Lazy parents.

The strikingly beautiful photograph above - click on it for a larger view - was taken by a regular reader and occasional Maggot Sandwich contributor who chooses to remain anonymous. The photo was taken at sunrise last Monday morning (about 7am) from the pedestrian footbridge across the rails at Erith Railway Station, looking East. Apart from the spectacular colour of the sky, the spire of Christ Church Erith can be seen to the right of the picture. 

Late on last Tuesday morning, there was a serious road traffic accident at the top of Picardy Road in Upper Belvedere, almost outside of the Congregational Church. Police, Fire and Ambulance services all attended after a careless woman reversed her car in the narrow road, hitting a motorcyclist behind her, almost certainly fully writing off his months old Triumph motor bike, splitting the fuel tank open, so that the road was flooded with petrol, and the rider ended up on the road, partially run over by the woman's car. Several passers by witnessed the incident, as did the car behind the motor cyclist, which happened to be a driving school vehicle with a pupil in the middle of a lesson. My sources inform me that the driving pupil was so shaken up by witnessing the accident that they were unable to complete their lesson, and the instructor had to take over. The spilled petrol was a fire risk, and a crew from Erith Fire Station made the situation safe. The bike rider, the woman car driver and a number of eye witnesses were all interviewed on the spot by the Police, before the rider was taken off by the ambulance to be checked out in hospital. The bend in Picardy Road, at the top of the hill is a notorious accident black spot. The road has not really been altered or widened since Victorian times, when the occasional horse and cart would use it, nowadays in addition to car and van traffic, the narrow main road is used every few minutes by the wide, double decked 401 buses. If this was not bad enough, cars park on both sides of the road, which is especially a problem on the bend. The reason for the parked cars is that parents leave their vehicles there whilst their pre - school children attend the nursery which is held daily in the Congregational Church hall. The morning and afternoon sessions are parent and child based, so the parents stay with their offspring for the duration of the session, rather than just dropping the children off, then collecting them later. An eye witness to the accident on Tuesday morning informed me that the emergency services all expressed strong concern over the intensive parking on that part of Picardy Road, and they felt that the road should have double yellow lines on both sides, meaning a total ban on kerbside parking on the accident black spot. A year ago Bexley Council Highways Department fitted bollards to one side of the road, as can be seen here. I have personally seen drivers mount the pavement between the bollards, in order to park completely on the pavement, blocking access to pedestrians. In almost every instance the owners of the parked cars are local people who are just too indolent and lazy to walk their children the short distance to the nursery, and instead create a traffic hazard with their irresponsible parking. I hope that after the serious accident on Tuesday that the council will ban parking in the vicinity on a permanent basis. What do you think? Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

One of my most reliable sources of information - who chooses to remain anonymous, sent me information on Monday that Lidl have, as expected, now re - applied to Bexley Council for planning permission to demolish the Screwfix / Tile Giant / Bath Store warehouse in Fraser Road, Erith and to construct a Lidl supermarket on the former Atlas trading site. Lidl have actually owned the site for several years. Since I was made aware of the story on Monday morning, it has appeared in the News Shopper; one of the down sides of the Maggot Sandwich being published on Sundays is that stories that I actually get as exclusive scoops end up being broken elsewhere due to my weekly publishing format. Unfortunately there is little that I can do about this. Anyway, back to the story. Erith is dominated by Morrison's supermarket - there is no realistic competition - I don't feel that Farm Foods or Iceland offer anything like the full range of goods that Morrison's does. On top of this, the Erith Quarry housing development - next door to the proposed Lidl site has opened, with over four hundred new houses and apartments. This equates to roughly a thousand new people coming to live in the area. over the next year. Lidl carried out an independently audited survey of local residents; the results were overwhelmingly positive. A total of 1,366 people responded to the survey, of which 1,276 local residents supported the construction of a new Lidl store on the former Atlas trading estate site. That is a majority of 93.6 percent. If the store does go ahead, it will employ 40 local people; I am led to understand that priority will be given to people who are employed by the outlets currently on the site. The detailed development proposal list the following benefits of a new store on the former industrial site:- "Demolition of the Atlas Trade Park and construction of a standalone Lidl food store with associated car parking. Provision of a brand new discount food store (1,375m2 sales area, 806m2 of ancillary space) with 91 free car parking bays of which 2 are for electric vehicles, 6 will be disabled spaces and 8 parent and child spaces. Contemporary food store building using high quality materials. Soft and hard landscaping treatment to be applied to all external areas. A limited range of products (2,000 lines) necessitating continued use of existing local retailers. Provision of up to 40 new jobs for local residents". Following my previous articles on Lidl and their plans to open in Erith, I have had several series of correspondence with readers, which have been overwhelmingly supportive and positive about a Lidl store opening locally. What do you think? Leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

