The photos above were taken on Friday night at the final evening of the pop - up grotto bar and cinema event organised by The Exchange in the former Carnegie Library in Walnut Tree Road, Erith. Over forty guests drank Champagne, mulled cider, white and red wine and Anchor Bay Pale Ale from the Bexley Brewery. The final film of the short season was "It's a Wonderful Life" which was a sell - out. Guided tours of the whole library building were given for those people who had not been able to go one one of the recent open days. Feedback from the visitors was uniformly positive. The pop - up cinema and grotto bar were a "soft opening" for the former Carnegie Library, which is due to open to the public officially during February, as long as building and conservation work on phase one of the restoration is completed on time. You can keep up with the latest developments on this ambitious project via The Exchange website, their Twitter feed here, and also their FaceBook page here.
Some great news to report; the CCTV camera that was installed on a lamp post overlooking the popular recycling centre located in the car park to the rear of Erith Morrison's supermarket has proved to be an incredible success. Before the camera and numerous warning signs were installed earlier in the year, the recycling centre was one of the worst sites in the whole of the London Borough of Bexley for illegal fly tipping. As long term readers will be aware, I have written in some detail about the problems of illegal waste dumping at this particular site, and how the council and Police have been working to resolve them. I discovered on Tuesday morning that the CCTV camera on the site, which originally was only going to be a temporary installation for a few months, is now going to be a permanent fixture. The CCTV and warning signs have made a dramatic improvement, with, in my estimation a reduction in illegal fly tipping of around ninety percent since the camera was installed. Tipping by vehicles such as contractor vans and estate cars has pretty much ended; the only illegal tipping that still happens seems to be mainly by people on foot who dump domestic waste in bags on the ground around the recycling hoppers. These are the most difficult group to catch. The area around the Morrison's recycling site still has a lot of issues with fly tipping; on Monday night I saw a white van illegally tipping rubble bags in Appold Street. I made note of the vehicle registration number and the company from which the van had come. I then reported my findings to both Slade Green and Northend Safer Neighbourhood Police Team, and to the Bexley Council Environmental Crimes Team. As I suspected, the registration number plates on the van were false. Local CCTV footage showed the van, but details which could potentially lead to a positive identification were not available. Bexley sent an operative to check the fly tipping the next morning, and I arranged to meet him on site. Mysteriously the fly tipped rubbish had disappeared. Whether Serco - Bexley Council's rubbish and fly tipping removal contractor had already removed the sacks, I do not know. I also wonder if the bloke who fly tipped the rubbish realised that he had been watched, and later came back to remove the evidence himself. A woman also saw the illegal fly tipping and loudly commented at the time; I suspect this may have put the crook off. Either way, at least one load of illegally dumped rubbish is off the street, though no doubt it got illegally tipped somewhere else.
When standing in a supermarket queue, or waiting to pay for my paper in my local corner shop, I am struck by the large number of women’s scandal magazines that are on sale. I am thinking of titles like “Take a Break”, "That's Life!", "Love It!","Pick Me Up!", "Full House!" and a handful of others. Apart from having an almost compulsory exclamation mark in their titles, the other thing that all of these publications have in common is that they sell stories about personal tragedy in the same way that other magazines aimed at an almost exclusively female audience sell celebrity gossip and slimming tips. These magazines are marketed as light reading, something to be absorbed whilst lingering over a cup of tea, yet they are filled with disturbing, harrowing stories that would only be covered after the 9pm watershed if they were a television show. The design, format and colour scheme of all of these magazines are rather formulaic; They generally have a young, smiling woman on the cover, a sort of "girl next door" type. The rest of the cover is filled with boxes and banners in primary colours - a means of grabbing the attention of a potential buyer. The trouble is that the content of the banners is horrifying - life changing events such as murder, incest, acid attacks, crimes of violence and personal tragedy. The irony is that many of the stories involve crimes of violence against women, yet they are read by mainly women as light entertainment. They seem to be the printed equivalent of the Jeremy Kyle show; I worry about the people who purchase these magazines. It strikes me that anyone who enjoys reading about the misfortunes of others probably has some issues themselves. I would be interested in what you think.
Some changes are being planned for the river front at Erith. Back in 1998 / 1999, when work to construct the large Morrison's supermarket on the site of what was once Erith Deep Water Wharf was under way, works were also being undertaken to revitalise and convert the old commercial pier - the longest on the River Thames - for leisure use. A good job was done for the most part - the pier is a really nice place to visit on a warm and sunny day, and the local fishing community seem to use it all year round, day and night - you can often see tents on the pier when people are night fishing. The gardens at the entrance to the pier were somewhat less of a success, consisting mainly of a flag pole which mounted some tatty flags, and some fake concrete cannon balls acting as bollards. A few metal park benches completed the scene. Now, Bexley Council are poised to refurbish and update the area, as you can see from the design proposal above - the upper image shows exactly where the pier square is located in relation to the town, and the lower image shows the new design of the square once it is completed - click on either image for a larger view. I am currently unsure of where the money is coming from for this update - it may well be a part of the money granted by The Mayor of London's Office for the general improvement of public areas in Erith - more on this at the end of this week's update. The kind reader who informed me of the proposal did not have the information - so if you have any clue, then please Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.
