The Nursery.

The photo above shows what used to be one of the offices inside the old Carnegie Library in Walnut Tree Road, Erith. Currently the office space is being used as a giant greenhouse / plant nursery for seedlings. The large windows on two sides of the space allow large amounts of sunlight into the room, making for an excellent growing area for small plants. When the seedlings are larger and more robust, they will be planted in the garden to the rear of the old library building, adjacent to The Bookstore Cafe. Indeed most of the seedlings are vegetables and herbs that once fully grown and harvested, will be used in the meals cooked in the cafe kitchen by head chef Marina Power and her staff, and served to customers. Plans are afoot to eventually have both chickens and at least one beehive in the garden - free range organic eggs and fresh local honey will be added to The Bookstore Cafe menu in due course. If you would like to see more of the former library building, which is now operated by not for profit group The Exchange, you can sign up here to join one of the regular, free behind the scenes tours of the building which are run every Saturday afternoon at 3pm by myself. The need to book is to regulate numbers; there is no charge for the tour. You can also see other activities taking place in the former library by clicking here. The Carnegie Library is really coming to life with a great many community events already taking place - with more still to come. There are some vacancies at The Exchange - both in volunteer and in paid roles. You can see the volunteering opportunities by clicking here. You can see the paid roles by clicking here. 

Now for part two of the three part essay on the state of the local train services by former rail worker and now landlord of The Kentish Belle micro pub, Nick Hair. Nick continues:- "When private companies order trains, much like when airlines order planes, they are buying not just the actual train but also the ‘slot’ in the production line. One train could become ready in, say, March 2020 for testing and training but then the next two might be earmarked for a totally different franchise so the second train for South Eastern might be stuck until August 2020 and so on. In short, a continued postponement of the South Eastern franchise is enough to allow other franchises across the country (and based on recent developments, other countries and their railways) to ‘steal’ construction slots and therefore distend the time taken to get a new fleet ‘online’ for the passengers to enjoy. With this in mind, we at the Lewisham and Bexleyheath Community Rail Partnership feel that the Government must, at the very least, determine the rolling stock strategy for the local Metro network and therefore ‘buy’ the production slots for these trains. If they do not, it could take until April 2020 for a new franchise to be installed and then, with about a 2-year lead time, procure trains. Realistically, we don’t have the time and trains are being crush-loaded further daily as more and more houses are built. Pensions. This is important: the BBC actually led on the relevant day this week that Stagecoach had miraculously been barred from all franchises in Britain as they refused to accept the Government’s ludicrous demands that new companies ‘plug’ the gap in pensions that currently total a despicable £7.5 Billion on a national basis (split then into companies / regions respectively). Stagecoach had submitted vastly more conservative bids, it is understood, than others that were aggressively pitching to take on new franchises; and given that the South Eastern area alone has thus far experienced 3 iterations of privatised / public company since privatisation in 1996 to today (that’s Connex South Eastern, a private firm; Southeastern, a Government subsidiary due to the failure of Connex and South Eastern, the current incumbent as a subsidiary of Govia), it is genuinely unreasonable to feel that the new franchisee should have to stump up all of the money to cover a deficit that could have existed since British Rail. Indeed, our view is that if a failure of the national, then privatised, then national and then privatised railway (again) in pensions has created the relevant share of the total £7.5Billion national gap in pensions, then it is the Government that must step in and ‘pay up’ and then simply ensure new private companies bother to regularly moderate the gap between theory and reality in pensions. Stagecoach’s exit from the modern privatised railway scene is bad for the railway: it simply removes yet more options from the competitive tender. Are we heading for a summer of discontent? Well, our understanding from the ASLEF Drivers’ Union is that the pay gap between South Eastern and other companies locally has been caused by South Eastern being unable to negotiate any more than an inflation pay rise annually due to not having many years left on their franchise. Indeed, as mere ‘tenants’ on a repeating short-term basis, they seem to have allowed such a significant pay lag that many drivers have gone elsewhere! Whilst we don’t wish to get political about train driver pay and whether or not they deserve their salaries, it is fair to say that a train driver on an urban railway is a train driver on an urban railway: in short, if a London Overground driver is worth almost £61,000 then so is a South Eastern driver; not the £53,000 they currently get. The £8,000 difference is, lets be honest, a decent incentive to cut your loyalties and move to a company that not only gives you more but also gives your family an Oyster card and such instead of mere leisure travel to somewhere like Hastings…" The final part of Nick's analysis of local train woes will be published next week. 

Erith based bagpipe expert Chic Mackie is in the news; he will be appearing on a forthcoming episode of BBC One TV show "The Repair Shop" at 4.30pm on Tuesday the 7th May. Chic will be playing a set of pipes recovered from the trenches of WW1. They have been refurbished by bagpipe maker ‘Blue’ MacMurchie. You can see Chic to the left in the photo above - click on it for a larger view. 

A reader sent me details of a fascinating story that until now I had been completely unaware of. Over sixty years ago, one of the most widely witnessed and studied UFO sightings of the 1950’s occurred locally. On the 17th of July 1955 at around midday an incident was reported in King Harold's Way between Upper Belvedere and Bexleyheath; a 30-foot-wide saucer-shaped object was allegedly seen to hover a few feet above a street in broad daylight by local resident Margaret Fry and her doctor on a very hot cloudless day. Car engines located nearby were said to have cut out. It was seen by around thirty people; the craft made a humming noise and landed at the junction of Ashbourne Road and Whitfield Road. It hovered over Bedonwell Primary School (now Bedonwell Junior School) for around one minute. It finally shot off into the sky. Another UFO had allegedly landed a few streets away at the same time. A similar object had been seen in Bexleyheath in 1952, and had been reported in the popular press of the time. Surprisingly for such an incident, it has not received the coverage of other sightings such as the famous multiple sighting at Rendlesham Forest in December 1980. I can note that both incidents occurred at times of high cold war paranoia, which may possibly have contributed to misinterpretation of events. I must say that I have personally seen an unidentified flying object in bright daylight – I am not saying that it was of extra-terrestrial origin, just that it was flying and did not resemble any kind of craft I had seen before. It all happened in the spring of 1994; I was walking along Picardy Road in Upper Belvedere, heading towards Belvedere Station. I had just passed Venmead Court when I saw something in the sky; I looked up and saw an object that initially I took to be a dark grey hot air balloon. Upon closer examination, I soon realised that the object was far bigger than a balloon and higher up in the sky, and was actually triangular shaped. It was flying slowly Northward, towards London City Airport. The object was visible to me for over ten minutes – long enough for me to reach the station and point out the object to others. It turned out that hundreds of people in the area saw the craft, and many reports were made – the story made the London Evening Standard. I am now of the opinion that the UFO may possibly have been an American B2 “Spirit” Stealth Bomber flying to RAF Lakenheath from a training mission – I doubt that I will ever know for sure. If you have a story to tell, Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

It would seem that the story I featured last week about the pedestrian crossing over the Angerstein Wharf Branch Line near Charlton has hit a nerve with local residents and commuters alike. Network Rail announced that the widely used and almost unique pedestrian crossing was due to close on the 13th April, after being open to the public since 1852. Locals were only given eight days notice of the impending closure. After this was announced, a campaign to keep the popular crossing open was started, and the MP for Greenwich and Woolwich, Matthew Pennycook contacted John Halsall, Network Rail’s Route Managing Director for the South East. The outcome of this was a summary of the meeting by Matthew Pennycook, which reads as follows:- "Aside from apologising profusely for various mistakes made in terms of communication, primarily the letter that went out to residents which appears to have been drafted by an engineer rather than anyone with a passing familiarity with public affairs, the following is what we touched on during the call: - The temporary postponement of the crossing closure should not be interpreted as a shelving of it, merely a temporary reprieve. Network Rail are very clear they need to overhaul the outdated signalling system that is currently in place on this line as it has contributed to regular (in their world) freight derailments over recent years. It is the installation of this new signalling system that would bring freight closer to the crossing point. This is what would present a danger to pedestrians not, he was at pains to argue, because they are likely to be hit by 5mph freight trains but because (he pointed out this has tragically happened elsewhere) there is a real risk on an open crossing that people try to cross underneath stationary freight and are injured/killed when trains start moving. If the number of freight is set to increase (see below) the risk in this regard increases too. Network Rail are also responding to a projected increase in freight along the line up from one or two per day to 20 or so. This is in itself a good thing in that it means less aggregate transported by road and therefore less air pollution but I pressed Halsall on whether it was a definitive increase or merely an aspiration on the part of the aggregates. Network Rail are clear they have a legal right to undertake a closure if necessary. Halsall told me the walk to Westcombe Park station was a comfortable five minutes from the PA2 polling district in Peninsula south of the Woolwich Road (Farmdale Road, Fairthorn Road, Gurdon Road etc). I set him straight with regard to the journey time on foot as well as pointing out what a dangerous, unpleasant walk it is compared to the existing crossing. Where are we now? Halsall agreed to send out regular updates to residents and his team will have oversight of what now goes out in terms of communication. More importantly, he agreed to carry out a proper review pending a final decision. This review will determine not only whether the projected increase in freight is definitive or merely aspirational but also for him and his team to give further consideration to whether there are alternative measures that can be taken rather than installing the proposed new signalling system. He mentioned the possibility of new, upgraded tracks (in order to prevent derailments) which may obviate the need for the new signalling system. In turn, I suggested (if the new signalling system proved to be a necessity) the installation of a small pedestrian walkway over the line. I strongly made the case for either of these options, or indeed any others that may be feasible, even at increased cost, if the alternative is an outright closure". The final outcome of this campaign against closure is unclear; it would be a real shame if the only pedestrian railway crossing in Greater London* was lost due to petty bureaucracy. *Actually it is not the only pedestrian rail crossing in Greater London - see the end video for an explanation and a view of the other crossings.

