White Hart worries.

The photo above shows the ongoing building work being carried out on the former Erith Riverside Swimming Baths site, opposite the Riverside Gardens.  The construction work has been going on for a considerable length of time. The project is to build 12 mews houses and 55 apartments overlooking the River Thames. They will be a mix of properties for conventional sale, and a number which will be for part buy / part rent. The whole development is produced by London and Quadrant Housing Association. The former swimming baths site is actually somewhat larger than it appears when viewed from the High Street; a corner of the space actually exists behind the car park of the Running Horses, which many locals may be unaware of. London and Quadrant were the organisation that originally submitted a proposal for the Thames Gateway Project back in 2010 – the notorious plan which showed the Riverside Gardens being built upon. This was what prompted the formation of FORGE (Friends Of Riverside Gardens Erith), and the campaign to preserve the gardens. It turns out that it was a mistake at the printer – London and Quadrant at no stage wanted to build on the gardens – it was a mess – up with the printer using the wrong file; by the time they realised it was a couple of weeks later and thousands of leaflets had already been distributed. Back in 2015, I was told by a London and Quadrant senior executive that the gardens and the scenic view across the river was the reason they wanted to build on the swimming pool site in the first place, and that they would hardly shoot themselves in the foot by building on that very view! I think many locals are justifiably cautious about the development, wondering if it could be "creeping redevelopment" with the Riverside Gardens merely being a further, future phase. The Riverside Gardens are an absolute gem and deserve to be preserved for the enjoyment of all local people for the years to come.

After the tragic hit and run death of a cyclist on Bronze Age Way in the early hours of last Monday morning, when it has been reported that a 60 year old man was killed by a vehicle that did not stop, it has become apparent just how strategically important the area around the Bexley Road / Bronze Age Way / Queens Road area and the notorious De Luci Fish Roundabout actually is. On Monday, Part of Bronze Age Way was closed by Bexley Police during the initial stages of the hit and run investigation. This mean that the area around the De Luci Fish Roundabout was also partially closed. A lot of traffic, including buses and heavy goods vehicles were diverted for all of Monday morning, until the road block was lifted at around 1.15pm - the photo above (click on it for a larger view) was taken a few minutes after the local traffic resumed normal operation. 

I make no secret that I am a big fan of Google; they have turned online search into a verb, they are that good at what they do that to perform a web search has for many become “to Google”. Many of their online products such as Gmail and the Google G-Suite are excellent and widely used, but they have one product, which many people – myself included, actively dislike and avoid. Google+ was intended to be a direct competitor for social networks like Facebook, but it never gained the popularity or traction with web users – and nowadays Facebook is a verb as well. I predicted back in August 2015 that Google would pull the plug on Google+, and it would seem that this has now begun. This week Google announced that they would be phasing out Google+ over the next few months; they cited security loopholes and serous bugs in the application that could leave users data exposed to hackers. From my investigations, it would seem that whilst this explanation is essentially true, it hides the fact that Google have wanted to get rid of Google+ for ages, and this security issue provides them with a very convenient and well - timed excuse. The fact is that Google+ was and has for a very long time essentially been a source of embarrassment to Google, who have been keen to quietly terminate the unpopular and underused web service. The security issues surrounding Google+ have given Google exactly the opportunity they have been seeking for some time. I doubt many will mark the passing of Google+ - if indeed many had even heard of it. What do you think? Leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

I took the photo at around the same time I took those of the decommissioned Woolwich ferry, the John Burns, last Sunday, when I spent much of the morning on Erith Pier; I did not publish the photo of the PS Waverley (photo above - click for a larger version) then, as I was already overloaded with photos and text content, and I thought it best to hold over the PS Waverley details to this edition. The Waverley was headed down from London on a trip out to the historic Thames sea forts. The fact that it was in pretty close convoy with the John Burns and its tugs was just a happy coincidence. The PS Waverley is unique; is the last seagoing passenger-carrying paddle steamer in the world. Built in 1946, she sailed from Craigendoran on the Firth of Clyde to Arrochar on Loch Long until 1973. Bought by the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society (PSPS), she has been restored to her 1947 appearance and now operates passenger excursions around the British coast. Since 2003 the Waverley has been listed in the National Historic Fleet by National Historic Ships UK as "a vessel of pre-eminent national importance". PS Waverley is named after Sir Walter Scott's first novel. She was built in 1946 to replace a PS Waverley that was built in 1899, served in the Second World War as a minesweeper and was sunk in 1940 while helping to evacuate troops from Dunkirk. Shipbuilders A. and J. Inglis of Glasgow launched the new 693 tonne steamer in October 1946. She entered service with the London and North Eastern Railway in June 1947, working the LNER's Firth of Clyde steamer route from Craigendoran Pier, near Helensburgh, up Loch Long to Arrochar. In her first year in service she wore that company's red, white and black funnel colours. The 1948 nationalisation of Britain's railways brought their Scottish steamers into the Caledonian Steam Packet Company (CSP), a subsidiary of the Railway Executive, and the funnels were repainted yellow with a black top. In 1965 a Scottish red lion rampant was fixed to each side of both funnels. Waverley's hull was painted blue until 1970. After a revival of fortunes in the 1950s, the 1960s saw a gradual change in holiday habits that led to a decline in passenger numbers and the closure of many of the small piers. Since 1969 and the formation of the Scottish Transport Group, the CSP had been gradually merging with the West Highland shipping and ferry company David MacBrayne Ltd. In 1973 the company became Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd (CalMac). CalMac withdrew Waverley after the 1973 season as she was too costly to operate and needed significant expenditure. By then the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society (PSPS) had been set up as a registered UK charity, and had bought the near-derelict small River Dart paddle steamer PS Kingswear Castle. CalMac, keen to ensure that the ship was preserved, sold Waverley to the PSPS for the token sum of one pound. Neither side really believed that the vessel would return to steam but, just in case, Caledonian MacBrayne stipulated that she should not sail in competition with their remaining cruise vessel, TS Queen Mary. A public appeal was launched to secure funding for the return of the Waverley to service and the fund-raising operation was successful. The PSPS found itself running a cruise ship operation, "Waverley Excursions". Since then Waverley has been joined in the PSPS fleet by PS Kingswear Castle and MV Balmoral, and has had a series of extensive refits and much restoration work, including a new boiler and improvements to meet modern safety standards. She has circumnavigated Great Britain and every year makes extensive sailings around the country. Listed as part of the National Historic Fleet, between 2000 and 2003 the ship underwent a substantial rebuild and re-boilering at the shipyard of George Prior at Great Yarmouth, funded principally by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The work was done in two stages, has added many 21st century safety and technological improvements and returned the ship to her original 1947 livery. In 2009 the ship was affiliated with HMS Defender, having hosted the official dignitary party at Defender's launch on the River Clyde. And in 2011 the ship was awarded the Institution of Mechanical Engineers 65th Engineering Heritage Award. PS Waverley is powered by a three-crank diagonal triple-expansion marine steam engine built by Rankin and Blackmore, Engineers, Eagle Foundry, Greenock in Scotland. It is rated at 2,100 IHP and achieved a trial speed of 18.37 knots (34.02 km/h; 21.14 mph) at 57.8 rpm. Passengers can watch these engines from passageways on either side of the engine room. The main crank is solidly attached to both paddle wheels so they cannot turn independently of each other. The PS Waverley therefore has a much larger turning circle than modern ferries.