Regular readers will be aware that there have been some serious goings on in Erith's Electricity House - the large 1930's brick building opposite the De Luci fish roundabout and Pier Road. The building contains a number of businesses and other organisations. Electricity House 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 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. I digress; in recent times the building has had a somewhat rocky time. Part of the building was home to the Bright Steps children's nursery, until it was shut down by the Police and officers from Ofsted after a member of nursery staff was seen hitting a child. After an unsuccessful court appeal against the ban, the owners of the nursery have put it up for rent. This is all under a background of Bexley Council negotiating with the individual leaseholders in order to buy out the leases in Electricity House prior to what I and many others believe to be a compulsory purchase order and then site redevelopment. With this in mind, I was somewhat surprised a few weeks ago when a new proposal for a replacement nursery came to my attention. The proposed new nursery has been mooted by a lady called Sarah Carnegie. Initially I was somewhat sceptical as the name seemed to very coincidental to the nearby Carnegie Library, run by The Exchange. I emailed the contact address on the Carnegie Playhouse website, but heard nothing for quite some time. Out of the blue I was Emailed earlier this week by chap who is Sarah Carnegie's business advisor, I subsequently spoke to him by phone. Whilst there is still some confusion regarding the whole nursery project, which has suddenly changed name from The Carnegie Playhouse (website now closed) to The Bexley Road Nursery, it would seem that Sarah Carnegie is indeed a real person. She has been in contact with me via Email, and writes:- "Sarah Carnegie is a loving young lady who is passionate about the work she has done for children. She has worked in various schools and built up a great knowledge base and mastered her skill with children. Carnegie Playhouse is the first business of Sarah Carnegie. Sarah has informed me that she is a qualified social worker with a passion for working with children, she has 2 of her own. Sarah is currently working in safeguarding with the local authority before she dedicates herself to her new business of which she is the sole owner and has no connection whatsoever with the owners of the previous nursery at Bexley Road, This nursery will be a new adventure for her, she is eagerly looking forward to the challenges ahead but most importantly creating a loving and safe environment for children to be in. This is something that she loves doing and cannot wait to get stuck in". I have made her and her business advisor aware of the situation with the entirety of Electricity House. It will be instructive to see how events play out over the next few months. I will provide an update in due course.
Although I have previously explained where the rather unusual name of my blog originated, I feel that it was long enough ago, and I have picked up many recent readers, so that the story bears repeating; indeed several new readers have recently asked for an explanation of the name, so here goes. Back in 1987 I was working for a small but very influential Bexleyheath based pirate radio station called Radio Lumberjack (photo above - click on it for a larger version), which broadcast live every Saturday on 92.4 FM from 9am until midnight or later from a house off Bedonwell Road. The station played an eclectic mix of music and humour; much of the comedy material was written by the station staff. There were many spoof adverts, with commercials for fictional companies such as “Bethlehem Motors – car faith healers – save money and save your soul! With one simple low cost prayer, we can have your vehicle back on the road”. “Tacky’s Nightclub, with your host, Bland Groover”. Also, “Gaskets motor spares – suppliers of neo Georgian suspension, arc brake lights and stained glass windows”. Best of all, a commercial for the Thamesmead Tourist Board, with a cod salsa song:- “It’s the place for fun, it’s the place for sun, come to Thamesmead – go on day trips to all the popular holiday destinations like the Belvedere Rift Valley – home of the world famous earwig farm; enquire at the Thamesmead Tourist Board office – the little green hut behind the bike shed in Thamesmead High Street!” It was all very slick and professional; the chap that ran the station was a big fan of Monty Python and Kenny Everett, but had his own unique style. Each presenter had their own introductory jingle – mine started with an incredulous voice – “Oh no.... It’s Arthur Pewty!” followed by the sound of Stuka dive bombers, explosions and collapsing buildings, accompanied by a massed band of Daleks screaming “Arthur Pewty, Arthur Pewty!” It was all very over the top and surreal. My pseudonym came from the meek and mild insurance salesman Arthur Pewty from the famous Monty Python sketch about the marriage guidance counsellor. When I first started my evening show, I racked my brains to think of a suitably surreal and silly name for it. I had already got my nickname, and recently I had read a history of 1960’s offshore station Radio London, where John Peel got his big break into radio. John Peel had a show called “The Perfumed Garden” where he played a lot of hippy music and recited poetry sent in by listeners (some of it toe curlingly bad, but I digress). I thought that my show needed a really surreal title, so, as a play on “John Peel’s Perfumed Garden”, “Arthur Pewty’s Maggot Sandwich” was born. And the rest, as they say is history. Back in 2006, when I started this blog, I resurrected the long disused name of my one time radio show; my thoughts were that whilst it was no longer on the radio, it was a newer form of interacting with an audience that could be anywhere in the world. This proved to be correct. Today the Maggot Sandwich has readers all over the planet – from Australia, Japan and India to the USA and mainland Europe, along with people closer to home. It might be a silly name for a blog, but I can guarantee that nobody ever forgets it! Please do feel free to comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.