Now for a bit of an appeal for information; can anyone provide me with details of the old barge that used to be moored in the small dock at the Western end of Erith Riverside Gardens? It was there for years, and I believe it was the home of the local Sea Scouts. Secondly, from around the same period (the early 1990's if my memory serves), the small minesweeper that was moored on a buoy on the Thames off Erith, which I believe was used by the sea cadets and the Royal Navy Reserve. I think it was moved away or scrapped in around 1997, but I cannot be certain. Can anyone advise? These two vessels seem to have been lost in the mists of time, even though they were important landmarks back in the day. If anyone has any memories, or better still, photos of these two vessels, I would be extremely grateful for any information that you can provide. 

A new radio station launched yesterday. Maritime Radio, a Greenwich based station aimed at the population of Greenwich, Woolwich, Blackheath and Lewisham is now on air. You can see their website here. They broadcast on 96.5 FM and online. The signal in Erith is not great - but then, we are outside of their primary coverage area. The signal in Upper Belvedere is considerably better - due not only to the slightly closer proximity to the transmitter site, but also due to the fact that Upper Belvedere is located on a hill, and the height helps the low power VHF FM signal. If any readers can supply reception reports from their location, that would be greatly appreciated. Please email your findings to hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

You may have seen the trailer for a new British film that came out on Friday; an espionage thriller called Red Joan, starring Dame Judi Dench. The film is loosely (and I use the term advisedly) based on the life of Melita Norwood (pictured in the lower of the two images above), who many experts believe was the most important Soviet spy in Britain during the Cold War. The reviews of the film have been lukewarm, at best, and from what I can make out, the film bears very little resemblance to actual historical events - the protagonist has a different name for some unknown reason, and many of the incidents in the film either never took place, or if they did, the circumstances were dramatically different. Critics have written that the film is everything from "preposterous" to "inaccurate". Long time readers may recall that I wrote about long time Nursery Avenue in Bexleyheath resident, British communist and covert KGB spy Melita Norwood, also known as "The Bolshevik of Bexleyheath" and "The Spy who came in from the Co-Op" back in October 2011. At that point it was thought that she was not really very important and that MI5 had not had her arrested as they felt that she was not a high risk to security. This was before The Mitrokhin Archive relating to Soviet espionage over the last eighty or so years was released. The archive has been the property of the Churchill Archive Centre at Cambridge University since they were handed over by MI6 after they had been analysed in the late 1990’s. At over two thousand closely hand written pages, The Mitrokhin Archive is the largest academic record of Soviet era spying known to exist. It was created by KGB Major Vasili Mitrokhin during his thirty years as a KGB archivist in the foreign intelligence service and the First Chief Directorate. When he defected to the United Kingdom in 1992 he brought the archive with him. One of the conditions of Vasili Mitrokhin’s defection was that the documents were to be released into the public domain when they were no longer likely to endanger any operations. This has now happened, and much historical detail concerning KGB operations in the West is now open to public study. MI5 had only found out about her spying activities in when the Archive reached their hands, by which time Norwood was an old lady (she died in 2005). Melita Norwood was a civil servant at The British Non – Ferrous Metals Research Association (a research organisation that conducted work ostensibly into areas such as the effects of corrosion in pipes and seawater cooled condenser tubes used in warships; there is also some debate that the organisation was a cover for British nuclear weapons research, though there is contradictory evidence regarding this). She had access to the safe that contained documents graded as secret and above, and photographed thousands of pages which were handed over to her KGB masters. The Mitrokhin Archive says that Norwood, far from being a minor and not very significant figure in Soviet espionage, was actually the most important and highly regarded female spy in KGB history. She had been secretly awarded the Order of the Red Banner and granted a lifetime pension of £20 a month. It seems to me that the KGB would not have given her this very prestigious award simply for passing them information on rusty warships. The Order of the Red Banner was the highest award of Soviet Russia, subsequently the Soviet Union, until the Order of Lenin was established in 1930. Recipients were recognised for extraordinary heroism, dedication, and courage demonstrated on the battlefield. The order was also awarded to individuals as well as to military units, cities, ships, political and social organisations, and state enterprises. In essence the award was not given lightly. Despite the contradictory evidence, I find the claims that Norwood stole many of Britain’s nuclear secrets and enabled the Soviets to create their own nuclear weapons to be very credible; it is ironic that this person, acknowledged by the KGB as their finest female spy would live for much of her life in a comfortable if unremarkable semi detached house situated in Nursery Avenue in Bexleyheath. After her story came out and Melita Norwood gained a degree of infamy, my Mother saw her on a local bus on a couple of occasions, and felt sorry for the old lady who was often the target of loudly whispered gossip by fellow travellers. She did what she did for ideological reasons, and was quoted as saying “I did what I did, not to make money, but to help prevent the defeat of a new system which had, at great cost, given ordinary people food and fares which they could afford, a good education and a health service”. It is not known if at the time of her active spying career if she knew of Stalin’s state sponsored programme of mass murder or the millions he consigned to Gulags, or indeed the incredible repression and shortages undergone by all but the political elite in the corrupt Soviet system. It may well be that she was naive and credulous – as many Europeans were prior to World War II. Whatever the reason, she went to her grave knowing that communism was dead and the belief system it engendered was thoroughly and thankfully discredited.

Now for the weekly safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly a report from Barnehurst ward:- "We are pleased to report there have been no burglaries in the past week, In fact we have had a really positive month so far with only one residential burglary at the beginning of April. There has been one theft of motor vehicle in Hillingdon Road on Wednesday 10/04/2019 between 22.00 and 0130 hours. A screw cap from the number plate and cards belonging to the victim were found in The Chase off Long Lane and the vehicle was later found in Thamesmead and recovered by Police. The original number plates were missing from the vehicle. Between Monday 01/04/2019 and Wednesday 17/04/2019 in Birling Road a rented garage was broken into. Details as to what or if anything has been taken is unknown as yet. Our next community contact session is on Tuesday 23/04/2019 at 11.00am in Barnehurst Golf Club". Belvedere ward:- "On Wednesday 10th April there was an incident involving a group of male youths that had gathered in Picardy Road and were observed in possession of weapons. The team took part in a search for this group however they had left the area prior to the arrival of Police. You may recall that the team had identified several youths that had been acting in an anti-social manner across the ward recently. As we had referred the group to Bexley Council, the decision has been made to offer Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABC's) to those that have been identified. These contracts are discussed with the individual and certain ‘conditions' are considered in an effort to curb anti-social behaviour. The team are in the process of visiting the remaining three members of the group that we have now identified and once spoken to, they will also be referred to Bexley Council. There was a burglary in Norman Road overnight from Saturday 13th into Sunday 14th April. Car keys and a vehicle were stolen from the property. There was an attempted break in in Elmbourne Drive overnight from Monday 15th/ Tuesday 16th April. Damage was caused to the frame of a window to the rear of the property. Entry was not gained to the property. Further to this, there was a burglary in Harold Avenue in which a property that is currently being renovated was broken into. The owner of the property challenged those responsible who then ran from the location. If anyone has any information in relation to these incidents, please contact the team on 0208 721 2050 or via email at Belvedere.SNT@met.police.uk. Our next Community Contact Session/ Drop in surgery in due to take place on Friday 26th April from 10am at All Saints church hall in Nuxley Road". Bexleyheath ward:- "There has been one report of a burglary that had taken place on the Tuesday 16/04/2019 between the hours of 8.30am and 1530hrs which was along the Broadway. Scooter was taken from the porch. Between Saturday 06/04/2019 and Monday 08/04/2019 – A indicator light were stolen from a vehicle along Meadow Close Bexleyheath. Patrols have been and still will be conducted in and around the Premiere Inn car park and including the cinema car park to help tackle anti-social behaviour. The team have had reports of youths riding motorbikes at Bursted Woods, as a result the team shall be continuing to patrol this area. 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:- "Thankfully there have been no residential burglaries, please don't be complacent about home security though, especially with the lovely weather forecast for the days ahead. In this last week there have been mainly vehicle related crimes. On Monday 15th April, number plates were stolen from a vehicle whilst parked at Crayford BR Station, these should be on a Citroen DS3. A White Ford Transit with the registration plate YS12 ETX was stolen whilst parked in Shearwood Crescent, there is reason to believe this vehicle may now be on different plates. Between 1800 on Saturday 13th April and 20.00 on Tuesday 16th April there was an attempted theft of a vehicle whilst parked at Alcock Crescent, the lock was drilled, the ignition barrel damaged and the steering column pulled down. Two vehicles were damaged by youths in Heath Road on Sunday 14th April between 20.40 – 21.10, a blue Peugeot and a Black Mercedes, the youths were seen to run off towards an alleyway nearby. A grey Nissan XTrail parked on a driveway in Mayplace Road East was broken in to between 19.00 on Friday 12th April and 10.00 on Saturday 13th April, the glove compartment was opened and golf clubs and a sports holdall had been removed from the boot of the vehicle, it was believed the vehicle was locked. A blue Ford Transporter was stolen between 17.10 on Friday 12th April and 05.50 on the Saturday 13th April from Maiden Lane. Between 23.00 on the Thursday 11th April and 08.00 on Friday 12th April a significant amount of items were stolen from a green Honda Civic whilst parked in Stephen Road, items include bank cards which were used locally, Photographic equipment including tripods, microphones, headphones and a playstation were stolen, the vehicle was believed to be locked. Between 16.40 on Thursday 11th April and 09.15 on Friday 12th April a Blue Hyundai Tucson was entered whilst parked in Mayplace Road East, it doesn't appear that anything was stolen. An elderly lady had her bank cards stolen whilst she was shopping in Sainsburys between 14.30 – 16.00 on Wednesday 10th April, a significant amount of money was withdrawn from her account. Please be vigilant when making card transactions, ensure no one can see the pin number you are entering and take time to put cards away safely before leaving the till area. On Wednesday 10th April between 13.30 – 13.35 a rock was thrown at a rear door in Crayford Way, causing the glass to shatter, there were young children playing nearby and thankfully no one was hurt. Between 18.15 on 9th April and 08.50 on 10th April small change was stolen from a black Nissan Qashqui whilst parked in Stephen Road, it is unknown how the vehicle was entered. Our next community contact session will be at Crayford Library on Tuesday 23 April between 11.00-12.00, please come along and speak with us if you have any concerns, or we can be contacted on our ward phone or email".

