I took the somewhat festive photograph on Wednesday evening. It shows the cone of LED lights located in Bexleyheath Broadway - a kind of impressionistic Christmas tree. In my opinion it works well. As some will be aware, I am not a fan of Christmas.
In a surprising move, BBC Radio 4 Long wave and BBC 5 Live recently experienced a reduction in transmission power, signaling an imminent close down. The decision has left listeners wondering about the future of these long-established radio channels. BBC Radio 4 Long wave, known for its distinct frequency of 198 kHz, has been a reliable source of news, drama, and cultural programming for decades. The long wave transmission allows for extensive coverage, reaching remote areas and providing a lifeline for those without easy access to alternative media. However, the recent reduction in power has sparked concerns among loyal listeners. Similarly, BBC 5 Live, a sports and news-focused radio station, has been a go-to for live sports commentary, talk shows, and breaking news updates. The decision to operate at half power has raised questions about the station's sustainability and the future of its unique blend of content. The BBC has cited various reasons for this reduction in power, including budget constraints, changes in consumer behavior, and the increasing dominance of digital platforms. As the media landscape continues to evolve, traditional broadcasters are faced with the challenge of adapting to new technologies and consumer preferences. The move to cut transmission power is not unprecedented, as several other BBC radio services have undergone similar adjustments in recent years. This shift reflects a broader trend in the industry, where digital platforms and streaming services have become more prevalent, drawing audiences away from traditional radio broadcasts. BBC Radio 4 Long wave and BBC 5 Live have played pivotal roles in shaping the cultural and informational landscape of the UK. The decision to reduce power and potentially close down raises questions about the future of traditional radio and the impact of such changes on the diverse audience that relies on these stations for information and entertainment. For some, the reduction in power is seen as a symbolic moment, signaling the end of an era for these long-standing radio channels. The unique frequencies and programming offered by BBC Radio 4 Long wave and BBC 5 Live have been a staple in many households, and the diminishing signal has left listeners nostalgic for the golden age of radio. As the BBC navigates the challenges posed by the digital age, it faces the delicate task of balancing tradition with the need for innovation. The decision to reduce power may be a pragmatic response to changing audience habits and economic pressures, but it also raises questions about the role of public broadcasters in preserving the diversity and accessibility of media. The recent move to operate at half power by BBC Radio 4 Long wave and BBC 5 Live marks a significant moment in the history of traditional radio broadcasting. As the digital revolution continues to reshape the media landscape, the fate of these iconic stations prompts reflection on the importance of preserving diverse and accessible sources of information and entertainment in an ever-changing world.
The photo above - click on it to see a larger version - shows a telephone box, which is located on the corner of Forest Road and Cedar Road, close to Slade Green railway station. The phone box is quite unusual, in that in addition to coins, it also accepts payphone cards - which have not been produced since 2002. The history of the UK payphone card dates back to the late 20th century, a time when traditional coins were the primary means of payment for public telephones. As technology advanced, the need for a more convenient and flexible payment method became evident. This led to the introduction of payphone cards. In the early 1980s, the United Kingdom saw a gradual shift from coin-operated payphones to card-based systems. The first payphone cards were magnetic stripe cards, similar to credit cards, which users could purchase from designated outlets. These cards contained a pre-loaded value, allowing individuals to make calls without the hassle of carrying loose change. The magnetic stripe cards marked a significant leap forward in telecommunications technology, offering a more efficient and user-friendly experience. Users could easily insert the card into the payphone, and the system would deduct the appropriate amount for the call. This innovation not only simplified the payment process but also reduced the risk of vandalism and theft associated with coin-operated phones. Throughout the 1990s, the payphone card system continued to evolve. To be able to use credit-card style payment revolutionised things for many, not least cub scouts who had been conditioned always to carry a coin in case they needed to make a telephone call. The subsequent discovery by mischievous schoolboys that credit levels