The R101.

I too the photograph above (click on it for a larger view) on Monday evening; it shows illegally fly tipped rubbish at the recycling centre just off James Watt Way in Erith, just behind the large Morrisons supermarket. The rate of fly tipping seems to be back on the increase, after somewhat of a lull. I reported the incident to Bexley Council, and the mess was soon cleaned up. There is CCTV coverage of the recycling site, so hopefully the perpetrators will be identified and prosecuted.

The long suspected end of The News Shopper looks like it is now in sight. The paper has been struggling for several years, and recently it has been discovered that the corporate owners of The News Shopper - a company called Newsquest, are about to put the papers website behind a pay wall.  Readers will be given the option to pay £4.99 per month or £52 per year for unlimited access to articles, with up to 80 per cent less adverts and the ability to leave comments and sign up to email newsletters. The scheme has been launched as Newsquest faces a decline in both advertising revenues and sales figures due to the coronavirus pandemic – a picture seen across the wider news industry. The problem that seems to be specific to The News Shopper website is that each page contains far more advertising and invisible trackers than most other news websites. All of this additional data which is loaded every time you visit the site makes the pages slow to load and "jitter" when you try and scroll down the page, as data is still being loaded. I have spoken to one leading News Shopper journalist - who has since left the company - and he confirmed that staff were acutely aware that the excessive junk being loaded by the website was driving away visitors. As well as this, recent updates to Google's Chrome web browser - now the most widely used web browser in the world - now has advert blocking functionality built in, and switched on by default. Many visitors to The News Shopper website who use Chrome do not see any adverts, or experience page loading problems due to the blocking actions - which many users are totally unaware of. Other web browsers such as Firefox are following suit. Advertisers are seeing a massive drop in click through advert revenue because of this. Putting up a paywall will further exacerbate this situation. Famously some years ago, the Sun website put themselves behind a paywall - and promptly saw their readership figures drop off a cliff. Before long they were forced to remove the paywall due to pressure from advertisers and their readership; from my understanding they have never returned to the reader levels that they had before. 

I had some very nice reader feedback after my obituary piece on pioneering radio figurehead Ronan O'Rahilly, founder of Radio Caroline last week. I had one long time reader ask if I would write a piece on another 1960's offshore radio station that in many ways was the diametric opposite of Radio Caroline - it was the smallest offshore radio station, but it had a very interesting - if brief - history. The Station was called Radio Essex.  It had a staff of about 12 and broadcast 24 hours a day. Everyone on this station did more than one job, the teamwork involved would probably have impressed the military that had been the sea forts original occupier. The tower had originally been an offshore gun emplacement and radar installation, but had been abandoned by the War Department during the middle 50s. Transmissions commenced from Radio Essex on 27 October 1965 on 222m, 1349kHz, with a middle of the road format during the day and pop music at night. The supplies came during favourable weather conditions aboard a small fishing boat called Kestrel. All supplies and even individuals were unceremoniously hauled aboard at the end of a badly frayed rope. The original ladders had been removed by Radio Essex personnel to reduce the possibility of uninvited guests getting aboard the platform. The forts original diesel generators had been fully restored by senior DJ/Fort Captain Richard Palmer, the diesel for which arrived in dozens of five gallon containers. These had to be hauled aboard and painstakingly poured into a former aircraft fuel tank situated on the main deck, where a plastic tube took the diesel to the generator room below.  The staff canteen and recreational area had originally been the officers mess and a store room became the stations studio. This contained two Garrard 401 turntables with Decca pick-ups,one turntable, a Vortexion tape recorder and a Reslo ribbon microphone.  The mixer was built by station engineers which fed a 50W RSC audio amplifier which was linked to the transmitter in the room next door. The transmitter was probably capable of 500W, however, due to the end fed long wire antenna and the rising and falling of the tide, which had the effect of moving the ground plane, the e.r.p. was probably only 200W. Staff worked about three weeks on and one week off, the station was run by Roy Bates and his family from their home in Southend-on-Sea. Towards the end of 1966, Radio Essex relaunched as BBMS 'Britain's Better Music Station' in effort to attract advertising from Kent as well as Essex. This was Britain's first local radio station and unbelievably, was the first British station to go 24 hours a day. It was very popular with night shift workers and had a clear frequency after midnight when co - channel stations closed down. The fort also allegedly had its own ghost or poltergeist. At one point, the entire structure was searched as the DJs were convinced an unknown person was aboard, nobody was found. On the 30th November 1966 BBMS was charged with contravening Section One the Wireless Telegraphy Act of 1949, making unlicensed broadcasts. The station was found guilty and fined £100, but continued broadcasting. It finally closed at Christmas, when similar court action was being taken against the other fort based stations. The legacy of Radio Essex still exists in a minor way, all BBC local Stations identify themselves as BBC Radio whatever, except one....BBC Essex, where the word Radio is still excluded. It seems inconceivable that offshore radio stations could openly operate from the sea forts, some for a period of almost two years. Yet neither the armed forces, Home Office, the police nor H.M. Coastguard knew, even roughly, where British territorial waters commenced. The Post Office's prosecution involved measuring the territorial limit from any coastal sandbank that became visible at low tide.

Now for a second radio related story, but one that is bang up to date. In a somewhat ironic twist of fate, a radio station that was set up in 1989 / 1990 which was specifically given the operating frequency of 558 Khz by what was then the DTI, have recently been wound up by the official receiver. Central London based Spectrum Radio has been issued with a Winding Up Order by the High Court of Justice. Spectrum is one of London’s oldest commercial radio stations, having launched in 1989 to provide multiethnic, foreign language programmes originally on 558AM. The frequency was allocated to the station in 1990 with the specific purpose of jamming Radio Caroline, who had been using the frequency for some years. Today the Spectrum Radio Network offers broadcast services from its premises in Southwark Street and has recently been advertising space available on DAB, and on 1584 Khz AM, which is currently used by Love Sport. Ofcom rules state that a company which has been wound-up cannot own a broadcasting licence, In a recent press interview, an Ofcom spokesperson said: “We will be getting in touch with the liquidators of Spectrum Radio to discuss the future of the licence.” Creditors were contacted earlier this month with details of the Insolvency Practitioners.

The photo above shows Bexley Road, Erith, back in 1910. A row of shops called Station Parade was later built on the site of the tram shelter shown above - it is now the site of the De Luci fish roundabout and the dual carriageway of Bronze Age Way. It is fascinating to see how the local area has changed over the years, not always for the better.  It is interesting to see that the shelter at the tram stop has open sides; knowing how the wind whistles along Bexley Road nowadays, it cannot have been any fun to stand at the tram stop in the winter, as I doubt it would offer very much protection from the weather. The boy in the photo seems to be staring at the photographer. I would imagine he was saying something along the lines of “Mister – wot are you doin?”. A fascinating snapshot of times gone by. If you have any old photographs of the local area which you would like to see featured on the Maggot Sandwich, please drop me a line to hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Another historic local photograph, sent to me courtesy of long time Maggot Sandwich reader and occasional contributor who goes my the pseudonym of "The reV". He writes:- "The R101 airship taken possibly 14th October 1929 at the junction of Colman Rd and Gilbert Road in Lower Belvedere, Fords Motor works across the river in the background. The R101 was one of a pair of British rigid airships completed in 1929 as part of a British government programme to develop civil airships capable of service on long-distance routes within the British Empire. It was designed and built by an Air Ministry-appointed team and was effectively in competition with the government-funded but privately designed and built R100. When built, it was the world's largest flying craft at 731 ft (223 m) in length, and it was not surpassed by another hydrogen-filled rigid airship until the Hindenburg flew seven years later. The R101 departed from England on the evening of 4 October 1930 for its intended destination of Karachi (then part of British India) via a refuelling stop in Egypt but sadly crashed in Northern France. Forty-six of the 54 passengers and crew were killed immediately. The inquiry came to the conclusion that a tear had probably developed in the forward cover, this in turn causing one or more of the forward gasbags to fail. Evidence showed that this would cause the R101 to become too nose-heavy for the elevators to correct. She hit the ground at just 13 mph. The cause of the fire was not established. Several hydrogen airships had crashed in similar circumstances without catching fire. The inquiry thought that it was most probable that a spark from the airship's electrics had ignited escaping hydrogen, causing an explosion. Other suggestions put forward included the ignition of the calcium flares carried in the control car on contact with water, electrostatic discharge or a fire in one of the engine cars, which carried petrol for the starter engines. All that is certain is that it caught fire almost at once and burned fiercely. In the extreme heat, the fuel oil from the wreck soaked into the ground and caught fire; it was still burning when the first party of officials arrived by air the next day".

