Chance.

A while back I got asked about a quite well known historical figure who used to live in the area; his name was Robert Austin, but he was more popularly known as "Robert the Devil" - he was an exhibitionist and showman, and I understand he had a strong man act that sometimes toured around North Kent and beyond. He had a couple of party tricks. He often drank in the pubs on Erith river front, and was notorious for betting other drinkers a pint of ale if he could swim across the River Thames from Erith to Coldharbour Point in Havering, Essex and back - which he invariably did. As I have previously written, the currents and undertow in and around Anchor Bay make this one of the most lethal stretches of the Thames for swimmers, and why most people who enter the river end up getting fished out by the Metropolitan Police or RNLI as corpses. It would appear that Robert Austin was a very strong and confident swimmer who could repeatedly challenge this. On top of swimming the river, Austin would permit a man to break a granite kerbstone over his chest with a sledge hammer - for the price of a gallon of beer! He lived at 17 Maxim Road, Erith - the address no longer exists. He was for a time the master of the Thames Sailing Barge "Chance". The subject of the mural on the side of The White Hart African restaurant (see the photo above – click on it for a larger view). He died on the 4th November 1944, and is buried in the Churchyard of St. Johns Church, West Street. His short obituary does not mention his nickname, but does tell of him being a strong swimmer. I suspect that he timed his Thames swimming challenges with slack tide, as I don't believe even an Olympic standard swimmer could manage the very strong currents and undertow when the river was in full tidal flow. 

The Norman Park housing development in Lower Belvedere is set for an appreciable expansion. The site currently has 402 homes on it, which were built back in 2007 on an area that had previously been a mix of industrial land and Thames marshland. The development is now set to expand with plans to build 69 apartments on a vacant plot of land near Yarnton Way and Eastern Way. It has to be said that the area is not greatly attractive, being located on the junction between two major roads and on an area that is prone to flooding. One of the original reasons for constructing the residential development in that part of Lower Belvedere was because of the hoped for improvement in local transport infrastructure. The Belvedere to Rainham river crossing would have been virtually on the doorstep of Norman Park residents, but that crossing has now been cancelled - at least for the time being; these projects have a habit of being on and off - depending on what politicians have their say in such things. The other issue with the Norman Park development is that it is not well served by existing public transport - you have the 401 and 180 buses - which are not as regular as they really need to be. The developers claim that "Belvedere railway station is just two minutes walk away" - which is a work of fiction worthy of the Booker Prize. In reality if you live on the estate, or are thinking of enquiring about one of the new apartments which have just been approved by Bexley Council, you will need to have a car. The road infrastructure is very much set up to be car - centric, as is Thamesmead next door. Belvedere, both Lower and Upper features heavily in the council’s growth strategy, which outlines an additional 31,500 homes and 17,000 jobs in the borough up to 2050.

In further local development news, the revised Bexley Growth Strategy document - more properly entitled:- "Preferred approaches to planning policies and land-use designations - Bexley’s local plan preparation Regulation 18 stage consultation paper (February 2019)" has recently been published. The document runs to well over two hundred pages, and it makes for quite complex reading. If you feel like taking a look at it, you can download a PDF file of it by clicking here. Thanks once again to Maggot Sandwich regular Miles for alerting me to the document. One of the local areas that will be affected if the plans go ahead is in Erith at the area at the end of James Watt Way and Wheatley Terrace Road currently occupied by Abbey Car Breakers. The site, which has riverside access currently has a covenant on the land, which prohibits any construction which would prevent access to the banks of the River Thames. The council are debating removing this restriction to allow the site to be redeveloped for housing. The long term plan appears to be that the Eastern end of Erith will gradually be changed from predominantly light industrial and recycling use into residential accommodation. As with many of these plans, they are subject to change and even cancellation.

