The Nuxley Navigator ends.

Recently I was talking to someone who was visiting Erith from Charlton. I showed her around the Erith Riverside Gardens, and the view of the River Thames. She remarked that it was amazing that more people were not aware of the gardens and the stunning horizon to horizon views that can be seen. I feel that the river is an under used asset locally. More on this subject further on in this weeks update. Who says I don't plan these things?

It has been brought to my attention by a reader that the long - ailing News Shopper local paper and website may be under new difficulties. The News Shopper is part of a larger media group called NewsQuest, which is in turn part of an American owned media corporation called Gannett. News has recently broken that Gannett is in talks with a rival media group called MNG Enterprises about a possible takeover. In a report in the Press Gazette, a spokesperson from the National Union of Journalists was quoted as stating that gannett was:- "being pursued by the most predatory of vulture capitalist corporate raiders who are far distant from the needs and responsibilities of a modern media company”. Gannett owns USA Today and hundreds of local newspapers in the US, as well as Newsquest, which is the UK’s second largest regional publisher and has been expanding its portfolio in the past year. Newsquest’s daily titles include the Herald titles and The National in Scotland, the News and Star in Cumbria, the Northern Echo, Bournemouth Daily Echo, Oxford Mail, and Isle of Wight County Press. It also owns a number of local weekly newspaper series in London, including the News Shopper and Bexley Times. MNG is owned by New York hedge fund Alden Global Capital. It publishes about 200 newspapers in the US including the Denver Post, Boston Herald and San Jose Mercury News. Federica Bedendo, of the National Union of journalists said:- "The the union is really concerned about what the potential acquisition would mean for local newspapers in the UK. Journalists within Newsquest already think this company has hit rock bottom and the prospect of being acquired by an organisation that’s renowned for cost cutting and job slashing isn’t going to do anything to benefit our titles or indeed our working conditions. We already operate on a shoe-string, morale is at an all-time low, stress levels are through the roof and we lose more and more talent each day due to the way that Newsquest operates. What angers us most is that Newsquest is financially in a very enviable position compared to other publishers, yet its top bosses seem to be prepared to do anything for profit. NUJ members are being driven away from the newspaper industry by these money-chasing operations.” What do you think? Do you have any insight into what is going on? Please feel free to Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com in complete confidence if you have some inside information. 

I have an apology to make to the person who sent me an Email on Friday afternoon with a follow - up query to the piece I wrote last week about the Violet Club nuclear weapons which were constructed at Woolwich Arsenal in the 1950's. I have accidentally deleted your Email - could you please resend it and I will get back to you? In my defence I get well in excess of 120 Emails each and every day, and on rare occasions mistakes such as inadvertently deleting a valued message can, and do occur.

You may recall that back in November 2017, I wrote a piece about a new private bus service which was then about to commence. The service was aimed at residents of parts of Upper Belvedere, Northumberland Heath and Erith. The bus service was to operate on weekdays only, and run between Harrow Manorway outside of Abbey Wood Station, and Carlton Road in Northumberland Heath. The service was somewhat inappropriately called The Nuxley Navigator - as previously covered, "Nuxley Village" does not exist - it is properly named Belvedere Village, or Nuxley Road, Upper Belvedere. The roads that the new private bus service covered were as follows:- Towards Abbey Wood Station (mornings only) - Carlton Road, Brook Street, Parsonage Manorway, Swaylands Road, Matfield Road, Stream Way, Bedonwell Road, Orchard Avenue, Bedonwell Road, Glenview, West Heath Road, Brampton Road, Knee Hill, Harrow Manorway. Towards Erith (afternoons only) - Harrow Manorway, Knee Hill, Brampton Road, West Heath Road, Glenview, Bedonwell Road, Orchard Avenue, Bedonwell Road, Stream Way Matfield Road, Swaylands Road, Parsonage Manorway, Brook Street, and Carlton Road. The Crossrail service which was meant to be opening at Abbey Wood Station at the end of 2018, and many of the roads covered by The Nuxley Navigator were not covered by any existing bus service. The Nuxley Navigator featured a reserved seat and, in London, standard rides were £2.40, though the introductory price was £1.60. A standard bus fare is £1.50. Chariot was supposed to work by being pre-bookable but with predetermined stops, similar to a bus route. The real reason for the service was to connect the Erith Quarry housing development with Abbey Wood Station. The developers of Erith Quarry are aiming the new development primarily at second or third time buyers who want larger, family sized houses - for people who intend to "put down roots" in the area. In order to attract middle class professional people into the local area, they needed so show that there were good commuting connections into London - something that The London Borough of Bexley has historically lacked. The fact that we have no DLR or Tube services in the Borough has been a factor that has discouraged some people from moving into the area. Providing a purpose