Two former pub sites are now up for redevelopment; one of the two sites is mired in controversy; the developer was subsequently prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive. The London Borough of Bexley has commenced statutory consultation on planning applications affecting the future of two significant sites within the ward in question. The first of the two sites is The Belvedere Hotel, at the bottom end of Picardy Road. The three Belvedere councillors met with the owners of the site in April 2019 and made clear their aspirations for the site. This included that any proposed development should maintain the locally listed building and a pub or restaurant use on the ground floor of the current building. The planning application includes proposals to convert the existing building including the ground floor and to extend it to provide 6 flats (2 x 1 bed, 3 x 2 bed and 1 x 3 bed) with the provision of a further three 3-bedroom houses on the site. How a developer will manage to squeeze all of this on the tiny site is beyond me - especially if the requirement to keep the main pub building is met. The car park space could in no way accommodate three houses. The second planning application is for the very controversial site of the former Ye Olde Leather Bottle pub, located at 131 Heron Hill. The three Belvedere councillors have continually raised their concerns about this site over the last five years and the gross breach of health and safety regulations committed by the site owner. The site owner was successfully prosecuted following a Health and Safety Executive investigation initiated by complaints submitted by Cllr Daniel Francis, to which both he and Cllr Hinkley were interviewed and submitted statements. All three councillors are due to hold a virtual meeting with the site owner and members of his development team in early May and will raise the need to ensure due consideration is finally given to neighbours of the site, that the public right of way that runs through the site is maintained, that appropriate boundary treatments are installed to the boundary with Lesnes Abbey woods and whether the development will provide any contribution to affordable housing or local infrastructure. The planning application includes proposals to erect a building of up to four stories containing a 70 bed care home with associated care facilities, staff accommodation, landscaped gardens and undercroft parking. Once again I cannot see how a 70 bed care home with associated facilities could be built on the site - there is just not nearly enough space. What do you think of these proposed developments? Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Now for the weekly local safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly the report from Barnehurst ward:- "Once again another week goes by with no burglaries or vehicle crime to report. On Barnehurst Golf Course LFB were called to a fire that had been set alight deliberately. It appears unknown person/s are also chopping trees down in the vicinity of the golf course. Members of the public continue to play golf although the course is closed. The team have advised a number of golfers and all have left the course immediately without any further problems. The team issued two Section 59 warning notices to the drivers who were driving around dangerously in the vicinity of Parkside Avenue and I am pleased to say we have had no further complaints with regards dangerous driving. There appears to be more traffic on the roads over the last few days, lets remind ourselves that the Government's Guidelines still stand so bear in mind social distancing and only travel on public transport if absolutely necessary". Belvedere ward:- "We had a burglary on Tuesday 21/04/2020 in Coleman Road whereby a car was stolen in the early hours of the morning. The car subsequently crashed in Sidcup and the car was recovered. Wilton Road possibly still contains a brothel. We have visited the address in the last couple of months but cannot prove anything at present. If anyone has information about a brothel please let us know. If you are a patron it will be kept in confidence…We have recently been seeing more graffiti regarding the 5G and Covid conspiracy nonsense. There is some on the Thames Path, some on the footbridge over the train tracks on Mitchell Close and now some seen in Franks Park. If anyone is seen causing graffiti please call Police on 999 immediately. We have also had a report that a group of teenagers are congregating on Streamway on the grass area near to the allotments. We have no particular times or days so if anyone knows when they gather please let us know. We have been receiving more and more calls regarding neighbour disputes. In this unprecedented time, everyone (almost) being shut away indoors for the majority of the day, your neighbours will get on your nerves as everyone is stressed out and worried about the future. Please try to get along. Unfortunately we (as a society) have lost the ability to talk to each other, which causes more problems. If your neighbour is doing something to annoy then chat to them, talk it out, don't result to idle threats and name calling as this just leads to at least one party calling the Police and wasting our time. Think before acting. Please pass this message on. Thank you". Bexleyheath ward:- "Thursday 23/04/2020 2330-0030 Arson to vehicle Long Lane. Sunday 26/04/2020 1240-1310 Robbery Commercial cigarettes and alcohol stolen by threats to staff Erith Road. Sunday 26/04/2020 0100-1300 Theft of Motor Vehicle Tudor Walk. Whilst our crimes do remain low at the moment there are still criminals about, please do ensure that doors are double locked with keys and do not keep valuables in your vehicles. Stay Safe and Stay Home please also ensure all members of the household are staying home too, as we are finding many youths out and about. Good news a few groups stopped, searched and dealt with for cannabis Braeside Garage area. Known hotspot for ASB". Crayford ward:- "I am so please to say that there has only been one crime of note this week. Between Friday 17th and Saturday 25th April two vehicles parked outside an address in Samas Way were broken into; the victim saw her car door was unlocked and then her husband found his car door ajar, It was not recorded if anything was stolen. The team have been out and about patrolling open spaces to remind people of the COVID-19 lockdown rules, please abide by the rules. #stayhomestaysafe". Erith ward:-"This last week we been: Patrolling open spaces/parks across Erith and North Heath. Daily visiting all open shops in and around Erith town centre. These are carried out on foot, bike and car Weapon sweeps daily in areas that have come to our notice via the overnight crimes. Crime wise across Erith there has been no burglaries reported or motor crime. We are still under lockdown so remember to stick by the rules set out by the government". Northumberland Heath ward:-" Crime reports are low. Unfortunately we have a few Domestic incidents reported to us during this difficult time .The team have advertised Domestic Violence advice onto our twitter page @NorthumberlandHeath. There has been theft of petrol from Gulf Petrol station on Belmont Road ,Erith which is currently being investigated. Information regarding drug supply on Swanton Road and Northumberland Park also Frinstead Road. Increased patrols will be completed when Officers are available .Northumberland Heath SNT have been working with the ASB Team to see if a camera could be placed in Streamway regarding increased reports of drug activity and youths congregating in the area. If you would like to tell us about a breach of coronavirus please report online met.police.tua/tell-us-about/c19 the please see our twitter page for further information". Slade Green and Northend ward:- "A group of males broke in to the new development site at Egerton Place (Slade Green Road) at 6pm Sunday 26/04 and ran off when challenged but they did take some copper piping. CCTV is being checked. No other crimes of note. PC James found a knife by some garages in Manor Road on Sunday. No evidence to suggest it was used in a crime but it has been disposed of via the correct channels. Patrols have been ongoing in our parks and open spaces and for the most part there has been very little seen in the way of gatherings. Mark and James try and get everywhere as much as they can, when they can. If you do see groups regularly gathering, please report online or via 101". Thamesmead East ward:- "Between 4:30 pm on Wednesday 22/04/20 and 8:00pm on Saturday 25/04/20 a vehicle parked in Wolvercote Road had the rear window smashed. On Thursday 23/04/20 at 04:22 am the LFB attended a vehicle alight in the car park behind Muscovy House Kale Road, a second vehicle parked next the alight vehicle was damaged. Monday 27/04/20 a vehicle parked in Redbourne Drive had the front and rear number plates stolen.this happened after 06:30 am. There has been an increase in theft of vehicle number plates. Consider purchasing a set of Anti - Theft screws or bolts for number plates. Good news - PC Pruden issued a Community Resolution to a female who was in possession of cannabis. A Community Resolution is an alternative way of dealing with less serious crimes, allowing officers to use their professional judgement when dealing with offenders. It can be used for offences such as low level public order, criminal damage, theft, and minor assaults". West Heath ward:-"One attempted burglary in Langley Road this week. This incident took place on Monday 27/04/20 at 11.20pm. A male tried to put his hand through a small broken pane of glass in the front door. Entry was not gained. No reports of motor vehicle crime over the last week. The team are continuing to patrol anti-social hotspots and move people on if necessary with regard to the Covid19 regulations".

