopped and searched a male and his vehicle for drugs in Sandgate Road but no drugs were found. On the way back to our ward from that stop we stopped and checked on the welfare of an elderly male showing signs of distress. He was okay but as he resided in a neighbouring borough we helped with transport home. Yesterday, we stopped and searched a male delivering charity bags door to door in Madison Crescent. Several weapon sweeps have been done in Stevens Park and West Heath Recreation Ground and we assisted with a knife arch operation in McDonald's in Welling High Street as part of Operation Sceptre aimed at reducing violence crime. Despite the inclement weather several residents attended our street briefing which was held in Bedonwell Road on the corner of Elmhurst on Sunday 10th March. We were joined by Councillor Philip Read and the main topics discussed were inconsiderate parking at school times, speeding and dog fouling which Councillor Read will look into. The team will increase patrols at school times and request Parking Enforcement. Our next Street briefing will be on Friday 15th March at 8pm in Milford Close at the junction with Westergate Road. The team had a meeting with our Councillors during the week in which we discussed residents' concerns raised at the last street briefing by Bostall Community Library around speeding in King Harold's Way. It was confirmed the Speed indicator device (SIDS) and the speed camera by Bedonwell School do work".

The end video this week is a bit of a curiosity; it features a bus journey from Woolwich to Bexleyheath on the 99 route. It has been speeded up somewhat, as to carry out the full journey at normal speed would take a little over an hour. Apologies for the dreadful music - I have no idea what the person was thinking of when dubbing the video - at least you can mute it if so desired. Please leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

The Kentish Belle opens.

The photos above were taken by me last Monday lunchtime in Erith Riverside Gardens. Representatives from Bexley Council were handing over the newly installed hose tap and recently refurbished garden tool storage facility to the Friends of Riverside Gardens Erith (FORGE). A council photographer was on hand to record the ceremony. The day was bitterly cold, with a strong, freezing wind coming from the River Thames. Considering the very cold weather, the turnout of FORGE members, council officials and  a few members of the public was impressive. The event was not without incident; as you can see from the three photos above (click on any one for a larger version), the council photographer was very keen on using his stepladder, and instructing the group of people on how he wanted them to pose; personally I don't like this rather old fashioned approach to people photography - I prefer to catch people unaware to get the most natural shots possible. Nevertheless the official photographer spent considerable time directing the group into how he wanted them to pose. In fact he spent more time faffing around then he did taking photographs - but maybe he's old school, and that is the way he works. In the middle photograph of mine above, you can see a gentleman on a push bike, who is dressed in high visibility wear. He was a council gardener, and had been passing when he saw the photographer standing in the flower bed, as you can see above. He wasted no time in telling off the photographer, and asking him not to tread on the delicate flowers that were just beginning to bloom. What the gardener did not realise was that one of the assembled crowd was Colin Rowland, the Head of Parks and Open Spaces for Bexley Council, and the gardener's ultimate boss. I do hope that the gardener gets some recognition for his timely and wholly appropriate intervention. The plants were struggling against the unseasonably cold weather, and being stood on would not help things at all. FORGE now have access to the newly installed water supply, and a very large tool and hose store, the door of which you can see to the left of the lower photo. The door might look quite small, but the storage space behind it is absolutely huge. When council workers were leaning it out prior to the official hand over, they found a number of old canoes in the store, which apparently had been left and forgotten there many years ago by Erith Rowing Club. A notice board for the exclusive use of FORGE will be installed in the gardens shortly. This will enable the group to post information and notices in relation to activities in the garden in the future. 

Bexley Council's recent decision to remove collection hoppers for plastic waste in the various recycling centres around the borough may turn out to be  a major mistake, as I recently wrote. Central government is very keen to reduce the production and use of single use plastics, and to increase the amount of plastic that is recycled, rather than being sent to landfill. It is estimated that 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic have been produced since the 1950s. Research indicates that without urgent action to cut demand this is likely to be 34 billion tonnes by 2050. In the UK alone, during its recent Great British Beach Clean Up, the Marine Conservation Society found 718 pieces of litter for every 100 metre stretch of beach surveyed, and of this rubbish from food and drink made up at least one fifth. Bexley Council stopped the collection of plastic waste and cartons at its recycling facilities last December. The reasons quoted were that the plastic waste was being contaminated with household waste - apparently people were mixing other things in with their plastic for recycling. Whilst I am certain that some of this was being done deliberately, in my experience most of this was because other waste containers were already full (they are not emptied as regularly as I feel they should be) and people dropping off recycling were of the mind - "well, I am not taking this stuff home". Whilst the recycling of glass and metal materials can be quite lucrative for Bexley Council, the recycling of plastics does not bring in much in the way of cash. I think the decision to cease plastics collection for recycling was far more likely to be financially motivated, than the council would ever be prepared to admit. With the new policy on plastics recycling now being set by central government, I can foresee a back track by Bexley Council in due course.

