The Hainault.

Following on from last week's news article about the proposed redevelopment of the old Hainault maternity hospital site in Lesney Park Road - part of the area that I only half jokingly refer to as "The Beverly Hills of Erith". This week I have a response from a Lesney Park Road resident, who, due to the nature of the ongoing situation, needs to keep their identity concealed at this point. The anonymous contributor writes:- "Once again, it seems Bexley council have employed their usual arsenal of double speak, following "The letter of the law versus the spirit of the law". This I find incredibly frustrating particularly given how they handled the Homeleigh debacle (though in fairness that has improved ....somewhat, check the crime statistics). My primary gripe is the removal of effectively all of the mature trees that have grown on the site for decades, their literature explicitly states they intend to minimise the impact to the ecology of the site, yet even a cursory look at their plans vs. the existing site will tell you that is a complete lie. What I also found rather interesting is their statement of community engagement, supposedly I was explicitly consulted, along with the other properties in that part of Lesney Park Road - this is all rather odd as I only discovered this submission via the facebook community group. Neither I, not the neighbours I'd spoken to had any idea of the plans. Funnily enough I did a little research into the author of the post who was very pro-planning - turns out he had a part to play in the Erith Riverside Baths redevelopment. He wasn't terribly sympathetic to concern around the trees, but then again I don't pay his salary. Looking at the plans, I would also firmly bet it is a precursor to redeveloping the Homeleigh care home - it is no coincidence the road leads directly into that site. Oddly I'm not against the redevelopment of the two sites, but unfortunately as with most new-builds they are trying to cram as many people as possible into a small area irrespective of the character and ecology of the area or the residents themselves (see the size of the gardens they are proposing). This week has been particularly busy for me so I've not had time to deeply analyse the proposal, I've left a somewhat lacklustre counter-comment on the application essentially stating the above - I can't imagine it'll come to much given the work that's gone in to the application. My hope is they can scale it back sufficiently the estate retains the mature trees. If you read the Statement of Community Engagement they hosted a consultation with residents on the 18th July (Thursday) between 4pm-8pm - I work in central London and often don't finish to 6-6:30pm, for someone like myself this is a razor thin opportunity to offer key feedback to the application. Their literature even hints at the very fact people couldn't attend - mostly retirees at a guess. Reading further on in the document again the double-speak comes out to play using statistics and accurate, yet equally misleading comments such as "Figure 2 shows that the majority of residents (61 percent) support or strongly support the proposals for new high quality homes in Erith...". This is a complete mistruth, 37 people do not represent the entirely of residents in the immediate area (blimey, Homeleigh which backs directly on to the site must have more than 37 people residing in the property - speaking of which I wonder if they were consulted, if I read this document correctly - no). It all reads rather poorly and quite underhanded when otherwise it could have been a good idea. Given my personal experience with the planning team, hopefully they see through this nonsense. "If anyone wants to object, you still have a window. the planning permission reference is 19/02274/FULM | Demolition of the existing buildings and erection of 25 dwellings comprising 5 x 4 bed, 7 x 3 bed, 5 x 2 bed houses and 8 x 1 bed supported living apartments together with car parking and associated works. | Hainault 35 - 37 Lesney Park Road Erith Kent DA8 3DQ" And this can be done via https://pa.bexley.gov.uk/online-applications ". If you look at the graphic at the top of this article, you can clearly see that the current redevelopment plans for the Hainault site will be at the cost of a number of mature, healthy trees. I agree with the writer that this needs to be brought fully to both the proposed developer and the Council's attention as a matter of priority. We need more trees in the area, not less. What do you think? Leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Did you know that there is a connection between a former Plumstead based manufacturing company and the world famous actor and director Clint Eastwood? No? Then read on. Thanks to a long time reader and occasional contributor with a strong interest in local industrial history, who wishes to remain anonymous, and who supplied the following information. Associated Motor Cycles Ltd were a large and successful manufacturing organisation which was based in Plumstead for many years. They owned three major motor bike brands, namely Matchless, AJS and (latterly) Norton, which were designed, manufactured and assembled in their large factory in Plumstead. The founder of the firm that was eventually to become Associated Motor Cycles Ltd was Henry Herbert Collier, an ex Woolwich Arsenal engineering supervisor, who started manufacturing bicycles under the Matchless name at his home in Herbert Road, Plumstead in 1878. Henry Collier had three sons; Henry Albert (known as Harry) and Charles Richard (Charlie) from his first marriage, and Herbert William (Bert) from his second. It was not long until petrol engines were added to the pedal cycles and, when the two eldest joined him in the business, it became H Collier and Sons. There was a most significant change for the company when production outgrew the converted stables that it occupied in Herbert Road at the end of 1912. Business had been good and a new factory was built in a much more suitable location away from the select housing near the common and within easy reach of the Woolwich Arsenal Railway Station. The factory building itself was in Burrage Grove at the junction with Maxey Road. Burrage Grove (the Eastern end of which is now renamed Walker Close) runs parallel to the main Plumstead Road. New offices with a showroom were built fronting Plumstead Road which thus backed onto the new factory premises. The move was made early in 1913 and it proved to be a wise one indeed for these same premises, progressively expanded over the years, were to serve as the home for motorcycle manufacture until the factory finally closed its doors in 1969. At the time of the move Henry was recorded as being the Managing Director while Harry was the Works Manager and Charlie the Manager of the Finishing Department (presumably the Assembly Shop) but it is clear that Harry was becoming the prime designer of the products. During the 1914-18 war, the Plumstead factory was occupied on munitions and aircraft parts, the latter to a degree of accuracy one would expect from a firm whose trade mark had, for so long, been two hands using a micrometer. H H Collier (Senior) died in 1926 and the company became Matchless Motor Cycles (Colliers) Ltd in 1928. In 1928 Matchless expanded their activities by relocating their manufacture of sidecars to a separate factory at Mast Pond Wharf near the Woolwich Ferry. This had once been part of the old Woolwich Dockyard where it had formerly been the prison building. It is believed that the sidecar manufacture was managed by George Alfred Walker, father of AJS and AMC designer Philip Walker. They also made a small number of the Matchless 'Hawk' bodies for the Austin Seven there. In early 1930s, the AJS concern passed into the control of the Matchless company, the models of the old Wolverhampton factory being henceforth produced at Plumstead Road. In 1938, following the acquisition of Sunbeam, the Matchless enterprise, together with its other concerns became Associated Motor Cycles Ltd and in subsequent years James (1952), Norton (1953), and Francis Barnett (1957) came into the AMC fold. Harry Collier, the elder of the brothers, died in 1944 and Bert (the youngest) had been killed in a road accident earlier in the war, leaving "Mr Charlie" as the last of the firm's founders, who was taken ill, whilst still working in the factory, in 1954 at the age of 70, and then taken to his office where he died. The foresight of the Collier family in planning this building was impressive. It was at one time a two storey structure and may have initially only been just a single floor, but by the 1940's it consisted of four floors with an extension on the roof as well. The base structure must have been planned with potential expansion in mind from its inception. In 1966 AMC went bankrupt and was taken over by Manganese Bronze Holdings (who already owned two-stroke engine manufacturer Villiers) and formed Norton-Villiers Ltd to oversee operations. This company then formed a sub-division called 'Norton Matchless Ltd' to market the remaining models. For a couple of years, work at the AMC factory was limited to the production of the few remaining Matchless models and the new Norton Commando, the engines and gearboxes for which were shipped down from Wolverhampton. Then, in late 1968 the Plumstead works at Burrage Grove, were presented with a Greater London Council compulsory purchase order for a major road widening scheme, finally closing in July 1969, with the land that it occupied given over to a housing development. If you were wondering where the connection with Clint Eastwood is in all of this local history, then I suggest that you read the article below - click in it for a larger and more legible image.