The end video this week is from the friars of Our Lady of the Angels Catholic monastery in Northumberland Heath; they describe themselves thus:-"We are a Capuchin Franciscan fraternity serving the parish of Our Lady of the Angels in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark, UK. We are a great international community of followers of Jesus, living the Gospel and rebuilding the Church in the UK. Hope you enjoy our services and reflections". The message below is for their congregation, with some information about the pandemic lock down.

The Grotto Bar.

The photos above were taken on Friday night at the final evening of the pop - up grotto bar and cinema event organised by The Exchange in the former Carnegie Library in Walnut Tree Road, Erith. Over forty guests drank Champagne, mulled cider, white and red wine and Anchor Bay Pale Ale from the Bexley Brewery. The final film of the short season was "It's a Wonderful Life" which was a sell - out. Guided tours of the whole library building were given for those people who had not been able to go one one of the recent open days. Feedback from the visitors was uniformly positive. The pop - up cinema and grotto bar were a "soft opening" for the former Carnegie Library, which is due to open to the public officially during February, as long as building and conservation work on phase one of the restoration is completed on time. You can keep up with the latest developments on this ambitious project via The Exchange website,  their Twitter feed here, and also their FaceBook page here. 

Some great news to report; the CCTV camera that was installed on a lamp post overlooking the popular recycling centre located in the car park to the rear of Erith Morrison's supermarket has proved to be an incredible success. Before the camera and numerous warning signs were installed earlier in the year, the recycling centre was one of the worst sites in the whole of the London Borough of Bexley for illegal fly tipping. As long term readers will be aware, I have written in some detail about the problems of illegal waste dumping at this particular site, and how the council and Police have been working to resolve them. I discovered on Tuesday morning that the CCTV camera on the site, which originally was only going to be a temporary installation for a few months, is now going to be a permanent fixture. The CCTV and warning signs have made a dramatic improvement, with, in my estimation a reduction in illegal fly tipping of around ninety percent since the camera was installed. Tipping by vehicles such as contractor vans and estate cars has pretty much ended; the only illegal tipping that still happens seems to be mainly by people on foot who dump domestic waste in bags on the ground around the recycling hoppers. These are the most difficult group to catch. The area around the Morrison's recycling site still has a lot of issues with fly tipping; on Monday night I saw a white van illegally tipping rubble bags in Appold Street. I made note of the vehicle registration number and the company from which the van had come. I then reported my findings to both Slade Green and Northend Safer Neighbourhood Police Team, and to the Bexley Council Environmental Crimes Team. As I suspected, the registration number plates on the van were false. Local CCTV footage showed the van, but details which could potentially lead to a positive identification were not available. Bexley sent an operative to check the fly tipping the next morning, and I arranged to meet him on site. Mysteriously the fly tipped rubbish had disappeared. Whether Serco - Bexley Council's rubbish and fly tipping removal contractor had already removed the sacks, I do not know. I also wonder if the bloke who fly tipped the rubbish realised that he had been watched, and later came back to remove the evidence himself. A woman also saw the illegal fly tipping and loudly commented at the time; I suspect this may have put the crook off. Either way, at least one load of illegally dumped rubbish is off the street, though no doubt it got illegally tipped somewhere else.

When standing in a supermarket queue, or waiting to pay for my paper in my local corner shop, I am struck by the large number of women’s scandal magazines that are on sale. I am thinking of titles like “Take a Break”, "That's Life!", "Love It!","Pick Me Up!", "Full House!" and a handful of others. Apart from having an almost compulsory exclamation mark in their titles, the other thing that all of these publications have in common is that they sell stories about personal tragedy in the same way that other magazines aimed at an almost exclusively female audience sell celebrity gossip and slimming tips. These magazines are marketed as light reading, something to be absorbed whilst lingering over a cup of tea, yet they are filled with disturbing, harrowing stories that would only be covered after the 9pm watershed if they were a television show. The design, format and colour scheme of all of these magazines are rather formulaic; They generally have a young, smiling woman on the cover, a sort of "girl next door" type. The rest of the cover is filled with boxes and banners in primary colours - a means of grabbing the attention of a potential buyer. The trouble is that the content of the banners is horrifying - life changing events such as murder, incest, acid attacks, crimes of violence and personal tragedy. The irony is that many of the stories involve crimes of violence against women, yet they are read by mainly women as light entertainment. They seem to be the printed equivalent of the Jeremy Kyle show; I worry about the people who purchase these magazines. It strikes me that anyone who enjoys reading about the misfortunes of others probably has some issues themselves. I would be interested in what you think.

Some changes are being planned for the river front at Erith. Back in 1998 / 1999, when work to construct the large Morrison's supermarket on the site of what was once Erith Deep Water Wharf was under way, works were also being undertaken to revitalise and convert the old commercial pier - the longest on the River Thames - for leisure use. A good job was done for the most part - the pier is a really nice place to visit on a warm and sunny day, and the local fishing community seem to use it all year round, day and night - you can often see tents on the pier when people are night fishing. The gardens at the entrance to the pier were somewhat less of a success, consisting mainly of a flag pole which mounted some tatty flags, and some fake concrete cannon balls acting as bollards. A few metal park benches completed the scene. Now, Bexley Council are poised to refurbish and update the area, as you can see from the design proposal above - the upper image shows exactly where the pier square is located in relation to the town, and the lower image shows the new design of the square once it is completed - click on either image for a larger view. I am currently unsure of where the money is coming from for this update - it may well be a part of the money granted by The Mayor of London's Office for the general improvement of public areas in Erith - more on this at the end of this week's update. The kind reader who informed me of the proposal did not have the information - so if you have any clue, then please Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Regular readers will be aware that there have been some serious goings on in Erith's Electricity House - the large 1930's brick building opposite the De Luci fish roundabout and Pier Road. The building contains a number of businesses and other organisations. Electricity House was built back in 1938 and opened in November 1939 as a showroom and offices for the local electricity company, which at the time was run by the council. Pre – war services such as gas, water and electricity supply were quite commonly managed and supplied by local councils; the idea of private companies being involved was something that did not happen until after the war had ended. Electricity House was also a place where new electrical customers could view domestic appliances which they could buy via hire purchase (it sounds like an early version of BrightHouse, but without the crippling interest rates). As well as the showroom,  Electricity House was home to what contemporary accounts say was a very upmarket dance hall with a fully sprung Canadian Maple floor; there was also a small Pathe cinema. The local electricity business was astonishingly successful – probably much helped by the fact that it offered the cheapest metered electricity in the entire UK at the time – one penny per unit. Ten thousand local people signed up for electrification in the first month alone, attracted by the offer of free connection to the local power grid – unusual at the time – many suppliers would even charge for the copper cable to connect new customers. In 1939 the Erith electricity board made a (for then) massive profit of £13,000. The idea was that the money would be used to improve local services and amenities for all, but the advent of war meant that early in 1940 Electricity House was handed over for war work, and once peace was restored, the money intended to benefit local people was absorbed by the LEB during nationalisation, and nothing was ever seen of it. Much of Erith was still lit by gas until relatively recently. I believe that some houses in West Street did not get electricity until 1947 when the London Electricity Board was formed, and the local council control of power was nationalised. I digress; in recent times the building has had a somewhat rocky time. Part of the building was home to the Bright Steps children's nursery, until it was shut down by the Police and officers from Ofsted after a member of nursery staff was seen hitting a child. After an unsuccessful court appeal against the ban, the owners of the nursery have put it up for rent. This is all under a background of Bexley Council negotiating with the individual leaseholders in order to buy out the leases in Electricity House prior to what I and many others believe to be a compulsory purchase order and then site redevelopment. With this in mind, I was somewhat surprised a few weeks ago when a new proposal for a replacement nursery came to my attention. The proposed new nursery has been mooted by a lady called Sarah Carnegie. Initially I was somewhat sceptical as the name seemed to very coincidental to the nearby Carnegie Library, run by The Exchange. I emailed the contact address on the Carnegie Playhouse website, but heard nothing for quite some time. Out of the blue I was Emailed earlier this week by chap who is Sarah Carnegie's business advisor, I subsequently spoke to him by phone. Whilst there is still some confusion regarding the whole nursery project, which has suddenly changed name from The Carnegie Playhouse (website now closed) to The Bexley Road Nursery, it would seem that Sarah Carnegie is indeed a real person. She has been in contact with me via Email, and writes:- "Sarah Carnegie is a loving young lady who is passionate about the work she has done for children. She has worked in various schools and built up a great knowledge base and mastered her skill with children. Carnegie Playhouse is the first business of Sarah Carnegie. Sarah has informed me that she is a qualified social worker with a passion for working with children, she has 2 of her own. Sarah is currently working in safeguarding with the local authority before she dedicates herself to her new business of which she is the sole owner and has no connection whatsoever with the owners of the previous nursery at Bexley Road, This nursery will be a new adventure for her, she is eagerly looking forward to the challenges ahead but most importantly creating a loving and safe environment for children to be in. This is something that she loves doing and cannot wait to get stuck in". I have made her and her business advisor aware of the situation with the entirety of Electricity House. It will be instructive to see how events play out over the next few months. I will provide an update in due course.