Apart from scooter gangs, and the theft of vehicle registration plates, the other most common crime encountered locally seems to be the theft of vehicle catalytic converters. Catalytic converter thefts are on the increase with more than 1,000 stolen from cars and vans in London so far in 2019 – five times more than were stolen the previous year. As a result of these thefts, victims are left with hefty repair and replacement bills which can add up to as much as £2,000 a time. A catalytic converter is located in the exhaust pipe near the manifold. It cleans the exhaust fumes emitted from the car and out into the atmosphere. Specifically, it converts pollutants such as carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides, into carbon dioxide, water, and nitrogen, all of which are less harmful, though still large contributors to global warming. The metals which clean a cars’ toxic gases include Platinum, Palladium, and Rhodium, which are all highly valuable. Rhodium can command prices of up to £2,000 an ounce, twice the value of gold. Palladium and Platinum trade at 120 to 180 per cent of the value of Gold. Individually they do not contain a great deal of precious metal. However, organised crime gangs steal them to order for shipment abroad to factories that will salvage the precious metal on an industrial basis. The stolen metals can be recycled for use in jewellery, dentistry and electronics. The catalytic converter is fitted on to the exhaust system so it is fairly accessible on most cars and vans. A professional gang can jack up a car and use a battery-powered steel cutter or angle-grinder to steal the catalytic converter within five minutes. Vehicles with a high clearance off the ground, such as 4x4s are most at risk. The Honda Jazz and Honda Accord have also been targeted because their older devices are particularly easy to reach. Police have said that German cars such as BMWs, Audis and VWs have also been targeted, as have many commercial vehicles. Incidents of catalytic converter theft had been in decline from its peak around six years ago. That led to the introduction of new laws making it illegal to buy scrap metal for cash. Industry experts attributed much of the decline to a fall and bottoming out in metal prices but thefts are now increasing as prices jump to new highs, and the criminal gangs circumvent the UK scrap laws by sending shipping containers full of stolen catalytic converters overseas to be scrapped where no questions are asked. Police advise etching security details into the converters, but that is only going to help recover the converter once it has been stolen. The best you can do really is to slow the thieves down or to make it difficult for them to strike and perhaps put them off attacking your vehicle completely. You can fix them into place using extra bolts or fit a protective sleeve to make them harder to cut out. Defensive parking up against a wall or next to another low slung car may also act as a deterrent. Businesses or homeowners with multiple vehicles parked overnight are recommended to use CCTV, secure perimeter fencing and security lighting.

Last week saw the announcement of the winners of the 2019 Nobel Prize for Chemistry, which was awarded to the three scientists who invented the Lithium Ion battery, which nowadays powers many devices, from laptops and mobile phones to electric cars. At 97-years-old, John Goodenough, an engineering professor at The University of Texas, is the oldest person to win the Nobel Prize yet. Goodenough is joined by M. Stanley Whittingham, 77, a professor of chemistry and materials science at Binghamton University, and Akira Yoshino, 71, a professor at Meijo University, Japan. The three Nobel laureates will equally share the cash prize of nine million Swedish Krona, a little over $900,000 or £740,000. Lithium Ion batteries have revolutionised many lives. Having a tiny chemical hub nestled inside phones and computers has made technology portable. More powerful rechargeable batteries have also made it possible to develop electric cars or store cleaner energy from solar and wind power. Since they entered the market in 1991, “they have laid the foundation of a wireless, fossil fuel-free society, and are of the greatest benefit to humankind,” according to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the organisation that awards the Nobel Prizes. Lithium Ion batteries are made up of three main components: two electrodes, an electric circuit, and electrolyte fluid. The electrodes - a negatively charged cathode and a positively charged anode - sit on either side of a separator inside a volume of electrolyte fluid and are connected to an electrical circuit. Negative lithium ions flow from the anode to the cathode, producing current through the circuit to provide electrical power. When positive lithium ions flow in the other direction, from the cathode to the anode, the chemical batteries recharge so they are ready to dispense current again when needed.

The photos above were taken by me on Thursday evening at the meeting of the Erith Think Tank, which hosted a question and answer session from two Councillors from Bexley Council - Councillor Louie French (deputy leader of Bexley Council and Cabinet Member for Growth) and Councillor Joe Ferreira (opposition spokesperson for Resources and Growth). As you can see the event was well attended, and the number and detail of some of the questions asked by the audience were impressive - so much so, that the evening, which was meant to finish at 9pm, actually ended up finishing closer to 10pm. One of the questions that elicited the most passion was related to the proposed redevelopment of the small park at the Eastern end of West Street into a new block of flats. Erith ward Councillor Joe Ferreira made an undertaking to attend as many future Erith Think Tank meetings as his schedule will permit. Did you attend? What did you think of the meeting? Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

I have expounded at some length in the past regarding the "Scores on the Doors" food and restaurant hygiene rating system used throughout the United Kingdom. At the moment, displaying a food hygiene rating is compulsory in Wales and Northern Ireland – it must be visible close to the entrance where customers can easily read it before they go in. Businesses in England do not currently have to display their rating at their premises but are encouraged to do so. A change in the law will be needed if mandatory display of a food hygiene rating is pursued – the Food Standards Agency have said that they want to bring the situation in England in line with Wales and Northern Ireland. Laura Shirley, food safety specialist in the specialist hospitality industry law firm Harrison Clark Rickerby's regulatory team, said: “Although displaying the rating isn’t yet compulsory in England, proposals to make this mandatory make complete sense  – consumers are entitled to know whether a business has good food hygiene standards and make informed choices about where to buy or eat food. The scheme gives business a rating from 5 to 0.  Five is top of the scale and means that the hygiene standards are very good and fully comply with the law. Zero is at the bottom of the scale and means that urgent improvement is necessary. If a business owner isn’t happy with their rating, they can challenge it, including requesting a re-inspection to demonstrate how standards have improved.”

Last Monday was a significant anniversary in the evolution of the web. It was 25 years to the day since the first serious blog appeared. It was called Scripting News and the url was (and remains) at scripting.com. Its author is a software wizard named Dave Winer, who has updated it every day since 1994. Despite its wide readership, it has never run adverts. This makes my thirteen years and three months since I launched the Maggot Sandwich look pretty tame - and I only update the Blog every week, not daily like Dave. his daily blog at scripting.com continues to be a must-read for anyone interested in the intersection between technology and politics. Winer has a quirky, perceptive, liberal and sometimes contrarian take on just about anything that appears on his radar. He is the nearest thing the web has to an international figurehead. He is also a reminder of the importance of blogging, a phenomenon that has been overshadowed as social media exploded and sucked much of the content out of the information environment. The furore over social media and its impact on democracy has obscured the fact that the blogosphere not only continues to exist, but also to fulfil many of the functions of a functioning public sphere. It is massive. One source, for example, estimates that more than 409 million people view more than 20 billion blog pages each month and that users post 70million  new posts and 77 million new comments each month. Another source claims that of the 1.7 billion websites in the world, about 500 million are blogs. I obviously have a lot of competition!