Erith ward:- "On Sunday we were at the Sikh temple in Belvedere handing out smart water kits. Saturday night we patrolled around the ward in all crime hot spot areas. Crimes from the week: Theft from motor vehicle on Wednesday 10/04/2019 Larner Road; Theft from motor vehicle on Friday 12/04/2019 Compton Place, and Shoplift >£199 on Saturday 13/04/2019 Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc, James Watt Way". Northumberland Heath ward:- "Another short report this week. We are pleased to say that we have had no reported burglaries. One report of criminal damage to a motor vehicle in Shinglewell Road. The vehicle, a Fiat Punto was left locked and secured on Wednesday April 10th at 8.30pm. The following morning Thursday April 11th at 7am the owner of the vehicle discovered the passenger window and windscreen had been smashed. A brick was found by the car and it is believed that this was used to damage the vehicle. It is unconfirmed if any items were stolen. We are aware of some recent reports of motor cycle ASB, in and around Northumberland Heath Recreation Ground. We are working on this issue and hope to have some news to share with you on this topic soon in relation to long term prevention of this. We will continue to patrol the park on the lookout for this and anyone we identify riding on the field will be issued with a Section 59 Warning (Police Reform Act 2002) meaning if they are caught committing a similar offence again within 12 months, their vehicle will be immediately seized. We plan to issue one of these warnings to a motorcycle which was recently seen being ridden in the park over the weekend. There has been a burglary in Redleaf Close, Belvedere between Sunday 14/04/2019, 2300 hours to Monday 15/04/2019, 0420 hours. The suspect has gained entry by forcing open the rear patio door. Property stolen from the burglary includes gold jewellery and a car which had been parked on the driveway, a Green FIAT 500, registration LX16VCE. We are aware that several residents have seen a male walking the local streets approaching properties on the same night of the burglary. The investigating officer has been made aware of this. We continue to get reports of theft of number plates and also some theft of motor vehicles". Slade Green and Northend ward:- "The only crime of note was a van broken into in Frobisher Road at 0830 on Friday April 12. An iPad and other items were taken. Please do not leave any valuable items on display. PC Mark was walking towards Appold Street on Friday afternoon when he saw a moped being ridden by 3 males in balaclavas. The males jumped off the bike and ran off before Mark could get close to them. The bike was recovered and reunited with a very grateful owner. We assisted our colleagues from Belvedere SNT on Saturday with a plain clothes operation. No arrests made but a good operation. On Sunday 14/04/2019 a male was found in possession of cannabis near to Morrison's in Erith. He will be back for interview soon". Thamesmead East ward:- "PC Nana was invited to a women's conference to talk about youth violence and internet safety among young people by a church organisation which was well received. PC Pruden arrested a male who was wanted in the Barking & Dagenham area for a serious assault which was Domestic related. PC Nana arrested a female who assaulted her whilst on duty at a bus stop on The Broadway Bexleyheath whilst waiting for a bus back to Thamesmead. Investigation still ongoing. The team conducted joint door knocking exercise with Peabody Housing to speak to residents at Penton and Osney Houses to find out if they have any concerns especially around ASB-related issues. Crimes reported in the last week: Racially Aggravated Harassment after Road transport collusion outside Lakeside medical centre, Yarnton Way. Criminal damage in a dwelling Domestic related at Kinder Close, SE28. Theft from motor vehicle in the early hours of Saturday 13/04/2019 on Mangold Way. Window smashed and property taken. Theft from BP garage Harrow Manor way, Drive off. Criminal Damage to property. Landlord/Tenant dispute at Ormesby Close. Criminal Damage to Payphone on Yarnton Way". West Heath ward:- "Motor vehicle crime - Wednesday 10th April at around 7.30am a van was broken into and tools stolen on Brampton Road; Saturday 6th April at 2am a male was seen on CCTV trying a car door handle in Berkeley Ave; Wednesday 6th April overnight someone attempted to break into a vehicle by removing the window sill in Shakespeare Road; Sunday 14th April overnight a scooter was stolen from an address in Langley Road; Monday 15th April overnight in Woolwich Road the spare wheel cover of a car was taken. Burglary - We have had three attempted residential burglaries, one actual and a garage burglary. Saturday 13th April at 10pm in Canberra Rd someone attempted to gain entry through a rear kitchen window. Suspect made off when disturbed by the house alarm; Saturday 13th - Sunday 14th April overnight in Heath Avenue there was an attempted where garden items were moved and trellis broken, no entry gained; Sunday 14th April at 10am in Heath Avenue a male gained entry into a conservatory but was chased off whilst trying to break into inner door leaving the tool they were using stuck in the door. Entry was not gained and nothing was taken; Sunday 14th April around 2pm a male was seen on CCTV doorbell trying a porch door handle and peering into the property in Berkeley Ave. Male was wearing a green jacket with fur edged hood; Monday 15th April overnight in Osborne Road a garage was broken into by cutting off the padlock and tools taken. The team have carried out several plain clothes patrols around the The Pantiles this week resulting in several stop & Searches all with negative results. We have also conducted arrest enquiries for offenders. Our street briefing held in Brabourne Crescent on Saturday 13th April was well attended, main issues arising were parking and littering. Our next street briefing will be on Saturday 20th April in Exmouth Road at the junction with Seaton Rd at 7.30pm. The ward panel met on 10th April, the promises remain the same ASB / drugs, Burglary and Motor vehicle crime". 

As mentioned earlier, the Angerstein Wharf branch line pedestrian crossing in Charlton is not actually the only pedestrian rail crossing in Greater London, as had previously been assumed. The short video below shows the other crossings and gives some background information about them. Do feel free to leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

A 75th anniversary.

Erith is receiving extra money from the London Mayor’s Good Growth Fund. The cash will be used to improve several public areas around the town, including the Riverside Gardens (pictured above - click on the photo in order to see a larger version). In an interview with the News Shopper, Councillor Louie French, Bexley’s deputy leader and cabinet member for growth, said: “I am delighted this latest round of funding will see the Riverside Gardens rejuvenated and refurbished based on designs developed in partnership with local residents and community organisations. The project will upgrade this much-loved open space to improve visibility of and engagement with the river, creating opportunities for the community to use the gardens for play, leisure activities, planting and learning." The historic Carnegie Library in Walnut Tree Road has received similar funding, and the official opening event of the Bookstore Cafe within the building by The Exchange is scheduled to take place on the 14th February. You can read details about it here.