Although I have previously explained where the rather unusual name of my blog originated, I feel that it was long enough ago, and I have picked up many recent readers, so that the story bears repeating; indeed several new readers have recently asked for an explanation of the name, so here goes. Back in 1987 I was working for a small but very influential Bexleyheath based pirate radio station called Radio Lumberjack (photo above - click on it for a larger version), which broadcast live every Saturday on 92.4 FM from 9am until midnight or later from a house off Bedonwell Road. The station played an eclectic mix of music and humour; much of the comedy material was written by the station staff. There were many spoof adverts, with commercials for fictional companies such as “Bethlehem Motors – car faith healers – save money and save your soul! With one simple low cost prayer, we can have your vehicle back on the road”. “Tacky’s Nightclub, with your host, Bland Groover”. Also, “Gaskets motor spares – suppliers of neo Georgian suspension, arc brake lights and stained glass windows”. Best of all, a commercial for the Thamesmead Tourist Board, with a cod salsa song:- “It’s the place for fun, it’s the place for sun, come to Thamesmead – go on day trips to all the popular holiday destinations like the Belvedere Rift Valley – home of the world famous earwig farm; enquire at the Thamesmead Tourist Board office – the little green hut behind the bike shed in Thamesmead High Street!” It was all very slick and professional; the chap that ran the station was a big fan of Monty Python and Kenny Everett, but had his own unique style. Each presenter had their own introductory jingle – mine started with an incredulous voice – “Oh no.... It’s Arthur Pewty!” followed by the sound of Stuka dive bombers, explosions and collapsing buildings, accompanied by a massed band of Daleks screaming “Arthur Pewty, Arthur Pewty!” It was all very over the top and surreal. My pseudonym came from the meek and mild insurance salesman Arthur Pewty from the famous Monty Python sketch about the marriage guidance counsellor. When I first started my evening show, I racked my brains to think of a suitably surreal and silly name for it. I had already got my nickname, and recently I had read a history of 1960’s offshore station Radio London, where John Peel got his big break into radio. John Peel had a show called “The Perfumed Garden” where he played a lot of hippy music and recited poetry sent in by listeners (some of it toe curlingly bad, but I digress). I thought that my show needed a really surreal title, so, as a play on “John Peel’s Perfumed Garden”, “Arthur Pewty’s Maggot Sandwich” was born. And the rest, as they say is history. Back in 2006, when I started this blog, I resurrected the long disused name of my one time radio show; my thoughts were that whilst it was no longer on the radio, it was a newer form of interacting with an audience that could be anywhere in the world. This proved to be correct. Today the Maggot Sandwich has readers all over the planet – from Australia, Japan and India to the USA and mainland Europe, along with people closer to home. It might be a silly name for a blog, but I can guarantee that nobody ever forgets it! Please do feel free to comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Despite its reputation as one of the cleanest rivers in a major city, The River Thames does have its share of problems. Many people are not aware that at certain times of the year, raw sewage is still being pumped into the river. Somewhere in the region of thirty-nine million tonnes of raw sewage are pumped into the Thames each year because of London’s outdated sewer system. Built in the 1860s, the existing infrastructure still works perfectly but it cannot keep up with London’s huge (and growing) population. Engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette - the man behind Crossness Sewage Works, designed the sewers with population growth in mind; he anticipated the two million residents doubling to four million – but that number has since doubled again, and is constantly rising. The Crossness Sewage Works were constructed between 1859 and 1865 as part of his redevelopment of the London sewerage system. The pumping station was an essential part of the clean up of London’s water system, and led directly to the elimination of many water borne diseases, notably Cholera, which prior to this time was a significant killer. If you have not visited the pumping station, it is an industrial cathedral in cast and wrought iron. Because it deals with both sewage and drains, the Victorian water system was designed to release overflows (usually of storm water) into the Thames, instead of flooding roads and people’s homes. This initially happened twice a year, but now overflows happen on average once a week – about 750,000 tonnes each time. The Thames Tideway Tunnel is a £4.2 billion project to build a system of huge pipes, dubbed a “super sewer”, underneath London with the aim of modernising the capital’s sewage system and making the river cleaner. The extra capacity from the 25km (15 miles) of tunnels, running from Acton in West London to Abbey Mills in the east, should mean the system only discharges four times a year. This will make the Thames much cleaner, which would be better for wildlife and the environment, with Tideway bosses hopeful the work could bring the river back into greater use by Londoners. The tunnels will be between 35m and 65m below ground – 35m is the minimum height of a “high-rise” building. At 25km long, the main tunnel would take a car nearly 30 minutes to drive down at 40mph. The tunnel will be 7.5m wide, about the same as a standard single-carriageway road. Currently, the amount of untreated sewage that spills into the Thames each year is the equivalent of eight billion toilets flushing.  Sir Joseph Bazalgette was asked to design the existing sewers after The Great Stink – the summer of 1858 when exceptionally hot weather made the stench from the Thames unbearable. Even before then, three cholera outbreaks were blamed on the disgusting pollution in the river, and Bazalgette’s work is thought to have saved more lives than that of any other Victorian official. What is both interesting and ironic is that Sir Joseph Bazalgette is the great – great grandfather of TV producer Sir Peter Bazalgette, the person who brought us programmes such as Ground Force, Ready, Steady Cook and Big Brother. There is a running joke in the media industry that whilst Sir Joseph Bazalgette was responsible for removing excrement from the home, Peter is now responsible for introducing it!

