Uprising.

A controversial film with decidedly mixed critical reviews is currently showing in UK cinemas. It is called The Uprising and it is a very loose dramatic account of the 1381 Peasants Revolt. The historical revolt started and mainly took place in and around the local area, principally Dartford, Greenhithe, Abbey Wood and Crayford, before moving into London. Some years ago I wrote at length about this important historical event, which I reprint below with updates and additions. The events portrayed in the current film The Uprising have been regarded as controversial, as the film conflates the real historical events with the advent of the literary and mythical character of Robin Hood, when in reality there was no such connection. My research indicates that this was due to the influence of the films US distributor without the permission of the British film company, or the director. The film has a mostly British cast, but principal photography took place in Germany. The film portrays both historically accurate characters, and a number who were completely fictional. As a result of this, the film has had some very negative reviews, and a few positive ones. Unfortunately, while some parts of it have some historical veracity, much of the film is no more than a historically set action movie with little in common with what actually happened back in 1381. I will now recount what historians understand actually happened during the real Peasants Revolt, and not what an action film would have you believe. The photos above show the exterior of one of the oldest buildings still standing in Dartford town centre. The pub is called the Wat Tyler, but its actual connection to the Peasants Uprising is somewhat tenuous, to say the least, despite what popular myth might have you believe. The pub is one of the oldest buildings still in daily use in Dartford. The statement on the sign on the outside wall of the pub stating that Wat Tyler and members of his band drank at the pub before going to London to air their grievances to King Richard II is actually fanciful, tourist serving rubbish. The pub was actually known as the Crown and Anchor until 1966. The pub in any case, whilst very old, was not built until around 100 years after the Peasants Revolt. What is also interesting is that Wat Tyler gets all of the credit and fame for the Peasants Revolt, but in reality he was not even the leader of the group when it started. Here is some background to the Peasants Revolt, and what sparked it. By 1380, medieval Europe was in a shambles. There was plague and famine: The Black Death in 1348 had killed as much as one-half of the entire continent. The Hundred Years War between England and France, meanwhile, was dragging on and on. Religious law held sway, and people lived in ignorance and superstition. There was a rigidly hierarchical social structure that had existed for centuries, which fixed forever one’s place in society—one inherited the job of one’s father, whether it was a farm labourer or pig-keeper, an artisan like a blacksmith or carpenter, or a nobleman. It was a horrible time to be alive. In an odd irony, the devastation wrought by war and plague actually made things better in some ways for the peasantry. With so many people gone, there was now both a large amount of unoccupied land and a severe shortage of peasant labour to work it. The balance of economic power had unexpectedly swung to the favour of the peasantry, and they tried to take full advantage: demands were made for higher pay, better living conditions, and more land. The nobility fought back using pure repression: royal decrees were sent which limited the amount of pay and land a peasant could get and which restricted his movements, forcing him to stay on the manor estate on which he was born and preventing him from leaving to find work elsewhere. As social tensions became ever greater, an explosion was inevitable. In 1381, the English King was Richard II, only 14 years old. The real power lay with the advisors who ruled in his stead—especially with the King’s uncle, John of Gaunt. It was John who decided that the royal treasury needed more money to pay for the interminable war with France, so he created a new “poll tax”. This had nothing to do with an electoral poll: it was a simple head tax, to be paid by every adult male and married female in the country—and the same amount was to be paid by everyone regardless of how wealthy or poor they were. Today, we would consider this to be blatantly unfair—and so did the medieval peasantry. But while modern citizens can protest unfair taxes by voting and petitions, medieval people had no political or social rights at all—they were little better than slaves. Some of England’s peasantry found a way to avoid paying the new poll tax. England’s government depended upon local church records of marriages, births and deaths to keep track of each area’s census, and this record was often incomplete. Sometimes by bribery or favour, but mostly just by oversight and error, many people—as much as one-third of the population in some areas—did not actually appear on the tax rolls and therefore never paid the tax. When the King’s treasurers added up the money, they found that they were short. And so, they made the near-fatal decision to send in “commissioners” to find all the ones who had avoided the tax and make them pay up. The heavy-handed methods used by these commissioners provoked widespread resentment; many people were forced to pay another tax even though they had already paid the first time. On the 2nd June 1381, Lesnes Abbey in what is now known as Abbey Wood, was attacked by a mob of peasants armed with farm tools, led by a man named Abel Kerr, who was from Erith, and thought to have been a fisherman by trade. The Abbey quickly surrendered, and the tax records kept inside were burned. At the same time, other rebel leaders had gathered in the village of Bocking, in Essex, to draw up a manifesto. This was no disorganised mob of bandits and malcontents: it was an extraordinarily well-disciplined group of social rebels who knew exactly what they wanted to achieve, and now formed a comprehensive plan for how to get it. At Bocking they declared that while they had no quarrel with the young King Richard, they sought the removal of many of his advisors, including John of Gaunt. But they also put out a radical new demand: “to have no laws of England, only which they themselves had moved to be ordained”. It was the first time in European history that anyone had demanded that common people have the right to make their own laws. In a series of coded messages, word of the rebellion and its aims was sent to most of southern England. Within a week, the rebels had gathered an army of peasantry led by Abel Kerr - untrained and not well-armed, but large enough to pose a serious threat. Some of its officers were English Army troops who had been ordered to France but had deserted instead. The first target was the castle at Rochester, where a local serf was being held on charges of running away from his manor lord. The rebels took the castle without a fight—the serfs inside had opened the gates and let them in. Other strongholds soon followed. At around this time - records are somewhat imprecise (very few of the people involved in the Peasants Revolt were literate, and history tends to be written by the victors), a new leader of the revolt emerged; a man called Walter "Wat" whose profession was a house roof tiler - and thus got the name Wat Tyler. At this point, the Peasants Revolt took its most amazing turn of all - Wat Tyler and his men, numbering at least 60,000, decided to march on London, capture the Archbishop, and present their demands for reform to King Richard II himself. At the same time, other peasant armies from Cambridge and Essex converged on London (stopping along the way long enough to behead the chief royal tax collector in Essex and burn all the tax rolls). They began to arrive on the evening of June the 12th . As more and more groups of peasants approached, the young King and his councillors fled to the safety of the royal fortress at The Tower of London, the most secure place in the city and impossible for any but the most powerful and well-equipped army to take by force. But once in the Tower, the royal government was itself effectively trapped: the entire population of London at the time was only 40,000 people, and with most of the English Army away fighting in France there was only a small garrison of a few hundred in the city, enough to protect the King inside the fortress, but not enough to go out and drive away the much large peasant army in combat. There then occurred one of the most extraordinary events in English history: the young King Richard II and some of his advisors boarded a river barge and sailed to the place where the peasant army was encamped. Remaining on the boat, safe from possible capture, the King of England began talks with the rebellious peasantry. Unsure of how large the rebellion was, or even what the rebels wanted, Richard II at first simply demanded that the insurgent army should disperse and go home. Instead, the rebels submitted a list of names—high-ranking advisors to the King, many of whom were right there on the boat with him—which they wanted handed over to them for “justice”. Richard refused, and the barge returned to the Tower. The rebels decided to follow him. The demands the peasants wanted were divided into two groups; the first group were:- "End to serfdom (bonded labour). Free market (i.e. serfs could sell produce wherever they liked). Land rent to be reduced to 4d per acre. Free pardon for anyone involved in the uprising". The second group of demands were:- "Abolition of the aristocracy (except for the King). Abolition of the senior clergy (except for John Ball, as the next Archbishop of Canterbury). Local courts. Local police forces". These demands made, Pouring towards London, the peasants were joined by city residents who sympathised with them. On June 13th, the mass of people made their way to the only place where they could cross the River Thames - London Bridge. After entering the city, they killed a number of lawyers at the Courts of Justice and burned the estate house of the King’s uncle John of Gaunt (Gaunt himself was away in Scotland). Gathering up the stores of silver, gold and jewellery there, the rebels neither stole it nor redistributed it: instead, they dumped it all into the Thames. This was not an act of mere theft or looting: it was a conscious and deliberate political protest. By nightfall, the peasants controlled almost all of London. Richard II was now a virtual prisoner inside The Tower of London. Nearly half of the entire country was in revolt. The English peasantry—viewed by the nobility as savages who were barely above an animal level of ability—had organised a nationwide uprising, formed a powerful military force, planned and carried out a targeted campaign of political violence, and now had the royal government itself on its knees. At this point, though, the rebels were still rather naively convinced that the King was not their enemy—was perhaps even a supporter—but was being misled by bad advisors, and could be won to respect the rights of common Englishmen if only they could talk to him. Through a messenger, King Richard, having really no choice, sent word to the rebel leaders: he would ride out and meet them the following day. Then the rebels casually mentioned that they also wanted the heads of several of the King’s advisors. Richard left, promising only that the councillors would “receive justice”. The crowd followed, all the way to the Tower. In 300 years, The Tower of London had never fallen in battle, but when the peasants arrived, they found the gates open, probably by sympathisers. Swarming inside, they quickly found the Archbishop of Canterbury—who they held responsible for the poll tax—and beheaded him in the Tower’s chapel. The treasury minister soon followed. By the end of the day, convinced they had won all their demands, most of the peasant army left London and began the long walk home to the countryside. One small group of rebels remained behind. Led by Wat Tyler, they wanted more, and confronted King Richard the next day.  It is not clear how much of what happened on June 15, 1381, was planned and how much was accidental. With the rebel force now reduced to about 300 men and the hardcore leadership of the revolt in front of him, Richard II, though just a boy of 14, may have seen an opportunity to save his kingdom with his own force of about 200 men, and may have set up the meeting as a trap for the rebel leader, willing to risk everything in a final fight. Wat Tyler and King Richard met on horseback in the centre of the field, with their retinues behind them. As Tyler began to list his demands, a scuffle broke out involving one of the King’s squires. Tyler was attacked by the Mayor of London and stabbed, falling wounded off his horse. And then, just as it seemed that open combat would break out, the young Richard II boldly rode up to the peasant forces and shouted, “You shall have no other King but me—follow me!” He led them off to another nearby field. The wounded Tyler was taken inside a nearby chapel. And then, whether pre-planned or not, the final blow fell. As the peasant force gathered behind the King, every available royal force in London was quickly moved to surround them. Tyler, meanwhile, was dragged out into the street by royal troops and beheaded. The severed head was delivered to the King just as the royal troops surrounded them. The rebels all dropped their weapons and surrendered. With their leader dead, the bulk of their army disbanded, and the belief that the King was on their side shattered, the Peasant Revolt died almost as quickly as it had arisen. King Richard’s retribution was swift. Determined that such a revolt could never happen again, he hunted down and killed every rebel leader he could find — hundreds were executed by “hanging, drawing and quartering”, others were beheaded or hung. Thousands more were unofficially executed by local authorities, without even a trial. Of the rebel leaders, all but one were killed by the authorities. The only survivor was Abel Kerr, who mysteriously disappeared and was never heard from again. Whether he assumed a new identity, or was smuggled out of the country, we may never know. Whilst the story of the Peasants Revolt and the failed coup by Wat Tyler is well known, the leading role of Erith resident Abel Kerr is almost unknown. Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

