Caught red handed.

News has just broken that The Redeemed Christian Church of God Praise Embassy located in Electricity House, 33A Bexley Road, Erith has lost its temporary planning permission. The building. shown in the photo above - click on it for a larger view, has been used as a church, and formerly as a children's nursery, until after an investigation by Ofsted and the Metropolitan Police, the Bright Steps nursery was closed down and its licence revoked after a member of staff was seen hitting a child, and the operators of the nursery destroyed CCTV footage of the incident, which I have covered in detail in the past. Now Bexley Council want the church out. The decision of Bexley Council reads as follows:- "TAKE NOTICE that Bexley Council, the Local Planning Authority under the Town and Country Planning Acts, HAS REFUSED TO PERMIT the development of land situated at :33A Bexley Road Erith, Kent DA8 1SH. For continued use of premises as a place of worship and educational training / community centre and day nursery previously approved for a limited period. Referred to in the application for permission for development received on 25th February 2019, and that the grounds for such refusal are as attached. The applicant has failed to provide the Local Planning Authority with adequate and unambiguous information to enable a thorough and detailed assessment of the proposed scheme. Information including; detailed floor plans showing how the rooms within the building are utilised; details of how and when the outdoor play is going to be used; and an up to date travel plan. Access to the site to conduct an inspection was also denied. The proposed is therefore contrary to Policies ENV39, COM3 and T17 of the Unitary Development Plan (2004) and Policy 3.18 in The London Plan (2016). PLEASE NOTE:- In dealing with this planning application, Bexley Council has worked with the applicant in a positive and proactive manner, in accordance with the requirements of paragraphs 186 and 187 of the National Planning Policy Framework, to seek solutions to problems where practicable. Detailed advice is available in the form of the Council’s Development Plan as well as in the Mayor of London’s and Bexley Council’s Supplementary Planning Documents and Guidance. The Council also offers a full pre-application service that is available to all applicants to assist in formulating their proposals". Quite what will happen to the church now is anyone's guess. As far as the building is concerned, my sources indicate that Bexley Council want to redevelop the site. 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. The building is now very run down and dilapidated, and from what I understand the only real source of income is the mobile phone masts and cell transceivers mounted on the roof. 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. What do you think? Leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

After last weekend's Open House event, when I met several readers as I ran guided tours around the historic Carnegie Library building in Walnut Tree Road, Erith, I have had correspondence from long time reader Dana Wiffen, who sent me the photographs above. Dana writes:- "The Railway RANG (Royal Arsenal Narrow Gauge-Railway) is now running - which is wonderful, as their original predictions were for the spring 2020. The Loco and carriage are looking really good, and they are working to extend to the car park with appropriate platforms and passing double tracks. This is a 2 foot gauge railway and follows the route of the 1861 William Websters contractors railway which brought in the materials for the building of Crossness Engines Pumping Station. This is a superb added attraction for the many visitors to the wonderful partly restored pump engines that visit every year which includes a growing band of visitors from outside of the UK. The next and final open day of this year will be Sunday 20th October 2019 when the pump engine "Prince Consort" will be in steam as well as the railway running and the many other places of interest to visit, there is also a superb tea room". The engine pictured above is named "Bazalgette" after the pioneering Victorian engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette, the creator of Crossness Sewage Works, and much of London's sewage systems. As chief engineer to London's metropolitan board of works in the mid-19th century, Bazalgette had a significant impact both on London's appearance and, through his design of an efficient sewage system, on the health of its inhabitants. Joseph Bazalgette was born in London on 28 March 1819. His father was a captain in the Royal Navy. Bazalgette began his career as a railway engineer, gaining considerable experience in land drainage and reclamation. In 1842 he set up in private practice. In 1856, London's metropolitan board of works was established. The board was the first organisation to supervise public works in a unified way over the whole city, and it elected Joseph Bazalgette as its first, and only, chief engineer. In the mid-19th century, London was suffering from recurring epidemics of cholera. In 1853 - 1854 more than 10,000 Londoners were killed by the disease. It was thought at the time to be caused by foul air. The hot summer of 1858 created the 'Great Stink of London', which overwhelmed all those who went near the Thames - including the occupants of Parliament. This, together with the frequent occurrence of Cholera, gave impetus to legislation enabling the metropolitan board to begin work on sewers and street improvements. By 1866 most of London was connected to a sewer network devised by Bazalgette. He saw to it that the flow of foul water from old sewers and underground rivers was intercepted, and diverted along new, low-level sewers, built behind embankments on the riverfront and taken to new treatment works. By 1870 both the Albert and the Victoria Embankments had been opened. These replaced the tidal mud of the Thames shore with reclaimed ground for riverside roads and gardens behind their curved river walls. The Victoria Embankment protected Bazalgette's low-level sewer, as well as a service subway and the underground railway. The Chelsea Embankment was completed in 1874, reclaiming over 52 acres from the Thames. Throughout this busy time, Bazalgette continued to train young civil engineers and provide independent advice to other British towns and cities - as well as places as far apart as Budapest and Port Louis, Mauritius. Bazalgette died on 15 March 1891.

In another rail related post, details of the remedial work to the banks of the railway in and around Barnehurst Station have been published during the week; as you may recall there was serious disruption to the Bexleyheath line in February, when a series of landslides caused the line to be blocked for a week; temporary remedial action was taken then, and there are now plans for a permanent fix. The 853 Blog wrote recently:- "The Bexleyheath line will be closed between Blackheath and Dartford between 15 and 23 February so engineers can remove thousands of tonnes of soil and install retaining walls with steel beams at Barnehurst. Network Rail says the work, timed to take place in the half-term holiday, will protect the route from landslips for the next 120 years. Extra and longer trains will run on the adjacent Greenwich and Sidcup lines, with the route between Blackheath and Charlton also staying open for trains". The Bexleyheath based Community Rail Partnership said of the forthcoming closure:- "In short, whilst the Community Rail Partnership is broadly in favour of the closure and only for the week as it means the problem is solved, we are mostly concerned with the impact on passengers. The last closure saw buses running between Dartford and Lewisham which were absolutely empty (except between about Dartford and Bexleyheath), because nobody wants to sit on a bus for 60+ minutes between Bexleyheath and Lewisham (if not longer) then to have to get on another train. The B11 was creaking at the seams between Bexleyheath and Abbey Wood and this means we need rail replacement buses not to go 'linear' but 'lateral'. We also want to make sure absolutely tonnes of trains go through Woolwich so that they not only still serve Blackheath and Lewisham; but also allows the focal point for rail replacement to be at Erith, Abbey Wood, Woolwich Arsenal and maybe one other place in the Greenwich area. We have asked Network Rail and South Eastern to attend a meeting with councillors and MPs but also want them to submit their plans for the train service before the T-13 week (3 month) deadline so they can't then 'hide behind' the fact that everything's already been decided. We assess that we've got until about October 15th to give them up to 3 weeks to make any changes and still have 3 months to prepare the rail replacement plans with local councils (temporary bus stops and such). I'll hope they bother to email back and hope for good news".

I came across some pretty worrying information earlier this week. Millennials only truly relax for seven hours a week – because they are too wrapped up in their mobile phones. A poll of 2,000 adults found hectic home and work lives mean those aged 18-34 get less than 60 minutes to themselves each day. Around six in 10 even say they ‘never’ truly relax, because they’re always checking their phone for emails and messages. One tenth even admitted they struggle to go longer than 10 minutes without checking their smartphones. A staggering nine in 10 also confess to opening their phone, even though they know they haven’t had any messages, just to look at the screen. But even older generations are struggling to relax, getting just 90 minutes to unwind each day. Sometimes people wonder why I don't have a mobile phone - this concern is just one of my many answers. On from one form of communication to another - who says I don't plan these things?