The mystery surrounding Electricity House deepens. Regular readers may recall that 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. 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, and the nursery owner tried to cover the crime up. After an unsuccessful court appeal against the ban, the owners of the nursery 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. A new nursery provider took up the lease of part of the building. The nursery was originally called The Carnegie Playhouse, but shortly changed its name to The Bexley Road Nursery. Some building refurbishment work was undertaken, but for the last couple of weeks no activity has been observed on the site. I have Emailed the nursery owner asking for an update, but so far I have not had a response. In the meantime, the African church which has been using The P2 Events Centre - the shabbily converted former snooker club, located on the upper floor of the large building - have now moved out, and they are now holding their services in the White Hart African restaurant and wine bar. You may recall that last year the White Hart controversially submitted a request to Bexley Council licensing in order to stay open until 5am every day. Understandably this was thrown out. One other issue that came up at the licensing meeting was that the White Hart had converted the former beer cellar into an events space and an overspill area from the restaurant upstairs. The problem with this was that there is no fire escape - there is only a single staircase in and out of the lower floor area. Because of this, both Bexley Council planning team and the London Fire Brigade forbade the owners from using the former beer cellar until extensive alterations to create a fire escape had been made. Some locals have expressed concern that the church may be illegally using the former beer cellar area in order to hold their services, but at the time of writing, I have no solid evidence to back this up. Whatever is happening, things are changing, and the businesses located in Electricity House are gradually closing up as their leases are bought up by Bexley Council; I have it on reliable authority that the long established shoe repairer and key cutting shop called Soles and Heels. on the corner of Pier Road and Cross Street is soon to be no more. The council surveyors have been in to measure the place up prior to making the owners an offer that they will not be able to refuse. 

Nowadays many people are familiar with the ground breaking work done by hundreds of men and women during World War II at Bletchley Park to break the Axis ciphers, which are said to have shortened the war by around two years. Much has been made of the work by Alan Turing, Gordon Welchman and the hundreds of mathematicians, linguists, statisticians, cryptanalysts and administrative staff who worked to crack the Enigma Code, and several films and documentaries have been made on the subject, including the absolutely terrible film, The Imitation Game, which is horrendously historically inaccurate, and actually fabricates much of the story. Nevertheless, the work carried out in utter secret was absolutely vital to the Allies eventual victory. What is far less well known is the story of how Station X (the code name for Bletchley Park) broke the cipher used by Germany's high command, which was even more fiendishly complex and hard to break than the already formidable Enigma Code. Tuesday of last week marked the 75th anniversary of the first use of a digital, programmable computer, which not only substantially eased wartime code breaking, but went on to change the world - and it all started in a draughty shed near Milton Keynes. I digress; The cipher used by Hitler and his top generals was called the Lorenz Cipher. Lorenz used a massively modified electrical teleprinter. Teleprinters are not based on the 26-letter alphabet and Morse code on which the Enigma machine depended. Teleprinters use the 32-symbol Baudot code. Note that the Baudot code output consists of five channels each of which is a stream of bits which can be represented as no-hole or hole, 0 or 1, dot or cross. The system enciphered the message text by adding to it, character by character, a set of obscuring characters thus producing the enciphered characters which were transmitted to the intended recipient. The simplicity of the Lorenz system lay in the fact that the obscuring characters were added in a rather special way (known as modulo-2 addition). Then exactly the same obscuring characters, added also by modulo-2 addition to the received enciphered characters, would cancel out the obscuring characters and leave the original message characters which could then be printed. The Lorenz machines at each end of the communication link had to be set up with the same cipher key in order to effectively communicate. The difficulty was how to ensure, in a hot war situation, that the same random character keys were available at each end of a communications link and that they were both set to the same start position. The Lorenz company decided that it would be operationally easier to construct a machine to generate the obscuring character sequence. Because it was a machine it could not generate a completely random sequence of characters. It generated what is known as a pseudo-random sequence. Unfortunately for the German Army it was more "pseudo" than random and that was how it was broken. Brigadier John Tiltman, one of the top codebreakers in Bletchley Park, took a particular interest in these enciphered teleprinter messages. They were given the code name "Fish". Because the Lorenz system depended on addition of characters, Tiltman reasoned that if the operators made a mistake and used the same Lorenz machine starts for two messages (known by codebreakers as a depth), then by adding the two cipher texts together character by character, the obscuring character sequence would disappear. He would then be left with a sequence of characters each of which represented the addition of the two characters in the original German message texts. For two completely different messages it is virtually impossible to assign the correct characters to each message. Just small sections at the start could be derived but not complete messages. As the number of intercepts, now being made at Knockholt in Kent, increased a section was formed in Bletchley Park headed by Major Ralph Tester and known as the "Testery". A number of messages were intercepted but not much headway had been made into breaking the cipher until the Germans made one horrendous mistake. It was on 30 August 1941. A German operator had a long message of nearly 4,000 characters to be sent from one part of the German Army High command to another — probably Athens to Vienna. He correctly set up his Lorenz machine and then sent a twelve letter indicator, using the German names, to the operator at the receiving end. This operator then set his Lorenz machine and asked the operator at the sending end to start sending his message. After nearly 4,000 characters had been keyed in at the sending end, by hand, the operator at the receiving end sent back by radio the equivalent, in German, of "didn't get that — send it again". They now both put their Lorenz machines back to the same start position. This was absolutely forbidden, but they did it. The operator at the sending end then began to key in the message again, by hand. If he had been an automaton and used exactly the same key strokes as the first time then all the interceptors would have got would have been two identical copies of the cipher text. Input the same — machines generating the same obscuring characters — same cipher text. But being only human and being thoroughly bored and disgusted at having to key it all again, the sending operator began to make differences in the second message compared to the first. The message began with that well known German phrase SPRUCHNUMMER — "message number" in English. The first time the operator keyed in S P R U C H N U M M E R. The second time he keyed in S P R U C H N R and then the rest of the message text. Now NR means the same as NUMMER, so what difference did that make? It meant that immediately following the N the two texts were different. But the machines were generating the same obscuring sequence, therefore the cipher texts were different from that point on. The interceptors at Knockholt realised the possible importance of these two messages because the twelve letter indicators were the same. They were sent post-haste to John Tiltman at Bletchley Park. Tiltman applied the same additive technique to this pair as he had to previous Depths. But this time he was able to get much further with working out the actual message texts because when he tried SPRUCHNUMMER at the start he immediately spotted that the second message was nearly identical to the first. Thus the combined errors of having the machines back to the same start position and the text being re-keyed with just slight differences enabled Tiltman to recover completely both texts. The second one was about 500 characters shorter than the first where the German operator had been saving his fingers. This fact also allowed Tiltman to assign the correct message to its original cipher text. Now Tiltman could add together, character by character, the corresponding cipher and message texts revealing for the first time a long stretch of the obscuring character sequence being generated by this German cipher machine. He did not know how the machine did it, but he knew that this was what it was generating. This manual cracking of the Lorenz Cipher proved that it could be broken, but it was far too slow and laborious to be used in any kind of practical manner. What would massively accelerate the breaking of Lorenz enciphered messages would be if there was a way to automate the comparison of the hundreds of messages that were transmitted by the Nazis every day. This is where Colossus - the world's first, digital, programmable computer came in. Built by the Post Office at their research and development laboratory in Dollis Hill, and designed by a largely unsung genius called Tommy Flowers. Colossus was huge - hence the name, and used thousands of thermionic valves (what the Americans call tubes) to operate. Colossus reduced the time to break Lorenz messages from weeks to hours, and sometimes even minutes. Colossus read teleprinter characters, in the international Baudot code, at 5,000 characters per second from a paper tape. These characters were usually the intercepted cipher text which had been transmitted by radio. The paper tape was joined into a loop with special punched holes at the beginning and end of the text. The broad principle of Colossus was to count throughout the length of the text the number of times that some complicated Boolean function between the text and the generated wheel patterns had either a true or false result. At the end of text the count left on the counter circuits was dumped onto relays before being printed on the typewriter during the next read through the text, an early form of double buffering. It was just in time for the deciphering of messages which gave vital information to Eisenhower and Montgomery prior to D-Day. In effect Bletchley Park were "reading Hitler's Email". These deciphered Lorenz messages showed that Hitler had swallowed the deception campaigns, the phantom army in the South of England, the phantom convoys moving east along the channel; that Hitler was convinced that the attacks were coming across the Pas de Calais and that he was keeping Panzer divisions in Belgium. Colossus was so good at deciphering Nazi High Command messages that there were many instances when the cryptographers at Bletchley Park were reading decrypted messages before Hitler did! After D-Day the French resistance and the British and American Air Forces bombed and strafed all the telephone and teleprinter land lines in Northern France, forced the Germans to use radio communications and suddenly the volume of intercepted messages went up enormously. The Mark 1 had been rapidly succeeded by the Mark 2 Colossus in June 1944 and eight more were quickly built to handle the increase in messages. The Mark 1 was upgraded to a Mark 2 and there were thus ten Mark 2 Colossi in the Park by the end of the war. By the end of hostilities, 63 million characters of high grade German messages had been decrypted — an absolutely staggering output from just 550 people at Bletchley Park, plus of course the considerable number of interceptors at Knockholt, with backups at Shaftesbury and Cupar in Scotland. The first Lorenz enciphered message to be cracked by Colossus happened 75 years ago last week - and it changed the world, launching the computer age.

