Progress on the new housing development on the site of the old Erith Riverside Swimming Baths has stopped for the Christmas break; the whole project is running somewhat behind schedule through no fault of the developers. The company that was contracted to demolish the old swimming baths and to clear the site of all of the resultant rubble and waste materials took a short cut. Instead of using trucks to remove all of the spoils, thee bulldozed most of the material into the hole that was the empty swimming pool itself. They then paid a thin layer of topsoil over the top and planted grass seeds; the finished site looked fine, and it was only when the building firm hired by the developers moved onto the site and started to dig the foundations for the new flats and houses that the short cut by the demolition company was then discovered. This obviously slowed down construction work on the site. The Riverside Baths site is only one of several new developments in what is being called the Greater Erith Project. This project is a collaborative venture between Bexley Council, The Greater London Authority, Transport for London and The London Enterprise Panel. According to what I have read, The Council’s vision for Erith is to encourage housing and employment growth, allied with the provision of additional services, facilities and infrastructure, including an enhanced educational and leisure offer, to ensure the creation of a sustainable and healthier community. Key elements of this approach are the encouragement of mixed use developments within and around the town centre of high design quality which respect the areas built and natural heritage, improve accessibility, enhance environmental quality and maximise the recreational, ecological and flood management potential of the River Thames. The regeneration of Erith Town Centre will create new coherent predominantly residential riverside communities, which will provide a mix of housing, new and improved business premises, community uses, and public transport improvements within a framework of new residential streets with an improved public realm. The London Regeneration Fund (LRF) will finance major physical improvements to key areas of the town, particularly to the area between the Town Hall and the Post Office. It will also pay for activities designed to re-energise the area and to improve training and job opportunities for local residents. How much of this will actually be delivered remains to be seen, but I am cautiously optimistic. What does concern me is that whilst some improvements will be made in and around Erith Station, the fundamental problem related to the station looks like it is not going to be addressed; that is, the lack of step free access to the London bound platform. Nearby stations such as Bexleyheath have a passenger lift, even though it does not really need one - as both platforms can be easily accessed by a buggy or wheelchair user from the road and pedestrian bridges at each end of the platform. At Erith Station however, there is no such option - the only way to get to the London bound platform is to climb the Victorian footbridge, which is about as unfriendly to those with mobility challenges as you can get. The only alternative is to stay on the Kent bound platform and get the train to Dartford, change there using the passenger lifts at that station, and then come back the other way, towards London. This is time consuming and impractical for many wheelchair and buggy users, and besides that, why should they be treated differently from other rail users? Local MP Teresa Pearce has long campaigned for step free access to the London bound platform at Erith Station, but thus far her efforts have met with little success. I am hopeful that as the profile of the town increases as the development money is spent locally, that her efforts to improve the station for all users will get better recognition. Work also starts in the next couple of weeks on the refurbishment and repurposing of the old Carnegie Library in Walnut Tree Road. It will become a centre for ‘innovation, creativity, learning and production’ once The Exchange become new occupiers of the landmark. The local company will take on the building under a lease and partnership agreement with the London Borough of Bexley. Councillor Linda Bailey, Cabinet member for Regeneration and Growth, said in a recent interview:- “We are very pleased to have found three experienced local entrepreneurs who have established The Exchange Ltd to work with us to prepare the building for the next exciting phase in its history. “We have agreed to co-finance the refurbishment of the building together with the Mayor of London and the new operator, and we believe it will be a powerful demonstration of the ways in which regeneration can benefit the town and its people.” The Exchange plan to offer cultural, artistic and designer studios. and workshop space for creative businesses to make and sell products. I was fortunate enough to attend the former library open day a while back, and I was absolutely astounded as to just how big the place is; back in the day when it was still open and operating as a library, only around a third of the building space was actually open to the public. On the open day the entire structure was open for investigation, and I have to say that The Exchange have got a huge job in front of them - the library building has been neglected for the best part of a decade, and whilst it is not exactly falling down, the building is not secure from the weather; when it rains, water pours down the inside of several of the windows, and in places, trees are growing inside the structure. All of this can be rectified with sufficient money and construction resources.