Nowadays Norton are a successful independent upmarket motorbike manufacturer. The brand was relaunched in Lichfield in 1988, and in 1989 Norton made an emphatic return to racing when Steve Spray won the British Super Bike Championship on the all-black JPS bike, a victory repeated in 1994 by Ian Simpson on the Duckhams Norton. Norton moved to its current home at Donington Park in 2008 and in 2009 CEO Stuart Garner set the World Speed Record for a Rotary Powered Motorcycle (recording 173mph for a timed mile). You can read more about the modern incarnation of the Norton brand by clicking here for the company website.

The photos above were taken back in June 2016, when local builder Mr Kulvinder Singh illegally demolished the Leather Bottle, a pub said to date from 1643. In 1783, when this was acquired by Taskers of Dartford, it was described as the leather Bottle at Chalk-Stile. There is evidence for the building back to 1751 and the licences are recorded for the pub of this name back to 1726. Despite this great age, according to some sources, the building was not even locally listed - why this never happened is beyond me. Other sources say that it was Grade II listed. Back in 2016, The developers of the site misled and outright lied to local residents - they said that they were merely clearing the car park and a small patch of land next to the historical pub - and their builders were extremely rude, aggressive and abusive to anyone taking photographs of the demolition work. Finally, over three years later, justice has caught up with Kulvinder Singh and his construction company Balmonza Ltd. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) launched a prosecution agains both Mr Singh personally, and against his company, Balmonza Ltd, which was heard in Westminster Magistrates Court last Monday. The HSE found that no safe system of work existed at the time of the incident. There had been no asbestos survey done before the demolition work began, which meant any asbestos-containing materials present would, during the demolition, have caused asbestos fibres to be released and widely spread. The company had not arranged for gas and electricity supplies to be properly disconnected by the appropriate bodies, leading to a potential risk of explosion or of electrocution of people on site. There were no measures, such as hoarding or fencing, of the site to prevent access to the dangerous activity, or to prevent the ejection of materials from site. The building was on a busy road and pedestrians passing by, including primary school aged children going to and from a school 200 metres away, and traffic were all at risk. Mr Singh's company, Balmonza Ltd was fined £20,000 with £1000 costs for breaches to Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, and Mr Singh was personally found guilty of serious breaches of Section 37(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £5000. He was ordered to pay court costs of £1000. Personally, knowing the facts behind this case, and other instances where Kulvinder Singh has ridden roughshod over planning laws and other regulations, such as how back in June of this year another development by the Balmonza Ltd was refused retrospective planning permission after a long fought battle with local residents. The development at the rear of 238 Woolwich Road, which backed onto Abbey Wood was finally rejected, after multiple complaints from local residents and a blatant attempt by Kulvinder Singh to yet again break planning law. Balmonza Ltd had built a huge concrete platform at the rear of the house, and it appeared that they were trying to build an illegal block of flats, actually inside the Abbey Wood. Fortunately after a prolonged and concerted campaign by local residents, led by Malcolm Knight of the excellent Bexley is Bonkers Blog - links above to his photos, this has now been stopped. What remediation work will be undertaken is unclear at this point. I feel that he will treat this prosecution and the subsequent fines as merely the cost of doing business, and I very much doubt that it will deter him from other crimes in the future. All I can say as a summary to this affair is do not deal with Kulvinder Singh, or his company Balmonza Ltd. He is now a convicted criminal and a nasty piece of work to boot. You have been warned.

