The Bookstore Cafe.

Early last week the News Shopper reported on a story that I predicted back in June 2017. The Europa Industrial Estate in Fraser Road, Erith, which has been struggling with many unoccupied industrial units for a considerable time, has applied for a change of use for part of the estate. A developer is trying again to get permission for an unusual development at the site – converting the warehouse / workshop units in Europa House into a new use facility made up of six workshops on the ground floor and 31 “live-work” units above. The live in units are designed for people to live in the same place that they work. Permission has already been sought, and granted for a similar development in the adjacent Fraser House – with developer Primeregal using that decision as backing for its own 31-bed plan. In a statement, published in the News Shopper last Monday the developer said of its scheme: “It makes the most efficient use of Bexley’s land, ensuring a balance between the needs of business and industry and other land uses that are integral to building sustainable communities, including housing. These revised proposals are commended to the council in an endeavour to overcome the council’s objection to the previous planning application and thus avoid the necessity of the programmed planning inquiry.” Several of the industrial units are already being used for creative purposes; internationally renown artist Gary Drostle has his main ceramics and mosaic design studio in the building, though I don't think he lives there. I predicted - pretty accurately, all things considered, that something of this nature would happen from some rumours that I heard in the summer of 2017; back then I wrote:- "The rumour (and it is only that at this stage) is that the owners of The Europa Industrial Estate in Fraser Road are having problems finding suitable tenants for much of the extensive site; the former Europa Gym is now converted into a House of Multiple Occupation (HMO), but many of the other industrial units lay empty. Consultation with an industrial estate agent suggests that around twenty units on the Europa Estate have been empty for some considerable time, with little interest from local businesses in occupying them. My information is that the owners of the Europa Estate are currently considering relocating the few businesses in the Eastern, Erith end of the estate into the Western end, nearer to the BATT Cables site; they would then sell the Eastern side of the estate to a property developer. I can see the thinking in this; the Erith Quarry site, only a couple of hundred metres further along Fraser Road is seeing exceedingly good business, with many units already sold "off plan". The owners of the Europa Estate may well wish to copy this - after all, if they can get the necessary planning permissions from Bexley Council (surely a formality with the track record of this local administration) then the land would be worth a king's ransom, situated as it is adjacent to Erith Station, Erith town centre and road links to the M25, the South Circular and the A2. I stress that what I have heard are merely rumours". It would now appear that the rumours were substantially correct. The Europa Industrial Estate has had its share of controversy over the years, including an audacious, illegal nightclub which was opened in one of the larger factory units. Back in November 2008 GC’s Nightclub opened in an old and abandoned industrial unit in The Europa Industrial Estate. The club had no fire certificate, insurance, drinks licence, or indeed any form of legal standing. The shady people behind it hid behind an obscure law which states that unlicensed premises can be used to hold entertainment events up to twelve times per year. The law was intended to allow youth clubs and scout / guide troops to hold cabarets and pantomimes in their village halls without needing to get council approval. Back in 2008, on the day the illegal nightclub opened I wrote of it:- "It is located on Fraser Road, in part of what is left of the run down Europa Industrial Estate. Not what I would consider the prime location for a venue, but no doubt the property was cheap. Reports suggest that building work was still going on an hour before the opening time. Apparently the club was playing "Happy Hardcore" when my spy walked past in the early hours of the morning. I think that is the kind of dance music that goes "whumpf whumpf" - not that I could really care much either way; I have serious doubts that the place will ever serve real ale or play Jethro Tull album tracks. I am not sure if the venue has a proper licence or permission, but at least it is away from a residential area, and stuck bang in the middle of a spectacularly grotty industrial estate that dominates eastern Erith. They are welcome to it". Unscrupulous operators pervert and misuse the law to set up "pop - up" nightclubs in old and often unsafe buildings; they set up the club, then just before opening to the public, they apply for planning permission and an entertainment licence. In most instances, this prevents the council from closing them immediately – they have to wait for the often lengthy legal process of licence approval / denial to go through. In the meantime the club operates with virtual impunity – usually over the Christmas period. The owners know that they have no realistic chance of getting their application approved, and this really is not the point – they get to open over the lucrative Christmas period, only to close up shop as soon as the licence application is thrown out. They then disappear without paying any bills. This is exactly the situation that nearly happened with GC’s Nightclub, but so much negative publicity was generated at the time via both the Maggot Sandwich, and the News Shopper that the venue only opened for three nights before the operators pulled out. It was just as well, as I understand the place was full of blue asbestos, the wiring was condemned and it had no fire escape. The operators disappeared as suddenly as they had appeared, leaving unpaid suppliers, and nothing has been heard of them since.

