Hastings Villa.

Hundreds of local residents experiencing mental ill-health are being supported by a special Christmas collection project. Employees from Wates Residential’s Park East and West Street construction sites in Erith have shown their support for the local Re-Instate W-rap project by collecting more than 500 items which will make up over 100 care packages. The packages will support disadvantaged residents, including those struggling with their mental health, across south east London this Christmas. Re-Instate provides gift parcels known as W-rap (Well-being, Recovery, Activity Parcels) to people in hospital to aid their recovery journeys. The project was set up after one client said they would find it comforting to have good quality toiletries and entertainment activities during long-term hospital stays. Located in the Erith, the service is run out of St. John’s Church Community Hall, neighbouring Wates Residential’s West Street development. Parcels put together by the national developer’s office and construction site teams will be gifted to people at the Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. The collection included items that could be added to three types of care packages. For those arriving at the Trusts, parcels will be put together by Re-Instate’s W-rap team, volunteers coming from Re-Instate’s Employment Service and Bexley Voluntary Services Council. Parcels will include home comforts that have been donated such as shampoo, face masks and bath bombs. To keep them occupied during their stay, separate activity packages will include items like word searches, playing cards and juggling balls. For those on their way home, parcels with household essentials such as food and toilet roll will be shared out. Wates Residential is working in partnership with Orbit and the London Borough of Bexley to build 320 new homes at Park East in Erith, of which 80 per cent will for affordable rent and shared ownership to ensure a sustainable community for local residents. In addition, 42 mixed tenure affordable properties are due to be completed in spring 2020 on the other side of Erith at West Street, which neighbours the Re-Instate project. Both developments come after the partners completed six years of work on the nearby former Larner Road estate, transforming it into the award-winning, mixed tenure community Erith Park and delivering 587 new homes. As part of their presence across these developments, Wates Residential and Orbit have also pledged to support the local community by providing employment and training opportunities for local residents, delivering a positive lasting legacy in the borough. This has already included the provision of work experience placements, careers advice events, promoting and working with local social enterprises, and a free two week construction and employability skills training course run by Wates called ‘Building Futures’ to help local unemployed adults into work or further training. Paul Nicholls, Managing Director for Wates Residential, said in a press release that:- “Re-Instate’s W-rap project is close to our Park East and West Street sites but it is also a vital service which addresses an issue close to our hearts. We feel passionately about supporting disadvantaged residents as well as those with mental ill-health as we believe that everyone deserves a great place to live. Both the site team and wider Wates Group were really keen to get involved this Christmas so we’re delighted to have been able to collect more than 500 items, from adult colouring books to deodorant and hair brushes, and hope that all of them will bring some comfort to people spending time in hospital over the Christmas period and beyond.” Colette Robinson, W-rap Co-ordinator from Re-Instate, commented:- ’We are very grateful to Wates employees for this collaboration. The items collected will go a long way to making a difference in the communities we live and work within at the time of year when mental health stresses can be high.’’ Feedback to hugh.neal@gmail.com.

People living, working or simply visiting the borough can now start to enjoy a new free public wi-fi service in some of Bexley’s main town centres. As part of a programme that will be rolled out over the next few months, Bexley Council has ‘switched on’ free public wi-fi in Erith, Welling, Sidcup and Crayford town centres.  Bexleyheath and Bexley Village will follow shortly. The network requires a one-time only registration and allows users to experience high bandwidth services free from advertisements. More on this in the weeks to come; I feel that there may be more to this new service than initially meets the eye - time will no doubt tell.

As you can see from the document above - click on it to see a larger version - the somewhat controversial Hastings Villa in Bexley Road, Northumberland Heath has had an application to be locally listed.  In a statement, Bexley Council announced that:- "Hastings Villa at 106 Bexley Road, Erith, DA8 3SP has been nominated as an addition to the Local List, which currently comprises approximately 400 entries. Hastings Villa is a detached residential property on Bexley Road, Erith. The property is one of the remaining in a series of mid-Victorian villas that once lined the north side of this section of Bexley Road. It is an ornate structure framed by a long carriage drive and mature trees. The Council is seeking your opinion on whether Hastings Villa should be added to the Local List. The Council is also seeking any information you may hold about the building and its history. Historical records including photographs are particularly welcome". The application was originally made in 2018, but for some reason it was not enacted then, and has subsequently been resubmitted. Hastings Villa has been the subject of a couple of proposals for redevelopment - specifically the demolition of the existing villa, to be replaced by a block of flats. If the local listing proceeds - as I suspect that it will - this will preserve the existing, historic building.

Over the last couple of weeks I have been featuring stories illustrating the problems with smart door bells, smart door locks and the like, and the ways in which they can be extremely insecure. Indeed Amazon Ring doorbell owner and local software developer Miles, who wrote the original analysis, has forwarded me an article on a further problem with another Ring device - their internal security cameras. The article, from the Digital Trends website reads thus:- "In yet another example of a smart home hack, an in-home Amazon Ring camera was hacked to make inappropriate comments toward a woman in her California home. A Calabasas, California, woman who referred to herself as Tammy told CBSN Los Angeles that she heard a voice coming from her Ring security camera that was located in her bedroom. “Yo, what’s up? How’s your day?” a man’s voice reportedly said, followed by, “Hi, show me some [expletive].” Tammy said the hacker was also able to set off her home’s alarm system. “I knew he was tapping into this camera, he was tapping into my bedroom camera,” she told CBSN Los Angeles. “So it became a little bit overwhelming for a few moments.” “They could have been taking photos of me, they could have been sending those out to the internet,” Tammy said. She said she had had the camera for four weeks and originally bought it to watch her dog. Tammy said she reached out to Ring about the incident, and that they responded via email that the hack was due to a weak password and that she should change her password.  A Ring spokesperson told Digital Trends that this incident was not a result of Ring’s network or systems being compromised. “Recently, we were made aware of incidents where malicious actors obtained some Ring users’ account credentials (e.g., username and password) from a separate, external, non-Ring service and reused them to log in to some Ring accounts. Unfortunately, when the same username and password is reused on multiple services, it’s possible for bad actors to gain access to many accounts,” the Ring spokesperson said. It’s the second time in a week of reports of Ring camera systems being hacked. Last week, a man was able to access a Ring camera located in a little girl’s bedroom. The man was able to talk to the girl in her bedroom, telling her, “I’m your best friend … I’m Santa Claus.” He also told her, “You can do whatever you want right now. You can mess up your room. You can break your TV. You can do whatever you want.” Ring’s security camera has HD video, night vision, and a two-way talk feature, so the hacker was most likely able to not only talk to the little girl, but also see her. While both instances are creepy all-around, it’s an important reminder that if you do have smart home technology in your home, it’s essential to set up two-factor authentication if possible and regularly change your password". One of the problems with what is termed as "The Internet of Things" is that most companies that produce smart devices do so to their own proprietary standards and the devices from different manufacturers won't talk to each other as they use incompatible technology - much in the same way that home computers from the likes of Sinclair, Acorn (BBC) and Commodore back in the 1980's were completely software incompatible with one another. The situation with smart devices may be about to change, however. After years of trying and failing to dominate the smart home market with their own standards, technology giants Amazon, Apple and Google have finally agreed to work on a set of common code that will allow smart home products, from thermostats to cameras to plugs to digital assistants, to work together seamlessly. The new “Connected Home over IP” approach will be developed through a new working group within smart home veteran organisation the Zigbee Alliance, and the broad brush blueprint of the new standard is stark in its obviousness. It will be an IP-based protocol so it can connect directly to the internet rather than require a hub; it will be open-source and royalty-free and allow for end-to-end secure communication; and it will work with core standards like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The new standard should emerge in draft form in late 2020, meaning that 2021 will be the start of a new era in smart home technology, where Alexa talks to Nest and you can have a single app on your phone to talk to everything else. The initial push appears to be to work with digital voice assistants. It means in future you will be able to buy an Amazon Alexa and a Google Nest thermostat and have them work seamlessly together, rather than the current sorry state of affairs where you are never quite sure what will happen. The bad news is that while existing products will still work, you will need to buy all new kit if you want to benefit from full interoperability. So if you have decided to take the plunge and equip your whole house with smart home technology, you would be well advised to wait a year. Please feel free to send comments to hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

