Ceefax.

Three weeks ago, on the 15th of September, I published a story which featured two Bexleyheath businesses which had apparently gone bust; it turns out that I was actually incorrect in regards to one of the shops. The Home Land store, which was located in a very large double unit in Bexleyheath Broadway Shopping Centre had closed down. I assumed that it had gone out of business, but I was wrong. In the last week it has reopened in Erith Riverside Shopping Centre - photos above - click on either to see a larger view. The shop has taken over the vacant unit previously occupied by the Select clothing store. I wish the shop well, though I do wonder how it will compete with the Matalan store around the corner, which sells many similar items of home ware, and has a large advertising and publicity budget. I imagine that the owners of the Home Land store have got a very favourable lease agreed with the shopping centre operators, as the centre has lost so many retailers over the last couple of years - Wilco, Mambocino, Barclays, Select, Shoe Zone, and The Works leaving the shopping centre looking very forlorn and empty. It has become a vicious circle - shoppers do not visit Erith Riverside Shopping Centre, so shops close down and pull out, which leaves shops without customers, so more close or move away. Hopefully the opening of Home Land will signal the beginning of the end f this situation, and the return to prosperity of the centre of Erith. Comments and feedback to me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

This week marks the 50th anniversary of singer Dorothy Squires house in Wansunt Road, Bexley Village burning down in mysterious circumstances - allegedly the mansion was severely under insured. She escaped with her dog and all her love letters from her former husband Roger Moore. She then moved into a house in Bray next to the River Thames, which then flooded three weeks later. Dorothy Squires was a controversial figure in the entertainment industry. She was born as Edna May Squires in 1915 in a caravan in Pontyberem, Carmarthenshire, her journey was a roller coaster of triumphs and tribulations, leaving an indelible mark on the entertainment world. Squires' early life was far from glamorous. Raised in a working-class family, she yearned for a life beyond the Welsh valleys. Her powerful voice became her ticket out, landing her singing jobs in London clubs. While working as a nurse in London, Squires sought singing jobs; she met agent Joe Kay, who got her night time work in various clubs. Squires performed at an East End club that gave her the name Dorothy, which she liked and adopted as her stage name. Her breakthrough came after World War II with the BBC radio show "Variety Bandbox." Her popularity skyrocketed, making her the highest-paid female singer in the UK at the time. Her romantic relationship with songwriter Billy Reid further fueled her success. Hits like "The Gypsy," "A Tree in the Meadow," and "I'm Walking Behind You" (later a hit for Eddie Fisher) solidified her status as a singing sensation. By 1952 she had a personal fortune of £3 million - equivalent to roughly £73 million now. Squires' personal life was often turbulent. Her marriage to actor Roger Moore in 1953, while initially a glamorous affair, ended in a bitter divorce in 1961. This marked a turning point in her life, with legal battles and financial struggles overshadowing her career. In 1973, she was charged with high kicking a taxi driver who tried to throw her out of his cab. She was also one of several artists charged with bribing a BBC radio producer as part of a scheme to make him play her records; the case was later dropped. Known for her fiery personality and heavy intake of alcohol, Squires became embroiled in numerous lawsuits, often representing herself in court. In later life, Squires filed multiple frivolous lawsuits. She was banned from the High Court by 1982, and formally declared a "vexatious litigant" from 1987, requiring the court's permission to file any further cases. The legal expenses ultimately led to her bankruptcy. These legal battles, while showcasing her tenacity, also contributed to her declining public image and financial difficulties. Even as her personal life became increasingly chaotic, she continued to perform, her loyal fan base remaining devoted. Her later years saw her return to Wales, where she continued to sing until her health deteriorated. Dorothy Squires died from lung cancer in 1998 at the age of 83. Her remains are interred in a family plot in Streatham Park Cemetery.