You may recall that last week I wrote about the Metropolitan Police who are in the midst of what it is calling a trial of automated facial recognition (AFR) technology, although it has been using the kit since 2016. Last week it used the kit in Romford, parking a van outside the station between 10am and 6pm. The cameras scan the faces of passersby and checks them against a watch list that is supposed to be freshly drawn up for each deployment. Forces have argued the public expects them to use emerging tech to improve policing, but critics railed against the fact it is being tested in live environments without a legal framework and in the face of evidence it has a 98 per cent false positive rate. Last week's deployment was due to be the final one before a full analysis, but snow meant that the second day had to be rescheduled because footfall would be lower than is required by the tests. The Metropolitan Police have yet to provide details of where and when this will be – info about the Romford trial was only released at 4pm the day before. The problem is not with identifying and tracking criminals, which I am sure pretty much everyone applauds, but the fact that the technology currently deployed simply does not work as advertised, and the extremely high rate of false positives means that potentially passers by can be identified as a wanted criminal when in reality they are completely innocent. What do you think? Leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

Now for the weekly local safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. First a report from Barnehurst ward:- 

Image:- Fire fighters attending a property in Parkside Avenue, Barnehurst on Monday which resulted in the discovery of a cannabis factory. "Not a bad week crime wise across the ward with no burglaries reported. There has been an increase in theft from motor vehicles offences with five being reported in Hillingdon Road since Wednesday 30th January. All offences have occurred overnight. There has been no damage to vehicles and property including electrical items, sunglasses and small change has been taken. Please make sure that your vehicle is locked securely, do not rely on the electronic fob always check manually that your vehicle is locked. The team will be adjusting their duties and will be carrying out both uniformed and plain clothes operations at the relevant times. On Monday 4th February the fire service responded to a house fire in Parkside Avenue, the property was seriously damaged and whilst fighting the blaze a cannabis factory was discovered across the first floor of the house. Police attended and approximately 150 cannabis plants were seized from the property. Enquires are continuing in regards to potential suspects identified regarding the cultivation. Most cannabis factories are situated in residential streets, normally the electricity is by passed and with the heat generated from the hydroponic set up creates a major fire hazard. If you have suspicions that a property is being used to cultivate drugs please call the local policing team with details. If you do not want to talk to the police consider calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 this is completely anonymous and you do not have to give any personal details. Thankfully nobody was injured during this incident, however this was only due to the quick response from the fire service and the skill of the crews tackling the fire which prevented the blaze from spreading to neighbouring properties. A member of the team will be at Barnehurst Golf course on Tuesday 12th February at 11am. Please come along for an informal chat about any concerns or issues that you may have or just pop in to say hello. As always we can be found on twitter @MPSBarnehurst and Facebook, just search for Barnehurst Police". Belvedere ward:- "The team began this week by attending Belvedere Junior school in order to monitor parking and traffic along Lower Road, directly outside of the school after concerns were raised by both the school and Bexley Council. This has historically been an issue and the team are hoping to attend more regularly with partner agencies to take the necessary action against any person(s) that are found to be committing offences. We have now been advised that the elder of the two men that were sleeping rough on the site of the disused Belvedere Police station has been housed. A great deal of work took place by not only ourselves but several outreach workers and Bexley Council officers to assist the male with his health issues and he is now hopefully in suitable accommodation. We are aware that the younger male seems to have repositioned himself further along Nuxley Road and we are still working toward a suitable outcome for this male also. With the help of Ian Holt, the estate manager of the Lesnes Abbey heritage site, the team have recovered a safe that had been discovered discarded in bushes at the entrance to New Road. This has been stored in a more secure area at this stage and appears to have been taken from a house in the Welling area during a burglary. We are in the process of contacting the rightful owner in order to restore their property to them. Over the weekend the team responded to a call for Police as youths were apparently causing a nuisance in both Tennyson and Scott Houses in Albert Road. Unfortunately there was no sign of the group when we arrived at the location however we will continue to patrol areas such as this on a regular basis. Finally, the team visited a resident of Woodland Way who had reported a male that had been caught on CCTV from the property. He had been walking along Woodland Way in the early hours of one morning recently and was trying to open car doors. He eventually managed to enter a vehicle that had not been locked overnight, although he did not take anything from the vehicle as no items of value were left in the car by the resident. No other damage was caused to the vehicle however the team would advise that you always lock and secure your vehicle even if leaving it unattended for the shortest time. Also, never leave items on display within your vehicle. Place items where they cannot be seen (glove box or boot) or take any valuable items from the car when you exit your vehicle. Our next Community Contact session is due to take place on Friday 15th February at the Asda café from 12 noon". Bexleyheath ward:- "There has been one report of a burglary along Bedonwell Road Bexleyheath on the Friday 01/02/2019, method of entry is unknown. Saturday 02/02/2019 – Report of a theft from motor vehicle, outside Asda store Bexleyheath; Wednesday 30/01/2019 – Report of an interference with a motor vehicle along Hyde Road Bexleyheath. A theft of purse was report on the Monday 04/02/2019 along the Broadway Bexleyheath between 3.30 and 4pm; On the Monday 04/02/2019 - A male was stopped along the skate park in Bexleyheath for possession of cannabis. The team has received reports of males on bikes causing anti social behaviour in the carpark area at the Premiere Inn, patrols are conducted daily. 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 or 101 for non-urgent reporting". Crayford ward:- "Number plates were stolen from a Ford Transit parked to the rear of a business by Crayford Parade between Friday 25th and Monday 28th February. On Thursday 31st January a burglary occurred at an address in Iron Mill Lane between 13.30 and 21.30. Entry was via a rear door, it was not reported what was stolen. Number plates were stolen from a vehicle parked in Farm Place between 18.00 on Thursday 31 January and 10.00 on Friday 1st February. These number plates OV53 VHJ should be on a Blue VW Polo. It was reported that between 09.00-09.10 on Tuesday 29th January a wing mirror was deliberately broken off a Ford Fiesta van whilst parked outside a property in Mill Place. Number plates KW10 GWV were stolen from a Black Volkswagon whilst parked in Perry Street on Saturday 2nd February between 12.15 and 14.30. Between 12.00 on Thursday 31st January and 14.15 on Saturday 2nd February a shed was broken into at Crayford Allotments, a quantity of power tools and gardening equipment was taken. A theft from motor vehicle occurred on Monday 4th February between 01.00-04.00 at Old Road. A small bag containing toiletries, a small flick knife and caravan keys were stolen from within a red Honda CRV, victim believes the suspect's intention was to steal the vehicle but it had a steering lock fitted. Our officers have dealt with 2 youths who had cannabis on them close to Halcot Avenue, their parents have been made aware. We were at Town Hall Square on Tuesday early evening with our partners from Peabody Trust to conduct house to house surveys about anti-social behaviour and disorder at that location and close by. Tackling anti-social behaviour in Crayford Town Centre is one of our current ward promises as agreed by our ward panel. Whilst there some youths were seen loitering in the rear of the underground car park and on seeing police ran off. A short foot chase ensued but the youths had too great a head start, they did however drop their lit cannabis joint which will now be destroyed. Many of the residents at Town Hall Square want us to be there to deal with the constant ongoing issues occurring there". Erith ward:- "Around Erith – A new café is opening soon, the bookstore café in the old Erith Library for more info have a look at this link: https://www.theexchangeerith.com/the-bookstore-cafe/ we will be popping in for a coffee every now and then supporting new local businesses. Also a free exhibition Windrush and Bexley's Story of Migration [exhibition] Sat, Feb 16, 2019, 11:00 AM - Sun, Mar 17, 2019, 4:00 PM. The Exchange Open Thursday – Sunday, 11 – 4pm. - Crimes of note: Burg Res (Burglary Residential) Sunday 27/01/2019 Rutland Gate - By suspect, breaking into victim's household whilst away, stealing several items and causing damage to several items + the household; Theft from MV (Motor Vehicle) Thursday 31/01/2019, St. Fidelis Road - Vehicle boot left unlocked and items taken; Burg Res Friday 01/02/2019 Crusoe Road - by suspect unknown gaining entry by smashing rear conservatory door to gain entry then remove property from within; Shoplift <£200 Saturday 02/02/2019 WM Morrison Supermarket, James Watt Way; Theft from MV 03/02/2019 Bramble Croft - front and rear number plates stolen from vehicle; Burg Bus (Burglary Business) Friday 01/02/2019, West Street - break in to a construction site. Community Contact Session date:- Thursday 14th February Erith Library". Northumberland Heath ward:- "One burglary reported to us over the past week in Belmont Road. This took place on the afternoon of Thursday January 31st between 3pm - 10.50pm when the occupiers returned to find the back door smashed and the house ransacked. A safe containing a large amount of cash was stolen along with a Rolex watch, a Louis Vutton handbag and office equipment to the value of£500. A Land Rover discovery was stolen overnight on Monday February 4th in the small hours of the morning between 0130 – 0620 when the victim discovered it missing when leaving for work .The vehicle was stolen with the owner still of possession of the keys. The victim has CCTV footage of three men in Balaclavas on their property, these males were believed to be driving a silver ford focus prior to the vehicle theft. Two theft from Motor vehicles in very close proximity to each other in Parsonage Manorway and Shinglewell Road. Both took place overnight on Thursday January 31st and Friday February 1st between 6pm and 8am. One vehicle had a bag containing £40 stolen and the other had a dashcam stolen. This week we had a meeting with Bexley council to discuss several youths who are still coming to police attention, we will update you with any further information in due course. Our next drop in Police Surgery will be held on Wednesday February 13th at Midday. All are welcome to attend". Slade Green and Northend ward:- "An armed robbery took place on Tuesday 05/02/2019. At 11:45 2 masked men entered the Post Office in Forest Road armed with axes demanding money from the tills. They got away with £600. Fortunately no one was hurt. The investigation is under way with the good news that one suspect has been arrested and hopefully the second will be caught soon. If anyone has any information relating to this matter please let us know or call 101. A vehicle was stolen from Cedar Road at some time between Saturday (2/2/19) and Monday (4/2/19) this week with no evidence of any smashed glass or stolen keys. The vehicle details have been flagged for the ANPR cameras. 2 positive searches this week. PC's Mark and James carried out some plain clothes work on Saturday 2nd Feb resulting in 1 suspect searched in Frobisher Road and found in possession of cannabis which ended with the relevant warnings given. Another suspect is coming back for an interview next week after also being found in possession of cannabis but denying any knowledge of it. On the morning of Saturday Feb 2nd police attention was drawn to an unattended motorbike with its engine running in the car park of Tesco Express, Northend Road. As officers went to go in the shop a male came out carrying £31 pound worth of chocolate, he said it was his bike. The bike was stolen as was the chocolate so he was duly arrested for both offences!" Thamesmead East ward:- "Burglaries - No burglaries to report this week. However remain vigilant at all times. Theft of motor vehicle - Between the hours of 02:00pm and 04:00pm on Thursday 31/01/19 a vehicle was stolen from Manordeane Road. Theft from motor vehicle - Between the hours of 07:00pm on Saturday 02/02/19 and 07:50am Sunday 03/02/19 a vehicle parked, locked and secure in Lensbury Way had the front passenger window smashed and a brand new tom tom valued at £220 taken from the glove box. During the early hours of Sunday morning of the 03/02/19 another vehicle parked in Lensbury Way had both the front passenger window and rear passenger smashed, an Apple mini iPad, Microsoft surface laptop, optical equipment and £350 taken from the glove box. Crime prevention - Wallets, purses ,handbags ,credit cards and loose change should never be left in an unattended vehicle. Remove sat nav mounts, suction cup marks on windows and cables which may indicate electrical items in the vehicle. Good news - On Friday 01/02/19 a male who resides locally was arrested for failing to appear, was kept in over the weekend and bailed to court. Meetings - Have A Say Day On Thursday 14/02/19 at The Link, Bazalgette Way between the hours of 1:00 – 2:00pm,an opportunity to meet with your local police team and discuss any concerns that you may have". West Heath ward:- "The ward has suffered two theft from Motor vehicles and two Theft of Motor vehicles. Between Tuesday the 29th January at 9pm -- Wednesday 30th January at 7.40am a vehicle was stolen without the use of the keys in Powys Close, a second vehicle was taken from Canberra Road again without keys between 11pm on the Monday 21st January and 7.30am Friday 1st February. Number plates were stolen from a vehicle in Clovelly Road daytime between 9.30am and 8.15pm on the Thursday 31st January. Petrol was stolen and the vehicles tyres slashed in Hurst Lane between Sunday 10th at 10am and Monday 11th February at 10am. We have been made aware by the residents of Glenview that person/s are informing them that un-necessary remedial works are required to their properties, they have also been offered services of driveway cleaning. Please be aware of unexpected callers offering these services. Please do not hesitate to contact police if you have any concerns about these callers. Our next Community Contact Session will be on Saturday the Saturday 9th February at Hurst Lane Estate between 1 – 2pm. The team have carried out arrest enquiries for persons who are wanted and now currently have only one person outstanding on the ward. We continue to carry out high visibility patrols in an attempt to reduce burglaries, ASB and drugs. We have delivered leaflets regarding drug activity in Heath Avenue and Powys Road".