Had he survived, Christmas Day 2019 would have been Kenny Everett's 75th birthday. The man who many, including myself, regard as Britain's greatest ever DJ. He was born Maurice James Christopher Cole on Christmas Day 1944 in Liverpool. He attended the same school as offshore radio DJ Mike Aherne and considered joining the church; indeed he did spend some time in a Catholic seminary, but he left under a cloud, having made free with the communion wine. His first paying job was in a bakery. With a passion for radio and playing around with tape recorders, he sent a tape of a home-made programme to the BBC. Having acquired an ability to impersonate everything from The Goons to the opening of the airlocks in Journey into Space, he bought two tape-recorders and began to make his own programmes, interspersing music with bouts of silliness. This interested the Corporation enough to invite him down to London and he was interviewed on the Home Service's Midweek programme. Kenny hoped it would lead to a job with the BBC but it did not. Instead he joined the new offshore station Radio London when it launched at Christmas 1964. Everett was madly seasick at first, but offshore radio suited him: it meant access to studio equipment 24 hours a day (DJs did three weeks on, and a week off), and all the time in the world to invent loopy characters (as the first zoo DJ, Everett was the father of Steve Wright and all the rest). He chose his new name from that of the Hollywood actor Edward Everett Horton, and both his own show and the double headed programme he co-presented with Dave Cash, The Kenny and Cash Show, won a massive following. His writing and tape-editing skills were phenomenal and Kenny was responsible for many of Radio London's more creative advertisements, jingles and promotions. Unfortunately his humour was not always appreciated by the management and he was fired for six months after making fun of the sponsored religious show The World Tomorrow, the station's biggest advertiser. Along with Jerry Leighton from Radio Caroline and Ron O'Quinn from “Swinging” Radio England, Kenny joined The Beatles on their 1966 tour of the USA sending back reports on the concerts, sponsored by Bassett's Jelly Babies. Sharing the same Liverpool background, Kenny developed an obvious rapport with “The Fab Four”. He left Radio London in March 1967 and worked on Radio Luxembourg and the BBC Light Programme, later joining BBC Radio One at its launch. Although hugely popular he was soon in trouble again. He was constantly being told off for criticising the station in the press and when he joked on air that the wife of the then Minister of Transport had passed her advanced driving test by bribing the examiner, it was the final straw. He was sacked. He presented some shows on BBC local radio and others on Radio Monte Carlo International. By 1969, he had married Audrey "Lee" Middleton, a former pop star and psychic better known by her stage name Lady Lee - who had been Billy Fury's girlfriend. Within a decade, he had realised he was gay and they parted but remained friends, and it was she who found him his first boyfriend. It was the launch of London's Capital Radio in 1973 that returned him to the forefront of British broadcasting. Here he was reunited with his old partner Dave Cash and their Breakfast Show helped to establish the new station. From Capital, Kenny moved to BBC Radio 2 and then back again to Capital. Having got a job with the BBC once more, Kenny became so big that he was often to be found hanging out with the very stars whose music he played. One of his closest friends was Freddie Mercury. It was in 1978, at the height of his radio powers, that he moved into TV with a bang. The Kenny Everett Video Show introduced the nation to a host of new, crazy characters, created by the writing team of Kenny, Barry Cryer, American Dick Vosburgh and Canadian Ray Cameron, father of current comic Michael McIntyre. The latest hit singles were featured, often performed by the bands and singers themselves, and all sorts of people were more than happy to appear alongside the anarchic Kenny. From Cliff Richard to Billy Connolly, they would all be struggling to keep a straight face as Everett created mayhem around them. Captain Kremmen, science-fiction hero, punk rocker Sid Snot and lecherous Frenchman Marcel Wave were among his characters. The third series ended with Kenny making a farewell speech as the crew removed the set and background scenery, picking him up and placing him in a dustbin. In the 80s, having fully thrown off his guilt about his sexuality, he took up nightclubbing with a vengeance, and it was on one such evening out that he met Nikolai Grishanovich, the lover from whom he would eventually contract HIV. Grishanovich was one of the two husbands he eventually unveiled to the press (the other was a Spanish waiter, Pepe Flores), and he died of an AIDS-related illness in 1991, the same year as Everett's close friend Freddie Mercury. In 1993 he confirmed newspaper reports that he was HIV-positive but continued presenting shows on Capital Gold until his death of AIDS-related causes on 4th April 1995. A genuinely original talent, a naturally funny man. and a brilliantly skilled editor, he was a disc-jockey whose listeners eagerly awaited his every word Everett was the subject of an episode of BBC Radio 4's "Great Lives" - which you can hear by clicking here. Alongside his radio success, Kenny also enjoyed a television career, starting with Nice Time for Granada in the sixties, later with LWT, Thames TV and the BBC. A radio industry organisation, the Radio Academy, has its own Hall of Fame honouring people who have made an outstanding contribution to UK radio. One of the first recipients was, quite rightly, Kenny Everett. In October 1993 Kenny was the castaway on Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. The programme is still available on the BBC website - click here to listen to it. Everett was fond of animals, and at one stage had a Chihuahua-Yorkshire Terrier cross, two cats, a parrot and several horses. His companion in his last years was a cat called Pussy Cat. By way of recreation, Everett enjoyed needlework.

Now for the weekly local safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association.