As many locals will be acutely aware, there have been extensive roadworks for many months in Fraser Road in Erith. There have been various traffic restrictions during the period, including having the road completely inaccessible to any traffic, and later a one way restriction, as can be seen in the photo above - click on it to see a larger view. This has meant that the very popular and well used 99 bus which travels between Woolwich and Bexleyheath via Plumstead, Bostall Heath, Belvedere, Erith, Slade Green and Barnehurst before returning in the opposite direction, has been on diversion for many months. I was informed that as of Friday the 16th Ocober that the roadworks had at long last been completed, and Fraser Road was returned to full access. Big businesses such as the Wickes DIY and construction trade store have enough financial clout to absorb the loss of trade that the long term access restrictions have caused, but I and others are concerned about the long term effects on smaller, independent business in Fraser Road, such as the highly rated and normally very busy T-Bones Cafe, which relies heavily on passing trade. I suppose that time will tell.

It would appear that things have moved on rapidly since I wrote the article in last week's blog update about the Morrison's supermarket chain, and how they had been in unsuccessful negotiations to merge with Sainsbury's, and how they are currently in talks with Asda about merging with them. As I wrote at the time, I think it somewhat unlikely because Asda are also owned by a private equity company, and like Morrisons are saddled with a huge amount of debt. It now transpires that Morrison's may be put up for sale by its current owner, the private equity company Clayton, Dubilier and Rice. The supermarket chain has struggled to regain ground against Tesco, Sainsbury's and the German discount stores Aldi and Lidl, although its recent figures show somewhat of an improvement, albeit over previously terrible financial returns. Many private equity firms purchased UK businesses prior to the global pandemic, when borrowing was cheap and valuations were financially reasonable. Now the private equity firms find themselves having to deal with increasing inflation, higher interest rates and a prolonged squeeze on consumer spending, this has caused them to experience pressure from their investors to return money. This will prove extremely difficult, as retail businesses are facing falling sales, heavy debts, or substantial turnaround costs. The increase in interest rates makes borrowing considerably more expensive than it was when the private equity firms bought the various retailers, Morrisons included. Much of the recent upsurge in financial income that Morrisons has experienced in the past few months is just used to pay monthly instalments on the crippling interest rates of the £7 billion that Clayton, Dubilier and Rice paid for the supermarket, and then transferred the debt from their own books onto those of Morrisons. I am not an economist or an accountant, but I am led to believe that whilst it sounds extremely dodgy, this kind of financial transfer is actually legal under English law. 