A report recently published by The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) shows the startling change in recycling rates in the boroughs that make up South East London. The report shows that Bexley is recycling less than it did in 2012, despite the data being more positive than Lewisham and Dartford. Between March 2016 and March 2017 - 53 per cent of all rubbish from households was recycled, which is one per cent less than the same period from 2011 to 2012. In the 12 months to the end of March this year Bexley cleared away 121,304 tonnes of rubbish, with 81 per cent of that household waste. I have discovered that the real reason that Bexley have stopped providing plastic and drinks container collection facilities at their recycling points is less to do with contamination of the materials previously deposited at the sites as they claim, and rather more to do with cold, hard cash. It has come to my attention that certain countries such as China are stopping the importation of plastic waste due to environmental concerns. This has meant that the charges imposed by plastic sorting and grading plants are now increasing because of their now increased overheads. Bexley Council don't want to spend the extra money - it would seem (no great surprise) that Bexley would rather that the local environment would suffer rather than paying for the additional recycling costs. As previously mentioned, Bexley Council is not alone in allowing plastic recycling to slip down their agenda; in fact central government is aware, and it is becoming increasingly likely that new rules enforcing minimum rates for plastic recycling may be forced onto local councils. I for one would like to see the plastic and drinks container hoppers restored to the various recycling facilities around Bexley, and I know I am not alone in this.
I am aware that humour is a very personal thing, and what appeals to one person may not appeal to another. Nevertheless, I have been astonished at the success of one programme in particular, which I just cannot understand the appeal of, as it seems to hark back to early 1970’s sit coms like “Bless this House” and “On the Buses” whilst to my mind lacking the wit or charm of those shows. On top of all this, the show managed to rack up the highest viewing ratings of the Christmas period – so a lot of people must like it. What show am I talking about? “Mrs Brown's Boys”. It really seems to be a Marmite show for a lot of viewers – you either love or loathe it, and I am firmly in the latter group. It does seem to be a “guilty pleasure” programme, as when I have mentioned it to people, all I have asked have said that they detest it, but some at least must be lying, as the viewing figures have been so high. I won't bother a critique of “Mrs Browns Boys” as others have done far better than I, and I know my personal views are extremely unlikely to sway the opinion of someone who actually likes the show. I am mystified. If you have any thoughts on this, then please feel free to leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.
Talking of TV shows, I am reminded that not very long ago I wrote about the fate of so called "Smart" TV's purchased only three or four years ago. Apps written for these not quite brand new models simply cease working as the app producers only write the latest version of their software for the most recent TV models. Samsung smart TV's from 2012 - 2013 have suffered this fate, and the same is happening with sets from other manufacturers. I have had a couple of readers contact me, asking what they should look for when buying a new TV set. In the past I have advised against purchasing a 4K TV, as so little 4K content was available. This is now changing. I know many potential purchasers are somewhat discouraged, as they have seen so many "must have" technologies incorporated into TV's fall by the wayside - 3D anyone? None of the mainstream TV manufacturers still makes a TV with 3D capability nowadays. It was all of the rage four years ago, but now it is almost completely forgotten - in my opinion 3D was always a solution looking for a problem. The new technologies that are now becoming commonplace in contemporary televisions are far