Vidor.

The group photos above (click on either for a larger view) were taken in the foyer of CineWorld Bexleyheath last Sunday afternoon. The occasion was the private showing of the new Star Wars movie. "The Rise of Skywalker" to a select audience of roughly 350 people all of whom were personally invited by the organiser Nav, who can be seen in the upper photo above wearing the bright orange X-Wing fighter pilots uniform. Every year for the last five, Nav has organised a private showing of each of the new Star Wars movies, and it has now become a regular pre - Christmas event, and part of the local social calendar. The film viewing aside, it is also a time for people to catch up and socialise, some of whom only get the opportunity to do so once a year at the private showing. It is also a time where parents, who saw the original series of films when they were children, get the opportunity to bring their own offspring along to share the event with them. 

This week The Bexley Times have reported the a one year old pony had to be rescued after getting into difficulties in a field in Norman Road, Lower Belvedere. The horse had fallen down a steep bank and was unable to get back up before collapsing with exhaustion. The horse had slipped down a muddy bank and was stuck, laying on his side, with his back legs caught around a tree and his front legs in a small culvert. He had been trying to get back to his feet and was exhausted; he was on the brink of death. A vet sedated him so the team of firefighters from Erith fire station could get the straps under him and start to winch him back up the bank. The RSPCA were in attendance; they left an abandonment notice at the site and removed the pony for further veterinary treatment. The horse, named Frosty by the rescuers will stay with the vets until he is strong enough to move to an RSPCA centre. If no one comes forward to claim him then he will be re-homed by the charity. This winter, the RSPCA expects to take in more than 10,000 animals in need across England and Wales as more become lost or simply just abandoned after Christmas. The practice of horse and pony owners effectively abandoning their animals is unfortunately widespread. The practice of “fly-grazing” has become increasingly common both in the local area, and also around the country. Thousands of horses and ponies are being abandoned by their erstwhile owners as irresponsible breeding, spiralling bills and sale prices which have reached rock bottom take their toll. In a recent interview, RSPCA Inspector Nicholas Wheelhouse said:- "We find some people who have horses and have just kept them on undeveloped land, but as the developers are now snapping up these sites, the horses are being moved on. The knock-on effect is that with a shortage of green land we are finding that the owners are then tethering their horses on the side of the roads or keeping them in very poor makeshift enclosures, not even fields. It’s an issue that I as an inspector am seeing on the increase, as sadly, if the horses are not attended to well enough, welfare problems can start and that's when we become involved. I’ve seen horses in places you wouldn’t ever expect them to be and many in really built-up areas." A pony can fetch as little as £5 at auction – if it sells at all, whilst stable costs, feed and vets bills can amount to around £100 per week per animal. The six main horse welfare charities have come together to compile a report on the situation; it would also appear that the European appetite for horse meat may be fuelling the situation – a £5 pony can turn into a £230 carcass on the European meat market. It may be that ponies are actually being farmed for live export to France, Belgium and Italy. The RSPCA have called for legislation that will enable them to more quickly identify owners and punish them with fines and the seizure of animals for fly-grazing. They also want a review of agreements allowing the free movement of horses not intended for slaughter between Britain, Ireland and France. The British horse population is thought to be just under one million animals in size. The vast majority are owned privately for leisure – a sector which, unlike the horse racing industry, has not historically been tightly regulated. A bill was brought into law back in 2015 which was hoped to change this situation. The Control of Horses Act 2015 made changes to the law to deter people from illegally grazing or simply abandoning horses on public and private land, which is known as ‘fly-grazing’. As many as 3,000 horses are thought to be illegally fly-grazing across the country. The changes meant that horse owners who fly-graze their animals without permission could  be dealt with more quickly and effectively. These changes to the law have on paper given rural communities greater powers to deal with thousands of horses that are left to graze illegally without the land owners’ permission. Horses that are left to fly-graze can now be re-homed much more quickly and effectively, improving the welfare of these animals and preventing disruption to communities. By allowing abandoned horses to be re-homed much more quickly, this act will encourage owners to pay proper attention to their animals’ welfare and ensure communities are no longer blighted by the illegal practice of fly-grazing. Under the previous Animals Act 1971 an abandoned horse could only be disposed of after 14 days through sale at market or public auction. The 2015 Act means fly-grazing horses have to be reported to police within 24 hours, and owners now have four days to claim their animals. Previously, an abandoned horse could only be disposed of through sale at market or public auction. The 2015 law extended the options for dealing with abandoned horses, which now include private sale, gifting and rehoming. Unfortunately the 2015 Act has in practice made very little difference to horse and pony welfare. Actually determining the owners of the fly grazed animals is often very difficult, as the animals have no registration or other ownership documents. The owners are now resorting in some cases to leaving sick animals to die, rather than having them properly treated by a vet. It would seem that no amount of legislation will stop the misuse of ponies and horses if the authorities are not prepared to enforce it properly. What do you think? Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com with your feedback.

Most computer users will be very familiar with Microsoft Office, the pretty much ubiquitous combination of word processor, spreadsheet, database, presentation suite and Email client. Microsoft are encouraging users to switch from the locally installed Office 2019 to the web based Office 365. There are actually several exceedingly good alternatives to Microsoft Office, including one particular office suite which is full - featured, completely Microsoft file format compatible, mature, backed by a large organisation, and unlike Microsoft Office, it is totally free to download and use. The office suite is called LibreOffice. The history of LibreOffice goes back to 2010, after database software giant Oracle completed its acquisition of Sun Microsystems. This included OpenOffice, an open source Office suite originally known as Star Office. Sun had picked up the Star Division, the company behind Star Office, in 1999, and published the suite as free and open source in an effort to reduce the dominance of Microsoft Office. In September 2010 a group of OpenOffice contributors who were unhappy about Oracle's tight control of the project announced The Document Foundation along with a fork of OpenOffice 3.3, which they called LibreOffice. Oracle was asked to transfer OpenOffice to the new group but refused. A few months later more former OpenOffice contributors declared their support for the new fork. The following year, Oracle decided that OpenOffice had no commercial future and in June 2011 transferred the project to the Apache Foundation, where it continues, with a claimed 1.6 million downloads of version 4.1.7, released in September. LibreOffice had the momentum though, and has been developed more rapidly. 2020 will be therefore the 10th anniversary for LibreOffice and it is planning "a year long celebration." Has LibreOffice succeeded? The software is popular and highly valued by users, and unlike Microsoft Office works well on Linux. It is free software and also lets you adopt the OpenDocument Format (ODF) in place of Microsoft proprietary Office formats. The LibreOffice team has been working on the user interface, and there are now a bewildering number of options for menus and toolbars. You can select Standard Toolbar, Single Toolbar, Sidebar, Tabbed, Tabbed Compact, Grouped bar Compact, and Contextual Single. You can also combine various options, such as choosing Tabbed UI, which is reminiscent of the Microsoft Office ribbon toolbar, and then adding the traditional dropdown menubar on top. Interoperability with Microsoft Office formats has been improved, and you can now export document templates (.dotx and .xltx), import and export PowerPoint SmartArt, and import charts which use Word DrawingML. LibreOffice still has a place for organisations (not least the EU) concerned about retaining or recovering "digital sovereignty". It removes the reliance of Microsoft's proprietary document formats, which tend to change every couple of years, meaning that in order to read and use your old MS Office files, you have to buy the latest version of MS Office and then upgrade your old files to the new format. That said, Microsoft Office remains the business standard, and today's battle is more between the web based Office 365 and Google's G Suite, than between the locally installed Microsoft Office and LibreOffice. Most Office 365 subscriptions bundle Microsoft's desktop software with Email and other online services, making it hard for LibreOffice to break in. LibreOffice plays an important role in providing a high-quality office suite for Linux and as an alternative to Microsoft Office. There are now also browser-based options, including Google's G Suite, but if you prefer the freedom of working locally with open source software, LibreOffice is for you. LibreOffice then has not changed the software world, but it has perhaps made it a better place. You can read more about LibreOffice and download it for free by clicking here.