built mini bus link between the Erith Quarry site and Abbey Wood Station was supposed do much to convince people that they should move into the area, as housing is significantly cheaper than in other parts of London, and the commuting issue was intended to be at least partially answered by The Nuxley Navigator - even if the name of the new bus service was inaccurate. Fellow local Blogger and "proper" journalist Darryl Chamberlain of the excellent 853 Blog has broken a story which I am using with his full permission. Darryl discovered that Chariot - the company behind both the Nuxley Navigator and the Shooters Hill Shot private bus services is to pull out of the market on Friday the 25th of January. Back in October I reported that:- "The problem has been that 1) Crossrail has been significantly delayed, 2) Erith Quarry has not yet opened, and 3) there is very little local awareness of the private bus service. On top of this, it is a bookable service, not a "hop on, hop off" service as per a normal bus ride. Lastly the service can only be booked via a mobile phone app, and one cannot use Oyster cards. The lack of passengers on the Nuxley Navigator is, I am led to believe, causing the operator, Chariot, and their sponsor, Ford to consider closing the service". My prediction turned out to be totally correct, and the service to to close before the end of the month. I have had reports from readers that The Nuxley Navigator was a very patchy service, with often only one mini bus on the entire route, and very few people used it - a local source (who wants to remain anonymous) told me that she had seen people trying to use their Oyster card on the service, and being annoyed when they could not. I feel that Chariot - and their sponsors car and van producers Ford - have really dropped the ball with this one. The announcement on the Chariot US website reads:- "Today, we have important news to share about Chariot services. Following significant consideration, we have decided to close the Chariot operation. Friday, January 25th is the last day we will offer service on commuter routes in the U.K., and Friday, February 1 will be the last day we will offer service on our commuter routes in the U.S. We will cease all operations across the US and in the UK by the end of March. In today’s mobility landscape, the wants and needs of customers and cities are changing rapidly. We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause Chariot’s riders and our enterprise customers. We are committed to ensuring our customers are aware of the decision and have time to make alternative transportation arrangements. We are truly grateful to our commuters, enterprise customers, and partners for your support over the past five years. Chariot was built on a commitment to help reduce congestion, ease the commute and improve quality of life in cities, and since our start, we have provided our customers with more than 3 million rides. In addition, we helped Ford build their mobility business, and their experience with Chariot continues to inform their mobility efforts and design decisions for the future. In addition to our customers, our priority during this transition is to ensure we support our employees. We are thankful for their hard work and dedication to bringing Chariot to where it is today". No doubt once - eventually - Crossrail / The Elizabeth Line opens, and the Erith Quarry development is fully up and running with residents, some other transport operator will take over the route, when there is actually a chance of attracting paying customers to it. The whole Nuxley Navigator / Shooters Hill Shot project has been an utter shambles. What do you think? Leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Another transport related story; work has begun to increase the number of Thames Clipper ferry terminals on the River Thames. A new terminal is being constructed at Silvertown, on the North banks of the Thames - by the end of this year a derelict jetty will be replaced by a 427ft public promenade stretching far out across the river, with a cantilevered timber roof and a public viewing deck, as well as docking stations for Thames Clipper boats offering services to Canary Wharf in 14 minutes. Journeys to London Bridge will take 26 minutes, while Waterloo will take 34 minutes. Silvertown is already served by Pontoon Dock DLR station, but for many commuters a short boat trip is a welcome alternative to starting the day on a packed train. What this will mean for the long proposed use of Erith Pier as a stop for the Thames Clipper service is currently unclear. Back in September 2017 MBNA Thames Clippers carried out series of test voyages into London from Gravesend and back. Public reaction to the experimental service was extremely positive, and the CEO of the Clipper company, Sean Collins said in an interview at that time:- "The trial has been a total success so far, passengers have been asking a lot of questions to find out when a permanent service could be up and running and how much it will cost. These questions are the reason we are running this trial, I set up this company 18 years ago, and two years later people were asking me about a Gravesend service, the only reason we haven’t done anything sooner is because we’ve been working on other projects across London. We need to set out a full business case, it could take up to two years to start up a service, it would be great to see it stop at other places, such as Erith, Greenhithe, Dagenham and Thurrock." Since September 2017 things have been very quiet, and no official announcements have been made. In the intervening period, some questions have been asked about the practicalities of running