Many thanks to regular reader and professional journalist Russell for bringing the following story to my attention. As I have previously written, I do rely on readers to inform me of stories that they have come across that relate to the local area and which may be of interest to others. I was quite shocked to discover that starting on Monday the 2nd of November 2026 and running right through until June 2028, many of the roads in and around Shooters Hill will be closed and unavailable to traffic. This is because Thames Water will be running a major programme to replace around 7.3 km of water mains in order to rectify ongoing problems with water main bursts. I am led to understand that since 2017 there have been 737 property hours of interrupted water supplies to residents of Shooters Hill. Unfortunately, a major engineering project of this nature will take at least 20 months to be fully undertaken. This will entail road closures, bus diversions and problems for motorists. It will not just affect Shooters Hill, but would also cause problems for road users in Bexleyheath, Welling, Eltham, Kidbrooke, Woolwich, Charlton and users of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, as ambulances will have to also be diverted. As a result of this planned work, there will be a public meeting for all of those affected and members of the public who may have concerns over this issue which will take place Wednesday the 21st of October, from 4 pm to 7 pm, at Shrewsbury House Community Centre, Bushmoor Crescent, Shooters Hill, SE18 3EG. Residents can speak to Thames Water staff about the programme and its potential impact on their neighbourhood. Thames Water says similar mains replacement projects elsewhere in London, including Camden, have significantly reduced leaks and bursts. The Shooters Hill project is expected to continue until June 2028, with the council hoping the improvements will provide a more reliable water supply and reduce the need for disruptive emergency repairs. You can read more about the forthcoming Shooters Hill road closures by clicking here. 

There has been a commercial bakery located in Northumberland Heath for 140 years; the image above shows an advertisement for Grooms bakery from back in 1986, when the bakery celebrated its centenary. The giant bakery located in Belmont Road is still there, although nowadays it is owned and operated by Hovis. 

Earlier in this week's Blog update, I wrote about the major roadworks that are shortly to be affecting the area in and around Shooters Hill. The end video this week is the full Time Team episode where they investigate the archaeological World War II history of the area, and how it would have been the site of a massive defensive battle, had there had been a Nazi invasion of Britain in 1940. The video is the full 48 minute long original Time Team episode, which I know many people missed when it was originally transmitted. I have a family connection with this piece of both local and national history. My late Grandfather on my Mother's side was in the Home Guard during World War II, as he was in a reserved occupation. My grandparents lived in Blackfen. In the event of a Nazi invasion, he would have almost certainly been one of the soldiers assigned to man the defences at Shooters Hill. Comments to me as usual at hugh.neal@gmail.com.  

Forest.

Many thanks to regular reader and occasional contributor. John for the photo above. Click on it to see a larger version. John tells me that the photo was taken recently in the Abbey Ruins in Abbey Wood. Forest hire bikes are not legally able to operate within the London Borough of Bexley. The photograph underlines the issue that I have written about extensively in the recent past. Both conventional pedal cycles and electric bikes from various hire companies are regularly being stolen and dumped locally. This is a problem not just for the hire companies, but also for Bexley Council, and also local pedestrians when the bikes are dumped on the pavement, as is a common practice. Parents with small children in buggies, wheelchair, users, and people with reduced visual ability particularly find this irresponsible behaviour to be extremely problematic. It can force vulnerable people off the pavement and into the traffic flow on the road, with the associated dangers this brings. It can also mean people with visual problems trip over the dumped bikes, potentially causing injury. Part of the problem appears to be that the councils that do permit the use of rental bikes seem to have very different rules and regulations regarding their use. In my opinion, the whole of the UK needs to have a firm set of properly enforced laws regarding the use of such transportation. It would protect both the bike hire companies, and also the general public, as well as keeping the situation clear for the bike riders using the various services. At present with each local authority setting their own rules, and some also prohibiting the use of hire bikes, the current situation is in my opinion a confusing mess. Comments to me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Almost exactly a year ago, I wrote an article on the proposed redevelopment of Erith Post Office into a new block of flats. To refresh readers memories, I repeat my comments here:- "There have been rumours circulating locally for the best part of the last decade about the future of the site of Erith post office. Various plans have been discussed, and options put forward but it is only now that a fully specified development proposal has been published. BexleyCo Homes wants to build a development, which will include 33 homes which would include 31 flats and two townhouses at the site at 89 Erith High Street. As many readers will be aware, much of Erith High Street is a conservation area and several of the buildings located there are additionally locally listed. Adjacent to the post office site is a closed small industrial unit which used to be used by a company which made signs for use in both corporate and leisure activities, but when they left the building that side of the structure has been left empty. From what is currently being published, 3/4 of the homes would have two bedrooms. Eight flats would have three bedrooms and the remaining flats would be one bedroom. None of these would be for affordable rent. What is currently unclear is whether the post office would remain on the ground floor or be removed during the redevelopment. I think it is important this is clarified soon. Erith post office is very heavily used, and one of the most popular locations within the town centre. There are many people who have small independent businesses selling goods online on websites such as eBay and they can be found taking items to post to customers usually early in the afternoon each weekday, which is one of the reasons it's probably best to avoid the post office during this period, and to visit it in the morning wherever possible, as it tends to be a lot quieter then. It would be a great loss to the community if the post office was to close, as it is heavily used and I'm fully aware that there are people who come from places like Upper Belvedere to use Erith post office rather than their own local one, as they find the service in Erith to be far superior. In addition to this, the town has no banks now after Barclays closed in the town centre a few years ago, and the post office is one of the only places where you can pay in cash and there are a number of traders in and around Erith who primarily deal with cash and would not want to travel to Bexleyheath with the risk of being mugged during that journey. I understand that the facade of the post office building is to be retained as it is locally listed, but it is unclear whether the internals and the post office service will be kept. Personally, I am uncomfortable with the proposed block of flats, as it greatly dominates the most historic part of the town, and would overlook Erith Playhouse and the Cross Keys Centre. The planning proposal says that if they get to build the block it would be six stories higher. But as we know from experience the block of flats built pn the former Police Station site in Upper Belvedere on the corner of Nuxley Road and Woolwich Road was proposed and exhibited during public consultations at one height and mysteriously, when it was built they had added an additional floor. I am concerned that the developers might try a similar trick on the post office site". Since I originally wrote that piece, there have been developments. Firstly, it was originally decided at that the post office would temporarily relocate operations to the unit previously used by Bexley Council on the ground floor of Erith Riverside Shopping Centre, adjacent to the pedestrian air bridge that connects the two sections of the shopping centre. The unit had previously been used for several purposes, none of which seemed to last, I suspect this was because very few people knew where it was, and the location was quite out of the way and did not attract much in the way of passing trade. Originally I was informed that the existing post office ground floor building was to be maintained whilst the block of flats was built above it. Once the construction was complete, the post office staff would be able to move back into their original building. As you can see from the architects illustration of the proposed new construction in the image above, the historic post office building was to be retained. Unfortunately, the latest reports seem to indicate that the entire original locally listed structure could possibly be demolished and replaced just by flats. This is not confirmed, and some confusion still exists regarding the exact project plan. I would hope that the existing facade is indeed retained. It is now suggested that the post office will permanently be relocated to a site which might well be adjacent to the Energie fitness gym located at 98 Erith High Street. I believe that this is subject to successful negotiation. Thus, even if the original post office red brick facade is kept, the building will no longer actually house the post office, it will just be for show. This is not definitive, and would appear to be still subject to possible further change.