Whist surfing the BBC iPlayer website, I found an archive recording from back in 2010. It features comedian Mark Steel in an early episode of his popular BBC Radio 4 comedy series "Mark Steel's in Town". The programme description reads thus:- "Mark Steel visits 6 more UK towns to discover what makes them and their inhabitants distinctive. He creates a bespoke stand-up show for that town and performs the show in front of a local audience. As well as shedding light on the less visited areas of Britain, Mark uncovers stories and experiences that resonate with us all as we recognise the quirkiness of the British way of life and the rich tapestry of remarkable events and people who have shaped where we live.  In this episode Mark performs a show for the residents of Dartford in Kent where he talks about the peasants' revolt, gypsy tart, Mick Jagger and what one resident calls the Road To Hell". You can hear the very funny programme, which features Dartford, Erith (postulating that Christopher Columbus came from Erith, and that before he went on to discover America, he first sailed across the Thames to discover Essex!) and many other local towns, including Mark Steel's own birthplace - Swanley. Click here to stream the show, which I can highly recommend.

The two photos above date back to the 1920's; the upper of the two photos shows shrimp fishermen employed by William Gilder, the fishmonger who had a shop in Erith High Street for many years between the two World Wars. The distinguished chap in the Fedora hat the helm of the vessel is Mr. Gilder himself; I am not sure if he regularly went out on shrimping trips, or if this was a special occasion that merited a commemorative photograph. I was surprised when I came across the photo; I knew that the River Thames off Erith was a rich source of Lemon Sole, Dabs and Eels, but I did not know that it had been a historic source of shrimps. What is somewhat troubling is that back then, raw sewage was pumped into the Thames from Crossness Sewage Works. Shrimps and Prawns get their nutrients from filtering the water they swim in, and any noxious substances tend to get concentrated in their bodies as a consequence.  This would have made eating Erith caught shrimps a bit of a lottery regarding whether they would give you food poisoning or not; I guess that people’s constitutions were a bit more hardy back then; personally I would have avoided local shellfish just to be on the safe side. More on this later. Gilder ran a successful fishmongers shop on the river front at Erith, directly opposite the wooden jetty that is still there today. The shop was in business for many years between the wars, and was only demolished in 1937. Some years ago, Maggot Sandwich reader and local historian Ken Chamberlain sent me the photo of Gilder’s Fishmongers which you can see above. He told me that the Gilder family were heavily involved in trade in and around Erith for many years, and indeed several members of the family still live locally. I had commented on how William Gilder looked considerably younger in the photo that Ken had sent me back then, to which he responded that although there was a distinct family resemblance, it was possible that the figure in the doorway was not the same person as pictured in the fishing boat. Either way it is a real slice of Erith’s long and varied history. The more I consider the state of pollution of the River Thames before WWII, the more I am amazed not only that a successful fishing business could generate income from the murky waters, but that people were apparently not routinely poisoned. In addition to the aforementioned sewage outfall from Crossness, back before the war Erith Pier was frequented by heavy cargo freighters and ships that were judged as too large to navigate further upriver to the docks, or the Pool of London. The output sewage and waste oil into the river, along with leaving traces of chemicals from their anti fouling paint (which used to contain large amounts of poisonous tin or copper compounds to inhibit weed and barnacle growth on the hulls of ships). It is a wonder that anything managed to live in the Thames off Erith at all. The water nowadays is far cleaner than it has been for years – the reason it looks brown and murky is mainly due to the large levels of silt that is suspended in the water, rather than to high pollution levels. This is evidenced by the large number of seals that now inhabit the river in the local area; seals are top tier predators - they would not be in the Thames if all of the fish lower down the food chain were not present and very healthy. As I have mentioned in the past, Lemon Sole spawn in Anchor Bay and the area around Erith Pier. Dabs and Eels are also present in abundance.

A forty first birthday took place recently - a ground breaking cult comedy series that changed many things, and certainly influenced Sir Terry Pratchett and his much beloved Discworld novels; Back in 1978, the first episode of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy was broadcast on BBC Radio 4. At the time no-one - least of all its creator Douglas Adams - would have known that the story of galactically - displaced nobody Arthur Dent would one day travel as far in the pop-cultural landscape as the book’s characters did across the universe. I got into Hitchhikers pretty early on - I recall that when I was at school, I could recite, word perfect, entire chunks of the first two books. In the years since in inception, The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy has existed in almost every form imaginable - first a radio series, then a book, record albums (different to the radio versions), a television series, various stage productions, a computer game, a towel and a major motion picture - each one expanding on or compressing previous versions, using some aspects, flatly contradicting others and completely ignoring the rest. It has proven astonishingly prolific as a franchise, and that’s probably because its main thesis – that the universe is an idiosyncratic and absurd place as viewed from a human perspective – is one that cannot help but resonate with audiences across time and space.

Do you recall the Vidor brand of batteries? They used to be sold all over the place, especially in shops such as Woolworths. They were cheaper than Ever Ready or Duracell, and very popular, if not so long lasting. The brand Vidor was based in Erith, and they produced a range of consumer electronics in the years after the war; their battery production facilities were located in South Shields and Dundee, whilst their television and radio factory was in St Fidelis Road, off West Street, Erith. In 1934 T. N. Cole, managing director of the Lissen battery company, left that company sometime after it had been taken over by Ever-Ready; he purchased the Burndept radio company and set up the Vidor battery company, in direct competition with Lissen/Ever-Ready. Vidor's name came from the initials of Thomas's two daughters, Valerie and Denise, and his wife Rebecca. As a concession to Ever Ready and his agreement with the company, he did not run Burndept and Vidor himself, but employed Mr. R.P. Richardson as Managing Director. In 1935 Thomas brought an action appealing against the agreement with Ever Ready. An out of court settlement was made and from that time on, relations between Ever Ready and Vidor were strained, not helped by popularity of Vidor batteries with radio dealers because of their competitive prices, which were around twenty five percent cheaper than their rivals. In 1939 a Vidor portable radio shown at National Radio Exhibition. After World War II, between 1947 - 1958 Various models of radio were manufactured - you can see a video featuring the Vidor "My Lady Margaret" valve portable set by clicking here. The company appears to have been absorbed into several others in the late 60's / early 70's, and the battery making part of the business was sold to an Argentinian company, who as far as I can ascertain, still own the brand.

