The raid.

The photos above were taken on Thursday evening at the third meeting of The Erith Think Tank, which was held in the conversation room of the Carnegie Library building in Walnut Tree Road, Erith. The event was held to confirm the group's manifesto, and to discuss future strategy.

The Erith Think Tank Manifesto reads as follows:-

1. The Erith Think Tank is a place where members of the community can meet, get to know one                 another, and discuss issues pertaining to Erith. 

2. We will meet regularly, and endeavour to understand each other. 

3. We are passionate about, and wish to celebrate Erith, our community and our members. 

4. We want to support positive change, and help Erith to realise its potential. 

5. We will use the groups expertise and work together to achieve our aims.

6. We will create a 'register of assets' that celebrates Erith, its community and its businesses. 

7. We aim to give Erith a co-ordinated and strong voice that engages with and represents all aspects         of the community.

8. We aim to inform, in plain language, about plans for Erith's present and future.

9. We will engage with and nurture a dialogue with decision-makers and the Council.

10. We will gain an understanding of how the Council works, how decisions are made, and by who,          and translate/explain this to the group and wider community, with a view to influence these                  decisions. 

11. We aim to understand, participate in and influence any regeneration.

12. We will propose ideas that improve Erith. 

13. We will identify problems, and propose solutions.

14. We will create group Ambassadors, responsible for different topics (ie youth engagement,                    environment, planning). 

15. We will create a support structure for 'projects'.

16. We acknowledge that trust and respect need to be built between us, the community and the                   Council, to create better dialogue. 

17. We will develop a plan to attract and involve the community (including youth) through effective           networking on a variety of platforms. 

18. We will prove that the group is an asset to the community and the Council. 

19. We aim to challenge and provide alternatives to the current consultation process.

20. We will scrutinise decisions, and agitate when our demands are not met. 

The Erith Think Tank aim to have a presence at the Erith Pier Festival on Saturday the 21st September 11am - 9pm. Erith Pier Festival is part of the Totally Thames 2019 that runs from 1st-30th September. Find out more by clicking here. 