As regular readers will be aware, the old and much loved Carnegie Library, located in Walnut Tree Road, Erith has been undergoing a complete refurbishment over the last year or so, after the historic Edwardian building was left empty and abandoned for around ten years. It is shortly to reopen to the public as an arts, community and education centre run by an organisation known as The Exchange. The first part of the phased reopening of the Old Library is due to take place shortly, as Sarah Batten will now explain:- "The Exchange at Erith’s Old Library is set to launch its Bookstore Café on February 14th – a new gastronomic adventure for Erith run by talented local chef Marina Power. Marina trained and taught at the world-renowned Ballymaloe Cookery School in Ireland, famed for its local, sustainable and zero-waste approach to cooking. Marina will be bringing this ethos and her experience to the much-loved Old Library building in Erith. Alongside, The Exchange will be running a fantastic and varied programme of events including film evenings, craft workshops and family seed planting activities. The Exchange is also providing space for other local talent to showcase what they do, including Pilates teacher Melissa Janneh, local artist Merissa Hylton, and arts social entrepreneur Jade Flannery who will be delivering musical theatre and drama for young people. The Exchange is also partnering closely with London South East Colleges who will be using the Old Library to exhibit their work and put on performances, as well as helping The Exchange to create a fantastic kitchen garden filled with herbs, edible flowers and maybe even chickens. To find out more, please visit The Exchange website: www.theexchangeerith.com". Bexley Council have published the following comments about the forthcoming opening of The Exchange in the old Erith Library:- "The first phase of refurbishment work on Erith’s iconic Carnegie Building is complete. Local company, The Exchange, is set to officially occupy the building from 1 February. Council officers have worked closely with Historic England and The Exchange to ensure that the refurbishment of the lower ground area has been carried out in a way that preserves the character of the building. The improvements which also include the restoration of the weathervane and full replacement of the roof of the building, have been funded by London Borough of Bexley and the Mayor of London as part of its partnership project, the ‘Greater Erith Programme’. Following its handover to The Exchange, the lower ground area of the building will be open to the public from 14 February. It will house ‘The Conversation Room’, an area for creativity and community events, as well as ‘The Bookstore Cafe’, a fantastic new space for freshly produced food and drink run by talented local chef Marina Power. Cllr Louie French, Bexley’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Growth said: “It’s wonderful to see this beautiful old building being brought back into use for the benefit of the local community. Erith is one of the main locations that will gain from our ambitious growth strategy for the borough. We want to make the area a thriving riverside town centre once again." Sarah Batten, Co-Director of The Exchange said: “We are so excited to launch our programme in February – there will be lots for people to do, including exhibitions, performances, kitchen garden planting, sewing and embroidery classes and film nights. We look forward to welcoming the community back into the building.” London Borough of Bexley and The Exchange have secured National Lottery Funding to continue the refurbishment of the Carnegie building. During 2019 they plan to apply for a full grant to fund the next phase of the work, which will focus on renovating the upper two floors". What do you think? Leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

Since last week's shock announcement of the takeover of London's last major brewer - Fuller's, but Japanese brewing giant Asahi, there have been some developments. Two brewing industry insiders have independently contacted me regarding what they believe to be Asahi's plans for Fullers into the future, and it is somewhat worrying. I wrote in my piece last week that many commentators have expressed reservations as to whether the Asahi - who are well known for brewing gassy and bland lagers, will be able to maintain Fullers beer quality, and also worries that the large brewery location would be worth a fortune a potential property developer for the prestigious Chiswick site. Analysts speculated that the Fuller's Griffin site could be worth up to £100 million, so could be ripe for even partial redevelopment. On top of this there may well be an unexpected consequence. Currently Asahi beers are brewed in the UK under licence by Faversham, Kent based brewers Shepherd Neame. With Asahi taking over Fullers, there would be no need for Asahi to have their beers brewed by a third party. It turns out that my fears may have been somewhat incorrect; instead of the Asahi owned Fullers taking brewing back from Shepherd Neame, word reaches me from two sources that the opposite is more likely to be the case. I have been told that Asahi may well outsource all brewing of Fullers and Gales branded beers to Shepherd Neame on a permanent basis, then sell the Chiswick based Griffin brewery site to be redeveloped for high end housing. This would follow the model established by Young's when they sold off their Ram brewery for redevelopment back in 2006. The Chiswick site is said to be worth between £90 and £100 million to a large property developer. 

The photo above is a bit of a mind boggler to anyone with modern sensibilities. The picture was taken in 1910 (and thus most definitely in the public domain) and shows members of the 4th Erith Scout Troop (Vickers’ Own). The scout troop were sponsored by armaments manufacturer Vickers, who had factories in both Erith and Crayford. The boys were trained to fire the Vickers machine gun, by their supervisor Gunner Sergeant Budge, who can be seen sporting a magnificent moustache in the background. The team took the machine gun around the country to Boy Scout rallies, where they gave demonstrations of its’ firepower.  It makes me wonder how many of the boys in the photo were later killed in the First World War, which started only four years after the photo was taken, when they would all have been old enough to be eligible for call – up. Pseudo military organisations such as the Boy’s Brigade and the Scouts were fertile targets for recruiters at the outbreak of war, and in any case, many young men, who were ignorant of the horrors of the trenches, eagerly joined up “to be with their mates” – as the army allowed young men who lived in the same geographical area to sign up and serve together. Whole factories, clubs and churches were emptied of their menfolk in this manner – many of whom would never return.

As I have mentioned a couple of times in the past, The London Borough of Bexley shares a great deal of similarities with our neighbouring borough of Havering on the opposite bank of the River Thames. Havering has a similar geography, residential demographic and council budget, but they tend to do things rather differently to Bexley. Last week Havering Police carried out an experiment which sent alarm bells ringing with civil liberties groups, and also some members of the IT security community. The Metropolitan Police have been using automated facial recognition (AFR) technology since 2016, but its decision to do so in the absence of any legal framework or oversight has drawn criticism from privacy advocates, politicians and watchdogs. A van was parked outside Romford Station in East London from 10am to 6pm on Wednesday and Thursday – plenty of time to catch rush hour. The Metropolitan Police has consistently said that the technology will be used "overtly", but at the previous rollout in December the cameras were fitted to unmarked green vans. Campaign group Liberty, on the scene, said that this time there is Met Police branding on the blue van – although this doesn't say anything about AFR. Both cameras were focused on the entrance to the station. The group also noted that one of the two the public information notices were so positioned that anyone reading it would be caught on camera. In an interview with the science and technology news website, The Register, Liberty's advocacy and policy officer Hannah Couchman said:- "One of Liberty's key concerns is that this is supposed to be a trial, but by the time you're informed that it's happening you're probably already on camera. Underlying such concerns are question marks over the efficacy of the technology itself. A Freedom of Information request by Big Brother Watch found the Met's use of the technology had a 98 per cent false positive rate. An academic study also poked holes in its abilities in low light and crowds. Despite this, the police have continued to subject Londoners to this lawless and intrusive technology, ignoring and infringing their rights. The police's use of live facial recognition has been an expensive failure, costing hundreds of thousands of pounds, and with a misidentification rate of almost 100 per cent". Whether the trials at Romford Station will be expanded locally is at present unknown. What do you think? Leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