I know that I have a fairly large number of Radio Amateurs amongst my readership; As many may know, I too am a Radio Amateur, though not a particularly active one. Something that has come to my attention that should be of concern to anyone with an amateur radio licence is that radio equipment that is only to be used by qualified and licenced individuals under the terms and conditions of their licence is being sold online with no check as to the purchaser, and whether they are allowed to own and operate the equipment. Test purchases have been made on Amazon,  and no questions as to the customers licence type or callsign were made when an order was placed for a 2m VHF and 70cm UHF transceiver of the type illustrated in the photograph above. It strikes me that it would be very easy for anyone to purchase amateur radio equipment online and use it without the necessary training or qualifications in how to operate it properly and within the law. One might argue that in the past, many prospective radio amateurs started off pirating - mainly on the two metre VHF band. The difference in the past was that even basic equipment was relatively expensive - a handheld transceiver similar to the one pictured above would cost several hundred pounds. This meant that only fairly serious people would try to purchase such a unit, and they would usually be asked for their licence details. Obviously they could use someone else's callsign - the checks were fairly rudimentary - which had the effect of making a purchase, even for someone unqualified, quite a challenge. Those unlicensed people were committed, and almost invariably they went on to study for the Radio Amateur Exams (RAE). I am pretty certain that a "blind eye" was turned to these individuals in many cases, as it was regarded as one way of bringing new blood into the technical hobby. Circumstances nowadays have changed remarkably. The handheld radio above is currently on sale on the Amazon UK website for £31.99. That is not a misprint - one can buy the radio for just under £32. Price is no longer a bar to purchasing, and when this is added to the complete lack of eligibility checks, it creates a worrying situation. Non - radio amateurs do have access to some very good two way radio products, the first of which is Citizen's Band radio. Citizens’ Band (‘CB’) radio operates in the 27 MHz band. It is a short-range radio service for both hobby and business use. It is designed to be used without the need for technical qualifications. However, its use must not cause interference to other radio users. You can read more about Citizen's Band radio in the UK by clicking here. The other radio service offered to unlicenced people in the UK is PMR 446 ("Private Mobile Radio, 446 MHz") is a licence exempt service in the UHF radio frequency band and is available for business and personal use in most countries throughout the European Union. PMR446 is typically used for small-site, same-building and line of sight outdoor activities. Equipment used ranges from consumer-grade to professional quality walkie-talkies. Depending on surrounding terrain range can vary from a few hundred metres (in a city) to a few kilometres (flat countryside) to many kilometres from high ground. You can read more about PMR 446 radios by clicking here. The point is, that there are very good alternatives to amateur radio if you want wireless two way communication without the need to study, sit three exams and get an amateur radio licence. Why should you become involved with Amateur Radio, when so many other communications methods are now available? This short video, which is mainly aimed at younger people, and those with no background in technology, will explain. 

It would appear that a new Micro Pub may soon be opened in the local area; a planning application has been submitted to convert a former tattoo parlour located at 149 Long Lane, Bexleyheath into a new Micro Pub. Word reaches me that the woman who has submitted the application has been trained in how to run a Micro Pub by the owners of the The Broken Drum in Blackfen.

I know that many locals are now looking forward to the annual Christ Church Erith Christmas Tree Festival. The Christmas Tree Festival will be taking place as usual on the 13th-15th December. The event is a firm fixture in the calendar of the local area, with visitors coming from as far away as Milton Keynes to see the decorated Christmas trees which fill the Grade II* listed church over the long weekend, and which raises so much money for local good causes. Last night was the annual fund raising Friends of Christ Church Erith quiz and raffle night. Turnout was excellent; around a hundred local people turned up for a very challenging general knowledge quiz, and a raffle with some excellent prizes - first prize was £250 cash, second £100 cash, third was a £50 Marks and Spencer voucher, fourth was a DAB radio, and runners up prizes included a beer gift set from the excellent Bexley Brewery. Only one thing threatened to mar the event before it even started. I, along with several other people were witness to an attempted fly tipping yesterday afternoon. A dark blue Ford Transit van with white lettering on the side saying "LC Plastering Services" stopped in the car park of the church hall at Christ Church at around 5.20pm. Two young white males were in the cab. The driver got out and opened the back of the van. I, and a couple of other people went out to investigate, as we suspected the occupants of the transit van were about to carry out fly tipping. The driver got back into the van saying "It is all right, we are going" and then drove off after being caught red handed. Due to the angle, I was unable to get the vehicle registration number. No actual crime was committed, but I feel had we not interceded, one would have. I detest all criminality, and fly tipping in particular. Please keep a look out for a van matching the description above; I suspect that they will fly tip elsewhere. What do you think? Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Talking of local Micro Pubs, The Kentish Belle in Pickford Lane, Bexleyheath has been in the news recently, when a reporter from the flagship BBC Radio 4 Today programme interviewed customers with regard to the current Brexit situation. Whilst the comments were heavily edited, the views expressed covered a number of opinions, all of which appeared to be erudite and well expressed. The Kentish Belle also started an experiment, which I have not heard any other Micro Pub trying. It opened at 6am on Friday morning as a cafe as a part of MacMillan’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning. Its location next to Bexleyheath Station means that they get a lot of passing trade. On the early morning opening, with teas, coffees, toast, cakes and muffins along with breakfast bars and fruit juice, I understand that in addition to custom from regular visitors, many new faces were welcomed for breakfast on their way to work. The event was judged a success; If further early morning cafe dates are planned, I will let readers know when the details become available. I also hear that any leftover wrapped / portioned food with a long life was going to be donated to Bexley Food Bank. A total of  £369.48 was raised for MacMillan. 

Now for the weekly local safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly the report from Barnehurst ward:- "A relatively quiet week on the ward with only 4 crimes of any relevance to report, one of which actually occurred on the Wednesday 11th September but was only reported this week. There was a theft from motor vehicle in Eversley Cross overnight of Wednesday / Thursday 11th / 12th of September. No entry appeared to be gained despite the quarter light glass being removed. On Wednesday 20th September at 5:20pm there was an attempted burglary in Pennine Way. The victim was at home on her own as the husband was out walking the dog. Suspect entered the property via the side garden gate but fled after being confronted by the victim. Suspect was a white male, slim build with a gaunt appearance. He was wearing jogging bottoms, white T-shirt and a white baseball cap. At 12:30am on Wednesday 11th September in Midfield Avenue a man entered a private driveway and attempted to gain entry to a high value car. Nothing was taken. CCTV shows a suspect who was a white male approx 5'10” wearing dark jacket and jogging bottoms. He was about 25 years old. Finally, unfortunately there was a burglary in Downbank Avenue overnight of Tuesday / Wednesday the 24th / 25th September. Victim heard nothing and woke to find she had been burgled. She discovered the front door open and an untidy search had occurred. Several items had been taken including jewellery. If you would like to meet your officers please feel free to come and have your say at our community contact sessions. The next one is coffee with cops at Barnehurst Golf Course on Tuesday the 8th October at 4pm". Belvedere ward:- "There was a garage burglary in Lower Park Road during last weekend. Residents returned home late in the evening to discover their garage door open, although it appears that no items were taken. It is thought that as many as five males were possibly involved, one of which was driving a white transit van of some kind which was being driven around the block several times. It appears that this group were trying to remove a motorbike from within the garage. PC Holmes took part in a Mental Health Assessment which was conducted at an address in Waterfield Close. The person was placed under section and conveyed to hospital for assessment and care. A car was damaged on Standard Road. Someone had put three nails into the tyre of the vehicle, which is said to be the third occasion on which this has happened. Please be vigilant when parking". Bexleyheath ward:- "Monday 9/9/19 Sadly we had an attempted burglary in Horsham Close whilst the occupant was on holiday, no entry gained and nothing taken. Thursday 12/9/19 Catalytic Convertor stolen Martens Avenue whilst occupant on holiday. Friday 13/9/19 Attempted Theft of Keyless Vehicle Bowness Road – not taken due to protective methods by owner. Sunday 22/9/19 Theft of Pedal Cycle from outside Church on Broadway not locked or chained up. Friday 13/9/19 Theft of Pedal Cycle from Leysdown Avenue. Wednesday 25/9/19 Theft of Number Plates Freta Road. Some of these crimes occurred a week or so ago and due to holidays or late reporting have only just arrived in our figures this week. The team have been successful in working with the council on the ASB issues in Iris Avenue and several youths have been called into meetings, this is ongoing as more are identified. We have also been working closely with L&Q on ASB within a property in regards to the residents living there, also ongoing. Stops and searches continue across the ward, including the war memorial, car parks, Braeside garages and other hotspots with several arrests for possession of cannabis". Crayford ward:- "Criminal damage was caused to two vehicles parked in Maiden Lane on Saturday 14th September between 21.40-22.00. A corrosive substance was thrown over all panels on each vehicle. Local CCTV shows 2 males doing this, a woman was seen to walk by soon after, it is believed she may have witnessed the incident and may be able to identify the males. A taxi driver was robbed of cash whilst dropping off a fare at Moreton Court in Perry Street on 15th September at about 14.30, the suspects are male and female and in their teens. Between 5th and 17th September a motor home was broken in to in Thames Road, items stolen included a media station valued £450, Nintendo Switch Plus £400, Bose Bluetooth Sound System £170, DVD's, Sat Nav System £150. On 17th September at 20.15 a black Audi TT was stolen from outside Crayford BR Station, the victim was selling the car and the suspect sped off with it, including documents. This vehicle has since been recovered by police to the car pound. Overnight between 6th and 7th September tools including a Makita drill, Facom tools and other items were stolen from a car parked in Walker Close. A black and green FLY370 bicycle with a 26 inch frame and 21 speed gears was stolen from the rear garden of a property in Hall Place Crescent on 20th September at 6.12am. The suspect was seen on CCTV and described as wearing a light coloured top with PUMA written on it and wearing a cap or hood. a Volkswagen parked in Tower Retail Park was criminally damaged on 22nd September between 15.00-16.00, it was scratched from front to back. A white Mercedes Sprinter had the ignition tampered with, there was no sign of entry, this happened at Tanners Close between 17.00 on the 20th September and 9.40 on 21st September. There seems to be an increase in road rage incidents around the area. On Friday evening our team conducted a traffic op at Bourne Road. Twelve vehicles were stopped for speeds well above the speed limit, tickets were issued for speeding and not wearing a seat belt. It was noted that other road users were flashing their lights to warn oncoming vehicles that we were there, this is actually an offence. Our next community contact session will be held on Thursday 3rd October at Crayford Library between 14.00-15.00, please come along if there is something you would like to discuss face to face".