Now for the weekly safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly a couple of announcements from Dana Wiffen, Chairman, Neighbourhood Watch Office:-"PLEASE ensure you double lock front and back doors and don't leave your property looking empty during the dark evenings, use light timers if you are not in too late and let your neighbours know if you are away so they can keep an eye on your property. We can report that over the previous two weeks reported burglaries w/e 6th December had 20 Burglaries and 6 attempted break ins, while the 13th December saw a massive increase to 28 burglaries and 8 attempted break-ins. For anyone who has had a break in we can refer them to Victim Support and The Bobby Van. Someone from Victim Support can visit you if you require support as a result of a burglary and The Booby Van can call to offer security advise and repair / replace broken locks. These are free to Bexley's Residents. Contact us if you would like their details. If you have had any burglaries in and around your area please keep us informed by either copying us in on emails to the police or emailing us directly and we will pass on. We are of course kept up to date by ward DWOs but occasionally some slip through the system. Finally, we would like to wish all our volunteers a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year. We thank you for all your hard work in 2018 in helping to keep Bexley Borough one of the safest in London. OFFICE VOLUNTEERS REQUIRED Moving forward into 2019 we are looking to upgrade our IT systems and improve our website as well as having a more robust office system to combat the growing workload. We are looking to appoint a volunteer Webmaster, a System Support Officer and possibly an Office Workload Manager to come into the office at least once a week to cover these positions. WEBMASTER - We would like to hear from anyone who has website update experience who has perhaps recently stopped working and would like to keep the expertise up to date by becoming our Webmaster. This would involve updating our current website and, going forward, help maintain the new site that's in the pipeline. Basic HTML knowledge would be an advantage and experience of running a Facebook page and Twitter account would be useful although not essential. Accuracy and attention to detail is, of course, a must with content representing the organisation being posted publicly. SYSTEM SUPPORT OFFICER - We would like to hear from anybody who has good computer skills and who could be trained to transfer data / information and photos onto our Mail Chimp crime reporting service which goes out weekly on a Thursday to all our members and to ensure our computer system is running efficiently for our office staff. OFFICE MANAGER - Due to the part-time hours of the office and volume of work, we are looking to have a more structured and efficient approach to the administrative and processing side of the organisation. Combining our newly-upgraded system with a candidate that has a hands-on approach to the smooth and tidy running of an office would be ideal to achieve this. We have a good and friendly office atmosphere and would only expect you to work on days that suit both yourself and that fit in with the working hours in our small office. Anyone who is interested in any of these part time voluntary positions and would like to come in for a chat in the new year, please contact us and we will arrange a mutually-convenient time to meet. We look forward to hearing from you". Now for the weekly reports from the local wards. Firstly from Barnehurst ward:- "Barnehurst Ward has had one burglary in the past week. This burglary occurred in Fairford Avenue overnight on Saturday 15th December 2018. Suspects gained entry by forcing the front door, possibly with a screwdriver or something similar. Various items were taken from the property. The resident was alerted the next morning after a neighbour noticed the front door open. This property was equipped with a ring door bell and footage of the suspects have been viewed therefore the investigation is ongoing at present. There have been two thefts of motor vehicles on the ward. A Grey Ford, registration number N145 XTT was taken from Barnehurst Avenue on Saturday 15th December 2018 and on Monday 17th December 2018 a Vauxhall Mokka, registration number VX18 OGF was stolen from Northumberland Heath." No report this week from Belvedere ward. Bexleyheath ward:- "We have had a burglary reported on Monday 17th December along Belvedere Road Bexleyheath. Entry was via the kitchen window / back door and vehicle was also stolen. The team regularly conduct hi-visibility patrols on the ward which would include car park areas including ASDA car park and the Broadway to reduce anti-social behaviour. Youths have been stopped and advised not to hang around in car parks and the team have noticed graffiti in the CineWorld car park. On Saturday 15/12/2018 there was a report of a theft from motor vehicle in Oakland's Close, personal items were taken from inside. There was also a theft of motorbike along Upton Road Bexleyheath on Tuesday 11th December. A report was made on Wednesday 12/12/2018, £20 was stolen from a purse in The Golden Lion pub. Also on the 13/12/2018, a purse was stolen from a handbag in Market Place Bexleyheath. The team did also help escort young children along Upton Road Bexleyheath for their Carol Service. If you do wish to pass on information to Police then please contact Crime Stoppers on 0800 555111. Please do not hesitate to contact us via Twitter, Facebook, email and the ward phone. If you are after crime prevention advice, please look at the Met Police website which has lots of information that you may find useful. Remember in an emergency please dial 999 and 101 for non-urgent reporting". Crayford ward:- "On Friday 14th at approx. 22.00 a resident at Dale End heard a noise in their garden and went to investigate. He chased off two people who had broken the padlock off his garden shed, no further descriptions could be given as it was too dark. At 03.00 on Saturday 15th December there was an attempted burglary in Oakwood Drive in Barnehurst. The resident heard a sound and opened the front door and two people ran off. It is believed they were after the car, the door was properly locked and entry was not gained although some minor damage to the frame did occur. Police were on scene very quickly but the suspects could not be located. On Thursday 13th at about 6am, an amount of money was stolen from a resident at their home address in Crayford Way. On Monday 17th December between 16.30-17.00 a burglary occurred at a property in Green Walk. Entry was gained through an unlocked front door whilst the victim was at home and a handbag with a purse containing cash and cards was taken, the cards have since been cancelled causing inconvenience to the victim. Front and rear number plates were stolen from a black Ford Fiesta between Wednesday 12th and Monday 17th December from near Shelley House in London Road. Front and rear number plates were also stolen from a vehicle parked in Gasgoyne Drive overnight Sunday 16th December in to Monday 17th December. The number plate W70SEW should be on a White Audi A5. Whilst wishing you all the very best compliments of the season we would also like to give you some reminders on keeping your home and valuables safe. As pretty as it looks, please don't let Christmas presents be seen under the tree through windows or doors, dispose of boxes by cutting or folding them up, you don't want to show burglars what you now have brand new in your home. Please note model and serial numbers of new electrical items and take photos of you wearing your new jewellery so that in the unlikely event that these items should be taken you have a much better chance of being reunited. Stay safe and enjoy Christmas, welcome Santa but not burglars by lifting the handle on your front door and locking it securely with the key. When going to bed or leaving your home, take a few moments to check that all is as secure as possible. As ever, please make your home look occupied". Erith ward:- "First of all, all of us at Erith SNT wish you all a Merry Christmas. We have been patrolling Erith High Street a lot over this week, Due to the increase in shoppers. Crime-wise there has been a few Burglaries and Vehicle crime more details are below. This time of year be mindful when you leave your rubbish outside for the bin collections. If you are advertising large boxes, game boxes tv boxes etc you are showing people what items you have inside your house. Best rule is brake up these boxes small and cover over the labels – or take them to the recycling centre yourself. Theft from MV Monday 10/12/2018 Park Crescent – Items taken from car; Criminal Damage Vehicle U500 Wednesday 28/11/2018 Coral Heights, Chichester Wharf. Damage to car; Shoplift >£199 Sunday 16/12/2018 Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc, James Watt Way; Shoplift <£200 Sunday 16/12/2018 James Watt Way; Criminal Damage Vehicle U500 Sunday 16/12/2018 Cricketers Close – damage to car; Burglary Residential Saturday 15/12/2018, Rutland Gate – Door forced opened items taken including money; Theft of Motor Vehicle Sunday 16/12/2018 Park Crescent; Theft of Motor Vehicle Friday14/12/2018 Rutland Gate; Theft from Motor Vehicle Sunday 16/12/2018 Victoria Road – Items taken from car; Making off Tuesday 18/12/2018 Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc, James Watt Way". No report this week from Northumberland Heath ward.

Slade Green and Northend ward:- "We had a nasty aggravated burglary in the early hours of Friday morning (14th December). At around 1.30am a group of males wearing balaclavas gained entry to a property in Lincoln Road and attacked a man in his family home. He received an injury which thankfully wasn't life changing or threatening and he is recovering well in hospital. The investigation into this attack is ongoing and reassurance patrols have been made by SNT officers. Please be aware that this sort of crime is NOT a common occurrence in our ward or indeed in any part of Bexley and we will do our best to give reassurance wherever necessary. If you would like any further reassurance patrols for your roads etc, please let us know. There was a burglary at some time during the evening of Monday 17/12/2018 in Beacon Road. Access was gained through the front room window with an Xbox and some cash taken. Please ensure all windows are secure and doors locked at this time of year. Inform neighbours if you are going out and lift the handle of your UPVC door (if you have one) and then turn the key. Lifting the handle does NOT lock the door. PC James searched a male in Boundary Street Monday afternoon who was found in possession of a small amount of drugs. The necessary warnings were given. PC James and PC Mark recovered a stolen moped in the Cinder Path on Wednesday afternoon. 2 males on 2 mopeds were riding towards them, unfortunately the males got away on one of the mopeds leaving behind the stolen bike. The owner, who lives local, has been notified. A bit of good news - we have had a new Neighbourhood Watch just started for Larkswood Close. On Tuesday 18/12/2018 PCSO Mark assisted by Adam from the Erith team, escorted the Peareswood School Choir to Erith Shopping Centre for a Christmas Carol performance (photo above - Mark watching on). All the shoppers and public enjoyed the excellent singing. Well done to all. Our next Community Contact Session is at 6pm in our SNT base in Erith (next to farm Foods) on Sunday 30/12/2018". Thamesmead East ward:- "Burglary - Glimpsing Green Tuesday 17/12/18 between 11pm-6am Unknown suspect/s have broken into the house via the front kitchen window, stealing van keys and van from outside property. Criminal damage to a motor vehicle on Monday 10/12/18 between 7pm-6:30am Passenger side window smashed nothing stolen as victim removed all possessions; Seacourt Road Thursday 15/12/18 between midnight-3:45pm By unknown suspect/s damaging the motor vehicle by scratching paintwork on the bonnet; Kale Road Monday 17/12/18 between 1am-9:45am Driver's side window smashed. Theft from / of a motor vehicle in Curlew Road on Tuesday 11/12/18 between 23:59 -10:45am By person unknown making off with the victim's unattended motorcycle from the venue by means unknown; Parkway Thursday 13/12/18 between 5:15am-8pm Unknown suspect/s stolen both front and rear number plates from vehicle; Kale Road Friday 14/12/18 between 5:15pm - 9:45am Unknown suspect/s stole rear number plate and damaged front number plate; Alder Close Monday 17/12/18 between 4:10-4:15pm By suspect/s stealing victims motorcycle from location; Wolvercote Close on Monday 17/12/18 between 5pm-6am Entry gained to victims vehicle an untidy search carried out within. Satnav and change stolen. The Thamesmead East team would like to take this opportunity to thank our Neighbourhood Watch for your continued support throughout 2018 and wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. The next meeting will be Thursday 3rd January 2019 at Lakeside Health Centre Yarnton Way, 1-2pm". West Heath ward:- "This week an unknown person or persons entered an insecure porch and damaged items within on the 13th December between 3pm-5pm in Mayfair Road. Please remember to lock your porches. A car was stolen overnight 17th-18th December from Chessington Ave without the keys and two cars were broken into in Brabourne Court the same evening. Another car was also stolen from Longleigh Lane at around midnight on the 16th December. The team have been carrying out high visibility burglary patrols over the last week and we are pleased to say there have been no reported burglaries for this period. Our next Community Contact Sessions will be on the 29th December by Thomas More Church from 12noon to 1pm followed by the 4th January. 2019 at St Andrew's Church in Abbotts Walk from 5pm-6pm. We would like to wish you all a happy holiday".