The end video this week is a documentary from 2014 featuring Welling born and raised musician Kate Bush; it makes for fascinating viewing. Please feel free to leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

Erith Pier Festival.

Yesterday was the first Erith Pier Festival, which took place from 11am until 9pm on Erith Pier. The event was very well attended both by local residents and people from further afield. Food stalls selling ice cream, American BBQ, African food, made on request gourmet pizzas, and a large pop - up pub by Bexley Brewery (the large white tent that you can see in the middle photograph above - click on any one for a larger view) were on hand to feed and provide drink for visitors. Other stands were manned by the RNLI, and there were a number of musicians on hand playing music to the crowd throughout the day. The event was very well run, and seemed to be very popular with those that attended. The weather was excellent for the time of year, and I don't think anything could have been done any better. I would have liked to stay for longer than the hour or so that I spent at the event, but I had to leave to attend the Friends of Christ Church Erith annual quiz night and raffle, which was a massive success. The final attendance figures and amount raised by the evening event have not yet been released, but I would estimate it might well exceed that of last year. The money raised is going towards getting a tea / coffee station and a couple of toilets installed inside the listed church building, though this project may take some time to complete, due to the complexity of the work involved. An update on this will be published in a future edition. 

The transportation company behind the recently launched (and misleadingly named) Nuxley Navigator private mini bus service is in some pretty hot water at present. I was sent some information by an anonymous source, which was subsequently backed up by a report in the News Shopper. Chariot, a subsidiary of Ford, operates two private mini bus routes – one from Erith to Abbey Wood station and another along Shooters Hill to North Greenwich. The route from Erith Quarry to Abbey Wood station is a bit redundant at present, as it is designed to carry passengers from the forthcoming Erith Quarry housing development to the Elizabeth Line terminus at Abbey Wood. As has been widely reported in the mainstream press, the Elizabeth Line opening has been delayed for at least a year, and quite possibly somewhat longer. The Erith Quarry site is also not actually open for residents yet, although phase one of the development should be opens quite some time sooner than the railway. It has been reported that the the Shooters Hill to North Greenwich mini bus service is in trouble, in the words of the News Shopper "after a shuttle bus driver was investigated for allegedly having a poo on the side of the road". The paper then also reported:- "Ford has been forced to apologise after one of its Chariot drivers was caught “defecating” along his route. Complaints were made on social media, and the allegation was raised during a Twitter question-and-answer service with Greenwich cabinet member Chris Kirby last week. The councillor was asked: “Any luck with Chariot regarding drivers defecating on the side of the road?” Cllr Kirby replied the situation was “deeply frustrating”, adding the council had a lot of information from residents". It is my understanding that Greenwich Council are far from pleased with Chariot, or their parent company Ford. If Greenwich Council were to terminate the contract for the Shooters Hill route, it would quite likely make the Erith to Abbey Wood route uneconomic - especially as the poorly named Nuxley Navigator route would not be coming up to full capacity for another year or so. I know that the developers of the Erith Quarry site are very keen on the Erith to Abbey Wood mini bus route, as it is one of their selling points to potential customers of their houses, many of whom will need to commute to and from London for work. What do you think? Leave a comment below, or alternatively please Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

Last weekend the Carnegie Library in Walnut Tree Road, Erith was open to the public, so that local residents could see the work that has been carried out on the Grade II listed building to convert it from a library and into a community centre, maker space and cafe / bar. Phase one of the restoration work has concentrated on making the building weather tight - when the former library was first opened to the public over a year ago, there was rainwater running down the interior walls, and trees were growing inside the building - the place had been dreadfully neglected for the best part of a decade.  Now the building has a brand new (and very expensive) roof, and the building is now sealed from the elements. The interior used to have a very strong musty smell due to the extensive damp. Now the interior plaster has been removed from the walls to expose the local yellow brick beneath, which has enabled the building to begin drying out, now that the new roof is in place. The Architect told me that the drying out process could take up to two years, even allowing for the heat wave we had earlier this year. There have been a number of challenges in restoring the former library, not least in making the building buggy and wheelchair accessible. The first phase of the refurbishment is scheduled to be completed in January 2019, when it is anticipated that the lower ground floor will be opened to the public. A meeting space, a cafe / bar and associated kitchen will be the first parts of the building which will be available for public use. The ground and upper floors will be refurbished as phase two of the reconstruction, which will require additional funds, which are currently being sought. The funding so far has been sourced by the Mayor of London's Fund, and the National Lottery Fund, amongst other smaller donors. The building will be operated by The Exchange, on a very long lease from Bexley Council. You can read more about The Exchange by clicking here. 