After five years, the site of the former Great Harry pub in Parsonage Manorway, Upper Belvedere has finally been sold, and will be redeveloped as residential apartments. Local residents have noticed that a number of signs have been erected on the hoarding that surrounds the derelict building, the large car park and former beer garden. The signs warned that the structure is to be demolished as can be seen in the photo above - click on it to see a larger version. The area of land involved is extremely large, and was advertised for sale for £2.5 million. How much it actually sold for is currently unclear, but it must have been for a considerable amount of money. I am always disturbed and annoyed when historic pubs such as the former Leather Bottle in Lower Belvedere get demolished - in the case of that pub, To my understanding, it was done completely illegally and the person responsible was prosecuted, although they are still acting in a very dubious manner, as any person who reads the Bexley is Bonkers Blog will understand. However, in the case of the Great Harry, I do not believe that many people will be upset by its loss. I have spoken to several readers who had visited the pub in the past, as had I some years ago. In all of our opinions, the pub had little character, and almost no atmosphere. It was a typical 1950's built flat roofed pub with very little to recommend it, and no real architectural merit. It was a classic case that the land it was standing on was worth far more than the building. I do feel sorry for the residents of nearby roads, who will have to put up with increased noise, dust and other air pollution and disruption caused by construction machinery and lorries taking away rubble and spoil as the current building is demolished. There will then be a period following this where the new block of flats are constructed. I think it will mean inconvenience for locals for at least 18 months and maybe longer. On the positive side, once the flats are occupied, local businesses on the opposite side of Parsonage Manorway will benefit from an increase in trade as a result. You can see more details of the old pub and the current site prior to demolition by clicking here. *Update* - I have subsequently been informed by resident living nearby, that demolition of the Great Harry pub started last Thursday morning. 

As I have written several times in the past, I do rely heavily on suggestions and input from my readers regarding stories that may be of interest to a wider audience. This has proved to be true last week. Again, as regular readers will be fully aware, I have written extensively about the serious problems facing supermarket chain Morrisons, and how they have been struggling in the market, losing customers and increasing their level of financial debt. Several readers contacted me last week to say that they had read a story that Morrisons had been in talks with retail giant Sainsbury's about a possible merger. I had predicted something of this kind in the past, but was of the opinion. It was more likely to be either Aldi or Lidl. The PR team at Morrisons couched the statement that they were looking for a corporate partner as if it would be a potential merger of equals, when in fact any such arrangement would probably be a takeover, not a merger, with Morrisons being absorbed into the larger chain. It has since come to light that the the potential arrangement with Sainsbury's did not go ahead for reasons that are currently unclear. I have since discovered thanks to several readers that discussions are now underway with rival supermarket chain Asda, again this would most likely be a takeover. Again, I think this is unlikely to take place for a number of reasons. Morrisons are owned by the giant American Private equity company Clayton, Dubilier and Rice, who have in my opinion essentially run it into the ground since they purchased Morrisons. Asda is also owned by a private equity company called TDR Capital, and is also already heavily in debt. In my opinion, the only reason that Asda would purchase Morrisons would be to further asset strip it, selling off many retail locations and thus depriving communities of their local supermarket, and many employees of their jobs. I think that the Competition and Markets Authority would look quite dimly at any arrangement like this, and possibly block it. Whatever arrangements happen in the future, the one thing I think is now inevitable is the future demise of Morrisons as an independent supermarket chain. I share the view of many people in that Morrison's has been going downhill steadily since it was sold into private equity and was no longer a family-run business, as it had been for around 100 years. 

The following event has been publicised in the Talk of Thamesmead publication - which I thought might be of interest to some readers. The announcement reads:- "Steampunk Spooktacular - Location: Crossness Pumping Station, Bazalgette Way, SE2 9AQ.  Date: Saturday 17 October and Sunday 18 October.  Time: 10am-4pm.  Price: From £20.37 for adults, from £27.26 for family tickets, free for under-5s. Info: crossness.org.uk Crossness Pumping Station’s regular steaming days return with a Halloween twist this month. Hop on a vintage Routemaster bus at Abbey Wood Station, then ride the narrow-gauge railway at Crossness to the Grade I-listed ‘cathedral of sewage’. The historic Prince Consort steam engine will be in action on both days, along with three other Victorian beam engines. Enjoy a children’s scavenger hunt, steampunk costumes and  characters, plus craft and curiosity stalls. Family activities include competitive biscuit-eating and cuddly toy-slinging contests".

The 9th to the 15th of October is National Baby Loss Awareness Week. Coincidentally I was sent the photo above - click on it to see a larger view - a few days ago. It shows a shop that recently opened in The Mall (formerly the Broadway Shopping Centre) in Bexleyheath. "Handmade with Love" is a charity shop with a difference. The small chain of shops are operated by a registered charity called Making Miracles, which supports parents who have lost babies or toddlers. The shops are unusual compared with most high street charity outlets, in that "Handmade with Love" only sell brand new items - usually clothing or accessories for babies and small children, that are actually made by volunteers within the charity. They do not sell donated used items as is commonplace in most charity shops. They support a very worthwhile cause, and I am glad to see them operating locally, as they also highlight a tragic event that can happen to many families. My only concern about the shop in Bexleyheath is that The Mall is known for charging very high shop rentals, and I do wonder how much the charity is having to pay to occupy their new outlet. I sincerely hope that the operators of the mall have charged a concessionary fee, and not the full commercial rental rate. 

The end video this week covers a historic local subject that I have previously written at some length about. The short lived and controversial Dartford Tunnel bus service for cyclists, that operated between the opening of the tunnel in 1963, and the middle of 1965. The video offers some footage previously thought to have been lost, and explains the very unusual configuration of the small fleet of custom coach built double decker vehicles that operated the service, until they were decommissioned and sold for scrap in late 1965, losing the operators a large amount of money in the process. Please send comments and feedback as always to me at hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

Empty.

The photo above - click on it to see a larger view was taken by a reader who prefers to remain anonymous. It shows the interior of the large Morrison's supermarket in Erith on a weekday morning. As is abundantly clear, the store was almost empty of customers. This situation is becoming regular, as it would appear that many formerly loyal shoppers are abandoning the supermarket chain to purchase foodstuffs elsewhere. This and several other photos were sent to me last week, coincidentally with the announcement in several trade publications including The Grocer and The Retail Gazette. Both of these trade organisations have reported that Morrison's have already made sweeping changes across its entire UK store estate, including shutting cafes, market kitchens, convenience stores, florists and selected fresh food counters. They now are apparently preparing to sell off the pharmacy department that exists in many of their larger supermarkets. The pharmacies have been run internally by Morrison's for a very long time. They are now in the process of individually selling off the pharmacy operation to independent chemist shops. The word is that the pharmacy units will still exist within Morrison's supermarkets, but will be owned and run by other businesses. This is another attempt for the supermarket chain to try and reduce its huge level of financial debt. It has been reported that the company has been seeking buyers for dozens of its in-store pharmacies with sites being sold on a branch by branch basis rather than as part of a single portfolio deal. This news coincides with an announcement made that German supermarket chain Aldi plans to invest a record, additional £900 million in building more than 40 new UK supermarkets. Aldi currently has 1,092 stores across the UK and Ireland, and is aiming to increase its estate to 1,500 locations over the long term. This does not bode well for competitors such as Morrison's, who are still doing extremely badly in a very competitive market. Locally I feel that Morrison's will only suffer more in Erith when the forthcoming Lidl supermarket eventually opens in Fraser Road. However, the delay in the demolition of the small retail park currently on the site, and the construction of the new store seems to have been delayed. I know that a number of locals have contacted Lidl to find out why, but have so far been met with silence. Comments and feedback to me at hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