There has been extensive press coverage in respect of the proposed work to replace the historic footbridge over the railway at Plumstead Station. Network Rail applied for “prior approval” to dismantle the 1892 structure and build a modern replacement. National Rail already has the power to remove the footbridge without needing the council’s consent, but needs “prior approval” for the design of the works. The footbridge in its current state is popular with locals, with more than 80 objections being made about Network Rail’s plans. Network Rail is  proposing to demolish and replace the footbridge with a boxed structure, with two new lifts and a new walkway. Previous proposals for a station revamp were thrown out by Greenwich Council, which said the development would detract from the character of the station. What I do note is that once again the new footbridge proposals include a passenger lift to both platforms - something that should be expected nowadays. Once again this throws the whole situation at Erith station - pictured above - click for a larger view - into the spotlight. Whilst extensive building work is still being undertaken at Erith station, it is not going to address the long - standing problem of the lack of any form of step free access to the London bound platform, which is only accessible via the Victorian footbridge. The fact remains that if you are a wheelchair user, or a parent with a heavy pram or buggy, it is not possible to take a train towards London from Erith station. You have to go on the Kent bound platform to Dartford, then change there to pick up a London bound train. This means you go three stops in the opposite direction, only to then come back on yourself. Apart from the inconvenience and waste of time this brings, there is the added expense of what should really be an unnecessary journey. If Plumstead Station is getting lifts and step free access, surely Erith station should do too? What do you think? Leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

The spoof Snakes and Ladders game graphic above - click on it for a larger view - was sent to me by a regular reader; it certainly makes for entertaining reading. I do not claim copyright on the image - if you are the creator, please contact me, and I will credit you accordingly. One local hazard that is not featured on the Snakes and Ladders board is the current temporary traffic lights that are located at the junction of Erith Road, Fraser Road, Riverdale Road, Alford Road, Pembroke Road and the newly created Loam Pit Road. The multiple phase temporary traffic lights mean that one may need to add 10-15 minutes to any vehicle journey that involves any of the aforementioned roads. The reason for the temporary lights is due to road access building work to the adjacent Erith Quarry Development, which will be under way until around Christmas. It also means that journey times on the exceedingly popular 99 bus route are now extended. 

If you a re a coffee drinker, you may not be aware that you may have availability issues with certain coffee outlets for a while; If you are a customer of Greggs. Waitrose, McDonald's, English Heritage, Tesco or Asda, to name but a few, you may find their supplies of fresh ground coffee running short for a period of time. The reason for that is their supplier, UCC Coffee - a Dartford based commercial coffee wholesaler had their main office and production facility located on the Riverside Industrial Estate went up in flames in the early hours of Thursday morning.  Fortunately all of the staff in the production facility (which operates 24/7) were able to evacuate, and there were no casualties, though I understand some local residents were temporarily evacuated as a precaution, due to large quantities of smoke and sparks created by the conflagration. I understand that the building was almost completely destroyed. What will happen to the business and the workers is currently unclear. 

The licensing hearing for The White Hart African restaurant and bar in Erith High Street is due to take place this coming Wednesday the 17th October in rooms G04/05/06 in Bexley Civic Offices, 2 Watling Street Bexleyheath, starting at 10am. The hearing will be open to members of the public, so if you are available on Wednesday morning, please come along. The restaurant/ bar owners want to open the venue from 10am until 5am the next morning, serving alcohol and playing live and recorded music until 4.30am, and they also want the current restrictions on the playing of music, and ban on the admittance of unaccompanied children, and children under 16 dropped from the licence. Suffice to say that I will be attending the licensing hearing. I am in possession of a great deal of background information on the White Hart issue which is not currently available to the general public, but I will not be in a position to publish it until after the licensing committee has sat, and made a decision. Suffice to say that the hearing will almost certainly prove to be a most interesting one. I know that this issue is of very high importance to many readers - concerns over potential noise, disruption, crime and anti social behaviour have been expressed by many local residents. It has also been pointed out to me that there is already an African restaurant and bar less than 200 metres away, in Pier Road, and doubts raised if another in such close proximity could be financially viable. Whatever the discussion points, the licensing committee will have to make a decision as to the future of the place. More on this in the weeks to come. 

Now for the weekly local safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly from Barnehurst ward:- "Good news again for Barnehurst as we did not have many crimes. The Barnehurst have been visiting residents this week and have been offering crime prevention advice. We are more than happy to come to your home and offer you crime prevention advice, so please give us a call on 0208 721 2577. The team are continuing to conduct ASB patrols on the ward especially around Hampton house. Please join us for our community contact day on Wednesday the 17th October at 1pm at Barnehurst Golf Course. We will discuss any ward issues that you have and we will also provide residents with crime prevention advice".  Belvedere ward:- "PC Holmes has been carrying out extensive enquiries this week in relation to a fraud warrant that took place on the Belvedere Park estate. A/PS Green has taking part in an ongoing investigation into a recent road traffic collision in which a driver failed to stop at the scene of an accident. Fortunately, there were no persons injured during this incident although there was a substantial amount of damage done to property at the Belvedere Community Centre. It appears that the driver had also been driving without a valid insurance policy. A burglary took place on Thursday 4th October in Norman Road in which an elderly female observed a male within her property after she had returned home from shopping nearby. On Wednesday 10th October, the team were assisted by officers from Bexleyheath Police station to carry out a traffic operation initially in Nuxley Road as we had noticed several drivers not wearing seatbelts and also using mobile phones whilst driving in this area of the ward. Further to this, we then carried out traffic speed tests in Abbey Road as residents had raised the issue of vehicles speeding on this particular road. During this operation, 6 traffic offences were processed and one vehicle was seized by officers for having no insurance. Our next Community Contact Session is set to take place on Tuesday 16th October 2018 from 5pm at the Belvedere library on Woolwich Road". Bexleyheath ward:- "We had a report of an attempted burglary along Upton Road Bexleyheath on the 08/10/2018; A theft from motor vehicle was reported on the 08/10/2018 in ASDA's. Also a theft from person that was reported on the 09/10/2018 in TK MAXX. The team are in the process of trying to resolve issues that are being raised by residents within the ASDA car park area. Patrols are also still continuing around Martens Grove and Grove Road including the garages to reduce anti-social behaviour. If you do wish to pass on information to Police then please contact Crime Stoppers on 0800 555111. Please do not hesitate to contact us via Twitter, Facebook, email and the ward phone. If you are after crime prevention advice, please look at the Met Police website which has lots of information that you may find useful. Remember in an emergency please dial 999 and 101 for non-urgent reporting". Crayford ward:- "Thankfully another week with not too many notable crimes. On 26th September at 00.30 a van (unknown details) was stolen by a named suspect from an address in Halcott Avenue with keys, the male also stole cash from the victim. Overnight on Wednesday 3rd October (between 00.00-06.00) there was a burglary in Claremont Crescent. Entry was made through a front door and a black hand bag was stolen containing a purse, diaries, store cards, cash, vouchers and oyster card. The bag was found locally in an alley minus the cash. It became apparent that the UVPC front door had not been locked properly and crime prevention advice was given. On 4th October at 12.30 a large quantity of cigarettes were stolen from a parked vehicles at Bookers at Thames Road. It seems the suspect watched the victim place the items on the rear seat of their car and as they got in their driver's seat the car came along side and suspect snatched the items. The suspect was a passenger in a silver car and was a white male. It was reported that a black Audi A1, registration BP18UDU was used to cause criminal damage to a gate at Hall Place car park on Overnight between Thursday 4th October and Friday 5th October at 7.45am. The vehicle was damaged and left at the scene, at the time of the report there were no reports on the vehicle. Between 18.00 on 7th October and 9.25 on 8th October a Nissan Cabster, number plate LX52WTC was stolen from Lea Vale in Crayford. We have been out patrolling open spaces, completing reassurance visits and about listening to residents concerns.. On Wednesday 17th October PCSO Joyce Barlow will be at the Ellenor Charity shop in Crayford Road between 12.00-13.00. Please feel free to come and say hello or ask for crime prevention advice leading in to autumn nights". No report from Erith ward this week, so instead, straight on to Northumberland Heath ward:- "Unfortunately we have had one burglary over the past week in Lawrence Road. This took place in the early hours of Friday October 5th. Entry was gained to the property and the keys to the victim's car where taken from a cabinet next to the front door. Thankfully the vehicle was fitted with a tracker which was located in Dartford. The vehicle has now been restored to the owner without any damage to it! One report of criminal damage to a motor vehicle in Sussex Road overnight between Sunday 7th October to Monday 8th October. The windscreen to the vehicle was smashed but nothing was taken from it. PC Tom Smith assisted officers from Immigration last week which resulted in two Males being arrested for Immigration offences. A youth who recently ran away from police during a stop in Erith has been identified from body worn video. He is now being referred to the youth offending team. The next drop-in police surgery will be held this Friday October 12th at 4pm in the Library in Mill Road Erith. All are welcome to attend". 