a service from Erith Pier. As previously mentioned Erith Pier does not project straight out into the river, in the way that for example Southend Pier juts out into the Thames Estuary. Instead a majority of its length is in a "dog leg` that runs parallel to the shore line. There is also a short spur that projects out to the left side of the main part of the pier. The spur is where I am of the opinion any free floating pontoon would need to be located. Whilst the central channel of the River Thames at Erith is more than sufficiently deep for large ocean going vessels to navigate, the sides of the river are actually rather shallow, and dry out at low tide. A free floating pontoon would enable a Thames Clipper ferry to dock despite a low tide. It would require some extensive alterations and re - engineering of the pier spur. I know that Morrison's supermarket - who own the pier, are not keen on it being used as a ferry terminal, as they don't want commuters using their supermarket car park, but if enough pressure comes to bear from local government, Transport For London, The Mayor of London's office and our local MP, Teresa Pearce (who has backed the use of Erith Pier for a ferry service for a very long time), then things may happen. Bearing in mind the growth of Erith as a residential area, and the relative paucity of public transport links into central London that currently exist, it would seem to me that a regular ferry service to and from London is a "no brainer". What do you think? Leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Local resident Doreen Ives has submitted the following story:- "Vet's Club Scrabble group. We had a very successful first meeting of our Scrabble group on Friday 11th January. Everyone who came along enjoyed the challenge of the games and the jovial company.  If you like playing this stimulating board game then you are very welcome to join us. The group meet at the Veterans Club in Park Crescent just behind Christ Church Hall. Parking is easy so no worries there. To be a member of the Veterans Club will cost you £20 a year and you then have access to participating in all the many leisure activities on offer there, for a charge of £1.50 per session. Alternatively you can participate in activities as a non-member at a charge of £2.50 per session. At the Scrabble group we have tea/coffee and biscuits halfway through the two hour session, all included in your fee.  The next session is on Friday 8th February 2pm-4pm". 

Last week the results of an extensive survey were published, and the results make for somewhat disturbing reading. Three quarters of US Facebook users unaware their online behaviour gets tracked; whilst the survey covers Facebook users in the US and not the UK, I think that the UK results would be very similar, if not almost identical. The US survey found that most Facebook users have no idea that the advertising business compiles data profiles of their online activities and interests, according to research conducted by the non-profit Pew Research Center. That is not altogether surprising given that Facebook appeals to people disinclined to concern themselves with the minutiae of digital technology, which is to say most people. It is worth recalling that a decade ago, Google representatives stopped people on the street in New York City to ask "What's a web browser?" and almost no one could answer correctly. The finding nonetheless underscores the privacy cost, unrecognised though it may be, of relying on an ad platform for media and messages rather than wrestling with the complexity of self-administered communications software. After surveying 963 US adults last year between September 4th to October 1st, Pew researchers found that 74 per cent of Facebook users said they were unaware the social advertising business tracks their traits and interests. Facebook makes such data available to users through the "Your ad preferences" page, but about half of the survey respondents didn't like what they saw once they were made aware of their data trail. Fifty-one per cent of those surveyed said they were not comfortable with Facebook compiling this information. It seems doubtful however such unease will translate into account cancellation. Expressing discomfort in a survey is easy and doesn't necessarily correlate with willingness to abandon Facebook. A study published late last year found "the average Facebook user would require more than $1,000 to deactivate their account for one year." The Pew survey says 88 per cent of Facebook users found data about themselves in their advertising preferences page. Of these individuals, 59 per cent said the data reflected actual interests while 27 per cent said the data either partially or fully misrepresents them. The disconnect between Facebook's categorisations of people and the way they see themselves is also evident in the context of the political designations and racial/ethnic "affinities" the social data business applies to users. About half of survey respondents had been assigned a political label by Facebook. Of those labeled liberal, conservative, or moderate, 73 per cent agreed with their designation while 27 per cent said assigned political classification was not accurate. Reports of misclassification came more frequently from self-described moderates (36 per cent) than they did from those calling themselves liberals (20 per cent) or conservatives (25 per cent). What the results would be in the UK are unclear, but I strongly suspect that they would be very similar. It seems that worldwide, many Facebook users either don't know about the fact that the giant corporation extracts information about them, or that they plain just don't care. 