less gimmicky than 3D. After the 3D debacle, and the less than stellar performance of apps used on Smart TV's compared to the average laptop, it could be argued that 4K and HDR are the next big forgettable fad. The difference here is that both technologies simply improve an existing experience. You don’t have to fight with an uncooperative system, wear special glasses or buy yet another version of the same movie you already own on DVD or Blu-Ray. Good 4K Ultra HD TVs are available for well under £1,000, with even really great, big sets costing under £1,500 – such as Sony’s fantastic 55in Bravia XE9005. While more pixels benefits large screens, it is HDR that has film and TV makers excited, as not only can it be made with four times the number of pixels, those pixels can be better. HDR allows content creators to better display their vision on your small screen as they have done on the big screen, as well as do things that have not been possible with SDR formats. HDR stands for High Dynamic Range video is that recorded and displayed with a wider range of colours than so called standard dynamic range (SDR). HDR video therefore has a greater range of both contrast and colour than SDR, resulting in a more true-to-life picture and producing scenes with more "pop" or depth. HDR is usually combined with the increased resolution of 4K video producing greater detail and immersion. HDR video is different to HDR photography, where the latter is a technique that combines multiple exposures of a scene to create a single image with a greater dynamic range of luminosity, mimicking what is seen by the human eye. There are a number of different HDR standards, and different manufacturers don't always stick to the same standards. As of now, almost all but the very bottom end 4K televisions will have at least the basic level of HDR implementation, so buyers don't need to worry over much. The difference that has happened in 2017 has been the increase in native 4K content available for these new ultra high definition televisions. Both Netflix and Amazon Video are producing original content in 4K HDR, with Sky TV and BT TV playing catch up. Because of the extremely large quantity of data a 4K HDR picture requires, you will not be seeing ultra high definition programmes broadcast on Freeview or FreeSat any time soon. It has to be said that the future of all television is now in the arena of streaming. I predict that Sky TV will be entirely satellite free within the next five years - as fibre broadband gets faster and more ubiquitous, the need for expensive and potentially unreliable broadcasting satellites will simply cease to exist.
A story that I have been asked to keep quiet about for some time has now broken publicly; it was a bit of an open secret to be honest, but now the time has come where I can announce that The Bexley Brewery are opening a Micro Pub at 100, Barnehurst Road, Barnehurst, close to Barnehurst Station. The Micro Pub is going to be called The Bird and Barrel - after the green Parakeet bird that the brewery use as their logo. The Micro Pub was originally stared on the site a couple of years ago, but the chap who was behind it ended up puling out before it was ready to open. Cliff, Jane and Cameron Murphy have taken over the former Aquacadabra tropical fish shop (see the photo above - click on it for a larger view) and finished the conversion into the borough's latest Micro Pub. I have been promised the first photos and a preview visit before The Bird and Barrel opens to the general public - more on this story very soon.
I have long known that the Maggot Sandwich gets read by people far outside of its target area; I have previously had messages of support from places as far afield as Brazil, Melbourne in Australia, Tokyo in Japan, and most recently a very nice message from a chap called Patrick, who lives for several months of the year in the city of Perm in the Russian Federation, very close to the border with Siberia. He mentioned that winter temperatures are usually around minus 25 degrees Celsius. He did also comment that the local people were amazingly hospitable. When not in Russia, Patrick lives in the slightly less exotic surroundings of Dartford.
