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.

A first look at the new Bexley College campus.

Casual visitors to the Maggot Sandwich could quite easily get the impression that the blog is exclusively concerned with the building work going on in and around Erith. Though this is very far from the case, it is true however that there is currently more construction going on than at any time in my memory. Last week I covered the construction of Erith Park, the new housing development on the site of the old and mostly unlamented Larner Road estate. Erith Park looks extremely promising, and it will be great to revisit the development as work progresses. This week another key site in Erith receives my attention. The new Bexley College campus between Stonewood Road and Walnut Tree Road is getting close to completion. On Thursday I was invited for a private VIP tour by Danny Ridgeway, the college Principal, and Martin Peat, the Deputy Principal. We met on site and had to don hi Vis waistcoats, hard hats and goggles; as I habitually wear steel toecapped construction boots I did not need to change footwear. We then proceeded onto the site itself. The photo above shows Martin and Danny looking symbolically back from the new college to the old college building in Tower Road about a mile away, which is now closed to students, and will soon be demolished to make way for housing. I have heard several people comment that the new building looks too small to accommodate all of the thousand or so students and the classrooms and other facilities that will be required. I can categorically state that this is not the case. The interior of the new building is absolutely huge compared to the old tower; there is really no comparison. The new campus is very high tech and green - the main heating system is powered by a biomass converter, the air conditioning system filters the incoming air to remove pollutants, including vehicle emissions from the nearby roads, and the design of the structure allows for large windows in the internal walls, meaning that natural light penetrates even the deepest parts of the interior. Many college facilities will be open to the public, including a coffee shop, the hair and beauty suite where people will be able to get haircuts and beauty treatments from students. This was the case in the old campus, but the steep climb up the hill in Tower Road put many older customers off. The new campus has full wheelchair access throughout, WiFi internet access, a large library, a gym open to students and staff, a state of the art refectory and some cutting edge classrooms.

The photo above shows final construction work on the roof terrace, which is invisible from the ground. Students and lecturers will be able to use this external space for learning activities, and I think this will be a very popular destination when the weather is fine.

The photo above shows an alternative view of the roof terrace from the inside; as you can see the glazed area is huge; the artificial  lighting level required during daylight will be minimal, keeping bills down.

The photo above shows a fairly typical classroom, prior to the furniture and fittings being installed. Click on any picture for a larger version. 

This large space is where the gymnasium will be located; I understand that the windows will be fitted with an optical obscuring film in due course. The lighting throughout the campus is provided by energy efficient LED flat panels, which use less than ten percent of the power required by traditional light bulbs, and last much longer.

The last photo shows the space in which the college refectory and kitchens will be installed; as with everything in the new building, it is far larger than the facility in the old building which it is replacing. 

Erith hit the headlines on Tuesday night / Wednesday morning; a scrap yard and car repair centre on the Darent Industrial Estate on the Slade Green Marshes had a major fire, which drew fire fighters from Erith, Lee Green, Plumstead, Sidcup and Bexley to put it out. One problem that exacerbated the situation was the current closure of Manor Road for remodelling work; the road is the main route to the industrial estate; indeed one of the principal reasons the road is closed is to repair the wear and damage caused by trucks and heavy vehicles travelling to and from the industrial estate.  I saw a couple of fire engines get as far as the "King of the Grill" Kebab shop at the Western end of Manor Road. The drivers seemed not to have been informed about the ten week road closure, and had to turn around and take the lengthy diversion via North end Road and parts of Slade Green. I have no way of knowing if this contributed to the size and duration of the fire, but having some of the fire fighting resources tied up travelling on a circuitous one and a half mile diversion cannot have helped. If the fire had been on somewhere like the Frobisher Road estate, where the houses and flats are very densely populated, I hate to think what could have happened. As it is I understand that no lives were at risk in the breakers yard, although any place where high pressure bottled gas comes into contact with intense heat is always a risk. During the last fire in the same location, a number of propane cylinders exploded, which could have caused fatalities. It would seem to me that the fire safety record of the Darent Estate needs to be called into question, as these serious and potentially life threatening outbreaks are far too frequent.