Slade Green and Northend ward:- "All good news this week, no crimes of note have been reported and no burglaries in the ward. 2 successful stop and searches have been carried out by PC Telfer. One today (Weds) in Whitehall Lane and one yesterday in Bridge Road. Both suspects had cannabis taken from them and were issued with a PND fine (£90). After recent reports of ASB in the Rainbow Road and Forest Road parts of the ward, we now have good images from various CCTV footage that has helped identify some the group involved. One of the group is already on an Acceptable Behaviour Contract and home visits are being made this week to several of the others involved as we look to reduce the issues in these areas. In the last week PCSO Mark has attended a couple events involving Peareswood Primary School. On Monday, a year 4 class was invited to an Orbit Housing Sheltered scheme where they spent an hour with some of the residents talking about how life was back when they were younger. All of the children had a great time listening to the residents reminiscing about days gone by and the different games they played/food they ate/lessons they had in school etc. Mark joined PCSO Adam from Erith SNT at this event as it was held at Sherwood House in Erith. There is a follow up visit planned for next Monday. Then, on Tuesday this week, Mark attended Peareswood School to read again with some Year 1 pupils and was very impressed at the levels of reading they have at such a young age. More of these reading sessions are going to be planned in the run up to Christmas. Earlier today, Mark met up with Helen who is the Neighbourhood Watch coordinator for Elm Road in Slade Green (see photo above) and they delivered letters to all residents in the street reminding them that they had a watch for their road. This road is regularly being used as a cut through by the groups of youths loitering in the aforementioned areas (Rainbow Road, Forest Road) so Mark and Helen thought it would be good to try and encourage the residents into reporting any issues they see, in what is usually a trouble free part of the ward". Thamesmead East ward:- "Motor Vehicle Crimes - Between the hours of 10:30pm on Wednesday 03/10 /18 and 08:45am on Tuesday 09/10/18 a vehicle parked, locked and secure in Parkway was broken into. No details of anything being taken. A vehicle parked in Bernal Close had the victim's wallet taken ,which contained a driving licence, cash card and a sat nav was also taken. This happened between the hours of 11:10 pm on the Wednesday 03/10/18 and 12:00 pm on the Thursday 04/10/18.On Thursday 04/10/18 at 07:20 pm a vehicle locked and secure parked in Pointer Close was broken into. Victim believes that the suspects were going to steal the vehicle". West Heath ward:- "Details of drug dealing in Sandgate Road DA16 have been reported to us and sent on to the West Heath SNT Team for investigation. If anyone in the area has information that may be relevant, please let us know and contact the West Heath SNT team / 101 directly".

Now for the end video - and this week instead of the usual local content, I have opted for something a little more esoteric; The video below is an engaging and very easy to follow guide to the mysterious world of Secret Numbers Stations - these are shortwave radio transmissions from foreign intelligence agencies to spies in the field of foreign countries. Appearing at just about any time of day or night on the shortwave bands, number stations have been calling out with their automated voices since at least the first World War. Since the fact of operating a number station is technically a state secret, there have been very few confirmations from government organisations - those that have were the Czech Office for Foreign Relations and Information, the Polish Institute of National Remembrance and the Swedish Security Service SÄPO. Usage of number stations has additionally been confirmed by former Cold War spies. Secret Number Stations transmit encrypted messages in forms of groups of numbers, or less commonly letters, using either automated voice (many languages), Morse code or digital signals. While the encryption method used for most number stations is unknown, some have used and others are widely believed to use one-time pads - mathematical addition of a set of random numbers (the key) to the plaintext, which can be used only once, and must be destroyed after usage. Some of the stations are believed to transmit pre-defined codebook instructions. Secret Number Stations offer a powerful advantage in our modern world: practically complete anonymity. The recipient of the message can be almost anywhere in the world, and receive instructions without fear of being traced through a phone call or internet connection. All the recipient needs is a shortwave radio and to be in the right place at the right time. The BBC were noted for sending messages to people overseas which where coded messages to SOE agents during WW2. From then on encrypted messages broadcasted with creepy automated voices have been being sent with stations appearing and disappearing as political events changed over the last sixty years. The amount of active Secret Number Stations has significantly decreased since the late 1990s, though number stations are still actively used by countries such as Russia, Poland and Cuba. The video below explains how anyone can pick up these mysterious broadcasts - you don't even need to own a shortwave radio - can you can dial into them using a web based virtual shortwave receiver - a link to the website is here. Give the video a watch and then let me know what you think by posting a comment below, or by Emailing me at hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

Numbers.

You may recall that last October I wrote about the conversion of the former Royal Alfred pub in Manor Road into apartments and a new larger Londis convenience store by the family that own and operate the existing Londis on the opposite side of Appold Street. You can see my original article by clicking here, which also shows some photographs of the then level of progress. Well, only a few scant months on from then, the scaffolding that has cocooned the building for almost a year has now been dismantled, and the remarkable changes to the historic building can now be seen. There is still much to be completed now that the large rear extension and new roof have been added, and the exterior still needs more work, but the refurbished, extended and repurposed building is now beginning to take shape. I will be having a tour of the interior soon, and I will report back with new photographs. Keep watching this space. 