Despite its reputation as one of the cleanest rivers in a major city, The River Thames does have its share of problems. Many people are not aware that at certain times of the year, raw sewage is still being pumped into the river. Somewhere in the region of thirty-nine million tonnes of raw sewage are pumped into the Thames each year because of London’s outdated sewer system. Built in the 1860s, the existing infrastructure still works perfectly but it cannot keep up with London’s huge (and growing) population. Engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette - the man behind Crossness Sewage Works, designed the sewers with population growth in mind; he anticipated the two million residents doubling to four million – but that number has since doubled again, and is constantly rising. The Crossness Sewage Works were constructed between 1859 and 1865 as part of his redevelopment of the London sewerage system. The pumping station was an essential part of the clean up of London’s water system, and led directly to the elimination of many water borne diseases, notably Cholera, which prior to this time was a significant killer. If you have not visited the pumping station, it is an industrial cathedral in cast and wrought iron. Because it deals with both sewage and drains, the Victorian water system was designed to release overflows (usually of storm water) into the Thames, instead of flooding roads and people’s homes. This initially happened twice a year, but now overflows happen on average once a week – about 750,000 tonnes each time. The Thames Tideway Tunnel is a £4.2 billion project to build a system of huge pipes, dubbed a “super sewer”, underneath London with the aim of modernising the capital’s sewage system and making the river cleaner. The extra capacity from the 25km (15 miles) of tunnels, running from Acton in West London to Abbey Mills in the east, should mean the system only discharges four times a year. This will make the Thames much cleaner, which would be better for wildlife and the environment, with Tideway bosses hopeful the work could bring the river back into greater use by Londoners. The tunnels will be between 35m and 65m below ground – 35m is the minimum height of a “high-rise” building. At 25km long, the main tunnel would take a car nearly 30 minutes to drive down at 40mph. The tunnel will be 7.5m wide, about the same as a standard single-carriageway road. Currently, the amount of untreated sewage that spills into the Thames each year is the equivalent of eight billion toilets flushing. Sir Joseph Bazalgette was asked to design the existing sewers after The Great Stink – the summer of 1858 when exceptionally hot weather made the stench from the Thames unbearable. Even before then, three cholera outbreaks were blamed on the disgusting pollution in the river, and Bazalgette’s work is thought to have saved more lives than that of any other Victorian official. What is both interesting and ironic is that Sir Joseph Bazalgette is the great – great grandfather of TV producer Sir Peter Bazalgette, the person who brought us programmes such as Ground Force, Ready, Steady Cook and Big Brother. There is a running joke in the media industry that whilst Sir Joseph Bazalgette was responsible for removing excrement from the home, Peter is now responsible for introducing it!
Now for the weekly safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly a couple of announcements from Dana Wiffen, Chairman, Neighbourhood Watch Office:-"PLEASE ensure you double lock front and back doors and don't leave your property looking empty during the dark evenings, use light timers if you are not in too late and let your neighbours know if you are away so they can keep an eye on your property. We can report that over the previous two weeks reported burglaries w/e 6th December had 20 Burglaries and 6 attempted break ins, while the 13th December saw a massive increase to 28 burglaries and 8 attempted break-ins. For anyone who has had a break in we can refer them to Victim Support and The Bobby Van. Someone from Victim Support can visit you if you require support as a result of a burglary and The Booby Van can call to offer security advise and repair / replace broken locks. These are free to Bexley's Residents. Contact us if you would like their details. If you have had any burglaries in and around your area please keep us informed by either copying us in on emails to the police or emailing us directly and we will pass on. We are of course kept up to date by ward DWOs but occasionally some slip through the system. Finally, we would like to wish all our volunteers a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year. We thank you for all your hard work in 2018 in helping to keep Bexley Borough one of the safest in London. OFFICE VOLUNTEERS REQUIRED Moving forward into 2019 we are looking to upgrade our IT systems and improve our website as well as having a more robust office system to combat the growing workload. We are looking to appoint a volunteer Webmaster, a System Support Officer and possibly an Office Workload Manager to come into the office at least once a week to cover these positions. WEBMASTER - We would like to hear from anyone who has website update experience who has perhaps recently stopped working and would like to keep the expertise up to date by becoming our Webmaster. This would involve updating our current website and, going forward, help maintain the new site that's in the pipeline. Basic HTML knowledge would be an advantage and experience of running a Facebook page and Twitter account would be useful although not essential. Accuracy and attention to detail is, of course, a must with content representing the organisation being posted publicly. SYSTEM SUPPORT OFFICER - We would like to hear from anybody who has good computer skills and who could be trained to transfer data / information and photos onto our Mail Chimp crime reporting service which goes out weekly on a Thursday to all our members and to ensure our computer system is running efficiently for our office staff. OFFICE MANAGER - Due to the part-time hours of the office and volume of work, we are looking to have a more structured and efficient approach to the administrative and processing side of the organisation. Combining our newly-upgraded system with a candidate that has a hands-on approach to the smooth and tidy running of an office would be ideal to achieve this. We have a good and friendly office atmosphere and would only expect you to work on days that suit both yourself and that fit in with the working hours in our small office. Anyone who is interested in any of these part time voluntary positions and would like to come in for a chat in the new year, please contact us and we will arrange a mutually-convenient time to meet. We look forward to hearing from you". Now for the weekly reports from the local wards. Firstly from Barnehurst ward:- "Barnehurst Ward has had one