Firstly the update from Barnehurst ward:- "Another week with no burglaries to report. But despite this it has been a busy week for Barnehurst officers who with the help of Bexleyheath and Crayford officers executed a search warrant on the Ward. A substantial amount of class A and class B drugs were found along with a large amount of cash and a firearm. Two males were arrested for possession with intent to supply drugs and possession of a firearm. Both males have since been charged for the drugs offence and one with possession of a firearm. Both males have been remanded to attend court. With Christmas fast looming please can we advise everybody to be vigilant and keep premises and vehicles secure". Belvedere ward:- "The team have recently visited Court Lodge and chatted to several residents in relation to crime prevention. The visit was very well received as many residents were concerned with the security of their homes. We were able to provide advice around this issue – and also supplied window alarms to the residents. We also discussed SmartWater (property marking) which will be implemented in the coming weeks at Court Lodge. We have been carrying out hi visibility patrols of the areas around Upper Park Road (Elmbourne Drive and Heathdene Drive in particular) as there had been reported burglaries in these streets over recent weeks. We have also visited Lesness Heath primary school this week to educate year 6 around internet/ social media safety and online bullying". Bexleyheath ward:- "Friday 13/12/19 Between 1600 – 1815 Burglary Albion Road keys to car on driveway and car stolen. Friday 13/12/19 overnight Theft From motor Vehicle Swanbridge Road Number Plates stolen. Saturday 14/12/19 1550 – 1630 Robbery from male on bus of Airpods Near Asda Broadway. The team have also been involved with a raid on a property in Barnehurst – see their link for the details but a really good job! A man has also been arrested by Asda for repeated begging despite being asked to leave the area several times. It transpires he is not actually homeless and made over £800 pretending to be. If you do wish to help please do not give them money, if they are truly homeless then food or drink is much more appreciated. Please keep yourselves safe this Festive Period there has been several reports of drinks being spiked – ensure you have sight of your drink at all times. Keep your purse and handbag safe whilst out shopping ensuring that zips and clasps are done up, make it difficult for thieves." Crayford ward:- "Thankfully, no burglaries to report this week. But unfortunately two vehicles have been stolen. A red Citroen Berlingo, number plate Y727NGX was stolen from Samos Way between 13.01 and 16.30 on 13th December. A white Transit panel van, number plate NA13YHV was stolen from Lea Vale between 20.00 on 15th December and 07.00 on 16th December, the van also contained a Magliner Gemini Junior Trolley, a three ton Trolley Jack, a breaker bar and a 21mm socket. Number plate NV17EAJ was stolen from a black Nissan Juke whilst parked near Thames Road on 14th December between 14.30 and 22.40. It was reported that on 15th December between 00.20-00.25 a male was approached by another male who intended to rob him, the victim was able to run away and nothing was stolen. A male was arrested on 16th December, initial call to police was that he was knocking things off shelves in shops at Tower Retail Park. On being stopped and searched near Sainsburys he was found to have bolt croppers, a screwdriver and other items and was arrested for going equipped to steal. The team have been very busy this week, on Wednesday a wanted male was located in Crayford High Street and arrested. Crayford officers along with Bexleyheath officers assisted Barnehurst officers with a drugs warrant at an address in Hornbeam Lane. A very significant amount of drugs and a firearm were discovered and two arrests were made. The shops are getting really busy, please remember to put purses away and keep bags zipped up, with wallets please try to keep them in an inside pocket rather than a back trouser pocket, pick pockets are very quick and unlikely to be seen. We would like to wish you peace and happiness for Christmas and the New Year". Erith ward:- "Theft from Vehicles is still an ongoing issues in the Erith area and other areas in the north or Bexley We have been out on the ward leafleting areas this is happening in, giving out crime prevention advice. The best advice we can give is do not leave anything in the car even coins of a low value. Also we have been issuing Smartwater in Erith so far we have given free kits to all residents of the Quarry and have started to deliver kits to Tower Road. If you are an Erith resident and would like a free Smart water kit please Email Erith SNT and we will try our best to give you a kit. Crimes of note: Theft from motor vehicle Saturday 7/12/2019 Callender Road, Theft from motor vehicle Wednesday 11/12/2019 Neptune Road,  Theft from motor vehicle Thursday 12/12/2019, Crescent Road,  Shoplift Saturday 14/12/2019 Farmfoods Ltd, Theft of motor vehicle Tuesday 17/12/2019 Pier Road,  Theft from motor vehicle Tuesday 17/12/2019 Winifred Road". Northumberland Heath ward - no report received this week.

Slade Green and Northend ward:- "An attempted burglary occurred between 1200 and 1600 on Tuesday 17/12/2019 whereby a window was forced at a ground floor flat in Wessex Drive but entry was not gained. Please ensure you lock all your windows before going out and please do not leave any presents on display too as this can be a very busy time of year. If you would like a Smart Water property marking kit, please email the team as we may be able to help. Last weekend PCSO Mark attended Christ Church with Erith SNT for the Christmas tree festival where many local residents were spoken to. This culminated in the Carol service on Sunday evening. Due to Christmas hours and shifts the are no CCS due until next year, dates will be sent out as soon as possible. All of us on Slade Green and Northend SNT would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and peaceful 2020 and we thank you for your continued support in the last 12 months". Thamesmead East ward:- "Burglary Walsham Close, overnight of the Monday 2/12/19 to Tuesday 3/12/19 the property entered , believed the victim had not locked the front door, bag with bank cards/wallet stolen. On Friday 6/12/19 Southmere Drive ,at 4:00am entry gained to property via the front door ,lock broken various items taken. Rushdene Road Tuesday 17/12/19 between 2:45 am – 2:57am Victim was woken by the reflection of a light coming through the bedroom door. A car engine was heard starting up, when the victim went down stairs it was found that a jacket containing 2 sets of car keys and house keys had been taken along with one of the vehicles from the drive. It was noted that the house was secured only by lifting the handle on the front door not locking the door with the key. Vehicle Crime - Tuesday 3/12/19 Kale Road between 12pm – 5:00pm, a catalytic converter was stolen from a vehicle. Thursday 5/12/19 between the hours of 12:00am – 01:30am the front and rear number plates were stolen from a vehicle in Sedgemere Road, The vehicle owner was again a victim with the rear number stolen on the Monday 9/12/19 between 07:30am and 10:45pm. A motor scooter was stolen from outside a property in Curlew Close between the hours of 4:00pm of the Saturday 7/12/19 and 06;00am of the Sunday 8/12/19.The scooter was found and the owner has since had the scooter returned. Sunday 8/12/19 A vehicle parked in Alsike Road was broken into, a mobile phone ,a wallet containing bank cards ,driving licence was taken. Glimpsing Green Wednesday 11/12/19 8pm – 14/12/19 1pm Victim reported Catalytic Converter removed from Toyota Auris by suspect/s unknown. Pointer Close Thursday 12/12/19 7:16am – 7:18am victims stated his vehicle has a slash to the offside tyre made by suspect. MARAN WAY Between Friday 13/12/19 7pm – 10am and Sunday 5/12/19 victim reported Catalytic Converter removed from Toyota Auris by suspect/s unknown. Kale Road Between Saturday 14/12/19 7pm - 8:30am and Sunday 15/12/19 Victim reports front registration plate removed by suspect/s unknown. Overton Road Between Tuesday 17/12/19 9pm – 8am and Wednesday 18/12/19 Victims vehicle broken into property removed by suspect/s. Criminal Damage - On Tuesday 10/12/19 between the hours of 11:00am and 13:00pm, a property in Longfisher Close had the external meter cupboard forced open and the wire ripped out. Good News - An investigation by PC Pruden following the of theft of a charity box, two people were arrested, one charged to attend court ,the other ongoing enquiries". West Heath ward:- "It's a short report this week as we are not able to access CRIS to access crimes over the last week and we are on rest days after today until Friday afternoon. One attempted burglary in Brabourne Crescent between Friday December 13th 9pm – Saturday December 14th at 5pm when the occupant returned to the property to find the front door had been forced causing damage to the frame. Thankfully entry was not gained. Theft of silver BMW from Glenview between 8pm on Saturday December 14th – 8pm on Sunday December 15th. The victim is still in possession of the key. Theft from Newlyn Road Sunday December 15th. No further details at this time. The team assisted the TSG (Tactical Support Group) with execution warrants across several wards. New contact sessions for the coming year will be announced in due course".