I have asked some of my regular readers why they like reading the Maggot Sandwich, and one answer that consistently comes up is that it is a true local news provider. Whilst the original local papers such as the Bexley Times, and to a greater extent, the News Shopper have become regional rather than local due to major cutbacks and to no longer being located in the area. For example the News Shopper are currently reporting on a story about feeding feral pigeons, which has attracted some keen debate on their talkback page. This is understandable as it is a contentious issue which attracts strong feelings in both directions. My issue is nothing whatsoever to do with the subject matter – it is an item that will be of interest to some people, but my concern is that the story comes not from South East London or North Kent, but from Epsom in Surrey! I have never been to Epsom, and ended up looking it up on Wikipedia. It describes the place as “Epsom (/ˈɛpsəm/) is a market town in Surrey, England, 13.6 miles (21.9 km) south south-west of London, located between Ashtead and Ewell. The town straddles chalk down land (Epsom Downs) and the upper Thanet Formation. Epsom Downs Racecourse holds The Derby, now a generic name for sports competitions in English-speaking countries. The town also gives its name to Epsom salts, extracted from mineral waters there.” Well you learn something every day. Quite why people in Plumstead, Abbey Wood, Belvedere, Erith or Slade Green would have interests or concerns in respect of activities specifically local to Epsom somewhat mystifies me. What do you think? Leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

After what seems like an almost endless round of delays and changes, construction of the long anticipated London Paramount Theme Park is begin later this year, and it should be open to the paying public by 2022. The £3.2bn park is hoped to rival Disney resorts in Florida and Paris. London Paramount Resort will boast more than 50 rides, a nightclub and a 2,000-seat theatre. It is estimated that the 872-acre-park will bring up to 40,000 visitors a day. Thousands of jobs will be created by the park, with estimates of around 27,000 permanent full time roles being created. The project manager say of the development:- "The Entertainment Resort will contain a number of themed zones, with exciting rides and attractions for families, children and the more adventurous thrill-seeking visitor. At the heart of the Entertainment Resort there will be a wide range of indoor, covered and open-air experiences as well as a variety of cafes, bars and restaurants. a number of exciting events will be hosted each year such as shows and music events. Late afternoon every day the ‘Paramount and Friends Carnival’ is planned to take place. We are planning to follow this every evening with a spectacular show celebrating the works of Paramount Pictures and our other content partners. Also in the evening, there will be a chance to enjoy a West End quality production at one of our theatres, indoor or outdoor venues. These venues could potentially showcase Paramount films, BBC and Aardman productions and provide a stage for live comedy acts and concerts. The heart of the Entertainment Resort will open to the public in 2021, with additional rides and attractions scheduled to be unveiled soon after in the following years." This has got to be good news for the entire region; the number of jobs being created, and the amount of wealth that this amusement park will generate will be a force for real change and regeneration - it will be interesting to see how it all pans out. 

A story that certainly does have local relevance, and was picked up earlier in the week by the London Evening Standard is that of the forthcoming electoral boundary changes. The article, which strikes me as being written in a style designed to wind up local readers of both Bexley and Woolwich, describes how residents of the London Borough of Bexley are apparently up in arms over the proposed changes from the Boundary Commission. It plans to move the Abbey Wood ward from the Erith and Thamesmead parliamentary constituency to a newly formed seat called Woolwich as part of moves to slash the number of London MPs from 73 to 68 by 2020. According to the Standard, "dozens" of residents had objected, and have criticised the proposals, saying they have nothing in common with the riverside town best known for its huge Royal Arsenal. One of them, Maree Parra, said in an interview in the Standard that:- “We have paid higher prices to live in Bexley as we have no desire to live in Woolwich and do not visit Woolwich for any reason.” Mary Clark said: “Woolwich has gone downhill big time. I do not want to be classed as being in Woolwich, and the value of my house will go down.” Nicola Hunter wrote to the commission to say she moved to Bexley borough because “their ideas and priorities are far superior and in line with my views and aspirations”. But Woolwich resident Nick Bradshaw, 60, a freelance musician and music teacher, said: “Having lived in this area for 20 years, there’s a clear divide between the sort of people inhabiting Plumstead and Woolwich and those in Welling or Bexleyheath. I was always aware of the different demographics and Bexley is less cosmopolitan. They seem more reactionary and conservative. I go to Bexley and can’t wait to get away from there. I think it’s them being snobby and they have not been sensible about it. These comments don’t surprise me because I know what kind of people these are". Crikey - anyone would think we were talking about people from North and South Korea arguing over the divide, rather from a couple of neighbouring South East London suburbs. I get the distinct feeling that the Standard journalists behind the piece are trying to start a storm in a teacup - this outside the political reasons for the creation of the new ward, purely to do with the alleged perceptions and reactions of residents on both sides of the boundary. People in both wards share far more than they have differences, and I feel that the Standard's piece does not address this, and talks of "class war" - errant rubbish - it almost feels like "never let the facts get in the way of a good story". 

Several tabloid newspapers such as the Daily Star seem to be getting quite excited about a subject I have covered on the Maggot Sandwich in the distant past, but now seems to be back in the news. For some inexplicable reason, they have been writing about Secret Numbers and Book Code illicit radio stations in some detail. They have picked up on the espionage activities of North Korea, especially after the recent assassination of Kim Jong Nam which has received much press attention for understandable reasons. Numbers Stations have been in existence since World War II. They can be found quite easily if you have a radio which can receive the shortwave bands. Generally speaking, numbers stations appear somewhat erratically and consist of a disembodied electronic voice reading out streams of numbers which repeat a fixed number of times. The stations are usually outside of the main shortwave broadcast bands, and can sometimes be encountered in the amateur radio bands – much to the annoyance of their legal users, such as myself. Whilst numbers stations are well known to radio enthusiasts like me, most of the general public will be unaware of their existence. The purpose of numbers stations is simple. They are the most secure method of communicating with spies in the field. Computer communications are easily intercepted, and even the most heavily encrypted ciphers can be broken over time by supercomputers used by the security services – and it is relatively straightforward to identify a person from an Internet Service Provider. Old fashioned analogue shortwave radio is completely anonymous – no sign in, or account is required, and a suitable radio can be picked up in a shop for a few pounds. Anyone found with a radio which can receive the shortwave bands will not get much attention – most compact travel radios can receive shortwave broadcasts; thus a spy can be completely anonymous and untraceable whilst listening to the coded broadcasts. Sometimes new technology is not the best solution to a problem, and this is most definitely the case here. Each numbers station transmission is read out by a computer generated voice, giving it an eerie, somewhat creepy sound. One would have thought that once the Cold War was over, the need for numbers stations would cease, but in many cases, the number of stations has actually increased – radio traffic, including numbers stations has been recently noticed in the Ukraine, where before the recent dispute with Russia, it was pretty much a backwater. Book Code stations are a simpler but still very effective way of communicating via radio with any person intercepting the transmission unable to understand the meaning of the message being communicated. The key to a book code is that the sender and the receiver need to have an identical copy of a book - two different editions of the same book will not work, as the page layouts will be different. If you buy two identical copies of a book, the transmitter can compile their message in plain language (uncoded), then look through the book to find the relevant words in the text. The sender then notes down the page number, paragraph, line and number of words along the line. This is written down as a series of numbers. This is done for every word in the message in order (very tedious, but very secure as long as the books used are not known to anyone intercepting the message). The stream of numbers is then read out over the radio and the recipient then reverses the process to decypher the message. It is simple, very secure and almost impossible to crack without the use of sophisticated statistical analysis software and a handy supercomputer, which only the likes of the NSA or GCHQ would have access to. As long as the book used is kept secret - and preferably changed for another title for both the sender and recipient on a regular basis - it is pretty much secure. You can watch a short news broadcast about secret numbers stations below. It is a few years old, but still very accurate and insightful. Please leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Further to my examination of Smart energy meters and the unexpected problems which they can cause; information came to light this week which on top of all of the other problems that they can have, highlights that they can be staggeringly inaccurate in a variety of circumstances. A recent study from researchers at University of Twente (UT) and Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS) has found that three-phase static (electronic) energy meters, which are replacing traditional electromechanical meters, can exaggerate energy consumption by as much as 582 per cent. Estimates of the number of households in the Netherlands with smart meters range from 750,000 to 1.5 million. In the US, smart meter penetration at the end of 2016 has been estimated at 70 million, according to the Edison Foundation. The government of the Netherlands aims to replace at least 80 per cent of the energy meters in the country with smart meters by 2020, in keeping with EU goals. EU authorities suggest that smart meters, on average, result in energy savings of 3 per cent. But as researchers Frank Leferink, Cees Keyer, and Anton Melentjev report, "Some consumers are complaining about their energy bills after replacement of the energy meter, because the registered energy is higher with the static meter compared to the old Ferraris meter." Smart meter billing problems have also been documented in the US. Some of the past flaws found in static meters have been attributed to electromagnetic interference, which has been addressed over the years. The researchers suggest that present flaws are made more difficult to detect by insufficiently broad testing and opaque industry practices. They point out that makers of the smart meters covered in the study test their equipment under ideal conditions, with consistent voltage and load, but fail to consider other scenarios. They also observe that faulty smart meters tend to get scrapped instead of being offered for examination and that utilities don't make their equipment available for testing, don't document the devices well, and tend to rely on proprietary software. Among the ten models tested, the issue appears to be a component known as the Rogowski Coil, one of the four-types of current sensors used in static meters. The three others are: the shunt resistor, the current transformer, and the Hall effect-based current sensor. "The reason for faulty readings appears to be the current sensor, and the associated circuitry," the research paper states. "As a Rogowski coil results in a time-derivative of the measured current, the measured voltage has to be integrated. Probably active integration is used instead of passive integration, and the input electronics are pushed in saturation caused by the high rise-time of the current." Which basically boils down to a poor design in the meter means that it is inherently inaccurate and cannot be relied on. I think we will see more on this subject in the mainstream press in the near future. 