On April the 12th 1884, a powerful earthquake shook an area from Woolwich to as far as Margate. Initially residents thought that one of the armament storage warehouses at Woolwich Royal Arsenal had exploded – as had happened back on Saturday the first of October 1864, when two massive gunpowder stores on the marshes in Lower Belvedere detonated – which was one of the largest non – nuclear explosions in British history - I wrote at length about that incident last week. It was understandable therefore that almost twenty years later, many who experienced the massive explosion would automatically assume that the earthquake was caused by another accident whilst handling explosives. The earthquake was a different beast altogether; the epicentre of the quake was in South Essex, from there the shock waves spread out causing disturbance over an area somewhat in excess of 53,000 square miles. It measured 6.9 on the Richter scale and caused buildings to sway and develop structural cracks, chimneys to collapse, slates to cascade down roofs, and several fires were caused. In North Kent, well away from the epicentre, the effects were still profound. People were understandably terrified – the ground beneath their feet was moving, and great clouds of dust rose into the air. Some people were knocked over, whilst others were sick with fright. Some even wondered if the day of judgement had come, as the motion of the earthquake caused many church bells to ring spontaneously. Eventually the earthquake passed; fortunately there were few serious injuries and no reported deaths. To date the Kent earthquake of 1884 remains one of the most serious geological events to have taken place in England. Let’s hope we are not scheduled for another, as the potential damage both to life and infrastructure would be proportionally worse nowadays – there were few gas mains, almost no electricity cables and certainly no fibre – optic lines for an earthquake to destroy back in 1884 – the same most certainly could not be said of today. Contemporary journalist J.E Taylor wrote of the earthquake:- "At last the people of these islands have been enabled to realise the meaning of the term “earthquake,” so terrible in its significance in many other parts of the globe. On Tuesday morning, at a time variously given from 9.15 to 9.30, a shock which was really alarming and did considerable damage was felt over the Eastern Counties and as far west as London and even Rugby. The centre of disturbance seems to have been at Colchester, and the wave apparently travelled from south-east to north-west, though impressions vary on this point. At Colchester, in addition to the undulations of the earth, subterranean rumblings were heard, buildings rocked to and fro, the streets were strewn with debris of fallen chimneys, a chapel spire was thrown to the ground, and other signs of seismic disturbance were evident, familiar enough to those who have been in countries where such phenomena are common occurrences. The shock, when it was most intense, commenced with a rumbling sound, increasing in intensity for about twenty seconds, and then suddenly stopped. It extended to Chelmsford, Cambridge, Northampton, Ipswich, Sudbury, Rugby, Leicestershire; it included London and the surrounding district in its sweep, and even caused some alarm in the Strand. At Woolwich it was so strong that some persons attributed the shock and noise to the bursting of a heavy gun".

A 104 year old local football club is currently on the verge of bankruptcy. Erith & Belvedere football club was founded in 1922, and for many decades was based in Lower Belvedere. Its ground at the time was located in what is now the B&Q store and Asda Supermarket adjacent to Belvedere Railway Station. The ground was eventually abandoned to to frequent flooding, and a major fire in their club house, and the team relocated to a shared ground with Welling United FC. Erith & Belvedere have been in financial difficulty for some time, and I am led to believe that this came to a head last month. Club chairman Paul Springett said in an interview with the Kent Online news website:- "We were genuinely facing the possibility” of closing its doors for good just over a month ago. Erith & Belvedere remains in a perilous financial position as we continue to deal with legacy debts. These are incredibly difficult times, and running a football club at this level is becoming harder by the day. Just over a month ago, we were genuinely facing the possibility of the club closing its doors for good. A High Court writ had to be paid in full to ensure the club could continue, and although that secured our immediate future, it has put an enormous strain on the club’s finances. It has been a huge struggle. But we are still here. And that is down to the people who continue to believe". Springett praised the management team and players for continuing to support the club despite its financial difficulties. He said: “I feel incredibly fortunate to have a management team and group of players who continue to give everything for this club, with many effectively working for little or nothing because they believe in what we are trying to build. That means more to me than I can put into words Our income is primarily generated through match days and functions. We don’t currently have the benefit of owning our own ground and generating additional revenue from ground hire, youth fixtures and passing trade. Instead, we are paying thousands every month to outside operators while doing everything we can to bring people through the turnstiles. We are fighting to survive while simultaneously trying to build for tomorrow. I am actively looking for partners, sponsors and potential investors who believe in what Erith & Belvedere could become. If you are someone who would like to get involved, support the club or discuss investment, I would genuinely love to hear from you". Thanks to reader Lincoln for bringing this story to my attention. 

In a development that many real ale drinkers will find extremely worrying, the Chairman of the UK's oldest brewery, the Faversham based Shepherd Neame - which was founded in 1698, announced last Wednesday that the brewer was considering some major changes to its business. In an interview with business news website and newspaper City AM, company chair Jonathan Neame said:- "There are three things that we’re grappling with, which is higher logistics costs, declining volume, and in our case, the need to to invest and modernize our plant. We’re not the only ones in the sector facing a squeeze in this respect. But we have to recognize that profitability in this part of the business has been falling for the last few years. We’ve been facing challenges for some time, and, therefore, it’s appropriate to have a much fuller, wider-reaching strategic review.” Neame was asked about the future of brewing in the still family run business. He replied - "Brewing is integral to our identity and, indeed, prosperity, so you can read into that what you want, but I can’t be drawn too far on this. There are major changes by category, as consumers move away from ale to stout, and from standard premium lagers to world lagers and specialist beers, and shifts in route to market. I don’t think that the appetite for going to the pub is diminished anywhere in the country – I think the need for a third place, the need for socializing in that third place, and the key occasions, either after work or Sunday lunch or Friday night, are still very much part of people’s lifestyle, but the cost inflation and impact on the sector, whether it’s driven by regulation, whether it’s driven by inflation, has been very significant, and that is proving difficult for many households to absorb. In London, though, it’s a very different market". There are indications that Shepherd Neame are actively considering their future in brewing, which if they do decide to quit that part of their business, they would follow in the footsteps of fellow historic brewery Youngs, and also Fullers, who both sold their brewing arms to third party companies in order to concentrate on their pub and hospitality businesses. I personally feel that Shepherd Neame would be making a huge mistake if they were also to do this. both Youngs and Fullers have lost credibility and image as a result of becoming nothing more than a logo stuck onto beers brewed by a third party contract producer - quite often made with inferior - and thus cheaper - ingredients. Your opinion of course may well vary. 

The end video this week is the view through the front window of a new B23 stock driverless train on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR). It shows the journey between Stratford International and its terminus at Woolwich Arsenal DLR station. Comments and feedback to me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Hotel.

The two photos above - click on either to see a larger view - show Erith Pier. The upper photo also shows sunset over the town whilst the River Thames is at low tide, and the lower of the two photos shows the full length of the Pier, which is the longest on the River Thames. In case you were wondering, I took the photos some time ago, before I was ill and housebound. Erith Pier does not get the publicity that it deserves. On a nice day, there are few more pleasant places to spend time. You will often see people fishing from the Pier, and also people out walking and sightseeing, but it would seem that the residents of the London Borough of Bexley are largely unaware of its existence, which is a real shame.