Now for the weekly local safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly a report from Barnehurst ward:- "My neighbour knocked on my door last night at 22:30 Tuesday 8/10/19 to say that his CCTV doorbell had detected a man walking up our shared drive and was sat crouching behind his dustbins near his back gate. We both approached the man, who on seeing us, stood up, did not give any reason for him being there and walked off down the road. He appeared to duck into another drive about 8 houses down Merewood Road". Photo of the suspect is above - click on the image for a larger version. "It's been another very good week on Barnehurst ward with only one crime of relevance to report. This was a theft from motor vehicle which happened overnight of Saturday 5th October in Grasmere Road when the victim woke to find both wing mirrors off his vehicle removed. Despite the encouraging lack of crime on the ward (especially burglaries), residents are reminded to remain vigilant particularly with Halloween and Christmas approaching. On that note we are pleased to announce that smart water has been rolled out in Westfield Road with only a handful of properties still to take it up. We are hoping to roll out the next batch to Eastleigh Road in the near future. Our next community contact session is coffee with cops at Barnehurst Golf Course on Wednesday 23rd October at 11am. On Monday 14th October at midday the team will be in Grasmere Road to answer any questions you may have or just to say hi". Belvedere ward:- "PC Holmes and PC Austin (from Thamesmead Moorings SNT), whilst patrolling Picardy Street last week stopped a male who was using cannabis in Mary Slessor House. He was issued a warning, and subsequent checks on the male showed that he was wanted for a domestic incident. He was then arrested and removed from the area. There was a burglary in Upper Abbey Road recently in which a handbag was taken from the property. During the same offence, a vehicle was pushed from the driveway of the property by two white males. A burglary also occurred in Elstree Gardens, in which a handbag was taken. There were also reports to the team in the last week of a male who had been seen in Barnfield Road in the early hours of the morning. He was thought to be attempting to gain entry to several properties by trying door handles of neighbouring houses. After being unsuccessful, he was then observed leaving the street in a blue car – possibly a Ford Focus. The team held a ward panel meeting last week, and can now advise that our priorities for the months ahead are vehicle crime, burglary and school parking/ traffic". Bexleyheath ward. From Neighbourhood Watch Member - Coordinator for Rochester Drive:- "We have had reports of drug dealing both ends of Rochester Drive, can I please ask residents that if they see this taking place that they try and take down car registration numbers and give dates/times and description of both vehicles and persons so that the Police can act. Many Thanks". Report from PCSO Nicola Barnes:- "On 2/10/19 overnight a vehicle was taken from a driveway in Iris Avenue – no keys taken 3/10/19 between 1300 - 1345 Theft of a purse from a bag being hung over a child's buggy Bexleyheath Broadway 2/10/19 Catalytic Converter stolen overnight from Marriott Car Park 4/10/19  x2 taken on this evening. 4/10/19 Broom Mead car being sold privately and persons deceiving seller 6/10/19 Theft of Mobile Phone from bag whilst in Arcadia Night Club 7/10/19 Theft from Motor vehicle outside a house Wenvoe Road overnight Please be aware when dealing with other members of the public selling items take precautions wherever possible. Make sure that when shopping you know exactly where your purse/phone. Ensure you plan your routes to and from where you are going as the nights are getting darker to prevent you being vulnerable. Please contact the team if there is anything you wish for us to be aware of in your area". Crayford ward:- "I'm really sorry to say that there has been a residential burglary in Crayford Way. It occurred between 14.00 on Monday 7th October and 23.00 on Tuesday 8th October. Traditional Asian jewellery and rings, a china money box and cash were stolen. Entry was made by removing a fence panel to the garden and damaging the rear door to gain entry. Number plates WM65PXW were stolen from a vehicles parked in Iron Mill Lane between 18.00 on Friday 20th September and 09.00 on Wednesday 2nd October, they should be on a pink Fiat 500.  Two garages were broken in to in Glebelands, the first one occurred between 09.00 on Monday 30th September and 09.00 on Wednesday 3rd October, a cement mixer and industrial concrete drill were stolen, the bulk of the items suggest there are two suspects, they removed a padlock to gain entry. The other occurred between Sunday 8th September and Thursday 3rd October, the lock was broken and entry gained but nothing appears to have been stolen. A bicycle was stolen from outside Crayford BR station on Friday 4th October between 07.30 -18.25, the lock was left intact. A public order offence occurred at Elwick Court on 4th October, as a result we will be attending the venue to speak with residents about hate crime.  Catalytic converters were stolen from a silver Honda Accord and Toyota Auris Hybrid, both parked in Hall Place Crescent on Monday 7th October. An Apple i-Phone XR was stolen from Haberdasher Askes Academy on Sunday 6th October during a church event held there. The phone had a full battery but would now appear to have been turned off. We held our ward panel meeting at Vintage Lindy Lou's at Waterside on Tuesday 8th October. The Crayford team priority will be Anti-Social Behaviour around Crayford Way, Waterside and Princess Parade as there has been a visible increase in issues at this location recently. We do not have a community contact session booked for the week ahead". Erith ward:- "Crimes of note for the week. One newish scam, a male knocked on an elderly residents door and stated a Frisbee had gone in their garden and asked to collect it, when he was leaving did he took a handbag. Theft from Motor Vehicle Thursday 3/10/2019 Callender Road,  Theft from Motor Vehicle on Wednesday 2/10/2019 Sandcliffe Road, Burg Res Friday 4/10/2019 12:00:00 Holmhurst Road - Suspect has knocked on victim door asking to look for a Frisbee in the garden. On way back through has taken her handbag from her bedroom. Theft from Motor Vehicle on Saturday 5/10/2019 Valley Road, Theft from Motor Vehicle on Thursday 3/10/2019 Bexley Road, Burglary Residential Monday 7/10/2019 Riverdale Road - Bathroom window opened. 2 watches with a value of £70 and £60-70 in cash stolen. Shoplift <£200 Wednesday 9/10/2019 Holland and Barrett, Erith High Street". Northumberland Heath ward:- "On Friday 4/10 between 5pm and Midnight there was a burglary in Avenue Road. Cash, jewellery and expensive ornaments were taken. Entry was gained by forcing a panel in the back door. On Saturday 5/10 around 4am in Brook Street a resident disturbed what was believed to be a suspect using a crowbar trying to gain entry to their house. A vehicle seen driving off was seen by the victim and VRM enquiries are being made. Between 6am and 7am on Wednesday 2/10/2019 two males were seen on a bell camera looking through several letterboxes in Langdale Crescent. The footage was shared on Facebook, and the suspects were identified and arrested. Overnight on Sunday 6/10 and Monday 7/10 a vehicle was broken into in Avenue Road. A bag containing college books was taken. Our next CCS is on Thursday 17/10 from 10am in the library".