The end video this week is a news report on the £19.7 million grant given to Bexley Council to put towards the regeneration of Erith town centre. The video is a few months old, and some of the works described in the video are already well under way - specifically those related to the Carnegie Library, as outlined at the beginning of this update. Other works are due to begin early in the New Year, including as I understand it, the buying out of the leaseholders in Electricity House and the closure of the building prior to redevelopment. The Bexley Road bridge over the railway is apparently also scheduled for a much overdue widening - something that has been on the cards for over ten years. The old foot tunnel from the Western end of the town centre to Erith Station is also due to go, to be replaced with a ground level alternative which is more wheelchair and buggy friendly, not to mention less attractive to graffiti and muggers. What do you think? Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Erith Fun Day 2018.

The photos were taken by me yesterday at the 2018 Erith Fun Day. Unfortunately the attendance numbers were somewhat down on last year, almost certainly caused by a combination of the intense heat (it was 34 degrees Celsius at 1pm in the sports field where the event was held) and also because of the World Cup. Nevertheless the turnout was still very good. There was representation from many local community volunteer groups and commercial organisations. I bumped into a number of people that I had not seen since the same event last year, and I was also approached by a number of readers - some of whom I had never met before in person, which was nice. Unfortunately, as many will already know, I am not someone suited to heat and strong sunlight. I burn very easily, even when coated in sun screen cream, therefore my normal policy is to wear a stout tweed jacket and floppy, broad - brimmed hat - to basically cover myself in fabric to block out the sun. Whilst this approach works well, it does leave me feeling extremely hot; originally I had planned to stay at the Erith Fun Day for most of the afternoon (I don't watch football, so the World Cup match was not of interest to me), but the extreme heat meant that I only stayed at the event for a little over an hour. I think many visitors were similarly affected. Even though a majority of the stall holders were located under some kind of cover, it must have been unbearable for them, and I don't know how some of them coped under the exceptionally hot conditions. Still for those naysayers who opine that Erith has no community spirit, I would counter that for the Erith Fun Day to get such a good turnout considering both the extreme weather and England's World Cup football match on the same day. I look forward to the event next year. 

I only discovered a couple of days ago, about an event planned for next Friday afternoon. I am concerned that Bexley Council neglect to publicise events in the local area; for example, in the past, the relaunched Erith Market, which some locals commented was "planned to fail", and the 2016 pop - up cinema in Erith Riverside Gardens, which virtually nobody knew about - and consequently the turnout for both events was very low, prompting the Council to discontinue them as they felt there was little interest - which in reality could not be further from the case. I worry that if I struggle to find out about such events, how must everyone else get on? Anyway, here is the official announcement:- "This summer experience a culinary extravaganza as the Erith Kitchen street food fair comes to Pier Road, on Friday 20 July from 4–9pm. Come along and taste fantastic flavours from around the world, including homemade Italian gnocchi, pizza, African and Caribbean food and a unique ice cream experience, luxury alcohol infused and alcohol free ice creams and sorbets. Stay cool in this hot weather with some refreshments at the ‘Not just Gin’ bar. This Vintage Horse Trailer turned fully self-contained bar works with start-up distillers from across the UK to provide premium spirits and mixers, beer and wines. Relax and listen to musicians Tim White and Daran Francis against the backdrop of Erith’s riverfront. As well as bringing people up close to the Thames, Erith Kitchen hopes to evoke Erith’s history as a place of riverside leisure". You can read the full, original article by clicking here. 

The photo above - click on either for a larger version - were taken by me last Sunday evening; they shows a CCTV camera that has been attached to a lamp post adjacent to the recycling centre at the end of James Watt Way in Erith - locally known as the Morrison's recycling point. The facility has for many years been the focus of almost daily criminal fly - tipping. The reasons for this are multiple. Firstly, it is easily accessible by car or van, and the facility is out of the way, at the far end of the dead end road that is James Watt Way. Secondly it is out of the way, bring located at the rear of the Morrison's supermarket, and adjacent to the buildings' loading bay. There are few if any prying eyes to see if someone is illegally dumping rubbish. To a passer - by, it may look as if the criminal fly tipper is merely using the recycling facility as designed - dropping off bottles, cans or cardboard into the designated containers to be responsibly recycled. Instead they dump building waste, old mattresses, industrial waste, used engine oil and all manner of other rubbish, which ends up being collected at great expense to the council tax payer by a waste management contractor. Recently Bexley Council have placed warning notices on the lamp posts in and around the recycling centre to try and deter the fly tipping criminals, and as of last weekend, the CCTV camera in the photo above was installed. I have been in contact with the council in respect of the camera. I have been informed that the installation is only temporary, and not the permanent addition to the local safety and security that many had anticipated. Something is better than nothing however. One concern I did raise with the council is that the CCTV camera unit is only situated about ten feet up the lamp post, and from my own observations, many of the fly tippers are "white van men" with transit type vans. The often have ladders in their vans, and it would be relatively straightforward for one of them to either damage or indeed completely remove the CCTV camera. They agreed that this was indeed a possibility, but that the benefits the camera may bring in either deterring or collecting evidence of criminal fly tippers was worth the risk; I have to say that I tend to agree with this opinion. I am monitoring the situation to see if the level of materials dumped on the site decline over the next few weeks. My concern is that as soon as the camera is removed - whether by the criminals or by the council themselves - the fly tipping at the site will return to the original levels.  What do you think? Leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

As regular readers will be aware, I have in the past benchmarked the activities (or indeed lack thereof) of Bexley Council against our close neighbours on the opposite side of the River Thames in the London Borough of Havering. The two boroughs are remarkably similar in many ways; both have a broadly similar population demographic, geography and council tax budget, yet it seems to me that Havering seem to get much more out of their finances than Bexley do, and this is not just me thinking that "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence". As an example, the News Shopper have recently run a story about the anniversary of the cancellation of the very popular Danson Festival. It is now five years since the council cancelled the annual festival, erroneously stating that this was a temporary cancellation due to problems with the geology of the park, and drainage issues. In an interview with the News Shopper, a spoke person for Bexley Council said:- "Unfortunately Danson mid-park is not currently suitable for large-scale events such as the Danson Festival. The council saves approximately £150,000 from not putting on the festival. Whilst the festival has not been held for a number of years, we have recently increased the number of community and cultural events we have hosted and supported – and we continue to look at new opportunities to bring the community together to share experiences and celebrate". In reality a festival has been held in Danson Park since - but it has been run by a commercial events company, who charge for admission. This rather contradicts the statement that the park could not be used due to drainage issues. The real reason is that Bexley Council do not want to spend £150,000 on the very popular event. It is my understanding that the festival in the past actually operated at a modest profit. This all does look rather poor in comparison with Havering, who run a huge - and free to the public - event in Harrow Lodge Park, Hornchurch during the month of August. The very popular event, which is having its 40th anniversary this year, has a number of music acts playing live on stage, as well as the usual charity and commercial stalls. Havering does not just have a free festival, it also plays host to an arts festival, the award winning Romford film festival and a Havering in Bloom competition, to name but a few. Bearing in mind that Havering Borough Council has very similar demands and constraints to its budget as Bexley does, it does beg the question, how is it that Havering can offer popular arts and cultural events to its residents, but Bexley Council are unable, or more likely unwilling to? Please feel free to leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