The end video this week is a  tour of the William Morris Red House in Bexleyheath. Please send any comments and feedback to hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Bright Steps.

I was sitting in my office in Pewty Acres on Wednesday morning, when I heard the sound of multiple emergency service sirens, and then the distinctive whirring drone of a helicopter. The combination of the two sounds led me to conclude that something big and not very pleasant was taking place in the local area. I grabbed my camera and headed in the direction of the sound, which led me to the Erith Construction depot and offices in Manor Road, Erith. I stood on the pavement on the opposite side of the road to the depot, to ensure that I did not cause an obstruction to any emergency vehicle or personnel. I was able to observe activities and took the photos that you can see above - please click on any one to see a larger version. The G-EHMS air ambulance landed on the area of the depot furthest from the entrance - close to the banks of the River Thames. Shortly thereafter a land ambulance and a number of Police cars turned up with blue lights and sirens running. These joined the emergency vehicles that had been in the first response. A handful of workers from the nearby industrial estate, and a chap who was the boss of a local company joined me to observe what was going on. Ironically, one of them fell victim to what I understand the press refer to as "big camera syndrome" and asked if I was a reporter, as I was carrying a professional DSLR camera. I said no, but I did run a local news service. Ironically if you click this link, you can see the story on the News Shopper website, which includes my photos, which I sent them with full permission to reproduce. At the time I took the photos, I assumed that the incident was some kind of industrial accident, but after I contacted the News Shopper, it became apparent that the story was actually even more worrying. My assumption as to the nature of the emergency was incorrect - it had not been an accident, it had been a stabbing. A man in his fifties had been stabbed in the chest - which explained the proliferation of Police cars at the scene. Unconfirmed reports state that the victim was a lecturer running a construction training course on the site; it has been said that he was attacked and stabbed by one of his students after an argument. At the time of writing, the alleged perpetrator is still at large. The injury to the lecturer is thought not to be life threatening. 

As soon as one local planning issue is resolved - the refusal of a licence for the White Hart African restaurant to open from 10am until 5am the next morning, as covered by the Maggot Sandwich last week, another planning matter has come to my attention, thanks to an eagle eyed reader who alerted me to the situation early last week. An application has been submitted to Bexley Council to convert the former Club Extreme / Tease (prior to that T's) nightclub building in Erith town centre into a Day Centre, Youth Centre, Conference and Place of worship. The upper floor of the building that housed the former night club has been empty and unused for over a decade. The lower floor is home to discount supermarket Farm Foods, and the Erith Police office. Back in July 2009 a chap called Wayne Miles submitted an application to open a nightclub called the Double Deuce Club on the site of the former T's / Club Extreme. Controversially he wanted his new club to open from 10pm until 7am seven days of the week, including Sundays. For an unknown reason the submission was withdrawn, and to the best of my knowledge it never went before the Bexley Council Licensing Sub - Committee for examination. No subsequent applications have been made as far as I am aware. The new proposal makes for very interesting reading. The plans that have been submitted to Bexley Council are for a facility that will very closely mirror the controversial one already in operation in the former Erith Snooker Club site in the upper floor of Electricity House, less than one hundred metres from the proposed new facility. The P2 Event Centre in Pier Road offers precisely the same facilities as the proposed new one in the old Extreme / T's night club site. If you click on the link to the P2 Event Centre, please be aware that the photographs on the website do not represent the actual Pier Road location - they were taken elsewhere and do not represent the reality. The whole website is outright deceptive and misleading. From my research it would appear that a rival African church are hoping to take on the former T's / Extreme night club site and turn it into another praise and conference centre. Bearing in mind the many other African churches already in the local area, it begs the question - is there actually a further market for more of the same? It is good that a site that has been empty and unused for more than a decade will be put back into operation, but have the new tenants done any market research into the demand for something that already exists very close by?

