Foxes.

I took the photo above last week - click on it to see a larger version. I have a family of foxes living at the bottom of my garden - the vixen (shown above) and at least three cubs have been around for approximately a month. Personally I have no problems with them, and they are welcome to stay, but not everyone feels that way.  Some years ago I was sitting, reading a book in my living room one summer evening. I had the back door open to let in the fresh air. At one point I looked up, and a fully grown fox was sitting in front of me on my living room carpet, calmly studying me. I stood up, expecting it to turn and run, but it continued to sit there, supremely relaxed, so I waved my arms and shouted at it. It then slowly stood up and strolled out of my back door. I have heard stories of urban foxes entering people's homes before, but I was somewhat sceptical, thinking that the accounts were somewhat fanciful and exaggerated, but this experience changed my opinion. Urban foxes can sometimes cause problems for residents and local authorities. Here are some common issues associated with urban foxes: Noise: Foxes are known for their distinctive vocalisations, especially during mating season. Their screams and barks can be quite loud and disruptive, especially when they occur at night. Scavenging: Foxes are opportunistic scavengers and can rummage through dustbins and bins in search of food. This can lead to scattered rubbish and littered areas. Garden damage: Foxes may dig up lawns or flower beds in search of insects or small animals. They can also damage plants or fences while attempting to enter or leave properties. Pet safety: Foxes are generally not a threat to humans, but they can pose a risk to small pets, such as cats, rabbits, or guinea pigs, if left unsupervised outside. Fear or nuisance: Some individuals may feel uncomfortable or fearful of foxes, especially if they encounter them in close proximity. Foxes can also become a nuisance when they repeatedly visit a particular area, such as a garden or back yard. Potential for disease transmission: While the risk is low, foxes can carry diseases such as mange, which can affect pets or other wildlife. It's important to note that not all urban foxes cause problems, and many people enjoy having them as part of their urban wildlife. Comments and any feedback to me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Occasional contributor and local resident, Brian Silk, writes about Bexley's first-ever Pride festival. Pride on the Pier will be taking place on Saturday 8 July, from 12 - 4pm. "It's all happening at Pier Square, Erith, and on the neighbouring pier. The event will get off to an eye-catching start with a Hatwalk. Staring at noon, led by our resident Drag queen and compere Vanne Dryver and the Mayor of Bexley, there will be a parade on Erith Pier displaying hand made hats by our community. We are working with community groups to make their creations in the lead up the day. There have been some amazing hats made so far. Reverse and Change have provided fantastic help with this colourful event highlight. On the Main Stage, there will be a number of fantastic acts for the day, including a cast of drag queens, Erith Playhouse, Erith Operatic Society, community choir, dance acts and theatre groups. Refreshments will be available in the square with a bar and food stalls. And on the pier, there will be a craft market. It all promises to be an afternoon of celebration and fun in the heart of Erith, and everyone is welcome. Erith councillor, Nicola Taylor, has been working on this since last year to bring all the community together for a great event for the town. Erith Pride stands as a shining example of how our community can come together to put on a spectacular event". This sounds like an excellent, family friendly event. I will be attending. 