I had a bit of a real life Monty Python "Spam sketch" moment on Monday; I was on my way back from a meeting in the West End, and at lunchtime I reached Charing Cross station; feeling peckish, I broke my journey to go onto the station concourse in order to purchase some lunch. I rolled up at the  baguette shop, and had a look at what was on offer. Bacon and egg; ham and cheese, chicken and bacon; salami and salad. All the filled baguettes had one thing in common - they all contained some type of pork. I am pork intolerant, and have to avoid the meat or otherwise get a violent stomach upset. I asked the unkempt and spotty individual behind the counter (who bore a striking resemblance to Cletus the Slack Jawed Yokel from the Simpsons) if they had any other fillings available. He ummed and aahed for a few moments and said "We've got prosciutto rolls too" I explained that I wanted something without any pork - and had to tell him that bacon was actually a kind of pork, which was evidently news to him. He then said "We do have chicken royale with bacon - but it doesn't have much bacon in it". I gave up. You can contact me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

The Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association office is closed for the Christmas and New Year holiday, so this week there are no local safety and security reports from the various ward Safer Neighbourhood Police teams. Normal service will be resumed next week.

The end video this week is a blast from the recent past; it features the Erith Lighthouse, a pop - up restaurant and art studio that was located in Erith Riverside Gardens in the late summer of 2017. The events were organised by The Exchange - the arts and community not for profit group who took on the old Carnegie library in Walnut Tree Road, subsequently opening the excellent Bookstore Cafe in the basement of the historic building. Indeed, looking back one can see that the Lighthouse project was a prototype for the Bookstore Cafe. Many new and exciting events are planned for the near future by The Exchange. The Carnegie library and the Bookstore Cafe are currently closed for staff holidays, but they will re - open on the 15th of January. You can read more by clicking here.

Local elections.

With the local council elections now looming, the local political parties are jockeying for position on numerous issues which are of particular concern to residents. From the feedback that I get, the number one local concern is related to law and order, and especially in respect of the motorbike and moped criminals that I have written about extensively in the past, and no doubt will do so again in the near future. A second area of concern is to do with the large number of Homes of Multiple Occupancy (HMO) which are in the area. Data shows a big increase in rented property in Bexley, with a 103 per cent increase in the number of private rented households between 2001-2011; more recent figures are currently unavailable, but it is thought that the number of privately rented properties in the borough will have increased yet further. To monitor and control this, Bexley Council have announced that they are introducing a licencing scheme for private landlords. The scheme will target specific areas in the borough; those initially listed include North Thamesmead, Abbey Wood and Erith - specifically the area in and around Manor Road. These areas are said by the council to be the worst for complaints about rogue landlords. Speaking at a cabinet meeting on April 10, councillor Brad Smith said: “The intention is to address the impact of poorly managed rented properties to improve housing conditions. It requires landlords to come forward and be licensed, rather than being reliant on complaints. This will help improve conditions for our most vulnerable residents by providing additional regulatory control of the sector in problem areas.” The scheme will mean landlords will be monitored and rogue landlords renting poorly managed properties would be targeted and prosecuted if they are not licensed. I applaud the sentiment of the scheme, and the proposals to roll it out to the whole borough, and not just the trouble spots listed earlier; I do however see problems. The kind of landlords the licencing scheme is designed to highlight and control are the very ones who won't register, not just because of the considerable fee involved - but also because the unscrupulous landlords operate "under the radar" and don't want to be noticed by the relevant authorities.  It will be a real challenge for Bexley Council to identify and bring the unscrupulous landlords to heel. I get the feeling that this story will develop further over the next few months.

Further to the forthcoming local government elections, which take place on Thursday the 3rd of May, some important news if you are a resident of the Slade Green and North End ward of the London Borough of Bexley. As you may be aware, some changes have been made to the electoral wards recently, which is reflected in the overall reduction of the numbers of local councillors. For many years the polling station in the Slade Green and North End ward was located in a temporary Portakabin  in Frobisher Road, adjacent to the Frobisher Road housing estate. The council announced a few weeks ago that due to the boundary changes, the location of the polling station was being moved to Aveley Close, off Crescent Road, and very close to Morrison's car park. I understand that some local residents objected to this, and subsequently the location of the polling station has been moved again. It will now be located in Reddy Road, off Alexandra Road. Personally I think this is a bad move for any local resident with mobility problems, as it is a lot further away than either of the other locations. The local elections normally have a fairly low turnout, and these polling station changes will do little to remedy this; I would hazard a guess that a significant number of voters will turn up at the old location in Frobisher Road, not having read the letter that has been posted to residents in the Slade Green and North End ward (a copy of which is featured above - click on it for a larger version).  I hope that a sign redirecting them to the new location in Reddy Road will be set up. As much as possible needs to be done to encourage people to vote in local elections; key issues such as recycling, bin emptying, street lighting and funding for the less advantaged in local society are all decided at a local level, and your vote, whoever it is for, can and does make a difference. 

Another property related story is being reported in the local press, but in this case I feel that there has been a degree of misunderstanding which needs to be clarified. As regular readers will be aware, I have covered the planning and evolution of the Erith Quarry housing development in some detail over the last couple of years, from when it was a long unused brown field site, to where it is today, with the first houses about to go on sale to the public. The Bexley Times published an article last week which said:- "As the first of batch of a 600-home development go up for sale this weekend, concerns have been raised over the price tags currently on offer. The Erith Quarry development will bring 470 houses and 130 apartments to the town, with the first 27 going on sale this weekend. Each of the homes on sale from September 2 will be available under the shared ownership scheme, with a 50 per cent share of a two-bed maisonette costing residents £165,000 and the same share of a three-bed house costing £220,000. From September 16, would-be homeowners will have to pay £400,000 for a three-bed home and four-bed homes will be going for £525,000. An online search revealed a three-bed semi-detached house elsewhere in the town was taking offers upwards of £250,000". The claim that a three bedroomed semi detached house can be found in Erith for £250,000 is stretching things a bit, to say the least. Whilst the town is the second most affordable place to purchase property in Greater London after Dagenham, just across the River Thames, to get a three bed semi for quarter of a million would mean that it would need considerable renovation. Secondly I know that several local councillors, including Danny Hackett have expressed concern regarding the lack of affordable housing in the new Quarry development. Whilst I completely agree with the sentiment, from the previous discussions I have had with the developers, the whole aim of the Quarry site is not to aim to sell to existing local residents, but rather to attract people from outside the area to move into Erith. This is one of the reasons the houses on the site are predominantly three and four bedroomed; they are not aimed at first time buyers, rather at people who already have, or are planning on starting a family. I understand that a typical buyer profile at the Quarry would be a young professional couple who currently own a one bed flat in somewhere like Brockley, and are thinking of having children. They cannot afford a large house in somewhere like Brockley or Penge, and instead look further out into South East London - to somewhere which will shortly be close to the Crossrail / Elizabeth Line. This is where The Quarry comes in - whilst the houses on the development are relatively expensive in the local market, they are relatively affordable compared to areas closer to the centre of London. This is one of the reasons that virtually all of the advertising for The Quarry has been done in papers like The London Evening Standard - the developers are not  trying to appeal to local residents, rather they are looking to attract comparatively wealthy middle class people into the area, the thinking being that if wealth moves into the area, it will "trickle down" when the new residents start using local services, and take part in the local economy. The danger for the developers, London and Quadrant, is if people new to the area start to look around at the existing housing market and discover that they can get better value for money in the existing housing market in Erith, Northumberland Heath and Barnehurst. As always, the market will decide. It is without doubt that a greater amount of affordable housing is required in the local area - something that is true for most if not all of the South East. The problem is there is little incentive for developers to create affordable properties when they can still easily build full price housing for those with the ready money - even if these are absentee owners from China or Russia, investing / laundering their money in a "safe" country where the government is extremely unlikely to confiscate it. What do you think? Leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Last Tuesday marked a historic moment in computing history; it was the fortieth anniversary of the release of the ground breaking Apple II Computer. It debuted on the 17th April 1977, at the West Coast Computer Faire, positioning Apple at the forefront of the looming personal computer revolution. The company’s first mass-market computer, the Apple II boasted an attractively machined case designed by Jerry Manock (who later went on to design the first Macintosh). It also packed a keyboard, BASIC compatibility and, most importantly, colour graphics. Fuelled by some marketing savvy from Steve Jobs, the Apple II made quite a splash at the San Francisco Bay Area’s first personal computer convention. Right from the start of his career, Steve Jobs realised the importance of a good product introduction. With no special media event to introduce the Apple II, he used the West Coast Computer Faire to perform the same function. Apple occupied the four booths directly facing the building’s front entrance. The strategic positioning made Apple the first of 175 companies at the Faire that customers saw when they arrived. At a time when money was short, Apple splashed out on a backlit Plexiglass display featuring the new logo of a rainbow hued apple with a single bite taken out of it. The eye-catching setup showcased a dozen Apple II computers for visitors’ inspection. Unbeknownst to customers, these were unfinished prototypes, since the actual computers would not be ready until June of 1977. The Apple II, the company’s second computer, and its first mainstream model, became an enormously important product line. The year it debuted, it brought in $770,000 in revenue. That figure increased to $7.9 million the following year and a massive $49 million the year after that. Apple continued producing some version of the Apple II until the early 1990s. Long term readers may recall that the Apple II was the subject of the very first ever "killer app" in the form of the first electronic spreadsheet, called VisiCalc. I wrote at some length about it here. 