Now for a piece of local history about which I knew nothing until relatively recently. It is the story of some old Royal Navy wooden warships that were repurposed as floating sanatoria for the victims of Smallpox in the late Victorian age. The smallpox epidemic which began in 1881 placed great strain on available hospital beds in London and the South East; it must be remembered that this was decades before any effective immunisation was available to protect against the deadly disease, which has now been completely eradicated. To create more bed space the Metropolitan Asylums Board (MAB) chartered two old wooden warships from the Admiralty; the Atlas, a 91-gun man-of war built in 1860 but never fitted out for use at sea, was to be used for acute cases, and the Endymion, a 50-gun frigate built in 1865, would be the 'administration block' and storeroom.  These were converted at the cost of £11,000. Originally MAB wanted to moor the ships at Halfway Reach, near Dagenham, but the Thames Conservancy, who were responsible for the river, insisted that they be moored off Deptford Creek in Greenwich, near where the hospital ship Dreadnought had been sited. The first patients were admitted on board the 120-bedded Atlas in July 1881.  By the end of the epidemic in August 1882, almost 1000 patients had been treated on the ship, of whom 120 had died. A Royal Commission had been appointed to look at the arrangements for infectious disease patients due to growing public concern about the spread of infection to houses in the vicinity of isolation hospitals. Its report, published in 1882, recommended that smallpox patients should be treated in isolation hospitals along the banks of the Thames, or in hospital ships on the river itself, and that their convalescent hospitals should be sited in the countryside at some distance from urban areas. The Commission also recommended that a central ambulance service should be established. Following this report, the smallpox hospital ships Atlas and Endymion were moved in 1883 from Greenwich to new moorings at Long Reach, some 17 miles from London Bridge, adjacent to the Crayford salt marshes on the River Thames. The iron paddle steamer Castalia joined them in 1884.  Built in 1874 by Thames Ironworks for the English Channel Steamship Co., she had been intended to run between Dover and Calais.  Designed with a double-hull to prevent rolling and therefore sea-sickness, she had proved unsuitable and had since been moored at Galleons Reach. The owners sold her to MAB in 1883, who refitted her as a hospital ship. Both engines and paddle wheels were removed and the space decked over.  The lower deck was divided into five wards for 84 female patients.  Five ward blocks for another 70 female patients were built on her upper deck, giving the Castalia the appearance of a floating row of houses.  The blocks were placed obliquely so as to catch more light and air. The three ships were moored in a line, with the Endymion in the centre, about 50 metres from the shore, but not connected to it. They were connected to each other by a complicated gangway which allowed for the rise and fall of the tide and for slight sideways movement of the vessels. The Atlas contained the wards for male patients and even had a chapel on deck, which was used for overflow patients during epidemics.  The ship could house up to 200 beds using the main, lower and orlop decks, with isolation wards on the upper deck. New admissions were delivered to the reception rooms on the orlop deck and then taken by a lift to the upper deck. Also on board were the dispensary and sleeping quarters for the medical staff. Conditions were very cramped; the only windows were the former gun ports and the ceilings were very low. The Endymion, as well as being the administrative centre, had a kitchen / galley on the main deck where all the food for the hospital ships was prepared.  The mess rooms for the staff were on the deck below, as were the storerooms. Living quarters for the Matron, the steward, the male staff and some female staff were also on board. Before leaving the ships, the staff bathed, washed their hair and changed their clothes completely. All the ships were heated by steam generated in the hold of the Endymion, connected to the other two by flexible piping (each ship had its own boiler as a reserve, but there were no heating stoves). The Long Reach pier was built to connect the ships to the few service buildings on land. Some of these provided sleeping accommodation, bathrooms and dressing rooms for the nurses and female attendants. The site also contained a laundry and storerooms. A mortuary was built nearby, as well as stables for the horses used to transfer convalescing patients to Darenth Camp, an hour's drive away. There were also a garden and a recreation ground. In 1886 a shed was built to house the engines and dynamos needed for electric lighting. The Electric Lighting Act, 1882, permitted the setting up of supply systems by persons, companies and local authorities, and MAB installed electricity on the Atlas (a fire on the Training Ship Goliath in 1875 had been caused by lighting oil lamps). In 1893 MAB had decided to build a land-based smallpox hospital at Long Reach, but the project was delayed. Building work finally began in 1901, just as another smallpox epidemic erupted in London. By this time the ships were in poor condition and were proving costly to maintain.  They were dangerous, being prone to fire despite being lit by electricity, and were vulnerable to weather hazards as well as collisions with other ships (in 1898 the Castalia was hit by SS Barrowmore, an immigrant ship).  It was difficult to restrain delirious smallpox patients from throwing themselves overboard.  It was also impossible to increase the number of patients the ships could accommodate. The smallpox ships became redundant in 1903 when Joyce Green and the other River Hospitals began to open.  The ships had held 300 patients, therefore a fivefold increase in service was expected for smallpox patients (although a major epidemic never occurred again in London).  They had given 20 years of service and accommodated over 20,000 smallpox victims. The ships were auctioned off for scrap in 1904. The Atlas realised £3,725, the Endymion £3,200 and the Castalia £1,120. In a perhaps unusual act of near-sightedness by MAB, the electricity apparatus was also scrapped and Joyce Green Hospital remained lit by gas until 1922. The hospital was closed and demolished in 2000 / 2001. 