Erith ward:- "No Burglaries again this week in Erith. Please see the attached leaflet re motor vehicle crime. We are planning some dates for crime prevention stalls outside of Erith police base which will include number plate theft with free secure screws plus cycle marking. Dates will be listed soon. Criminal Damage 18/09/2019 Erith High Street,  Theft from Motor Vehicle 13/09/2019 17:00:00 Riverdale road, Theft of MV 21/09/2019 01:00:00 Downton Mews, Theft of Motor Vehicle 21/09/2019 14:18:00 Fraser Road, Theft from Motor Vehicle 23/09/2019 Lesney Park Road,  Theft from Motor Vehicle 25/09/2019 12:00:00 James Watt Way". Northumberland Heath ward:- "Sorry no crime report this week from your team, please remember car crime is high with both theft of MV and theft from MV continuing to be a problem. If you know friends or family that live in your ward and are not covered by NW perhaps you can encourage them to join us. Crime stats are lower in NW-covered areas with 2 out of every 3 burglaries being in areas that are not covered by us". Slade Green and Northend ward:- "An attempted garage burglary took place around 0430 on Saturday 21/09/2019 at Peareswood Road. The victim chased the suspects who were after his 3 motorbikes, in the process of jumping from his bedroom window he has ended up seriously injuring both feet. Please proceed with caution should you see any crime taking place and wait for police to respond. We know this can be easier to say but your safety is first and foremost during any such situation.  Number plates were stolen from a vehicle overnight in Burns Close junction of Newbery Road on Friday 20/09/2019. If you would like some anti-theft screws, please let us know. PCSO Mark helped Bexley Council and staff from McDonalds on behalf of Erith SNT on Monday 23/09/2019 with a litter picking event in and around Erith. Many adults and children from the local area joined in and got lots of litter collected just before the rain came. On Friday 20/09/2019 Mark made his first visit of the term to Peareswood Primary school where he attended the Stars assembly and made a visit to all classes after. Thamesmead East ward:- "On Wednesday 18/09/19 at about 8:10pm a property in Hinksey Park was broken into by unknown suspect/s, unknown items taken. Motor Vehicle crimes : Between the hours of 01:00pm and 05:00pm on Thursday 19/09/19 a vehicle parked in Hartslock Drive had the catalytic converter stolen from a Toyota . Another Toyota also parked in Hartslock Drive was broken into on Saturday 21/09/19 between the hours of 01:00am and 08:00am ,a wallet was taken. Between the time of 03;00pm of the 12/09/19 and 12;00am of the 21/09/19 a vehicle parked in Kale Road had the catalytic converter stolen .A vehicle parked outside of Dexter House, Kale Road was broken into between the hours of 11:30pm of the 21/09/19 and 09:30am of the 22/09/19 ,no details given of anything taken . Overnight of the 21/09/19 and 22/09/19 a vehicle parked in Lanridge Road had the driver's window smashed .both the front and rear number plates were stolen from a vehicle parked in Lensbury Way between the hours of 03:00pm on 21/09/19 and 12;15 of the 22/09/19.on the 22/09/19. A vehicle parked outside of Argali House ,KALE ROAD was broken into, a wallet was taken". West Heath ward:- "Please be aware that there are men wearing hi-viz jackets touring round the Pantiles area saying they can jet clean your drive. They start off at £400 but as a special they can do it for £250. My own builder does it cheaper. They turn up in a blue van reg 04 KY 2118. When challenged they gave me a lot of verbal. They do a 'test' patch but they leave all the dirt sprayed up the cars and windows. Around 1 am in the early hours of Wednesday morning, 25th September, a man climbed into the gardens of 57-61 Berkeley Avenue. He took a golf set out of shed 57 then wandered about the gardens looking over fences; finally, he leaves without the clubs rather than taking them. Unfortunately, we have had one shed burglary in Preston Drive. This took place on Thursday September 19th between 0100 am – 8pm when the victim's neighbour alerted them that the garage door was open. The suspect stole meat to the value of £100 from the freezer that was in the garage. One report of criminal damage to a vehicle parked in Exmouth Road which took place between Friday September 20th at 8pm to Sunday September 22nd at 2pm when the victim discovered it had been broken in to. The rear passenger rear window was smashed but nothing was taken. An attempt was made to break in to a vehicle in Axminster Crescent on Monday September 23rd at 01.37am. The suspect was seen trying to gain access to a van but did not succeed. The potential victim called police but the suspect was not seen in the area when they attended. On Sunday September 22nd a van was broken in to in Powys Close between 0300 – 0330am. The victim discovered that a number of power tools stolen from the vehicle when he left for work at 5am. The team along with colleagues from Crook Log and East Wickham have been busy conducting proactive patrols. As a result of this a male was arrested for failing to appear at court for drug offences".

The end video this week was sent to me by regular reader, occasional contributor and technology whiz Miles. It is a video taken last Saturday evening, towards the conclusion of the Erith Pier Festival. What is somewhat unusual is that is is not a straight 2D video recording - it actually shows a 360 degree view of Miles' journey on the pier - you can drag the view around by clicking and holding with your mouse pointer on the video window. It is best viewed in full screen. If you look carefully in "Where's Wally?" style, you can catch me waving to the camera. Let me know what you think by either leaving a comment below, or by Emailing me at hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

Thirteen.

The photos above - click on either for a larger version - show the garden party held by The Friends of Christ Church Erith last Sunday afternoon in a private house in Avenue Road, Erith. The event was held to promote the Friends group, to sell raffle tickets, and to bring local people together for food and drinks and to experience one of the very best gardens in the area. The fund raising aspect of the event is to raise funds to install toilets and washing facilities inside the Grade II* listed Christ Church building. At present, anyone who needs to use the toilet needs to trek round to the church hall, which is quite a walk, especially in bad weather, or in the dark. The Friends group have been working towards getting toilet facilities within the church building itself for around five years, and things are now moving towards realising the project. The plan is to construct three toilet cubicles - male, female and a larger unisex disabled / baby change facility in the East lobby of the historic building; the area where the toilet facility will be located is not currently used, and in effect is "dead space". A firm of specialist church architects have been engaged, and a series of preliminary drawings has been created. The final design choice will be made in August, and corporate sponsorship - along with money already raised by the Friends group will go towards the cost of the building work. More on this story in the future. You can read more about the Friends of Christ Church Erith, and the work they do by clicking here. Do feel free to join, and help maintain the historic local landmark building. 

This week marks an important landmark for me - it is the thirteenth anniversary of the launch of the Maggot Sandwich, which was first published on a Saturday night in July 2006. Very soon the Blog took on a regular format, being updated every Sunday afternoon. I am proud to say that I have not missed a singe weekly update in all thirteen years, even to the extent of having to go elsewhere to publish when my home broadband connection failed. Back in 2010 I won an award from OFCOM at a Blogging conference they held in their HQ building on the South side of the Millennium Bridge in London. It was at this point I met fellow local Bloggers Darryl Chamberlain of 853, and Malcolm Knight of Bexley is Bonkers. Over the years the Blog has led me to meet many people whom I otherwise would never have been in contact with, and a number of close friendships have resulted. The Blog is just a hobby for me, albeit a time consuming one; each update of the Maggot Sandwich take around ten hours to research, write and edit. The work is spread throughout the week; I don't sit down each Sunday morning and plough through it all, as some readers have erroneously suspected. This week the Maggot Sandwich becomes a teenager. I have no idea where it will head from here, but I have no plans to slow down or stop publication. Please feel free to leave comments below, or you can Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

One worrying trend is now coming to light; homeowners are deliberately failing to report minor crimes in their area, because they fear that doing so could damage the value of their property. Now that there are several online services featuring interactive online crime maps, homeowners are turning a blind eye to minor crimes, raising fears that the interactive maps are actually distorting official crime statistics. A recent survey found that half of households had been the victim of minor property crime, such as vandalism or theft from a garden shed. Two thirds of the people surveyed said that they did not report the incident to the Police. One in twelve said that their motivation for not reporting the crime was the worry that it might adversely affect local house prices. Official statistics show that the crime rate in England and Wales fell by seven percent in 2017, the most recent year that figures have been published, to the lowest figures since 1981. Studies in the U.S.A show that higher crime rates depress house prices. Since 2011 the Police have mapped every incident of recorded crime online, where users can see exactly how many crimes and the type of offence committed on every street in Britain. More than half of prospective house owners check the website before they buy, and almost two thirds said that they would not buy a property in an area with a crime rate that was higher than average. The figures have raised concerns that crime mapping may be encouraging criminals and distorting crime statistics. What do you think? Have you encountered this kind of behaviour?