Now that the excellent local micro pub has opened, it is now settling into a routine. Several readers have asked me about its opening hours - hence the poster above. I have visited it on a couple of evenings in the last week, and it has been consistently busy with a wide variety of customers, all of whom seem to enjoy the superbly kept and served real ale and convivial company. The Bird and Barrel has yet to be awarded a "Scores on the Doors" hygiene rating, but I predict it will get a 5 star rating. Bexley Council seem to have done a pretty creditable job of getting the restaurants and takeaways in the borough to improve their health ratings over the last couple of years; there was a point when Bexley came the bottom of "Scores on the Doors" ratings for the entire country, and Erith came bottom in the borough. I am pleased that this has now very much changed for the better. Overall the ratings are improved beyond the expectations of many - there are however a few exceptions to this, which show there is still scope for improvement. Two of the worst offenders are located in Nuxley Road, Upper Belvedere - not a place one would readily associate with poor quality catering or low hygiene standards. Both K's Cafe and the Belvedere Tandoori have been awarded one out of five star hygiene ratings in the council's most recent round of health checks - a rating which I strongly feel should mean that they should be closed with immediate effect until substantial remedial works are carried out.  I don't know about K's Cafe, but the Belvedere Tandoori has been struggling for several years, and has been up for sale for some considerable time. It voluntarily surrendered its drinks licence some while back - something which has further hurt its trade considerably. I have heard rumours (unsubstantiated at this point) that it may become a Turkish restaurant. If you have any information regarding this, please drop me a line in complete confidence to hugh.neal@gmail.com.

It is not yet widely known, but British Telecom are planning to replace all existing old fashioned copper line telephones with VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) over the next handful of years. The closure of the public switched telephone network (PSTN) is part of plans by BT toward internet-based voice calls via a fibre network. As such it will be looking to close a chunk of exchanges. The telecoms giant would prefer to provide only internet services, and let customers use them for voice calls. The Telegraph reported that BT wants to move "all domestic and business customers to internet-based voice calls within a decade," but is prevented from doing so by Ofcom, which requires it to offer basic PSTN/POTS voice connections alongside internet ones. Expecting customers to eventually migrate to a portfolio of "all IP" services, including broadband, television, and voice, BT is upping the pressure on Ofcom in anticipation of its once-a-decade review, due later this year. "BT believes all IP services will be used nationwide by 2025 and we think Ofcom's review is an opportunity to roll back obsolete rules in this area to create a level playing field," a BT spokesperson told journalists recently.  Regulation has not kept up with the massive growth in competition and rapid pace of technology change over the last decade, whilst there are many overlaps between British and European laws which could be removed and simplified. Such measures would improve efficiency, stimulate competition, and encourage investment in the UK's connected future.