One of the main observations made by the Bexley Council Licensing Sub Committee during its reasons for not permitting the extension of the licence for The White Hart to operate until 5am daily in last weeks' meeting was that officers from the council had observed traffic and pedestrian activity in and around Erith Town Centre overnight prior to the hearing, and they had noted that after 9pm, Erith is pretty much dead when it comes to activity of any type. The only traffic through the town centre is from single and double decker buses, and even these mostly cease at around 1am, with the exception of the occasional night buses. In essence, Erith has been a dormitory town for the last fifty years, since the original town centre was demolished to make way for the hideous brutalist 1970's bare concrete shopping centre which unsuccessfully replaced it. My principal recollection of the 70's shopping centre was its dark corners, bare staircases and the overwhelming stink of Jeyes Fluid and stale wee. Before this, when the old town still stood, there were plenty of pubs, cafes and social clubs where locals could spend their evening and weekend spare time. Nowadays that is no longer the case; the only nearby pub is the once great but now woeful Running Horses in Erith High Street. which back in the 80’s and early 90’s was so popular that you would often have to book the upstairs carvery in advance, especially on Sundays when it was always packed, is nowadays in what seems like a terminal decline. The place has been bravely slogging on with a hard-core of regular drinkers for a long while, but the food side of the business is nothing whatsoever like it used to be. The Running Horses is in a superb river front location, and is a lovely 1930’s era reproduction Tudor style building. To be honest it could be restored back to its heyday if a substantial financial investment was made in the place, which I don’t think the current landlord / manager is in a position to do. I have long suspected that the land The Running Horses is sitting on is now worth substantially more than the pub itself, and that it is quite possible that the building is currently being “land banked” waiting for a suitable developer to come along and build yet more flats. Land in Erith is about to skyrocket in value, and it seems to me that it is not a question of if, but when this will happen. I would love to see The Running Horses become the massive success that it used to be, but honestly, unless something dramatic happens, I don't see a bright future for it in the current guise. The only proper "sit down" restaurant in the town centre is the superb, but woefully under - used Riverside Fish and Steak Restaurant. I have had a couple of excellent meals in the place, and there are some wonderful reviews on TripAdvisor, but for much of the time the beautifully decorated eaterie stands empty - a photo of the restaurant is above - please click on it for a larger version. I know that the whole UK casual dining industry is currently in trouble - Matthew Richards, a director at accountancy firm Grant Thornton, said in a recent interview with the BBC that:- "The casual dining trading environment in the UK remains extremely challenging, driven by a change in dining behaviour, long-term consumer trends and increased competition". The Erith Riverside Fish and Steak Restaurant gets a few customers in the lunchtime period - it has to be said the customers mostly seem to consist of retired people. A few customers frequent the place in the early evening, prior to attending a show at the Erith Playhouse, in many cases, but after that the place is dead. I have passed the Riverside Fish and Steak Restaurant at 8pm earlier in the week - hardly the middle of the night, and the place was open, but bereft of customers. which is a real pity, as the place has a lot to offer local eaters. Its sister restaurant - Mambocino inside the Erith Riverside Shopping Centre does a roaring trade in the daytime, but is not able to open in the evening as it is inside the locked perimeter of the shopping centre. I suspect that profits from Mambocino are probably being used to financially prop  up the Riverside Fish and Steak Restaurant, as it cannot be viable on its own. If you want to see local businesses succeed, you need to use them. I think that the current "dormitory" image that Erith has does not help - if locals go out for the evening, they tend to go to Bexleyheath or Bluewater. It will take a few more brave souls to open up night time businesses in and around Erith if this attitude is to change. The opening in January of the first phase of the refurbishment of the former Carnegie Library in Walnut Tree Road, and the launch of a bistro type restaurant, wine bar, arts display and meeting space will help in this respect. It would be nice to meet and socialise with other local residents - and in doing so, keep ones' well earned cash in local circulation. 

The Bright Steps children's nursery located in Electricity House, adjacent to the De Luci fish statue in Erith is no more. After a series of interventions by Ofsted and Bexley Police, the nursery was closed down after a series of legal compliance and child welfare violations. During a series of  hearings at the Royal Courts of Justice during July, August and September, the proprietor of Bright Steps lodged a legal appeal against the withdrawal of the licence by Ofsted. The decision of the Judge -  Gillian Irving QC, was published on the 11th October. The case - Mr Saula Ogunkoya (Bright Steps Nursery and Day Care)  v Ofsted determined that:- "We find as a fact that:- (i) the Appellant failed to identify risks of harm, issues of health and safety, and to implement appropriate and safe child-handling practice; (ii) the Appellant repeatedly failed to manage children’s behaviour appropriately; (iii) the Appellant repeatedly failed to meet the requirements in relation to child protection procedures and safeguarding; his approach to the investigation into CO in 2016 and the allegation in 2018 is indicative of an inability and/or an unwillingness to learn from past mistakes and to prioritise the needs of the children in his care; (iv) the Appellant has historically and repeatedly failed to meet the learning and development requirements of the EYFS; (v) the Appellant failed to ensure the suitability of staff, specifically his sister CO in 2016; (vi) the Appellant failed to notify Ofsted of the police investigation into CO in 2016 and delayed suspending her; (vii) the history demonstrates that the Appellant is unable or unwilling to sustain compliance with requirements imposed by the regulations. (e) We find that the Appellant has been untruthful both to the Respondent, the Police, the Tribunal and all others involved in the investigation of the incident on 3/1/2018. His failure to co-operate mirrors his unwillingness to co-operate in November 2017. His lack of integrity and his failure to work openly and in collaboration with the Respondent results in the sad conclusion that he is not suitable to provide nursery provision. We therefore dismiss the appeal and there shall be no order as to costs". You can read the published full legal decision on the case by clicking here. From my reading of the court documentation, it would appear that the nursery had been under performing for several years, and had refused to obey a series of previous compliance orders by Ofsted. The final straw seems to have been when a member of the public observed a member of the Bright Steps nursery staff smacking a child under their care. It would appear that subsequent to this, the nursery managers deleted CCTV footage of the assault, and tried to cover up the event when Ofsted and the Police then carried out an investigation. The nursery has now been closed down for good. 

