Ferry.

On August 9, 2023, two life-size bronze statues of Sir Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were unveiled in Dartford, the hometown of the two Rolling Stones legends. The statues, which are collectively known as "The Glimmer Twins," were created by sculptor Amy Goodman and were commissioned by Dartford Borough Council. The statues depict Jagger and Richards in mid-performance, with Jagger holding a microphone in one hand and Richards playing his guitar. The statues are located in Dartford town centre, on One Bell Corner. The unveiling ceremony was attended by a number of guests, including Keith Richards' daughter Angela Richards and Dartford Borough Council Leader Jeremy Kite. In a speech at the ceremony, Kite said that the statues were a fitting tribute to Jagger and Richards, who he described as "two of the most iconic and influential musicians of all time." Kite also said that the statues would be a major tourist attraction for Dartford and would help to put the town on the map. He added that the statues were a reminder of Dartford's rich musical heritage. The Glimmer Twins statues have been well-received by the public and by critics. Many people have praised the statues for their realism and for their capture of the energy and dynamism of Jagger and Richards. The statues have also been praised for their contribution to the regeneration of Dartford town centre. I have featured the sculptures briefly in the past, but I have only managed to see them in person in the last week; I also took time whilst in Dartford to visit the excellent exhibition on the design and creation of the statues which is located in the Peter Blake Gallery in Dartford Library, as can be seen in the lower of the two photos above - click on either to see a larger view. The history of Dartford Library can be traced back to the early 1900s. In 1904, a group of local residents formed a committee to establish a public library in Dartford. The committee raised funds through subscriptions and donations, and in 1906, the first public library in Dartford was opened in a small room in the town hall. The library was initially open for only two hours per day, two days per week. However, it quickly proved to be popular with the local community, and in 1911, the library moved to larger premises in the town centre. Dartford Library as we now know it opened on January 1, 1916, thanks to a grant from the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie - it shares many architectural characteristics with Erith Library in Walnut Tree Road, now home to The Exchange. Dartford Library was designed by Thomas E. Tiffin AMICE, the then-Dartford Urban District Council surveyor, and built in Bath by Messrs H. Friday and Sons and Ling, using Portland and York stone. The library was opened during World War I, and its first browsers were soldiers who were staying nearby in military hospitals, recovering from wounds received while serving in the trenches. In 1919, the library was combined with the Dartford Museum, which had previously been housed in the Technical Institute. The museum collection was transferred to the library, and a museum room was created on the first floor. In 1937, the library building was extended over what was once the Dartford tin works. During the Second World War, its cupola dome served as an air raid watch post. In 2016, the library had a major refit and internal access was created between it and Dartford Museum. The library also opened the Peter Blake Gallery for the display of works by local artists.

Talking of Peter Blake, it was only when I visited Dartford Library that I discovered something of local interest. I do not think that many readers will be aware that one of the most prolific and well regarded artists in the UK was born and raised locally. The aforementioned Sir Peter Blake is a British pop artist who is best known for his iconic album cover for the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and for the cover of the Band Aid charity record Do They Know It's Christmas?. Sir Peter Blake is one of the most celebrated and influential British artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. He is best known for his work in the Pop Art movement, which emerged in the 1950s and 60s. Blake's art is characterised by its use of popular culture imagery, such as advertisements, comic books, and celebrity photographs. He is also a prolific painter, sculptor, and graphic designer. Blake was born in Dartford in 1932. He studied art at the Gravesend School of Art and the Royal College of Art. In the early 1950s, he began to produce paintings and collages that incorporated elements of popular culture, such as advertisements, comic books, and movie stars. This work was considered radical at the time, but it helped to establish Blake as one of the leading figures in the British pop art movement. In 1967, Blake was commissioned by the Beatles to design the cover for their upcoming album, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. The cover is a collage featuring over 50 life-size cardboard cutouts of famous people, including Bob Dylan, Marilyn Monroe, and Albert Einstein. The album cover was a critical and commercial success, and it helped to cement Blake's reputation as one of the world's most important artists. He is not afraid to use images that are considered to be lowbrow or kitschy. In fact, he often uses these images to subvert traditional art world values. For example, Blake's painting Marilyn Monroe (1962) depicts the Hollywood actress in a garish, pin-up style. The painting was considered to be shocking at the time, but it is now considered to be a classic example of pop art. Blake's work is not only about popular culture imagery. He is also interested in depicting the everyday. His paintings often depict gardens, shops, and people going about their daily lives. These paintings are often imbued with a sense of humour and wit. For example, Blake's painting Self-portrait with Badges (1961) depicts the artist wearing a denim jacket covered in badges. The badges feature images from popular culture, such as Elvis Presley and the Beatles. The painting is a celebration of Blake's love of popular culture and his own unique sense of style. Blake has continued to produce a wide range of artwork throughout his career. His paintings often depict everyday objects and scenes, such as gardens, shops, and people. He has also created sculptures, tapestries, and stained glass windows. In 2002, Blake was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to art. He is a Royal Academician and a member of the Order of the British Empire. Now aged 91, Sir Peter Blake continues to work today. He is a prolific artist and his work is still in high demand. He is a living legend of British art, and few people are aware of his local roots in Dartford. 