A report was published in August 2016, the findings of which surprised me not in the slightest. The report from The Department of Criminology at the University of Leicester suggested that supermarket self-checkout technology encourages even normally honest shoppers to commit theft. The report found that installing self-service checkouts raises lost revenue by 122 percent. Some of it is accidental – people forget to scan items, or get confused by instructions; other times shoppers get so frustrated with self-service kiosks that they feel justified in not paying. But the report stated that mostly people shoplift because the technology makes it so easy. Mobile phone scanning technology is just as vulnerable – the study found that at the end of a typical shopping trip, up to ten percent of items had not been scanned, leading to “shrinkage” (loss through wastage or theft) of about 3.9 percent of turnover. Unfortunately the technology makes it very difficult to prove that customers are deliberately stealing. One retailer admitted they almost never prosecute people. For that reason supermarkets are now introducing tagging systems so un-scanned items trigger alarms. Supermarkets such as Morrison’s in Erith have now expanded the number of self – service checkouts so that now half of all tills are of this type. Finding an open, traditionally staffed checkouts are becoming a challenge to find. This week, to cement the academic findings of last year, a new report was published by The Office of National Statistics which said that £3.2 billion worth of goods is stolen through the self-scanning tills every year. The Office of National Statistics has previously revealed that shoplifting has increased by more than ten per cent in the last year. I have been told that the cost savings in checkout staff wage reductions is more than offset by both the increase in stock theft and the requirement to hire more security guards – who in any case are usually on a higher hourly rate than the checkout staff that they replace. I have always wondered why you have to pay the same price for an item when it is purchased via a self – service till when compared to a traditional one – after all, you are doing work on behalf of the supermarket, and surely this should be reflected in a cheaper cost? Personally I refuse to ever use self-service tills – why have a dog and bark yourself? I would not be at all surprised if the losses incurred via self-service till thefts cause the big supermarkets to re-think their strategy – which at no point is aimed at helping the customer – it is purely about making it as easy for the supermarket to collect money as cheaply and efficiently as possible.
Now for the weekly local safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association:- Firstly from Barnehurst ward:- "Barnehurst has just one burglary to report. This took place in Lea Vale on Wednesday 20th December 2017 between the early hours of 02.50 and 03.10. The resident was woken by a loud bang in the early hours. The suspect was seen running down the stairs holding a torch light. When the resident went to the window the suspect was seen getting into a dark coloured Honda Civic. There were at least two occupants in the vehicle, this vehicle sped off with the headlights off in unknown direction. There has been no reports of anti-social behaviour and the team are continuing to patrol all relevant areas. There have been no further reports of golf balls being thrown at property’s in Taunton Close. Concentrated patrols are being carried out to Martens Avenue in particular the garaged area of Braeside Crescent and to the alleys leading to Martens Avenue'. Belvedere ward:- "PC’s Green and Holmes have been busy continuing mobile patrols in the north of the borough, assisted by officers from neighboring wards. The team have been made aware of damage to garages in Lumley Close. We would like to ask that if anyone has any information in relation to this, please contact us on 0208 721 2050. We are currently making enquiries with the garage owners as the garages remain unsecured. PCSO Worrall also assisted officers from Northumberland Heath SNT recently with visits to residents of Hythe Avenue and Shinglewell Road after two burglaries took place in those streets. Home security and crime prevention advice was offered to residents. With help from a concerned resident of Picardy Road, PCSO Worrall was able to reunite a lost dog with her owner recently. The family pet had been able to find her way from her new home back to where the family previously lived in Belvedere". Brampton ward:- "On 22nd December 2017 overnight in Belvedere Road a resident reported criminal damage to property whereby three large spherical concrete balls were knocked off the brick wall at the venue. In Birchington Close overnight on 21st December 2017 a car tyre was punctured. This type of Incident has become an ongoing issue in Birchington Close. Due to the number of reported incidents here CCTV has now been installed to monitor and hopefully establish what’s going on in this area". Christchurch ward:- "Over night on 20th/21st December there was an attempted burglary in Rochester Drive. The Ring doorbell was removed in an attempt to stop CCTV footage of the burglars being recorded. Fortunately entry was not gained to the property. Over night on 21st/22nd December there was a burglary in Standard Road whilst the home owners slept. It is thought that the burglars were disturbed as only a handbag was stolen". Crayford ward:- "Good news - there has been no reports of any burglaries on Crayford ward. On 26th December 2017 a black BMW coupe 318i, vehicle registration number is T213 JVH was found taken from Barnes Cray Road. Local residents saw a white truck taking the vehicle away at midnight a couple of days prior. On 20th December 2017 between 09.00pm and 02.00pm on 21st