Some time ago I wrote an article about former Bexleyheath resident, the late Lenny McLean, who had been dubbed as "Britain's hardest man". On Tuesday of last week, tabloid newspaper The Daily Star had a story about Lenny McLean as their lead article - you can read it by clicking here. Lenny McLean was was an English boxer, bouncer, criminal and prisoner, author, businessman, bodyguard, enforcer, weightlifter, television presenter and actor, and has been referred to as "the hardest man in Britain" by the tabloid press. McLean's pugilist reputation began in the East End of London in the late 1960s and was sustained through to the mid-1980s. He once stated that he had been involved in up to 4,000 unlicensed fight contests. In his later life, McLean became an actor, playing "Barry The Baptist" in Guy Ritchie's 1998 British gangster comedy film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Lenny McLean was born into a large working-class family in Hoxton in the East End of London. His father, Leonard McLean senior, had been a Royal Marine during the Second World War, but after being debilitated by a near-fatal disease which he contracted in India, he became a petty criminal and swindler. He died when Lenny was four years old, and was buried in a pauper's grave, as many working class men of the time were. Lenny's mother, Rose, married again to Jim Irwin, who was, like her first husband, a career petty criminal. Lenny's new stepfather was also a violent alcoholic, who physically abused Lenny and his brothers for many years. By the age of ten, McLean had suffered many broken bones. However, when Lenny's infant brother Raymond was beaten brutally with a belt, McLean's great-uncle Jimmy Spinks, a feared local gangster, attacked Irwin, nearly killing him, and threatened to cut his throat should he ever need to return to protect the children again. Lenny admired his great-uncle thereafter and when he became a street fighter he said that he considered every victory to be won on behalf of his vulnerable younger self. He expressed the rage resulting from his abusive childhood with such abandon that often it would take several men to separate him from his defeated opponent. During his teenage years, McLean mixed with various criminals for whom he ran errands. He was arrested for petty crimes and served 18 months in prison. After he was dismissed from his first legitimate job for beating up his foreman, he worked at odd jobs. By the age of fifteen, McLean realised he could earn a living from fighting and pursued it as his main means of income. McLean's first unlicensed boxing match came about as a result of a chance meeting while in his late teens: when his car broke down in the Blackwall Tunnel he abandoned it and went to buy a replacement from an associate known as Kenny Mac, a gypsy used-car salesman in Kingsland Road, Hackney, only to find the replacement quickly failed too. McLean returned later to demand his money back, but rather than repay it, Kenny Mac offered to give McLean a new car in exchange for McLean fighting in one of Mac's organised unlicensed boxing bouts later that night in Kenny's yard. McLean's opponent was just under 7 feet (210 cm) tall and weighed 20 stone; he lasted less than a minute against McLean, earning McLean £500, a considerable prize at the time. Kenny Mac and McLean became friends and on numerous later bouts Mac acted as McLean's boxing manager, with McLean subsequently becoming the best-known bare-knuckle street fighter in Britain. With his growing fame, McLean also became known as "The King of Bouncers" around many of the clubs and pubs in London. McLean was also a publican, holding joint ownership of a public house in the East End of London named the "Guv'Nors" along with Charlie Kray, elder brother of the Kray twins, reputed to be the "most legitimate" of the three brothers. McLean was also been described as a "fixer" and a "minder" (or bodyguard) for criminals and celebrities including Mike Reid, Freddie Starr, Henry Simpson, Boy George, and the casts of television shows such as EastEnders and The Bill. According to McLean's autobiography, his name was useful for the smooth progress of various criminal dealings, and to warn off members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army and the Mafia. In 1992, McLean released an album of Elvis Presley covers. The album was entitled 'Lenny Sings...'. He claimed "The King meets The Guvnor. It's sure to be a winner." His lead single 'Blue Suede Shoes' failed to break into the top 200 and the album was subsequently scrapped. Being the best-known figure in unlicensed boxing produced for McLean not only fans, but also enemies, including some of his rivals's supporters, and some who had lost money betting on McLean's opponents. McLean also made enemies from years of ejecting people from pubs and clubs. He suffered two bullet wounds from separate attacks, and was attacked from behind and stabbed on two occasions. McLean has said that he later caught up with and punished one of his assailants, a drug addict named Barry Dalton, who had attempted to shoot McLean at his home while his children were in the house. Dalton had also made many other enemies, and a year later was found dead with a bullet in his head, a murder for which McLean asserted his innocence. Separately it has been stated that the murder of Dalton was ordered by a gang of East London gangsters, and that the murder was completely unrelated to McLean. McLean was featured prominently in a television documentary on nightclub security staff, titled Bounce: Behind The Velvet Rope. He gravitated towards acting after being introduced to an agent by three long-term show-business friends, Henry Simpson, Mike Reid and Freddie Starr, for whom with Archie Mills he had "minded", and also after "minding" the cast of television shows such as EastEnders and The Bill. After playing a brief un-billed cameo as a ringside spectator in the film of The Krays (1990), McLean appeared in such roles as Eddie Davies in ITV's Customs drama The Knock, and moved to other roles such as that of a police chief in The Fifth Element (1997), his largest acclaimed role being in Guy Ritchie's Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998), playing the part of 'Barry The Baptist'. During the filming of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels McLean was struck ill by what he believed to be the flu. He was subsequently diagnosed with pleurisy, although further X-ray examination proved he was suffering from lung cancer which had metastasised to his brain. He died shortly afterwards on 28 July 1998, at his long term home in Bexleyheath, a few weeks prior to the release of the film. Director Guy Ritchie dedicated the film to him and had billboards for the film changed to feature McLean in tribute.