Now for some rather overdue good news. The Kentish Belle micro pub has now opened after a number of setbacks and delays. You can see the place in the photos above - click for a larger view; thanks to the ReV for sending me the photos. Bexley's newest micro pub is located at 8 Pickford Lane, Bexleyheath, almost next door to Bexleyheath railway station, and adjacent to the Co-Op supermarket. You can see full details of the Kentish Belle and its opening times by clicking here. Originally the plan had been for The Kentish Belle to open late last November, but a number of unforeseen factors came into play which caused a series of delays. Nevertheless they are now open, and by all accounts doing very well indeed. I understand that on the opening day alone, the micro pub sold a combined total of around 900 pints of real ale, cider and soft drinks - an amazing figure for a full - sized pub, let alone a micro pub. There is an unfortunate aspect to the opening, and it illustrates one of the negative sides to social networking. The owners of The Kentish Belle posted the following observations online:- "An ode to opening weekend: And the comments that have marred our fantastic start. On Friday, we opted to have a soft opening to make sure Saturday wasn't a complete disaster. The Mayor and Mayoress of Bexley came down, and so did other people from our community including the estate agents, our solicitors and some other folk. Another group to appear were from the Sapphire Dance Studio, located above. Sapphire, a thriving dance studio and school, was also opened by Mayor Peter Reader last year and so, during a random conversation with Natalie (the instructor), she made the magnanimous offer to come down and support us for 20 minutes before the girls went back to their lesson. We, as a business, had no idea what the 'Sapphire Girls' were, nor how old they were (and to be honest we still don't), nor what they would be wearing. For all we know it could have been a jumper and jeans but they came, braving the cold weather, in their trademark sapphire dresses. Until now, the photos on the digital camera hadn't been uploaded and we are clearly being judged based on the one mobile phone photo we have of the ribbon cutting. So, let's think about what sort of things that have been said via Facebook and Twitter. So far, the business has been accused of some form of ingrained sexism, misogyny and worse. Indeed, one Twitter user felt the need to suggest that the Landlord had a personal interest in scantily-clad girls which, to be honest, is absolutely awful. The whole debacle is being run and peddled by a group of people who clearly have nothing better to do and who seriously need a hobby. Then, a CAMRA member from South East London, let's call her A, came in on Saturday and, being unable to even force the faintest congratulations she opted instead to start a 20 minute dialogue during a remarkably busy period which was totally unnecessary and which clearly had been pre-planned. Apparently, the photo should instead have been of the girls with their soft drinks and their instructor but I ask how that would have been any different? People want to forget the fact, it seems, that more than 500 people visited us in two days, we poured some 736 pints, served 87 bottles or cans of beer and a fair hit of wines, soft drinks and real cider (the latter of which I enjoyed immensely). It was a stunning community effort and only one person mentioned these fantastic young women who popped in to be part of the community spirit much akin to the bakery who brought us a handmade cake. We thought we had a really good opening weekend but, thanks to the wonders of the modern internet where there are no consequences to opinions and even libellous comments, it's just taken the shine off. We hope people enjoyed coming into our pub. We hope everyone who was there had quality beers, wines and ciders (and such) and feels they are always welcome no matter their age, background, gender or anything else but if there are people who seriously think we are a hive of sexism is always welcome to drink in an alternative establishment. It says something when a number of women, notably one who has sought to stop genuine sexism, is able to say this sort of thing is just finding offence where none was intended nor designed.And with that, we're going to bed. Tomorrow we will be yesterday's news as someone decides another beer pump clip is upsetting or whatever it is that helps them justify their existence. Goodnight". It would seem that the malicious actions of a couple of keyboard warriors with their own agenda have been doing their best to disrupt the opening of a new independent business, and seeing fault where none exists in reality. You can read the entire discussion thread by clicking here. I visited The Kentish Belle on Saturday night, and was very impressed. The place is so new that you can still smell the fresh paint and varnish - and there are still spacers between the tiles on the wall in the gents loo, where the grouting still needs to be done. Other than that, it is a lovely place with a wide selection of draft ales and specialist bottled Belgian beers, some of which are more like wines than beers. The Kentish Belle suffers from a problem common to many micro pubs, and that is of noise levels - the former shop unit has a lot of hard, flat surfaces that reflect noise, and the level of conversation meant that during my visit it was sometimes difficult to hear what was being said. A few drapes or other soft furnishings would help this issue. The London Borough of Bexley is exceptionally well - served in respect of micro pubs, and another is due to open soon, in Barnehurst. The Bird and Barrel will open at 100 Barnehurst Road, just around the corner from Barnehurst Railway Station. It will be the first pub opened by the Bexley Brewery, although I understand it will serve a variety of beers, alongside their own brews. 