Local resident Joan Newall has asked me to pass on the following information:- The Children's Society, are having a DO afternoon on Saturday 12th July 2pm to 5pm, at All Saints Church Hall, Nuxley Road,  Belvedere. We will be having a silly olympics afternoon with other games to play. We are asking everyone to bring their own picnic, we will play gamesfor the first half, with the parachute, and a hunt the thimble, catch the rat etc. then the picnic followed by silly olympics all we do will be suitable for all ages including the adults. There will be prizes and medals. Refreshments will be available at reasonable prices. there will also be a cake stall, and handmade cards for sale among other things. A number will be on the back of their ticket for a raffle prize. Entrance will be £2.00 each or £5.00 for a family ticket.

The local area seems to be targeted by a number of companies offering credit cards to people on low incomes and with poor credit histories. I have had a series of envelopes posted through my front door, which I generally remove any personal details, then take round to be recycled. This time I decided to read through the documentation just to see what was on offer. Personally I don’t own a credit card, as I have little or no need for one. If I cannot afford something immediately, I save up until I can. I am not a believer in personal debt – I have my (small) mortgage, but that is it. When I read the small print of the credit card application leaflet from a company called Vanquis Bank, I was appalled. You may recall that not long ago I wrote that being on a low income is very expensive. Lenders charge far higher interest rates to people they feel are a bad credit risk; conversely this means that the borrower is actually more likely to default due to the crippling interest charges. The Vanquis Bank credit card has a base interest rate of 39.9 to 59.9 percent, depending on the financial situation of the applicant. The card offers a very low initial credit limit, from £150 to £1,000, though the bank does state that if card repayments meet certain criteria, the credit limit can be raised every four months to a maximum level of £3,000.  Compared to this, Barclaycard, MBNA, Sainsbury Nectar and Leeds Building Society all offer a credit card that charges a fixed 18.9 percent interest rate and far superior terms and conditions. Vanquis Bank is an operating arm of the Provident Financial Group, a financial services company with an income in excess of £1 billion a year, and Vanquis is designed to siphon as much of that cash from low income earners as possible. Once again the poor get financially hammered for being poor. It is a vicious circle. If this was not bad enough, the largest payday lending company in the UK is Wonga – they have dreadful adverts on television so frequently that they feel like they are shown on a loop. Wonga got in very hot water this week after they got caught red handed sending out fake solicitors letters to borrowers who had not repaid their loans on time. To add insult to injury, Wonga were then adding “solicitors” fees to the amount of the outstanding loan. They have been fined £2.6 million for these fraudulent actions, but nobody has been prosecuted. I feel fortunate that I have a healthy income and don’t need to worry as the end of the month approaches, but I am acutely aware that many people are not nearly so lucky. Organisations like Vanquis and Wonga are exploiting people who have little other financial choice. It may be legal (or not, in Wonga’s case) but in my books it is certainly not moral.

Locals may have noticed an increase in the number of commercial ships mooring on Erith Pier over the last couple of years. I know for certain that some of the anglers who fish off the pier have been none too happy regarding the increase in shipping traffic that periodically stops on the pier. The reason that mostly bulk freighters stop on the pier is simple; they are being used to transport millions of tonnes of earth from the tunnels dug for the Crossrail Project, and take them to Wallasea Island in Essex, where the soil is used to enlarge the Wallasea Island nature reserve, one of the most successful wetland bird reserves in the UK, which specialises in the conservation of wading birds.