burglary in the past week. This burglary occurred in Fairford Avenue overnight on Saturday 15th December 2018. Suspects gained entry by forcing the front door, possibly with a screwdriver or something similar. Various items were taken from the property. The resident was alerted the next morning after a neighbour noticed the front door open. This property was equipped with a ring door bell and footage of the suspects have been viewed therefore the investigation is ongoing at present. There have been two thefts of motor vehicles on the ward. A Grey Ford, registration number N145 XTT was taken from Barnehurst Avenue on Saturday 15th December 2018 and on Monday 17th December 2018 a Vauxhall Mokka, registration number VX18 OGF was stolen from Northumberland Heath." No report this week from Belvedere ward. Bexleyheath ward:- "We have had a burglary reported on Monday 17th December along Belvedere Road Bexleyheath. Entry was via the kitchen window / back door and vehicle was also stolen. The team regularly conduct hi-visibility patrols on the ward which would include car park areas including ASDA car park and the Broadway to reduce anti-social behaviour. Youths have been stopped and advised not to hang around in car parks and the team have noticed graffiti in the CineWorld car park. On Saturday 15/12/2018 there was a report of a theft from motor vehicle in Oakland's Close, personal items were taken from inside. There was also a theft of motorbike along Upton Road Bexleyheath on Tuesday 11th December. A report was made on Wednesday 12/12/2018, £20 was stolen from a purse in The Golden Lion pub. Also on the 13/12/2018, a purse was stolen from a handbag in Market Place Bexleyheath. The team did also help escort young children along Upton Road Bexleyheath for their Carol Service. If you do wish to pass on information to Police then please contact Crime Stoppers on 0800 555111. Please do not hesitate to contact us via Twitter, Facebook, email and the ward phone. If you are after crime prevention advice, please look at the Met Police website which has lots of information that you may find useful. Remember in an emergency please dial 999 and 101 for non-urgent reporting". Crayford ward:- "On Friday 14th at approx. 22.00 a resident at Dale End heard a noise in their garden and went to investigate. He chased off two people who had broken the padlock off his garden shed, no further descriptions could be given as it was too dark. At 03.00 on Saturday 15th December there was an attempted burglary in Oakwood Drive in Barnehurst. The resident heard a sound and opened the front door and two people ran off. It is believed they were after the car, the door was properly locked and entry was not gained although some minor damage to the frame did occur. Police were on scene very quickly but the suspects could not be located. On Thursday 13th at about 6am, an amount of money was stolen from a resident at their home address in Crayford Way. On Monday 17th December between 16.30-17.00 a burglary occurred at a property in Green Walk. Entry was gained through an unlocked front door whilst the victim was at home and a handbag with a purse containing cash and cards was taken, the cards have since been cancelled causing inconvenience to the victim. Front and rear number plates were stolen from a black Ford Fiesta between Wednesday 12th and Monday 17th December from near Shelley House in London Road. Front and rear number plates were also stolen from a vehicle parked in Gasgoyne Drive overnight Sunday 16th December in to Monday 17th December. The number plate W70SEW should be on a White Audi A5. Whilst wishing you all the very best compliments of the season we would also like to give you some reminders on keeping your home and valuables safe. As pretty as it looks, please don't let Christmas presents be seen under the tree through windows or doors, dispose of boxes by cutting or folding them up, you don't want to show burglars what you now have brand new in your home. Please note model and serial numbers of new electrical items and take photos of you wearing your new jewellery so that in the unlikely event that these items should be taken you have a much better chance of being reunited. Stay safe and enjoy Christmas, welcome Santa but not burglars by lifting the handle on your front door and locking it securely with the key. When going to bed or leaving your home, take a few moments to check that all is as secure as possible. As ever, please make your home look occupied". Erith ward:- "First of all, all of us at Erith SNT wish you all a Merry Christmas. We have been patrolling Erith High Street a lot over this week, Due to the increase in shoppers. Crime-wise there has been a few Burglaries and Vehicle crime more details are below. This time of year be mindful when you leave your rubbish outside for the bin collections. If you are advertising large boxes, game boxes tv boxes etc you are showing people what items you have inside your house. Best rule is brake up these boxes small and cover over the labels – or take them to the recycling centre yourself. Theft from MV Monday 10/12/2018 Park Crescent – Items taken from car; Criminal Damage Vehicle U500 Wednesday 28/11/2018 Coral Heights, Chichester Wharf. Damage to car; Shoplift >£199 Sunday 16/12/2018 Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc, James Watt Way; Shoplift <£200 Sunday 16/12/2018 James Watt Way; Criminal Damage Vehicle U500 Sunday 16/12/2018 Cricketers Close – damage to car; Burglary Residential Saturday 15/12/2018, Rutland Gate – Door forced opened items taken including money; Theft of Motor Vehicle Sunday 16/12/2018 Park Crescent; Theft of Motor Vehicle Friday14/12/2018 Rutland Gate; Theft from Motor Vehicle Sunday 16/12/2018 Victoria Road – Items taken from car; Making off Tuesday 18/12/2018 Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc, James Watt Way". No report this week from Northumberland Heath ward.
The end video this week is a news report on the £19.7 million grant given to Bexley Council to put towards the regeneration of Erith town centre. The video is a few months old, and some of the works described in the video are already well under way - specifically those related to the Carnegie Library, as outlined at the beginning of this update. Other works are due to begin early in the New Year, including as I understand it, the buying out of the leaseholders in Electricity House and the closure of the building prior to redevelopment. The Bexley Road bridge over the railway is apparently also scheduled for a much overdue widening - something that has been on the cards for over ten years. The old foot tunnel from the Western end of the town centre to Erith Station is also due to go, to be replaced with a ground level alternative which is more wheelchair and buggy friendly, not to mention less attractive to graffiti and muggers. What do you think? Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.