December 2017 victim found their vehicle had been criminally damaged in Crayford way. The vehicle had been parked in the road locked and secure but was later found with a broken passenger side window and the ignition had been removed from the steering column with peripheral damage". North End ward:- "Not a nice way to start the festive email but we had a burglary in Slade Green Road during the afternoon of Christmas Eve, money and an expensive camera were stolen. Entry was gained through the front door by removing a small window of the door. Please call police if you see anyone tampering at any doorway. Erith Food and Wine Store in The Nursery had a robbery last Saturday with £160 stolen from the till. This occurred shortly after the same suspect tried the same thing at Northend Road Superstore a few minutes earlier. Fortunately nobody was hurt in either incident but CCTV has not given us a clear image of the suspect. A short update this week due to minimal staff and a few days not worked but we would like to wish you all a safe and Happy New Year. Thamesmead East ward:- "No Burglaries to report, however a vehicle was broken into during the early hours of Friday 22nd December 2017, Holstein Way. Nothing believed to have been taken. While on routine foot patrol, PC Nana identified a male who was wanted for a Domestic Assault, and quickly detained him, despite patrolling alone, and the male being known to Police for violence in the past (Great work). PC Pruden has interviewed a male in relation to Anti-Social Behaviour- riding Mopeds. Enquiries and further interviews to follow. The team have also been over the busy Christmas period, working into the early hours of the morning, and this will continue into the New Year. We are always interested in recruiting new Neighbourhood watch co-ordinators for the ward. Please ask your family and friends if they would like to set up a Neighbourhood watch in their road. Please spread the word to any family and friends in the Borough - they can contact us on 020 8721 2049 or Thamesmead.SNT@met.police.uk for more information. For the latest news updates and information from Bexley Police, please visit our twitter pages - @MPSBexley and @MPSThamesmeadE".
I know that many local people have been extremely unhappy about the disruption to the train services into London via both the Bexleyheath and Greenwich rail lines over the Christmas period. Public transport expert and TV presenter Geoff Marshall (he of All the Stations fame) was invited to see what has been going on in and around London Bridge Station during the Christmas holdays by Network Rail. The visit was somewhat unusual - it was undertaken by helicopter. Watch the video below, and please feel free to leave a comment, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.
A report recently published by The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) shows the startling change in recycling rates in the boroughs that make up South East London. The report shows that Bexley is recycling less than it did in 2012, despite the data being more positive than Lewisham and Dartford. Between March 2016 and March 2017 - 53 per cent of all rubbish from households was recycled, which is one per cent less than the same period from 2011 to 2012. In the 12 months to the end of March this year Bexley cleared away 121,304 tonnes of rubbish, with 81 per cent of that household waste. I have discovered that the real reason that Bexley have stopped providing plastic and drinks container collection facilities at their recycling points is less to do with contamination of the materials previously deposited at the sites as they claim, and rather more to do with cold, hard cash. It has come to my attention that certain countries such as China are stopping the importation of plastic waste due to environmental concerns. This has meant that the charges imposed by plastic sorting and grading plants are now increasing because of their now increased overheads. Bexley Council don't want to spend the extra money - it would seem (no great surprise) that Bexley would rather that the local environment would suffer rather than paying for the additional recycling costs. As previously mentioned, Bexley Council is not alone in allowing plastic recycling to slip down their agenda; in fact central government is aware, and it is becoming increasingly likely that new rules enforcing minimum rates for plastic recycling may be forced onto local councils. I for one would like to see the plastic and drinks container hoppers restored to the various recycling facilities around Bexley, and I know I am not alone in this.
I am aware that humour is a very personal thing, and what appeals to one person may not appeal to another. Nevertheless, I have been astonished at the success of one programme in particular, which I just cannot understand the appeal of, as it seems to hark back to early 1970’s sit coms like “Bless this House” and “On the Buses” whilst to my mind lacking the wit or charm of those shows. On top of all this, the show managed to rack up the highest viewing ratings of the Christmas period – so a lot of people must like it. What show am I talking about? “Mrs Brown's Boys”. It really seems to be a Marmite show for a lot of viewers – you either love or loathe it, and I am firmly in the latter group. It does seem to be a “guilty pleasure” programme, as when I have mentioned it to people, all I have asked have said that they detest it, but some at least must be lying, as the viewing figures have been so high. I won't bother a critique of “Mrs Browns Boys” as others have done far better than I, and I know my personal views are extremely unlikely to sway the opinion of someone who actually likes the show. I am mystified. If you have any thoughts on this, then please feel free to leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.