Now a question for any of you amateur ornithologists out there; On Thursday afternoon I was pottering around in the garden, when I came across the remains that you can see in the photo above. I have absolutely no idea what kind of bird it was, or indeed exactly what had attacked it, but there was very little remaining of it other than part of a wing, and what appeared to be a few tail feathers. Can anyone advise me of what it was? 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:- "Two crimes of note to report this week, the first being a criminal damage in the garage area in Cheviot Close. On the evening of Friday 19th October four suspects have entered the secluded garage area and smashed three CCTV cameras, we have several leads that are being progressed regarding this so I will not go into great details of the offence, only a message to the suspects which is, 'Do you not realise that CCTV cameras record? And you haven't been as clever in disguising yourself as you think'. The second is a theft which occurred on 21st October at 3.30PM where a suspect described as a white male aged about 25 years, wearing a dark baseball cap, dark jacket, and blue jeans entered a residential care home in Colyers Lane and stole a handbag from the staff area on the second floor. Our next contact session will be on Friday 9th November at 11am at Barnehurst Golf course. Join us for a chat about any local issues that may be of concern. Please be careful over the Halloween / firework period. The team will be out and about dealing with any anti-social behaviour over this period and will be adopting a zero tolerance approach to any offences". Belvedere ward:- "Males that appear to have been begging have been bought to the teams attention this week. Three males have been observed approaching various members of public/ shoppers in the car park of Asda in Lower Road. At this stage these males appear to be acting separately. The team are monitoring the location regularly in an effort to speak to the males involved. There was a burglary in Gideon Close on the evening of Thursday 18th October. Entry was gained to the rear of the property although it is believed that the suspect(s) used items at the front of the property to climb over a wall into the rear garden. Please remain vigilant when leaving or returning to your properties, if you see anything that you feel is suspicious or that makes you feel uncomfortable, call Police. When leaving your property, even for a short amount of time, please ensure that all windows and doors are securely locked with keys stored safely out of sight. If possible, do not leave valuable items on show and also consider leaving lights switched on within your home whilst you are away to give the impression that the property is occupied. Should you have concerns about your home security or would like to speak to the team about crime prevention, please do call us on 0208 721 2050 or email us at belvedere.SNT@met.police.uk. With Halloween fast approaching, we have visited local shops throughout the ward in an effort to ask for assistance in reducing possible Anti-Social behaviour over this period of the year. Many shops are restricting the sale of certain items (eggs/ flour and suchlike) to persons under the age of 18 as these may be used to commit various offences. We have also visited locations where elderly residents and more vulnerable members of the community may attend to distribute ‘No Trick or Treat' posters which can be displayed in the window of your home over the Halloween period. If you would like one of these, please contact the team using the contact information above". From Belvedere Neighbourhood Watch Member - Sylvia:- "Hi, I'd like to report the theft of a bicycle. It belonged to my 81 year old next door neighbour who is a keen cyclist. It was stolen from outside the Belvedere Asda store last week. He can't remember whether it was Wednesday 17th or Thursday 18th (due to his age). He only popped into Asda for a packet of biscuits so the bicycle wasn't left outside for long. He phoned the police who told him that there was nothing they can do as the bicycle parking area is not in view of the cctv camera and none of the Asda staff had seen anything. It had been chained with two chains which was all that was left when he returned from the shop.The bicycle is bright green with 27” wheels and cost him £1800. Unfortunately the bicycle wasn't marked". Bexleyheath ward:- "Bexleyheath & Crayford Wards: Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch and your Safer Neighbourhoods police team invite you to a joint a coordinators meeting on: TUESDAY 6TH NOVEMBER BETWEEN 7PM-8.30PM at BEXLEYHEATH POLICE STATION, 2 ARNSBERG WAY, BEXLEYHEATH, DA7 4QS. * PLEASE ARRIVE A LITTLE EARLIER TO CLEAR SECURITY *. This meeting will be attended by representatives from your Ward's Safer Neighbourhoods Team and a representative from Neighbourhood Watch. It is an opportunity for all the local coordinators to meet together and share good practice. There will be a short presentation which will reassure you that by working together you will be better prepared to confront the issues that affect your Ward. The Neighbourhood Watch scheme gives you the chance to play a vital role in your community and to make a difference. It lets you join the drive against crimes such as burglary and theft and to combat social nuisances like vandalism and graffiti. The result is something that we all want – ‘A better quality of life'. Points for discussion: • Police & Neighbourhood Watch activity in the Ward • Help and assistance to support your Watch – i.e. street signs/leaflets etc. • Questions & answers • Sharing good practice. If you have any items that you would like added to the Agenda please contact the NHW office well in advance of the meeting. Please register your attendance or send your apologies to the BBNWA office on 020 8284 5537 or bexwatch-office@btconnect.com". Crayford ward:- "This week has seen a sharp increase in burglary and theft of Samsung phones, the prevalent crimes for this week. On Friday 19th October a lady checked her phone before placing it in her bag as she entered Aldi at Crayford. When she left the store she realised that the phone was gone. On Saturday 20th October, Curry's at Tower Retail Park reported that five Samsung mobile phones had been stolen including models J6, A7, S8, S9, Note 9, there were three suspects. On Saturday 13th October at 20.54 a business at Kennet Road reported the theft of scrap metal from their premises, a white Ford Transit van was used for this offence. On Saturday 20th October at 20.00 a mobile phone was stolen whilst the victim was on a train, this crime has been transferred to the British Transport Police (BTP). On Monday 22nd October at about 09.30 a cash in transit robbery took place outside Sainsbury's. A cashbox containing a large amount of cash was taken, the suspects were driving a Silver Volkswagen Golf. A wing mirror was stolen from a vehicle parked in Iron Mill Lane between Saturday 20th October at 21.00 and 12.00 on Sunday 21st October, the wires were deliberately cut on the side closest to the pavement. An elderly, vulnerable resident was visited at their home address by a male described as white, greying hair, 50-60 years, stocky build who was carrying a clip board. The victim being rather deaf invited the person in to their home as the outside road was noisy, it appeared the male was collecting for charity. The victim left the suspect alone for a moment and later realised that a bank statement had been removed. It became apparent that someone had used the bank statement to fraudulently open another account and move funds. Please don't let this happen to you or someone that you know. Remember to put door chains on or use the spyhole before opening the door to unexpected visitors, don't give any personal details to cold callers no matter how plausible they seem. If you need to verify a person who says they need to enter your property, close your door properly and contact the company directly to verify. Do not use the contact details if offered at the door. A genuine caller will not mind and this may be a good time to set up an entry password. On Tuesday 23rd October there were three burglaries reported in Crayford. Between 17.15 - 20.30 entry was made by smashing a patio door at a property in Mayplace Road East, there was an untidy search and jewellery and a watch were stolen. At 19.25 a burglar was disturbed by the house alarm activation at Melrose Avenue, but still got away with jewellery and cash, entry was gained by smashing a rear door. Between 7.50-19.50 entry was made at a property in Bascombe Grove by smashing a patio door. At this stage it is not confirmed what has been stolen. The dark evenings are drawing in, please take a few minutes to reconsider your home security so that your home looks occupied even when you are out. Please see www.met.police.uk for further tips and advice on burglary prevention. On 23rd October at 15.32 a Samsung J6 plus was stolen from Currys. Between 18.00 on Sunday 21st October and 10.00 on Monday 22nd October a White Mercedes Sprinter LK64 XMC was stolen from Mayplace Avenue,. No broken glass and all keys accounted for. On Tuesday 23rd October between 09.00-12.00 there was a theft from a Silver Renault van whilst parked in Bexley Lane. It is believed the back doors may have been unlocked and power tools were taken. Three males were reported to have been acting suspiciously nearby, however they may not be linked. No community contact sessions have been arranged for the next two weeks as we will be concentrating on Halloween and Firework nights patrols". Erith Ward:- "First of all we had a really good number of people at the Erith ward panel meeting on the 17th. Thank you to those who turned up, to people who couldn't make the meeting for one reason or another, we hope to see you soon. We need a Vice Chairman, to cover/help Jerry out when needed, Please contact me if you fancy this role, I know there was definitely one person interested so far. Priorities for the next 3 months have been set as – ASB West street area and ASH up by the Pom Pom area. We are also going to be focusing on the new White Hart pub restaurant (opposite the Post Office). Date of the next meeting has been set for the Thursday 17th January 2019 Drop-in surgery, upcoming dates Erith Costa: 12:00PM - 1:00PM, Wed 31 October 2018; 2:00PM - 3:00PM Sat 10 November 2018 and 12:00PM - 1:00PM, Fri 16 November 2018". Northumberland Heath ward:- "No burglaries on the ward this week. Two reports of motor vehicle crime. Both took place overnight on Sunday 21st October. A company work van in Dickens close was damaged by entry was not gained. The other vehicle was parked overnight in Brook Street. A number of items were stolen to the value of £500. It is not clear at this stage if the vehicle was locked as entry was not forced. The team have been busy visiting local shops to deliver leaflets regarding the sale of eggs and flour over the Halloween period, and delivering Trick or treat posters to elderly residents to display in their windows to avoid them being disturbed. Small posters regarding Halloween are available in the Library in Mill Road for anyone who wishes to pick them up. We have been visiting our second hand retailers on the ward this week to check their books and to make sure that no stolen property is sold on, and as part of the reduction of violent crime campaign we have conducted weapon sweeps. Thankfully nothing was discovered. The next coffee with cops event will be held on Saturday November 3rd from Midday. All are welcome to attend".  