FIVE and a half million (one in eleven people in the UK) have had a parcel lost or stolen in the last year, new research by Citizens Advice finds. In addition, over 20 million people (36% of all UK adults) have received a ‘Sorry you were out’ card despite being home, resulting in some parcels being left in insecure places like doorsteps and bins. The charity, which is the consumer advocate for the postal sector, is warning that the parcels market needs an end-to-end overhaul. Citizens Advice found: In a single week, almost 7 million people (13% of all UK adults) experienced a parcel issue relating to driver pressure. This included the driver leaving before the customer could get to the door, or leaving the parcel in an insecure place like a doorstep or bin. In a single week, almost 3 million people (6% of all UK adults) missed a parcel because they didn’t have time to get to the door. This figure rises to 8% for people who are disabled or have a long term health condition and 9% of parents with young children Despite these high figures,redress systems - like compensation - can be difficult to access. One in three consumers who had an issue said they took no action as they didn’t think it’d make a difference. The majority of delivery companies receive no penalty for lost or stolen deliveries. Currently only Royal Mail is subject to fines if this happens, despite 58% of parcels being delivered by other companies. Consumers tend to have no choice over who their parcel company is, with that choice being made by the retailer. As a result, consumers face a lottery when it comes to fixing problems or getting compensated for lateness or loss. Matthew Upton, Director of Policy, said: “When it comes to parcel deliveries, the choice is in the hands of the retailers, not the receiver. So when we find our parcels under a bush or behind our bins, it's easy to lay the blame at the door of individual hard working drivers. But the reality is that these failings are baked into the system. Over - worked drivers, no routes to compensation and a lack of penalties for poor service equals a lack of meaningful consumer protection". Citizens Advice is calling for an end-to-end overhaul for the parcels market and suggests the following action: 1. Increased penalties: All delivery firms should face penalties for losing parcels: Currently, only Royal Mail faces a fine if a parcel is lost or stolen. Ofcom should extend penalties to all delivery firms to make sure that they take appropriate measures to keep mail safe 2. Easier compensation: It should be easier for consumers to get compensation for late or lost deliveries: Redress systems are complicated. Nine out of ten people (88%) that attempted to resolve an issue experienced challenges. Ofcom should extend consumer protection rules to cover all delivery companies, not just Royal Mail. 3. Drivers need better protections: Drivers’ employment conditions are often insecure, with unstable incomes and unpredictable hours. These can lead to poor practices like leaving before consumers get to the door. The remit of the newly announced Single Enforcement Body should be widened to include the power to determine working status. What do you think? Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Regular readers may recall that back in March 2024 I wrote at some length about the very unwelcome and unfortunate permanent closure of the Gravesend to Tilbury river ferry. The reason for this was that the ferry had to be subsidised by both Kent County Council and Thurrock Council in Essex. Unfortunately funding was cut and the ferry was unable to continue. Its vital service across the River Thames. It would appear that things are now changing for the better, and there is now every likelihood that the ferry service will recommence at some point yet to be determined. The reasons for the service being resumed are many, including the results of public petition which garnered thousands of signatures supporting the return of the service and more recently, the fact that Prime Minister Andy Burnham has promised his support in restoring the ferry. This support would appear to be more than just words, as the Prime Minister made a statement during a recent Prime Ministers question time. He said - "On the day I became Labour leader I visited and I saw where the ferry link used to go across the head of the river and of course critical connectivity for her constituents. I do not think it is acceptable that a link that used to be there just gets abandoned and it goes. I will work hard with her to find ways of bringing that service back supported by number 10 North. She has got my word on that". It will be instructive to see if this goodwill actually turns into reality. I suppose that one can but hope.

This year marks the 125th anniversary of the first effective implementation of radio. A great deal of the work to make radio communication possible was down to one visionary man. Guglielmo Marconi was a 22-year-old technology genius, who, stung by the lack of interest in his work in his homeland, moved to a new country to develop his ideas. Whilst born and educated in Italy, he only really made a name for himself when he emigrated to the UK. In a single year, this individual extended the performance of a key, then brand new technology by a factor of more than 20. It sounds like an outlandish tale even by modern Silicon Valley standards, but by the end of 1901, had pushed the range of wireless communications from just over 80 miles (128 km) to 2,000 (3,220 km). Marconi’s breakthrough turned conventions about the then-new wireless technology on its head, earning him a joint Nobel Prize for Physics nine years later. If one technology dominated the early 20th century, it was wireless – thanks largely to Marconi. Before TV, Marconi's work established wireless as the world’s first mass medium, trouncing the long established electric telegraph and replacing print in many areas. He facilitated the spread of communications, entertainment, politics and propaganda around the globe in a fast-modernising world of motor-driven cars, and propeller-powered aircraft. Long-range wireless transmissions made the oceans a safer place, too, allowing ships to stay in touch with the land long after they had journeyed over the horizon. Marconi’s work also allowed the development of the SOS signal – and his company received the first one in 1910. Contrary to popular opinion, Marconi did not invent radio – that was a chap called Heinrich Hertz, a German physicist. Marconi did massively increase the transmission range, efficiency and sensitivity of radio designs. Marconi was fortunate in that he came from a wealthy family who not only owned a lot of land, but were also part of the Jameson whiskey distilling dynasty. Marconi set up a wireless transmitting and receiving station in Poldhu, South East Cornwall – a location picked as it was very close to the Atlantic, and the ships that traversed it – at that  time Marconi believed that the main use of wireless would be for ship to ship, and ship to shore communications. In June 1901, Poldhu communicated with a station at Crookhaven in County Cork, 225 miles away. In September, high winds blew down the masts, but that wasn’t going to stop Marconi making history. With a temporary pair of 160-foot masts he set off for Newfoundland in Canada to receive transmission of the first transatlantic wireless signal – from those masts. On the 9th  December, he used cable telegraphy to ask his team to start sending signals. On the 12th December 1901, he heard their reply: an "SSS" in Morse. Wireless radio communications had crossed the Atlantic, and further tests found that Poldhu’s range could exceed 2,000 miles. January 1903 saw the first transmission from the US, from American President Theodore Roosevelt to King Edward VII. This may have been the first example of poorly timed international calls due to time differences; Poldhu received the message at night, after the post office in the nearby village of Mullion had closed, so it didn’t get through to the king until the next morning. How times change.