On a far more positive note, and another construction related story. The first local apprentices have been hired to help regenerate the Park East site in Erith as Wates Residential supports a further seven people with its Building Futures training programme, also held last week in Erith. The first two apprentices are Sam, 25 from Welling, and Sarah, 21 from Bexley, who both join the project as apprentice demolition operatives with Wates Residential’s site subcontractor – Erith Group. Commenting on his new role, Sam said: “This apprenticeship has given me a sense of belonging in society. I feel like I’ve been given a second chance to get my career on track and that I am moving in the right direction now.” The £95 million Park East project, which is being delivered by Wates Residential and Orbit, in partnership with the London Borough of Bexley, will deliver 320 new homes in Erith of which 80 per cent will for affordable rent and shared ownership. As part of the project, the partners have pledged to kick start training opportunities in the area by hiring at least 31 apprentices and at least 25 people in full time employment from the local area. The first two apprentices, as previously mentioned, are Sam and Sarah, pictured above - click on the photo for a larger view, who both join the project as apprentice demolition operatives with Wates Residential’s site subcontractor – Erith Group. Their responsibilities include removing the internal fittings the buildings before they are demolished and ensuring the waste materials are properly sorted and recycled. Sam explained: “Before starting this role, I didn’t realise how much gets recycled during the demolition of a building!” Sam had previously studied a bricklaying course at Bromley College, but decided on a career change soon after finishing his studies. He was encouraged to apply for an apprenticeship by Bexley Mind, who supported him throughout the process. Commenting on his new role, Sam said: “This apprenticeship has given me a sense of belonging in society. I feel like I’ve been given a second chance to get my career on track and that I am moving in the right direction now.” He added: “I love the physical side of my role and the great team that I work with. Everyone at Erith and Wates Residential have been so supportive. The health and safety across the whole Wates site is outstanding and really shows that people care.” Thanks to his new position working with one of the largest demolition contractors in the world, Sam is now saving for his driving licence and aiming to move out of his parents’ home soon. “This is the best job I’ve ever had,” he added. “I am now excited for my future.” Describing her role, Sarah said: “I didn’t think I would progress as quickly as I have and feel truly grateful for the opportunity… Everyone on site has been great with me and it has really changed my perceptions as a woman working on a construction site.” Alongside her apprenticeship, Sarah was awarded her Certificate of Competence for Demolition Operatives and has received additional training in asbestos awareness, manual handling and abrasive wheel certificates. She plans to work her way up through the ranks and sees herself in demolition management in the future. In addition, another of the unique training and employment initiatives that Wates Residential has brought to Erith is its Building Futures programme, which helps unemployed adults gain valuable practical experience and employability coaching to reinvigorate their career prospects. On Friday 25th, seven students successfully graduated from the course. Their two-week training involved visits to both the West Street and Park East developments to gain hands on experience of a construction site. The graduation was celebrated with a certificate presentation ceremony attended by Managing Director of Wates Residential Developments Group David Brocklebank and Leader of the London Borough of Bexley, Cllr Teresa O’Neill. Paul Ellis took part in Building Futures in Erith last week. He described the experience: “I have really enjoyed my two weeks at the Building Futures programme. I have learnt new skills and the tutor from Ixion was so helpful. I would highly recommend that anyone considering a career in construction. I can’t believe how much Wates invests into this programme! I would like to thank them, as I now feel like I can kick start my career and am feeling positive for my future.” The redevelopment of Park East comes after partners Wates Residential and Orbit recently completed six years of work on the nearby Larner Road estate, transforming it into the award-winning Erith Park. Throughout Phase 1 and 2 of work, seven tower blocks were replaced with 587 medium-rise homes, including 329 homes for affordable rent, 114 for private sale and 144 for shared ownership.

Now for the weekly local safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly the report from Barnehurst ward:- "In the past week Barnehurst ward has suffered one burglary in Merewood Road. This occurred on Thursday 24/10/2019 between 11.00am and 02.00pm. It is believed suspects were specifically searching for vehicle keys as other valuable property had been left in the property untouched. Drawers were found left open in the property and a blue California Ocean Volkswagen (Motor caravan) registration number KV68FJJ was stolen from the driveway. Also taken were vehicle keys to a Mini. Suspects gained entry by jumping over the rear fence and smashing a rear window. Between Sunday 20/10/2019 at 05.00am and Monday 21/10/2019 midday a blue challenge Mountain bike was stolen from outside Barnehurst Train Station in Station Approach. On Sunday 27/10/2019 overnight in Parkside Avenue there was a theft from motor vehicle whereby a wallet containing bank card was stolen. The suspect has then gone on a shopping spree using the victim's bank card. Investigations are ongoing. On Tuesday 29/10/2019 again overnight in Parkside Avenue number plates X571JMW were removed from a vehicle by person's unknown. The next community contact session will be held at Barnehurst Golf Club on Tuesday 5th November at 11.00am".