Talking of TV shows, I am reminded that not very long ago I wrote about the fate of so called "Smart" TV's purchased only three or four years ago. Apps written for these not quite brand new models simply cease working as the app producers only write the latest version of their software for the most recent TV models. Samsung smart TV's from 2012 - 2013 have suffered this fate, and the same is happening with sets from other manufacturers. I have had a couple of readers contact me, asking what they should look for when buying a new TV set. In the past I have advised against purchasing a 4K TV, as so little 4K content was available. This is now changing. I know many potential purchasers are somewhat discouraged, as they have seen so many "must have" technologies incorporated into TV's fall by the wayside - 3D anyone? None of the mainstream TV manufacturers still makes a TV with 3D capability nowadays. It was all of the rage four years ago, but now it is almost completely forgotten - in my opinion 3D was always a solution looking for a problem. The new technologies that are now becoming commonplace in contemporary televisions are far less gimmicky than 3D. After the 3D debacle, and the less than stellar performance of apps used on Smart TV's compared to the average laptop, it could be argued that 4K and HDR are the next big forgettable fad. The difference here is that both technologies simply improve an existing experience. You don’t have to fight with an uncooperative system, wear special glasses or buy yet another version of the same movie you already own on DVD or Blu-Ray. Good 4K Ultra HD TVs are available for well under £1,000, with even really great, big sets costing under £1,500 – such as Sony’s fantastic 55in Bravia XE9005. While more pixels benefits large screens, it is HDR that has film and TV makers excited, as not only can it be made with four times the number of pixels, those pixels can be better. HDR allows content creators to better display their vision on your small screen as they have done on the big screen, as well as do things that have not been possible with SDR formats. HDR stands for High Dynamic Range video is that recorded and displayed with a wider range of colours than so called standard dynamic range (SDR). HDR video therefore has a greater range of both contrast and colour than SDR, resulting in a more true-to-life picture and producing scenes with more "pop" or depth. HDR is usually combined with the increased resolution of 4K video producing greater detail and immersion. HDR video is different to HDR photography, where the latter is a technique that combines multiple exposures of a scene to create a single image with a greater dynamic range of luminosity, mimicking what is seen by the human eye. There are a number of different HDR standards, and different manufacturers don't always stick to the same standards. As of now, almost all but the very bottom end 4K televisions will have at least the basic level of HDR implementation, so buyers don't need to worry over much. The difference that has happened in 2017 has been the increase in native 4K content available for these new ultra high definition televisions. Both Netflix and Amazon Video are producing original content in 4K HDR, with Sky TV and BT TV playing catch up. Because of the extremely large quantity of data a 4K HDR picture requires, you will not be seeing ultra high definition programmes broadcast on Freeview or FreeSat any time soon. It has to be said that the future of all television is now in the arena of streaming. I predict that Sky TV will be entirely satellite free within the next five years - as fibre broadband gets faster and more ubiquitous, the need for expensive and potentially unreliable broadcasting satellites will simply cease to exist.
A story that I have been asked to keep quiet about for some time has now broken publicly; it was a bit of an open secret to be honest, but now the time has come where I can announce that The Bexley Brewery are opening a Micro Pub at 100, Barnehurst Road, Barnehurst, close to Barnehurst Station. The Micro Pub is going to be called The Bird and Barrel - after the green Parakeet bird that the brewery use as their logo. The Micro Pub was originally stared on the site a couple of years ago, but the chap who was behind it ended up puling out before it was ready to open. Cliff, Jane and Cameron Murphy have taken over the former Aquacadabra tropical fish shop (see the photo above - click on it for a larger view) and finished the conversion into the borough's latest Micro Pub. I have been promised the first photos and a preview visit before The Bird and Barrel opens to the general public - more on this story very soon.