This week marks another 50th anniversary, but this time of a major technological milestone: The advent of teletext services in the UK, with the launch of Ceefax on the BBC1. Until the mainstream adoption of the internet two decades later, teletext was an incredibly important source of news and information. Tens of millions of people used it on their TV every week – far more than read any newspapers or magazines at the time. In an era when papers only contained yesterday’s news and TV bulletins were just 30 minutes long, a few times a day, it was the closest thing we had to real time news. In an era before the internet and smartphones dominated communication. The name "Ceefax" was a clever play on words, signifying the ability to "see facts" on your television. The first test transmissions took place in 1972, and after a period of refinement, the service officially launched in October 1974 with just a few dozen pages of content. Initially, only a small number of television sets could decode the teletext signal, but as technology advanced, Ceefax gained wider accessibility. Ceefax held a unique place in the hearts of viewers. Ceefax was the world's first teletext service, offering a new way to access news, information, and entertainment directly through television screens. The concept of teletext emerged in the late 1960s, initially envisioned as a means to provide subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing. However, engineers soon realised its potential to deliver a wide range of content. The BBC's research and development team, led by John Adams, developed the technology that would become Ceefax. Ceefax debuted with a limited number of pages, primarily offering news headlines, weather forecasts, and sports results. Accessing Ceefax required a special decoder, which was initially expensive and not widely available. However, as the service grew and decoders were built into televisions as standard, its popularity soared. By the 1980s, Ceefax had expanded to include hundreds of pages, covering everything from financial news and travel information to recipes, travel news and horoscopes. The service also offered interactive features, allowing viewers to play games and participate in quizzes. Ceefax offered a diverse range of content, including news headlines, sports updates, weather forecasts, TV listings, financial information, and even recipes and travel guides. Its simple, text-based format made it easy to navigate using a television remote control. Each page had a unique three-digit number, allowing users to quickly jump to specific sections. Ceefax became an integral part of British television culture. Its blocky graphics were instantly recognisable. The service's simplicity and accessibility made it a valuable resource for people of all ages and backgrounds. Ceefax also played a crucial role in providing information during emergencies. During major events like the Falklands War and the Chernobyl disaster, Ceefax offered up-to-the-minute updates when other news sources were limited. he rise of the internet in the 1990s marked the beginning of the end for Ceefax. With the advent of faster and more comprehensive online information sources, teletext gradually lost its relevance. By the 2000s, its viewership had dwindled significantly. In 2012, after nearly four decades of service, the BBC announced the closure of Ceefax. The final broadcast took place on October 23rd, 2012, marking the end of an era in British television history. Comments to me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

In July of last year, I wrote an article about the forthcoming new road car from Caterham Cars, based in Dartford. The new car - which is currently being developed is in prototype form and is due for production some time in 2026. It will be a three-seat, fully-electric sports coupe called Project V – and it points to the British marque’s first new road-going production car in three decades. The classic Caterham 7 model is designed for occasional weekend and track day use, whereas the new Project V car will be designed for everyday use, and will be far more practical than the stripped out, barely road legal race car that is the 7. Project V has been designed from the ground up to be an electric car. Combustion engines are not being proposed, nor will they ever be. The Japanese-owned British company has previously confirmed that it won't build the Project V alongside the Caterham Seven in its Dartford factory and is in talks with a range of potential candidates to build the car on a contract basis. has edged closer to reality with the announcement that Yamaha will develop its electric power train - and the first prototype will be running in less than a year. Caterham has confirmed that the world's third-biggest motorbike manufacturer will equip the sub-£80k Project V sports coupé with a "cutting edge e-axle" and provide "its technology and expertise in vehicle motion control". Just over a year after the Project V concept was revealed at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Details of its Yamaha power train have yet to be confirmed, but the concept was said to have a single motor giving 268 bhp to the rear wheels for a sub-4.5 seconds 0-62 mph time. Caterham is "moving to the next phase of its development", en route to putting a final product in showrooms in the coming years. 

In another car related story, The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said registrations of new diesel cars in September for private buyers grew by around 17.2%. That is compared with an approximately 3.7% year-on-year rise for pure battery electrics – up 430 units – despite heavy discounting by manufacturers. People are not buying electric vehicles in anything like the numbers predicted. The SMMT and senior UK leaders at major vehicle manufacturers such as Ford, Stellantis, Jaguar Land Rover and Volkswagen Group have written to Chancellor Rachel Reeves calling for urgent support to encourage more consumers to switch to electric motoring, ahead of her Budget on October 30. The signatories called for measures such as halving VAT on new EV purchases and reducing VAT on public charging from 20% to 5% to match the home charging rate. The signatories added that the industry will “likely miss” targets set by the zero emission vehicle mandate, which requires at least 22% of new cars and 10% of new vans sold by each manufacturer in the UK this year to be zero emission, which in most cases means pure electric. Manufacturers face being required to pay the Government £15,000 per polluting vehicle sold above the limits, or purchase credits from rival companies.