There are going to be  a couple of sad anniversaries tomorrow;  thirty years ago on Monday, the Thames river boat the Marchioness was hit by the marine dredger Bowbelle and sank with the loss of 51 lives.  I was actually in London and by the banks of the Thames when this tragic event unfolded, though I have to say I saw nothing, as I was about a mile away from the location of the accident. The reason for me being in London late on a Saturday night was nothing to do with a desire to be in the capital, but to do with the other event that took place on the same day – one which had severe implications to both British and European Union law, and also had a profound impact on the right to free speech in the pre World Wide Web era. On Saturday the 19th August 1989 representatives from the Dutch PTT and the British DTI travelled out into the international waters of the North Sea (where they had absolutely no legal jurisdiction, as was later proved in court) and unlawfully boarded the Ross Revenge, home of Radio Caroline, where they smashed the transmitters and damaged the generators and illegally removed all of the studio gear and records from the library. Several of the Dutch PTT officers were armed with revolvers and some uncooperative Caroline crew members were both physically and verbally threatened. Much of this raid was broadcast live on air to most of Europe, before the transmitter was put offline and the valves smashed. I was out in Bexleyheath doing some shopping when this happened, but when I returned to my parents house, my sister played me a cassette recording of the events. Ironically I was already involved with the station at this point, and had been on board only two weeks previously. My photos were some of the last taken prior to the raid, and copies were used in evidence in the later court case. Caroline’s shore based management were racing down from North London to get out to the Ross Revenge as quickly as possible – a light aircraft was chartered to fly over the ship, and a speedboat was commandeered to get Peter Moore, the station manager and a couple of engineering staff on site as quickly as possible. Meanwhile I met up with the staff of local land based pirate radio station Radio Lumberjack in the Fox pub in Nuxley Road, Upper Belvedere where we had a council of war. Friend Captain Colin brought along his giant Land Rover V8 station wagon (a vehicle fitted with two RSJ girders on the front in lieu of a conventional bumper bar – Colin believed in crumple zones, just as long as they only involved the other vehicle).  We decided we would head into town and try and get onto as many radio stations with the story as we could. Suffice to say that Radio Caroline was back on air in only a few weeks; in fact it should not have come on air when it did. I was one of the team that had arranged for a very large supply run of fuel, drinking water, food, replacement transmitter parts and new records to be sent out to the Ross Revenge from a secret port in Kent (the Gravesend Canal basin) on a ship called the M.V Galexy (not a typo) – a former Tyne ferry boat that was featured in the classic Michael Caine crime thriller “Get Carter”.  We were ready to go for a very quiet and stealthy “fishing” trip when Caroline came back on air, and the authorities were alerted that the station was not dead after all. Caroline management got into a furious row over the correct policy and course of action and the supply run had to be delayed, though it eventually went ahead. Some months later with the ship, transmitters and studios patched up, I chucked in my day job and went to work for Radio Caroline - you can see me on air in the photo above - click on it for a larger version. All a very long time ago now. Caroline may no longer be broadcasting from the North Sea, but they are still a very important streaming presence online, on DAB, and on 648 KHz on medium wave – you can read more about the station and also listen to their programmes by clicking here. The British Department of Trade and Industry had chartered a former Trinity House pilot boat, the M.V Landward. Some weeks after it was involved in the raid, we got word that it was moored in Gillingham Marina. A sympathiser had been speaking to the owner, who was smugly boasting of how much money the British government had paid him to take officials out to the Ross Revenge at its mooring fifteen miles off the North Foreland. A small team of Caroline shore staff paid the Landward a visit late one night after everyone had gone home. There had been some debate about whether we should pour a couple of bags of Lime into the bilges; this would quickly eat through the wooden hull and sink the ship. We decided that as Caroline preached a philosophy of peace and non - violence, known as Loving Awareness that this would be inappropriate. Instead when the owner came back on board the Landward the next day, he found a Radio Caroline car sticker neatly stuck on the wheelhouse window on the inside, with no sign of the door lock being forced, and no signs of any damage. We later found out that he had been incredibly rattled by this - as it sent the message "we know who you are, and what you did, and we are watching you". He was looking over his shoulder for months afterwards! He never discovered how we did it, which to be honest was a bit of a Happy Shopper "Mission: Impossible" project. Our informer was the owner of the yard, who was a big Caroline fan; the owner of the Landward left the keys to the ship in the yard office when he went home - we just borrowed them, opened the wheelhouse door, put up the sticker and locked the door back up. Simple but very effective. You can see more of my photos of my time on Radio Caroline by clicking here. Please leave a comment below, or alternatively contact me by Emailing hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