Now for the weekly local safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly a report from Barnehurst ward:- "Sadly we have a burglary to report this week in Parkside Avenue.The incident occurred overnight between 11.30pm on Sunday 27th January and 6am on Monday 28th January. Suspects have entered the property whilst the occupier was sleeping by forcing the front UPVC door which was NOT double locked, once inside they have taken car keys and using the keys have stolen a Silver Mercedes E class from the drive. Registration number J8BMY. On Friday 18th January the Barnehurst team assisted by Crayford and Bexleyheath SNT carried out a drugs warrant at Hampton House, Erith Road. This resulted in a quantity of drugs being seized with one suspect being charged to appear at court and another receiving a community resolution (cannabis warning). Since December we have had 9 confirmed residential burglaries across the ward in 8 of these entry was gained via UPVC doors which were NOT double locked. Some offences have occurred whilst the occupiers were at home sleeping. Insurance companies are refusing to pay out stating that your property was not correctly secured and therefore a breach of terms and conditions of any policy. We cannot stress enough how important it is to secure yours doors properly. If you have a UPVC door it must be locked with the key, just lifting the handle does not secure the locking mechanism.it will take the average person just seconds to open a door that has not been double locked. Remember lift the handle and lock with a key. A member of the team will be at Barnehurst Golf Course on Tuesday 5th February at 4pm, please pop along to discuss any local issues or concerns. If you have information but feel uneasy talking to the police. Please consider calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 This is completely anonymous and you do not have to give any personal details. Please follow us on twitter @MPSBarnehurst we can also be found on FaceBook under Barnehurst Police". Belvedere ward:- "There have been 3 reported burglaries this week. The first was on Wednesday 23rd January and occurred at around 6pm in Abbey Road. A male entered a property through the front door but is not thought to have left with any items as the resident was at home at this time. The second took place on Saturday 26th January in Fendyke Road between 4.30pm and midnight. Entry was gained to a property via the rear patio door which had a glass panel smashed in order to get into the house. Several items were then taken from the location including jewellery and cash. The third took place in Picardy Road between 8 am and 8.30 am on Tuesday 29th January. An unknown person forced entry to the property by damaging the front door (glass again smashed). A handbag was then taken from the property containing cash and personal items. We have been receiving reports of several groups gathering in Telford and Kelvin Houses in Picardy Street/ Dylan Road who are then causing disruption to residents and are also thought to be using drugs at these locations. Our efforts to patrol these areas have thus far been unsuccessful but will continue over this coming weekend as we are working late into the night. As mentioned last week, we have been carrying out searches of several locations on the ward in an effort to find items that may have been used in crime. We have visited Belvedere train station, Dryhill Road, Picardy Street and Monarch Road most recently and will be continuing this activity into February. The team are also going to be visiting a ‘street a week' to speak to as many residents as possible, to gain information should there be any issues related to crime or anti-social behaviour in a particular area. Should any issues arise from this, we will then work with our partner agencies to find a solution. We have visited Prospect Close recently and plan to visit Halt Robin Road this coming weekend. Further streets will be visited in the very near future". Bexleyheath ward:- "We have no reports of burglaries over the last week. We have had one report of a criminal damage to motor vehicle along Rydal Drive, this was on the Friday 25/01/2019 in the late evening; Tuesday 29/01/2019 – There was a report of a theft of purse taken from a handbag along the Broadway; Saturday 26/01/2019 – Report of theft of front & rear number plates that had happened along Pinnacle Hill Bexleyheath, this was in the evening time; Tuesday 22/01/2019 – There was a report of a theft of mobile phone from inside the Primark store Bexleyheath. The team are regularly conducting targeted patrols for burglary and anti-social behaviour. 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 or 101 for non-urgent reporting". Crayford ward:- "Firstly lets have some good news. Crayford SNT had a good court result on Monday. A person who had been using his mobile phone whilst driving was given 6 points and a fine, including costs of £828.00, he will face a ban if he appears in front of the magistrate again. Sadly, we have had one burglary on our ward this week. It occurred on Monday 29th January between 08.00-16.00 hours. Entry was through a smashed window, it seems the burglar left via the rear door. An untidy search was made and a British and European currency was stolen as well as a large amount of Asian Gold. A rose gold iPhone 6 was stolen from an address in Medway Road on Tuesday 18th January between 13.00-16.00, the front door had been open as workmen had been present. A silver Ford Galaxy was stolen from an address in Woodside Road on Thursday 24th January. The owner still has the one set of keys for the vehicle. Local CCTV shows a white bald male go straight to the vehicle and enter by unknown means and drive it away. The vehicle was located by police after being seen driving erratically in Abbey Wood, abandoned and unlocked. It was found to be now on false plates and removed for forensic opportunities. A theft of number plates occurred from a Blue Volkswagon Caddy between Friday 18th and 27th January. The number plates, PL15 5HJ should be attached to a British Gas van. We intend to be at Crayford Library on Saturday 9th February between 11.00-12.00. If you would like to come along and speak with us about any concerns you may have". Erith ward:- "This week we have had a few burglaries (detailed below). Also there have been 2 reports of mugging / robbery one was at knife point – both in secluded places, Erith underpass and Birch Walk, at this time they do not seemed linked. Be on your guard if you are in these areas if you see anyone acting strangely, phone 999/101. We will be actively patrolling these areas, both in plain clothing and uniform".  Northumberland Heath ward:- "We held our ward panel meeting recently and we have agreed to focus more time on the following issues; 1) Northumberland Heath Recreation Ground – Tackling Anti-Social behaviour; 2) Becton Place – Tackling Anti-Social behaviour and Drugs misuse; 3) Charliville Road – Tackling motor vehicle crime such as Criminal Damage. We will keep you updated with any result we have here. Over the last week we have conducted a number weapons sweeps across the ward as part of the Met's Operation Sceptre. The idea of Operation Sceptre is to try and proactively reduce violent crime across the Met by searching hotspot areas for any weapons which may have been either discarded or stashed away. During the last week we recovered an old Machete in Avenue Road and a small claw hammer from Charliville Road. Please get in contact with us if you see anything of concern you need us to collect. We have had a burglary in Dalmeny Road, entry was forced via the rear bedroom window from the garden. Property which included money and vehicle key were stolen. There has also been a non-residential burglary in Sussex Road. An outbuilding was broken into and property including a black mountain bike was stolen. There has been a vehicle stolen from Hurst Road, a grey Peugeot van registration LM68YMO. The driver was delivering at the time and the suspect has stolen the vehicle whilst the driver was distracted. There was an attempted vehicle theft at Parsonage Manorway but the two suspect were seen by the owner and they ran off. Our next Police Surgery will be held at Mill Road, Library on Wednesday 6th February at 2pm. No appointment required if you wish to speak with us please pop in".