Long time Maggot Sandwich readers may have seen some disturbing similarities between the story printed last week in the News Shopper about the illegal rave planned to go ahead in the Arjo Wiggins fine paper factory in Turpin Lane, Off Manor Road in Erith. Police got wind of the plan and descended mob handed on the place before the organisers could get the sound system set up. After the stories in the national press over a 15 year old boy’s death at another rave in Croydon, the Police are understandably concerned about something similar happening locally. Some years ago there was a nightclub / bar in Manor Road actually on the industrial estate. The place was called “The Wardrobe”, and from what I can gather it was very dodgy indeed. It was run from a car breakers yard, and I am pretty sure that it did not have a licence. Nowadays it is long gone, and largely forgotten. The most blatant illegal nightclub in the area was one I am happy to say that I had a small part in getting closed down. Back in November 2008 GC’s Nightclub opened in an old and abandoned industrial unit in the Europa Industrial Estate on Fraser Road. The club was unlicensed and had no fire certificate. The people behind it hid behind an obscure law which states that unlicensed premises can be used to hold entertainment events up to twelve times per year. The law was intended to allow youth clubs and scout / guide troops to hold cabarets and pantomimes in their village halls without needing to get council approval. Unscrupulous operators use the law to set up nightclubs in old and often unsafe buildings; they set up the club, then just before opening to the public, they apply for planning permission and an entertainment licence. In most instances, this prevents the council from closing them immediately – they have to wait for the often lengthy process of licence approval / denial to go through. In the meantime the club operates with virtual impunity – usually over the Christmas period. The owners know that they have no realistic chance of getting their application approved, and this really is not the point – they get to open over the lucrative Christmas period, only to close up shop as soon as the licence application is thrown out. They then disappear without paying any bills. This is exactly the situation than nearly happened with GC’s Nightclub, but so much negative publicity was generated via both the Maggot Sandwich, and the News Shopper that the venue only opened for three nights before the operators pulled out. It was just as well, as I understand the place was full of blue asbestos, the wiring was condemned and it had no fire escape. The operators disappeared as suddenly as they had appeared, and nothing has been heard of them since. I am all for new leisure and entertainment facilities in the local area; there is very little to do in and around Erith in the evenings at the moment, but they need to be legal and safe, and GC’s was neither. There is a very bright light on the horizon in this respect, and I will be going into greater detail in the weeks that come. For the moment however, I am sworn to secrecy, as the project is not yet quite ready for launch. Watch this space.

Local MP Teresa Pearce is running a jobs fair and workshop for local people at the Belvedere Community Centre on the 11th July - details on the poster above. Click on it for a larger view. A very worthwhile scheme, and I hope that it does well.

At work I am currently involved in testing Microsoft Office 2013 for deployment. Large companies are usually very cautious when deploying new software, especially when the application forms a core of their business. You will often find that they are at least one, if not two versions behind the current one for this very reason. Personally I only use MS Office during my paid work; The current Office 2013 is a fine product, and a major improvement on Office 2007 which was a pain to use with an inconsistent and unintuitive user interface. Office 2013 is cleaner, clearer and generally a better thought out application. What does strike me about the new look and feel Microsoft are deploying in many if not all of their products is that they are being designed to look good in a browser window. Microsoft now offer a web based office suite called Office 365, and it is immediately apparent that the locally installed Office 2013 mimics the look and feel of the online product. I am pretty certain that Microsoft have been watching Google and their Google Docs online, web based office suite for some time. Google Docs is an excellent product that I use on a regular basis; it does not however have all of the enterprise functions and features that MS Office does – but for most people it is “good enough”.  The other striking point about Google Docs is that it is free to use,  though corporate can pay for 24/7 technical support, and for it to be branded with their company design and logo. I think that Microsoft will reduce emphasis on the old “big iron” MS office locally installed application, and instead promote their Office 365 web based solution, which will be available by corporate and individual subscription. The other benefit of a web based application is it is far easier to issue patches and updates, as no software needs to be installed on the client machine – all it needs is a web connection and a suitable web browser to operate. This is where the market is heading, and I would not be at all surprised if Office 2013 is the last version that will be locally installable. The technology has moved ahead, and Microsoft are fully aware that they can no longer rely on shifting boxes. The market is now online. The debate is now, how long, rather than if software will make the transition from something installed on your computer hard drive, to something accessed over the web. When this is done well (examples include the aforementioned Google Docs, Gmail and Flickr) it is impossible for the user to tell where the work is actually taking place – just as it should be. Your thoughts and feedback are welcomed below’; alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com