Recently I have had a couple of conversations relating to Mobo Toys, and their part in the history of Erith. The following history has been compiled from a number of sources. The company had a very strong manufacturing presence in the town for many years. David Sebel had emigrated from Russia circa 1912 and set up in partnership as a Wheelwright in East London in 1921. In 1928 he moved the Company to Lant Street in Borough, London S.E.1 with the takeover of a firm, Hazeldine and Norton, of Wheelwright’s and Motor Body and Van Builders. Interestingly the house next to the premises had been the residence of Charles Dickens when his parents were in the Marshalsea Debtor’s Prison. In the 1930’s they expanded into Architectural metalwork and other engineering projects. Also producing street cleaning carts, milk churns and fronts for Cinemas. In 1931 Harry Sebel, David’s son, joined the firm starting from the bottom up. During the Second World War the Company turned over to war work and several local premises were used for their production of aircraft and tank components, bunks for air raid shelters, bailey bridge components and even a tower for an experimental radar station. In the early 1940’s Harry was looking to the future, and realised that there would be a need to expand the company and find work for the existing workforce and those which had been called up. After much research it was decided to go into metal furniture, under the Trade name Stak-a-Bye, and also into the toy business. But what to make which would be different from anyone else. Harry had the idea of a Rocking Horse which the rider could propel along themselves. Basic plans were drawn up and a full size horse mockup was made using bicycle gears. To get an idea of what the finished product would look like a Taxidermist in Piccadilly was approached for a horse hide, the only thing he had was from a Zebra so that was used. The prototype Zebra was still around at the Erith factory for several years. A Patent was taken out in 1942 for the basic mechanism. Later Charles Morewood, RA was commissioned to sculpt the clay body of what became the Mobo Bronco. The steel furniture business was set up in 1946 from the Weller Street side of the premises, a name which was used at the Erith factory to denote the furniture production building. The Lant Street premises were not going to be big enough for the toy and furniture business envisaged and so the former Vickers Gun Works at 177, West Street, Erith were purchased in February, 1947. As the intention was to produce everything in-house from the arrival of the raw material to the finished product, the full kitting out of the factory with large presses, dip tanks, spray booths, etc. took a while. Toy production did not start at Erith until September, 1947. However, some toys had been assembled at Lant Street SE1, produced by outside contractors, to enable a display at the British Industries Fair in May, 1947. The other toys on show were Merry Go Round, Rocker Swing, Chair Desk and Roll-a-Bye Skates. The name ‘Mobo’ came from a brainstorming session when ‘Mobile Toys’ had been rejected. The clown on the decal was due to an interest in the Circus by the David Sebel. The Circus theme was used in a lot of their Exhibition Stands and advertising. A tin clown was designed but never went into production. It would have been very similar to an early Action Man! Later advertising and instruction sheets used the Mobo title as two characters ‘Mr Mo’ and ‘Miss Bo’. The most well known toy is the Mobo Bronco, the ride-on horse. It works by the rider sitting on the horse and pushing down on the stirrups, then releasing them and then the horse moves along. From 1947 to 1950 the Bronco could only be steered in a straight line, but in February, 1950 Magic Steering was introduced. This enabled the rider by pushing on either stirrup to move the horse in that direction. The Bronco was so popular that it stayed in production until 1972. The body pressings were also used for a series of other toys; the Spring Horse, Night Rider (nothing to do with the David Hasselhoff TV show from the 1980's), Prairie Prancer, Range Rider - two different types produced, Rocking Horse, and the Bronco Merry Go Round. The toy colours came from ‘market research’ with the local school children at West Street School – yellow and red being the favourite. These children were also used for photo shoots for advertising and testing the toys, as was famously covered by a 1952 Pathe Newsreel which you can see by clicking here. In 1949, the Walking Snail was introduced at