Now for the weekly safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association:- Firstly a report from Barnehurst ward:- "An excellent week for Barnehurst Ward with no burglaries to report. On the morning of Friday 13th Police acted quickly following reports on social media of a bike that had been stolen in Martens Grove Park. The victim was contacted and a detailed description was given of the bike. Whilst on patrol Barnehurst Officers spotted the bike being ridden not far from Martens Grove Park. The bike was seized, youth detained and the bike returned to a very happy and grateful owner. On 14th April 2018 a robbery took place in Pelham Road between 06.30am - 07.00am. Victim was walking home after visiting a friend and was approached by 5 to 6 black males. An Armani bag containing a mobile phone and travel card was grabbed from the victim. Unfortunately the victim was too shocked at the time to get a detailed description of the males involved. Good news after a lot of door knocking this week Barnehurst Officers have nearly achieved 100% Neighbourhood Watch coverage with only two more roads to go. We aim to achieve this by next week, update to follow. Join a member of the team at Barnehurst Golf Club on Wednesday 25th April 2018 at 11.00am to discuss any local issues that may be concerning you or simply come along and say hello". Belvedere ward:- "We are continuing to receive reports of anti-social behaviour in Draper Close. Youths are reportedly causing a nuisance to residents, shouting swearing etc. if anyone has suffered or has any information please get in contact. There is a particular off road motorbike, red and white, being ridden by a white male wearing a balaclava. He is normally spotted around the Picardy Street area. If anyone knows who this person is please let us know as he is committing several road traffic offences as well as driving dangerously. On the subject of off road bikes the team have issued another Section 59 warning to a male riding in Franks Park. We have not taken over this area yet but we are trying to make an early dent in this biking trend to at least ease it for the upcoming summer months. There was an attempted burglary on 17/04/2018 around 1030 hours on Barnfield Road. A male was reportedly pulling on the door handle of an address. The owner returned and the male ran off towards Nuxley Road. Our upcoming surgeries: 25/04/2018 – ASDA car park, from 1600 hours until 1700 hours. We will be giving out anti-theft number plate screws with the assistance form the AA and 04/05/2018 – ASDA Café, 1400 hours until 1500 hours". Brampton ward:- "Yet another good week on Brampton Ward with only a handful of crimes reported, and only two of those of interest to our residents. Unfortunately, we had a burglary reported in Long Lane where entry was gained by breaking the living room window. An untidy search was conducted and an amount of jewellery was taken. This burglary occurred whilst the residents were away on holiday so now would be a good time to remind our residents to take extra care while away with holiday season approaching. There is plenty of crime prevention advice on the Met Police website. There was also a shoplifting from Sainsbury’s in Brampton Road. Brampton officers are continually patrolling ASB hotspots with vandalism being reported in the Bursted wood surgery area and our off road motor cycle team are also patrolling the woods in an attempt to deter anti-social motor cycling which seems to increase as the weather improves. Only two weeks now until the Ward boundaries change". Christchurch ward:- "Below are some of the things that we have been up to over the last week. We are pleased to say we have no reports of any burglaries on the ward over the last week as well as any motor vehicle related crimes. On the 15/04/2018 - A bag was reported stolen whilst victim was out with friends at Frankie and Benny’s on the Broadway. Also another theft from person was reported on the 14/04/2018. A shoulder bag was taken from an elderly female that was on the back of a trolley. Another report of a purse was taken on the 12/04/2018 from the victims hand bag whilst shopping in Primark. On the 11/04/2018 - There was a report of a bag taken from an elderly female whilst on the Broadway, bag was taken from victims trolley. A shop windows was smashed along the Broadway on the 11/04/2018 with an unknown object. Also fire alarm set off in the Marriot Hotel as youths had smashed the glass to set it off. The team have been recently conducting plain clothes patrols in unmarked vehicles as well as the usual high visibility patrols the team conducts daily, we also recently held our contact point yesterday at the Central Library. If you do speak to anyone who lives on the ward who does not have NHW set up on their street. Please put them through to us if they are interested in maybe joining. If you would like to contact us, please feel free to make contact via email, twitter or over the phone. For crime prevention advice, please look at the Met Police website which does have information that you may find useful". Colyers ward:- "On Wednesday 4th April at 8.40 pm a woman knocked on my door saying that she was trying to raise sponsorship money for a charity football match in aid of a boy who had been knocked down in a nearby road. She was well spoken, smartly dressed with long dark hair, slim, quite short and aged around 30 years. The Colyers Safer Neighbourhoods Policing Team confirmed that there had been no reports of any child having been run over in the area. Over the last week we are happy to say there have been no reported burglaries on the ward. Unfortunately we have had two motor vehicle crimes. One was in Frinsted Road on the 14th April where a car was taken from the driveway but returned the following day. A car was broken into on the 16th April in Mortimer Road, unfortunately we have no further details than that. The team stopped a male with cannabis yesterday in Hornbeam Lane near Barnehurst Train Station. The cannabis was seized and a cannabis warning issued. For our ASB hotspot in Hampton House the team have completed several recorded home visits and ABC’s to individuals we recently stopped there with more to follow next week. Unfortunately our police surgeries in Cupacakes Bakery on Colyers Lane have had to be cancelled as the shop has closed. The team are busily looking for a new venue but until then subsequent surgeries will be held in the Blackberry Patch Community Centre on Badlow Close. The next session will be on Saturday 28th April at 4pm. On a sad note the team held the last ever Colyers Ward Panel meeting last night before the ward boundary changes come into effect on the 4th May. The team would like to wish all our co-ordinators well on their new wards". Crayford ward:- "Some tools were stolen overnight from a van in Festival Close on Thursday 12th April. A moped was stolen overnight from Britannia Close on Sunday 15th April. Fortunately the bike was found the next day in Erith. PC Mark and PC James arrested a suspect involved in a Domestic incident on Monday, this investigation is ongoing. 2 males were stopped and searched close to Erith Town Centre last Thursday and cannabis was found on both resulting in 2 cannabis warnings issued. Last Wednesday we held a multi-agency meeting with Bexley Council, Erith Yacht Club and various companies from the Darent Industrial estate in regards fly tipping issues in Ray Lamb Way as well as off road bike issues out on the Thames Path. The meeting was successful in the fact that all parties are now in full contact with each other plus various means of enforcement and prevention were discussed including CCTV. There are various agencies responsible for various areas of the land and all have agreed to be more responsible in their reporting, prevention and reporting it to the council. Patrols will be continued by officers in regards off road bikes at the location and moves are already underway to secure the main access points to the Thames Path. We have a Community Contact Session on Monday 23rd April from 11am at the café in Forest Road, please come and say hi if you are around". Lesnes Abbey ward:- "Burglaries - Good News - No burglaries this week. However with this glorious weather we’re experiencing at the moment. Remember to close and lock all windows and doors even if you are only going out for a short period. UPVC front doors - Lift it  and Lock it. Motor Vehicle Crimes - Between the hours 10:00pm on Tuesday 10/04/11 and 07:15 am Wednesday 11/04/18 a vehicle locked and secure was taken from Canberra Road. During the early hours of Tuesday 10/04/18 a vehicle parked locked and secure in Wolvercote Road had the rear passenger window smashed and loose change was taken. Between the hours of 07:00pm Sunday 08/04/18 and 09:00am Monday 09/04/18 a vehicle parked in West Heath Road had both door mirror glasses taken. Crime prevention - Did you know your vehicle is like a shop window? If you can see ANY property left on view then so can a thief. Take it with you or put it out of sight. Other News - After the local council elections on 3rd May, The ward boundaries will then be split up, Lesnes Abbey will go and you will be with different wards. Once these have been decided we will let you know". Northumberland Heath ward:- "The team held a crime prevention event at the BP garage in Bexley Road on Saturday April 14th. With assistance from the AA we handed out anti-theft number plate screws. Some were fitted by the AA mechanic and those who were in a hurry took them home to fit themselves. A cannabis warning form was issued to a male following the stop of a vehicle in Becton Place over the weekend. One attempted commercial premises burglary in the Tesco Store in Bexley Road late on Monday April 16th. CCTV shows four males pull up in a vehicle with their faces covered. The four males tried to cut the padlocks from the outer gate and entry was attempted via the fire exit by using a long pole to break the handle on the door. A sledgehammer was then used to try to gain entry but as the alarm went off the males left empty handed. No residential burglaries this week. Two motor vehicle crimes reported to us over the last week. The first incident took place at the Pantiles were the victim has had several vans broken in to previously. The van was left overnight locked and secured on Friday April 13th and was found on Saturday morning when the rear door was open, the lock on the door had been forced but nothing was taken from the vehicle. The second motor vehicle crime reported to us was in Limewood Road, again on the evening of Friday April 13th. The lock was tampered with but entry was not gained. The next drop in Police Surgery will be held on Wednesday 25th April at 11am". Thamesmead East ward:- "One burglary to make you aware of that occurred on Tuesday 17th April between 1700 and 2200 hours, Dexter House, Kale Road. The victim returned home to discover their front door open/damaged and all lights to the flat were on. Not believed that anything was actually stolen. During the early hours of Saturday 14th April, number plates were stolen from a motor vehicle that was parked outside Timothy House, Kale Road. On Wednesday 18th April, during the afternoon, a motor vehicle was stolen from Eastgate Close. The team have recently received reports of two males smoking cannabis, in an alleyway, St Michaels Close. On Saturday 14th April, two males were searched after they were seen to be loitering in the alleyway. No cannabis found, but intelligence gained. Patrols around the area will continue. On Friday 13th April, PC Nana arrested a female for fraud offences. PC Nana interviewed the female who fully admitted that she had done wrong. Due to the female’s previous good character, she received an adult caution. On Thursday 12th April, the team worked with Sam from the AA in fixing anti-theft screws to members of the public car number plates. Although we was only at the BP petrol garage for a hour and half, Sam was kept very busy, with 15 vehicles having new screws fitted. Hugely enjoyable and successful event, which we plan to arrange again in the future".

The end video this week is a bit of a flash back to last year, when local arts commissioning group The Exchange ran The Erith Lighthouse - promoting local artists and social activities in the daytime, and turning into a pop - up restaurant in the evenings. The Erith Lighthouse was planned to be a "one off" event, but I have heard rumours that more may well be seen of this unique, landmark structure in the future, though the details are still somewhat vague. 

The Pilgrim ferry.