This week I noticed activity in the former Shoe Zone shop unit in Erith Riverside Shopping Centre.  As I have previously written, the number of empty units in the centre is a major cause for worry; I had hoped that a new retailer was moving into the centre, but after consulting with one of the shop fit - out workers, it turns out that the existing SpecSavers store is merely relocating from smaller premises in the centre.  I hope to be able to report that new retailers are moving in, but at the time of writing, no information is available. If you have any insight into this story, then please contact me in complete confidence at hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

I have written in the past about the dangers of the recreational misuse of Nitrous Oxide. Unlicenced dealers of laughing gas will face up to 14 years in prison as Nitrous Oxide becomes illegal from November - it will be banned from November 8, 2023, and serious repeat offenders could be jailed for up to two years, The Home Office said last week. The ban was promised as part of the Government’s Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan. It will make the substance a controlled class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The UK government's decision to ban Nitrous Oxide has a number of potential consequences, both positive and negative. On the positive side, the ban is expected to reduce the number of people using Nitrous Oxide recreationally, which can have a number of negative health consequences. Nitrous Oxide can cause dizziness, nausea, and vomiting, and it can also lead to more serious health problems such as permanent nerve damage and vitamin B12 deficiency. The ban may also help to reduce the amount of Nitrous Oxide canisters that are littered in public places. However, the ban is also likely to have some negative consequences. For example, it could lead to an increase in the black market for Nitrous Oxide, which could make it more dangerous for people who are still determined to use it. The ban could also have a negative impact on businesses that use Nitrous Oxide legitimately, such as dentists and caterers. Overall, it is too early to say what the long-term consequences of the UK government's ban on Nitrous Oxide will be. However, it is important to be aware of both the potential positive and negative consequences of the ban. Here are some specific examples of the potential consequences of the ban:-Reduced recreational use: The ban is likely to reduce the number of people using Nitrous Oxide recreationally, which could lead to a decrease in the number of Nitrous Oxide-related health problems. Increased black market activity: The ban could lead to an increase in the black market for Nitrous Oxide, which could make it more dangerous for people who are still determined to use it. For example, people may be more likely to purchase Nitrous Oxide from untrustworthy sources, which could increase the risk of contamination or overdose. Negative impact on legitimate businesses: The ban could have a negative impact on businesses that use Nitrous Oxide legitimately, such as dentists and caterers. For example, dentists may need to find alternative methods of pain relief, which could increase the cost of dental treatment. Caterers may also need to find alternative ways to prepare certain dishes, which could limit their menus. Social and economic impacts: The ban could also have some social and economic impacts. For example, it could lead to increased social isolation for people who use Nitrous Oxide socially. It could also have a negative impact on the local economy, if it leads to a decrease in business for businesses that use Nitrous Oxide legitimately. It is important to note that these are just some of the potential consequences of the ban. It is too early to say what the actual consequences will be, as the ban has yet to be implemented.  As regular readers will be aware, I am a keen student of The Law Of Unintended Consequences. I get the feeling the forthcoming Nitrous Oxide ban may well become a victim of this. No doubt time will tell - more on this subject in the future. Comments and feedback to me as always at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Thanks to Ian of The Belvedere Splash Facebook group for bringing this historical story to my attention. It concerns a tragedy that took place 111 years ago. On Saturday the 3rd August 1912, the 2nd Walworth Troop of five adults and twenty-four young scouts sailed from Waterloo Bridge for Leysdown on the Isle of Sheppey. They moored at Erith for the night and set off again early the next morning. The Scouts were divided into two groups, with one group sailing in a 24-foot (7.3 m) yawl called the "Albatross" and the other group sailing in a 22-foot (6.7 m) yawl called the "Seabird.". The weather conditions on the day of the accident were poor, with strong winds and high waves. The Albatross was the first to get into trouble, capsizing in the rough seas. The Seabird was able to rescue some of the Scouts from the Albatross, but in total nine Scouts drowned in the accident. The scoutmaster Sydney Marsh had tried hard to rescue many boys, diving in yet again when he was exhausted. The contemporary news stories tell of how villagers took the survivors in. One of the boys, Pat, wrote home: “All our wet things were taken off and we were put into the coastguards houses. We were fed with jellies and beef tea, and when our gear was dry we got up.” He wrote how they had no socks or boots because their routine was to take them off and be barefoot in the boat.  The dead were:- Harry Gwynn, aged 13, James Skipsey, aged 12, Thompson Filmer, aged 12, Noel Filmer, aged 14, William Boland, aged 12, Edward Smith, aged 11, Albert Dack, aged 11, Percy Huxford, aged 12, and Frank Masters, aged 14. Winston Churchill was then First Lord of the Admiralty. He arranged for the Navy to provide a ‘warship hearse’ to take the bodies to London. While scouts and relatives watched, heads bowed, the white coffins shrouded in flags were taken in pairs on rowboats out to the warship, which took them quietly down the Thames. The Port of London stopped work when the ship arrived. The coffins were taken by hearse to St John’s Church in Walworth where more than 100,000 people came to pay their respects. There was a storm during the service. Then a procession through Camberwell and Peckham to Nunhead Cemetery, watched by over a million people. The tragedy was a major blow to the Scouting movement, and it led to a number of changes in safety procedures. For example, the Scouts introduced a new rule that required all Scouts to wear life jackets when sailing. The Leysdown Boy Scout Tragedy was caused by a number of factors, including:- Lack of experience: The Scouts who drowned were relatively inexperienced, and they were not aware of the dangers of the waters. Poor supervision: The Scouts were not properly supervised by their Scoutmasters. Bad weather: The weather on the day of the tragedy was poor, with strong winds and high waves which were beyond the capabilities of the relatively untrained young scouts to navigate. It is interesting to note that one of the boy scouts who survived the tragedy was named Edward Beckham, who was to become the great-grandfather of footballer David Beckham. 