Belvedere ward:- "Today officers from across South East BCU lead by officers from #Bexley Safer Neighbourhoods conducted a disruption operation at #Belvedere BR Station with officers from the British Transport Police. Officers have used knife arches and stop and search and have made 4 arrests. • A 24 year old male has been arrested for possession of an offensive weapon (knife) • A 16 year old male has been arrested for possession of an offensive weapon (Police Style extendable baton) • A 36 year old male wanted for non payment of fines at Camberwell Green Magistrates Court • A 25 year old male wanted to failing to appear at Ealing Magistrates Court after an offence at Heathrow Airport. These operations are conducted at random and without warning across South East London". Bexleyheath ward:- "Wednesday 23/10/19 1515 Purse stolen from handbag in Dorothy Perkins. Sunday 27/10/19 1530 – 28/10/19 1430 Glass taken from wing mirror Martens Avenue Monday 28/10/19 – 2100 Theft From Motor Vehicle Goals Car Park.  Monday 28/10/19 – 1530 Purse stolen from handbag Greggs Broadway. Tuesday 29/10/19 – 1225 Purse stolen from handbag Cancer Research Shop Bexleyheath Broadway. Tuesday 29/10/19 – 1200 Purse stolen from bag inside New Look. Ensure that doors and windows to properties are locked and secured with keys where applicable – revisit home security and lighting now the dark lights are coming.  Please be careful with purse/wallets whilst out shopping, make sure they are secured inside your bags with a zip type handbag. Wednesday 16/10/19 2050 – 2120 Long Lane Co Op – loop device found on cash machine, removed and reported. Thursday 17/10/19 2015 – 2150 Goals Graham Road. Theft From Motor Vehicle. Thursday 17/10/19 1215 The Card Factory – Elderly female has purse taken from handbag – CCTV now in store and images with police. Saturday 19/10/19 1415 – 1420 Broadway rear of shops – Vehicle parked and went shopping, it was blocked in by another vehicle and driver damaged vehicle – arrested at scene. Saturday 19/10/19 overnight – Theft of Number Plates Broadway near Trinity Church. Sunday 20/10/19 2020 hours Males attempting to steal motorbike from drive Park Grove. Sunday 20/10/19 2040 hours Males interrupted whilst opening car doors Sevenoaks Close. Wednesday 23/10/19 1215 Theft of wallet from 93 year old male Broadway Bexleyheath. There has been several businesses targeted over this week for takings left on the premises. Front glass windows have been smashed but CCTV has picked the offender up in one shop and police are tracing suspect. Ensure that doors and windows to properties are locked and secured with keys where applicable – revisit home security and lighting now the dark lights are coming". Crayford ward:- "On Saturday 19th October between 18.45-18.50 a tall IC1 male stole two bottles of Smirnoff Vodka from Crayford Wine in Crayford High Street. The male walked around the counter and reached over the shopkeeper to do so before leaving the shop. At 3.09am on Friday 25th October two males attempted to burgle a home in Buckley Close. The door was opened causing some damage but the residents were alerted by their dog and chased after the suspects who are described as being IC1, both very tall with their faces half covered, they ran off towards Wyatt Road. A silver Vauxhall Vectra was found nearby with the door open, enquiries are ongoing. On Thursday 24th October at 21.00 a man returned to his blue Ford Fiesta parked in Crayford Arrows car park after playing football to find that it had had the rear passenger window smashed, nothing was stolen. Similarly, on Monday 28th October between 19.00-20.00 an I-phone 6 was stolen from a locked glove compartment in a locked Peugeot 307 parked in Perry Street, the driver's door had been forced. A silver Toyota number plate SC06YJD was stolen from Maiden Lane between 16.30 on Thursday 24th October and 6.10 am on Saturday 26th October. A catalytic convertor was stolen from a black Landrover at 1.06am from Optima Park at Thames Road. The suspects were driving a white Ford Fiesta, the incident was captured on CCTV. Number plates were stolen from a silver Nissan Micra between 17.15-19.15 whilst parked in Mount Pleasant Walk, number plates not given on report at this time. Between 16.30 on Friday 25th October and 7.30 on Monday 28th October, suspect(s) have climbed over hoardings and broken in to an electrical cupboard on a building site in Crayford Way. They stole 2 Powerfactor 0.93 Elite Transformers. (1 x 5KVA and 1 x 3 KVA) A Portakabin was broken in to overnight between 18.30 on Monday 28th October and 08.30 on Tuesday 29th October in the Lok'n'store car park at Optima Park, Thames Road, the window was broken and there was an untidy search. Property was stolen from a Mercedes whilst parked in Crayford Road at 15.00 on Sunday 27th October. Three bicycles were stolen from Crayford Retail Park on Tuesday 29th October. The first one was a Red Carerra and was locked up by Sports Direct and stolen at about 14.05. The other two had been left outside Smythes and unfortunately not been chained up, they were stolen by two IC1 suspects who rode them away past Nando's towards Crayford Road. The bikes stolen were a black Carrera Vengeance and a Halford's black B'Twin.  Please note that authorisation for Dispersal has been given between 10.00 on Thursday 31st October and 10.00 on Friday 1st November to deter anti-social behaviour on Halloween and officers will be patrolling the town centre, Town Hall Square and Waterside Gardens area of Crayford. Please call 101 if there is anything we should be aware of. Our next community contact session will take place on Friday 8th November at Crayford Library between 10.00-11.00am, please come along and say hello if you are in the area". Northumberland Heath ward:- "The team continue to patrol in and around Sussex Road to tackle anti-social behaviour. A set of number plates has been taken from a parked and unattended vehicle in Brook Street. If you happen to see registration number WU07BXA please contact police so further enquiries can be made. Should you wish to protect your vehicle from this type of offence drop us a line and we may be able to provide appropriate anti-theft devices. Thanks go out to everyone who attended the ward panel meeting on Tuesday".

Slade Green and Northend ward:- "A burglary took place at around 4am on Friday 25/10 in Chesworth Close. The suspect was disturbed by the resident and ran off. 2 cupboards were left open but nothing was taken. It is unclear how access was gained as no tool marks were left at the scene but the front door was open. If you have a UPVC door please ensure to lock it by making sure that the handle is turned up AND the key is turned. Our police officers have been working with neighbouring wards covering as many areas as possible in Autumn Nights patrols. Several groups have been moved on in the Forest Road and Rainbow Road areas of our ward. These patrols will continue for the next week or so and extra officers are out and about across the borough during Halloween. Our next CCS (community contact session) is not until Saturday 09/11/2019 from 6pm at our SNT Base in Pier Road. At the Ward Panel meeting on Weds evening the promises chosen by the panel were ASB (anti-social behaviour) Rainbow Road, Drugs and Vehicle Crime. These will be in place for three months". Thamesmead East ward:- "Between the 19/10/19 and 27/10/19 , a pedal cycle chained up ,had the frame ,wheel taken and another wheel taken from another bicycle .Suspect/s believed to have climbed over the back gate. Bexley Crime Survey - The Bexley Community Safety Partnership includes the Council, Police, Fire Brigade, Health and Probation who work together to reduce problems of crime, anti-social behaviour and drug and alcohol misuse. To help us decide what should be the partnership's priorities for the next year please tell us what crime and disorder issues cause you most concern in the area you live or work in Bexley by completing the online survey at www.bexley.gov.uk/crimesurvey. it will only take two minutes to complete and is completely anonymous. GOOD NEWS -  While out on routine patrol ,PC Pruden found a stolen Audi A3 was discovered abandoned in Walsham Close, SE28. Checks revealed that it had been stolen, July 2019, Lewisham. The Audi was on false plates, the true identity was established via a Vehicle Identity Number check. The vehicle was recovered to Charlton Car Pound, victim updated. Report crime by calling 101 or in an emergency call 999. Remember, you can also report crime online on our website: https://www.met.police.uk/ To find out more information about our updated privacy practises and how we process your data in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 please visit our Privacy Notice on the Met Police website https://www.met.police.uk/privacy-notice". West Heath ward:- "Unfortunately we have had a burglary in Gipsy Road this week. The victim was away between Saturday October 19th and returned on Friday October 25th just before midnight when they discovered damage to the conservatory door and sliding doors. Thankfully entry not made inside the property and nothing was taken. One attempted burglary in Bedonwell Road on Tuesday October 29th at 04.20am. The occupants were asleep when they were disturbed by the burglar alarm going off. A male was seen on the driveway by the occupant before running to a silver Vauxhall Vectra and making off at speed. One theft of a white transit van on Monday October 28th from a driveway at the Quadrant. The victim was still in possession of the keys. One report of criminal damage to the windscreen of a motor vehicle in Amberley Road on Monday October 28th at 2.30pm. A group of youths threw something at the vehicle which caused chips to the windscreen. This week we teamed up with our neighbouring ward officers to visit shops that sell knives of any description, kitchen knives Stanley knives etc and asked them to sign a responsible retailer agreement in relation to the storage and sale of these items. The team made two arrests this week. One for harassment, and one failure to appear for court attendance".

The end video this week is a bit of local social history. It shows a series of interviews with local people in and around Bexleyheath in 1984. You might even see someone that you recognise. Leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Hidden Figures.