Appliances and multiple fire fighters attended a house fire in Bridge Road in Slade Green and Northend ward on Wednesday.

Slade Green and Northend ward:- "Only two relevant crimes this week to report. A vehicle was criminally damaged on Crescent Road on Friday 25th January and a victim was assaulted on Slade Green Road on Saturday 26th January at approximately 10:00 hours near to the newly re-opened railway foot bridge which connects Slade Green Road and Bridge Road. We believe that this assault was witnessed by a female who, thankfully, intervened. We would like to speak with this female witness and would like to appeal to her (or anyone who may know her) to come forward and make contact with the local police. On Monday 28th January a male was searched on Dale View and found in possession of herbal cannabis which was seized and given a warning. Finally, on Monday 28th January at 06:40 am a 43 year old male was arrested for a public order offence following a report of a disturbance at Slade Green Railway Station –Please contact the British Transport Police by texting 61016 or calling 0800 40 50 40, quoting reference number 45 of 28/01/19 if you witnessed this incident. Our next Community Contact Session is on Saturday 9th February at our office, please feel free to pop along".Thamesmead East ward:- "Burglaries - No burglaries to report this week. However remain vigilant at all times. Theft from a motor vehicle - Between the hours of 07:45 of Wednesday 23/01/19 and 07:59am of Thursday 24/01/19 the number plates were stolen from a vehicle parked near Dexter House St John Fisher Road. A vehicle parked locked and secure in Mangold Way had both front and rear number plates taken overnight of Sunday 27/01/19 and Monday 28/01/19. In Glimpsing Green a vehicle believed to have been locked, secure and parked on the drive, had the Sat Nav stolen sometime between Friday 25/01/19 at 8:00pm and 10:00am on Sunday 27/01/19.Between the hours of 06:00pm on Tuesday 29/01/19 and 06:30am Wednesday 30/01/19 a vehicle parked in Holstein Way had the front and rear number plates stolen. Crime Prevention - Wallets, purses ,handbags ,credit cards and loose change should never be left in an unattended vehicle. Remove sat nav mounts, suction cup marks on windows and cables which may indicate electrical items in the vehicle. Good news - A male who lives locally, attended Woolwich Crown Court and was found guilty of supplying Class A / Cocaine, is now serving two and half years in prison". West Heath ward:- "From Wednesday 23rd January we have the following crimes to report: We have suffered three Theft from Motor Vehicles. On the 22nd January in New Road from 0630 hours the driver's window was smashed a suit and sunglasses were stolen. In Leckwith Avenue on the 25th January between 0615-1500 the front and rear number plates were taken from the vehicle. On the 2th January between 0700-midnight a front head light was stolen from a vehicle in Totnes Road. Theft of Motor Vehicle: Overnight on the 29th between 2100-0739 hours a person's mobility vehicle was stolen in Powys Close. The ward will be carrying out their next Community Contact Session on 9th February in Hurst Lane Estate, Hurst Lane between 1300-1400 hours. Please be aware If police in uniform or in civilian clothing call at your address unexpectedly call West Heath Team on 0208 721 2885, if there is no reply do not leave a message but call 999 immediately as we have been made aware of fake police ID cards. We have been made aware of drug activity in Hurlingham Avenue and we will be carrying out high visibility patrols around the area to address the issue. The team have carried out three weapon sweeps, one at Bostall Heath Park and two at West Heath Recreation ground which have resulted in a negative search".

The ed video this week gives a look into what the interiors of the new houses that form the Quarry development will look like. 

Tony Brise.