Now an appeal for help and information. Roy Hillman of Saint Augustine's Church in Slade Green has asked for the following assistance:- "We're looking to make a special something of Remembrance Sunday this year as it's 100 years since the end of WW1. We're planning to have model poppies surrounding the War Memorial with details of the 59 men whose names are on the Memorial in relation to WW1 (where we have them, the address in Slade Green they lived at or were connected to, age, regiment or boat, occupation before the war). We've come across is three names NOT on the memorial but appear on information Bexley has collated. Best guess is the reason is because they are on Christ Church Erith's memorial. So - submariner C E Spells of 58 Boundary Street. (HMS E49, which was lost near Shetland following an explosion caused by a mine). Thomas William Parmenter of 58 Arthur Street. Albert Edward Coutts (who only moved to Slade Green a year before his death, so if no local memorial perhaps there's one in Horley where he came from). Secondly, we have a number of names that we have no detail on except the initials and surname on the Memorial - Does any Blog reader know the names of :- E Anslow; J Clayton; T Clifton; W H Eden; W H Judd; W F Ottaway; A H Smith. Any help with these would be greatly appreciated.  Thirdly, again looking for local 'help'. Three names where we have an element of uncertainty:- There's a W R Goodwin on the memorial, and the only matching record we can find is William Rippin Goodwin a Pioneer in the Royal Engineers Railway Construction Company, died 5 November 1918, buried at Abbeville Extension Cemetery in the Somme, father Thomas Henry Goodwin from Portsmouth, mother Harriet Ann Rippin from Glapthorn, Northamptonshire, baptised 30 June 1889 in Wimbledon, in 1891 family at 85 Croydon Road, Wimbledon. As you see - a lot of information - but we can't find a Slade Green link - so have we found the correct W R Goodwin? Next, George Ashdown of 13 Arthur Street, father George Ashdown, mother Alma. But we've seen two different bits of research (I think both sponsored by Bexley) matching him to two different war records - George Ashdown a Lance Corporal in the Buffs (East Kent Regiment), died 1915 - and George Ashdown a Rifleman in the King's Rifle Brigade, died 13 October 1917 and commemorated at Tyne Cot Memorial in Belgium. Lastly, L Dudley. We need to pin down which war record (of two research sponsored by Bexley has found) and also to confirm whether the Slade Green link we have found is the correct one. So, the war records are Leonard Dudley, uncertain rank, possibly Captain, in the 10th Royal Fusiliers (City of London) died 8th October 1918, buried Rocquigny - Equancourt Road British Cemetery (Somme). And Leonard Dudley a Gunner with the Royal Garrison Artillery, died 13 September 1918, buried Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey. There are Memorials for L Dudley at Erith St John and Crayford Manor House, and we've seen listings by Bexley that these commemorate the latter of these two soldiers. But a possible match seems to be Leonard Thomas Dudley, born 1887 in Slade Green, the son of a Mr Whiffen and his wife Eliza who later married John Dudley. They are shown in the 1911 census as being at 90 Browning Road, Manor Park, Essex. Wondering with this one if we should actually be commemorating 2 L Dudley's!" If any reader is able to offer any advice, please Email me and I will pass the information on to Roy Hillman accordingly. Thanks to the two readers who I have already contacted privately for feedback; I have passed your comments back to Roy already, and he is working with the information.

I have been informed that the historic pub, The Belvedere Hotel in Picardy Road is up for sale, and may be converted into flats. The pub has been closed to the public for some considerable time, and now it has been put up for sale. The advert reads;- "Detached public house with car parking for over ten vehicles, approximately 150 metres South of Belvedere Railway Station, which provides access to London Bridge Station with a journey time of approximately 30 minutes. Total area 0.2 of an Acre (820 square Metres). Surrounded by predominantly residential accommodation of up to four stories in height. Development / Conversion potential (subject to obtaining necessary consents)".  The pub has some very historic connections, and actually has quite a grim history. 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 vaporised. 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 Sewage Works 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. It now seems that the historical link to the great tragedy that made headlines around the globe is now in danger of being lost to posterity. If you have any further information on the potential sale of The Belvedere Hotel, then please contact me in confidence at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Now for the weekly local safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly a report from Barnehurst ward:- "We have three crimes of note to report since our last update, unfortunately they are all burglaries. The first occurring at Barnehurst Golf Course from 9pm on Sunday 16th September and discovered at 6am the following morning. Suspects have forced open two large metal storage containers situated near to the club house and taken an industrial-graded grass trimmer, a petrol saw and a back pack blower from within. The next two incidents are from properties which are under renovation and both occurred overnight from Tuesday 18th September into Wednesday morning. The first occurred in Barnehurst Road where suspects have gained entry into a semi-detached house by forcing a hoarding gate lock and removing boards securing the property before taking a large petrol generator from inside. The second, entry has been gained to the rear garden of a semi-detached property in Coniston Road by suspects who have removed a temporary metal fence allowing access and then have stolen a quantity of power tools from a garage area situated at the bottom of the garden. If you see anyone acting suspiciously around properties under renovation or construction especially outside of normal working hours, please call the police immediately. Also, if you are offered cheap power tools we would like to know about it. If you have any information about these or any other crimes, call the team in strictest confidence or crime stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. You can also speak with a member of the policing team at Barnehurst Golf course on Wednesday 3rd October at 11am about this or any other concerns you may have about local issues. As always, you can find out about what the team have been up to by following us on twitter @MPSBarnehurst". Belvedere ward:- "Another attempted Inland Revenue Scam. We have just had a call from one of our Coordinators that lives in Belvedere Ward to say that she has a telephone call from 02380 970264 stating that she was about to receive a lawsuit from The Inland Revenue. She realised it was a scam and put the phone down. Please be alert and don't give any of your details to telephone callers. The team have returned to full strength as A/PS Green has now returned from his short time away. Recently we have recovered two dangerous items that residents have found before contacting us. The first was a machete that was found in a property that had recently been moved into. The second was an axe that had been found in the road on Brook Street. Both were safely collected and taken to Bexleyheath Police station. We have recently given information of certain offences that have been taking place at the Lesness Abbey ruins site. We are working closely with partner agencies to establish methods which will stop these offences taking place. We have also been patrolling the Nuxley Road and Lower Road areas recently after reports of begging taking place at both locations over the summer months. Last week the team dealt with a male youth that is known to the team for several incidents amounting to ASB. He had been seen in and around Nuxley Road and was returned to his school when officers were able to catch up with him. There was a burglary on Friday 21st September in Regent Square. It is suspected that residents had been observed within the days prior to this and during this burglary, a quantity of high valued gold jewellery was taken from within the family home. The team also recovered a stolen moped from Tunstock Way last weekend. The owner of the vehicle was reunited with his vehicle". Bexleyheath ward:- "We have had two burglaries reported recently. Both had accrued on the 21/09/2018 along Gravel Hill Close in a block of flats. Entry was gained via main doors to each property. If anyone does notice suspicious vehicles or suspicious behaviour, please do report to Police. 19/09/2018 – There was a report of mobile phone that was stolen from the Londis store along the Broadway Bexleyheath 26/09/2018 – Money was taken from the victim's shopping trolley along the Broadway Bexleyheath. We have also been informed that a resident had received a phone call saying they were from Hammersmith Police Station and they had found their credit card and someone was using it. Which obviously was a scam. Please be careful and mindful and report these to Police. On the Met Police website there is a PDF file that can be downloaded called the Little Book of Big Scams, if you search for it on the website it should come up. The team are still targeting patrols around Martens Grove and Grove Road including the garages to reduce anti-social behaviour. 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. The next Community Contact Session is on Sunday 14/10/2018 between 1030am and 1pm at Lyndhurst Church".  Crayford ward:- "On Friday 21 September at 7.45am, criminal damage was caused to a Black Citroen Berlingo when, during a road rage incident, the wing mirror was punched off the vehicle. Between Thursday 20th September at 18.30 and Friday 21 September at 07.00, number plates FH55 RNJ were stolen from a White Vauxhall Vivaro whilst parked close to 1 Maiden Lane. On Sunday 23rd September at 17.00 police were called to what was believed to be a burglary at London Road. A large double glazed window had been smashed, there was no indication that the property had been entered or anything removed. On Monday 24th September there were two offences recorded at Ashurst Close. Between 10.00-16.12 an unknown person gained entry to a garden shed although nothing was taken, the garage door was also tampered with although no entry was gained. Between 17.00-20.30 the neighbouring property realised their number plates had been removed, there are no further details. On Monday 24th September during the early hours two pallets of footwear worth 5K were stolen from a lorry that was parked overnight. The driver said five white males wearing dark clothing were seen getting out of a White panel van. On Sunday 23rd September between 15.00-15.05 two iPhones were snatched from a display at Curry's by two IC1 Males aged about 25 years before running out of the store. Apple have launched the new iPhone XS, XS Max and XR, as a result there could be an increase in crime as criminals try to obtain the new phones. Please consider the following advice being given for any mobile phone or device that you may have. Be aware of your surroundings at all times and keep your personal property secure. Don't text while you are walking, you won't notice potential thieves approaching. Keep away from roadsides if your mobile is in your hand. Try going hands free or stand away from the roadside close to a wall so no one can come up behind you. Use the security features on your phone. Your phone comes with a range of security features, such as keypad locks and remote data wiping. Make sure they are all activated to stop thieves from accessing your phone and personal data. Register your phone on www.immobilise.com to help police return recovered stolen property and combat the sale of stolen goods. Police recover more than 2500 items registered to the website on average every month. Know how to identify your phone if it's stolen. Find your IMEI number by dialling *#06# from your phone and keep a written note of it. If the phone is stolen, report it to the police and your mobile provider to stop it being used.  Our next ward panel is to be held on Tuesday 2nd October. If you would like to attend please email us for further details. If there is something that you consider we should pay further attention to that we could discuss at the meeting please let us know your thoughts. We have completed many hi viz patrols in the area of Biggs Hill Wood, Shenstone Park and Hall Place playing fields after reports of anti-social behaviour by off road bikes as well as foot patrols by Thames Road and smaller roads by Perry Street roundabout. Three drivers processed by our officers for using their mobile phones whilst driving, risking 6 points and a two hundred pound fine. Please don't let it be you or someone you may know".  Erith ward;- "Between 2330 on Tuesday the 18th of September and 1600 on Wednesday the 19th, a burglary occurred at a lock-up in Lingfield Crescent. It appears the suspects broke off the lock and handle and removed a white Lexmoto motor cycle. Unfortunately there was no CCTV or witnesses to the incident. Also in Lingfield Crescent between the 05th and 20th of September another burglary occurred at a residential address whilst the victims were away on holiday. The suspects have entered through the rear patio doors by smashing the glass, and several items of jewellery and a tablet have been removed. Enquiries are ongoing and it may be there is CCTV at a neighbouring address. At approx 1815 on Saturday 22nd of September 2 youths were robbed in Danson Park. Investigations are ongoing in relation to this incident. A theft of motor vehicle offence was reported in which a silver Renault Laguna was taken from outside an address in Northumberland Avenue. The victim was working on his car for approx 15 minutes and went inside his home. On returning to the vehicle he noticed it had been taken. The incident occurred between 1300 and 1315 on Monday the 24th of September. Unfortunately there were no witnesses or CCTV. This coming week the team, amongst other things, will be carrying out coffee with a copper event at Subway, Bellegrove Road on Friday the 28th between 2 and 3pm and carrying out several weapons sweeps in the area - time and locations to be confirmed".  Northumberland Heath ward:- "No reports of burglaries or motor vehicle crime this week. The team conducted a weapons sweep this week in the alleyway between Northumberland Park and Horsa Road. A small knife was found hidden under rubbish next to a fence. The knife is believed to have been there for some time undisturbed and not believed to be used in criminal activity. The knife has now been destroyed. On Monday this week a dog found wandering in Bexley Road was reunited with the owner having been since by officers running in and out of traffic. A happy outcome for everyone! We are receiving ongoing reports of youths gathering in and around Walsingham Walk and the alley way between Streamway and Grosvenor Road Belvedere. The youths are said to be smoking cannabis, throwing rubbish and generally causing anti- social behaviour in the area. We are patrolling this area as often as we can to help to identify and deter those responsible. One arrest this week for a male who failed to appear at court for a number of driving offences. The next Coffee With Cops event will be held on Tuesday October 2nd at Noon in the Sunshine Café in Parsonage Manorway. All are welcome to attend".