I have long known that the Maggot Sandwich gets read by people far outside of its target area; I have previously had messages of support from places as far afield as Brazil, Melbourne in Australia, Tokyo in Japan, and most recently a very nice message from a chap called Patrick, who lives for several months of the year in the city of Perm in the Russian Federation, very close to the border with Siberia. He mentioned that winter temperatures are usually around minus 25 degrees Celsius. He did also comment that the local people were amazingly hospitable. When not in Russia, Patrick lives in the slightly less exotic surroundings of Dartford.
A report was published in August 2016, the findings of which surprised me not in the slightest. The report from The Department of Criminology at the University of Leicester suggested that supermarket self-checkout technology encourages even normally honest shoppers to commit theft. The report found that installing self-service checkouts raises lost revenue by 122 percent. Some of it is accidental – people forget to scan items, or get confused by instructions; other times shoppers get so frustrated with self-service kiosks that they feel justified in not paying. But the report stated that mostly people shoplift because the technology makes it so easy. Mobile phone scanning technology is just as vulnerable – the study found that at the end of a typical shopping trip, up to ten percent of items had not been scanned, leading to “shrinkage” (loss through wastage or theft) of about 3.9 percent of turnover. Unfortunately the technology makes it very difficult to prove that customers are deliberately stealing. One retailer admitted they almost never prosecute people. For that reason supermarkets are now introducing tagging systems so un-scanned items trigger alarms. Supermarkets such as Morrison’s in Erith have now expanded the number of self – service checkouts so that now half of all tills are of this type. Finding an open, traditionally staffed checkouts are becoming a challenge to find. This week, to cement the academic findings of last year, a new report was published by The Office of National Statistics which said that £3.2 billion worth of goods is stolen through the self-scanning tills every year. The Office of National Statistics has previously revealed that shoplifting has increased by more than ten per cent in the last year. I have been told that the cost savings in checkout staff wage reductions is more than offset by both the increase in stock theft and the requirement to hire more security guards – who in any case are usually on a higher hourly rate than the checkout staff that they replace. I have always wondered why you have to pay the same price for an item when it is purchased via a self – service till when compared to a traditional one – after all, you are doing work on behalf of the supermarket, and surely this should be reflected in a cheaper cost? Personally I refuse to ever use self-service tills – why have a dog and bark yourself? I would not be at all surprised if the losses incurred via self-service till thefts cause the big supermarkets to re-think their strategy – which at no point is aimed at helping the customer – it is purely about making it as easy for the supermarket to collect money as cheaply and efficiently as possible.