An article by guest contributor and transport enthusiast Dana Wiffen. Dana writes:- "Here is short piece on the double decker train, with a good news update and 2 photos, some Erith commuters might remember seeing this train normally on platform 2 or 3 of Charing Cross Station at around 6pm. I travelled on it many times between 1970/71 when it was removed from service. This experimental EMU (electric double decker train) came into service in 1949 running on the Dartford to Charing Cross line mainly on the Bexleyheath Line. Two sets of 8 cars were built and their seating capacity was 552, really a split level train the half upper deck enabled additional passengers to sit but with no door and poor ventilation as the small upstairs windows did not open, there were not popular especially in the summer. Following an attack on a woman that was kept in the upper section by the attacker, a female only carriage was introduced on the service to reassure female travellers. With additional weight, height and poor cornering these handsome looking trains managed to be kept in service until 1971, sadly only 2 carriages survive today they seem to have been left and not restored by the owners as heritage railways are  reluctant to take them for use as passenger carriages because of the additional weight and height. The photos above show an old picture of the double decker train in service (courtesy of John Kennett) while the other photograph (courtesy of Keith Littlewood) shows one of the two remaining carriages no 13004  in poor condition at the Northampton and Lamport Railway in 1994, it has since been moved to the Northampton Ironside Railway. This is one of only the two cars that survive today the other 13003 is in sidings at Sellinge in Kent. Good News;-Bullied EMU Double Decker Train no: 13003 has recently been purchased by a group that want to restore the two remaining carriages, they are called The Bullied 4DD Group, and there aim is to start work on this train at Sellinge, Kent  as soon as possible, where it has been in a siding since 1999. They will continue to try and purchase 13004 from the owner, their attempts so far have been unsuccessful" Fascinating stuff; In addition, I gather that the ventilation of the upper deck was by constantly running electric fans, as the windows couldn't be opened. The train was higher than other trains so care had to be taken which routes to use it on. The Dartford routes were ideal and no alteration had to be made to the  track and bridges. Bearing in mind many people smoked on trains back then, the fug on the upper deck must have been terrible, especially in summer. The other problems with the double decker train was that the seats were cramped, hard and uncomfortable, and the time taken to get on and off the double decker carriages was significantly longer than with a conventional train. Other European countries successfully deploy double decker trains, but they are fully air conditioned, there is no smoking, and comfort is considerably better; they also tend to be deployed on longer distance routes, rather than suburban "start and stop" journeys. 

Now for the weekly local safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly from Barnehurst ward:- "We are pleased to report there have been no burglaries for the past week however there have been three incidents of vehicle crime. On Friday 04th January 2019 there was a theft of motor vehicle in Eversley Avenue. This vehicle was stopped and recovered on the M25 after being followed by Police. Two occupants were detained, passenger was dealt with for possession of drugs and the driver dealt with for theft of motor vehicle and possession of drugs. On Friday 11th January 2019 victim returned to his vehicle to find the door ajar and a small amount of change taken. There was no damage to the vehicle. In Grassmere Road on Thursday 10th January 2019 between 10.00am and 01.00am a vehicle was broken into and photographic equipment taken. Barnehurst officers carried out a routine patrol to Cheviot Close on Wednesday 16th January 2019 and came across white Ford transit van parked and unattended in the garaged area. Police checks revealed this vehicle had been stolen from Sidcup and was therefore recovered. This area of Cheviot Close is highly patrolled by Police. The team met with the Barnehurst ward Councillor yesterday to discuss council related issues on the ward, one being the delay with the proposal from Orbit to install a bollard at the entry point to the garages in Cheviot Close, we hope this issue will be resolved soon as this will deter unwanted visitors from dumping rubbish and stolen vehicles. Barnehurst team will be at the Barnehurst Golf Club on Thursday 24th January 2019 at 11.00am. Please join us to discuss any matters of concern in and around the ward". Belvedere ward:- "We have had no burglaries reported on the ward over the past week. We had a theft of number plates from a Hyundai car on St Thomas Road overnight on the Sat 5th into the Sun 6th January. On Friday 11th, Monday 14th and Wednesday 16th the team visited St Augustine's Primary school and gave a road safety talk to years 1-5. The children were very engaging and seemed to take on board the