The photo above was taken by me last night in Christ Church Erith; it shows the audience assembling for a showing of the excellent film "Hidden Figures" as part of Black History Month. I was unable to take photos of the full audience, as the main lights were turned off before the film started, and I did not want to use flash. The event was also to raise funds to go towards the installation of toilets inside of the church, a project being managed by the Friends of Christ Church Erith. Currently if you are visiting the church and need to use the loo, you have to take a trek round to the church hall - a fair distance, and especially quite hazardous at night, as much of the path between the church and hall is unlit. The film was a great success, although the start had to be delayed, as the DVD player initially used to show the film developed a fault, and a second player had to be used. The delay meant that the raffle draw which had been planned for the end of the event was brought forward. Nevertheless all those who attended enjoyed themselves, and a substantial sum of money was added to the toilet in the church project. More on "Hidden Figures" at the end of this week's update.

As regular readers will be aware, I am very keen on observing  the law of unintended consequences. Several of these unintended consequences are occurring either now, on in the very near future. Unfortunately very few people - and especially politicians, are aware of them. I am not about to debate the ins and outs (pun intended) of the whole Brexit issue, because (1) I don't do politics on the Blog, and more importantly (2) because it is outside of the remit of the Maggot Sandwich, which deals primarily with issues in the Northern part of the London Borough of Bexley. However, some anomalies have been discovered which do bear reporting. Among the daily two-dozen or so government updates on Brexit progress slipped in on Friday were a number considering the impact on copyright and intellectual property. Firstly: anyone using an EU satellite decoder to access programmes included in a UK broadcast (to avoid a charge) will be breaking the rules after Brexit. If you are accessing programmes in your native language, or otherwise using an EU decoder for any reason except to avoid paying you can continue to do so - all rather confusing. Also changing are rules on EU Portability Regulation. This currently allows people to access online services from anywhere in Europe as if they were at home. So you can use Amazon Prime or Netflix, for example, if you are a British citizen temporarily in another European country. European citizens have the same rights when visiting the UK. That arrangement will end come Brexit. Providers will no longer have an obligation to make sure that is possible, although they may continue to do so on a voluntary basis. The EU Orphan Rights Directive will also be removed. In simple terms this covers copyrighted items – films, books or photos – where the rights holder is either not known or cannot be found. It covers quite large amounts of material held by archives and museums and offered online. The British Film Institute, for instance, offers 170 orphaned works on a dedicated YouTube channel. Government advice is for cultural institutions to remove any orphaned works from their collection online, consider applying for a UK orphan licence, or if they have a UK licence find a way to limit access to only UK residents.

Plans have been submitted to Bexley Council Planning Department regarding the old Hainault building in Lesney Park Road. The submission is for the demolition of the existing buildings and erection of 25 dwellings comprising 5 x 4 bed, 7 x 3 bed, 5 x 2 bed houses and 8 x 1 bed supported living apartments together with car parking and associated works, as shown in the picture above - click on it for a larger view. The site has some considerable local history. The Infant Welfare and Maternity Home was opened in 1920 by the Erith Urban District Council in a large Victorian house named 'Hainault', bought for the purpose as a cost of £1800. The Home had six beds, three of which were in the maternity ward. There was also an infant welfare centre, and antenatal, dental and school clinics were held there.  The coach house and stables were converted into an operating theatre.  The staff consisted of two midwives, a ward maid, a cook and a caretaker. The Maternity Home remained open during WW2, although it was in a danger zone.  A temporary clinic was added in 1943.  In 1944 a flying bomb exploded nearby and caused considerable damage, but the only injury was to a baby in its cot. In 1945 the building was extended and the bed number increased to 22. In 1948 the Home joined the NHS under the administration of the Woolwich Group Hospital Management Committee. It was renamed the Hainault Maternity Hospital. In 1956 the bed numbers were increased to 24. In 1965 a delivery unit was added, which provided two first-stage rooms and a bathroom, WC and sterilising room. The Home closed in 1974 with 21 beds, a victim of the new NHS policy of placing maternity units in general hospitals. From 2009 until 2014 the Hainault became Hainault Hostel, a long-stay hostel with 12 beds for people with learning difficulties run by the MCCH Society Ltd. After 2014 it was closed, and is now being readied for demolition. My understanding is that the old buildings did not meet modern health and safety regulations, and would have been too difficult (and thus expensive) to modify.

A story that has not been picked up to date by the local media is a very worrying one. You may well be aware that Police Officers were called at 2.48pm on October 13th to Barnehurst Avenue following reports of males fighting in the street. Officers attended with the London Ambulance Service. A 20-year-old man was found suffering from a stab injury to his chest. He was taken to an East London hospital, where he died at 5.27pm that day. Two sixteen year old boys were subsequently arrested on charges of murder. What is far less well known is that a stabbing happened on Friday night in Erith. At around 11pm on Friday the 25th of October, a youth was stabbed in Aperfield Road, Erith; I understand he then staggered into Manor Road near to the zebra crossing outside of the Premier corner shop, where he flagged down a passing car and the sought aid. Police and Ambulance personnel were soon on the scene, and the whole of Manor Road was closed to traffic for several hours. It is understood that the injuries to the youth were relatively minor; nevertheless this is an alarming development. I am unaware and unable at this point to comment on the specifics of the case.