Slade Green and Northend ward:- "There has unfortunately been several vehicle crimes in the last week. Overnight Friday / Saturday 19 / 20th October number plates were taken from a car in Hamilton Walk and a car in Sandpiper Drive. We have a small amount of anti-theft screws for number plates, please let us know if you would like some. On Weds 18th October between 5pm and 11pm a bike was stolen from Peareswood Road, PC Telfer found the bike in Frobisher Road and it has been recovered to the owner. A wallet was stolen from a car outside Lincoln Close around 12.50pm on Tuesday October the 24th and a handbag was taken from the back seat of a car between 10am and 1pm on Sunday October 21st. Please please do not leave any valuables on display at any time. We have some cctv footage that shows 2 supects at the scene for both thefts and enquiries are being made to ascertain a positive ID. PC Telfer stopped 3 males in Appold Street on Saturday afternoon. 2 were in possession of cannabis so one was issued with a PND and one was a juvenile due in for interview soon. Today (Weds 24th October) PCSO Mark worked with PCSO Adam from the Erith team and conducted weapons sweeps in Rainbow Road on our ward and Compton Place in Erith ward as part of the Met Police Op Sceptre which tackles violent crime, nothing found at either venue (photo above). Also today, PC Brookes-Smith and PC Telfer stopped a male in Newbery Road who was in possession of several bags of cannabis. He is due back for interview in the next couple of weeks. On Monday 29th October PCSO Mark will be attending the Slade Green Big Local Stakeholders conference meeting with all partner agencies and getting an update on all the work the Big Local are carrying out in the community".  Thamesmead East ward:- "Burglaries - On Wednesday 13/10/18 an attempted burglary occurred in Haldane Road, between the hours of 06:00pm and 07:00pm the front porch door frame near the lock was damaged. No entry gained. Motor Vehicle Crimes - Between the hours of 03:55 am and 04:03 am on Friday 19/10/18 a victim left his vehicle running to warm up ,whilst he went to collect something from a property in Haldane Road. A wallet containing bank cards and cash was taken ,however a suspect was arrested at the scene by attending officers. Between the hours of 08:50 pm on Wednesday 17/10/18 and 08:40 am on Friday 19/10/18 a wheel and tyre was stolen from a parked in Hartslock Drive. The next Community Contact Session is Tuesday 30/10/18 between the hours of 1:00 pm and 2:00pm at The 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". West Heath ward:- "Unfortunately there was a robbery in King Harolds Way last Thursday 17th October. Two males with baseball bats accosted the victim in an alleyway stealing the victims bag, believed possibly drug related. There was another residential burglary in West Heath Road on Friday 19th October at about 8:30pm. Resident returned to their address through the rear patio doors and disturbed three males, one in a black balaclava and black clothing. Males were chased but lost in Amberley Road. Nothing was taken. We have had 2 thefts from motor vehicles, one in Mayfair Avenue overnight Friday 19th to 20th October and the second in New Road, daytime Monday 22nd October". 

I am not a great one for visiting the cinema; I like to see films on the big screen, but for me the experience is often marred by other people - talking, eating loudly, checking their mobile phones and generally acting as an annoyance and a distraction. Last night I did go out to CineWorld in Bexleyheath to see a film I had been anticipating for a long time. Bohemian Rhapsody, the biopic of Freddie Mercury and Queen is a film that had a very long and troubled development, as you can read on many websites. For many years the whole project was off, then on again; the choice of lead actor to play Freddie Mercury changed three times. and the films' director was replaced close to the end of principal photography. All this is well documented, as are the largely lukewarm reviews of the movie by professional critics. I am firmly of the opinion that this is going to be one of a very rare occurrence; the critic - proof movie. One only has to read the viewer feedback regarding Bohemian Rhapsody on the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) which you can see here, to see that audiences absolutely love the film. I am not going to review the film here, as there are many already published online, and I would only be duplicating what others have written. Suffice to say that I loved the movie, and if you are any kind of music fan, I think you would too. Leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

The lumpy Thames.

I took the photo above a couple of weeks ago, on the day of the Alexander Selkirk festival. It shows Erith Pier, the longest river mounted structure anywhere on the Thames, and a really nice place to be on a warm and sunny day. Do give the pier a visit if the weather is clement and you are in the area. Incidentally, I have decided to drop my copyright challenge against the Bexley Times; it turns out that the individual responsible for the infringement is seriously ill, and I feel that pursuing the case further would be inappropriate under the present circumstances.

I have been doing more reading and research on the history of Erith; this week I am mainly covering the impact of the Crossness Sewage Works. In the 1860's day trippers started coming to Erith on the then newly invented paddle steamers from London. The area in what is now the Riverside Gardens was a popular destination, and for a while the town had a good reputation as a "watering place" - though in reality I think a lot more beer and tea got consumed. Many local people were concerned that the opening of the Crossness Sewage Works would be deleterious to Erith's tourist image, as raw, untreated sewage would be forcibly pumped downstream past Erith on the falling tide. Crossness was the brain child of Sir Joseph Bazalgette, Engineer to the Metropolitan Board of Works, as part of a £5 million sewerage scheme to bring sanitation to 69 square miles of London, from Putney to Crossness. The works were officially opened on the 4th April 1875 by the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh. The buildings, in the then fashionable Italian style were built on what was then a ground breaking cast concrete platform, at a cost in excess of £750,000. The site covered an area of 37 acres, which included housing for fifty workers and their families on site. A thousand foot deep artesian well was dug to supply them with fresh water, whilst they processed 70 million gallons of London's sewage each day - that's a hell of a lot of poo. The fears of Erith residents about the increase in bad smells and consequent lumpy Thames water were fully justified; there was considerable local agitation for several years following the opening of the works, and it was only after a popular local campaign run by a Mr. Charles Beadle and a small group of activists, that improvements were made to the filtering system, and a deodorising unit was established, which ended up life somewhat more pleasant for those living down wind.  Having said that, there are plenty of times, usually when it is hot and windy, where the turdy whiff of Crossness can be smelled in the local area to this day.