the New York Toy Fair, also at the same fair the ‘Pony’ was first shown. The ‘Pony’ pressings went on to be used on several different toys. 1948 also saw the introduction of the first small remote control walking toy – the Toy - Toise. This was a great success not just for children, but also adults, as they were used for Toy-Toise races at many parties. The American Market was an amazing success for the Mobo Company. In 1948 they exported to the USA - half of the total toy exports of all British Toy Companies. At this time Britain was recovering from the Second World War, and steel was rationed according to the amount of goods exported. Mobo never had any trouble obtaining supplies because of their excellent export record. A New York office had been opened in 1948 at the Breslin Building, Broadway, New York and an American subsidiary formed Sebel Products Inc. Other major markets were Australia and South Africa. A Showroom and Office had been opened at 39/41 New Oxford Street, London W.C.1 in September, 1945. Other toys produced included Prams, Bicycles, Desks, Wheelbarrows, Rockers, Swings, Scooters and, from 1956, Pedal Cars. In 1951 Harry and David emigrated to Australia and set up a factory at Bankstown, Sydney. Here they produced both Toys and Furniture. The components were shipped from Erith and assembled and painted at Bankstown. The Australian company decided in 1957 to concentrate on the furniture business and so toy production was stopped. The furniture business still goes on today as part of the GWA International Group, and they have recently opened a branch in the United Kingdom. In 1955 the Toy Boat business of Harold Flory Ltd., of Bromley, Kent was taken over. They produced the Snipe, and Swift  Motor Boats, the Sprite Yacht, and the Snort Submarine, also Toy Cars. The boats were continued in production by Mobo. Jetex, the Model Aircraft Engine business, was purchased in 1956. Besides a range of Jet propelled engines they also produced model kits for aircraft and a plastic boats and cars for the Jetex engine. The mid 1960’s saw an introduction of toys made from injection moulded plastic and the importation of a range of plastic Pedal cars from Pines of Italy. These included a Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Pedal Car. A range of bicycles was also imported from Italy. By the late 1960s the British toy industry was having a difficult time due to cheap imports from the Far East. When John Bentley of Barclay Securities made an offer to purchase the Company in 1970 it was taken up. The Barclay Toy Group was formed to which Chad Valley, Charles Methuen and Tri-ang were added in 1971. Unfortunately the overheads of the Group meant that losses were still being made and a major reorganisation took place in 1972 with the Erith Works being closed and all production of all Mobo Toys ceasing. The site is now a large housing estate. Mobo toys now change hands for serious money on online auction sites like Ebay. Even today, Mobo toys are exceedingly popular and very collectible; in fact an Aberdeenshire museum recently had an exhibition featuring a wide range of Mobo toys - click here to see the details. If you have any memories that you would like to share about Mobo toys, or possibly having worked at the factory, do either leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Arts Council England announced last Thursday an investment of £1 million for the London Borough of Bexley as part of the Creative People and Places programme. The project, ‘Made in the Estuary’ is led by a collaborative partnership between Peabody, TACO! (local arts organisation), The Exchange (local community organisation) and Orbit Housing. The programme will focus on empowering individuals in the community to create their own work, gain confidence in taking part in the arts and celebrate their cultural voice. Participation in the arts project aims to increase the development of community run platforms such as radio stations, festivals and workshops through commissioning and co-production by the Bexley and Thamesmead communities. Across England, £17,472,604 National Lottery funding has been awarded to create arts and cultural experiences in areas where people tend to engage less with arts and culture.  These twelve projects, part of the Creative People and Places programme, will take place between 2019 - 2023 and will be co-created with their local communities. The projects will be developed and delivered by a consortium of diverse local partners, empowering people to shape the arts and cultural provision where they live.