In the early 1800's two Scottish engineers, Tom Chalmers and David Ross Fraser, emigrated independently to the USA to further their studies. It was a coincidence that they met, and after working in various manufacturing places, realised that their knowledge and experience warranted them starting their own business. A mining engineering works was then established by them in Chicago in 1847. In 1891, with a well won international reputation, they set up a similar works at Erith in what is now Fraser Road, under the supervision of D.R. Fraser, which became one of the largest employers in the Borough. The land sold to Fraser and Chalmers for the works consisted of an 18 acre site which had been excavated for valuable foundry loam and subsequently part was used as a recreation ground. The machine shop of the factory is said to have been built on the site of several historic cricket matches played from 1884 to 1890 between Erith and Australian teams - On Saturday 20th September 1884 a local team of sixteen played an eleven raised By a Mr. H.H Hyslop - a local businessman, from the Australian touring side of that year. Hyslop's Australian team won. A similar match took place between another scratch Australian team again put together by Mr. Hyslop on the 3rd May 1890. The Erith local team was composed of eighteen local men, pitted against a visitors team which included nine members of the Australian test side. This match resulted in a draw. Hopes for a rematch were dashed when the cricket ground was sold and the Fraser and Chalmers factory was built on the site. Nevertheless, local historians refer to the matches as "when Erith took on the Australians". The principal products produced were initially machinery for mines, including prospecting plants, crushers for rock and ore, and engines for running machinery. Over 90 percent of the Erith products were exported. During the Boer War the works had a slack period and the nearby Maxim gun factory made an offer of £300,000 for the Fraser and Chalmers factory which was rejected. The firm began to recover in 1902 and were receiving success in the home market with the growth of conveyor belt and turbine production. Access to the works was improved in 1906 by the construction of Fraser Road alongside the factory where only a rough track existed before Conditions in the factory were explained in a small book entitled "The Rules and Regulations of Messrs Fraser and Chalmers Ltd, Erith Works, Erith" dated 1900. Every employee was provided with one of the books. It stated that the working week was to consist of 54 hours, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5.45 p.m. and Saturdays 7 a.m. to 12.15 p.m. No-one was allowed to enter the works after 8 a.m. without special instructions. Workmen were not allowed to bring intoxicating liquids onto the premises or to harass their fellow employees. A medical officer had been appointed after several accidents at the works. In the pre World War I period there was a marked expansion of trade and intake of workers. Then, on the outbreak of war, men leaving to join the forces were told that their families would be supported up to 10/- a week (50p in today's currency). The heavy mechanical work carried out at Erith during the 1914-18 War was attracted to the attention of The General Electric Company Ltd. After a period of negotiation the company was acquired by them on 1 April 1918 to complement the GEC works at Witton. The Fraser and Chalmers name was retained. The plant was heavily involved in work for the War Department, and it was also one of the largest employers in the local area; including a large number of women, in what had previously been a male dominated industry. Workers at the factory assembled armoured cars and military tractors which were sent over from the USA in kit form; controversially close to the end of WWI, the Fraser and Chalmers Erith works manufactured hollow shell casings ready to be filled with chemical agents - something that would later become illegal under international law. They also made most of the explosives handling and conveying equipment for The Royal Arsenal at Woolwich. As if this was not enough, the Fraser and Chalmers works was also one of the largest manufacturers of marine engines in Europe. They made triple expansion coal fired steam engines for the use in fishing trawlers, and large scale steam turbine engines used in both British and French naval vessels. They also were one of the very first companies to introduce turbocharging to their smaller petrol and diesel powered motors. Eventually GEC closed the Fraser and Chalmers site, and it was converted into what is now the Europa Industrial Estate in Fraser Road. 

Bexley Brewery have just won another award. They have won the Gold award for their Black Prince Rum Porter at the SIBA South Eastern competition at the beginning of the month. SIBA is the independent trade body for small breweries, and each year they hold the competition to judge beers in various categories from their brewery members all over the UK. Black Prince Rum Porter will now go on to the national competition next year along with other regional Gold winners.

Whilst doing some research for this Blog update, I came across some information that may well be of interest to a number of Maggot Sandwich readers. The largest and most successful privately owned television station in the UK is one that you probably have not heard of. Talking Pictures TV (TPTV) is a British free-to-air vintage film nostalgia television channel. It launched on 26 May 2015, on Sky channel 343 (it is now on channel 328). It is on air for 24 hours a day, and concentrates on older British films, both classics and B-films, but the schedule also includes some American films, straight-to-video programmes, cinema shorts, and period home movies of British locations. The channel was initially only available via digital satellite on the Sky platform in the United Kingdom. Since the 15th September 2015, it has also been available on Freeview channel 81. It became available on Freesat channel 306 in February 2016, and on Virgin Media on 1 June 2017. On Freeview it was initially broadcast only in standard definition (SDTV) on HD multiplex and could only be received by Freeview HD equipment. From 30 November 2017, it became available, to those within coverage (90 percent of UK households), on any TV capable of receiving Freeview. TPTV is a family business, founded by Sarah Cronin-Stanley, and is run by her with assistance from her father, former producer/editor Noel Cronin, and her husband Neill Stanley. A wide range of movies from different genres are shown, including horror, comedy, drama and thriller films. In-house productions are also shown, as are items from the Cronins' own back catalogue, including Noel's Dandelion Distribution, as well as series from the Southern TV franchise archive, and early American television shows. Movies are usually copied directly from film reels; damaged reels from the catalogue are often replaced by donations, either from online, viewers or available libraries. One of the aims of the founders was to maintain the history of British cinema; it was said to have been in the making since ca. 2007. Classic movies were originally shown on terrestrial channels, such as BBC and Channel 4, but had declined in the 2000s, with the most well-known of films occasionally getting aired. Cronin-Stanley explained to the Watford Observer in 2016 that "People were interested in the big titles but he [her father Noel] wanted to save the smaller, more obscure titles, from getting lost". However, television networks rejected their pitches, unconvinced that it would be of high demand, so they decided to set up the channel independently. For over 20 years, Cronin-Stanley and Cronin have been patrons to a DVD membership club, The Renown Film Club, for fans of B-film classics. Cronin had worked for The Rank Organisation and Central Office of Information, and bought the rights to several libraries that owned films that air on TPTV, such as much of the Southern Television library, and originally licensed them out to terrestrial channels. Many of the films aired on Talking Pictures TV are available to buy on DVD, often sold as compilations under different genres, through the distributing company, both online and through the Renown's telephone service. Each DVD set is full of films made between the 1930s and 1960s, and also include special features, such as interviews and history. Other merchandise is also sold on the website, such as mugs, clothing, biographies, and calendars (available to buy in December for the new year), often branded under Talking Pictures TV's name. In spring 2019, Renown released its first CD compilation album named Hits From the Flicks, three CDs of songs from musicals and movies with pop song theme tunes that had aired on the channel. Talking Pictures TV is especially popular with older viewers, and has a weekly audience of about 2 million - an astonishingly high number in the current multi channel broadcasting environment. 

There are going to be severe restrictions to traffic in Crayford for some time next week; Parts of Crayford Road between Nando’s restaurant in Roman Way and McDonalds restaurant, at the junction of Station Road, will be closed from between 10pm on Monday 22 July and until around 1pm on Tuesday 23 July. Vehicle access will be maintained to the garages underneath Town Hall square until 9.30am on the 23 July. Buses that use this route will be diverted. The usual town centre parking restrictions will be in force. Local car parks are expected to be busy. Barriers will be installed to assist with the road closure on the evening of Monday 22 July.  While vehicle access will be restricted for a short time, there will be emergency vehicle access. The reason for this extensive disruption is due to a visit by His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent KG will visit Crayford on Tuesday 23 July to officially unveil the magnificent new Alcock and Brown (photo of them above - click on the picture for a larger version) bench. The special occasion is part of the centenary events that mark 100 years since the pair made the first ever trans-Atlantic flight in a Vickers Vimy originally designed and built in the Vickers Factory, Crayford. Local business Erith Group paid for the new bench designed by artist Tony Stallard. It will sit outside the Tower Business Park close to the Clock Tower. Along with the bench, a number of plaques based on the aeronautical feat will also be unveiled. They were designed by local schools and the mental health group Centrepieces and made by ‘M@ke’, with support from the Learning and Enterprise Centre Bexley. The Duke’s visit coincides with the 100-year anniversary of Alcock and Brown’s visit to Crayford on 23 July 1919. They returned to celebrate their achievement at the re-opening of The Princesses Theatre by the then Duke of York (later King George VI). HRH Duke of Kent will be met by the Deputy Lieutenant for the London Borough of Bexley. Major David Hewer OBE. He will be accompanied by the Mayor of Bexley and Chairman of the Alcock and Brown Centenary Project Group (Crayford) Councillor Geraldene Lucia-Hennis.

Next weekend The Exchange are holding a summer garden party. Saturday, July 27, 2019 11:00 AM Sunday, July 28, 2019 7:00 PM.  A weekend of outdoor pleasure at the new garden around Erith's Old Library.

"This is a free event, but please let us know you are coming by signing up for the event.