A story appeared on the Bexley Times website this week, with an outcome that really surprised me. Just for once an all too common case of fraud ended up with a happy outcome. The attempted con happened on February 13, when the resident, who lives alone in Sidcup, returned home to find a man standing at his door, saying that a large piece of concrete had just fallen off his roof. He was told that it could be mended for £2,500 cash, with a further £6,000 to be paid. However, the trader ended up removing the entire roof and then demanded a further £39,000 to finish the work.  Trading Standards attended the address but the unidentified trader had left. The trader then continued to contact the elderly man by phone. During one call the trader was spoken to by police and informed that Trading Standards were dealing with the matter. After contacting Trading Standards by phone the same day, the trader was told he needed to return the total of £6,000 paid so far by the victim. Much to their surprise, an anonymous female attended the Civic Offices the following day and handed over £6,000 in cash to Trading Standards, who returned it to the victim. This is a welcome, but very unusual outcome; I don’t normally cover stories on the far side of the borough, as they are outside of the main remit of the Maggot Sandwich, but these con merchants operate all over the area, and there are vulnerable people who could easily fall victim as happened with this elderly man. It is just fortunate in this exceptional case that the Police and Trading Standards were able to get the man’s money back.

I got sent the photo above during the week; I have to say that I had never seen it before. It was taken during the long hot summer of 1990 whilst I was part of the crew of the Ross Revenge, the home of Radio Caroline, at that time moored fifteen miles off the North Foreland, in the international waters of the North Sea. and outside of British legal jurisdiction. It was taken by one of a group of visitors to the Ross Revenge on a day trip to visit the ship and crew / DJ's. The group brought lots of essential supplies such as drinking water, food and most importantly daily newspapers - something we were always very keep to get, as being stuck on a ship moored in the middle of the North Sea can easily make you lose touch with current affairs, despite having TV and radio. I can be seen on the right hand side of the photo, wearing a black T-shirt - and I am not unnaturally tall - I was standing on a bar which ran along the inside wall of the hull. It was not usual to see me up in the morning at this time, but after all, we did have visitors. I did an overnight album show which finished at 6am when I handed over to the breakfast show DJ, then I would normally mooch around, have my dinner whilst watching the breakfast news on TV, and then head to my cabin for a few hours sleep, normally waking mid afternoon, when I would then coordinate the repainting of the ship. You can see more photos from my time on Radio Caroline by clicking here. You can listen to edited highlights from a show I did during a force 9 gale by clicking here - apologies, I do sound about twelve years old, but in my defence, it was a very long time ago!

Much to nobody's surprise, Transport for London has scrapped its controversial standing-only escalators scheme on London Underground after a six-month pilot that sparked a commuter revolt and achieved only “mixed” results, according to the Evening Standard. Passengers were asked to break with the long-held tradition of standing on the right and walking on the left during the trial at Holborn last year. It was designed to ease crowds by regulating flow of customers at peak times. Staff with megaphones told passengers to ignore the usual protocols, footprints were painted on both sides of the steps and a hologram of an Underground worker was used to persuade commuters to break with convention. A Freedom of Information request by the London Evening Standard has revealed that at peak times during the trial, station capacity was increased by up to 30 per cent and congestion was “notably lessened”. Having said that, the standing-only escalators were able to carry an average of 151 passengers per minute, compared to 115 on the “traditional” escalator, according to the study. But Underground bosses on Wednesday revealed they have no plans to trial the scheme more widely. While congestion was cut on longer escalators, where the left-hand side is used by only a hardy few leaving large gaps in between, there was no improvement on shorter flights where more people are willing to walk. Commuters welcomed the decision to end the scheme, described at the time as “going against everything about being British”. Johanna Whitaker, 35, a communications consultant said: “I used the Tube at least twice a day during the trial, always in rush hour. Standing on the left broke London commuter etiquette. There was always the danger of people thinking they could stand on the left at other tube stations - can you imagine? The congestion at Holborn station is bad so Fair play to TfL for trying it, but I hope there’s a better way." I don't think this was ever going to work, but fair play to TfL for at least trying some way to reduce congestion. 