The photo above was taken back in 1896. It was recently sent to me by a reader. It shows local inventor and businessman Sir Hiram Maxim (the man with the white hair and beard to the right of the photograph) along with a couple of his staff, along with a couple of. They have been demonstrating the Maxim machine gun to members of the Chinese government - two representatives of which can also be seen. One of Maxim's "party tricks" when demonstrating his machine gun, was to use the continuous stream of bullets to "saw" through a tree trunk - as can be seen in the photo above. Maxim was not a man greatly troubled by ethics - he would sell his various weapons systems to anyone who had the money to pay for them, even if they were two sides in the same conflict. Maxim was also the man that invented both the fire sprinkler and the sprung mouse trap. Maxim also invented the car exhaust silencer, and as an off – shoot (if you will excuse the pun) his son, the American inventor Hiram Percy Maxim, is usually credited with inventing and selling the first commercially successful model of gun suppressor circa 1902 (patented 30 March 1909). Maxim gave his device the trademarked name Maxim Silencer, and they were regularly advertised in sporting goods magazines. The muffler for internal combustion engines was developed in parallel with the firearm suppressor by Maxim in the early 20th century, using many of the same techniques to provide quieter-running engines (in many English-speaking countries automobile mufflers are still called silencers). Former president of the United States Theodore Roosevelt was known to purchase and use Maxim Silencers. So, it is not too much of a stretch to say that many inventions that we all take for granted were either invented in Erith or Crayford at the two Maxim / Vickers factories, or by people also living in the same area. We for example also had the first petrol – powered tricycle by Edward Butler, several years before the Benz automobile, which was tested along Manor Road, and the first submarine capable of firing a torpedo whilst submerged was created by the Nordenfeldt works, also located in Erith. The end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth century were a real hot house of inventive talent in the local area – some of the most cutting edge engineering took place in and around Erith.  Hiram Maxim had a stunning failure in addition to his many successes. The very first heavier than air flight was not as is commonly believed made by the Wright Brothers in 1903, it was actually undertaken in 1894 by a team led by Maxim when the experimental steam powered aeroplane accidentally took off during ground testing in Baldwyn’s Park, Bexley – it flew for an estimated 281 metres at a height of 1.4 metres, according to contemporary accounts. You can read more about the story here. Suffice to say that Maxim realised that his design of flying machine was dynamically unstable, and not viable for any longer flights. He abandoned the project shortly thereafter, leaving the Wright brothers to gain the fame and fortune that went with the first viable aerodynamic flying vehicle. As well as being a skilled engineer and inventor, Hiram Maxim was a very shrewd businessman, and I think he realised that his own flying machine was an engineering dead end, and he decided to stop throwing good money after bad, and work on other projects instead. Maxim was already a very wealthy man, and did not really need the flying machine to be a financial success at all.

Last Wednesday - the fourth of July, marked an anniversary that you could be forgiven for having missed. Hotmail turned 22 years old, having ushered in an era of web-based email, great swathes of spam and one of the greatest ever security errors. Launched on 4 July 1996, Hotmail offered "independence" (oh what a pun) from traditional ISP-based email, which required users download messages into a local reader. Hotmail allowed users to create their own email account and view their messages within the web browser, without needing to be tied to a specific provider. With a mighty 2MB of free storage, something that seemed absurdly generous in an era when PCs shipped with between 4 and 8MB of onboard RAM, Hotmail's user base grew rapidly to 8.5 million happy emailers (although it is not clear how many of those were examples of the burgeoning spam industry) and Hotmail soon attracted the attention of a certain software behemoth. Microsoft purchased the service in December 1997 for a purported $400m and found itself in the slightly awkward position of owning a hugely popular internet service that didn't actually use any of Redmond's Windows technologies and, horror of horrors, ran on a variety of UNIX-based systems, which at the time were seen as a threat and direct rival to Microsoft products. While Microsoft worked to incorporate Windows Server systems into Hotmail, competition arrived in the form of Yahoo! Mail in 1997 and the all-conquering GMail from Google in 2004. Hotmail, however, had other problems with which to contend. Back in those days Microsoft were about as good with internet security as Cyril Smith was with hang gliding. A security flaw, that could only be described as "catastrophic", emerged in 1999.  Hackers were able to access pretty much any account, knowing only the user's Hotmail user name. 2001 saw more security problems, with hackers able to retrieve messages from another users mailbox. As GMail attracted many users away from Hotmail, Microsoft tinkered with re-brandings and redesigns seeing the venerable website incorporated into the MSN family and then renamed Windows Live Hotmail in 2005. In 2012 the service became known as Outlook.com, leveraging the branding of the email component of Microsoft's ubiquitous office suite. By 2013, Microsoft had shifted all 300 million active Hotmail accounts to its new web mail client, whether they liked it or not. While Microsoft played with Hotmail, Google's GMail juggernaut rolled on, reporting over 1 billion users at last count, compared to the relatively paltry 500 million claimed by Outlook.com.