on phonecards could be tricked by the cunning application of masking tape may have been one of the factors leading to the introduction of "smart" phonecards. Smart card technology emerged, introducing a more secure and versatile payment solution. Smart cards, equipped with embedded microchips, enabled additional features such as balance checks and reload options. Users could top up their cards at various locations, ensuring uninterrupted communication. The design of payphone cards also became a canvas for artistic expression. Telecom companies issued cards featuring diverse themes, ranging from iconic landmarks to promotional partnerships. The colourful designs used by telecom companies led to the development of an enormous market for collecting phonecards. Collecting these cards became a popular hobby, and enthusiasts exchanged or traded them, contributing to the cards' cultural significance beyond their practical use. As the new millennium unfolded, the rise of mobile phones posed a formidable challenge to traditional payphones, including payphone cards. The convenience of carrying a personal mobile device diminished the need for public telephones, leading to a decline in their usage. By the mid-2000s, payphone cards began to fade into obscurity as mobile phones became ubiquitous. Technological advancements and the widespread availability of mobile networks rendered public payphones and their associated cards nearly obsolete. Telecom companies phased out payphone services, and the cards became nostalgic relics of a bygone era. It was estimated in the mid to late 1990s that some 100,000 people were collecting telephone cards in the United Kingdom (UK) alone. Phone card collecting became a major hobby for around a decade, although it has markedly declined nowadays. Every telephone card that was released by BT was issued in a limited number, although many of the public issues were issued in their thousands or even in their millions. Some telephone cards however were issued in print runs as low as just 500, 200 or even as low as just 50 Phonecards! So it's not hard to see how prices for some telephone cards were achieving seemingly ever increasing prices, with such high demand and high numbers of collectors all wanting to add them to their collections and albums. Today though in 2023 the picture is very different where demand, prices and collectible Phonecard value continues to fall. The main contributing factor was BT's decision to stop issuing BT Phonecards altogether in 2002. This was a commercial decision by British Telecom, which was due to an increasing downturn in the use of the BT pre-paid telephone cards as a way to make a phone call from a public telephone box. The rise of new technology in the form of the mobile phone was becoming the preferred method of making a call when away from the home phone. Without BT Phonecards being issued, new would-be collectors couldn't be tempted and bitten by the bug and love of collecting. In the 21 years that have followed since 2002, many collectors were able to complete their collections, well all but for the very rarest of Phonecards. While others simply stopped collecting altogether. Another contributing factor to the fall in the value of BT Phonecards was that employees of the manufacturing company Landis and Gyr (who produced many of BT's Phonecards) had amassed large personal collections. They then started selling off in large numbers mint/unused cards, which then flooded an already fragile and decreasing market, thus impacting prices even further downwards. This still goes on today, decreasing prices even further for particular telephone cards. Fast forward to today's telephone card collectors market in the UK and you'll find the hobby does still continue. Albeit, in a much smaller way with far fewer active collectors swapping, selling and collecting telephone cards. In general the prices paid today for BT Phonecards has fallen anything up to 90-95% off the last published Phonecard catalogue price lists for both BT optical cards (1981-1996) and BT chip cards (1996-2002). The majority of collectors these days periodically search and use auction websites such as eBay in the hope that those elusive and much needed cards to fill gaps in their collection are listed. As prices have fallen on average 90-95%, those collectors with the rare and rarer BT Phonecards are reluctant to list and sell at a fraction of the price they paid decades ago. It was reported at the height of collecting BT Phonecards in the mid 1990's a single BT Phonecard sold for £3,500. The same card appeared on eBay in 2016 and did not even achieve 10% of that price, the card selling for £240. Had the card been purchased in the heights of collecting and for £3,500, then the seller would have lost £3,260 on the price he/she had paid. So it is not hard to see why lots of collectors are choosing to retain their BT Phonecards and not wanting to sell at such a loss. Comments to me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.