When standing in a supermarket queue, or waiting to pay for my paper in my local corner shop, I am struck by the large number of women’s scandal magazines that are on sale. I am thinking of titles like “Take a Break”, "That's Life!", "Love It!","Pick Me Up!", "Full House!" and a handful of others. Apart from having an almost compulsory exclamation mark in their titles, the other thing that all of these publications have in common is that they sell stories about personal tragedy in the same way that other magazines aimed at an almost exclusively female audience sell celebrity gossip and slimming tips. These magazines are marketed as light reading, something to be absorbed whilst lingering over a cup of tea, yet they are filled with disturbing, harrowing stories that would only be covered after the 9pm watershed if they were a television show. The design, format and colour scheme of all of these magazines are rather formulaic; They generally have a young, smiling woman on the cover, a sort of "girl next door" type. The rest of the cover is filled with boxes and banners in primary colours - a means of grabbing the attention of a potential buyer. The trouble is that the content of the banners is horrifying - life changing events such as murder, incest, acid attacks, crimes of violence and personal tragedy. The irony is that many of the stories involve crimes of violence against women, yet they are read by mainly women as light entertainment. They seem to be the printed equivalent of the Jeremy Kyle show; I worry about the people who purchase these magazines. It strikes me that anyone who enjoys reading about the misfortunes of others probably has some issues themselves. I would be interested in what you think.
Some changes are being planned for the river front at Erith. Back in 1998 / 1999, when work to construct the large Morrison's supermarket on the site of what was once Erith Deep Water Wharf was under way, works were also being undertaken to revitalise and convert the old commercial pier - the longest on the River Thames - for leisure use. A good job was done for the most part - the pier is a really nice place to visit on a warm and sunny day, and the local fishing community seem to use it all year round, day and night - you can often see tents on the pier when people are night fishing. The gardens at the entrance to the pier were somewhat less of a success, consisting mainly of a flag pole which mounted some tatty flags, and some fake concrete cannon balls acting as bollards. A few metal park benches completed the scene. Now, Bexley Council are poised to refurbish and update the area, as you can see from the design proposal above - the upper image shows exactly where the pier square is located in relation to the town, and the lower image shows the new design of the square once it is completed - click on either image for a larger view. I am currently unsure of where the money is coming from for this update - it may well be a part of the money granted by The Mayor of London's Office for the general improvement of public areas in Erith - more on this at the end of this week's update. The kind reader who informed me of the proposal did not have the information - so if you have any clue, then please Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.
Regular readers will be aware that there have been some serious goings on in Erith's Electricity House - the large 1930's brick building opposite the De Luci fish roundabout and Pier Road. The building contains a number of businesses and other organisations. Electricity House 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 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. I digress; in recent times the building has had a somewhat rocky time. Part of the building was home to the Bright Steps children's nursery, until it was shut down by the Police and officers from Ofsted after a member of nursery staff was seen hitting a child. After an unsuccessful court appeal against the ban, the owners of the nursery have put it up for rent. This is all under a background of Bexley Council negotiating with the individual leaseholders in order to buy out the leases in Electricity House prior to what I and many others believe to be a compulsory purchase order and then site redevelopment. With this in mind, I was somewhat surprised a few weeks ago when a new proposal for a replacement nursery came to my attention. The proposed new nursery has been mooted by a lady called Sarah Carnegie. Initially I was somewhat sceptical as the name seemed to very coincidental to the nearby Carnegie Library, run by The Exchange. I emailed the contact address on the Carnegie Playhouse website, but heard nothing for quite some time. Out of the blue I was Emailed earlier this week by chap who is Sarah Carnegie's business advisor, I subsequently spoke to him by phone. Whilst there is still some confusion regarding the whole nursery project, which has suddenly changed name from The Carnegie Playhouse (website now closed) to The Bexley Road Nursery, it would seem that Sarah Carnegie is indeed a real person. She has been in contact with me via Email, and writes:- "Sarah Carnegie is a loving young lady who is passionate about the work she has done for children. She has worked in various schools and built up a great knowledge base and mastered her skill with children. Carnegie Playhouse is the first business of Sarah Carnegie. Sarah has informed me that she is a qualified social worker with a passion for working with children, she has 2 of her own. Sarah is currently working in safeguarding with the local authority before she dedicates herself to her new business of which she is the sole owner and has no connection whatsoever with the owners of the previous nursery at Bexley Road, This nursery will be a new adventure for her, she is eagerly looking forward to the challenges ahead but most importantly creating a loving and safe environment for children to be in. This is something that she loves doing and cannot wait to get stuck in". I have made her and her business advisor aware of the situation with the entirety of Electricity House. It will be instructive to see how events play out over the next few months. I will provide an update in due course.
Although I have previously explained where the rather unusual name of my blog originated, I feel that it was long enough ago, and I have picked up many recent readers, so that the story bears repeating; indeed several new readers have recently asked for an explanation of the name, so here goes. Back in 1987 I was working for a small but very influential Bexleyheath based pirate radio station called Radio Lumberjack (photo above - click on it for a larger version), which broadcast live every Saturday on 92.4 FM from 9am until midnight or later from a house off Bedonwell Road. The station played an eclectic mix of music and humour; much of the comedy material was written by the station staff. There were many spoof adverts, with commercials for fictional companies such as “Bethlehem Motors – car faith healers – save money and save your soul! With one simple low cost prayer, we can have your vehicle back on the road”. “Tacky’s Nightclub, with your host, Bland Groover”. Also, “Gaskets motor spares – suppliers of neo Georgian suspension, arc brake lights and stained glass windows”. Best of all, a commercial for the Thamesmead Tourist Board, with a cod salsa song:- “It’s the place for fun, it’s the place for sun, come to Thamesmead – go on day trips to all the popular holiday destinations like the Belvedere Rift Valley – home of the world famous earwig farm; enquire at the Thamesmead Tourist Board office – the little green hut behind the bike shed in Thamesmead High Street!” It was all very slick and professional; the chap that ran the station was a big fan of Monty Python and Kenny Everett, but had his own unique style. Each presenter had their own introductory jingle – mine started with an incredulous voice – “Oh no.... It’s Arthur Pewty!” followed by the sound of Stuka dive bombers, explosions and collapsing buildings, accompanied by a massed band of Daleks screaming “Arthur Pewty, Arthur Pewty!” It was all very over the top and surreal. My pseudonym came from the meek and mild insurance salesman Arthur Pewty from the famous Monty Python sketch about the marriage guidance counsellor. When I first started my evening show, I racked my brains to think of a suitably surreal and silly name for it. I had already got my nickname, and recently I had read a history of 1960’s offshore station Radio London, where John Peel got his big break into radio. John Peel had a show called “The Perfumed Garden” where he played a lot of hippy music and recited poetry sent in by listeners (some of it toe curlingly bad, but I digress). I thought that my show needed a really surreal title, so, as a play on “John Peel’s Perfumed Garden”, “Arthur Pewty’s Maggot Sandwich” was born. And the rest, as they say is history. Back in 2006, when I started this blog, I resurrected the long disused name of my one time radio show; my thoughts were that whilst it was no longer on the radio, it was a newer form of interacting with an audience that could be anywhere in the world. This proved to be correct. Today the Maggot Sandwich has readers all over the planet – from Australia, Japan and India to the USA and mainland Europe, along with people closer to home. It might be a silly name for a blog, but I can guarantee that nobody ever forgets it! Please do feel free to comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.