Now for the weekly safety and security reports from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly an update from Barnehurst ward:- "Another excellent result for Barnehurst having no burglaries and just one theft of motor vehicle for the past week. Victim left a white Ford Transit panel van, registration number LD11 FHW locked and secured on Friday 29th June 2018 at 09.30pm in Northumberland Way. The following morning the van found was discovered stolen. On Wednesday the team conducted a drugs warrant at Hampton House, Erith Road following continued complaints of drug dealing. Crayford Ward officers, Bexleyheath Ward officers and the dog section also assisted in the warrant. One male was arrested and investigations continue regarding this. On Friday 29th June 2018 a male was arrested following a road traffic collision in Colyers Lane. This male was on a stolen motorbike and was not wearing a crash helmet. The injuries sustained required surgery and the male is now back behind bars. Off road bikes have been reported to have been seen ridden between Northend Road and Hurstwood Avenue. If you know who are riding these bikes or where they are coming from please let us know so will can deal with them appropriately. The team have met some of our vulnerable residents and our visits have been warmly welcomed. We ask our residents to keep an eye on their vulnerable neighbours. If you feel your neighbour maybe vulnerable please contact us and we can pay a visit to ensure crime prevention measures are in place. If needed we can arrange for the bobby van to make a further visit to provide door chains, window alarms etc. to improve security at a reduced charge of cost free depending on the criteria. The team will be at the Barnehurst Golf Club on Tuesday 10th July at 11.00am. Please come along and join us. We are looking for residents in the ward who are interested in Neighbourhood Watch". Belvedere ward:- "Throughout this week the team have been attempting to arrest wanted offenders on the ward. This has resulted in the arrest of a male for domestic related offences, ABH, threats and criminal damage. PC Holmes has also issued an harassment warning letter to a resident of Draper Close in relation to an ongoing ASB (anti-social behaviour issue). The team have spoken to a male in Nuxley Road after various members of the public informed us that he had been asking several people for money – words of advice were given to this male and we are keeping a close eye on the area should he return. Over the last few weeks the team have noticed a slight increase in ASB by children in the Nuxley Road and Albert Road areas. Similar to last summer, this involves bicycles being used in an inconsiderate manner both on the pavements and into oncoming traffic in both streets. The team have been able to speak to some of the young children involved in this activity, to give advice on cycle safety and riding sensibly. Should we receive further complaints, we will be taking further action against those involved. Certain members of these groups have also been involved in other incidents amounting to ASB and criminal damage at a newly opened business in Albert Road. PCSO Worrall has been able to identify the names of these children and the team will be visiting their respective home addresses in the coming days to discuss the issues with them. Our next Community Contact session has been arranged for Tuesday 10th July 2018 from 12.00pm at the Co-Op in Nuxley Road". Bexleyheath ward:- "There has been no reports of any burglaries or attempted burglaries on our ward recently which is fantastic. We are also continuing high visibility patrols around Martens Grove and surrounding areas including the garages between Grove Road and Braeside Crescent as this is becoming an area for youths to congregate and misbehave. A Traffic Operation was conducted along Nursery Road as we received complaints from local residents about speeding on the street. Also a learner driver was processed for no insurance whilst learning to drive, we also took part in a warrant that was recently completed. A mobile phone was stolen whilst the victim was in ASDA Bexleyheath. A theft of push bike was reported stolen between 02/07/2018 & 03/07/2018 along Stirling Road Bexleyheath. In relation to motor vehicle crime, below is a summary of what has been reported: 29/06/2018 – Items stolen from a van within the Broadway area; 28/06/2018 – 30/06/2018 Number plates had been stolen from a vehicle along Grove Road Bexleyheath; 02/07/2018 – Officers on foot patrol had found an insecure vehicle and had made contact with owner, no items are believed to be taken". Crayford ward:- "On Thursday 21 June police were called to Maiden Lane after it was reported that a white Audi A3 had been criminally damaged, it looked like a hammer had been taken to the side of the vehicle. On Monday 25th June at approx. midnight a mobile phone was snatched out of someone’s hand in Station Road, totally opportunist, the Male ran past and quite literally snatched it and continued to run. We all refer to our phones all the time, to check the time of the next bus or train or similar, please keep it out of sight as unobtrusive as possible when out in public. Between Wednesday 27th June at 18.30 and Thursday 27th June at 00.30, two excavators were stolen from a locked site on Crayford Industrial Estate. The equipment was fitted with trackers and the following day police were able to intercept the suspects and arrests were made. At Optima Park on Wednesday 27th June a lady reported that her gold Apple iPhone with a pink case on the back had been stolen from her place of work. It was reported that on Wednesday a door was broken in to leading to a shared storage shed/garage used by residents at flats in Claston Close, the door was forced but nothing was stolen, no CCTV or witnesses. On Friday 29th June at 12.40 an elderly lady received a phone call from a Male saying he was calling from her bank, he told her that her account had been compromised, obtained her PIN numbers and sent a courier to her address to collect her bank cards. She realised that she had been duped and called her bank, to find that some money had been stolen, both cards were cancelled and new ones will be issued. This was a despicable crime on one of our older residents but could happen to any one of us. Please never give anyone your PIN, no official organisation would ever ask for this information, ever! On Saturday 30 June an IC1 Male aged about 20 years was seen to steal front and rear number plates off a Peugeot 206 LX, number plate Y695LBA in Dale Road. A routine stop of a vehicle in Maiden Lane on Saturday 30th June led to the owner admitting that he was in possession of cannabis and he was dealt with appropriately. It was reported that between 1st May and 30th June a black BMW, number plate GU15YLT was stolen from a garage at Willow Walk, the keys were in a safe place and not used to commit this offence. Between 19.00 on Friday 29 June and 09.00 on Saturday 30th June a blue Ford Transit was broken in to and tools stolen near Claremount Crescent. On Tuesday 3rd July police were called to a public order offence. It transpired that a Male had tried to use a £50 for £5.00 of goods, the note was being checked and believed to be a forgery. The Male left the premises after an altercation and threats. The £50 note will be destroyed. On Wednesday 4th July our team assisted Barnehurst and Bexleyheath Safer Neighbourhood Teams with a drugs warrant at Hampton House in Barnehurst, a Male was arrested. In the last week a van has been seized for having no insurance at Maiden Lane as well as tickets being issued for using a mobile phone whilst driving, no insurance and MOT. Today there was a foot chase close to Marden Crescent after a Male was suspected of having cannabis, he dropped his joint and lost his mobile phone along the way which has now been booked in to Bexleyheath Police Station. We have completed several weapons sweeps around the ward in the last week as well as lots of visible foot patrols. We will be working with partner agencies to deal with anti-social behaviour occurring in the Dale Road area. Our next contact session is at the Ellenor charity shop in Crayford Road on Wednesday 11th July between 11.00-12.00, please come along to say hello, tell us your concerns or ask for crime prevention advice". Erith ward:- "Erith ward officers have been out and about on the ward. ASB at St Fidelis Road. Officers have been to the estate and conducted a weapon sweep of the area. No weapons were found. Erith ward has a number of motor vehicle crime this week. TFMV (Theft From Motor Vehicle) - Riverdale Road, tools stolen between the hours of 16:00 on the 24/6/18 and 22:00 on the 26/06/18; Car park Park Spring Court - Damage to paintwork of vehicle; TFMV, West Street - Tools and Hoover taken between 28/06/18 00:00 - 17:00 on the 02/07/18; TFMV, Compton Place - Ladders taken of roof of van between 09:00-15:00 hours on the 03/07/18; Att Burglary (Attempted burglary), West Street - Nothing taken, damage to rear door. 01:00—01:30 hours on the 03/07/18. People have been stopped and searched for cannabis in the Riverside area and have been dealt with. We will be attending 11/07/18 Coffee with Cops at Cops in the Riverside shopping centre - please come along and see us".  Northumberland Heath ward:- "The team are pleased to report that CCTV has been installed at the Northumberland Heath Recreation Ground to help to detect and deter individuals from committing anti-social behaviour in the area. Four stop and searches were conducted by officers in the park which resulted in one male being reported for possession of cannabis and a quantity of alcohol was confiscated. Two further males were stopped and searched in Erith and reported for possession of cannabis. No burglaries reported to us over the past week which is once again excellent news. One motor vehicle interference overnight on Friday 29th of June in Hengist Road. It is not clear how entry to the vehicle was gained as there was apparent outside damage, however the vehicle wires had been cut and were left hanging under the driver’s seat. One theft of motor vehicle in Beechfield Road in the afternoon of Monday July 2nd. The driver was delivering parcels and left the keys in the vehicle whilst delivering. An unknown male entered the vehicle and drove it away at speed. The vehicle was later recovered however the keys and the remaining undelivered parcels were taken". Slade Green and North End ward:- "Only one crime of note this week. A van was left unattended for 10 minutes outside the Premier shop in Bridge Road at 8.30pm on Saturday. Upon returning outside the owner discovered the van had been stolen along with tools inside. PC Mark and James were on patrol on the Frobisher Road estate last Saturday morning. 2 males were seen riding on a moped and upon seeing officers they got off and ran away. Mark and James chased and although the males weren’t caught, they left behind a mobile phone and other evidence meaning the investigation has some excellent evidence in the hope of finding who the suspects were. The bike was registered as stolen and is now back with it’s owner. Two positive stop and searches this week with cannabis taken from both suspects and the appropriate warnings given. Patrols have been ongoing over the marshes and by Erith yacht club in the hope of catching off road bike riders using the land illegally. 2 males were turned away on Sunday as they approached the path to come along and ride". Thamesmead East ward:- "Burglaries - No burglaries to report this week. Motor Vehicle Crimes - Between the overnight hours of Wednesday 27/06/18 and Thursday 28/06/18, a motor vehicle was stolen from Redpoll Way. Between the dates of Tuesday 26/06/18 and Saturday 30/06/18, a motor cycle was stolen from Eastgate Close. A motor vehicle was stolen between the hours of 7:30am and 08:00pm on Saturday 30/06/18 from Parkway. Between the hours of 11:00pm of Monday 02/07/17 05:00am and Tuesday 03/07/18 a motor vehicle locked and secure parked in Holstein Way had the front window smashed, nothing taken. Another vehicle also parked in Holstein Way had the front passenger window smashed, purse and cash was taken from the glove box between 10:30pm Monday 02/07/18 and 11:10am Tuesday 03/07/18.  Have a Say event (Community Contact Session) - Tuesday 10th July between the hours of 12:00pm and 1:00pm, the team will be attending Lakeside Health Centre, Yarnton Way. An opportunity for members of the community who prefer face- to – face contact, to speak with a Dedicated Ward Officer. Good News - Whilst patrolling, PCSO’s Gina Buckley and Lorraine O’Hara who, on seeing 3 males and 1 female on the top floor near to the stairs of Maran Way loitering, made their way to the individuals getting nearer to them a smell of cannabis was detected. Radio call to PC’s John Pruden and Nana Quarshie-Awuah resulted in all being searched and intelligence gained".

The end video this week shows the results of the conversion of the old Woolwich covered market into London's newest street food market. It certainly looks very nice. I actually suggested a use similar to this nearly ten years ago - I suppose good things come to those who wait. Please feel free to leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.