Now for the weekly local safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association:- Firstly from Barnehurst ward:- "Barnehurst has just one burglary to report. This took place in Lea Vale on Wednesday 20th December 2017 between the early hours of 02.50 and 03.10. The resident was woken by a loud bang in the early hours. The suspect was seen running down the stairs holding a torch light. When the resident went to the window the suspect was seen getting into a dark coloured Honda Civic. There were at least two occupants in the vehicle, this vehicle sped off with the headlights off in unknown direction. There has been no reports of anti-social behaviour and the team are continuing to patrol all relevant areas. There have been no further reports of golf balls being thrown at property’s in Taunton Close. Concentrated patrols are being carried out to Martens Avenue in particular the garaged area of Braeside Crescent and to the alleys leading to Martens Avenue'. Belvedere ward:- "PC’s Green and Holmes have been busy continuing mobile patrols in the north of the borough, assisted by officers from neighboring wards. The team have been made aware of damage to garages in Lumley Close. We would like to ask that if anyone has any information in relation to this, please contact us on 0208 721 2050. We are currently making enquiries with the garage owners as the garages remain unsecured. PCSO Worrall also assisted officers from Northumberland Heath SNT recently with visits to residents of Hythe Avenue and Shinglewell Road after two burglaries took place in those streets. Home security and crime prevention advice was offered to residents. With help from a concerned resident of Picardy Road, PCSO Worrall was able to reunite a lost dog with her owner recently. The family pet had been able to find her way from her new home back to where the family previously lived in Belvedere". Brampton ward:- "On 22nd December 2017 overnight in Belvedere Road a resident reported criminal damage to property whereby three large spherical concrete balls were knocked off the brick wall at the venue. In Birchington Close overnight on 21st December 2017 a car tyre was punctured. This type of Incident has become an ongoing issue in Birchington Close. Due to the number of reported incidents here CCTV has now been installed to monitor and hopefully establish what’s going on in this area". Christchurch ward:- "Over night on 20th/21st December there was an attempted burglary in Rochester Drive. The Ring doorbell was removed in an attempt to stop CCTV footage of the burglars being recorded. Fortunately entry was not gained to the property. Over night on 21st/22nd December there was a burglary in Standard Road whilst the home owners slept. It is thought that the burglars were disturbed as only a handbag was stolen". Crayford ward:- "Good news - there has been no reports of any burglaries on Crayford ward. On 26th December 2017 a black BMW coupe 318i, vehicle registration number is T213 JVH was found taken from Barnes Cray Road. Local residents saw a white truck taking the vehicle away at midnight a couple of days prior. On 20th December 2017 between 09.00pm and 02.00pm on 21st December 2017 victim found their vehicle had been criminally damaged in Crayford way. The vehicle had been parked in the road locked and secure but was later found with a broken passenger side window and the ignition had been removed from the steering column with peripheral damage". North End ward:- "Not a nice way to start the festive email but we had a burglary in Slade Green Road during the afternoon of Christmas Eve, money and an expensive camera were stolen. Entry was gained through the front door by removing a small window of the door. Please call police if you see anyone tampering at any doorway. Erith Food and Wine Store in The Nursery had a robbery last Saturday with £160 stolen from the till. This occurred shortly after the same suspect tried the same thing at Northend Road Superstore a few minutes earlier. Fortunately nobody was hurt in either incident but CCTV has not given us a clear image of the suspect. A short update this week due to minimal staff and a few days not worked but we would like to wish you all a safe and Happy New Year. Thamesmead East ward:- "No Burglaries to report, however a vehicle was broken into during the early hours of Friday 22nd December 2017, Holstein Way. Nothing believed to have been taken. While on routine foot patrol, PC Nana identified a male who was wanted for a Domestic Assault, and quickly detained him, despite patrolling alone, and the male being known to Police for violence in the past (Great work). PC Pruden has interviewed a male in relation to Anti-Social Behaviour- riding Mopeds. Enquiries and further interviews to follow. The team have also been over the busy Christmas period, working into the early hours of the morning, and this will continue into the New Year. We are always interested in recruiting new Neighbourhood watch co-ordinators for the ward. Please ask your family and friends if they would like to set up a Neighbourhood watch in their road. Please spread the word to any family and friends in the Borough - they can contact us on 020 8721 2049 or Thamesmead.SNT@met.police.uk for more information. For the latest news updates and information from Bexley Police, please visit our twitter pages - @MPSBexley and @MPSThamesmeadE".
I know that many local people have been extremely unhappy about the disruption to the train services into London via both the Bexleyheath and Greenwich rail lines over the Christmas period. Public transport expert and TV presenter Geoff Marshall (he of All the Stations fame) was invited to see what has been going on in and around London Bridge Station during the Christmas holdays by Network Rail. The visit was somewhat unusual - it was undertaken by helicopter. Watch the video below, and please feel free to leave a comment, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.
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