There has been considerable controversy and discussion on a number of radio enthusiast websites over the last month or so; the reason for the debate has been the fact that the 648 KHz Medium Wave transmissions from Radio Caroline have been much reduced in output power for some time, and many listeners have been concerned about this; some theorised that Caroline had deliberately cut the transmitter power to save on the electricity bill. This turns out to be far from the case, and the conspiracy theorists were incorrect. Radio Caroline Transmitter Engineer Alan Beech writes:- "Radio Caroline returned to the medium waveband on 648 KHz AM as a legal broadcaster at the end of 2017 after applying for and being granted the OfCom licence for the Essex and Suffolk areas of South Eastern England. You can hear us strongly in Suffolk and most of Essex, with the signal dropping off gradually further afield. Those with 'good' radios or communication receivers can hear us at considerable distances from our transmitter, depending on local conditions and other factors. In the 'watery wireless' days Radio Caroline, and other offshore radio stations, had to use radio-ships housing powerful transmitters to broadcast to their area of choice. These days, with an efficient aerial at a suitable land-based location extreme high power isn't as necessary – although our allocated 1 kilowatt ERP has challenged our engineers to get the best match between transmitter and aerial to squeeze every milliwatt of our power allocation up the aerial mast! Our (second hand) Nautel transmitter is housed at the former BBC World Service site at Orford Ness, an irony not lost on us. The site though is not open to the public, and being on an island isn't readily accessible to anybody except those that work there full time. Getting this far was a long process, but it has given the station a tremendous boost and helped prove that, despite the current pan-government trend of dropping AM in favour of DAB, there is still sufficient interest in old fashioned 'steam radio' – and indeed the radio sets to receive it. On Friday 11th of October our engineers made a long planned visit to our 648 transmitter site to give the equipment a general tune up and service. It was two years ago when we installed the equipment at Orford Ness in October 2017, and we knew that future access for maintenance visits would need careful planning and arrangement. Not just because it is located on a remote site only accessible by boat, but also our engineers all live 100-200 miles away and have their own busy work schedules. It is testament to the quality of the 25 year old Nautel transmitter and the other equipment which was expertly installed by our engineers that it has run for 2 years without requiring a single maintenance visit - something that was unimaginable when we were out at sea and equipment needed almost constant attention. However, our on site telemetry system reported minor problems following late summer thunderstorms, and over the past month or two our own observations plus comments from listeners were that our signal was not as good as it used to be. On site we found that two of the six power amplifier modules within the transmitter had shutdown (presumably as a result of lightning strikes) and would not respond to a remote reset command. These were manually reset and a general overhaul of the equipment was undertaken. The air filters for the cooling fans were found to be caked in dust and dirt and with these cleaned the airflow is now much better and the amplifier temperature much lower. All electrical connections were inspected for tightness and voltage and meter readings noted to make sure everything was within spec. We also took the opportunity to finely adjust our audio processing since this is much easier to do precisely when you have test equipment such as an oscilloscope and modulation monitor connected to the transmitter rather than adjusting remotely and relying on your ears! Overall we were impressed as to how clean and the stable the installation was, considering it is so close to a salt water environment. Various comments received from listeners during Friday all reported improved reception so it was definitely a worthwhile visit and gets our signal ready for those dark winter days when interference levels on the AM band generally increase". So there you have it - no conspiracy, merely a much overdue need for preventative maintenance. 

Another planning related story, this time with the controversial White Hart African Restaurant in Erith High Street. The restaurant has now been open for a year, after it got it original extended hours licence application rejected. It originally wanted to open from 10am until 5am the next morning, seven days a week. Last October a session of the planning committee sat in Bexley Council Offices to consider the application by the licencee, Mr Ojuanu Sodunke. It was unanimously rejected. In her representation to the sub committee, Councillor Nicola Taylor said:- "Erith does welcome this restaurant to the area and the opening is much anticipated. We have followed the restoration of the historic building closely. However, this establishment is close to residential homes. Behind it there are two retirement developments, and there are family properties close. All of these residents would be impacted. All of the residents have expressed concerns over the increase of public nuisance. The town centre is quiet in the evening. Residents have a fear the area will become an area known for excessive drinking, possibly worse. It seems mad to have an establishment open for these hours. We have got to consider the community as a whole". The White Hart already held / holds what is termed as a "Luxury" licence, which enables it to open until 1am on Friday and Saturday - more than enough time to operate as a restaurant and bar. Quite why Mr. Sodunke wanted to open until 5am still seems unclear. Now, exactly one year later, he has made a further licencing application. This time the request for a change in the licence conditions reads as follows:- "The application is to apply to change the Class Use of the Premises from A4 to mixed use A3/A4, as the premises predominantly trades as a restaurant under the current owners. This use of the premises commenced on the 17/10 /2018, when licensable matters were finally sorted out, and it was only when the applicant received a letter from Bexley Council advising that they did not have the correct permitted use to trade as a restaurant that this application was commenced. The application is also seeking to remove the following conditions from the current planning permission 15/02366/FUL. No Live Music. We wish this to be removed, to allow the applicant the flexibility to have live African music for certain events. given the soundproofing has been installed in relation to recorded music, the live music would be subject to the same conditions as recorded music and so would not cause a disturbance to the residents. Sales to cease at 23:00 hours Monday to Sunday and the premises closed at 23:30 Monday to Sunday. We wish to amend the permitted hours to align with those granted by the Licensing Authority, namely Sunday to Thursday 10:00 to midnight, with the doors locked at 00:30 hours, and Friday and Saturday 10:00 to 01:00 with the doors locked at 01:30. These hours have in the past been traded, with no complaint from residents and neighbouring properties". What this change in planning status does not address is the stark fact that The White Hart has been using the former pub's  beer cellar as additional restaurant space, despite being forbidden to do so by the London Fire Brigade, as the converted cellar space only has one entrance / exit, and no secondary fire escape. This restriction was made abundantly clear at the planning meeting last year, but photographic evidence shows that the former cellar area is in use despite being forbidden by the fire brigade. On top of this, the restaurant still only has a one star "Scores on the Door" hygiene rating, as you can see by clicking here. We need more restaurants, bars and other night time venues in the local area, but they have to be compliant with the regulations. Feel free to contact me in confidence at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