Back in the 1980's, the Ford ferry from Lower Belvedere to the Ford car plant in Dagenham was in regular use; I can recall that several school friends had relatives who worked at the massive automotive factory, and who used to do the twice daily commute across the River Thames to go to and from their place of work. The ferry became a minor local landmark that had started back in 1933 when the Ford works was a relatively new creation. It used to make up to fifty trips across the river every day; each trip would take a little less than ten minutes, and many commuters found it to be invaluable. Ford paid the ferry costs, and the free trip was considered a perk of the job for Ford workers who lived on the South side of the river. When Ford ceased to make complete cars at Dagenham back in 2002, they converted the factory to make engines and gearboxes which were then transported to other Ford factories around Europe to be installed into vehicles made elsewhere. Ford senior management then decided that in order to cut costs, they would terminate the contract with the ferry operator. There was a great deal of opposition to this move, and it took a further two years, and a court case before the ferry service stopped running in February 2004. A free bus service was subsequently laid on by Ford, which had its pickup point in Nuxley Road, Upper Belvedere. This bus service then used the Dartford Crossing to get to Dagenham, and was regarded by its users as slow and unreliable when compared with the ferry service. Now the Ford factory employs far fewer people than it did in its heyday, and it does not dominate the local area in the way that it once did. Things may well be changing in the next couple of years though. There are plans, now well advanced to create the largest new film and television studio in the United Kingdom for many years in Dagenham, and construction work is due to get underway in 2019. In an article broadcast on Time 107.5 FM, it was announced that "The largest new film and media studios to be built in the UK for decades will be constructed and operated in Dagenham by Pacifica Ventures in partnership with Media Content Capital. Barking and Dagenham Council Leader Darren Rodwell said: “I take great pleasure in announcing Pacifica Ventures in partnership with MCC as our preferred partner. In the face of fierce competition, Pacifica Ventures – MCC emerged as the clear winner based on their track record and commitment to making the film and television studios a cultural and community asset for the borough, for London and for Britain’s film industry. The complex will be an exciting new visitor destination too – an east end epic – that will create thousands of quality jobs and educational opportunities in a huge range of disciplines. I am confident that it will make Barking and Dagenham more famous for films than Fords.” Dana Arnold, CEO of Pacifica Ventures, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Be First in the creation of a world-class film and television production complex that will become the pride of Dagenham and Greater London.” Sasha Shapiro, Managing Director of Media Content Capital, added: “We are excited to be making our London production home at the brand-new Dagenham Studios.” I understand that around four thousand jobs will be created in the new studio, and this will once again mean that people living in Bexley will need to travel across the Thames if they secure a job at the new studio. In an ideal world, construction of the much discussed proposed Lower Belvedere to Rainham river crossing would be under way, but there is serious doubt over whether this project will actually ever see the light of day. Also, the land which used to be the site of the old Ford ferry jetty and car park have now been built on, so it would not be possible to reinstate the old ferry service. One thing occurs to me; as you can see in the photo above, which shows a commemorative plaque in Erith Riverside Gardens that many local people are completely unaware of (hint - it is located on the wall adjacent to the wooden jetty which reaches out into the River Thames). It occurs to me that since the old Ford ferry cannot be resurrected, and the Belvedere to Rainham river crossing is unlikely to happen, an alternative way is needed to cross the Thames for the workers at the forthcoming Dagenham studio. It seems logical that the historic Erith to Rainham Pilgrim's Ferry could be restarted - either from the existing wooden jetty, or from a floating jetty attached to Erith Pier. It would be a shame that local people would be excluded from working at the forthcoming Dagenham studio due to a lack of cross river connections - as we all know, the Dartford Crossing grinds to a halt a couple of times a week at a minimum - besides which, we need to be encouraging alternatives to car use. what do you think? Would restarting the Pilgrim's Ferry with a modern vessel be something that would attract you to apply for a job at the new Dagenham studio? Leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Some good news; The Volunteer pub in Bexleyheath, that has been closed since December, is shortly to re - open under a new collaborative ownership. Fourteen local people have invested a total of £100,000 to buy out the pub lease and to refurbish the somewhat run down interior of the pub, which is located on the corner of Church Road and Queen Street. It has been under - invested for many years, something that is sadly becoming typical of what little is left of our local "back street boozers". I have to admit that when I visited the pub a few years ago, under the old ownership, my welcome was strongly reminiscent of the famous scene from the classic film "An American Werewolf in London" when the two American tourists enter the country pub filled with hostile locals. I am sure that now The Volunteer is under new ownership, that will not be an issue in the future. I wish the group well, and I hope to visit and review it some time after it reopens on the 7th April. 

In a story that I feel is going to run and run ad infinitum, the plan to extend Crossrail / The Elizabeth Line from its terminus at Abbey Wood and along through Belvedere, Erith, Slade Green and Dartford then down to Ebbsfleet, an area where 15,000 homes are planned, seems to have got some official backing. Transport analysts have identified that once fully operational in December the Elizabeth Line will carry 200 million passengers a year, and boost the economy by £42 billion, according to TfL. The line will hit 41 stations across a 60 mile stretch running through the city, taking passengers from Abbey Wood to Paddington in just 28 minutes. Teresa Pearce MP said in an interview with the News Shopper that:- “C2E will deliver transformative growth to part of South East London, Bexley and Kent. It is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to tackle the poor connections to London and Kent that have held the area back for so long – evidenced by the fact that Bexley is one of the few boroughs without metro style tube or train services”. Extending Crossrail is an important (if not a foundation) factor in supporting Bexley Council’s growth strategy, which focuses on regenerating the North of the borough to build thousands of new homes, centred around having the Elizabeth Line and additional river crossings built. In another interview with the News Shopper, Dartford MP Gareth Johnson said: “What we are asking for is the Department for Transport to finish the job they started. The Crossrail project has been successful, but it stops approximately 10 miles short of High Speed 1, which is clearly an unsatisfactory situation. If Crossrail were to be extended out to Ebbsfleet and to High Speed 1, it would open up a whole range of opportunities for anyone using that service and give a huge boost to the local economy.”