The advert above has been doing the rounds on Facebook and other social media for a couple of months now. It promotes an apparent new facility in Erith for use for weddings, corporate events and suchlike. The location is the current Praise Embassy located in the former tyre warehouse on the corner of Bexley Road and Queen Street in Erith Town Centre. The grandly named P - Square Events Centre is what was the snooker hall on the upper floor of Electricity House, also shown above. Here is where the controversy comes in; The photos above are not actually of the venue in Erith, as it is not complete, and is anyway subject to a number of legal challenges. The photos show some venue elsewhere that the owners of the Erith location would apparently aspire to. There are a number of issues with the Praise Embassy and associated businesses that are not currently widely known. The pre - school nursery which is also run by the same group has been operating without planning permission since 2014, and it has been the subject of an unfavourable OFSTED report. If this was not bad enough, you may recall that I wrote a while back how the freehold of the snooker hall had been purchased by persons unknown - I was of the opinion that in the medium to long term, this was in order for the owners to "land bank" as much of the late 1930's building as possible, as it is close to the end of its useful life, and is a prime candidate for redevelopment. A developer would pay a premium for the site, which is located close to the M25, the A2 and the South Circular. It is also in an up and coming part of South East London / North Kent. If a compulsory purchase order was placed on the site, the freeholder with the largest chunk of rights to the building would be in for a considerable windfall. A reliable source has told me that the organisation that runs the Redeemed Christian Church of God Praise Embassy is the freehold buyer, and that although the snooker hall hold a long lease on the building, they have been unlawfully evicted, as the church wants to convert the snooker hall upstairs part of Electricity House into the P - Square events venue in the mock up photos on the flyer above. I am told that this is currently subject to a court case, though at present I am not aware of the details. As well as the proposed events / conference centre - that is subject to the outcome of an application yet to be submitted to the council for a change of use. The church have been heavily promoting Podium Radio – a radio station featuring content designed to appeal to African listeners. There has been some concern that studios are to be constructed in Electricity House, and one local resident has expressed worries about any new antennas appearing on the roof of the building, as it is already heavily populated by mobile phone masts and other digital communications devices. I think I am able to lay that concern to rest; it would seem that Podium Radio is Internet based, and does not broadcast terrestrially. Any studio would most likely be very small – little more than a single room. Podium Radio appears to be a pretty small affair; it has a website which you can see here. The pastor of the church is a somewhat flamboyant and controversial figure; her name is Pastor Chris Ogedengbe – you can see her FaceBook page here. Locals will have also noted that the previously open plan car park adjacent to the building has recently had a very large and imposing black metal fence erected around it, complete with sliding gates. At present the church / nursery / events centre management are trying to get an electricity supply run to the gates, so that they can be motorised. From what I have been told, no planning permission has been granted for this work, and it is definitely required due to their size and the cosmetic changes they make to the structure. It is ironic that the very imposing fence, which would not look out of place at Belmarsh Prison, only covers the front of the car park; the side is protected by a shoulder high brick wall, which would be relatively easy for any trespasser to scramble over. The whole situation with Electricity House is a mess; basically it would seem that you have a majority stakeholder who is now trying to take over as much of the building as possible, but to what end? At very best it would appear that any gains the church makes will be very short term – no more than a handful of years, before the entire building is demolished and replaced with something new and more suitable for purpose. Unless I am very much mistaken The Redeemed Christian Church of God are doing little more than re – arranging the deckchairs on the Titanic. Conversely they may be playing a very clever game; appearing to invest heavily in the old building, doing it up and turning it around. This would ensure that any compensation paid out during a compulsory purchase of the site would be at the higher end of the scale. Whatever the options, one thing is clear – Electricity House is worth more demolished than it is standing. If you have any information on this, please feel free to drop me a line to hugh.neal@gmail.com where it will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Boy racers who turned an East London industrial estate into “something out of the Fast and the Furious” have been banned from meet-ups under a new council crackdown. Any drivers taking part in street races or performing stunts could face a fine of up to £1,000, thanks to a new Public Space Protection Order. The order also gives police officers and the council the power to fine those who attend ‘road racing’ events simply to watch. It comes after hundreds of spectators began descending on Choats Road, in an industrial estate in Dagenham, to watch souped-up cars and bikes race at speed. Attendees at the events reportedly contain illegal racers from the South side of the River Thames, and apparently some people from Bexley, who drive across the Dartford Crossing to take part in the illegal events.  The races sparked complaints from nearby residents who said their lives were being made a misery, with the high pitched roars of engines audible from up to half a mile away. Some of the most criminally irresponsible road racers were even coating the street in oil to make high speed “drift turns” easier around a roundabout. Videos of the dangerous manoeuvres have been uploaded to Youtube. Councillor Laila Butt, Barking and Dagenham council’s cabinet member for enforcement and community safety, said in an interview last week with the London Evening Standard that the order was introduced for a large section of the borough following complaints from residents. She said:- “We have listened to our residents which is why we are showing the red flag to the irresponsible boy racers and petrol heads who are not only jeopardising their own safety but others around them. A whole swathe of the borough will be off limits to these boy racers who think they can use our streets as Silverstone or Brands Hatch.” The order bans activities including speeding, driving in convoy, racing, performing stunts, revving engines and wheel spins. It is thought to be the first time a ban of its type had been used in London to stop street racing. Earlier this year, residents said they welcomed the council’s attempts to crackdown on the practice. There seems to be an increase in illegal vehicle activity even over and above that we are unfortunately subject to. Erith has for several years been plagued by youths on illegal, unlicensed motorbikes and scooters; the problem appears to be worst around the Frobisher Road and Manor Road area. The scumbags ride their illegal vehicles along the pavements, very close to pedestrians, and also weave in and out of the traffic on the road. They usually end up heading East, and onto the Slade Green Marshes where they cause a nuisance to walkers and legitimate users of the protected marsh area. Local residents have been complaining about this behaviour, and Erith Watch have been active in working with the Police to get something done about the matter. The general procedure the Police carry out when arresting illegal, unlicensed and uninsured riders is that their bikes or scooters are confiscated and crushed. One can only hope that this will be the case in future instances. The only thing is the offenders will probably just go out and steal another bike and carry out their anti social and criminal acts as before. I feel that it will take another death before they realise how dangerous their activities are. Back in 2006, when the 469 single decker bus still ran on a route that included Manor Road, a young scooter rider came roaring West along the road; a West bound 469 was stationary at the Frobisher Road bus stop, and an East bound 469 bus was coming the other way; rather than waiting for the Eastbound bus to pass, the young rider raced for the gap; he was crushed between the two buses. The ambulance crew were able to stabilise him for long enough to get him to hospital, and his family to get to his bedside to say goodbye. I can see this terrible state of affairs happening again unless the illegal riders do something drastic about their behaviour. I was interviewed by Romford based local radio station Time 107.5FM on Monday evening. I had Emailed the station, as they were going to be doing a phone - in programme about scooter based crime in and around Romford, Redbridge and Dagenham. I had contacted them about the problems we have encountered on the South side of the river, and how I had discovered through a couple of readers that some of the illegal scooter riders from Bike Life TV UK have been going over the Dartford Crossing to commit crimes on the other side of the river. Time phoned me and I ended up doing a seven minute live interview on bike gang crime with the host. Good fun, and I did find out that Dagenham and Redbridge Police are dropping the general Met policy of not chasing biker riders who do not wear helmets. Their Borough Commander also appeared on the programme, and he said that they were trialling a new policy from next month, but they would not give specifics as the illegal bikers might find out and take countermeasures. If successful the policy may go London wide. We have seen the results of the very high profile watch and jewellery thefts in the West End of London that have featured heavily in papers such as the Evening Standard, but most of the crime committed on scooters is of a lower level nature – the theft of mobile phones and handbags being very common. I am also led to understand that some drugs gangs use younger members on scooters to distribute illicit drugs. It is a shame that decent, law abiding riders are becoming tarred with the same brush as the bad guys.