Despite its reputation as one of the cleanest rivers in a major city, The River Thames does have its share of problems. Many people are not aware that at certain times of the year, raw sewage is still being pumped into the river. Somewhere in the region of thirty-nine million tonnes of raw sewage are pumped into the Thames each year because of London’s outdated sewer system. Built in the 1860s, the existing infrastructure still works perfectly but it cannot keep up with London’s huge (and growing) population. Engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette - the man behind Crossness Sewage Works, designed the sewers with population growth in mind; he anticipated the two million residents doubling to four million – but that number has since doubled again, and is constantly rising. The Crossness Sewage Works were constructed between 1859 and 1865 as part of his redevelopment of the London sewerage system. The pumping station was an essential part of the clean up of London’s water system, and led directly to the elimination of many water borne diseases, notably Cholera, which prior to this time was a significant killer. If you have not visited the pumping station, it is an industrial cathedral in cast and wrought iron. Because it deals with both sewage and drains, the Victorian water system was designed to release overflows (usually of storm water) into the Thames, instead of flooding roads and people’s homes. This initially happened twice a year, but now overflows happen on average once a week – about 750,000 tonnes each time. The Thames Tideway Tunnel is a £4.2 billion project to build a system of huge pipes, dubbed a “super sewer”, underneath London with the aim of modernising the capital’s sewage system and making the river cleaner. The extra capacity from the 25km (15 miles) of tunnels, running from Acton in West London to Abbey Mills in the east, should mean the system only discharges four times a year. This will make the Thames much cleaner, which would be better for wildlife and the environment, with Tideway bosses hopeful the work could bring the river back into greater use by Londoners. The tunnels will be between 35m and 65m below ground – 35m is the minimum height of a “high-rise” building. At 25km long, the main tunnel would take a car nearly 30 minutes to drive down at 40mph. The tunnel will be 7.5m wide, about the same as a standard single-carriageway road. Currently, the amount of untreated sewage that spills into the Thames each year is the equivalent of eight billion toilets flushing. Sir Joseph Bazalgette was asked to design the existing sewers after The Great Stink – the summer of 1858 when exceptionally hot weather made the stench from the Thames unbearable. Even before then, three cholera outbreaks were blamed on the disgusting pollution in the river, and Bazalgette’s work is thought to have saved more lives than that of any other Victorian official. What is both interesting and ironic is that Sir Joseph Bazalgette is the great – great grandfather of TV producer Sir Peter Bazalgette, the person who brought us programmes such as Ground Force, Ready, Steady Cook and Big Brother. There is a running joke in the media industry that whilst Sir Joseph Bazalgette was responsible for removing excrement from the home, Peter is now responsible for introducing it!