safety message. A kitchen knife was found by the estate manager at Lesnes Abbey Woods on the 15th. The knife has been seized and will be destroyed". Bexleyheath ward:- "Below is a quick glance of the burglaries/attempted burglaries that have been reported: Sunday 13/01/2019 - Burglary at North Street Bexleyheath, garage was broken into and items taken as well as motorbikes. This was over a two day period; Monday 14/01/2019 – Burglary along Long Lane Bexleyheath. Access was via the kitchen door and entry was gained; Thursday 10/01/2019 – Attempted Burglary along Tudor Walk. Side window was smashed and the suspect was disturbed; Saturday 12/01/2019 – Rochester Drive, suspect tried to gain access to property by attacking lock. Seems to have happened overnight; Tuesday 15/01/2019 – There was a report of a theft of motor vehicle along Martin Dene; Thursday 10/01/2019 – Two suspects had tried to break a lock of a motorbike at the civic offices and they were disturbed; Wednesday 09/01/2019 – There was a report of criminal damage to motor vehicle along the Broadway; Friday 11/01/2019 – A theft from motor vehicle was reported along Rydal Drive Bexleyheath. There was a report of a theft of purse on the Broadway whilst the victim was walking along, this was on Wednesday 09/01/2019. Also in WH Smiths along the Broadway there was a report of suspects stealing money, cards and other personal items and cards being used. This was reported on the Monday 07/01/2019. A purse was also reported stolen from a bag in Primark Bexleyheath on the Wednesday 09.01/2019 at about midday; Thursday 10/01/2019 – A mobile phone was report stolen from the victims pocket whilst in the Broadway area. There was also a report of two cash machines on the Broadway at Barclays Bank, where skimming devices were used. So please be careful when using the machines, if the there is anything unusual please do not use the machine and advise others not to use and inform the bank or the Police as soon as possible. Please be careful who is around when using the machines and always shield what you type on the keypad. The team are regularly conducting targeted patrols for burglary and anti-social behaviour. Also there was stops made in the ASDA car park in Bexleyheath, this was in relation to vehicles with drives causing anti-social behaviour. The team have been delivering free smart water kits to areas of the ward that have been identified that are at a higher risk of being burgled. So far last weekend they have delivered 115 kits on the ward and more shall be delivered soon. Also it seems that youths are re-appearing along Iris Avenue causing ASB. If there is any issues, please call Police on 101 or 999 where appropriate. If you do wish to pass on information to Police then please contact Crime Stoppers on 0800 555111. Please do not hesitate to contact us via Twitter, Facebook, email and the ward phone". Crayford ward:- "On Monday 9th January between 21.00 - 21.30 a coke can was thrown at an address in Swale Road causing the glass in the door and to the side to be smashed. The can was retained for forensics. On Wednesday 9th January between 01.00-7.00 an iPod was stolen from within a white Citroen van whilst parked near to 160 Maiden Lane, this is the junction to Beech Walk. Between 15.40 on Tuesday 8th January and 20.10 on Wednesday 9th January a front number plate GK57 OSF was stolen from a vehicle parked at the top end of Iron Mill Lane, this plate should be on a silver Toyota Yaris. A theft from a blue Ford Transit occurred overnight between 18.00 on Wednesday 9th and 06.00 on Thursday 10th January whilst parked in Maiden Lane junction with Barnes Cray Road, the items stolen included power tools, it is not known how the vehicle was entered as no damage was done. There have been multiple incidents of shoplifting from the smaller shops in Crayford Road recently, always the same suspect, believed to be aged between 30-40 years, white male, medium build. Although small items are stolen it is having an impact on the local businesses. If you know who this person may be please let us know. Between 18.00 on Sunday 13th January and 8.30 on Monday 14th January, three tyres were deliberately slashed on a silver C180 Mercedes whilst parked in Iron Mill Lane towards Thames Road. Between Saturday 12th and Monday 14th January three large batteries were stolen from vehicles parked on the Acorn Industrial Estate. Incidentally, 32 batteries used to light up traffic lights were stolen from the rear of a white Fiat van whilst parked close to McDonalds in Crayford on Tuesday 15th January between 20.00-20.15. The suspects would have needed a vehicle to remove these items as they are the size and weight as car batteries. We will be at the Ellenor Hospice shop in Crayford Road on Wednesday 23rd January between 12.00 and 13.00 if you would like to come along to say hello or for crime prevention advice". Erith ward:- "We have our ward panel meeting this week, I will give a rundown update in next week's update. No burglaries over the last week, but a theft of and from motor vehicles is still on the rise. I have been out trying to sign up some more NHW members, at this time it looks as if I have 7 new people