Following on from my article last week on the problem of drug dealing which seems to be centred around the former Mencap centre in Lesney Park Road, Erith, I have had further confirmation of nefarious activity in and around the site from yet another long time reader - the fourth independent witness thus far. The new contributor writes:- "Hi Hugh, I took this photo on 14/6/17, the location was the B12 bus stop Carlton Road, which is just along road to Mencap site.  I picked a couple up to check if they were used, and they had been. There were so many there, and as you can see in the photo that the cream charger boxes that they came in were present. I thought that someone close by must be a caterer and dumped them by the litter bin rather than their own dustbin.  I took photo, as it was such an unusual find, now reading your article it apparent where they came from". I feel that this story has much longer to run; more soon.

The forthcoming two new replacement Woolwich ferries have been named, and in a long tradition, the ferries will be named after prominent local people. The new boats will be named after Dame Vera Lynn, who celebrated her 100th birthday this year, and Ben Woollacott, 19, a deckhand who died working on the ferries. The state-of-the-art vessels will be delivered next year and will form part of the river crossings strategy for East and South East London – after their future was initially placed in doubt. Dame Vera was born in East Ham in 1917 and went on to become the “force’s sweetheart” in the Second World War. Ben was the sixth generation of Thames waterman but drowned after he was dragged into the water after a mooring rope accident in 2011. The former ferry operator Serco was fined £200,000 over failings that led to the tragedy. The two new ships cost around £20 million each and come with specialised “hybrid” engines allowing them to run on electricity generated by the idling motors running on fuel oil.

In an interview this week with the London Evening Standard Sean Collins, the chief executive and co – founder of MBNA Thames Clippers said that passenger numbers using the river boat service have grown by over a million over the last three years, and he predicted that they would double to a total of eight million travellers over the next five years. Of that number, around half will be regular commuters, rather than tourists going for a day trip. MBNA Thames Clippers have a further two new vessels going into service this summer, bringing the number in their fleet to a total of seventeen. The first of the new ships, the Mercury Clipper, went into service this week; it is covering the route between Canary Wharf and Blackfriars Pier. The second new vessel, the Jupiter Clipper will go into service shortly and cover the Canary Wharf to Battersea Power Station route. Economists say that the large amount of riverside development currently under way in places such as Nine Elms and the Greenwich Peninsula are driving the demand for increased levels of ferry services. What seems to have been missed off in all of this discussion is any ferry service to the East of Woolwich. When one considers the refurbishment and expected massive expansion of Abbey Wood and Thamesmead, and the huge increase in residential construction planned for Lower Belvedere, Erith and Dartford, I am somewhat surprised that as far as I am aware, no provision has been made for expansion of ferry services to this significant part of South East London / North Kent. Some years ago local MP Teresa Pearce was in consultation with the ferry operators, Morrison’s and I believe Transport for London about the possibility of getting the MBNA Thames Clipper service to call at Erith Pier. From what I recall, it was a non – starter at the time. The River Thames has a very wide tidal range at Erith, and large pontoons would have been needed to be added to the pier to ensure that ferries could dock at low tide. On top of this, Pier owners Morrison’s were not keen on the idea – they did not want to see spaces used up in their car park by commuters, when they could (in their opinion) be better employed providing parking for Morrison’s customers. This specific issue has now become moot; a waiting time limit is now enforced in the car park, and it would no longer be possible for any potential commuters to leave their car all day. I still believe that it would not be outside the realms of possibility for the MBNA Thames Clipper service to introduce routes to the East of Woolwich, but thus far there does not seem to be the desire to do so from enough of the potential stakeholders. What do you think? Should a new attempt be made to bring the riverboat service into the local area? Leave a comment below, or Email hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Some crime reports from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association:- Belvedere Ward – “My Grandson (6 yrs old) and his brother (11 years old) were hit by a dark grey, stolen BMW 3 series coupe, in Lower Belvedere on Friday 30th June and both ended up in King College Hospital. The car didn’t stop. Both are now home recovering. If anyone sees a Dark Grey BMW 3 series coupe, broken near side door mirror, abandoned or having number plates changed, please will they report it straight away. It did have false plates, the police do know what they are. I won’t say at this time as I don’t wish to cause any more stress for the legal owner who has obviously had a police visit and is very concerned that his car had been cloned”. PC Ashley Green Of Belvedere made the following report:- "Over the last week the team have been very busy. PC Green has been receiving additional training for a variety of practical front line policing applications. The team have summonsed a prolific shoplifter for 2 offences in Co-Op, Nuxley Road and for a further offence in Erith working with PC Brown from the Erith team. Another male has been banned from Sainsbury’s, Nuxley Road. The male was challenged by staff for attempting to shoplift. When the team have attended to deal with the incident we have also gathered evidence for further offences linked to drug dealing which we are currently being investigated. If you note any suspicious activity around this area then please contact us to assist with any on-going investigations. The team have been very busy with criminal investigations around the ward and have collected evidence and CCTV for a variety of offences. This is to assist our colleagues working within the investigation units who will look to be identifying offenders. The team will be attending a meeting on 06/07/2017 and are to be joined by other police officers, local businesses, the ward Councillors and members of the local authority such as road safety and ASB staff. The meeting is part of our on-going efforts to combat vehicle Anti-social behaviour affecting Norman Road, Belvedere and the surrounding area. PC Green has compiled a large amount of research into offenders and the team will be looking to deal with offenders in coming weeks as part of the plan to deal with the on-going issues". From the Barnehurst team:- “This week the Barnehurst and Crayford Teams have been working together after discovering 8 stolen vehicles within a garage block in Mount Pleasant Walk. The venue had clearly been used by criminals since 2011 to store and work on altering the identity of vehicles as evidenced by the finding of 10 sets of number plates as well as stripping vehicles for parts as evidenced by the discovery of the eight cars some dating back to 2013. The cars identified were 6 x BMW M3 Coupes and convertibles 1 x Focus ST and 1 x Kangoo van. The total value of the vehicles is in excess of £145,000. We would like to thank residents for their patience whilst the recovery and forensic work was undertaken and thank you to one in particular who supplied the teas. For photos please follow us on twitter @MPSBarnehurst". From the Northumberland Heath team:- "Two incidents in Northumberland Heath reported and dealt with quickly by police, they were;- There were 4 boys all 16 plus in age all under the influence of drugs. It was at the back of Horsa road, in the alley. The police were called and attended shortly after the call was made. There was also a fight last night between school children around school closing time when 3 police cars attended this was outside Sasaks Food & Wine shop on Bexley Road, right by the bus stop”.