Slade Green and Northend ward. Image above: PCSO Mark Piggott attended St Augustines Church to attend Rev. Jim Bennett's Priest in Charge Ceremony. "At some time during Sunday 6/10 and Monday 7/10 an empty property in Beacon Road was broken in to via the back door. Nothing was taken and the property has now been secured. Between 1230 and 1330 on Tuesday 08/10 a catalytic converter was stolen from a vehicle in Crescent Road. A male was seen loitering nearby at the time but there are no further leads at this time. PC James has carried out 4 Stop and Searches on the ward in the past week with one male found in possession of cannabis at Sun Court. He is due back for interview in the next week or so. ---- PCSO Mark attended Erith Town FC on Saturday with Erith SNT at Erith leisure centre and will be looking at ways to promote the local area team in future. PCSO Mark has also attended Peareswood Primary school this week (Weds) where he popped in to each class to say hi and was foiled in his attempt at trying to get a free lunch from the canteen! On Sunday 6/10 PCSO Mark attended St Augustines Church to attend Rev. Jim Bennett's “Priest in Charge Ceremony” whereby Jim became the fully sworn in Vicar of the church (image above). A full house saw the ceremony including the Mayor and David Evenett MP. Jim is a very popular part of the community and we wish him well in his now full time role. Our next Community Contact Session is from 12pm on Tuesday 22/10/2019 at the Welcome Café in St Augustines Church". Thamesmead East ward:- "No Burglaries this week. Whernside Close Friday 4/10/19 between 7pm - Sat 15.20pm Number plates stolen by suspect/s unknown. Redbourne Drive Saturday 5/10/19 between 5pm – Sun 1030am Registration Pates removed by suspect/s unknown. Lensbury Way Sunday 6/10/19 8am – 9:40am Victims car broken into damage caused to passenger window. Wallet stolen containing Driving licence and Oyster card. Wolvercote Road Sunday 6/10/19 between 9pm – 6:15am victim reports driver window smashed and interior gone through. £60 cash stolen. Thamesbank Place Monday 7/10/19 12noon – 3pm vehicle broken into wallet stolen. Good News - Allegation of Actual Bodily Harm, Investigation by PC Nana resulted in two males being identified and subsequently interviewed. Both admitted being involved in the assault, Community Resolution issued, victim updated". West Heath ward:- "We have had one burglary in Chessington Avenue this week. This took place Between 11pm on Tuesday October 1st and 7am on Wednesday October 2nd. Unfortunately, two sets of keys and two vehicles were stolen from the property. One attempted burglary in Winchelsea Avenue on Wednesday October 2nd at 6.45am. The suspects forced the front door but were disturbed by the occupants before making off. Thankfully entry was not gained. One attempted theft from motor vehicle in First Avenue between 8am Saturday October 5th and 08.50am on Sunday October 6th.The driver's window was smashed but nothing was taken. Apple air pods and a PlayStation 3 were stolen from a vehicle in Lodge Hill 0n Wednesday October 2nd between 6.45am – 11.30am. Unfortunately the victim had left the vehicle unlocked. Please take a moment to check that your vehicle is locked when you leave it and nothing is left on display to potential thieves. Theft of a blue Jaguar from Gipsy Road between Monday September 30th 08.30am and Tuesday October 1st when the victim discovered it missing at 6am".

The end video this week is a short piece showing the Grade 1 listed pumping station at Crossness sewage works from a YouTuber who visits interesting and historic sites around the UK. Do give it a watch and let me know what you think. Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Another incinerator?