A report was published last week that confirms something that many locals have known for quite some time. When comparing average house prices, distance and time taken to commute into central London, combined with local satisfaction levels have show that Erith has come fourth in the UK as a town which residents are happy to live in. The top three are 1) Purfleet, 2) Waltham Cross, and 3) Cheshunt.  Then comes Erith, which scored highly in the report, for the following key reasons - With a journey time into London of 38 minutes, average house price of £276,515, season ticket price of £2,016 and satisfaction ratings of 7.77, the town is considered one of the best for commuting to the capital. The opening of the Erith Quarry housing development will only accentuate this situation. Incidentally I have heard a rumour from an impeccably reliable source that the well known Erith Construction company, who have their main offices in the old Job Centre building in Queen Street are currently looking for new and expanded office space. I understand that they are contemplating demolishing the old offices and constructing some high - end apartments on the site. Some years ago the old and long closed Pop In Parlour was sold to an anonymous buyer. I have been reliably informed that the buyer was the Erith Construction Group, and that in order to get planning permission to construct the new luxury apartments on the old Job Centre site, they would need to also build some flats for affordable rent; my understanding is that the old Pop - In Parlour will be the location of the affordable flats. If you have any additional information regarding this, then please feel free to either leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Bexley council, like many others, has been fighting illegal fly tipping for years; unfortunately it never seems to really get a proper grip on the serious issue. It may well be worth the powers that be in Bexley council taking a leaf out of Havering Council's books, as they seem to have been able to take decisive and effective action against fly tippers on their side of the river. Havering Council has stamped out large-scale fly-tipping in the borough’s most notorious hotspots for organised rubbish dumpers. Fly-tipping in the area has seen a major decline since a joint operation, involving officers from Havering and Newham Councils, Environment Agency, police and HMRC Officers, which targeted a site on Aveley Road on 20 December. Since the raid on the premises, there have been no further incidents of large-scale fly-tipping in the area and the actions taken by the Council appear to have disrupted a well-organised and illegal waste operation. The reduction in organised environment crime has saved Havering Council around £50,000 in fly-tip clean-up costs since December. The area had become the target of large-scale fly-tipping of industrial waste. The fly-tipping was occurring practically every night and was well-organised environment crime. Following local intelligence, a vehicle yard in Aveley Road was suspected of being the base for the vehicles involved in the fly-tipping activity. A planned raid on the premises saw five vehicles including cars and a skip lorry being seized on suspicion of illegal waste activity. Three of the vehicles were later destroyed. Havering Council has crushed a number of vehicles linked to a traveller incursion and fly-tipping. Environment officers seized the vehicles after fly-tippers dumped a pile of household and building waste in the park in November last year. Investigations to track down the fly-tippers  are on-going. In an article on the Havering Council website, Councillor Osman Dervish (pictured above - click on the photo for a larger view), Cabinet Member for Environment, said:- “Fly-tipping is a serious crime which has a detrimental effect on residents, businesses and the local environment. Each year we’re left with an unnecessary clean-up bill of around one million pounds. This is money which could be better spent on critical frontline services and improving the lives of our most vulnerable residents. The Council would like to thank all the residents and businesses who are helping us to tackle this common threat, by coming forward with vital information. We ask everyone to continue to report any suspected fly-tipping to help us drive out organised waste gangs from Havering .” I feel that this aggressive, proactive approach to criminals who fly tip should be copied by Bexley Council, as it seems to be very effective indeed. What do you think? Leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