Now for the weekly safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly a couple of announcements from Dana Wiffen, Chairman, Neighbourhood Watch Office:-"PLEASE ensure you double lock front and back doors and don't leave your property looking empty during the dark evenings, use light timers if you are not in too late and let your neighbours know if you are away so they can keep an eye on your property. We can report that over the previous two weeks reported burglaries w/e 6th December had 20 Burglaries and 6 attempted break ins, while the 13th December saw a massive increase to 28 burglaries and 8 attempted break-ins. For anyone who has had a break in we can refer them to Victim Support and The Bobby Van. Someone from Victim Support can visit you if you require support as a result of a burglary and The Booby Van can call to offer security advise and repair / replace broken locks. These are free to Bexley's Residents. Contact us if you would like their details. If you have had any burglaries in and around your area please keep us informed by either copying us in on emails to the police or emailing us directly and we will pass on. We are of course kept up to date by ward DWOs but occasionally some slip through the system. Finally, we would like to wish all our volunteers a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year. We thank you for all your hard work in 2018 in helping to keep Bexley Borough one of the safest in London. OFFICE VOLUNTEERS REQUIRED Moving forward into 2019 we are looking to upgrade our IT systems and improve our website as well as having a more robust office system to combat the growing workload. We are looking to appoint a volunteer Webmaster, a System Support Officer and possibly an Office Workload Manager to come into the office at least once a week to cover these positions. WEBMASTER - We would like to hear from anyone who has website update experience who has perhaps recently stopped working and would like to keep the expertise up to date by becoming our Webmaster. This would involve updating our current website and, going forward, help maintain the new site that's in the pipeline. Basic HTML knowledge would be an advantage and experience of running a Facebook page and Twitter account would be useful although not essential. Accuracy and attention to detail is, of course, a must with content representing the organisation being posted publicly. SYSTEM SUPPORT OFFICER - We would like to hear from anybody who has good computer skills and who could be trained to transfer data / information and photos onto our Mail Chimp crime reporting service which goes out weekly on a Thursday to all our members and to ensure our computer system is running efficiently for our office staff. OFFICE MANAGER - Due to the part-time hours of the office and volume of work, we are looking to have a more structured and efficient approach to the administrative and processing side of the organisation. Combining our newly-upgraded system with a candidate that has a hands-on approach to the smooth and tidy running of an office would be ideal to achieve this. We have a good and friendly office atmosphere and would only expect you to work on days that suit both yourself and that fit in with the working hours in our small office. Anyone who is interested in any of these part time voluntary positions and would like to come in for a chat in the new year, please contact us and we will arrange a mutually-convenient time to meet. We look forward to hearing from you". Now for the weekly reports from the local wards. Firstly from Barnehurst ward:- "Barnehurst Ward has had one burglary in the past week. This burglary occurred in Fairford Avenue overnight on Saturday 15th December 2018. Suspects gained entry by forcing the front door, possibly with a screwdriver or something similar. Various items were taken from the property. The resident was alerted the next morning after a neighbour noticed the front door open. This property was equipped with a ring door bell and footage of the suspects have been viewed therefore the investigation is ongoing at present. There have been two thefts of motor vehicles on the ward. A Grey Ford, registration number N145 XTT was taken from Barnehurst Avenue on Saturday 15th December 2018 and on Monday 17th December 2018 a Vauxhall Mokka, registration number VX18 OGF was stolen from Northumberland Heath." No report this week from Belvedere ward. Bexleyheath ward:- "We have had a burglary reported on Monday 17th December along Belvedere Road Bexleyheath. Entry was via the kitchen window / back door and vehicle was also stolen. The team regularly conduct hi-visibility patrols on the ward which would include car park areas including ASDA car park and the Broadway to reduce anti-social behaviour. Youths have been stopped and advised not to hang around in car parks and the team have noticed graffiti in the CineWorld car park. On Saturday 15/12/2018 there was a report of a theft from motor vehicle in Oakland's Close, personal items were taken from inside. There was also a theft of motorbike along Upton Road Bexleyheath on Tuesday 11th December. A report was made on Wednesday 12/12/2018, £20 was stolen from a purse in The Golden Lion pub. Also on the 13/12/2018, a purse was stolen from a handbag in Market Place Bexleyheath. The team did also help escort young children along Upton Road Bexleyheath for their Carol Service. If you do wish to pass on information to Police then please contact Crime Stoppers on 0800 555111. Please do not hesitate to contact us via Twitter, Facebook, email and the ward phone. If you are after crime prevention advice, please look at the Met Police website which has lots of information that you may find useful. Remember in an emergency please dial 999 and 101 for non-urgent reporting". Crayford ward:- "On Friday 14th at approx. 22.00 a resident at Dale End heard a noise in their garden and went to investigate. He chased off two people who had broken the padlock off his garden shed, no further descriptions could be given as it was too dark. At 03.00 on Saturday 15th December there was an attempted burglary in Oakwood Drive in Barnehurst. The resident heard a sound and opened the front door and two people ran off. It is believed they were after the car, the door was properly locked and entry was not gained although some minor damage to the frame did occur. Police were on scene very quickly but the suspects could not be located. On Thursday 13th at about 6am, an amount of money was stolen from a resident at their home address in Crayford Way. On Monday 17th December between 16.30-17.00 a burglary occurred at a property in Green Walk. Entry was gained through an unlocked front door whilst the victim was at home and a handbag with a purse containing cash and cards was taken, the cards have since been cancelled causing inconvenience to the victim. Front and rear number plates were stolen from a black Ford Fiesta between Wednesday 12th and Monday 17th December from near Shelley House in London Road. Front and rear number plates were also stolen from a vehicle parked in Gasgoyne Drive overnight Sunday 16th December in to Monday 17th December. The number plate W70SEW should be on a White Audi A5. Whilst wishing you all the very best compliments of the season we would also like to give you some reminders on keeping your home and valuables safe. As pretty as it looks, please don't let Christmas presents be seen under the tree through windows or doors, dispose of boxes by cutting or folding them up, you don't want to show burglars what you now have brand new in your home. Please note model and serial numbers of new electrical items and take photos of you wearing your new jewellery so that in the unlikely event that these items should be taken you have a much better chance of being reunited. Stay safe and enjoy Christmas, welcome Santa but not burglars by lifting the handle on your front door and locking it securely with the key. When going to bed or leaving your home, take a few moments to check that all is as secure as possible. As ever, please make your home look occupied". Erith ward:- "First of all, all of us at Erith SNT wish you all a Merry Christmas. We have been patrolling Erith High Street a lot over this week, Due to the increase in shoppers. Crime-wise there has been a few Burglaries and Vehicle crime more details are below. This time of year be mindful when you leave your rubbish outside for the bin collections. If you are advertising large boxes, game boxes tv boxes etc you are showing people what items you have inside your house. Best rule is brake up these boxes small and cover over the labels – or take them to the recycling centre yourself. Theft from MV Monday 10/12/2018 Park Crescent – Items taken from car; Criminal Damage Vehicle U500 Wednesday 28/11/2018 Coral Heights, Chichester Wharf. Damage to car; Shoplift >£199 Sunday 16/12/2018 Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc, James Watt Way; Shoplift <£200 Sunday 16/12/2018 James Watt Way; Criminal Damage Vehicle U500 Sunday 16/12/2018 Cricketers Close – damage to car; Burglary Residential Saturday 15/12/2018, Rutland Gate – Door forced opened items taken including money; Theft of Motor Vehicle Sunday 16/12/2018 Park Crescent; Theft of Motor Vehicle Friday14/12/2018 Rutland Gate; Theft from Motor Vehicle Sunday 16/12/2018 Victoria Road – Items taken from car; Making off Tuesday 18/12/2018 Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc, James Watt Way". No report this week from Northumberland Heath ward.