The photo above was sent to me a couple of years ago by Erith businessman and property developer Manjinder. It shows some very picturesque aircraft contrails reflecting the rising sun over Manor Road. It also illustrates one of the more bizarre conspiracy theories that persist despite much evidence to the contrary. You may have heard of the Chemtrail Conspiracy? If not, I will explain. The chemtrail conspiracy theory is the unproven belief that long-lasting trails, so-called "chemtrails", are left in the sky by high-flying aircraft and that they consist of chemical or biological agents deliberately sprayed for sinister purposes undisclosed to the general public. The main UK based group of Chemtrail conspiracists have their website here - click to view. Believers in the theory argue that normal aircraft contrails dissipate relatively quickly and that contrails that do not dissipate must contain additional substances. These arguments have been dismissed by the scientific community: such trails are normal water-based contrails (condensation trails) that are routinely left by high-flying aircraft under certain atmospheric conditions. Although proponents have attempted to prove that the claimed chemical spraying does take place, their analyses have been flawed or based on misconceptions. Because of the persistence of the conspiracy theory and questions about government involvement, scientists and government agencies around the world have repeatedly explained that supposed chemtrails are in fact normal contrails. Contrails, or condensation trails, are "streaks of condensed water vapour created in the air by an airplane or rocket at high altitudes." They are the result of normal emissions of water vapour from piston and jet engines at high altitudes in which the water vapor condenses into visible clouds. They are formed when hot humid air from the engines (when Kerosene jet fuel burns, one of the results of combustion is water vapour) mixes with the colder surrounding air. The rate at which contrails dissipate is entirely dependent on weather conditions and altitude. If the atmosphere is near saturation, the contrail may exist for some time. Conversely, if the atmosphere is dry, the contrail will dissipate quickly. The conspiracy theorists will have none of this, however. A 2014  research paper presented results of reviewing 20 chemtrail websites found that believers appeal to science in some of their arguments, but don't believe what academic or government-employed scientists say; scientists and federal agencies have consistently denied that chemtrails exist, explaining the sky tracks are simply persistent contrails. The 2014 paper also found that chemtrail believers generally hold that chemtrails are evidence of a global conspiracy; people who believe in the conspiracy allege various goals which include profit (for example, manipulating futures prices or making people sick to benefit drug companies), population control, or weapons testing (use of weather as a weapon, or testing bioweapons). One of these ideas, is that clouds are being seeded with electrically conductive materials as part of a massive electromagnetic superweapons programme based around the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP). Those who believe in the conspiracy say the chemtrails are toxic; the 2014 review found that chemtrail believers generally hold that every person is under attack and found that believers often express fear, anxiety, sadness and anger about this. Experts on atmospheric phenomena say chemtrails do not exist, and that the characteristics attributed to them are simply features of contrails responding differently in diverse conditions in terms of the sunlight, temperature, horizontal and vertical wind shear, and humidity levels present at the aircraft's altitude. In the US, the grid like nature of the National Airspace System's flight lanes tends to cause crosshatched contrails, and in general it is hard to discern from the ground whether overlapping contrails are at similar altitudes or not. The jointly published fact sheet produced by NASA, the EPA, the FAA, and NOAA in 2000 in response to alarms over chemtrails details the science of contrail formation, and outlines both the known and potential impacts contrails have on temperature and climate. The USAF produced a fact sheet as well that described these contrail phenomena as observed and analyzed since at least 1953. It also rebutted chemtrail theories more directly by identifying the theories as a hoax and disproving the existence of chemtrails. Patrick Minnis, an atmospheric scientist with NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, is quoted in USA Today and online, as saying that logic does not dissuade most chemtrail proponents: "If you try to pin these people down and refute things, it's, 'Well, you're just part of the conspiracy'," What do you think? Leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

The ending video this week comes from a recent Sky News report on homophobia in sport - specifically football. It features local club Bexley Invicta, which was started by occasional Maggot Sandwich contributor and restaurant reviewer Brian Silk. Do give it a watch.

Numbers.

Southeastern Trains and Network Rail have been the subject of further criticism in the last week after points and signalling failure at Lewisham last Monday morning, which disrupted services for much of the day. Fortunately most trains on the Greenwich to Dartford line did not suffer too much disruption, but once again it goes to show what a precarious hold on service the rail company has. One small thing goes wrong, and an entire line grinds to a halt. If this is not bad enough, to add insult to injury, London Labour Mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan has been quoted as saying that  it costs 18p more per mile to travel into London using public transport compared to a transatlantic flight. Mr Khan pointed out that a return train journey on Pay as You Go with an Oyster or contactless card, from Bexley in Zone 6 to Waterloo East in Zone 1, costs £11.80 (daily cap) - or 50p per mile as the passenger jet flies. In contrast, a Virgin Atlantic ‘Upper Class’ return to New York on May 5 - the day of the London mayoral election - would cost £2199.55 – or 32p per mile. The Labour candidate said the figures ‘show how ludicrously expensive Londoners’ fares have got under the Tories’. He went on to say that he will freeze fairs for four years if he is elected into office. Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith, who visited the newly revitalised Erith Market last Wednesday, complete with an entourage from the Conservative members of Bexley Council said in response  “Khan’s £1.9 billion black hole would cut vital transport investment and mean even more trains to and from Bexley are overcrowded and late. My Action Plan for Greater London will improve services and means that when a train pulls into the station you can actually get on it.” As I have said in the past, with a handful of notable local exceptions, you can always tell a politician is lying, because their lips are moving. What do you think? Leave your response in the comments section below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Regular Maggot Sandwich reader and occasional contributor Dana Whiffen has written the following piece this week:- "Former number one musician's Andy Newman's death brings back memories of Thunderclap Newman in Erith Area. News By Dana Wiffen. Andy Newman who many of you may ask, he was the pianist and multi-instrumentalist for British band Thunderclap Newman, founded by The Who's Pete Townshend. If you remember seeing them on Top of the Pops Andy was the bearded piano player who looked a bit old for the band, but he was actually not the oldest member in the band. Sadly Andy Newman died at his home in London on Wednesday 30th March aged 73, Andy could read music and could play keyboards, piano, clarinet, saxophone and many other wind instruments, his unique style of Dixieland piano playing fused with pop/rock sound gave Thunderclap Newman a distinctive sound. Thunderclap Newman shot to fame in the 1969 when the single “Something in the Air” by his band  Thunderclap Newman went to number one for 3 weeks, this track has since been used in TV adverts  giving the track further chart success in later years. The band originally put together by Pete Townshend who knew both Andy Newman and the bands singer/songwriter John “Speedy” Keen they added a very young but brilliant guitarist Jimmy McCulloch and went into the studios to record the track with Pete playing bass and Speedy playing drums. After the amazing success of “Something in the Air” the band needed to change from a studio band to a band capable of playing live and a bass player Jim Avery and drummer Jack McCulloch were added. The album Hollywood Dream followed and several singles from the album were released including “Accidents” and “The Reason. They then toured the UK with The Who as support and later toured smaller venues playing at The Black Prince in Bexley in 1971, they also supported Deep Purple on a European tour. Conflict within the band mainly due to Speedy Keens unreliability, he turned up for rehearsals late and even refused to go on stage leaving the band to play without him as their singer, on the eve of a planned tour of the USA as support for the Who, they split up. Andy went on to release a solo instrumental album on Track titled “Rainbow” and also toured with Roger Ruskin Spear of Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah fame. He regularly came to Bexley having friends in Erith and shortly after the band split he went to see a local band play at Dartford College and ended up on stage playing a number with them. Several years later there were various incarnation of Thunderclap Newman with him at the helm, only though playing small venues, more recently in 2010 a significant line up was put together including Mark Brzezicki (Big Country) on Drums, Josh Townshend (Pete’s nephew) on guitar and vocals. They toured and recorded some live and studio tracks of Thunderclap Newman tracks giving them a more modern and rockier sound, this was released on Track Records titled “Beyond Hollywood” the same year. There were plans for Pete Townshend to write some new songs for this band but things got delayed with Pete touring with The Who and Mark with Big Country, although it was hoped that they would go into the studios later this year. Sadly "unsung musical genius" was not to achieve another stab at the big time and this quiet but highly intellectual person will be greatly missed. When I was working at Track Records, Andy had stayed at my place my mum making him a bed up on our sofa. He visited and we met him at Hall Place only last summer (see photo above - click on it for a larger version - Dana is to the left of the photo, and Andy Newman in the centre). His musicianship and friendship will be missed by all who knew him".