A development has happened this week that will mean little to most people who don’t come from a North African background. The Government has decided to make the stimulant plant Khat illegal, and in this respect Khat is now a class C prohibited drug. The drug comes in the form of a small, green leafed plant, which is chewed to get a mild stimulant effect; I am told it is roughly similar to a cup of strong coffee. Khat has been legally sold in Britain for many years, mainly from African greengrocers. The drug is only effective when the Khat leaves are fresh, so it tends to be sold in plastic bags to keep the leaves moist. I have seen Khat on sale in Plumstead and Woolwich on many occasions, but not in Erith. I think the main reason for this is that there is a substantial Yemeni and Somalian presence in Plumstead and Woolwich, which is not the case in Erith, where most residents of African origin come from Nigeria. Culturally the chewing of Khat leaves seems to be isolated to a handful of countries, and Nigeria is not amongst them. I am somewhat ambivalent about the way in which the government is handling the situation; they are keen to align themselves with several European countries, Canada and the USA which have already banned the sale and consumption of Khat, yet by the same token they risk driving it underground and creating a new revenue stream for drug dealers, as the demand for it will not stop just because of the ban. Khat has been graded as the least addictive and least damaging recreational drug that is in common use – way lower than Alcohol, Tobacco or Cannabis. Whilst personally I would question why anyone would want to chew a bunch of leaves that turn your saliva and eventually your teeth green, I fail to see a compelling argument for the banning of it.  This is what the Metropolitan Police official statement on the banning says:-

Engagement

The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has been working with their partners to prepare for the change to the law, and have listened to the concerns of community leaders and groups. The Police have been talking to khat users, retailers and mafreshi and café owners. Distributing \'reassurance messages\', leaflets, posters, and press releases and speaking to the media - examples of relevant video footage are shown below: Link to YouTube footage of interview with Brent Police Partnership Lead, Simon Rose and the Association of Chief Police Officers Drugs Lead, Andy Bliss:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_uQJBuEq2U&sns=tw Link to a YouTube footage of khat classification infomercial: http://youtu.be/_Nb4fBdtbgY

Enforcement

The police have taken steps to ensure that their officers are aware of the cultural issues surrounding the use of khat and they have been told to adopt a sensitive, appropriate and proportionate approach to enforcement. Following national guidelines on personal possession, in the first instance possession will be dealt with by way of a Khat Warning. On the second occasion, a £60 Penalty Notice for Disorder (PND) will be issued. Further possession offences will likely lead to arrest for possession of a controlled Class C drug and further action. The importation, supply and distribution of khat will be dealt with far more severely. For example the maximum punishment for importation of a Class C Drug is 14 years imprisonment. 

Monitoring

The impact of police enforcement in the MPS will be reviewed after one, three, six and twelve months when each borough will be required to review stop and search, khat related interventions, incidents of anti-social behaviour, domestic violence, community tension and public confidence in the police.

For more information

To contact your local Safer Neighbourhood Policing Team visit the Met Police website at:

http://content.met.police.uk/Page/YourBorough

I have been conducting a bit of a study, with some interesting results. Back in August 2008, I wrote the following:-“ I have been carrying out an unscientific and informal investigation - I have been counting the number of discarded beer cans I see in the street and in hedge rows. So far the results seem pretty conclusive; for every ten discarded cans I see, one is Heineken, one is Fosters and EIGHT are Stella Artois! It would seem the street drinkers' tipple of choice is indeed Stella. Please read the article here - unfortunately sourced from the daily paper I most despise, but the article is well written and puts some valuable points into consideration. Stella Artois has indeed "done a Burberry" and ruined its' own reputation.” I have carried out the same informal investigation into discarded beer cans once again, and the results were surprising to say the least. This time only four out of ten cans were Stella Artois, and I think I know the reason why. Back when I carried out my original, very unscientific survey, Stella was brewed so that each can contained 5.2 percent alcohol, which is what gave it the unofficial title of “wife beater”. Nowadays the alcohol content has been reduced to 4.8 percent, making it a less attractive option for al fresco topers.  Nowadays I see more white cider cans, some of which have an alcohol content of between seven and nine percent – as strong as some wines. It would appear that Stella has been edged out of the wino market by stronger and cheaper brews. Nevertheless it is still vile, tasteless and gassy rubbish.

Going back to where we started for the ending video; here is a visual run through of what Bexley College will look like when it is fully finished and open to students. Please feel free to leave a comment below as always.