It is not very well known that Erith was the birthplace of a man who could well have gone on to be a Formula One world racing champion, had he not met an untimely end in a plane crash. Tony Brise was born in Erith in March 1952, and was a promising racing driver, who took part in ten Formula One Grand Prix events in 1975, before dying in a plane crash with Graham Hill. Tony Brise was born in Erith, the son of John Brise, a pig farmer and racing driver, who won the World Stock Car Championship on three occasions. Both Tony and his brother Tim showed an interest in go-karting at a young age, and John Brise gave up his hobby to support them fully. Tony Brise won his first UK championship in 1969, and switched to single-seater racing the next year, driving an Elden MK8 Formula Ford. In 1971 he placed second in the BOC British FF1600 Championship. While completing his degree in this period, a BA in Business Administration, he chose to continue with motor racing, joining Formula 3 in 1972 driving a Brabham BT28, the team run by Bernie Ecclestone. After switching to a GRD 372, his performance increased until he was one of the top drivers in the formula. He won two of the three British Formula 3 Championships in 1973, sharing one (the Lombard North Central championship) with Richard Robarts, as well as winning the John Player Trophy. At the end of the season he won a Grovewood Award for the second time, shared with Tom Pryce. Brise wished to move up to Formula 2 for the 1974 seasons, but was unable to due to financial limitations. Instead he bought a second-hand March 733 car, fitting it with a Holby-tuned Ford engine, and entering the MCD Formula Atlantic series. He won the first round of the British Championship unexpectedly, but subsequently wrote the car off in a crash at Snetterton. However, his performance had brought him to the attention of Teddy Savory of Modus, who offered him a work drive in the series. Although the car was another modified F3 chassis, he drove well enough to earn a drive in a purpose-built car in 1975. He also drove a Modus M1 F3 in the Monaco Grand Prix F3 support race, finishing second behind Tom Pryce in a March 743. Brise excelled in the new car in 1975, winning six consecutive races, at Snetterton, Oulton Park, and twice each at Brands Hatch and Silverstone, enough to win him the MCD International Formula Atlantic Championship. As a result of these achievements, he was contacted by Frank Williams in April, to make his Formula One debut standing in for Jacques Laffite. Brise made his Grand Prix debut on the 27th April 1975 for Williams at the Spanish Grand Prix in Montjuic Park near Barcelona, a controversial race marred by strikes over safety issues, a high number of crashes, and the deaths of four spectators. Brise finished seventh in this race, two laps behind the leaders, his race affected by a collision with Tom Pryce. Laffite returned for the subsequent Monaco Grand Prix, relegating Brise once again to Formula Atlantic, though former world champion Graham Hill's retirement at that race, due to a failure to qualify, brought Brise straight back into the top division driving for Embassy Hill, intended to be for the rest of the season. Over the next few races Brise showed a lot of promise, recording some very fast qualifying times and frequently outperforming his team-mate, Alan Jones. However, a combination of technical difficulties and bad luck prevented him from ever finishing in high leader-board positions, and he took just one championship point. Nonetheless, by consensus he was considered a bright hope and one to watch for the future, with a successful season anticipated in 1976. On the 19th November 1975, Graham Hill and Brise, along with Andy Smallman, the team's designer, and three team mechanics, were returning to London from southern France, where they were testing a new race car, the GH2. The Embassy Hill plane, a twin-engine six-seat Piper Aztec piloted by Hill, was attempting to land at Elstree Airfield at night in thick fog when it crashed and burned at Arkley golf course, killing all six aboard. Tony Brise was just 23 years old, and was survived by his wife Janet, daughter of triallist Reg Allen. Formula One experts think that had he lived, Tony Brise could well have been a future world champion.

New local group The Exchange have just issued the following update:- "Seventeen artists, some local and some from as far afield as Coventry and Hertfordshire braved the sweltering heat on Thursday afternoon to attend an artist workshop for the Pier Commission held at the Bexley Local Studies & Archives Centre at Bexleyheath Library. Archives manager Simon McKeon and Kirsty Macklen, the Collections Manager at Hall Place presented a fascinating trip through the history of Erith and its Pier from pleasure resort to industrial hub and beyond.  It was a real treat to see the amazing photographs and prints from the archive and images of the fascinating objects from the Bexley Museum Collection relating to Erith.  Also great to see the artists developing proposals for the Pier Commission that respond to Erith and it’s history, we can’t wait to see what they come up with. The deadline for proposals is Friday 14th July and an opportunity for the public to vote for their favourite will announced shortly afterwards – watch this space!! We would like to thank all the artists for attending and special thanks to Simon and Kirsty for presenting. The Pier Commission is a new temporary arts commission for Erith’s Pier, for more details please follow the link here.

Finally, in another public art related story, local artist Gary Drostle has been commissioned to create a mural for the Erith Quarry site in Fraser Road, which coincidentally is almost directly opposite his art studio in the Europa Industrial Estate. In the short video below, Gary talks about his work, and what inspires his unique creativity. Give it a watch, and see what you think.

The festival.