I recently took the photo above from Erith Pier; it shows the M.V Sand Fulmar, a British registered sand dredger that I photographed on its journey up river whilst full of marine sand that it had dredged from the English Channel. The ship was heading for the commercial port at Angerstein Wharf, which is an industrial area and location of a marine construction aggregate and an associated cement facility and freight station in the Port of London, operated by the Cemex company, located on the South bank of the River Thames, between Charlton and Greenwich. The wharf is where the sand is unloaded and transferred onto rail containers to be transported to construction sites around the South East. The M.V Sand Fulmar is based in the port of Cardiff and was built in 1998; it regularly trades on the Thames, and most of its movements involve trips to the Angerstein Wharf. The wharf was built and opened by Russian born Charlton landowner John Angerstein in 1852 in order to get rail access to the to Angerstein Wharf on the River Thames; it also ran deep into the old East Greenwich gas works. Nowadays it is purely used for freight. Many of the ballast and gravel trains one sees passing along the North Kent line divert onto the Angerstein Wharf branch line. Gravel and sand that has been dredged from the sea is collected by the freight trains for use in the construction industry. No passenger trains run on the branch line; it is exclusively used by freight trains. Regular readers may be aware that I recently featured a story on the wharf back in April, and the railway line that links it to the main line adjacent to Charlton Station; the Angerstein Wharf branch line is the oldest full gauge freight rail line in the world, and it has had a well used and very popular pedestrian crossing over it, linking parts of residential Charlton to Westcombe Park station. As I wrote then, a couple of readers who brought the story to my attention, that plans by Network Rail to close the foot crossing were shortly to be implemented. Since then, and after a number of campaigns on social media, a couple of well watched YouTube videos by the likes of Geoff Marshall, and an investigation by Daryl Chamberlain's excellent 853 Blog, the closure of the foot crossing has been put on hold for now. The reason Network Rail gave for their wishing the closure of the foot crossing is that they intend for a greater number of freight trains to run on the branch line; at present there is usually only one train a day, but if the number of train journeys is to increase, Network Rail will need to improve the signalling on the line, which would mean the closure of the foot crossing due to safety concerns. No provision had been made by Network Rail for locals to be given an alternative crossing arrangement, and very little information was published about the proposed closure. You can read the full details of the way both Network Rail and Greenwich Council covered up the proposed closure of the foot crossing by reading the in - depth investigative article on the 853 website here. Darryl and his small team of journalists have - for the time being - stopped the closure of the foot crossing, but what will happen in the long term is still unclear.

Mark Deveney, Chairman and owner of Erith Town FC writes:- "Erith Town Community Scheme held its first ever free coaching day at King Henry School, Erith today (Friday).We were genuinely overwhelmed with the response with 105 children taking part. Interestingly there were 38 girls in attendance, which bodes well for local girls football. Local professional footballer Bradley Dack was on hand to present the medals, trophies supplied by Supreme Engraving and water bottles, which were kindly provided by the Erith Group. Due to the success of today we are planning to hold half term and summer term courses at the School".

Next Sunday afternoon, members of the BBC Symphony Orchestra will be performing as a string quintet in the main hall at the former Carnegie Library in Walnut Tree Road, Erith. The recital starts at 3pm and will run until around 5pm, and costs £10 per adult, and £5 for concessions; money raised by the concert will go towards the restoration of the historic mechanical book lift in the library, so please feel free to give more than the ticket face value if you are able. Full details of the classical recital, and details of how to book online can be found by clicking here. Viola player and local resident Phil Hall describes the musical programme planned for next Sunday thus:- "RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS wrote his Phantasy Quintet in 1912- the third piece he had written at that time bearing the title “Fantasy”, the most famous being his Fantasia on a theme of Thomas Tallis.  His quintet is a short, attractive work where each movement runs into the next. It prominently features the composer's own instrument, the viola, which begins the work pentatonically. This is followed by a rollicking Scherzo in 7/8 time which subsides into a beautiful slow Sarabande where the cello is silent. The Finale is a lively Burlesca with tunes one can imagine being sung by the people from whom he collected folk songs. At the close there is a foreshadowing of his Lark Ascending as the violin rises higher and higher before closing in a mood of rapt ecstasy. PERCY HILDER MILES, born in Crayford 1878, was 6 years younger than Vaughan Williams but unlike his more famous predecessor he lived nearly all his life in Erith, at 18 Queen's Road. Percy was a child prodigy, composing from the age of 8. He was also a very talented violinist and performed the Beethoven violin concerto with an orchestra at the age of 13. At 15 he entered the Royal Academy of Music and one year later composed this quintet in A major. Later, in 1917 he reminisced about the work in a letter to his cello-playing brother Maurice: “A thing of mine I have a very warm affection for is the A major quintet...for grace and charm, general euphony, transparency and naturalness, I have never beaten that A major quintet”. It is a short work which reveals the influence of Brahms and Dvorak, both of whom had written viola quintets only a few years earlier. Percy became a Professor of Harmony and Counterpoint at the Academy upon graduation and later became an examiner for the Associated Board. As such he travelled all over the Empire, going six times around the world (all by boat of course). Percy never married and sadly he died of pneumonia in 1922 aged just 43. He left behind over 150 compositions, mainly Chamber Music but also some songs and a few orchestral works and concertos. He is buried with his parents in Brook Street cemetery. There are plans for the first ever CD recording of his music in the Autumn. Following this there will be an intermission, then a piece from MOZART who composed his C major quintet in April 1787.  It was not a happy year for him since although he had recently triumphed with his new opera "The Marriage of Figaro" in Prague, his father was gravely ill and his best friend Count August von Hatfield, a fine amateur violinist, had died at the age of thirty-one. By April, Mozart was penniless and he and his wife Constanza were forced to move out of their lavish apartment for a cheaper one in the Viennese suburbs, a move which upset his dying father. To make money he taught privately and sold manuscripts of chamber music in sets of three or six. Purchasers usually enjoyed exclusive rights to performances for a fixed period prior to the works being published. This misfired with three of the six quintets he composed, however, as he was now being branded as a “difficult” composer. They were eventually sold to a publisher and published a year after his death. Mozart also played the viola and his C major quintet is his most ample in the genre, equivalent to his great “Jupiter" Symphony or 25th Piano Concerto, both in that key. A large first movement in sonata form contrasts with a beautiful slow movement which has a love duet for the first violin and first viola. Then follows a typical Austrian-sounding minuet and trio and finally a playful finale". The string quintet will be made up of Anna Smith and Lucy Curnow on violins, Phil Hall and Peter Mallinson on violas, and Michael Atkinson on cello. You can book your tickets by clicking here. 