Last week marked the 60th anniversary of the opening of the Dartford River Crossing. On November 18th, 1963, a groundbreaking engineering feat was unveiled to the public: the Dartford Crossing, a road tunnel running beneath the River Thames, connecting Kent and Essex. This remarkable structure, the culmination of decades of planning and construction, marked a new era of transportation in the region, providing a much-needed alternative to the congested ferry services that had previously served as the primary means of crossing the river. The idea of a fixed link between Kent and Essex had been circulating for centuries, with early proposals dating back to the 18th century. However, it wasn't until the 1920s that serious plans began to take shape. In 1928, Parliament approved the construction of a tunnel, and work commenced in 1938. Unfortunately, the outbreak of World War II forced the project to be put on hold until 1955. Despite the challenges posed by the war, the determination to build the Dartford Crossing remained strong. Construction resumed in earnest in the late 1950s, and by 1963, the tunnel was complete. The official opening ceremony, presided over by Queen Elizabeth II, took place on November 18th, 1963, marking a historic moment for transportation in the region. The Dartford Crossing quickly became an indispensable part of the local infrastructure, providing a fast and efficient route for commuters, businesses, and tourists alike. The tunnel's impact was immediate and profound, alleviating traffic congestion, reducing travel times, and boosting economic activity in the region. It has not been without controversy; the original claim that the crossing would be free to use once the construction costs had been repaid were quietly dropped, much to the anger of local residents. The Dartford Crossing is more or less a captive market since the nearest alternative river crossing is a congested 15 miles away, which means that a crucial route that was supposed to become toll free in 2003 is earning the government millions. Local criminals are stealing legitimate registration plates from parked motor vehicles in order to circumvent the automatic number plate recognition system used to charge drivers for using the Dartford Crossing. Vehicle number plate theft is now endemic in the local area. Three or four years ago it was a relatively minor issue, but now it is one of the major problems for the Police and local residents. Just how many vehicles are driving around on illegal registration plates I do not know, but I suspect that the number is far higher than many realise. Incidentally, not many people are aware that there is a special service for cyclists. the good news is that it is free of charge, unlike for motorists. A special pick-up service is available at Essex Point or Kent Point, with a vehicle taking you and your bicycle through the Dartford Crossing. If your bike fits on a standard car roof rack, there is no need to pre-book. To use the cycle crossing service; Cycle to Essex Point or Kent Point, Follow the signs directing you to a yellow telephone. Use the phone to request the service; there is no number to dial – it’s a direct line. Wait in the designated area for a vehicle to take you and your bicycle through the Dartford Crossing. If the bicycle does not fit on a roof rack – if it is a tandem, for example – or you are travelling in a group of more than three cyclists, you will need to contact Connect Plus in advance. This is done by calling 0203 386 8826 or alternatively emailing dartfordsecurity@connectplusm25.co.uk. Essex Point is located at 859 London Road, Grays, Essex, RM20 3AT. It is accessible from the cycleway next to the entry slip-road for junction 31 of the M25 motorway. The Kent Point is at Crossings Offices Roundabout, South Orbital Road, Dartford, Kent, DA1 5PR. The service is available seven days a week and 365 days a year, but it is not a 24-hour resource. Instead, cyclists can only use the Dartford Crossing at the following times: 3am to 9am. 10.30am to 2pm. 3pm to 9pm. 10.30pm to 2am. It usually takes 15 minutes for the lift to arrive, but it might take a little longer at peak times or if there is traffic congestion.