Bexley has not had a local radio station for some years. Back when it did have one, it got very few listeners as it was utterly awful. What seems to have happened is that over the last handful of years, local radio listeners in some considerable numbers have been tuning into a radio station that is primarily aimed at an audience just over the other side of the River Thames. Time 107.5 FM is based in Romford, and mainly covers the London Boroughs of Havering and Barking and Dagenham, but a surprisingly large number of listeners to the station are located in places on "our" side of the River Thames, including Belvedere, Erith, Slade Green and Bexleyheath, amongst others. Their travel reports are extremely detailed and up to date, and cover the Dartford River Crossing and the North Bexley road systems. The station is very community based, and runs all sorts of campaigns to help people in need - a true local radio station; I would strongly urge you to tune in to 107.5 FM - right at the top of the VHF FM broadcast band and give Time FM a try - it is exactly what local radio should be. You can see their brand new website by clicking here. 

Now for the weekly safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly from Barnehurst ward:- "Excellent news again for Barnehurst ward with no crimes of note reported for the third week running, long may it continue. We are aware of reports about Quad bikes racing around the ward over the last couple of days and have increased patrols in the affected areas in an attempt to identify the riders, if you have any information at all please contact the Barnehurst team. On Tuesday this week we held our last ward panel meeting prior to the ward boundary changes in April. The ward panel consist of local residents who are passionate about their area and meet with the Barnehurst policing team every three months to set policing priorities for the ward. If you would like to be involved, we are always looking for and welcome new members. We will be holding a drop In surgery on Tuesday 27th March at 1pm at Barnehurst Golf Course, please feel free to pop along and join a member of the team for a chat about local issues or anything that may be concerning you. Finally we would like to say a big thank you to all our ward panel members for their contributions over the years in helping keeping Barnehurst one of the safest wards in London. It has been a pleasure in getting to know you all and for all those that we lose we wish you well, we hope you will continue to make a difference and be part of any new panel following the boundary changes".  Belvedere ward:- "On Wednesday 14th March, the team responded to a call to Police from staff at Asda in Lower Road who had detained a female that had attempted to shoplift from the store. It transpired that the female was in breach of a court order. She was subsequently arrested by PC Holmes. After a recent robbery took place in Picardy Road (a female had been followed to her home from Nuxley Road before being approached directly outside of her home), extensive enquiries were carried out around the area. From this, CCTV images of a suspect were discovered and a male was identified, who has now been arrested for the offence. There was a fatal collision on Picardy Manorway late last week, in which one of the vehicles involved failed to stop at the scene. Ongoing enquiries led to a male being arrested in relation to the incident. On Tuesday 20th March, PCSO Worrall assisted officers in Erith Town Centre at a crime scene. Assisted by several officers from neighbouring wards, the team were able to carry out ‘weapon sweeps’ in key areas of the ward this week, ensuring that no items that may be used in violent offences had been hidden in areas known for ongoing Anti-Social behaviour. We are happy to report that no items of this nature were found. Having seen a male using his mobile phone whilst driving in Station Road, PC Green issued a fine to the driver on Wednesday 21st March. Finally, our next Community Contact Session is set to take place on Monday 26th March at the Belvedere Library on Woolwich Road from 10 am". Brampton ward:- "The ward has seen an increase in motor vehicle crime over the week with Theft of motor vehicle in Wenvoe Avenue and Interference with a motor vehicle in Long Lane. The team are dealing with Harassment allegations from a primary school on the ward that will end with a suspect being interviewed on 27th March. The team have been in constant contact with the school regarding this and given advice on a banning order. Criminal damage to a house in Barrington Road has been linked to other offences in the area (Not Brampton) investigation ongoing. Courier fraud in Heversham