I took the photo above last week in Erith Morrisons. It shows the last remaining sign which promoted a previous policy of the store to open additional checkouts if there was a queue at one that was already open. As anyone who has visited a Morrisons supermarket over the last couple of years will be painfully aware, this policy has long been abandoned by the store chain. On Tuesday afternoon there was a single staffed checkout open in the Erith branch. When I checked, there were six shoppers lined up waiting to pay for their goods, and just one overworked till assistant to help them. Morrisons have drastically cut back on the number of staff working in each store, and are still trying to force shoppers to use the self-service checkouts. This may suit some, but many - myself included wish to be served by a person. Several readers have commented to me about this situation, and the universal verdict has been that the quality of service in the stores has significantly diminished since Morrisons became owned by the American private equity group Clayton, Dubilier & Rice. Costs have been cut, which has affected staffing levels and the general level of quality. It is now common to see shelves empty, and popular items like bread, eggs and milk unavailable. Morrisons has faced food shortages, rising prices and a squeeze on consumer spending during the cost of living crisis. Concerns have been raised over the direction of the group under its new ownership. Earlier this year, the banks that supported the deal to buy Morrisons offloaded €500m (£440m) of debt at a steep discount, making a loss on their investment. Morrisons now makes up 8.8% of the UK’s grocery market, down from 9.5% a year ago, figures from the research firm Kantar show. Aldi, which overtook Morrisons to become the UK’s fourth biggest supermarket last year, makes up 9.9% of all grocery sales, up from 8.6% a year ago. In the year ending 30 October, Morrisons slumped to a pre-tax loss of £33 million. As usual, any comments and feedback can be sent to me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Crayford based Caterham Cars have produced a prototype of their classic Seven model which is powered by electricity. If it goes into production, it could prove to be the lightest electric car on the market, and a real leader in electric sports car technology. The prototype electric model is about 70 kg heavier than the equivalent petrol model, with the performance to match the flagship 485 petrol version. Based around a wide body chassis, it will use a 50.8 kWh front-mounted battery pack (40 kWh usable) powering a 240 bhp transaxle electric motor on the rear axle that incorporates a single gear and limited slip differential. The battery extends into the transmission tunnel, allowing a weight distribution almost identical to the petrol car’s. 0-60 mph will take around 4.0 seconds, top speed is 130 mph and the target weight is under 700 kg – the aim is for the additional weight to be equivalent to carrying a passenger. Nevertheless, what they have created is potentially the world’s lightest electric car.

Two weeks ago I wrote at some length about the life and work of Colin Seeley - the motorbike racer and builder, who was born in Crayford and had his workshop in Nuxley Road, Upper Belvedere for many years. After publishing the article, I was contacted by regular reader Jill, who has shared her memories of Colin Seeley, which you can read here:- "A lovely man well known to me + my family as many moons ago.... My Dad (Len Smith) use to work for Colin at his workshops in Nuxley Road, My Dad was a lathe turner. also very much into his vintage motorcycles having owned Vincent`s which he unfortunately sold when me + my brother came along in exchange for a sensible family car! I have many a fond childhood memory of going along to social gatherings held at the bungalow off of Nuxley Road, playing with Colin`s children and seeing Barry Sheen etc. My Dad became the foreman at Seeley`s, so he often went with the team over to the Isle of man TT races. otherwise we would be taken along to Brands Hatch at the weekends. My Mum provided Colin with some of the many photographs for his 2 books, and in return our family all received signed copies of both books when eventually published. I learnt Colin had sadly passed away in early 2020, So Mum + I both went along to pay our last respects, it truly was a celebration of his life with so many lovely tributes paid".