Now for the weekly safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly from Barnehurst ward:- "On several occasions a man has been seen lurking in the bushes close to the children's playground in Martens Grove park. Upon investigation (after he has left the scene) a bottle of Vodka has twice been found hidden in the bushes. The Neighbourhood Watch office have informed the Barnehurst Safer Neighbourhoods Police Team. Excellent news again for Barnehurst ward with no crimes of note reported for the fourth week running, long may it continue We are aware of reports of mopeds and quad bikes being ridden in an anti-social/dangerous manner around Marden Crescent, Mount Pleasant Walk, Hall Place Crescent and surrounding roads. The local policing team are actively investigating these reports to identify offenders. Please contact the Barnehurst Team if you have any information regarding this matter. Please join us for our community contact day on Thursday 5th April at 1pm at Barnehurst Golf Course. We will discuss any ward issues that you have and we will also provide residents with crime prevention advice". Brampton ward:- "We start this week with the good news of having no Burglaries on the ward . We have had a Theft from Motor Vehicle in Ambleside Road where an unknown suspect has stolen rear lights and the spare wheel from a vehicle. A vehicle passing through the ward was stopped by officers on Pickford Lane and the occupants were arrested for possession with intent to supply class B drugs, investigation ongoing. An unknown male stole a basket full of shopping from the Co–Op Brampton Road. A male was interviewed under caution by the team regarding allegations of Harassment, he was served a Community Protection Notice and given conditions not to contact victims. Are you aware of the boundary changes from when Brampton disappears after the local elections? The boundaries will then be split up and you will be with different wards. Once these have been decided we will let you know".  Christchurch ward:- "We have had one report of a burglary over the last week. On the 19/03/2018 a vehicle was stolen from outside an address along Lewin Road Bexleyheath and the keys were taken from inside the property. Over the last week we have had three reports of Robbery on the ward. Brief details: 22/03/2018 – Two victims were approached by a large group of females and one male. Force was used to take phone from one of the victims and had attempted to take other victims bag. This was along the Broadway Bexleyheath; 23/03/2018 - Outside McDonalds in the Broadway, the suspects had approached the victim and had threatened them with violence and items had been taken; 25/03/2018 – Outside the bowling alley Bexleyheath. The suspect had approached victim with a pair of pliers and had asked what was in their bag. The suspect had punched the victim as would not show what was in their bag; On the 22/03/2018 – There was a report of a purse being taken while it was left unattended at the library. Also in the 21/03/2018 a mobile phone was taken from the victims pocket whilst on the Broadway; On the 24/03/2018 – There was a report of a theft from motor vehicle. Number plates were taken from the vehicle whilst parked along Market Place Bexleyheath; On the 23/03/2018 There was an incident outside Pure where injuries were sustained and the matter is being investigated. Thank you to residents who have contacted us with information/CCTV relating to recent burglaries/crimes. Asda car park complaints have been received regarding vehicle ASB. If you notice any issues please contact 101 or 999 accordingly". Colyers ward:- "On Tuesday evening, staff at the Red Barn pub in Barnehurst Road called the police after a group of youths, some wearing white masks, chased some boys down the road who then went into the pub for help. The police arrived promptly and conducted an area search for the group and spoke to members of the public and workers in the adjacent shops. Contrary to reports on social media, there were no knives involved and there was no trouble inside the pub itself. With Easter just days away, the Easter Bunny isn’t just bringing a plethora of chocolate eggs to Colyers Ward, but also good news on the crime front. For both burglaries and motor vehicle crime, we have received zero reports in the last week which is fantastic news. Vigilance is the key here and we thank you all in your efforts in making things difficult for thieves, while we continue in our efforts of prevention. The main issue on the ward currently, continues to be the ASB/Drug problems at Hampton House. Work continues at the location, with intelligence reports collated and partnerships with both the ASB Panel and L and Q Housing to try and reach a solution. In the last week a stolen bike has been recovered there, as well as several stop and searches and one cannabis seizure. The good work continues. Have a great Easter from all at Colyers Ward SNT!" Crayford ward:- "On 22/03/2018 between 06.00-11.00 the front and rear number plates were stolen from a white Vauxhall Panel van outside 109 Maiden lane. On 21/03/2018 between 19.30-20.00 youths caused criminal damage to a fence in Dale Road On 20/03/2018 between 19.35-19.50 a grey Peugeot 308 was keyed in the car park at Sainsbury's whilst the owner was in the store. On 22/03/2018 at 16.00 Crayford officers saw a male acting suspiciously and attempting to evade police at Optima Park near Thames Road. There was a strong smell of cannabis from the vehicle and the occupant was searched and issued a community resolution. On 25/03/2018 at 02.30 a Male was seen on CCTV breaking in to two vehicles parked on a drive in Bascombe Road, the Male stole a set of car and house keys from one vehicle. Number plates were stolen from a vehicle parked at Crayford BR Station on 26/03/2018 between 14.10-19.30. On 25/03/2018 at 14.10 there was an accident on London Road between a car and cyclist, it is believed the cyclist was pulling a wheelie and there was an altercation that was amicably resolved. It was reported that girls were seen fighting on 26/03/2018 at 15.30 after school. We have seen a reduction in reported crime this week so have used our resources effectively to have additional patrols in the Crayford area. We would like to wish our residents a happy Easter break and a gentle reminder that if you are going away to be sure to lock your home securely and make it look like you are at home to deter any unwanted callers. We will be at the Ellenor Charity shop in Crayford Road on Wednesday 4th April between 11.00-12.00, please come along and say hello, it would be lovely to see you". Erith ward:- "Due to recent events in Erith town centre over the last few weeks, which involved groups of youths fighting we are putting in place a dispersal zone on Thursday 29/03/18 from 1400 to 1800, which will be policed at them times and groups of kids will be asked to leave. Some crimes from the last week: Residential burglary on 25/03/2018 19:30:00 in Galleon Close. An unknown suspect entered the property and stole a PS4 from the kitchen. There was another residential burglary on 27/03/18 from a property in Erith Road, a tool was used to gain entry to the front door and jewellery was stolen. An attempted residential burglary took place on 26/03/2018, in James Watt Way. A suspect(s) unknown attempted to gain entry to property by removing door handle. On 23/03/18 there was a theft of a mobile phone in Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc, James Watt Way. There were two incidents of shoplifting #1. took place on 27/03/2018 in Iceland Foods Plc, Town Square .#2. took place the same day in Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc, James Watt Way - The suspects involved with the Iceland shoplifting have been caught and found in possession of goods".  Lesnes Abbey ward:- "Burglaries - No burglaries this week. . However remain vigilant at all times. Remember lock windows and doors. UPVC front doors Lift it, lock it. Motor Vehicle Crimes - Between the hours of 10:00 pm on Monday 26/03/2018 and 08 :00 am and Tuesday 27/03/2018 a vehicle parked in Harvel Crescent which was left locked and secure had the rear windscreen wiper pulled off causing £500 of damage. A vehicle parked in Lensbury Way was stolen between the hours of 10:00pm on Friday 23/03/18 and 10:00am on Saturday 24/03/18". North End ward:- "3 vehicle crimes to report unfortunately. Criminal damage to vehicle in Craydene Road. Around 6.30pm on Thursday 22nd March, a group of males were seen to run past and damage a few cars although at this time only 1 has reported any damage. Overnight on Weds 21st March paint was thrown on a car in Rainbow Road near Sapphire Court. A vehicle was stolen from Frobisher Road in the evening of Thursday 22nd March. All 3 crimes are ongoing investigations. There was an attempted break in up at the Howbury Grange house out in the fields near Moat Lane last Tuesday evening (21st March). Luckily entry wasn’t gained and there is a good cctv image of the persistent suspect. No positive ID at this time. PC Mark Brookes-Smith stopped and searched a group of 6 males and 1 female down near to Erith Pier on Saturday afternoon after noticing a strong cannabis smell. It turned out to be a negative search but some of the group were very vocal in their disapproval in being searched. PCSO Mark Pigott attended the Slade Green Big Local Easter Market on Saturday with Louise from Neighbourhood Watch. A large number of people attended with some good contacts made along with some good information gained and lots of leaflets given out from the Crime Prevention table that Louise brilliantly set up. PCSO Mark also attended a Dementia awareness pop up event run by Orbit at one of their sheltered schemes in Belvedere. All other Orbit Schemes are invited and Mark had a good time with residents making Easter cards and decorating eggs as well as afternoon entertainment provided by a singer. A good time was had by all". Northumberland Heath ward:- "Good news this week no burglaries reported to us! Two criminal damage to motor vehicles, one in Streamway on Wednesday March 22nd between 9am – 11.20am, and one in Brantwood Avenue overnight on Monday March 26th.One theft of a motorbike in Hythe Avenue on the evening of Friday March 23rd. Coral bookmakers in Bexley Road had a window smashed by a disgruntled customer on Saturday March 24th. Police are investigating an incident which took place in Brook Street on Monday evening this week, where a fight broke out between occupants in two vehicles passing through Northumberland Heath. No further details are known at this time. We have had numerous reports of youths riding motorcycles in the recreation ground in Northumberland Heath over the last few evenings. The team have viewed comments made on social media in relation to this and have seen the images and videos uploaded. From these images we have already identified two youths, who we will be taking action against in response to this. We have already previously dealt with these two youths for ASB in North Heath. We did respond to this, and patrolled the park within twenty minutes of the call being made to us but the bikes and riders had already moved on .We are patrolling the recreation ground as often as we can and we will be conducting both uniformed and plain clothed patrols in order to identify those responsible for this anti-social behaviour. We will be requesting extra police off road motor cycle patrols of the park and will be working with the council to tackle this issue". Thamesmead East ward:- "Residential burglary between 9.05am – 4pm Fieldfare Road - Victim states she returned home to find the back gate open and someone had been in her flat, however nothing has been taken. The victim also informed police that she kept a spare set of keys in her back garden in case she gets locked out. The spare keys are no longer there; Theft of pedal cycle between 9pm – 8am Grange Crescent - Victim stated that he arrived home at 9pm and put his bike in the garden (the garden gate had a latch on it, no other locks). The garden gate was open and the bike was gone at 8am.; 24/03/18 - Theft - between 1030am – 10:49am Redpoll Way - victim was unloading, no suspects seen, two bags went missing, no CCTV. The bags contained Clothes and paperwork; 26/03/18 - Theft from motor vehicle between 8pm – 7am Mangold Way - Victim left her vehicle parked locked and secure in a communal car park area outside her home address. When she returned to the vehicle at 7am she noticed that her front and rear number plates were missing; Criminal damage to motor vehicle - between 4:30pm - 8:30am Hartslock Drive - Victim parked her vehicle in the parking bays O/S Oakenholt House, SE2 Victim returned to the vehicle to find that the front passenger tyre has been punctured. During parts of last week, the team have being patrolling parts of the ward ,conducting weapon and drug sweeps, as part of our ongoing commitment to reduce violent crime and drug dealing. Good piece of work, Officers discovered cannabis plants at an address in Thamesmead, after assisting the London Fire Brigade due to reports of a water leak at the property. No person was present. Enquiries continue to trace owner." Now for a special message from Dana Wiffen, the Chairman of Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association:- "Bexley-NW AGM -The Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Annual General Meeting takes place at Geddes Place United Reformed Church, Geddes Place, Bexleyheath on Friday 8th June 2018 at 7.30pm. All Coordinators are warmly invited to attend. We are planning to apply the same theme as last year with the first half focused on NW business and the second enabling Coordinators to network with each other as well as police and other guests. Refreshments will be available. An agenda will be sent out nearer the time. Please RSVP by replying to this email or calling the NW office on 020 8284 5537. Please remember to keep all your information about criminal/suspicious activity around your covered area coming into us, all DWOs are contributing more detailed information and we would like to mix this with plenty of information including positive feedback from you all. REMINDER - ST. GEORGE'S DAY QUIZ NIGHT Just to remind you if you have not applied yet that we are having our fund raising quiz night on Monday 23rd April 2018 - 7pm at The Conservative Club in Bexleyheath Broadway. There is a number limit and last year we were oversubscribed so don't delay! Please contact the office for tickets, they are £8.00 per person teams of 8 would be preferable but not essential, food and drink is available from the club bar.  We would like to congratulate all those ward teams that have worked hard to give informative and positive information for our members, the increased content and information that is being offered for our weekly reports, has not gone unnoticed. I am sure that all our NW-Coordinators that receive this information on Thursdays appreciate the hard work put in by the relevant DWO's in ensuring their ward reports are informative. While we need to see burglary, attempted burglary, car crime, ASB etc.. it's good to see arrest information and surgery dates as well".

The end video this week is a follow - up to the recent one showing the Erith Lighthouse pop - up restaurant, which was located initially in the Erith Riverside Gardens, and later moved to Erith Pier last year. This is a time - lapse video showing the construction of the eye - catching temporary structure. I understand that we may well be seeing more of it in the future.