Last Wednesday, London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced plans to secure funding for extending the Docklands Light Railway from Gallions Reach to Thamesmead, which has previously been expected to cost around £1.7 billion. This ambitious project, spearheaded by Transport for London (TfL), envisions two new stations: one at Beckton Riverside and another in the heart of Thamesmead. The extension will not only breathe new life into these areas but also unlock their potential for growth and development.  Thamesmead residents will gain direct access to the DLR network, providing seamless connections to key destinations like Canary Wharf, Stratford, and central London. This enhanced connectivity will reduce reliance on cars and promote the use of public transport. The project is expected to facilitate the construction of up to 30,000 new homes along the route, addressing London's pressing housing needs. Additionally, it is estimated to create thousands of jobs, boosting the local economy. By encouraging a shift towards public transport, the DLR extension will contribute to a greener, more sustainable London. Reduced car dependency will lead to lower carbon emissions and improved air quality. While the DLR extension to Thamesmead is still in the planning phase, the project has gained significant momentum. With continued community support and government funding, this transformative vision is expected to become a reality in the early 2030s. This plan was announced as news broke that the 30 new DLR trains, which were due to enter service around now have been delayed indefinitely. TfL said the new trains had some problems during the testing phase. The latest explanation actually has more to do with the old DLR trains than the new ones: the transport authority has said that ‘signalling problems’ on the track have meant the DLR trains are currently going ‘too fast’. That is not just a safety issue - it also interferes with the timetable, making it difficult to schedule the introduction of new trains into the network. Plus, there have been issues integrating the brake mechanism of the new trains with the current signalling system on the track. TfL’s chief capital officer Stuart Harvey said in a press release that:- ‘The discovery of the signalling issue means that further detailed analysis and software modifications need to take place. We are working hard to bring the new trains into service as soon as possible.’

Because I only publish once a week, on Sundays, I sometimes miss out on local stories that have been picked up by other local sources. On this occasion, Malcolm Knight of the excellent "Bexley is Bonkers" Blog has already published this story, which I repeat here. This announcement was originally published by Bexley Council:- "London Borough of Bexley is investing in safety improvements on the most widely used roundabouts in Bexleyheath Town Centre to ensure that this essential infrastructure continues to be sustainable. The safety improvement works will start on Monday 7 October at the Townley Road roundabout. To minimise disruption the work to upgrade safety features will be carried out in phases however road closures and diversions will need to be in place. Phase one starts on Monday 7 October and lasts until Friday 11 October at Townley Road roundabout. Traffic travelling east/west along Albion Road will be unaffected. Traffic needing to turn and travel down Townley Road will be diverted and will need to go either to the Oaklands car park roundabout or the Highland Road roundabout and make an about-turn at these.Phase two will begin on Monday 14 October at Highland Road roundabout – Traffic travelling east / west will be unaffected but turns into Highland Road will be via Townley roundabout and the Gravel Hill roundabout. Phase three will begin on Monday 21 October southbound on Gravel Hill. Gravel Hill will be shut southbound between the Broadway roundabout and the Albion Road roundabout. Diversions will be signposted. Phase four will begin on Monday 28 October at the Albion Road and Broadway roundabouts. Albion Road eastbound from the Albion Road car park, Gravel Hill between Albion Road and Broadway and westbound into Broadway from the roundabout will be closed. Diversions will be signposted. Phase five will begin on 4 November at the Albion Road and Broadway roundabouts. Further details will follow on any diversions needed once known. During the Townley Road roadworks TfL will place temporary replacement bus stops on Townley Road, south of the Roundabout between Albion Road and Latham Road. This affects bus routes 269 and SL3.The bus stop directly opposite Bexleyheath Library which serves routes B13 and B14 will remain open as usual and those routes will just follow the planned diversion".

The end video this week features a man undertaking the Erith section of the London LOOP walk. comments and feedback as always to me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.