The following announcement was made by Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association:- "On Monday, June 5th, the Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association held its highly anticipated Annual General Meeting at the Geddes Place United Reformed Church. The event was a resounding success, bringing together dedicated coordinators and esteemed guests who shared invaluable insights into crime prevention and community engagement. This gathering served as a platform to recognise exceptional individuals and discuss pressing matters affecting the Bexley community. The presence of influential figures added significant weight to the event, providing attendees with unique perspectives on the state of crime in Bexley. Bexley Police Superintendent, Simon Corbin, and Inspector Paula Dodds graced the stage, delivering insightful speeches and answering questions from the vigilant coordinators. Their presence not only demonstrated the dedication of the local law enforcement to the cause of community safety but also allowed attendees to gain a deeper understanding of crime prevention strategies. Maria Rumbol, the Hate Crime and Modern Slavery officer from Bexley Council, gave a thought-provoking presentation on her important work. Rumbol enlightened the audience about the signs that could indicate someone is a victim of hate crime or modern slavery, emphasising the need for heightened awareness and vigilance within the community. Her dedication to combating these issues is truly commendable, and her insights will undoubtedly empower coordinators to make a difference in their neighbourhoods. A highlight of the evening was the presentation of the prestigious Violaine Therond award. The esteemed honour was bestowed upon Claire Watts, the coordinator for Heath Way in Barnehurst, (Photo above - click on it for a larger view) in recognition of her exceptional efforts in fostering a strong sense of community. Watts's remarkable work in bringing together residents from 130 houses was acknowledged and celebrated. Through her tireless organization of regular street parties, the latest of which drew a staggering attendance of over 700 guests in honour of the Coronation, she has truly strengthened the bonds between neighbours. Watts's dedication to creating a vibrant and united community since becoming a coordinator in 2010 is an inspiration to all. Additionally, her success in recruiting 10 deputies further exemplifies her commitment to nurturing community spirit. Congratulations to Claire Watts and the other nominees for their outstanding contributions. Following the awards ceremony, the association conducted its elections, reaffirming the commitment of several key members. Grant Murrell and Dave Potter were re-elected as Chair and Vice Chair, respectively, demonstrating the trust placed in their leadership and their unwavering dedication to the association's goals. Anna Smith and Claire Tack were re-elected as Treasurer and Secretary, ensuring the continuity of crucial administrative functions. The newly elected committee members, including Stewart Bartle, Tony Alcorn, Steve James, Amrik Seehra, Sandra Fox, Maria Rodrigues, Olu Obafaiye, Hugh Neal, Paul Bamford, Saby Ghosh, Karen Nathan, John Hancock, Ron Calcutt, and Hilary Haslam, further strengthen the association's diverse and capable team. The Annual General Meeting of the Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association has undoubtedly left a lasting impact on the attendees. The event served as a testament to the power of community involvement and collaboration in creating safer neighbourhoods. As coordinators and members of the association, their dedication to the well-being of the community will continue to drive positive change and foster a spirit of unity in Bexley".

The end video this week is fascinating. It features drone footage filmed last Thursday, showing "Operation Mudlark" - a multi agency exercise simulating the rescue of a person trapped in the mud at the river front in Erith, between Erith Jetty and Erith Pier. The operation involved the RNLI, London Fire Brigade, HM Coastguard, London Ambulance Service and the Police. Comments and feedback to me at the usual address - hugh.neal@gmail.com.