The image above shows a postcard from Erith from back in the summer of 1970. Strange that a postcard should exist from a town that had not been a holiday destination since around 1900. The card shows the old Erith swimming baths, which was demolished and are now the site of a housing development - why such a bad looking concrete monstrosity of a structure would be commemorated on a local postcard escapes me. The second photo is of the old railway crossing at Pembroke Road, which has long been replaced with a footbridge. I dimly recall the crossing as a small child, though I cannot recall the crossing operators' house - that must have been a very noisy place to live! The third photo is probably the most recognisable today - it shows Erith High Street looking East. The Police station (now converted into fairly shoddy apartments) is still there, as is the Cross Keys pub (the tall building in the centre of the photo, now restored and converted into office space for the Aleff Group - an international environmental management consultancy). To the right of the Cross Keys are a couple of buildings which are now gone and replaced with the Erith Playhouse theatre. To the far right is the White Hart pub, which is now the home of African restaurant The White Hart. The final photo in the bottom right corner of the postcard shows Erith Pier as it was when it was a working entity as part of the deep water wharf. The giant cranes are now long gone, the wharf is now rebuilt as a large Morrison's supermarket, and the pier is a very pleasant place to walk when the weather is nice (or if you are an angler, it is a good place to fish, year round, day or night).
The following press release was published by Bexley Council last Thursday morning:- "Five housing estates in Bexley have become havens for wildlife after being planted with new trees, hedgerows and wildflowers. Volunteers from local housing provider Orbit spent five days working on the green spaces at Lesney Farm Flats, Lesney Farm Houses and Wheelock Close in Erith and Upper Abbey Road and Rutland Gate in Belvedere to make improvements for local residents and wildlife alike. 15 trees, 5000m2 wildflowers and 3000 hedgerow whips were planted across the estates by Orbit volunteers and Grounds Maintenance Contractors, SLS. Joanna Crouch, Environmental Sustainability Manager for Orbit commented: “We want to create sustainable communities for the future in which our customers are proud to live. Making our outdoor spaces more biodiverse not only helps wildlife to thrive but also improves customers’ wellbeing by providing better and more local access to nature.” Orbit has worked closely with the Wildlife Trusts charity to ensure that its approach to managing the outdoor spaces within its housing estates, aligns with both the Trusts’ aims to ensure that 30% of outdoor spaces support nature’s recovery by 2030 as well as the UN Convention’s goals on Biological Diversity".
The large and nowadays rather run down and scruffy brick building located in Pier Road Erith in the advert above is called Electricity House – though many locals are unaware of this. It was built back in 1938 and opened in November 1939 as a showroom and offices for the local electricity company, which at the time was run by the council. Pre – war services such as gas, water and electricity supply were quite commonly managed and supplied by local councils; the idea of private companies being involved was something that did not happen until after the war had ended. Electricity House was also a place where new electrical customers could view domestic appliances which they could buy via hire purchase (it sounds like an early version of the former BrightHouse, but without the crippling interest rates). As well as the showroom, Electricity House was home to what contemporary accounts say was a very upmarket dance hall with a fully sprung Canadian Maple floor; there was also a small Pathe cinema. The local electricity business was astonishingly successful – probably much helped by the fact that it offered the cheapest metered electricity in the entire UK at the time – one penny per unit. Ten thousand local people signed up for electrification in the first month alone, attracted by the offer of free connection to the local power grid – unusual at the time – many suppliers would even charge for the copper cable to connect new customers. In 1939 the Erith electricity board made a (for then) massive profit of £13,000. The idea was that the money would be used to improve local services and amenities for all, but the advent of war meant that early in 1940 Electricity House was handed over for war work, and once peace was restored, the money intended to benefit local people was absorbed by the LEB during nationalisation, and nothing was ever seen of it. Much of Erith was still lit by gas until relatively recently. I believe that some houses in West Street did not get electricity until 1947 when the London Electricity Board was formed, and the local council control of power was nationalised. Electricity House last went up for sale by auction in October 2021, when it failed to sell. I have doubts over whether the next sale by auction on the 13th of December will be successful. I am aware that the medium to long term plans for the site are for it to be redeveloped as a number of apartment blocks, also covering the existing Pier Road car park. I feel that this may well deter any potential purchaser. You can read the full description of the property and the terms of the sale by clicking here.
The end video this week is a short piece on the Here Comes The Sun festival, which was held at The Exchange back at the end of March this year. It gives a very good impression of what the excellent event was like. Comments and feedback to me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.
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