Now for the weekly local safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly from Barnehurst ward:- "Unfortunately Barnehurst ward has suffered five Incidents of vehicle crime and one burglary. On 08/08/2019 at 03.20am in Drummond Close suspects have broken through a front door damaging the safety chain and taken a set of house keys and a set of vehicle keys. On Wednesday 7/08/2019 overnight number plates were taken from a vehicle in Appledore Avenue. On Friday 9/08/2019 overnight in Barnehurst Avenue various items were taken from a vehicle. On Saturday 10/08/2019 in Hillingdon Road victim found the glove compartment and the centre console open. The contents was scattered over the front seats. In Heath Way on Monday 12/08/2019 between 09.00pm and 10.00pm victim found personal items had been taken from the vehicle. On Wednesday 14/08/2019 at 02.34am in Grassmere Road a silver Grande Coup 420d BMW registration number YK67ARP was taken from the drive way. CCTV footage has shown two white males. One male, approximately late thirties, F6.00 (6 foot tall) and wearing jeans, a dark coloured hooded top and carrying a man bag was seen scanning the property with an antenna. The other male standing by the vehicle had a broad build and was wearing a light coloured hooded top, jeans. If you have information with regards any of the Incidents mentioned please contact us. We will also be available on Thursday 29th August 2019 at 03.00pm in Barnehurst Golf Club should you wish to join us to discuss and concerns". Belvedere ward - no reports this week. Bexleyheath ward:- "Wed 7/8/19 – 2000 hours Attempted theft of Motor Vehicle from behind Iceland on Bexleyheath Broadway; Wed 7/8/19 – Between 1500 – 1630 an elderly lady has had a bank book and cash stolen from handbag on Bexleyheath Broadway – not known until after it had happened; Sun 11/8/19 – 0315 hours Theft from Motor Vehicle outside Marriott Hotel. There are currently issues with youths causing anti - social behaviour in Iris Avenue and Braeside Garages (behind Martens Avenue). If you witness anything please do get in touch using the contact details listed below. Please be vigilant when shopping on Bexleyheath Broadway especially with handbags being open or on trolleys, there are persons dipping in the area. The Town Centre team are onto this and continue to stop and deal as and when. The team regularly conduct patrols along drug hot spot areas and ASB areas on the ward and conduct regular stops & searches where necessary. If you do wish to pass on information to Police then please contact Crime Stoppers on 0800 555111 If you are after crime prevention advice, please look at the Met Police website which has lots of information that you may find useful. Remember in an emergency please dial 999 and 101 for non-urgent reporting". Crayford ward:- "Although I am really pleased to say there have been no burglaries in Crayford, I do have to tell you that we have had a surge in motor vehicle related crime. Number plates AU09FPP were stolen from a vehicle whilst parked in Kennett Road on 4th August, these should be on a silver Ford Focus. In the early hours of 3rd August a pair of Tiffany sunglasses in a light blue case and a pink H and M purse containing “parking money” were stolen from a vehicle parked in Alderman Close. On the same night documents were stolen from a vehicle parked in Galloway Drive. A white Ford Transit with a tail lift number plate NL57XSE which had been left locked and parked at Optima Park was stolen between 18.30 on Wednesday 7th August and 8am on Thursday 8th August. There have been a series of catalytic convertors stolen from Crayford. In the early hours of 9th August one was stolen from a vehicles parked on a driveway in Iron Mill Lane. One was stolen from a Subaru Forester outside Crayford BR Station on 9th August between 6.55 and 18.30. Another was stolen from a white SUV type vehicle whilst parked in Ridge Avenue on Friday 9th August at approx. 15.25. Anecdotally, we are hearing that there have been others that have not been reported at this time. Criminal damage was caused to five vehicles in Bourne Road, dents in bonnets and foot prints on Sunday 11th August at approx. 01.00. A vehicle parked at Bourne Mead was broken in to between Thursday 8th and Sunday 11th August, £10 stolen as well as a pair of sunglasses, there were no signs of forced entry. A person has broken in to a vehicle in London Road, the car door was damaged and bent back to gain entry, the seat was laid back and is believed that a homeless person sheltered there. Barbed wire fencing was deliberately cut by the horses field at Perry Street on 13th August at 16.00, the horses are safe and the site is now secure again. Between 01.00-02.00 on the Thursday 1st August access was made to a locked vehicle in Beech Walk and cash stolen. It may seem really inconvenient but it really is best to remove all valuables from your vehicle as you leave it. If possible park vehicles in well-lit places, in a garage if you have one and ensure gates are closed. Ring door bells are brilliant as not only do they capture the incident but they can also alert you that someone is on your property. We will be at Crayford Library on Friday 23rd August between 10.00-12.00 if you would like to come along to discuss any issues. The library has lots going on, especially on Friday mornings. Age Concern have a regular coffee morning there, there is a knit and natter group, a Met Police volunteer is there to assist with crime prevention advice, the library staff and post office staff are really helpful and attentive, there are lots of activities for young children regularly held here too". Erith ward:- "Fraud to be aware of – on both Northumberland heaths and Slade Greens ward there have been incidents of a male knocking on doors asking for a ‘drink of water' once the home owner gets them a drink of water. The male grabs their post and makes off. What we advise is if anyone asks for a drink of water or as such, say no close the door and report this to your local SNT or via 101. On one case the victim had 4 credit cards arrive for her that she didn't apply for, this is what the male more than likely tried to retrieve". Northumberland Heath ward:- "Unfortunately we have had one burglary and one attempted burglary this week. On Thursday 8th August at approximately 06.40hrs in the morning on Beechfield Road, Erith. The suspect entered through the front living room window and had taken £200 from the victim's living room bookshelf. Unfortunately the resident was a repeat victim and the incident happened again on the next following day. This is due to the victim not closing his windows during the day. On Tuesday 13th August 2019 at approximately 18:00hrs on Carlton Road, the suspect attempted to enter via the front door. The suspect first knocked onto the front door and then decided to use a tool to wedge the door open. The suspect was then distracted and made off. Nothing was stolen. You need to know: Most burglaries occur on weekdays between working hours. 1 in 5 burgled homes in London in the last year had been left unsecured. Once burgled the chances of further burglaries increases".