As I have reported in the past, collecting old computers can on occasion bring large financial rewards. Just as items like classic cars increase in value over the years - and are now considered a far better investment than most stocks and shares, old computers from the 1970's and 1980's are now rapidly increasing in value. The most extreme example of this happened when the current record price for an Apple-1 was set in 2014 at a Bonhams History of Science auction in New York City. That computer fetched a stunning $910,000, despite early estimates predicting it would go for between $300,000 and $500,000. The Apple-1 was Apple’s first computer. It launched in July 1976, a year before the better-known, vastly superior Apple II. Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak started working on the Apple-1 as a hobby, with no goal beyond showing it off to the people at the local Homebrew Computer Club, which he attended. In the end, they built only 175 Apple-1 computers. Only around 60 remain in existence. This is part of the reason for the huge prices paid for the antique Apple-1 computers now - a combination of a now hugely popular brand and a degree of rarity. The Apple auctions really only take place in the USA where the brand has a unique position in American home computer history. In the UK, the situation is somewhat different. No UK home computer has, or likely will reach anything like the value realised in the USA, but several interesting artefacts have turned up. Most recently a very early prototype of the Sinclair ZX Spectrum - the ground breaking, affordable British home computer released in 1982. You can see an early production model in the upper of the two photos above, and the lower photo shows the prototype that has recently been uncovered after 38 years in a dusty store cupboard at the offices of Nine Tiles Software, a subcontract company who had been responsible for the Basic ROM in the earlier Sinclair ZX80 and ZX81 computers, and finally the ZX Spectrum. The prototype machine itself has a full travel keyboard (unlike the production models, which had "dead flesh" rubber keyboards to keep the cost down) with the commands hand written on the top. All the chips are labelled, and the underside of the board is all hand wrap wiring. The layout has familiar components, but the is very different from the final configuration of the ZX Spectrum. Somewhere along the line the machine has gained a new Z80 processor, which has a date code from 1986. Judging by labels on the ROM chips, the prototype computer dates from around July 1981. Dominated by the Z80A CPU, the board lacks a case, a reflection of its prototype nature, but features much of the chip set that would go on to form the internals of the ZX Spectrum. The layout differs and the machine lacks the socket required to connect a cassette recorder. Instead, audio cables have been hardwired into the board. The keyboard connector also differs, with a substantial connector in place of the flimsier flex affair that would bedevil production machines. The rare ZX Spectrum prototype has now been donated to The Centre for Computing History. You can see a short video below showing the prototype and the museum volunteers who will be exhibiting it after it has been restored. In a recent interview, restorer and museum CEO Jason Fitzpatrick,  said: "We'll first dump the ROMs, preserving any data left in them. Then we'll check out the circuit and make sure it is electrically sound - we will remove the chips and check the voltages to ensure there will be no damage." If all is OK, the team then will have a crack at seeing if the prototype still works. Not that there is an awful lot one can actually do with a 16k ZX Spectrum. Regardless of what happens with any switch-on, the hardware will be on display "within the next two weeks" at the museum. It will be unpowered, but the team has plenty of Sinclair hardware on hand for those who wish to visit.