There are some elements that you will need to book onto in advance of the day, and can do so by following the links below.

The programme:

Throughout the weekend, there are things to do including Painting a Big Garden Mural, planting workshops and Garden Games.

There is also going to be a Garden Hat Competition - we will be taking polaroids throughout the event, and prizes will be given on Sunday.

Saturday 27 July

11am - Drop-in Seed Bomb workshop with Re-Instate

11am - Drop-in Flower pressing 

12pm - BBQ with Old Haven BBQ

12pm - Live Acoustic music 

12.30 - Theatre Box Performing Arts perform!

1.30 - Taster Yoga Class with Bayleaf Yoga (Book here)

2.30 - Bhangra Dance Workshop 1 with Jugnu Bhangra Group (Book here)

3pm - African circus skills and drumming from Emmanuel the Magnificent

3.15 - Bhangra Dance Workshop 2 with Jugnu Bhangra Group (Book here)

5.30 - Live Shindig soft rock

8pm - Live Classical music from members of the BBC Symphony Orchestra

Sunday 28th July

11am - Matisse inspired Print workshop  (Book here)

12pm - Lunch time talk on 'Erith & The River Thames' by Ken Chamberlain, Erith & Belvedere History Society  (Book here)

1pm - Live Cello & Guitar music from Sophie Gledhill and Tom Fleming

2pm - Spoken word performance by Jade, Theatre Box Performing Arts

2pm - Sashiko Embroidery Workshop with Lemuel MC (Book here)

3.30 - Live Jigs & Reels 

4pm - Judging of the Garden Hat Competition with prize from Rosie Beard Illustration

5-5.30 / 6.15-6.45 - Live Steel Pan Band"

Now for the weekly local safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly the report from Barnehurst ward:- "I am very pleased to report that there have been no crimes to report over the last week. Whilst this is fantastic news we must not become complacent neither as local police or residents. Local police will continue to patrol ASB hotspots and potential burglary hotspots. We will also continue with stop and searches, especially in the battle against drug use and dealing, where sufficient grounds allow. We also implore residents to remain vigilant in a combined effort to keep crime at a low rate. Simple things like making sure windows are shut when the house is empty will help deter burglars. So many windows are left open at this time of the year when temperatures are soaring. Ensure that your car is securely locked and please do not leave any valuables on display in your vehicle. Let's keep this low crime trend continuing". Belvedere ward:- "No burglaries to report this week. We have been continuing to patrol in particular the drug hotspots on our ward in both uniform and plain clothes. Two male adults were stopped having been seen parked up in Ruskin Road Belvedere. Both were searched and cannabis found on the driver of the vehicle. He was issued with a community resolution for cannabis. Unfortunately at the time he was not driving his car so no further action in terms of driving under the influence could be pursued. Also this week both PC Rob and PCSO Jay have spent a lot of time dealing with incidents in our 2 local primary schools. In partnership with staff at the schools they are dealing with issues involving bullying between both parents and pupils. PC Rob has resolved one by issuing one of the parents an Harassment warning letter. PC Marc has spent time attending our local shops who deal with money transfers where letters warning the shops of becoming victims of money laundering have been delivered. This is a MET wide initiative looking at reducing money laundering and stopping the bad guys being able to hide their illicit gains using law abiding businesses". Bexleyheath ward:- "There have been two reports of a theft of motor vehicles reported on our ward: Tuesday 09/07/2019 – Albion Road Car Park between 1330hrs and 1340hrs; Tuesday 16/07/2019 – Watling Street Bexleyheath Motorbike stolen from a car park in Watling Street. There have been two reports of purses / wallets that were stolen. Saturday 13/07/2019 – Along the Broadway exact location not given; Friday 12/07/2019 – Believe to be outside M and S on the Broadway. A mobile phone was reported stolen on the Broadway believed to be outside Cancer Research shop on Friday 12/07/2019 between the times of 1130hrs and 1145hrs. A shopping bag was also reported stolen on Thursday 11/07/2019 by Monsoon / Accessorize. The team regularly conduct patrols along drug hot spot areas and ASB areas on the ward and conduct regular stops and searches where necessary". Crayford ward:- "Unfortunately we have had a residential burglary and a business/commercial burglary in Crayford this week and an increase in motor vehicle crime. On 12th July a burglary occurred between 8.20-12.30 in Ridge Way, entry was made via the front door which was kicked in, a safe was stolen containing cash, nothing else was touched or removed. Overnight 12th/13th July the VCD club at Old Road was broken in to, windows were smashed and one window was removed, money was stolen from the gaming machines. There was a theft from motor vehicle at Bookers, Thames Road on 8th July at approx. 11.00, a mobile phone, driving licence, purse and currency were stolen, the items were stolen while the vehicle was being loaded. A high value of tools and a bag containing personal items were stolen from a white Ford Transit on 10th July between 12.00-14.00 in Bourne Road. The sliding door was opened but there was no signs of damage. A rose gold Samsung J3 was stolen from the staff area at KFC on 10th July at 16.09, this has been clearly captured on CCTV.  An incident occurred at Claston Close for which the suspect has been arrested. Someone tried to break in to a van whilst parked in Green Place overnight 11th/12th July, when this proved difficult the perpetrator stole the number plates instead, AJ59BWF should be on a blue Ford Transit.  A grey Yamaha that had been left insecure and then stolen outside KFC on 11th July was later recovered at Bostall Hill. A black Piaggio Nrg 50 with the registration of LC67UBK was stolen from Optima Park on 9th July between 15.30-15.45. A number plates were stolen from a vehicle (no details given) overnight 12th/13th July from Tanners Close. Criminal damage was made to a black Ford Fiesta whilst parked in a poorly lit area close to Sainsbury's on 14th July, this was discovered by patrolling police officers and the registered keeper made aware. A black Aprilia SR50, number plate LK03MKF was stolen from Crayford High Street between 23.00 on 12th July and 02.00 on 13th July. A door was badly damaged on a white Citroen whilst parked in Sainsburys car park overnight 13th/14th July. An Apple iPhone 8 was stolen off a table at McDonalds on 14th July between 22.30-22.35. A grey Volkswagen Golf registration RJ60RYY was stolen outside a property in Bexley Close, it had been advertised for sale, the male jumped in it and drove it away before the registered owner could get in to the vehicle.  A TV was stolen from the communal area at Elwick Court in Beech Walk overnight 14th/15th July, it is not known how entry was gained. On 13th July, youths caused criminal damage at St Paulinus community hall. They entered the playground area through an unlocked gate and jumped on shed roofs causing damage, they also damaged children's toys. The youths are aged between 12-15 years of age. Number plates YF58WEV were stolen from a black BMW 1 series outside Crayford BR Station (date and time not confirmed on report). A blue BMW 1 series was stolen without keys from London Road, it seems a window was smashed while it was being removed (at this time the date and time has not been confirmed on the report). A ladies EM Decathlon bicycle with a mark “Born to be wild” was stolen from near Crayford Library, at this time the date and time have not been confirmed. Please be sure to double lock doors and close/secure windows when leaving your home and always be aware of your personal possessions when out and about. Crook locks or similar are always a bonus to secure vehicles. I know sometimes it seems inconvenient but these simple tweaks can prevent crime happening to you or someone you may know. We will be holding a community contact session at Crayford Library on Wednesday 24th July between 10.00-11.00 if there is anything you would like to discuss face to face". Erith ward:- "Weekly crime report: Theft of MV (Motor Vehicle) Thursday 11/07/2019 Christchurch Avenue; Theft from MV Friday 12/07/2019 Avenue Road; Theft of MV Saturday 13/07/2019 Avenue Road; Theft from MV Thursday 02/05/2019 near,Queen Street Baptist Church, Queen Street; Theft of cycle Thursday 11/07/2019, Dell View Road". Northumberland Heath ward:- "The team continue to target ASB on Bexley Road and surrounding alleyways, working together with the schools and the local authority. This week we visited Jaquelines Jems Nursery on Stelling Road. We had a lovely question and answer session with the children. The team have been doing door to door enquiries in Becton Place, with regards to a breach of tenancy when smoking drugs within their premises, especially when it is affecting other residents.Very pleased to say, that there have been no burglaries again this week. Our next community contact session is on Friday 26thth July at 4pm in the Mill Road Library. Please do come along and meet a member of the team to discuss any issues or concerns you have, or just pop in and say hello". 