There is currently a spate of thefts from motor vehicles of a particular component; Thieves are cashing in on lucrative prices for Rhodium, Palladium and Platinum in vehicle catalytic converters, which form part of the exhaust system. The metals which clean cars’ toxic gases can be recycled for use in jewellery, dentistry and electronics. The crimewave reverses a decline in the number of metal thefts from a peak six years ago which led to the introduction of new laws making it illegal to buy scrap metal for cash. Rhodium can command prices of up to £2,000 an ounce, twice the value of Gold. Palladium and Platinum trade at 70 to 80 percent of the value of Gold. BMW, Audis and VWs are being targeted, according to the police who have urged car owners and businesses to take protective steps to make the catalytic converters harder to steal. Police have advised etching security details into the converters, installing extra bolts or protective sleeves to make them harder to cut out and “defensive parking” against a wall or by another lower-slung vehicle to make it more difficult to reach under. Businesses or even homeowners with high numbers of vehicles parked overnight are recommended to deploy CCTV, secure perimeter fencing and security lighting which stays on from dusk until dawn. 4X4s such as the Mitsubishi Shogun / Pajero have also been targeted by the gangs, because they have have a high clearance off the road, making their catalytic converters accessible. Honda Jazzes and Accords are also favoured because their older devices are particularly easy to reach and rich in the precious metals. A professional gang can jack up a car and use a battery-powered steel cutter or angle-grinder to steal the catalytic converter within five minutes. While thieves might make £300 from a catalytic converter, car owners are left with repair bills of £2,000. In an interview with the Telegraph, Ian Crowder, of the AA, said it was rural as well as urban as gangs often targeted county shows where hundreds of vehicles were parked for long periods. He said: “It’s not an amateur job to recover precious metals as they are toxic and you need various chemical treatments to extract them. They are done by factories particularly overseas. When sufficient are collected, they will put them in a container and ship them off." On May 21 Kent Police searched a house in Erith as part of an investigation into the thefts of catalytic converters from across the county. They arrested two men, aged 28 and 34, and seized power tools and scrap metal dealership cards. In a recent interview in the News Shopper, Police Superintendent Warren Franklin said: "We are working closely with neighbouring forces and our colleagues in the British Transport Police to tackle a nationwide trend in the theft of catalytic converters. Criminals have been targeting vehicles across the county, paying particular attention to those left in railway station carparks. Catalytic converters contain valuable metal and recently vehicle manufacturers have introduced new models which contain less precious metal. Though the changes by manufactures may have deterred some thefts we still see older models being targeted. Often the vehicle suffers considerable damage which is costly to repair. Even if insurance covers the replacement and repair, the victim will incur an excess charge an increased insurance premiums as a result. We work closely with scrap metal dealers to make it easier to trace sellers of stolen metal and take action against dealerships who operate illegally. I would also ask residents to play their part, by remaining vigilant and reporting any suspicious behaviour."

On the 14th of May, the Financial Times published an article that there was a critical vulnerability in the popular WhatsApp messaging application and that it was actively being used to inject spyware into victims phones. According to the report, attackers only needed to issue specially crafted VoIP calls to the victim in order to infect it, with no user interaction required for the attack to succeed. As WhatsApp is used by 1.5 billion people worldwide, both on Android phones and iPhones, the messaging and voice application is known to be a popular target for hackers and governments alike. Once the story broke, and a patch to fix the vulnerability was released, other news outlets started publishing their own take on the issue, sometimes getting the details of the story drastically wrong. One of the worst offenders in this respect was the popular business news website, Bloomberg. Journalists at Bloomberg published an opinion piece that stated that:- "WhatsApp’s hack shows end-to-end encryption is largely pointless". The article, which was republished multiple times on FaceBook and elsewhere, reinforced the myth that end to end encryption is a waste of time. This is analogous to to pointing out that locking your doors and windows at night is “largely pointless” because someone could simply hire a JCB and drive through your kitchen wall. WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption, which means messages sent between sender and recipient are encrypted, meaning they cannot be intercepted and read while in transit. End-to-end encryption is seen as an important feature that greatly boosts the privacy of an end user. There is a myth circulating (in a similar way to the spurious stories that vaccinations cause conditions such as ADHD and Autism, which have subsequently been proved to be completely false); that end to end encryption is pointless. This could not in reality be further from the truth. To be clear, end-to-end encryption technology does not make it impossible for intruders to read your messages (and no one says that it does). However, it does make it much, much harder for them to do so. That is because it makes it near impossible to intercept messages in transit (between sender and recipient) and read them, because they are encrypted. That type of interception-based snooping is a popular (and often easier) method of spying on someone, and with end-to-end encryption, it is a spying technique that is all but taken off the table. There are other ways of spying, and the WhatsApp security flaw that presented a zero-day vulnerability that could allow spyware be installed on a victim’s device (and subsequently read their WhatsApp messages) is one such method; however with apps like WhatsApp, with their dedicated security teams, this is no easy feat, and it took a professional well-funded organisation to do it. None of this demonstrates how “pointless” end-to-end encryption is. End-to-end encryption is one of the best and more effective ways to keep your privacy safe. To say that it is rendered pointless simply because of the existence of other potential (and more difficult) methods of attack demonstrates a clear misunderstanding of fundamental cyber-security principles. For most users – unless they’re the target for a state-sponsored attack – end-to-end encryption is perhaps one of the best privacy roads to take. As long as you are using the latest, patched version of WhatsApp, you will be fine, and your information will be safe. What do you think? Leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