It is not very often that I give any kind of consumer advice, but this is going to be one of those occasions. As you may be aware, I was recently housebound for a couple of weeks, following a nasty bout of Plantar Fasciitis in my right foot. Fortunately I am now well on the mend, and back working in the office,  rather than from home, as had been the case. Whilst I was working from home, I stocked up on a few snack like comestibles to make my lunch a bit nicer. One thing that stood out from the shelves in Erith Morrison's was some soup in a cup. I absolutely love mushrooms in all of their forms - they are one of my absolute favourite things to eat. Naturally I thought I would buy some mushroom soup - and I saw a range promoted by TV chef and celebrity buffoon Ainsley Harriott. It claimed to be made from a hand picked selection of wild mushrooms, and with his celebrity endorsement, I thought that I was on to a winner. How wrong can one be? The soup turned out to be salty, sugary, lacking almost totally in any mushroom flavour whatsoever, and also lumpy - what ever one did to stir it, the mug still ended up with a powdery and lumpy sludge at the bottom. Utterly disgusting. I checked the ingredients list, to find out that the so called "wild mushroom" soup was packed to the gills with additives - and the largest single ingredient was glucose syrup powder. I am a person who is loathe to throw out food, but I have to admit the rest of the sachets in the packet had their contents emptied down the sink - the paper and card packaging then went straight round to the recycling centre at the back of Morrison's car park. Avoid. On a more positive note, here is a much nicer recipe for proper mushroom soup from YouTube cult chef and nutter - Titli Nihaan:

Cash Generator has now opened in the Erith Riverside Shopping Centre. From the look of the place, they have had to import much of their second hand stock from other stores round the region. There are a suspiciously large number of very recent second hand LED and Plasma televisions offered for sale in the place. I just wonder how many of these possibly came onto the market courtesy of the late summer riots? Just a thought. Any business that can (somehow) legally get away with charging an exploitative 1733.5% interest on a loan has got to be suspect - check their terms and conditions of you don't believe me. Personally I would ban them from trading in any shape or form. In my opinion, they only exist to increase suffering to the already vulnerable.

For the first in a very long time, I am writing this sitting in my favourite corner of the Robin Hood and Little John pub, accompanied by my Acer Aspire One netbook, running Mint Linux, and fuelled by a cool pint of Late Red – the excellent autumn seasonal ale made by Kent brewery Shepherd Neame. It is one of my favourite real ales – truly nectar of the Gods - see the image below this paragraph. The pub has an excellent menu of home cooked food - no microwaved rubbish. You can download a PDF of their excellent menu by clicking here. I am glad to be in such a pleasant and calming environment after a somewhat trying bus ride to get here. I was under the erroneous impression that now I am no longer having to make a daily nursing home visit, and am thus using the bus system less, that my semi regular encounters with the undesirable elements of South East London would be reduced. I was wrong. I got on the 99 towards Bexleyheath, and only three stops later a middle aged woman with six children aged from (at a guess) about thirteen to about four years of age got on.. I used to see the same family group on the 99 bus from Plumstead to Erith when returning from Dad visiting in the past. Most of the kids appear to have OCD / ADD / Hyperactivity – either that, or they are all irredeemably and continuously naughty. I actually felt sorry for her – her brood were swinging around the poles on the lower deck – screaming and shouting, jumping around and generally making the lives of the other passengers hell. I was grinding my teeth in frustration – the woman has absolutely no control over the kids. She tells them off, but they ignore her, and carry on with their passenger annoying behaviour – none of the brood seemingly aware of how to behave in the presence of strangers – it is as if other people are simply not there.

The emergency backup generator at Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup was sabotaged in the early hours of the morning on November the 11th. Scumbags dug up and ripped out the emergency power cables from the generator room to the main building in order to steal their copper. This potentially put the lives of hundreds of vulnerable people at risk. Metal thefts are on the rise, as I have written many times before, and seem to be even more of an issue in and around Bexley Borough. The laws over recycling and sale of metals really need to be toughened up. The Government has been making some encouraging noises about the currently intolerable situation, and the Local Government Association (who actually see that these statutes get enforced) are calling for compulsory annual registration for all scrap dealers, a ban on all cash transactions, number plate recognition CCTV cameras at all scrap yards by law, and legally enforceable recording of all transactions, ensuring a complete audit trail. The Government estimate that £770 million worth of metal was stolen and illegally resold last year; personally I think this figure is somewhat on the low side. They also say that there have been approximately 700 incidents of power cable theft alone in the last month! I have previously written about the utter filth who steal the bronze and brass plaques from war memorials - my contempt for such individuals will no doubt be of no surprise. The only fact in this sorry situation is the fact that six of the metal thieves have died in the last year whilst cutting into power cables - a pity more of them did not get fried - it is what the scum deserve. 

I have been asked to give an additional plug to the campaign to recruit new Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinators - details below - please click on the image to enlarge for reading. You can see the Erith Watch website by clicking here. 

I was doing some research into the famous Red House at Bexleyheath, the former home of writer, designer and artist William Morris, when I came across something completely different - Bexleyheath's own independent record label - Talking Elephant Records. They specialise in folk and progressive rock - especially the pastoral sub genre of the Canterbury Scene. They represent a wide variety of artists, both current and historical. You can check out their website and online shop by clicking here.

I am extremely glad to see that the EDSAC rebuild project at The National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park has got the green light, and that £250,000 has been raised to rebuild this ground breaking early computer - work is now under way on the project, that I initially reported back in January. Much of the credit has to go to computer scientist Herman Hauser, one of the fathers of the BBC Micro in the 1980's. EDSAC was a very early computer, using valves and mercury delay lines to store data. It led to the very first commercial computer, LEO - which was an acronym for Lyons Electronic Office, which ran stock control, payroll and many other "modern" functions, way back in the mid 1950's. If it had not been for some poor management and business decisions, Silicon Valley might well have been in the UK rather than California. There was an extensive and fascinating article about LEO in the Daily Telegraph this week, as it is the 60th anniversary of the first LEO computer going live. Unfortunately I missed the story, but one of my invaluable (and anonymous) sources brought it to my attention - along with the photo of the story you can read below - do click on the scan to enlarge it for easier reading. You can also visit the Leo Computer Society website by clicking here.

This week marks the 20th anniversary of the death of Freddie Mercury. BBC Radio 4 transmitted a half hour documentary about his life on Saturday morning. If you are in the UK you should be able to click here to listen to it online. It will only be available for a week.

Free radio station Laser Hot Hits are now streaming on the Internet, as well as broadcasting on shortwave. You can read all about this excellent station by clicking here for more.

As predicted, the ill planned Caribbean Kitchen restaurant / bar in Bexleyheath Broadway has gone bankrupt. I originally wrote about it back in April - which you can re-read by clicking here. I was walking past the place on Saturday morning, and saw a bailiff's official letter posted in the doorway - it informed the owners that the locks had been changed, and that it was an offence for them to now try and gain entry to the place. The building and all its' contents were repossessed only the day previously, on Friday morning, due to failure to pay bills. I am not in any way surprised. The place took over a year to open from the originally announced date, in which time a Nando's restaurant opened directly opposite, on the other side of the road. When the Caribbean Kitchen finally did open its' doors, it looked like an amateurish and half hearted effort, offering a very similar menu to Nando's, but at greater cost, and not so well cooked, in a venue full of second hand, worn old furniture. It was doomed to failure from the outset, as I have written in the past.

Following my feature of the "guilty pleasure" TV show "Man Vs Food" that I discussed last week, I have had several Emails from anonymous Maggot Sandwich readers who all agree that the programme is "must see" television. To this end, I have embedded another part episode as the end video for this week - it would appear that many people love the show - however off putting the initial premise might have initially appeared to have been. Adam Richman seems to be onto a winner with this one.