Slade Green and Northend ward:- "We had the pleasure of attending The Slade Green Big Local Event last Saturday and enjoyed speaking to a lot of local residents and engaging with potential members. Our outdoor event season is now in full swing and our volunteers have been pulling out the stops to help us staff our stand most weekends to spread the word about NW and recruit new Coordinators and other NW scheme members across the Borough. We have had 3 sets of number plates stolen in the last week. All of them occurred overnight. They were in Reddy Road on Tuesday 16th July, Canada Road on Sunday 14th July and Peareswood Road on Thursday July 11th. If you would like some anti theft screws for your number plates, please let us know. PC James found and recovered a stolen vehicle in the car park behind Grange House yesterday (Weds 17th July). All parking areas are regularly checked on patrols for stolen vehicles. PCSO Mark attended the Slade Green Big Local Community Fun Day last Saturday (as did Bexley Neighbourhood Watch!) where many many people enjoyed all the bouncy castles, farm animals, donkey rides, slides, football etc. Picture of Mark and Mel from Big Local is above - click on it for a larger view. A new anonymous watch has been set up for Cook Square in the Frobisher Road estate. It has been running for a few weeks but all residents finally have their letters now that Mark is on full duties again". Thamesmead East ward:- "Burglaries - No burglaries this week. Remain vigilant at all times. Crime prevention: Close and lock all your doors and windows, even if you're going out for a few minutes. Photograph and keep a detailed inventory of each item of jewellery and keep it in a separate place. Motor vehicle crimes - Thursday 11/07/19 an unknown suspect/s stole the catalytic converter from the Victim's vehicle while it was securely locked and parked at Argali House, Kale Road. A neighbour informed the Victim that she observed two males near the Victim's vehicle at around 03:00am. Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention: Did you know that your vehicle is like a shop window? If you can see any property left on view then so can a thief . Take it with you. Recent thefts of Catalytic converters on the ward. Vehicles made after 1974 all have Catalytic Converters. There are 3 precious metals in your Catalytic Converter and thieves know this. Protect your vehicle before you become a victim of theft. Mark your catalytic converter by etching your vehicle registration onto the metal shell, or by using a Secured By Design (SBD) approved forensic marking solution which is heat-resistant. This makes it easier for police to trace the converter back to your vehicle should it ever be stolen, and links offenders to a crime. Consider fitting additional security on your vehicle(s) by installing an SBD approved converter security product, such as a catalytic converter clamp. Good news - Following an arrest by PC Pruden attended Stratford Magistrates Court, where a suspect, arrested by PC Pruden was found guilty. Following a theft from a Motor Vehicle, forensic evidence was found linked to a known suspect, an on-going investigation is being undertaken by PC Pruden". West Heath ward:- "Good news this week, we have had no reported burglaries on the ward. Unfortunately, there are several reports of motor vehicle crime this week. On Saturday July 13th at 12.50pm a silver grey golf was stolen from a driveway in Gypsy Road. The victim was still in possession of the keys and no sign of forced entry was seen; Two reports in Plymstock Road this week on Saturday July 13th between 1pm – 2pm a child's bike was stolen, also overnight between Saturday July 13th at 10pm to Sunday July 14th a motor vehicle was tampered with. The owner discovered the vehicle with its doors open and the belongings scattered within it. It is not believed that any items were stolen; Theft of a white Ford Transit van from Hurlingham Road on Monday July 15th; A black Audi was broken in to overnight on Tuesday July 17th between 8am and 7am the following morning. An untidy search was conducted and it is not known at this stage if anything was stolen. The team assisted the Crook Log team with the execution of a drugs warrant on Tuesday morning where a small amount of drugs were found. We have also continued to carry out positive stop and searches for drugs and other possible offences. PC Gill Couzens also arrested a male this week for failure to appear and for being in breach of a court order".

The end video this week features St. John the Baptist Church in West Street, Erith. It is the oldest building in the town by some considerable margin - it is over a thousand years old, and there are references to it predating the signing of the Magna Carta. Leave a comment below, or alternatively you can Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

The John Burns.

I took the photos above from Erith Pier this morning; thanks to information from Darryl Chamberlain of the excellent 853 Blog, I was aware that the just decommissioned Woolwich ferry, the John Burns was being taken down river by tug from Woolwich, and travelling over the English Channel to Normandy, where it was headed for a breakers yard to be scrapped. I went to Erith Pier just after 9am on a bright and cold Sunday morning. The place was deserted when I arrived, but it was very pleasant indeed - very quiet and peaceful. After a while, a few people turned up - mainly to watch the world go by, although one chap found a seat on one of the many benches on the pier, and produced a book and proceeded to read. The John Burns had been scheduled to leave Woolwich at 9am, and by 10.30 no sign could be seen of it at Erith, and I was considering giving up my vigil. One other pier visitor looked at me and said "are you waiting for the ferry?" I confirmed and we got talking; it turned out that there had been a delay in getting the tugs ready to tow and push the decommissioned ferry, and it did not make an appearance off Erith until 10.45am, when I took the photographs above - click on each of them for a larger view. Two of the three old ferries were taken out of service on Friday night, and the John Burns last week. The end video this week shows the celebrations that took place on one of the vessels on its final journey across the River Thames. The three ferries, the John Burns, the Ernest Bevin and the James Newman, have sailed the route between Woolwich and North Woolwich since 1963. The John Burns had originally meant to be sent over to France on Tuesday, but for reasons unknown it was delayed until today, when I was fortunate to take the photos above. It was sad to see the familiar old ship going to scrap in France, but as anyone who has travelled on the Woolwich ferries over the last few years will know, the three vessels were completely worn out and no longer fit for purpose. The two new hybrid diesel electric ferries will go into service in the New Year, after extensive alterations are made to the docks and jetties on each bank of the River Thames. In the meantime there is no Woolwich ferry service at all - which is going to cause all sorts of problems for regular travellers across the river - especially as the Blackwall and Rotherhithe tunnels are unreliable, as is the Dartford River Crossing - more of which later in this update.

I took the photo above last week; the sign above the door of the White Hart and the new African restaurant and bar contained therein, stating that it was due to open in September has now been taken down. The reason is that the licensing hearing regarding the White Hart is now due to be held in Bexley Civic Offices at 2 Watling Street Bexleyheath at 10am on Wednesday the 17th October. From my understanding a number of objections to the licence application have been made by local residents. The principal objection is to the proposed White Hart opening hours, which are from 10am until 5am the next morning, with drinks served until 4.30am seven days a week. Bearing in mind the location of the former pub in a conservation zone, the fact that it is adjacent to retirement flats, and residential apartments, not to mention the flats located directly above the restaurant and bar area, it seems to me that this licensing request is impractical and absurd in the extreme. I hope to attend the licencing committee meeting, as I get the feeling that it could be an interesting and informative event. If the restaurant / bar were to get a licence, I would expect that it would be allowed to open from midday to midnight on Friday and Saturday, and from midday to 11pm on other nights, in a similar way to other licenced premises. All this is moot, however, as it will be down to the committee to make the decision. As of Friday lunchtime, the White Hart is open for business; quite how this works legally prior to the licence being granted, I do not know.  More on this issue in the weeks to come. 

Doreen Ives, the Chair of the Friends of Christ Church Erith (FOCCE) writes about the quiz night and fund raising raffle held last Saturday night in Christ Church hall:- "On Saturday 29th September we held our annual Quiz Night and Grand Raffle Draw.  It was a really good evening of fun, laughter, and surprised pleasure. The latter being for those present, who were lucky winners of the very worthwhile raffle prizes.  CRIBS (Christian Resources in Bexley Schools) were our Quiz Masters and they did a great job.  The questions were family friendly and suitable for all ages.  The winning team portrayed this perfectly, being made up of two people from each of three generations.  The prizes won by those not attending the event were delivered to the winners by Chris Wakeman or me. The event raised just over £1,000 which will go into the fund we are growing to install toilets in the Church building.  Almost half of the money raised for raffle tickets came in from sales outside the event from signed up members of FOCCE, friends, family, neighbours and work colleagues of Church members, so it is clearly worthwhile approaching these people, who care for our Church building but do not actually come to regularly worship here. Grateful thanks must go to the Committee Members of FOCCE who helped to organise and set up for the evening, our Quiz Masters and those who donated the raffle prizes.  Lastly, thank you to all who came along on the night and everyone who helped to clear away so efficiently at the end of the evening. We will do it all again next year; so if you didn’t participate this time then be sure you come along next year to find out what you have been missing!"