In a similar music inspired theme, Erith’s multi – award winning singer / songwriter Wayne Jacobs is in the press once again. He’s entered a talent competition called “Britain Does Variety”. The winner of the competition will get a chance to perform in a paid gig at a 5 star luxury resort in Europe and recording time at River Studios. He’s already won the UK Country Radio listener’s award in the last four consecutive years. In 2012 he wrote a song about Big Ben, and was consequently invited to sing it on top of the famous landmark in front of MP’s. Other original content has been aired on BBC Radio Kent and BBC Radio Norfolk, and on a number of specialist Country and Western radio stations both in the UK and the USA. Personally Country and Western music is not my thing, but I hope that Wayne does well in something he obviously loves doing.

You may be aware that there has been a large amount of discussion relating to the possible changes proposed to local electoral boundaries; the Boundary Commission have proposed merging Erith and Slade Green into a single electoral boundary. Below you can see the letter responding to this which has been posted by our local councillors. Personally I think the boundary changes are ill - thought out and very unwise, as they don't reflect the reality of local circumstances. Read the letter and let me know what you think - either post a comment below, or drop me an Email. 

My feature on Erith’s sporting history last week has provoked quite a positive reaction. Regular reader and occasional contributor Brian Spurrell has come across an account of the three (not two as I wrote last weekend) cricket matches held in Victorian Erith with a home team pitched against a team of Australian visitors. The matches took place on what is now the Europa Industrial Estate. Adjacent to Erith Railway Station and Fraser Road. “20 September 1884: H H Hyslop's Xl v XVI of Erith and District. Then came 1884, when I was 10, and as a climax to the season, the news that the Australians were coming.  Great was the excitement, added to the fear that Spofforth, the "Demon", would paralyse the local batsmen.  As it happened, only four "Aussies" were included in a side brought down by Mr Hyslop, a friend of the captain of Erith, Mr Corbett, to meet 16 of Erith and district.  Spofforth was not one of them, but the quartet were formidable, being Palmer, Boyle and Giffen, a trio of tip top bowlers, and Blackham, generally considered to be the finest wicket keeper playing.  Two other well-known visitors were Godfrey, who often appeared for Sussex, and the Rev. A Carter, of the Yorkshire Gentlemen, whose antics when fielding caused much laughter. The district team went in first, and then came surprises.  Boyle, the bowler, was behind the stumps and Blackham, the famous stumper, shared the bowling with Palmer, and each in his unusual position distinguished himself, Boyle stumping four batsmen and Blackham taking five wickets for 26.  As Palmer collared ten victims for 17 with his easy action and deceptive deliveries, the total was a poor one of 51.  However, to everyone's surprise, the famous visitors did not do too well either, and had not Giffen, after a lucky let off at 4, gone on to 46, and Palmer 22 in good style, they might well have been behind.  As it was they reached 101.  The bowlers responsible for their poor display were Horner of the Surrey 11, who took four wickets for 26, and Parish, the local "demon" who also got four wickets at a cost of 32.  The 16 went in again, but fared no better, losing seven for 28, Haywood, the Eltham "pro", getting 17 not out.  This time Boyle bowled and bagged a couple, but Palmer was still the most destructive with 4 more victims, his complete bag being 14   11 bowled, 3 stumped. Some features of this match have remained vividly in my mind over a period of 57 years, especially the mastery of Palmer over his opponents, for he seemed to get a wicket whenever he liked.  During an interval he came to the railings, chatted with spectators and impressed them with his charming personality.  He asked me if I played and when I stammered "Yes" he said, "Then, my boy, always play the game and always be a trier." I was the proudest kid in Erith that day, and ever after I rejoiced in Palmer's success in Australia.  Palmer remains in my memory as one of the finest bowlers I have ever seen, both for action and effectiveness. 1 May 1886: - Erith and Australia v Bickley Park and Kent. On May Day, 1886, a quartet of "Aussies" were again in Erith, playing for Erith and Australia v Bickley Park and Kent   high-¬sounding titles both.  Blackham was one of the four, but instead of Palmer, Boyle and Giffen we had S P Jones, Evans and Garratt.  Harry Nuttall, who later kept wicket for Kent, was on the same side, but the opposing team was not an impressive one, the chief personality being "Nutty" Martin, of Dartford, who played for Kent from 1885 to 1899, and in that time took 979 wickets for the county   17 runs apiece.  He was considered one of the best left handed bowlers in the country, and on the one occasion that he represented England against Australia was the leading instrument in winning the game by taking 12 for 102. In the match I'm telling of, Erith and Australia batting first were well served by three of the Cornstalks, Jones 57, Evans 60 and Blackham 59.  Martin with five wickets was the most successful bowler.  Against a score of 244, the response was lamentable for facing Garrett, eight for 16, and Evans, three for 15, Bickley Park were helpless and were all out for 37.  To general regret Blackham again did not keep wicket, Nuttall officiating there.  Happy memories are conjured up when I think of "Sammy" Jones promenading the ground arm in arm with an equally light hearted Erith player. 3 May 1890: - H H Hyslop's XII v XVIII of Erith and District. Yet another visit from down under cricketers on May 3, 1890, when Mr Hyslop obliged with a team that included nine of that year's tourists, the most that ever played here.  There were Blackham, Boyle and Jones again, and Dr Barrett, Turner, Murdoch, Burn, H Trumble and G H S Trott.  In batting, Murdoch, who afterwards played for Sussex, was the best man, and Turner, known as the "Terror", was one of the world's outstanding bowlers.  Until our "Tich" of Kent beat it, he held the record for most wickets in first class cricket in a season.  Five other tourists, Lyons, Walters, Charlton, Ferris and S Gregory, watched the game.  So Australia could have fielded a full side.  Two others in Hyslop's XII were county players, Bacmeister, of Middlesex, and Fielding, of Surrey.  It will thus be seen that the 18 of Erith and district, who were the opposition, had a tough lot to meet.  The best known in the local team was W Wright, a Notts "pro" who played for Kent for 12 seasons and in 195 matches took 727 wickets at a cost of 19 runs each.  Later, this same year at the Oval, I saw him receive the injury which sent him to St Thomas' hospital for six weeks.  It was a gallant attempt to catch Lohmann from a terrific return that he had his hand split. Another County man in the side was Bombardier Barton, who did little for Kent, but much for Hampshire.  He was a useful all-rounder and a superb cover point.  Two others, Roberts, for Hampshire, and Hunter, for Kent, had appeared a few times for their Counties.  By this time I was assistant groundsman (that sounds better than ground boy) and scorer for the Erith Club, so I was lucky enough to score in this match, to be photographed in distinguished company, and take an innings at the superb lunch when I scored freely.  The 18 batted first, Barton played the best cricket for 21, Faulkner hit well for 32, and Hutchings delighted the crowd by smacking Turner all over the ground, one big drive laying the scoring tent low.  He made 35 in about 20 minutes.  Turner got most wickets but his cost 36.  The total was 156, sufficient to make a draw, as Hyslop's men got 128 for three, the scoring being very slow.  Barrett in particular being painful, his 50 taking 2 hours 20 minutes to make.  Trott 31, and Murdoch 22, were others who batted.  Barton took two wickets for 11 and was difficult to score from, Parish sent Trott's stumps flying to take the other wicket that fell.” The author of the cricketing memoir ends his recollections with the following comment: “The ground was beautifully situated where the beginning of the GEC works now stand.  On one side was a wooded cliff, and underneath that was the narrow footpath that led to and beyond our old recreation ground, where other local clubs played their matches, men and boys' teams often jostling each other. About a year from the final appearance of Australian players here.  Erith lost its ground, Fraser and Chalmers' works were built upon it, a deplorable change cricket¬-lovers thought, but they were powerless to avert it.  As a result the club dissolved, and by 1892, our recreation ground also having been built on, there was only the Working men's Club team in the place, and that, too, was defunct by the next year”.