that are interested, their info will be passed to the NHW office as they all would like a little bit more information regarding the role". Northumberland Heath ward:- "A fairly quiet week on the ward in relation to crime. We are pleased to say that we have had no burglaries reported to us. One theft from two vehicles belonging to the same person in Beechfield Road. This took place overnight on the evening of Sunday January 13th between 11pm and 6.20am on Monday January 14th.Vehicle one was on the road outside the house, a window was forced open entry was gained but nothing was taken. The second vehicle was parked on the driveway and the rear bar was pulled off with the lock. Seats were pulled down and the plastic cowling under the steering wheel was pulled off and wires were left exposed. A child's scooter was stolen from the boot but was later found in the porch of a neighbour's house. One theft from motor vehicle in Nurstead Road again on Monday January 14th between 6.45pm and 6.40am the following morning. Some loose change was taken, and the glove compartment emptied. Last Friday the team executed a search warrant for drugs in Northumberland Heath and have continued to stop and search individuals either seen, or believed to be using drugs. Several cannabis seizures have been made over the past week. The next drop in Police surgery will be held in the Library in Mill Road next Wednesday 23rd of January at 2pm".  Slade Green and Northend ward:- "Sadly there was an aggravated burglary at 1.30pm on Wednesday 16/01 in Slade Green Road. 3 men in balaclavas and with a large knife have forced entry into an address and demanded that something was handed over. The 'something' was unknown to the scared victims and after a quick search the suspects fled into Rainbow Road. Fortunately there were no injuries. Response officers arrived quickly but an area search proved to be negative. The investigation is ongoing as to who may be involved and reassurance patrols and visits will be carried out by ourselves this week. If you have any concerns, please let us know so we can give any necessary reassurance wherever needed. Only one other crime of note to report in the last week. Criminal damage to motor vehicle occurred around 1230pm on Sunday 13/01/2019 in Canada Road whereby the victim's car was scratched and damaged. Good news: After good intelligence received from a resident, 3 stolen vehicles have been found and recovered in and around Hollywood Way in the last week. One of the vehicles had a large sword inside among other items. Investigations are underway in regards who is involved in this suspicious activity and we are working with the relevant Housing Association to get these issues stopped. Extra patrols will be ongoing on the estate and it will be flagged as a ward promise at our residents panel meeting next week. Our new watch is now up and running in Larkswood Close. We will let everyone know when any future watches are set up". Thamesmead East ward:- "Distraction Burglary - Parkway Sunday 13/1/19 between 9:10pm – 9:20pm two males have presented themselves as plain clothes police officers to gain access into the property taking a number of items; Theft - The Link Bazalgette Way Thursday 10/01/19 between 5:45pm – 6:30pm Suspect/s have entered unlocked changing room and stolen 3 mobile phones; Criminal Damage to Motor Vehicle Lensburt Way Sunday 13/1/19 between 10pm – 10:45pm. Suspect/s have snapped of both wing mirrors and bent windscreen wipers; Theft from Motor Vehicle - Parkway Thursday 10/01/19 between 6am – 615am Suspect has stolen victims vehicle registration plates; Good News - What started off as a low level noise complaint between neighbours turned into a challenging situation for the team. After conducting extensive research working with multi-safeguarding agencies the male is being given the appropriate medical help and support needed". West Heath ward:- "This week the ward has had no reported burglaries. There has been theft from motor vehicles in Gipsy Road and Lansdowne Avenue both overnight on Fri 11th - Sat12th January. The team took part in a Burglary reduction initiative with other teams from Bexleyheath delivering free Smartwater kits to residents. Smartwater is a solution used to mark property. Each bottle has a unique chemical make- up that is registered to a specific address making any stolen items traceable. The kit comes with Smartwater stickers for your windows. Smartwater is available through your Neighbourhood watch at a discounted rate and we encourage you to contact the NW office for details. We had a successful ward panel meeting on Saturday 12th January which was well attended. The new Promises for the next three months are Burglary, Motor vehicle crime and ASB around drugs. Remember you can follow us on Twitter for more frequent updates. Our next Community contact session will be on Tuesday 22nd January in Hadlow Road Welling at noon followed by Plymstock Road on 30th January at 2pm".

The end video this week features vintage photographs and film footage taken in and around Erith, Crayford, Welling and Bexleyheath, mainly in the 1950's, and is of some considerable historical interest. do give the video a look. 

.