I have written at some length in the past of Hiram Maxim, the American born, but naturalised British subject who went onto to be granted a Knighthood. There was a second foreign born engineer and inventor who worked in Erith at around the same time as Hiram Maxim; his name was Thorsten Nordenfelt. He was a Swedish born and educated man who married a British woman and moved to the UK - his photo is above - click on it to see a larger version; initially they lived at an address in the Uxbridge Road, Paddington, after migrating to the UK in 1867. Thorsten and his British brother in law started a business trading high quality Swedish steel for British railway rails and engineering fittings. After a while, he founded the Nordenfelt Arms and Ammunition Company, which manufactured a variety of medium calibre deck mounted guns for arming motor torpedo boats and coastal patrol vessels. The guns were manufactured in Erith (as you may gather, in Edwardian times, Erith was a major centre for weapons manufacture, and many locals were employed in the factories).  The problem that Thorsten Nordenfelt had was that he  was an excellent engineer, but an absolutely terrible businessman. His arms factory was losing money hand over fist, and after much pressure from his bank – Rothschilds – Nordenfelt was forced to merge his company with Maxim to form the Maxim Nordenfelt Guns and Ammunition company, with Maxim as the majority shareholder. Two years later Nordenfelt was declared personally bankrupt, and lost complete control of the company, leaving Maxim the benefactor. Not to be deterred, Nordenfelt and his family upped sticks and moved to France, hoping to start afresh. He set up a new company designing arms, and developed a revolutionary new breech mechanism for the French 75mm field gun. This all went swimmingly until he received a letter from Maxim’s lawyers, reminding him that he had signed a non compete clause that Nordenfelt  had signed upon leaving the Maxim Nordenfelt company. The case went as far as the House of Lords, and was found partially in Nordenfelt’s favour, but by this time he had grown heartily sick of the arms business, and decided to go into the then brand new submarine business instead. He formed a new company with a vicar and keen amateur naval architect called the Reverend George Garrett. They jointly designed a new submarine – the Nordenfelt One, which weighed in at fifty six tons, was 19.5 metres long and had a range on the surface of 240 kilometres, powered by a one hundred horse power steam engine which gave the vessel a speed of nine knots. It was armed with a single torpedo, and a deck mounted gun. It had to shut down the steam engine before it could dive. It was accepted by the Greek Navy, but never saw active service, and ended up being scrapped in 1901. A Nordenfelt Two submarine was later built, followed by a Three, which was larger at thirty metres long; It did have one claim to fame – it was the first ever submarine to successfully fire a torpedo at a target whilst fully submerged. The final Nordenfelt submarine was the Four, which was commissioned by the Russian Navy, but in sea trials it proved to be unstable and very unseaworthy, and ended up running aground off Jutland. The Russians refused to pay for it, in yet another commercial disaster for Nordenfeldt. He then decided to call it a day and retired to Sweden, where he died in 1920 aged 78. Some small signs of Thorsten Nordenfelt do still exist in Erith. Nordenfelt Road, off West Street is one link, as was the Nordenfelt Tavern at 181 Erith Road – a local pub named after the man; it is now long closed and converted into flats, and so another link with our past is severed. Please leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

The Association of Bexley Charities '78 held its Autumn Fair in the Geddes Place Reformed Church Hall, Bexleyheath on Saturday the 26th October. There were eleven stalls selling  a variety of goods including Christmas cards, calendars, children’s toys, knitted goods, cakes, jams, jigsaw puzzles, books, model railway items, jewellery, handbags, clothes and shoes. The refreshments, tea, coffee, cakes and cheese and ham rolls were particularly popular.  The event was very well attended by more than 100 people.  The Worshipful the Mayor of the London Borough of Bexley, Councillor Geraldine Lucia-Hennis and her husband, Peter Lucia-Hennis, also supported the event and spent more than an hour meeting and talking to the stall holders. Thanks to John Salt for the information and the photo above - click on it for a larger view.

Now for the weekly local safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly the report from Barnehurst ward:- "Unfortunately Barnehurst have suffered a burglary and an attempted burglary. Both Incidents occurred on Monday 21st October 2019. In Holmsdale Grove between 08.10pm – 11.00pm an untidy search was carried out throughout the property. Cash and jewellery were taken. It is believed entry was gained by forcing the front door which was not locked securely due to a faulty mortice lock. The attempted burglary occurred overnight in Westfield Road whereby tools were used in an attempt to gain entry. Tool marks were visible to the top and bottom frame. Thankfully no entry was gained.  In Eversley Avenue on Monday 14/10/19 overnight a vehicle was broken into and a wallet taken. Also in Eversley Avenue on Monday 14/10/2019 and again overnight an attempt had been made to steal a motorcycle from a drive way. The security chain was found cut and steering lock broken. A lock on the front wheel prevented the bike from being stolen.  In a private car park in Colyers Lane between the Friday 18th – Monday 21st October suspects have jumped over a fence to gain access to a BMW. The dashboard, gearbox, and door interiors were taken from the vehicle. On 22/10/19 victim returned to his van in Eversley Cross to find a side window smashed. Fortunately the van was fitted with an alarm, tracker and a steering wheel lock. Nothing was taken.The team attended a Diwali community event. Officers gave crime prevention advice and were happy to answer questions on local issues. The event proved very successful. We cannot stress enough the importance of looking at your home security especially at this time of year. Is the front of your property obscured by trees/bushes giving burglars more time? Do you ask neighbours to take wheelie bins in or remove leaflets sticking out of letterboxes? What items do you leave in your porch? (Items left here tell a burglar something about the residents) Do burglars see what your home is like by having a clear view through a window? Are you double locking your doors ? Think about things what you could do to make it look like someone is home. Alarm systems nowadays can be affordable and are very easy to use. Our community contact session will be on Tuesday 05/11/19 at 11.00 in Barnehurst Golf Club. Please pop along and meet the team. This is also an opportunity to meet other residents on the ward". Belvedere ward:- "PC's Rob and Marc have been undertaking patrols across the ward this week including plain clothed drug patrols and burglary initiatives. Two males in the past week have been stopped and searched by the officers and drugs found and cautions administered accordingly. These took place in Brook Street and Picardy Road respectively. PCSO Jay has been completing his usual sterling reassurance work and visiting those unfortunate enough to have been the victim of a burglary. Here he offers crime prevention advice along with the opportunity to take part in the smart water initiative which has been a huge success within the Met. A gentle reminder please to all residents about securing windows and doors at night and when leaving the property. The run up to Christmas historically can see a rise in burglary and theft offences, so therefore anything you can do to hinder these horrible crimes will stop you from becoming a victim". Bexleyheath ward:- "There was a theft of number plates overnight 19th October/20th October. Removed from a black Toyota Aygo whilst parked in Trinity Place". Crayford ward:- "On Saturday 12th October at 3.45am someone was disturbed trying to get in to a garden shed in Heathview Avenue, no entry was gained. A window was smashed by 2 male youths and one female youth in Crayford High Street on Tuesday 15th October at 21.10.  A female victim's black and white bicycle with black bags near the rear wheel that was chained up. was stolen from near the Doctor surgery in Crayford Town Centre. On Friday 11th October it was reported that a number of cards and pin numbers and letters relating to loans had been received at an address in Dale Road. It transpired that the postman had kindly told the residents that post was being stolen from external letter boxes, they had removed theirs and then received this post in their name which it is believed the suspect intended to steal from the external post box and use fraudulently. A large quantity of beef joints were stolen from Aldi on Thursday 17th October at 20.15, the IC1 male described as having dark hair got in to a grey Mercedes convertible to get away. A motorcycle was stolen from The Homestead between Thursday 17th October and Friday 18th October, no make, model or number plate given on the report.  Between 17.00 on Sunday 20th October and 8.29 on Monday 21st October the corner stone of a wall was damaged, shrubs were destroyed and vandalism occurred at Hall Place overnight. A car intentionally drove at a parked vehicle in the car park at Denton Road, moving it some distance. There was an attempted burglary in Crayford Way on Monday 21st October at approx. 21.45. The suspect smashed the porch door and attempted to enter the front door within but was disturbed by the homeowner, the suspect ran off and got in to the front passenger seat of a small black car. Iceland had meat stolen on Monday 21st October at 9.30am, the female was seen putting meat in her bag, she abused staff on being challenged, they have CCTV and photographic evidence. On Monday Monday 21st between 6.00 and 23.30 someone attempted to enter a property in Medway Road causing damage to the rear door lock, UVPC surround and seal, entry believed to be via shared access between houses. On Wednesday 23rd October at 00.55 a vehicle came in to the rear of Tower Retail park and attempted to jack up a silver Honda Jazz, on being disturbed the suspects chased the victim before making off. On Tuesday 22nd October number plates were stolen from a vehicle parked in London Road, no further details known at this time. Our next community contact session will be held at Vintage Lindy Lou's at Waterside Gardens on Wednesday 30th October between 10.00-11.00. Could I urge those of you with external mailboxes to consider that a criminal can get their hands in them and remove your post, gaining your identity and attempting to obtain credit in your name. The darker nights are really drawing in now, please visit www.met.police.uk/burglary to consider ways to keep your home safe and looking occupied when you are out". Erith ward:- "Trick or treating. We want you to enjoy Halloween, but remember, not everyone wants to take part! Here's a few things to remember when you're out this Halloween. • If you're going trick or treating, make sure you go with an adult and your parent or carer knows where you're going and when to expect you back. • Respect posters asking you not to trick or treat at someone's house. • Don't go trick or treating alone - stay with your group. • Eggs and flour are for baking. Don't throw them. • Be careful crossing roads in the dark. Residents advice - It is not just at Halloween when unexpected callers turn up on your doorstep. • Remember official visitors should always make an appointment beforehand • Look through the door view or window to see who is outside. • If you decide to open the door, put the chain or bar on first. • Check the caller's details before you let them into your home. Telephone the relevant organisation to confirm the caller's identity • Do not rely on a phone number that the caller gives you". Northumberland Heath ward:- "At 04:35 hours, the Police were called to Bexley Road, DA8 following reports of a male lying unconscious in the road. Police attended and established that the male was the victim of a fail-to-stop road traffic collision. The victim is a 26 year old male from the Bexley area. Enquiries are on-going at this time for the driver and vehicle. The victim remains in a critical condition at a hospital in South London. Police are asking for witnesses to come forward".