Now for the weekly local safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly a report from Barnehurst ward:- "Another good week crime-wise across the ward with no burglaries or vehicle crime-related offences reported. Please remain vigilant. Remember, make sure that your vehicle is locked securely, do not rely on the electronic fob always check manually that your vehicle is locked. Lift Lock Secure Make sure that your UPVC doors are locked properly Lift the handle, lock with the key and check to make sure that it is secured Please also take time to check the security at the back of your property, make access to rear gardens as difficult as possible, Think about how you would get into your own garden if side gates etc were locked and then make it as difficult as possible, plant spiny/prickly bushes against walls and fences, do not leave bins against walls or near gates as these can be used by suspects to climb over. Consider security lighting and install an alarm. The team are more than happy to pay you a visit and give advice regarding preventative security measures, just contact us and we will make an appointment to see you. We are always looking for intelligence around crimes and those who commit them. If you have any information or suspicions of criminal activity please let the team know and we will look into it. If you feel uncomfortable talking to the police consider calling CRIMESTOPPERS on 0800 555 111 this is completely anonymous and you do not have to give any personal detail. A member of the team will be a Barnehurst Golf course on Friday 8th March at 1pm. Please feel free to pop in and have a chat about any local issues that may be concerning you. As always, please follow us on twitter @MPSBarnehurst and Facebook Barnehurst police". Belvedere ward - no report this week.  Bexleyheath ward:- "On Tuesday 26th February there was a report of a distraction burglary that had happened along Heversham Road Bexleyheath. The suspects tried to convince the victim to have their trees cut for a price but cash and jewellery was taken from within the property. Also between Thursday 28/02/2019 & Friday 01/03/2019 another burglary was reported along Belvedere Road Bexleyheath, entry was via the rear kitchen window and car keys were taken and vehicle stolen. Also on the Friday 01/03/2019 along Belvedere Road Bexleyheath Reports of a burglary, the front door was smashed to gain entry and Police had arrived within 2 minutes and the suspect had made off; On Saturday 02/03/2019 – There was a report of an interference with a motor vehicle along Mayplace Road East Bexleyheath. A window was smashed but nothing taken; On Friday 01/03/2019 at about 3.30pm, there was a report of a theft of handbag from the bowling alley in Bexleyheath by means unknown; Friday 01/03/2019 – There was a report of a theft of bag that was taken from a pull along trolley at about 2pm in one of the shops along the Broadway Bexleyheath; Tuesday 26/02/2019 – There was a report of damage to a vehicle along Park Grove Bexleyheath, vehicle was scratched. The team has received reports of males on bikes causing ASB in the carpark area at the Premiere Inn, patrols are conducted daily. The next drop-in surgery is on Wednesday 13/03/2019 between 11am and 12 midday at the Central Library, Bexleyheath. 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. Remember in an emergency please dial 999 or 101 for non-urgent reporting".  Crayford ward:- "Firstly we are pleased to say there have had no burglaries this week on Crayford ward. On Monday 4th February at around 15.00 an elderly male was approached and bumped in to in Sainsburys by a female. He later realised his bank card and driving licence were missing and that cash had been taken from his account. Also, in Sainsburys car park on Thursday 7th February a male asked a lady for directions as she was getting in her car, her bag was on the passenger seat, she later realised her bag was light and that her purse, driving licence and bus pass were missing, both these offences are believed to be distraction thefts. Front and rear number plates were stolen from a white VW caddy van in London Road on Tuesday 5th February. An open back Ford Transit van registration K100 POO was stolen from the top end of Iron Mill Lane between 21.00 on Saturday 2nd March and 10.30 on Sunday 3rd March. A white Ford Transit, GN07SFU was stolen from Shearwood Crescent on 4th March between 21.00-22.30. A SORN silver VW Golf, registration S65RNX was stolen from outside a business in Swaisland Drive between Thursday 28th February and 1st march. Designer clothing and sunglasses were stolen from a locked Ford Focus whilst parked in Old Road between 18.30 on the Monday 25th February and 14.00 on Tuesday 26th February. On Friday 1st march between 10.15 and 13.30 a catalytic converter and part of an exhaust were stolen from a Honda Civic parked in the car park by Ladbrokes Stadium. In Halcot Avenue on Friday 1st March between 14.50 and 15.50 a rear gate was kicked in and the lock and fence post were damaged. On Wednesday 6th March between 6.30 and 15.30 a grey Renault traffic van LB65JXU had the lock drilled out of the rear doors and a quantity of power tools stolen. Lead was stolen off the roof of a building site in Station Road overnight on Sunday 3rd March. The team have been taking part in Op Sceptre + patrols and other taskings across the ward to deter knife crime and serious violence offences". Erith ward:- "We have been out this week on daily weapon sweeps in a lot of areas across Erith, This involves searching bushes and other areas for hidden weapons, and this is a national operation at the moment. We have also been patrolling our ASB hotspot areas, plus spending some time in the shops around Erith, talking to shop keepers etc. Crime from the week: Shoplift <£200 Tuesday 26/02/2019 Iceland Foods Plc, Town Square; Theft from MV Tuesday 26/02/2019, South Road; Theft from MV Tuesday 26/02/2019 Spurrell Court, South Road; Other theft Wednesday 27/02/2019,Morrisons, James Watt Way; Making off Wednesday 27/02/2019 Wm Morrison petrol station, James Watt Way; Theft from MV Thursday 28/02/2019 Riverdale Road; Theft from MV Thursday 28/02/2019, James Watt Way; Burg Res Wednesday 03/03/2019, Kempton Close – Garage broken in to 2 Motorbikes and tools stolen".  