I noticed a story that came up on the national news earlier this week, and it got me thinking. On Tuesday, the Welsh Secretary announced that Tolls on the two Severn bridges will be scrapped earlier than expected, it has been announced. Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns said that free-flowing traffic will begin before Christmas - two weeks earlier than planned. The new road conditions will take effect on December 17. It currently costs £5.60 to cross one of the bridges into Wales - but it is free to leave. Not paying the toll will save regular commuters up to £1,400 a year. When the tolls first came into force in the 1960s it was set at a mere 2s 6d - about 12p per crossing. The first bridge has been in place since 1966 and the second bridge opened in 1996. The newer crossing was renamed earlier this year to the Prince Of Wales Bridge. Additional six million cars a year will cross the Severn once tolls are scrapped, government predicts. Mr Cairns made the announcement at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, where he said the immediate benefit to Wales would be worth over £100m a year. He said: "Scrapping tolls before the festive period is an early Christmas present for hard-working commuters who will be £1,400 a year better off." I am sure that regular readers will see where this story is going. What benefits would making the Dartford Crossing free to use bring local businesses and workers? The Dartford Crossing is more or less a captive market since the nearest alternative river crossing is a congested 15 miles away, which means that a crucial route that was supposed to become toll free in 2003 is earning the government millions. The toll system is broken, but it is in the government's interest for it to remain that way - it is a cash cow that unfairly penalises users both local and from far away. On top of this, the recent increase in charges will also lead to an even further rise in number plate theft - a major local problem. Local criminals are stealing legitimate plates from parked motor vehicles in order to circumvent the automatic number plate recognition system used to charge drivers for using the Dartford Crossing. Vehicle number plate theft is now endemic in the local area. Indeed, according to a recent report published by the Daily Telegraph, highly organised vehicle crime gangs are using falsified car registrations to avoid detection by the police. One in twelve of the 37 million vehicles on UK roads could have cloned registration plates, according to the new research. The vast number of cloned plates, in which a car’s identity is disguised by the false use of an authorised registration or characters amended to a registration that does not exist, are associated with serious criminal activity. Dr Ken German, a director of the International Association of Auto Theft Investigators (IAATI), who collated figures from various official sources, said in the Telegraph article that according to the police there are thousands of cloned plates spotted every day by their automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) and CCTV cameras clearly in an attempt (they suggest) to avoid detection when stealing petrol, parking illegally, speeding or committing more serious offences such as burglary or robbery. About 1.75 million of the 37 million vehicles of all types in the UK (about 32 million of those being cars) are estimated be wearing cloned registration plates. This is made up of 250,000 vehicles of all types - including cars, motorcycles, HGVs, vans, caravans, motor homes, plant and agricultural machinery - reported stolen last year, plus the 500,000 vehicles written off by insurers. There are also about a million vehicles still unrecovered from the last decade. The remainder of the one-in-12 total - about 1.25 million vehicles - is made up of legitimate registrations that have been doctored so they read differently. More than 100,000 sets of number plates are stolen every year but many more will have been altered with paint, a felt tip pen or black tape to deceive ANPR cameras or witnesses to a crime. Dartford drivers who often use the Thames crossing pay a discounted rate of £1.67 to get across if they drive a 'standard' sized car. As of this week, these account holders were told the price has increased to £2 per journey. This 33p increase works out to about 20 per cent more than they paid previously. Account holders in Dartford have reacted angrily to the changes. Some users have reacted on FaceBook, saying that they will close their payment accounts and use the crossing illegally (which sounds to me like people blowing off steam, rather than an actual campaign of civil disobedience). A resident of Rochester has also set up an online petition campaigning for the Dart Charge to be completely abolished. Jayne Phillips started the online petition on 38 Degrees after she heard the news. It seems to me that what is sauce for the goose really ought to be sauce for the gander; if the government can make the Prince of Wales bridge free to use, why cannot they also make the Dartford River Crossing / Queen Elizabeth II bridge not be made free? If the financial benefits are reckoned to be so high in Wales and the West Country, with its relatively low population density, how much more beneficial would making one free in the most densely populated portion of the United Kingdom? What do you think? Leave a comment below, or alternatively you can Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

You may recall that I recently wrote about the News Shopper, and the banner their website displays to any reader using a web browser that has an advert blocker enabled, as you can see in the screen capture above - click on it for a larger copy; The latest versions of the most popular web browser currently in use (Google's Chrome browser) have ad blocking enabled as part of its basic functionality, The web advertisers claim that blocking their adverts decreases users interactions with websites, and reduces the engagement levels on specific pages. For some time this assertion has been left untested. but now, a detailed academic study using the popular Mozilla Firefox web browser into the web browsing habits of users both with and without ad blocking functionality in their browsers has been carried out. The results make for very interesting reading. The report conclusion states:- "Web users are increasingly turning to ad blockers to avoid ads, which are often perceived as annoying or an invasion of privacy. While there has been significant research into the factors driving ad blocker adoption and the detrimental effect to ad publishers on the Web, the resulting effects of ad blocker usage on Web users’ browsing experience is not well understood. To approach this problem, we conduct a retrospective natural field experiment using Firefox browser usage data, with the goal of estimating the effect of ad blocking on user engagement with the Web. We focus on new users who installed an ad blocker after a baseline observation period, to avoid comparing different populations. Their subsequent browser activity is compared against that of a control group, whose members do not use ad blockers, over a corresponding observation period, controlling for prior baseline usage. While the impact of ad blocking on the ecosystem of the Web has been substantially investigated and documented, there has been little research into the impact of ad blocking on engagement with the Web. Opponents of ad blocking have asserted that ad blocking results in substantial breakage of modern websites and Web applications, which results in poor user experience and decreased Web engagement. This outcome, they suggest, could threaten the future growth of the Web. On the other hand, proponents of ad blocking have argued that ads are such a detriment to the browsing experience that users are willing to make the tradeoff by removing ads from their browsing experience entirely. In this paper, we present a natural field experiment that addresses this tension directly by estimating the causal effect of installing ad blocking extensions on various measures of Web engagement. We find that installing ad blocking extensions substantially increases both active time spent in the browser and the number of pages viewed. This empirical evidence supports the position of ad blocking supporters and refutes the claim that ad blocking will diminish user engagement with the Web".

There has been some controversy around the impending closure of the Cairngall Medical Practice in Erith Road, Upper Belvedere. The practice has been limping along with temporary GP's and administrative staff for several years, and after the owners of the building refused to renew the lease, it was evident that it was the end of the line for the very long established medical practice, of which I have been a patient since I was born. The practice will continue seeing patients for a while yet - the surgery is not now scheduled to close until the 31st March 2019, so existing patients have considerable time to join another nearby GP surgery. Personally I have already transferred to another nearby practice, and I have to say that in my personal experience, the transfer process was exceptionally straightforward and hassle free.

Last weekend's Erith Pier Festival attracted over four thousand visitors - a remarkable number, considering it was the first time the event had been held, and it did not get the level of publicity I would have hoped for. In an interview in the News Shopper, Councillor Louie French, deputy leader of Bexley council, said: “I’m delighted to have seen Erith pier brought to life by thousands enjoying one of the last days of summer at this unique festival. There was a brilliant atmosphere and we had the weather on our side on the day. If you came along to the festival, please consider leaving feedback using our quick online survey. It takes just a few minutes to complete, and will help us to bring even more community events like this to Erith, so we can develop this part of our borough into a thriving riverside town". You can access the survey by clicking here. The more local people who take the survey and give some positive feedback, the greater the chance that the Pier Festival will become a regular annual event - something I am certain that people would warmly welcome. 