London Mayor Sadiq Khan is now involved with a project that has been condemned by both local MP's - Labour's Teresa Pearce and Conservative MP David Evennett. Mr Khan has also come down against the plan that has been submitted by Cory Riverside Energy to build a waste incinerator on a site adjacent to the Crossness Nature Reserve, which is home to a number of very rare species of both birds and bats. The site would also be very close to the existing Cory waste incinerator pictured in the photo above - click on it for a larger version. Local Democracy reporter Tom Bull has written a piece on the situation that you can read here. In an interview that has been published on the News Shopper and elsewhere, Mayor Khan said of the Cory proposal:- "London’s air is a toxic air health crisis and the last thing we need, in our modern green global city is another harmful waste-burning incinerator polluting our cityEmissions from incinerators are bad for our health, bad for our environment and bad for our planet. Instead of granting permission for an unnecessary new incinerator that will raise pollution levels in the boroughs of Bexley and Havering, the Government should focus on boosting recycling rates, reducing the scourge of plastic waste and tackling our lethal air. I am urging ministers to reject this proposal". What do you think? Email me in complete 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:- "There has been one reported burglary on the Ward along Coniston Road, Bexleyheath. This was reported on Tuesday 28/05/2019 and had happened in the early hours of the morning. Entry was via the side of the property, alarm had disturbed suspect. Also there was a report of a theft from motor vehicle along Manor Way, Bexleyheath. This had happened overnight Friday 24/05/2019 & Sunday 25/05/2019. The Team shall be holding a contact session on Thursday 6th June between 4pm and 5pm. It will be held at the Barnehurst Golf Club". Belvedere ward:- "After ongoing issues in Picardy Street involving reported drug use and dealing in Mary Slessor House the team have been patrolling the area as much as possible. Recently a male was arrested at the location by response team officers having been found in possession of cannabis. We will continue in our efforts to catch offenders and stop this group from gathering at the location as the presence of the group is causing issue for long-time residents. On Sunday 19th May between 9pm and 10pm a group of male youths were caught on CCTV entering the forecourt of WRH and Sons car showroom in Nuxley Road. The males then proceeded to cause a substantial amount of damage to nine vehicles whilst attempting to enter each of them. We have since viewed these images and have been unable to identify any of the group responsible. If anyone can provide information or witnessed this group that had initially gathered outside of the Sainsburys supermarket (opposite the venue) please contact the team. The team also responded to a call from a concerned resident who reported that a damaged moped had apparently been dumped in Parkside Road, near Franks Park. We were able to locate the vehicle and after completing enquiries, we discovered that the moped had been stolen from Crayford a few days earlier. We were able to contact the owner who was happy to collect the vehicle. On Tuesday 28th May we received a report of an attempted garage burglary in Elstree Gardens. It appears that between 12.30pm and 6.30pm a garage door located in the footpath to the rear of houses bordering the Lesness Abbey woodland area was forcibly opened although whoever was responsible for this did not enter the property and no items were taken. Our next Community Contact Session is due to take place on Wednesday 5th June 2019 from 3pm at the Starbucks coffee shop, Clydesdale Way".  Bexleyheath ward:- "There has been no reports of burglaries over the last week as well as any attempted burglaries. There has been three reports of theft from motor vehicle over the last week: Broadway Square car park – Tuesday 28/05/2019 between 9.30am and 2.30pm; Hazelmere Road Bexleyheath – Vehicle was unlocked and items taken overnight Thurs 23/05/2019 / Fri 24/05/2019; Belvedere Road Bexleyheath Thursday 23/05/2019 – Happened late night; A theft of motor vehicle was reported along Long Lane overnight Wed 22/05/2019 / Thurs 23/05/2019; A wallet was stolen along the Broadway on the Tuesday 28/05/2019 at about 3.30pm. Regular patrols are being conducted around the war memorial as the team have received complaints about ASB and drugs, also the car parks are regularly patrolled". Crayford ward:- "Crayford has seen an increase in burglaries this week, businesses in particular, as well as theft of vehicles. Between Thursday 23rd May and Saturday 25th May a building in London Road was entered via a window, an untidy search and a computer was stolen. Tools were used in an attempt to lever shutters and a window smashed in an attempt to enter a business in Crayford Road between Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th May, no entry made. A small business in Crayford Way was burgled between Friday 24th May and Monday 27th May, a large quantity of computer, audio and other electrical items were stolen, entry via sided gate and removal of window. Between Tuesday 21st and Wenesday 22nd May, a silver Toyota was stolen off a drive in Halcot Avenue. A white Ford Transit was stolen on Thursday 23rd May from Stour Road, it was taken for a test drive, the person left a vehicle and mobile phone but did not return. Two motorcycles were stolen on Saturday 25 May from Crayford High Street, one has since been recovered, the other, a grey Honda 125 registration GV16 WVK is still outstanding. A delivery driver was alerted that his moped was on fire in Roman Way on Monday 27th May, four youths on two mopeds were close by. The wing mirror was deliberately kicked off a vehicle parked in Shearwood Crescent on Sunday 26 May. At 23.30 on Friday 24th May someone kicked a locked and secured front door in Old Road, similarly, on Wednesday 15th May, a front door was kicked in Crayford Way, the resident has clear images of this suspect from their ring door bell. Many people in Crayford are kind and like to help those that appear less fortunate than themselves but it would seem that this kindness is being abused. A drink and something to eat is a positive kindness, giving money may be used for other more negative reasons. Your team have been busy this week with arrest enquiries, reassurance visits and patrols as well as plain clothes patrols. Our next Community Contact Session will be held on Thursday 6th June at Crayford Library between 3 and 4pm". Erith ward - no report received this week. Northumberland Heath ward:- "An investigation is taking place following a disturbance at the Royal Oak pub, Bexley Road DA8 3HB at the weekend. Alcohol licensing officers are also aware of the incident. Any information please get in touch or freephone Crimestoppers 0800555111 Officers have continued to utilise stop and search powers resulting in two positive searches for drugs on the ward. A blue Ford Fiesta vehicle registration number CK02 TZR has been reported stolen from the local area. If you happen to see this please contact police so further enquiries can be made. Several vehicles have been broken into. Always close, lock and activate any security devices when leaving your vehicle unattended, even briefly. Park with care particularly at night or if you are leaving the vehicle for a long time. If possible, park in a busy, well-lit area, close to CCTV cameras. Never leave valuables inside. Our next open surgery to give local residents an opportunity to speak to us about any issues or concerns is due to take place 11am Thursday 6/6/19 at the Library in Mill Road DA8 1HW. The surgery is scheduled to run for an hour and no prior notification is required to attend".