Northumberland Heath ward:- "Unfortunately we have had three burglaries reported to us over the past week. Two of these were in close proximity to each other. The victim has left her property around 7pm on Thursday 28th February which she lives locked and secured. She returned to the property around twenty four hours later to find that a window at the rear in the kitchen to be smashed and glass on the floor of her kitchen. She then noticed that a bedroom had been entered and drawers were open. There was mess on the floor from an untidy search. A large quantity of cash was stolen along with jewellery. On Friday March 1st between 7.10am and 7.35pm a property in Avenue Road was broken in to via rear window being smashed. An untidy search was conducted and laptops were stolen. A property in Carlton Road was burgled between Saturday March 2nd at 09.30am and Sunday March 3rd 11.30am. The victim is currently on holiday and the burglary was discovered by the victim's mother who was checking the property daily. Entry was gained via a glass panel in the garage window being smashed. Tools were stolen from the garage and a television stolen from the lounge. One report of criminal damage to a motor vehicle in Carlton Road. Wing mirror smashed on Thursday February 28th just before 7pm. The team are continuing to conduct weapon sweeps across the ward to deter violent crime. Thankfully we have not found anything. The next Community Contact Session will be held in the Library at Mill Road On Wednesday March 13th at Midday". Slade Green and Northend ward:- "Only 1 crime of note whereby there was an attempted break in of a garage in The Nursery between 22nd and 28th of February. There have been several garage break ins and attempted break ins in recent weeks. If you have a garage please ensure it is secured properly. Several weapons sweeps have taken place across the ward in the last week with some positive results. Officers have recovered a knife, 2 small axes and 2 saws from various locations across the ward. There is nothing to show that any of these items have been related to crime but at least they are now off the streets and are going to be destroyed to prevent any possible future use. PCSO Mark spent the day at Peareswood Primary school this week speaking to pupils from years 3, 4 and 5 and will be visiting the school each week from now until the end of summer to engage with pupils in class talks and general visits. On Saturday 02nd March a male was stopped and searched in Slade Green Road and found with a small quantity of cannabis on him. A Community Resolution was issued. One suspect was interviewed on on Sunday 03rd March in regards a previous drugs search. They were issued with a fine for the offence". Thamesmead East ward:-"As part of our initiative to prevent knife and violent crime among especially young people ( Op Sceptre) we have visited the people on our ward who are at risk of violent knife crime. Positive engagement. Assisted our sister ward Thamesmead Moorings for a proactive patrols on the Thistlebrook Site where four stolen motor bikes were recovered and 2 restored back to owners. The team attended a NHW meeting with Abbey wood ward. Turnout was very good and the importance of NHW in the community was spelt out. We had a very impressive turn out for our Street-a-week meeting on St. Andrew's Close SE28. Residents agreed to form a Watch. Sunday 03/05/2019. Theft of number plate. Tuesday 05/03/2019… In the morning a person had his mobile phone snatched from his hands by males on moped on Wolvercote ward. Tuesday 05/03/2019. Early morning Theft from motor vehicle Lensbury Way where Sat Nav was stolen. Wednesday 06/03/2019. Person issued with Cannabis warning near Southmere Village. We are still looking for people for ward panel. Your voice will make the changes required in Thamesmead East. Be part of this great initiative. Neighbourhood Watch provides a sense of togetherness in the community and also an added security. Please mobilise your fellow residents and neighbours to be part of this great initiative to send out clear messages to criminals and trouble makers". West Heath ward:- "Burglaries - 2: Friday 01/03/19 - Brampton Road between 6.45pm and 7.30pm, Suspects smashed the back patio door and taken several items of jewellery; Monday 04/03/19 – Friars Walk. Daytime between 9am -7.30pm. Entry was gained by forcibly removing a rear window, an untidy search followed and items taken along with the family's pet dog. Some useful information was gained from our door to door enquiries. The dog has subsequently been returned and enquiries are ongoing.  Motor Vehicle crimes - 0: The good news is we have had no motor vehicle crimes reported other the past week. We've had a busy week assisting with a warrant, resulting in the arrest of a suspect by PC Bangura for possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply. We have also been involved in Smart Water kits to residents in Welling. Our Street Briefing at Bostall Community Library on Monday 4th was very well attended despite the cold weather. The main issue raised was vehicles speeding along King Harold's Way. We took your concerns to our meeting with the Councillors on 06/03/19, and discussed various issues. We are planning a speed enforcement operation over the coming week. We have also undertaken two weapon sweeps this week: 1 in West Heath Recreation Ground 2 in Stevens Park and we are pleased to report that nothing was found. A car radio was recovered from a front garden in New Road".

Finally a short video featuring Bexley's libraries is below; do give it a watch, and either leave a message below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.