Slade Green and Northend ward:- "This week starts with the bad news of 2 reported burglaries in the ward. The first was in a flat in Frobisher Road where the tenant was admitted to hospital at the start of the month. He is still in hospital for ongoing treatment but last Wednesday (September 19th) was allowed home to get some belongings. Upon entering his flat he realised that several items had been taken including his TV, phone and wallet. There was no sign of forced entry and sadly it seems that someone who was lodging with him has taken advantage during this time and taken his possessions. Enquiries are ongoing to try and track down this so called 'friend'. The second burglary took place between 1200pm and 5pm on Sunday 16th September in Hollywood Way. The front door was forced open and items taken included a PS4, Xbox, a Range Rover, substantial amounts of jewellery and a lot of cash. This is the second time in 16 months the same property has been broken into and the victim is looking into CCTV and other security measures via Bexley Victim Support and the Bobby Van service. In more positive news, PC Mark and PC James seized a moped in Forest Road last Thursday afternoon (see image above) after it transpired the rider had no insurance. He didn't hang around to give any details but he won't be getting his moped back anytime soon". PCSO Mark Piggott of the Slade Green and Northend team also made the following announcement:- "Community Contact Sessions dates and times in the Ward for OCTOBER 2018 are listed below. THURSDAY 04/OCTOBER/2018  1200hrs FOREST ROAD CAFE. SUNDAY 14/OCTOBER/2018   1400hrs PIER ROAD SNT BASE.  FRIDAY 19/OCTOBER/2018  1300hrs SLADE GREEN LIBRARY. SATURDAY 27/OCTOBER/2018  1700hrs PIER ROAD SNT BASE. If there are any issues that affect you or you have any information you feel we may need to know, please come and see us. All information is dealt with in the strictest confidence. You can also use these sessions to report crime. If you have no issues or information, come and see us anyway! Please remember our phone is only on when we are at work and is only for information purposes, so please leave a name and number if you call us and we don't answer on 0208 7212023. Alternatively we can also be reached / contacted via email on NorthendSNT@met.police.uk. You can now follow the team on Twitter @MPSNorthEndRY If you would like to become involved with Neighbourhood Watch and set up a scheme for your road (if you do not have one), please let us know. If you are unsure if you do have a scheme in your road, again, email us and we can let you know. If you need to see police always dial 101 for non emergencies and 999 for emergencies". Thamesmead East ward:- "A motor cycle which had been chained to a tree was stolen from a location in YARNTON WAY on Sunday 23/09/18 between the hours of 08:40 pm and 08:49 pm. Motor Crime Prevention - Motor Cycle owners: (1) Use disc locks to secure the front brake disc and stop it being wheeled away.(2) Use grip locks on the handlebars and always engage your steering lock. (3) lock your back wheel, with the chain off the ground to street furniture if possible.If not, thread the chain through the frame and back wheel to protect parts being stolen.thieves can easily use a hammer or angle grinder if a lock is on the ground. Find out more on improving your scooter security. Visit: www.met.police.uk/scootersecurity. Local Event - There is a new community event every Wednesday for the over 50's between 12:00 am – 3:00pm at THE ATRIUM, TEESWATER COURT MIDDLE WAY, THAMESMEAD, DA18 4DG. Why not give it a try?" West Heath ward:- "Over the last week West Heath ward has suffered 3 thefts from and 1 theft of motor vehicles, a burglary and 2 attempted burglaries. A window was smashed and items taken from a black taxi cab in Burcharbro Road sometime between midnight and 6am on Saturday 22nd September. Two cars were broken into in Brampton Road, one sometime between 3pm on the 16th and 11pm on 17th , the car window was smashed and coat stolen. The second one happened on the 20th Sept at around 10.30pm where a van was stolen from a driveway. A car was broken into and a wallet stolen from the glove box from a driveway in Brixham Road overnight on 22nd-23rd September. The burglary was in Harvel Crescent between 5pm on the 15th and 8pm on the 19th Sept. The property was empty waiting the new residents to move in. The door was smashed to gain entry but nothing was taken. There was an attempted burglary in Pembury Road where 2 males were seen kicking a front door, entry was not gained and a another attempted burglary in Glenwiew Road where males where seen pulling on the front door. When shouted at they left in a dark blue car. Our next Community Contact Session will be in Cranbrook Road on 4th October between 12 o'clock and 1pm".

The end video this week was submitted by a regular reader and occasional contributor, Miles. He captured the footage recently in Avenue Road, Erith. It shows the exploits of a couple of Bexley Council contractors, who have been tasked with safely cutting down and disposing of a roadside tree. I pass along Avenue Road twice a week whilst travelling on the B12 bus to and from Bexleyheath. On my most recent journey, which took place shortly after the video footage was shot, I saw a young couple with a baby in a buggy walking past the very location where the tree felling took place. The mind boggles as to what had happened if the couple and baby had been present when the council contractors were working - see for yourself. Leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.