Slade Green and Northend ward:- "Please be aware that a burglary occurred at 1215 on Thursday 08/08/2019 in Cloudesley Road. It happened in the form of letters being stolen by a male who posed asking for a glass of water. It seems that the victims ID has been cloned and the address was being used as a delivery point for various goods and credit cards in her name. The victim is elderly so please be mindful for any vulnerable residents who may be targeted this way. If you would like any advice in prevention and awareness for this sort of crime, please let us know. In the last week the team has recovered a stolen moped in Frobisher Road on Thursday 08/08, seized a van from Webber Close for not being insured on Monday 12/08 and on Tuesday 13/08 a male was found in possession of drugs in Frobisher Road resulting in a Community Resolution (official warning) plus in the same area a Section 59 warning was given to a male for riding an off road bike in an antisocial manner on the estate". Thamesmead East ward:- "Burglary: Between the hours of 11:30 pm on Monday 12/08/19 and 06:00am on Tuesday 13/08/19 the front door of a property in Hinksey Path was forced open causing, damage the frame, entry gained and a 55”TV stolen. Burglary Business/Commercial: The vacant golf course building Fairway Drive ,Thamesmead, was broken into on Saturday 03/08/19 between the hours of 09:20pm and 10:45pm.the internal alarms where activated. Theft from Motor Vehicles: Overnight of Thursday 08/08/19 and Friday 09/08/19 a vehicle parked locked and secure in Wolvercote Road had the passenger side window smashed; Theft of an Red Audi occurred outside of Argalli House; Kale Road between the hours of 11:00pm on Thursday 08/08/19 and 04:50am Friday 09/08/19; A vehicle parked locked and secure in Lanridge Road, Abbey Wood, was broken into, however no signs of forced entry; The incident occurred again overnight of Thursday 08/08/19 and Friday 09/80/19.Friday 09/08/19 , between the hours of 10:20am and10:30am ,a wallet and sat nav were stolen from a vehicle parked in Northwood Place; Between the hours of 08;30pm on Thursday 08/08/19 and 09:00am Friday 09/08/19 a vehicle parked outside Wyfold House Wolvercote Road was broken into .searched through and under the compartment under the steering wheel was tampered with. Vehicle interference occurred of a vehicle parked in Sydney Road, an untidy search, nothing taken, this incident happened at about 03:45 pm on Friday 09/08/19. Good News: After numerous visits by PC Pruden to a wanted persons address, the male who had failed to appear at court was finally arrested by PC Pruden on Friday 09/08/19; Monday 12/08/19 whilst on foot patrol near the Wolvercote Road ball court cage, PC Pruden could smell cannabis. Further investigation lead to a 15 year old male ,who was found to be in possession of cannabis, he was escorted back to the Thamesmead East police office to await for an appropriate adult to attend prior to interview". West Heath ward:- "No burglaries have been reported to us over the last week. Unfortunately we have had several motor vehicle crimes again this week: Theft of a black BMW from Exmouth Road On Saturday August 10th between 14.30pm and 16.00pm; Theft of a BMW in Preston Drive Between Thursday August 8th 23.00 hours and 06.00am the following morning; Theft of a catalytic converter from a transit van parked in Hollingbourne Avenue on Tuesday August 13th between 13.30pm and 13.40pm; attempted theft of catalytic converter from an American Truck in Hollingbourne Avenue. (West Heath Ward). Neighbour heard angle grinder and looked out to see a van alongside a neighbours truck on approaching they sped off, the neighbour managed to get the number plate and called both 101 and SNT Team not getting a response from either. Please keep an eye out for a white transit type van Registration Number: FL05FLA, if you see it call 999 as it will probably be trying to steal the converters from vehicles in your road, this sort of theft has been borough wide and ends up costing the victim a lot of money and in this case even more as it's an American import vehicle. Theft of a wing mirror in Axminster Crescent on Saturday August 10th at 7pm. The team executed a warrant on the ward this week which resulted in two arrests, A substantial amount of cash and class A and B drugs were seized. The next drop in police surgeries will be held at the Bostall Library in King Harolds Way on Thursday August 22nd between 1pm – 2pm and Tuesday August 27th between 4pm – 5pm".

Further to my earlier writing about Mobo toys, and their factory located in West Street, Erith for many years; below is a short piece from Pathe News featuring a Mobo Bronco toy horse - a toy so rugged and popular that it remained in continuous production from 1947 until 1972, when the company finally closed. Leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.