Slade Green and Northend ward:- "We had a nasty aggravated burglary in the early hours of Friday morning (14th December). At around 1.30am a group of males wearing balaclavas gained entry to a property in Lincoln Road and attacked a man in his family home. He received an injury which thankfully wasn't life changing or threatening and he is recovering well in hospital. The investigation into this attack is ongoing and reassurance patrols have been made by SNT officers. Please be aware that this sort of crime is NOT a common occurrence in our ward or indeed in any part of Bexley and we will do our best to give reassurance wherever necessary. If you would like any further reassurance patrols for your roads etc, please let us know. There was a burglary at some time during the evening of Monday 17/12/2018 in Beacon Road. Access was gained through the front room window with an Xbox and some cash taken. Please ensure all windows are secure and doors locked at this time of year. Inform neighbours if you are going out and lift the handle of your UPVC door (if you have one) and then turn the key. Lifting the handle does NOT lock the door. PC James searched a male in Boundary Street Monday afternoon who was found in possession of a small amount of drugs. The necessary warnings were given. PC James and PC Mark recovered a stolen moped in the Cinder Path on Wednesday afternoon. 2 males on 2 mopeds were riding towards them, unfortunately the males got away on one of the mopeds leaving behind the stolen bike. The owner, who lives local, has been notified. A bit of good news - we have had a new Neighbourhood Watch just started for Larkswood Close. On Tuesday 18/12/2018 PCSO Mark assisted by Adam from the Erith team, escorted the Peareswood School Choir to Erith Shopping Centre for a Christmas Carol performance (photo above - Mark watching on). All the shoppers and public enjoyed the excellent singing. Well done to all. Our next Community Contact Session is at 6pm in our SNT base in Erith (next to farm Foods) on Sunday 30/12/2018". Thamesmead East ward:- "Burglary - Glimpsing Green Tuesday 17/12/18 between 11pm-6am Unknown suspect/s have broken into the house via the front kitchen window, stealing van keys and van from outside property. Criminal damage to a motor vehicle on Monday 10/12/18 between 7pm-6:30am Passenger side window smashed nothing stolen as victim removed all possessions; Seacourt Road Thursday 15/12/18 between midnight-3:45pm By unknown suspect/s damaging the motor vehicle by scratching paintwork on the bonnet; Kale Road Monday 17/12/18 between 1am-9:45am Driver's side window smashed. Theft from / of a motor vehicle in Curlew Road on Tuesday 11/12/18 between 23:59 -10:45am By person unknown making off with the victim's unattended motorcycle from the venue by means unknown; Parkway Thursday 13/12/18 between 5:15am-8pm Unknown suspect/s stolen both front and rear number plates from vehicle; Kale Road Friday 14/12/18 between 5:15pm - 9:45am Unknown suspect/s stole rear number plate and damaged front number plate; Alder Close Monday 17/12/18 between 4:10-4:15pm By suspect/s stealing victims motorcycle from location; Wolvercote Close on Monday 17/12/18 between 5pm-6am Entry gained to victims vehicle an untidy search carried out within. Satnav and change stolen. The Thamesmead East team would like to take this opportunity to thank our Neighbourhood Watch for your continued support throughout 2018 and wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. The next meeting will be Thursday 3rd January 2019 at Lakeside Health Centre Yarnton Way, 1-2pm". West Heath ward:- "This week an unknown person or persons entered an insecure porch and damaged items within on the 13th December between 3pm-5pm in Mayfair Road. Please remember to lock your porches. A car was stolen overnight 17th-18th December from Chessington Ave without the keys and two cars were broken into in Brabourne Court the same evening. Another car was also stolen from Longleigh Lane at around midnight on the 16th December. The team have been carrying out high visibility burglary patrols over the last week and we are pleased to say there have been no reported burglaries for this period. Our next Community Contact Sessions will be on the 29th December by Thomas More Church from 12noon to 1pm followed by the 4th January. 2019 at St Andrew's Church in Abbotts Walk from 5pm-6pm. We would like to wish you all a happy holiday".
The end video this week is a news report on the £19.7 million grant given to Bexley Council to put towards the regeneration of Erith town centre. The video is a few months old, and some of the works described in the video are already well under way - specifically those related to the Carnegie Library, as outlined at the beginning of this update. Other works are due to begin early in the New Year, including as I understand it, the buying out of the leaseholders in Electricity House and the closure of the building prior to redevelopment. The Bexley Road bridge over the railway is apparently also scheduled for a much overdue widening - something that has been on the cards for over ten years. The old foot tunnel from the Western end of the town centre to Erith Station is also due to go, to be replaced with a ground level alternative which is more wheelchair and buggy friendly, not to mention less attractive to graffiti and muggers. What do you think? Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.