Coincidentally, in another maritime themed story, it is now five years since the last of the old Woolwich ferries - the John Burns - was towed down the River Thames in October 2018 on its' way to France to be scrapped. I took the photo above from Erith Pier on the day - click on the photo to see a larger version. At the time it was hoped that the replacement of the old and worn out ferries with new vessels would improve the regularity and reliability of the free ferry service in Woolwich; however this has not been the case. The new Woolwich ferries in the UK have been plagued by reliability issues since they were launched in 2018 / 2019. The ferries have been frequently delayed or cancelled due to technical problems, and they have been criticised for their poor performance in bad weather. The unreliability of the new Woolwich ferries has caused significant disruption for commuters and residents of South East London. Many people rely on the ferries to get to work or school, and the frequent delays and cancellations have caused them to miss appointments and lose wages. The unreliability of the ferries has also made it difficult for people to attend social events or visit friends and family on the other side of the river. The Woolwich Ferry is a vital transport link for South East London, and the unreliability of the new ferries has had a negative impact on the local economy and quality of life. Businesses have reported a loss of customers due to the ferry disruptions, and residents have complained of feeling isolated from the rest of London. As I have previously written, there are far fewer river crossings East of Tower Bridge than there are to the west of it. Transport for London (TfL) has admitted that the new Woolwich ferries have not performed to expectations, and it has taken a number of steps to improve their reliability. TfL has increased the number of maintenance staff working on the ferries, and it has also introduced a new schedule that gives the ferries more time to complete their crossings. However, the reliability of the new Woolwich ferries has not improved significantly since TfL took these steps. In the first six months of 2023, the ferries were cancelled on average 10 times per month. This is a significant improvement on the first half of 2022, when the ferries were cancelled on average 20 times per month. However, the ferries are still not as reliable as they should be. TfL has said that it is committed to improving the reliability of the new Woolwich ferries, and it is working closely with the ferry operator, Briggs Marine, to identify and fix the problems. However, it is clear that it will take some time before the ferries become fully reliable. In the meantime, commuters and residents of South East London are left to deal with the disruption caused by the unreliable ferries. Many people are calling on the TfL to take further action to improve the reliability of the ferries, such as replacing them with more reliable vessels.

The end video this week was taken at the Erith Model Railway Exhibition 2023 which was held at the Longfield Academy back in January. Comments and feedback to me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.