Road , investigation ongoing , no details to show that anyone has been targeted and no further offences reported. Shoplift in Long Lane Co-Op , these offences on the ward are down but still 1 is too many. The NHW meeting organised for Friday the 16th March went ahead in the big hall and was well attended. The team had guests from Crayford ward PCSO Barlow, NHW and Councillor John Wilkinson. Thanks to those and to all that attended. The team gained some very good information and are working on them". Christchurch ward:- "Over the last week we have had three reports of burglaries on the ward, brief details below: Two reported on Olron Crescent on the 13/03/2018. Both being next door to each other and entry was gained via rear patio doors. On the 12/03/2018 the other burglary took place on the 12/03/2018 along Grosvenor Road Bexleyheath, entry was gained via the patio door. We have had 5 reports of Theft of Motor Vehicle reported over the last week. 17/03/2018 – Number plates were taken from the vehicle whilst parked outside the car park area by Sainsbury’s Broadway Bexleyheath. 14/03/2018 - Tools were taken from a van along Upton Road Bexleyheath. 12/03/2018 – Along Petworth Road, suspect had smashed side window to gain entry. 13/03/2018 – Car window was broken to gain entry to a vehicle along Abbey Road Bexleyheath 12/03/2018 – Items taken from inside a vehicle along Highfield Road Bexleyheath. A criminal damage to a motor vehicle was reported on the 16/03/2018. There was reports of youths throwing stones at cars. On the 21/03/2018 - A mobile phone was taken from the victims pocket whilst in the Broadway. On the 15/03/2018 – Report was received that a group of youths had tied to snatch a mobile phone from the victim whilst inside the Marriot Hotel A robbery was reported on the 12/03/2018 along the Broadway. The suspect had demanded the victim’s wallet and was then pushed. The team had recently arrested a male for shoplifting, also at least 12 stops were conducted along Iris Avenue as well as a recent school talk at Townley Grammar School". Colyers ward:- "There are no reported burglaries in the last two weeks on Colyers Ward. This is great news and long may the burglary figures remain at zero. Please continue to be vigilant and above all keep your possessions locked and secured. Keep your home safe and make it harder for burglars. There are also no reported motor vehicle crimes on Colyers Ward between 15/03/18 to 19/03/18. There was a reported theft on 16/03/18 in Cheviot Close Bexleyheath. The victim explains that he sold an item on Ebay but it was returned via the post. The delivery driver put a note through the victim’s front door saying he had left the parcel by the garden gate. When the victim returned from work no parcel was found. The parcel contained a pair of men’s boots valued at £66". Crayford ward:- "On 16/03/2018 between 23.27 and 23.28 there was a business burglary at Game at Tower Retail Park. Entry was made via the rear fire doors and a number of items were taken from the stock room. Between 16.00 on 12/03/2018 and 07.30 on 13/03/2018, front and rear number plates were stolen from a vehicle parked on a driveway in Crayford Road. Other crimes recorded in this last week on Crayford ward have included ABH, common assault, public order offences, domestics and shoplifting. Our ward panel meeting was held on Saturday 17th March, many thanks to Europa Gym for allowing us to use their conference room and for the refreshments laid on and to our residents and councillors on coming along on such a bitterly cold day. Our ward promises were set as Anti-social behaviour and speeding. Last week while off duty I became aware of a small child running along a side road out on to a main road in front of a car, thankfully, the car stopped safely and child was safely picked up and taken home. But it made me think about doors being locked and secure, it’s not just about keeping burglars and strangers out but keeping young children and other vulnerable inside their homes. Just a second to lock a door securely, this instance could have had the most awful outcome and was most certainly food for thought". Lesnes Abbey ward:- "Friday 16/03/18 Burglary 12:05-13:20pm King Harold's Way; Victim was leaving the house when victim was approached by a male delivery driver. The male has asked Victim if they could take in a parcel for the neighbour. Victim has taken in the parcel placing it in their house. Victim left home then realised they did not double lock the door; Monday 19/03/18 Criminal Damage to Motor Vehicle 10pm – 6am Abbotts Walk victim stated he parked his vehicle at the location. When he returned to his vehicle he found that someone had poured a tin