Slade Green and Northend ward:- "Tesco Express was broken into in the early hours of Sunday 26th May and Wednesday 29th May by unknown suspects. Money was stolen from the till on both occasions. CCTV enquiries are currently underway. An attempted burglary took place in Crescent Road last Wednesday evening. The suspects were disturbed by the homeowner who went downstairs after hearing a noise. No entry was gained and the suspects ran off. PC's Mark and James have carried out 13 Stop and Searches in the last week. 3 were positive with one suspect due back for interview and the other 2 given the necessary warnings. PCSO Mark will be at the Slade Green Seniors Cinema Club this coming Monday June 3rd for a special D-Day event being held at the Community Centre". Thamesmead East ward:- "Attempted Burglary - Haldane Road Tuesday 27/05/19 between 8:45pm – 2:55am Victim arrived home to find suspect/s unknown have caused considerable damage to his front door. A witnessed stated they saw 4 suspects unknown standing outside the property at 11pm. Theft of Motor vehicle - Maran Way between Monday 20/5/19 and 28/05/19 vehicle stolen without keys no further information; Alsike Road Tuesday 28/05/19 between 9pm – 7.15am Vehicle stolen overnight no signs of broken glass. Theft from Motor Vehicle; Lensbury Way Wednesday 22/5/19 between 10pm and 8am Thursday 23/05/19 both front and rear number plates stolen. Criminal Damage to Motor Vehicle - Kale Road Friday 24/05/19 between 1am - 8am The Victim has had criminal damage to two vehicles by suspect/s unknown rear windscreen smashed on his car and front windscreen smashed on his wife's car outside his home address; Seacourt Road Between Saturday 25/05/19 and Tuesday 28/05/19 Victim parked the vehicle outside their garage around 1845hrs on the 25th May and had been away. When the victim returned home 28/05/19 suspect/s unknown had egged the car and scratched it across the boot and down the full right side. Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention - Your car is like a shop window if you can see any property left in view then so can a thief. Good News - After a lengthy investigation by the team, a female has been found guilty at court, for a number of theft/making off without payment offences. The female will appear in court early next month for sentencing". West Heath ward:- "One Burglary in The Bedonwell Road Childrens centre on Bank holiday Monday May 27th that was discovered at 3.30am when the alarm was activated, police attended and found a broken window. At this stage it is not clear what was taken. The spate of motor vehicle crime across the ward has continued. Six theft from motor vehicles, overnight mostly in the early hours of the morning .Please ensure that all personal items are stored either out of sight, or better still take them with you, any items left on display could increase your chances of being a victim of crime. One theft of motor vehicle from Pembury Drive in the early hours of the morning, the vehicle was discovered burnt out in a car park. One theft of a Land Rover Discovery from Chessington Avenue On Sunday May 26th at 4am, the vehicle had a tracking device fitted and was recovered at an address in SE2. The owner of the vehicle was unsure if he left the vehicle unlocked with the keys This week the team have conducted proactive burglary patrols in hotspot areas in addition to motor vehicle crime hotspot areas. Arrest enquiries have been made this week for wanted offenders with our colleagues from East Wickham and Crook Log. Several stop and searches and one confiscation of cannabis were made. The team have started to deliver Smart Water to local residents who have previously had burglaries in their roads, this will be an ongoing programme across the ward. Last but not least, PCSO Muriel Edwards has decided to hang up her hat and boots and the role will be handed over to PCSO Dee Reid who has come over from the Northumberland Heath Team".

As regular readers may well know, I am a big fan of Romford based independent radio station Time 107.5 FM. They do a huge amount of charitable, volunteer and community work, and provide some excellent radio programming, including in my opinion the best and most up to date travel news for the area. Whilst their primary audience is based in and around the London Borough of Havering, they have a sizeable audience in the London Borough of Bexley. They have many regular listeners in Thamesmead, Abbey Wood, Belvedere, Erith and Crayford, and also somewhat further into Kent. It is a tribute to their excellent programming and talented presenters that this happens to be the case, when there are other far bigger radio station broadcasting in the area, and providing competition for the attention of listeners. Last week, Time 107.5 FM presenter Mark Dover visited the huge Amazon distribution centre in Tilbury, where a large number of the goods purchased online by residents of the London Borough of Bexley and others are consigned from. Mark has made the video below, and also set up a competition for listeners to the station with some very worthwhile prizes. Budding competitors need to watch the video and then get ready to phone Mark live on air in order for a chance at winning. Mark writes:- "I get to do some fantastic things in my job and a highlight for me was my recent visit to the Amazon fulfilment centre in Tilbury. Anyone that knows me will know I am a bit of a techno geek and I was honestly blown away with the efficiency of the fulfilment centre, it’s just amazing how they get all those packages to wherever they are going so quickly. I filmed my tour and it’s well worth watching because by watching it you will learn the answer to a question that could bag you a fantastic prize. Amazon has given us 1 x Echo Show, 1 x Echo Spot and 1 x Amazon Smart Plug to give to one lucky listener. The competition will be done live on air on Monday, 10th of June around 1.30pm during my show so watch the video and get prepared".