The photo above was taken back in September 2018, not very long before the Belvedere Hotel and pub located at the bottom of Picardy Road, Belvedere was permanently closed, prior to being extended and converted into apartments. This former pub has some very historic connections, and actually has quite a grim back story. Back in 1864 there were two commercial gunpowder factories – that of John Hall and Son and the Elterwater and Lowood Gunpowder Company situated on the marsh land that at that time existed parallel to the River Thames between Slade Green in the East and Plumstead in the West. Both factories were physically isolated from residential areas, and many precautions were taken to prevent any kind of fire; workers had to wear felt slippers, and all equipment was made of wood, or lined with copper to prevent sparks; understandably smoking was strictly prohibited. At about 6.40 am on Saturday the first of October 1864 all these precautions proved worthless, when there was a massive explosion which totally destroyed both gunpowder factories, their store magazines and a couple of barges that were being loaded with barrels of gunpowder at the time. No contemporary account exists of exactly what caused the accident, as the eyewitnesses were instantly vapourised. The explosion was heard as far away as Cambridge, and the shock wave was so intense that people in central London were convinced that there had been an earthquake. One report at the time said that as rescuers hurried to the site they found a massive crater and absolutely no signs of any buildings were left - “it was if the place had been swept clean by a broom”. Surprisingly there were only around twenty casualties, as though the explosion was huge, the remote location prevented greater loss of life. Witnesses said that a huge pall of black smoke, shaped like a mushroom hung in the air for an hour afterwards. Five of the victims were classed as “missing” as nothing remained of them to bury. Others whose bodies remained intact to some degree or other were taken to The Belvedere Hotel in Picardy Road, which was converted into a temporary morgue. The injured were taken to Guy’s Hospital at London Bridge, where some then succumbed to their injuries. The Perth Gazette and West Australian Times (the story made world headlines) also curiously reported that a man escaped serious injury, but did have “his right whisker blown off, and he has not been seen since”. The unknown reporter then comments “The damage done to property extends to a radius of over twenty miles; the effect upon domestic animals is said to have been very remarkable. Thousands of pets succumbed with fright – the mortality to Canaries being particularly great”. The army was called from the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich to assist with emergency repairs to the river wall, which had been destroyed to a length of three hundred yards from the epicentre of the blast. Fortunately the tide was low at the time, and the Royal Engineers assisted by civilian navvies and some volunteers barely managed to temporarily block the gap before the tide rose. Had they not, much of Lower Belvedere would have been flooded as later happened in 1953. Considering the size of the explosion – it is estimated that something between 45 and 100 tons of gunpowder were detonated, the long term damage was pretty light, though the superintendent of Crossness Pumping Station did put in a grumpy claim for £150 for plate glass that had been damaged by the blast – this sounds like some very creative accounting on his part, as the works was still being constructed at the time; the windows had yet to be installed, and the works did not actually go into operation until nearly a year later.

The end video this week involves a Police action to combat illegal E-Scooters and drug dealers in and around Dartford. Comments and feedback as always to me at hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

Arts.

The photo above was taken by regular reader and occasional contributor Miles, who photographed the abandoned Santander hire bike on the edge of Morrison's car park, and close to the Pier Square in Erith. It shows that not only are electrically powered bicycles and scooters on out of borough hire schemes being stolen and used illegally in the local area, but also conventional bikes used by the likes of Santander are also being hijacked and dumped locally. What is doubly ironic is that such bikes, when dumped will almost inevitably be used again by further thieves. It would appear that the geofencing facilities that the machines are meant to use are either defeated by the criminals, or are not working once the bikes are removed from the areas in which they are licenced to be used. As I have previously written, at the moment, the London Borough of Bexley does not permit any kind of hire bike whether conventionally powered or electric to be used on its roads. I have no idea what the fate of the bike in the photo was, but I can almost certainly guarantee it would have gone within a few hours from where it was placed. A case of one thief stealing from another. As always, comments and any general feedback to me should be addressed to hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

After the recent quite deep forays into the world of electric vehicles (EV’s) over some recent Blog updates, I have had some reader feedback asking for some background information about the relatively new type of fossil fuel which is currently widely available for traditional internal combustion engine equipped vehicles - apparently as a move towards reducing exhaust emissions; the reality seems to be far more nuanced and complex that the government backed publicity would indicate. There have been extensive column inches written about E10 petrol over the last five years or so. But much of what I have read has been somewhat contradictory or downright confusing. I will now attempt to clarify. In order to make conventional fuels less polluting, it was decided to blend in some renewable content such as biodiesel and ethanol. This is nothing new: it has been going on with E5 petrol and diesel in the UK for the past 10 years. Apparently, blending renewable fuels in this way has contributed to a CO2 emissions reduction equal to taking more than a million cars off the road. It has been said that migrating to E10 Petrol will have a greater positive impact on atmospheric pollution levels than the removal of  Tetraethyl Lead from petrol which began in the UK in 1989, and was mandated in EU law in 2000. Scientific studies had proven that raised lead levels in children's blood had a direct link with brain damage, hypertension and learning disorders and that children who lived near motorways and town centres had a far higher likelihood of developing these illnesses. A 1985 study in the US estimated that leaded petrol caused one million cases of hypertension per year and more than 5000 deaths from heart attacks, strokes, and other diseases related to blood pressure – and that was just for men aged between 40 and 59. So E10 fuel is here now, and it claims to be better for the environment. Vehicles manufactured from 2019 onwards usually have an E5 and E10 label close to their fuel filler caps, showing which fuels they can accept. Drivers of cars registered before 2002 have been advised not to use E10 in their vehicles, because problems have been reported. Research carried out by What Car? magazine revealed that E10 is potentially less efficient than the current E5 blend of petrol, with the problem being worse in smaller-engined vehicles. Drivers of shopping cars would end up filling their cars more often, which isn’t the point of owning a small car with a tiny engine. E10 Petrol is less volumetrically efficient - meaning you need more of it to provide the same amount of energy as existing E5 Petrol - so you get fewer miles to the gallon, and have to full your vehicle’s tank more often - with the associated increase in cost that this entails. Classic cars, motor bikes and even petrol powered lawn mowers and chainsaws will be unable to use E10 Petrol.  E10 petrol’s higher ethanol content is corrosive to rubber parts, gaskets, seals, metals and plastics, which causes engine damage, so it could dislodge deposits in older engines and fuel systems, causing blockages. Other concerns in respect of the use of E10 Petrol in pre 2002 vehicles are as follows - Higher ethanol content in petrol can make it harder to turn over an engine from cold. Ethanol’s higher volatility can contribute to vapour lock (petrol becoming gaseous) when operating temperatures are higher, causing stalling. Ethanol’s high solvency can cause problems with many seal and gasket materials that are used in fuel systems, as well as with fibreglass resins. Besides a risk of fuel leaks, rubbers and resins can get partially dissolved, producing deposits that could foul carburettor jets or fuel injectors. Ethanol can become acidic and cause corrosion of aluminium, zinc and galvanised materials, as well as brass, copper and steels coated in lead or tin. What owners of vulnerable cars can do is source replacement engine components made with ethanol-compatible materials. Otherwise, the quick fix is to use the higher-octane 97-99 RON ‘super unleaded’ E5 petrol, which is expected to remain available at most fuel stations after E10 comes into use. For readers with diesel powered vehicles, there is another solution which is far greener than using conventional fossil fuel, and even smells nice! Many food outlets use large quantities of cooking oil, which is usually vegetable based. When it has become contaminated, they store it for collection by specialist cooking oil companies, who pay good money to get hold of the oil. Where’s the money on old cooking oil? I hear you ask; well, it makes excellent bio diesel. There is a general perception that cooking oil needs to be specially treated before it can be used in diesel engines. This is actually not true. You can empty a bottle of Mazola or whatever oil you fancy straight into the fuel tank of your diesel vehicle and it will work a treat. The only thing you need to do with old oil is filter out any particles or bits of food – as these can clog up the fuel injectors of the engine. Old fish frying oil actually smells of the chip shop when you burn it in a diesel engine. Some twenty years ago Mercedes Benz commercial vehicle division did extensive tests on the use of vegetable oil versus conventional diesel in long term use as a fuel. They found that engines run on vegetable oil actually suffered significantly less wear and tear than those run on conventional diesel – this is not much of a surprise, as vegetable oil is a lubricant, and diesel is a solvent. Vegetable oil also has far lower levels of harmful particulates than Diesel, a factor of increasing importance nowadays. Vegetable oil has a lower energy density than diesel, so your miles per gallon does drop a bit, but the cost savings are so big that it makes it worthwhile. It is not illegal to power a road vehicle on old chip oil, as long as you have declared it to HM Revenue and Customs, filled in the relevant paperwork and paid the excise duty. One downside of this is that criminals are now stealing cans of old vegetable cooking oil from outside of restaurants in order to sell it for use as vehicle fuel. Obviously the crooks that are currently nicking cooking oil for use as fuel have no intention of declaring it to HM Revenue and Customs  – so if you see some shady looking characters in a van smelling of plaice and chips going past, be very suspicious…