Several tabloid newspapers such as the Daily Star seem to be getting quite excited about a subject I have covered on the Maggot Sandwich in the distant past, but now seems to be back in the news. For some inexplicable reason, they have been writing about Secret Numbers Stations in some detail. Secret Numbers Stations have been in existence since World War II. They can be found quite easily if you have a radio which can receive the shortwave bands. Generally speaking, numbers stations appear somewhat erratically and consist of a disembodied electronic voice reading out streams of numbers which repeat a fixed number of times. The stations are usually outside of the main shortwave broadcast bands, and can sometimes be encountered in the amateur radio bands – much to the annoyance of their legal users. Whilst numbers stations are well known to radio enthusiasts like me, most of the general public will be unaware of their existence. The purpose of numbers stations is simple. They are the most secure method of communicating with spies in the field. Computer communications are easily intercepted, and even the most heavily encrypted ciphers can be broken over time by supercomputers used by the security services – and it is relatively straightforward to identify a person from an Internet Service Provider. Old fashioned analogue shortwave radio is completely anonymous – no sign in, or account is required, and a suitable radio can be picked up in a shop for a few pounds. Anyone found with a radio which can receive the shortwave bands will not get much attention – most compact travel radios can receive shortwave broadcasts; thus a spy can be completely anonymous and untraceable whilst listening to the coded broadcasts. Sometimes new technology is not the best solution to a problem, and this is most definitely the case here. Each numbers station transmission is read out by a computer generated voice, giving it an eerie, somewhat creepy sound. One would have thought that once the Cold War was over, the need for numbers stations would cease, but in many cases, the number of stations has actually increased – radio traffic, including numbers stations has been recently noticed in the Ukraine, where before the recent dispute with Russia, it was pretty much a backwater. You can watch a short news broadcast about secret numbers stations below. It is a few years old, but still very accurate and insightful. Please leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.



I got asked in the week about how criminals and malicious hackers actually gain control of computers. I responded that the easiest method was to exploit the user, rather than the computer. Getting the user to carry out an action which allowed the bad person to gain unauthorised access to the target computer. Using booby-trapped USB flash memory drives is a classic hacker technique. But how effective is it really? A group of researchers at the University of Illinois decided to find out, dropping 297 USB memory sticks on the school’s Urbana-Champaign campus last year.  As it turns out, it really works. In a new study, the researchers estimate that at least 48 percent of people will pick up a random USB memory stick, plug it into their computers, and open files contained in them. Moreover, practically all of the drives (98 percent) were picked up or moved from their original drop location.  Very few people said they were concerned about their security. Sixty-eight percent of people said they took no precautions, according to the study, which will appear in the 37th IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy in May of this year. “I trust my Macbook to be a good defence against viruses,” one (stunningly naive) participant is quoted as saying, while another one seemed aware of the risks, but didn’t care, saying: “I sacrificed a university computer.”  Some 135 people actually opened some files in the drives, according to the study. The researchers didn’t put any malware on the sticks, but had left an HTML file that contained an image allowing the researchers to detect when a file was opened. The HTML file also contained a survey, which had the goal of informing unbeknownst students and faculty that they had become part of an experiment, and trying to figure out why they had picked up the drive and opened files inside. “It's easy to laugh at these attacks, but the scary thing is that they work—and that's something that needs to be addressed,” the leading researcher on the study, Matt Tischer, told “Motherboard” the technology news website. In the study, the researchers concluded that “the anecdote that users will pick up and plug in flash drives they find is true.” Based on the participants’ survey answers, the researchers concluded that most people did it with “altruistic intentions.” In fact, 68 percent people said they did it to find the owners, while 18 percent admitted it was just out of curiosity. However, considering their actions, it seems some overestimated their good intentions. Despite the fact that some USB drives contained a CV file, almost half the users didn’t open that file, and, instead browsed vacation photos first, “overtaken by curiosity,” as the researchers put it. Tischer said that it’s hard to prevent something like this from happening. “There are no easy solutions to these problems, but they will certainly extend beyond simply the technical to include a deeper understanding of the social, behavioural, and economic factors that affect human behaviour, there is a difference between warning users that a particular action is dangerous and convincing them to actually avoid it. We need to close that gap.”

Christ Church Erith has been also featured on the Maggot Sandwich recently. Now they are in the news for another great piece of philanthropy. They are working with the charity Age UK on the “Men in Sheds” project.  Christ Church have offered Age UK Bexley a plot of land behind the church hall to use for the programme, which has a growing waiting list. The Men In Sheds project is for men over 60, sharing and learning skills in a fully kitted out workshop and working on either personal projects or commissions for local organisations. The programme’s next project is to set up a furniture recycling shop to refurbish sofas and other household items and sell them on to the local community. Della Jeffery, the project development manager said in an interview with the Bexley Times that “The men in sheds project has already proven popular and benefits older men by reducing social isolation and improving mental physical well being”. Christ Church Erith are also marking the second year of their revamped Friends of Christ Church Erith group. In the last year, the Friends of Christ Church Erith has accomplished the following:-  In April, Friends were invited to a private tour of the Bell Tower during its Centenary. Friends’ committee members provided refreshments at each of the Tower Centenary Open Days. Members were personally invited to the Community Lunch in June. In November the Friends held a Quiz Night in the hall (which raised £609). In December, Friends’ committee members provided refreshments at the Rock Choir Concert during the Erith Christmas Tree Festival. They sponsored energy efficiency light bulbs (£50) for one church chandelier in response to the Vicar’s “Let There Be Light” appeal last December. In January this year, members were invited to the formal launch of the forthcoming “Our Erith” exhibition. At the end of February this year, the Friends took a stall at Bexley Civic Society’s Local History Fayre held at Hall Place (the cost of our stall was paid for personally by a Friends committee member).

I have campaigned against fly - tipping on the Maggot Sandwich and elsewhere for years. Readers may think that environmental crime is a relatively new thing, but as you can see in the newsreel footage below from 1965, the problem was well known and widespread over fifty years ago. Do give it a watch and let me know what you think. Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.