of white paint over the car. The Paint is covering the rear window, boot, front door the outside wing mirror had also been to be kicked off. Date for your diary; Have a say on Tuesday 27/03/18 between the hours of 03:00pm and 04:00pm at the Bostall Library Community Group, King Harolds Way. An opportunity for members of the community who prefer face- to – face contact, to speak with a Dedicated Ward Officer. Follow Lesnes Abbey on twitter@mpslesnesabbey. Any Burglary or Motor Vehicle Crime prevention information wanted, contact the Lesnes Abbey team on the details above". North End ward:- "We have had a burglary in the afternoon of Thursday 15th March at Mariners Walk, Frobisher Road. Entry was gained through the front door and a lap top and iPad were taken. There was also a business burglary at Erith Plant Services on Manor Road where machinery was loaded onto a van, CCTV enquiries are ongoing. 2 positive stop and searches were made by PC Mark and PC James this week. One in Hazel Road and one near Boundary Street. Both resulted in Cannabis warnings being given. On Sunday they arrested a male who was wanted for Failing To Appear at Court. We are noticing a slight increase in calls relating to off road bikes in the ward, especially the Manor Road and Ray Lamb Way area. We will be doing what we can to try and identify anyone involved and any help is gratefully received if you do see anyone riding in your road and can give any details, description, bike description etc". Northumberland Heath ward:- "The team are pleased to report that we have not any reports of anti-social behaviour this week, and no motor vehicle crimes. We have been busy on the patrol bus over the weekend, and as a result of this an eighteen year old male was issued with a cannabis warning following two males being stopped in a vehicle in Avenue Road. Last Wednesday morning Police were called to a suspicious package that had been delivered to the Erith and Labour party building in Bexley Road. The package was examined and deemed not to be suspicious. Six youths have been interviewed under caution at Bexleyheath Police Station in relation to a report of criminal damage and this is an ongoing investigation. The team have been involved in two arrests. One for breach of a court order and the other for a serious sexual offence. Please note these crimes were not committed in Northumberland Heath. A male was stopped last week in Mill Road selling items door to door. A concerned resident was worried that the male may be targeting elderly or vulnerable people and alerted us. Please be vigilant of any door to door salespeople and check their identification card. A real charity collector will not mind if you keep them on the doorstep whilst you make a phone call to check their credentials. Unfortunately we have had another burglary in Bedonwell Road this week. This took place on Wednesday evening March 14th between 8pm – 8.30pm. Entry was gained by the suspect smashing a glass panel by the front door. An untidy search was conducted but it’s not clear at this stage what, if anything, as the victim was away". Thamesmead East ward:- "Friday 16/03/18 - Theft from Motor Vehicle between 7pm – 9am Kinder Close. Person unknown has entered the vehicle without causing any damage, searched throughout and removed various items; Criminal Damage to Motor Vehicle 6:04pm – 6:11pm Dashwood Social Club Victim saw 5 persons smashing the windows on his car. No clues who they were or why it was done. Monday 19/03/18 - Theft from Motor Vehicle 1pm – 3:17pm Glimpsing Green Van broken into plumbing tools, iPad monitor, drills and memory sticks of music taken. Tuesday 20/03/18 - PC Pruden arrested a male for Malicious Communications investigations are ongoing. On Friday 16/03/18, PC Nana arrested a female for allegedly making violent threats to a vulnerable person – investigation is ongoing. On Friday 16/03/18, PC Pruden attended one of the teams Community Contact Sessions at The Link were members of the public can attend to discuss any issues they may be experiencing on the Thamesmead East Ward. The next session will be on Wednesday 18/04/18 between 4:30-5:30pm at The Link. PC Nana, PCSO Buckley and PCSO Hobbs attended St John Fisher School in Kale Road to give a talk at the morning assembly about Staying Safe and Internet Safety. On Monday 19/03/18 PC Pruden and PC Nana attended Sporting Club Thamesmead in Baylis Avenue and showed off their kick up skills in support of Sports Relief".

The end video this week features Erith Playhouse, a volunteer run theatre, which is the largest of its kind in the whole of The London Borough of Bexley. Please feel free to leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.