Slade Green and Northend ward:- "Only one crime of note. Around 4am on Saturday 19/10 a vehicle was broken in to on the new estate at Egerton Place next to Richmer Road. Items taken were a Satellite Navigator, an iPod and cash. Again we reiterate the importance of removing ALL valuable items from your vehicle at all times. Our police officers have been working late shifts doing ASB (Anti-Social Behaviour) patrols with our neighbouring SNT's in the last week and this will continue until after bonfire night. This time of year is always busier in terms of ASB so extra effort is being made across the borough to do targeted patrols in hotspot areas. Halloween will see many more officers patrolling during the evening times. PCSO Mark attended the Welcome Café at St Augustines church on Tuesday. 30 people were there to enjoy tea, cakes and lunch with Reverend Jim Bennett and church staff. (see photo above - click on it for a larger view). Our next Community Contact Session is on Monday 28/10/2019 in Slade Green Library from 3pm". Thamesmead East ward:- "Thursday 17/10/19 smashed window to vehicle. Another incident occurred between the hours of 04;30pm of 16/10/19 and 08;00 of the 17/10/19 the drivers window was smashed, nothing taken. Between Monday 21/10/19 at 10:00pm and 07;40 of Tuesday 22/10/19 the drivers side window was smashed .The vehicle was displaying both front and rear green taxi badges, nothing taken. Between the hours of 01;00am and 11:00am of Tuesday 22/10/19, the drivers window was smashed and a sat nav was taken from the glovebox. Two vehicle owners residing in Wolvercote Road ,but had their vehicles parked near Coralline Walk, the drivers window of one vehicle was smashed ,two pairs of glasses to the value of £210;00 were taken. Lensbury Way. Between the hours of 05:00am - 05:30am on Thursday 17/10/19, the owner of a vehicle heard a window smash and saw a suspect making off.£50.00 in change was taken. Officers conducting an arrest enquiry found the male to have in his address, property belonging to an recent victim of theft from a motor vehicle. Enquiries are ongoing".West Heath ward:- "One attempted burglary in Long Lane on Saturday October 19th between 6am – 6.30am. The occupant heard a noise and went downstairs but did not see anything. He went back up to bed and then the lights came on and he discovered the living room rear window damaged. He stated the window is double glazed and the inner pane was cracked. He looked out of his conservatory and saw a suspect in a hood jump over his wall and run away. He also stated when he heard the first noise it was the suspect trying the handle on his front door. We have had several motor vehicle crimes reported to us over the last week. One theft of a white Sprinter van in Bedonwell Road overnight between Tuesday October 22nd at 8pm and 7am on Wednesday 23rd when the victim discovered it missing. Theft on a front number plate from a vehicle parked in Bedonwell Road on Saturday October 19th at 11pm. A handbag containing a number of personal effects were stolen from a vehicle in Longleigh Lane between Saturday October 19th at 8.50pm and 11am the following morning. It is believed the vehicle was accidentally left unlocked. Please check your vehicles are locked and secure before leaving them unattended and do not leave any items on show for potential thieves to steal".

The end video this week harks back to the first news story in this week's Maggot Sandwich update (who says I don't plan these things?) It is the trailer for the film "Hidden Figures" as shown at Christ Church Erith last night. If you have not already seen this excellent movie, then I would strongly recommend that you do so. It is available on DVD and Blu Ray, as well as on several streaming video services - your mileage may vary. Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.