Now for the weekly safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly from Barnehurst ward:- "Not a bad week across the ward with only one crime of note reported, sadly this has been recorded as an attempted burglary which occurred at 7.15pm on Thursday 27th September in Eversley Avenue. The occupant was upstairs at home at the time and heard someone downstairs banging on the back door, they called out receiving no response, upon investigating they noticed that the bottom panel of the kitchen door had been kicked through. The property is a terraced house that backs onto an alleyway, thankfully no entry was gained and no property stolen. Please be extra vigilant especially with the darker evenings and consider installing security lighting. The team will be happy to pay a home visit and offer security/crime prevention advice if required, just pop us an e mail with yours details and we will arrange a convenient time to attend. This week saw the team conducting another successful drugs warrant. On Friday 28th September with the assistance of Crayford and Bexleyheath safer neighbourhood teams a warrant was executed in the Hurstwood Avenue area and a quantity of drugs were seized. The occupants were processed for possession offences. Please take a look at our Facebook and twitter pages for the video of the entry. If you have any information about drug dealing/use or any other crime, we would love to hear from you ,call the team in strictest confidence or crime stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Our next community contact session will be on Wednesday 10th October - 1pm at Barnehurst Golf Course, join a member of the team for a chat about any local issues that may be of concern. As always, we can be found on Twitter @MPSBarnehurst and Facebook Barnehurst police". Belvedere ward:- "There was a firearm incident last week in Albert Road. A shop front window was damaged during this incident and no persons were injured. We have met with the shop owners to provide reassurance and gather intelligence. We have been actively patrolling the area and looking for individuals matching descriptions in the area. The team have also been concentrating patrols around the early evening in the Streamway/ Grosvenor Road areas due to several reports of a group of youths gathering to use what is thought to be cannabis. At this stage we have been unable to identify any members of this group as they will frequently run from officers patrolling the area. Our patrols are set to continue for the foreseeable future. The team were working late over the last weekend and were called upon to assist a male who had been injured after being subjected to an assault in Station Road late on Friday evening. The assault happened at around 21:10 on 28/09/2018. The male was taken to hospital but his injuries were not life threatening or changing. If anyone has any information or witnessed this assault please contact the team. More recently, several of the storage sheds on the Albert Road / Victoria Street estate were broken into over the last few days. At this stage there do not appear to have been any items removed/ stolen. The team will be carrying out patrols of the estate and are working with Orbit housing to secure the sheds as soon as possible. Our next Community Contact session is on Friday 5th October 2018 at the All Saints church in Nuxley Road, starting at 10am, followed by another on Wednesday 10th October at Lesness Abbey ruins site from 3pm". Bexleyheath ward:- "Below is a summary of some of the reports that have come in on our ward: Saturday 22/09/2018 – Bowling Alley Bexleyheath. Unattended mobile phone had been reported stolen; Wednesday 26/09/2018 – Theft of purse was reported in the Broadway Bexleyheath area; Saturday 29/09/2018 – Asda store had reported criminal damage at the store; Saturday 29/09/2018 – Purse was stolen from victim whilst in the entertainer shop. We are receiving reports of anti-social behaviour in the Asda car park area which the team are currently looking into to try and tackle. Patrols are also still continuing around Martens Grove and Grove Road including the garages to reduce anti-social behaviour. The teams shall be at Lyndhurst Church on the 14th October between 1030am and 1pm for a Community Contact event that has been advertised online. 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:- "We are really pleased to say that crime has been relatively low in this last week. On 25th September between 06.00-18.00 number plates (VK61SYW) were stolen from a white Volkswagen parked at Crayford BR Station, this matter will be referred to BTP for further investigation. Between 21st September and Tuesday 25th September number plates (ET04CWZ) were stolen from a silver VW Polo Twist whilst parked in Royston Road. On 27th September a grey Samsung S8 was snatched from a display at Carphone Warehouse, valued at £700. Please be aware that scam phone calls have been received locally from a male saying he is a police officer from Hammersmith Police Station, he had the name and address of the person receiving the call. The person I spoke with said they were going to call 999 but realised the line was still open and waited until the line was properly cleared before making another call. If you receive a call such as this it is unlikely to be genuine, please remember that police or a bank will never ask for your pin number or arrange a courier to collect your card. We attended Haberdasher Askes Academy on Thursday 27th September and met reception and nursery children as well as Key stage 1 and 2 children and talked about staying safe when out and about what the police do. Our ward panel meeting was held Tuesday night at Europa Gym. Thank you very much to Len and Yvonne and all the staff for allowing us to use their meeting room and providing teas and coffees. Members of the ward panel voted that ASB (Anti-social behaviour) and traffic related issues should continue to be Crayford “promises” over the coming months. The next ward panel meeting will be held on Saturday 19th January 2019 at 10.30 at a venue to be confirmed. If you are interested in taking part, please contact us for further information at Crayford.SNT@met.police.uk We assisted Barnehurst SNT with a drugs warrant on Friday 28th September with two people being processed for possession of drugs. Our team have been patrolling open spaces this last week due to concerns about anti-social behaviour and drug use. Erith ward:- A report from a Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator in Vickers Road - "I am getting lots of reports of 7 or 8 youths (approx. 17 years of age) on bikes hanging around the Pom Pom shops around 8/9pm onwards. They are being very intimidating and following people. They shouted at one resident, but he had headphones on and could not make out what was said to him. Another resident was blocked by the group forcing them to walk in another direction. A member my own family was so scared that they walked home another route, as the youths were smoking cannabis". From PCSO Adam Winch - "As you can see from the below crimes of the week, there have been 3 burglaries in the Erith area. Please make sure when you leave your address to lock your front and back doors plus make sure windows are closed. We have been out and stopped a few groups of students smoking cannabis outside Bexley Collage. We will work with the collage to put a stop to this as over the past few weeks local residents have been complaining about this issue. Crimes of note for the week - Other theft 26/09/2018 Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc,JAMES WATT WAY; C/Dam Veh 23/09/2018 BEXLEY ROAD – Hole made in the metal work of the car; C/Dam Veh U500 26/09/2018 PARK CRESCENT - Windscreen smashed; Burg Res 19/09/2018 WINIFRED ROAD - Between material times/date venue was broken into and property stolen; Burg Res 27/09/2018 WEST STREET - Suspect has gained access to flat roof and used a flower pot to smash the sons bedroom window at the rear of the house. Once inside suspect has stolen a play station and £20 cash; Making off 29/09/2018 Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc, JAMES WATT WAY; Burg Res 22/09/2018 STONEWOOD ROAD – Res Burg of cash from cashbox, stolen from living room; Theft of MV 01/10/2018 UPPER HOLLY HILL ROAD. Dates of note: Community Contact Session - Wednesday 10/10/18 at Costa Erith 11am and Wednesday 17/10/18". Northumberland heath ward:- "No burglaries reported this week which is good news. One theft of number plates in Brook Vale over the past week and one report of criminal damage to a parked vehicle in Bexley Road. The team attended the Erith Pier festival on Saturday, a female was given a Community Resolution for possession of cannabis. A group of youths in Erith were also found in possession of cannabis and an investigation is to follow. We also attended the MacMillan Coffee Morning event on Monday this week which was held in the Library in Mill road. A fantastic sum of just under £175 was raised and a good time was held by all who attended. We have also conducted weapon sweeps, and have conducted a street a week to talk to local residents and see if there are any issues in the area where they live. The next drop in surgery will be held at the Library in Mill Road Erith on Friday October 12th at 4pm. All are welcome to attend". 

Slade Green and Northend ward:- "On the weekend of Saturday 22 / Sunday 23 September an empty property in Daleview was broken in to. Nothing was taken but a mess was left behind. 2 overnight vehicle crimes have taken place, number plates were stolen from a vehicle on Monday 1st / Tuesday 2nd October at Orchard House car park and a window was smashed and several small items stolen from a car in Leycroft Gardens on Thursday 27th / Friday 28th September. On Wednesday 3/10/2018 officers from our team went on a multi-agency operation out on the Darent Industrial estate (photo above). 3 arrests were made by the Immigration team. A male known to our team for causing local ASB issues has this week been given an Acceptable Behaviour Contract (ABC) meaning he has very strict conditions as to how he behaves when out and about in the ward and the borough of Bexley. We are looking to implement several more ABC's over the coming weeks as we try and clamp down on groups causing issues locally. PCSO Mark attended the Slade Green Seniors Film Club on Tuesday where there were 63 residents in attendance enjoying tea, sandwiches and cakes before a screening of The King's Speech. This free event is growing each month and it is nice to see the older citizens in the local community coming together and engaging with each other so well. Well done to Lyn and Paul, both of whom are N.Watch coordinators in the ward, for organising this monthly event so well. Above is a picture of Mark trying to grab (yet another) biscuit! Our next Community Contact Sessions (CCS) are at 12pm Thursday 04/10/2018 in the Forest Road café and then at 2pm in our SNT office in Pier Road, Erith on Sunday 14/10/2018". Thamesmead East ward:- "Burglaries - On Saturday 29/09/18 between the hours of 06:20 pm and 06:57pm a burglary occurred in KINGFISHER CLOSE. Entry to the property was through the rear garden and by smashing a glass panel of UPVC door, resulting in £1000.00 of damage. Currency was taken following an untidy search of bedroom. Motor Vehicle Crimes - On Saturday 29/09/18 at 07:00pm a motor vehicle was stolen from an address in RUSHDENE while the vehicle owner was unloading items and taking into a property.Vehicle keys were left on the front seat. A motor cycle which was locked was stolen from outside WYFOLD HOUSE, WOLVERCOTE ROAD,SE2 between the hours of 06: 30 pm on Friday 28/09/18 and 06;30pm on Saturday 29/09/18. Between the hours of 11:00pm on Sunday30/09/18 and 10;20am on Monday 01/10/18 a vehicle parked locked and secure in DOLPHIN CLOSE, had the driver's window smashed, loose change and a phone charger holder taken. There is a new community event every Wednesday for the over 50's between 12:00 am – 3:00pm at THE ATRIUM, TEESWATER COURT MIDDLE WAY, THAMESMEAD, DA18 4DG". West Heath ward:- "There was a suspicions male offering building work in Edwin Close on the 10/09/18, only reported this week. Male claimed to work for a gutter company which when checked was not the case. Male damaged paving slabs with his ladder before leaving. A bin was set on fire in Canberra Road on Tuesday 25th September by suspects unknown. There was also a burglary in Canberra Road on Sunday 30th September sometime between 10am and 8.45pm. Entry was gained by levering a rear window and a garden table used to climb in. An unity search of the upstairs rooms ensured, It is unknown at this stage if anything was taken. There were reports of moped riders in Exmouth Road smashing car windows at about 10pm on the 26th September. There was also a burglary in Exmouth Road some time between 9am and 2pm on Tuesday 2nd October, the resident arrived home to find the back door open, nothing was taken, suspects believed disturbed by resident return. There was a further burglary in Okehampton Crescent early evening of Thursday 27th September. This time entry was gained by smashing the glass in the front door. An untidy search followed but unknown if items missing at this stage. Our colleagues in response team stopped a vehicle in Plymstock Road and Two people were arrested for possession of class A drugs on the 28th September. The next Community Contact Session is at Dryhill Road on Wednesday 10th October, 5pm – 6pm".

The end video is as promised some footage taken on the very last trip across the River Thames at Woolwich by the Ernest Bevin ferry. The captain is playing Frank Sinatra's "My Way" over the ship's public address system. Do give the video a watch, and either leave a comment below, or alternatively Email any comments to hugh.neal@gmail.com.