The photo above shows part of Erith High Street back in the summer of 1966, shortly before it was all demolished to make way for the hideous 1970's brutalist concrete shopping centre, which was universally hated. It took the extensive re - modelling and re - engineering of the centre around twenty five years ago to turn it into the light and pleasant venue it is today.

Last Wednesday, September the 16th marked five years since the death of Sir Clive Sinclair in 2021 at the age of 81. A quintessentially British inventor and entrepreneur, Sinclair did not merely keep pace with the modern technological revolution - he democratized it.  Long before silicon valley giants made personal technology ubiquitous, Sinclair was bringing affordable micro computing and compact electronics to millions of living rooms, sparking a cultural and industrial shift whose echoes are still felt across the tech landscape today. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, computers were largely expensive, bulky machines restricted to corporate offices and university computer centres. Sir Clive Sinclair changed that trajectory entirely. The Sinclair Executive (1972) introduced as the world's first slimline pocket calculator, proving that complex electronics could be made portable and affordable. The ZX80 & ZX81 (1980–1981): Brought computing under the £100 price threshold, introducing home user coding to the mass market. The ZX Spectrum (1982): Featuring rubber keys and a signature rainbow stripe, the ZX Spectrum sold over five million units. It introduced colour graphics and (very rudimentary) sound, effectively giving birth to the UK's thriving "bedroom coder" software industry. Many of today's premier game developers, software architects, and technology leaders credit their very first line of code to a ZX Spectrum hooked up to a domestic television set. Sinclair was never content simply refining existing ideas; he relentlessly chased the future, even when the technology of the era wasn't fully ready to support his ambitions. In 1985, he unveiled the Sinclair C5, a single-seater, battery-electric tricycle. At the time, it was met with commercial failure and media skepticism. Critics cited concerns over safety, battery range, and exposure to the unpredictable British weather. Five years after his death, however, history looks far more kindly on his vision. In an age dominated by micro-mobility solutions - electric scooters, urban e-bikes (and unfortunately the problems associated with their misuse, as I have previously written) - the C5 stands out as a prototype for modern green transport. Sinclair foresaw the necessity of personal electric urban transport four decades before the rest of the automotive industry caught up.

Many thanks to occasional contributor and regular reader Gary for the following information. It would appear that Ofcom, the government department who enforce and licence UK broadcasting have taken a back step. They were originally not going to do anything other than grant licences to digital DAB plus radio stations, as they viewed the future of analogue AM and FM radio as being out of date and no longer relevant. It would appear that the listening public have reacted against this, and Ofcom are now announcing that they will permit a very few new and original AM and FM local community radio licences. This is quite surprising, as I'm aware that Ofcom wanted to sell off frequencies that they would stop other operators from using to make money for the government. As readers may be aware, I do indeed have a historical background in radio broadcasting, although nowadays, it was a very long time ago. 

In an interesting and very welcome development, over the last couple of weeks I have had numerous email correspondence with local MP, Daniel Francis. The most recent subject we have been discussing has been the situation with a number of shop closures in Bexleyheath Broadway and in The Mail shopping centre, as I outlined in last Sunday's blog update. Earlier last week, Daniel sent me a very detailed and precise email explaining what was going on to remedy this situation. After some discussion, I am publishing his formal response, as I feel that many readers will find it of interest and also quite encouraging after the doom and gloom that I unfortunately had to report last week. It would appear that a lot is going on behind the scenes to bring new businesses into the local area, and not only encourage more physical shopping but also to provide valuable employment to local people. Daniel writes:- “The rise of on-line shopping and issues both during and since Covid has increased the challenges for high street retailers. Since my election in 2024, I have met both the Bexleyheath Business Improvement District (BID) and the management of the shopping centre which is owned by New River numerous times. They have worked tirelessly to devise a plan to bring empty units into use which I believe has come to fruition in recent months and is demonstrating the confidence of retailers to invest in Bexleyheath. Last week, Choice clothing store has moved into the former Poundland store. The New River website confirms the intention for Waterstones to open in the former Choice store in the near future. (The photo above - click on it to see a larger view - shows the hoarding installed prior to the shop opening next to the EE Store in The Mall, near the main entrance). I understand conversations have been ongoing to bring Waterstones back to Bexleyheath for a considerable time and I know New River has worked incredibly hard to secure their tenancy. Clintons has also returned to the shopping centre this month. As they also own Card Zone, the smaller Card Zone store has closed but as Clintons is in a large unit, it has led to less empty floor space in the centre. New River has also worked to split the former Argos store into three units with Smoke and Pepper opening shortly alongside Jamaica Blue and Wingstop that have opened in recent months. The New River website also states that two further units including the former New Look store are under offer. If New River do secure tenants for these units, it will leave very few empty units in the centre. This would include the units recently been vacated by Three as they have merged with Vodafone and moved into their store, the unit vacated when Claires recently closed all its stores and as explained above the unit which was Cardzone. I am hopeful that the work of New River is heading to a position which will see very few empty units. Given the successes outlined above, I know they will be working hard to find tenants for these. In addition to the new tenants listed above, New River has also attracted Momo’s, Lavisa, Grape Tree and Way to Wear in the last 15 months. Across the centre of Bexleyheath, Barclays Bank, Buzz Bingo, the Furze Wren and Vodafone have all had refurbishments in recent months demonstrating a confidence to invest in Bexleyheath. I know there remains uncertainty over the T J Jones store, but I am continuing to lobby on this matter and hope they will stay in Bexleyheath. While I accept in an online world, with out of town shopping centres and retail parks and with cost of living pressures there are challenges for the retail sector, I think the current new store openings and refurbishments in Bexleyheath show a confidence to invest in the town.”

According to the KentOnline news website, it is reported that a planning application has been received by Bexley Council by Bow Arts Trust to turn the former Erith Town Hall in Walnut Tree Road into artists’ studios. According to the report, The charity says it wants to create “a sustainable creative and community hub” which delivers “long-term social, cultural and economic value through affordable workspace for artists.” You can read the full article on the KentOnline website by clicking here. 

The end video this week features the brand new trains now operating on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) out of Woolwich Arsenal Station. Comments should be sent to me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.