Gary Drostle, the Erith based artist who was responsible for the controversial Erith De Luci Fish Sculpture situated on the large roundabout (photo above - click for a larger view) that connects Bronze Age Way, Walnut Tree Road, Bexley Road and Queen's Road has been very busy of late; he has been working on a commission for the Chelsea Flower Show, which will be sponsored by the holiday firm Viking Cruises. Gary Drostle specialises in mosaics, though he also does paintings - the excellent Thames Barge mural on the side of the White Hart is also his work. His studio is located in what used to be the old Europa Gym Centre - part of the Europa Industrial Estate in Fraser Road. In an interview with the Bexley Times, Gary said of his new commission:- "I’ve been creating mosaics for over 30 years now, but I knew that I needed some inspiration from the city itself. Viking Cruises run a journey from Barcelona to Venice, so I went on that, and my design went from there. When I got there, I had a eureka moment, where I realised what I needed to do was strip back the work, and hand make it using Venetian glass. The aim is to create a modern twist on Gaudi’s works. It’s a quick job compared to usual, as some murals take years to create, but this one has only taken four months. Last time I did anything for the garden show is was for Leeds Council - I made it and they just transferred it to the site, but this time I need to actually be at the show to put it together myself. I’ll have to finish building it, then break it up into jigsaw pieces, and then reassemble the wall when I’m in Chelsea. Mosaics are much more durable than painted murals, which is why I started creating them in the first place, but to be honest, this challenge is a lot more colourful and vibrant than the works I usually do. It’s been a really great challenge, and I’m excited to get the chance to visit the garden show.” Erith actually has quite a remarkable number of public art exhibits, especially considering the relatively small size of the riverside town. Even the gates to Erith Riverside Shopping Centre are works of art; the are covered with X-Ray images of common household objects. There are a number of different sculptures in and around the town centre, and the famous artwork that was removed from the side of the old Riverside Swimming Baths before they were demolished has been relocated to the public space next to the Kassiopi Cove childrens soft play centre (what once used to be the Blockbuster video hire shop - remember them?) Erith has a lot of public art if you care to look for it.

The 12th annual Bexley Beer Festival took place at The Old Dartfordians sports club in Old Bexley on Thursday, Friday and Saturday of last week. Despite the cold and blustery weather, there was as usual a huge turnout for the event, as you can see from the photos above - click on either for a larger view. Due to the inclement and unseasonal weather, it was not really possible to spend much time outside, and the main marquee was crammed with people. The clubhouse building next door was also very full with festival attendees. As usual, everyone was very polite, friendly and accommodating. What strikes me as being notable, is that the press often link alcohol consumption with violence and anti social behaviour. Indeed this may have a degree of basis in reality when considering an average high street pub and the usual lager drinking yob out to consume as much fizzy and tasteless "wife beater" as possible before closing time. Conversely I have never heard a voice raised in disagreement at a real ale festival, let alone any form of a fight - indeed I am led to understand that at the time of writing, the Police have never been called to any micro pub / ale house to resolve a conflict. I think this is primarily due to the type of people who drink real ale - who tend to be better educated, cultured and concerned with quality rather than quantity than your average lager drinker. The cliche of real ale enthusiasts tending to be middle aged and older men is really not true; the diversity in the crowd at the Bexley Beer Festival was interesting, as can clearly be seen in the upper photo. What cannot be seen is that in the upper photo, just out of shot there was a young lady in an electric wheelchair - the crowds parted like the Red Sea when she needed to move around, and she had many offer of assistance. A good festival, and much fun was had by all - it was just a pity that once again the weather was so inclement. Did you attend? What did you think? Leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

On Tuesday afternoon last week, I was using the Zebra crossing outside of the KFC in Manor Road when a woman in a VW Polo almost ran me down as I was actually on the crossing. She did not see me, as she was apparently having a row with someone on her mobile phone – something that not only is illegal, but has seen the penalties for so doing increased recently – not that anyone ever seems to get caught doing it. Despite tough new police crackdowns, one in five admits illegally texting or talking on the phone whilst driving. Car makers are aware of this issue, and some companies have been trying innovative approaches to remedy the situation – I suppose not only from a legal and safety perspective, but also in an effort to avoid damage to their brand and reputation should one of their vehicles become involved in a mobile phone related accident, or even fatality. Sunderland based Nissan UK have been one of the first to market with a new product aimed at reducing mobile phone related accidents in their cars. They have created a prototype compartment within the armrest of a Nissan Juke lined with a Faraday cage, an invention dating back to the 1830s. Once a mobile device is placed in the compartment and the lid closed, the Nissan Signal Shield creates a ‘silent zone’, blocking all the phone’s incoming and outgoing Cellular, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections. The concept is designed to give drivers a choice about whether to eliminate the distractions caused by the millions of text messages, social media notifications and app alerts that are ‘pushed’ to smartphones each day. The innovation works on the principle of the Faraday cage, an enclosure made of a conductive material, such as wire mesh, which blocks electromagnetic fields. It is named after the pioneering English scientist Michael Faraday, who invented it in the 1830s. When an electronic device, like a smartphone, is placed inside, any incoming electromagnetic signals – such as cellular or Bluetooth data – are distributed across the cage’s external conducting material and so prevented from reaching the device. RAC road safety spokesman Pete Williams said: “Our research shows that handheld phone use by drivers has reached epidemic proportions. “As mobile phone technology has advanced significantly many people have become addicted to them. However, the use of a handheld phone when driving represents both a physical and mental distraction and it has been illegal since 2003. The Nissan Signal Shield is a good example of a technology that can help drivers be phone smart. For those who can’t avoid the temptation, this simple but pretty clever tech gives them a valuable mobile-free zone”. It will be instructive to see if this project bears fruit; it is an interesting and different approach, but just how many drivers will take up the Faraday cage option? Time will no doubt tell, but I don't think very many.

A very worrying event took last week, and to compound matters, the News Shopper made an utter hash of reporting it. They ran a story which could have got national coverage, but their inept reporting meant that the story had little sense. They reported that a woman had attempted to abduct a toddler from a shopping trolley in Asda. What was not clear was when this event actually took place, and where the Asda store was located. As you will see from the screen capture above, the headline reads “Attempted child abduction in Asda Belvedere after woman lifts toddler out of trolley”, yet the video clip is entitled “Woman attempts to steal baby in Asda’s Bexleyheath”. The reporter cannot decide whether the alleged offence took place in Bexleyheath or Belvedere. This problem has been getting more common in the once great paper. Now that it is a regional, rather than a local paper, the reporters don’t know the local area – most of them are from West and South West London, and don’t have a clue about the geography of South East London and North Kent. In normal circumstances, this is little more than an inconvenience and an annoyance, but in an important story such as the toddler attempted abduction, it can make a vital difference. Have you noticed anything similar? Is it just me being too discriminating? It strikes me as being exceedingly poor journalism. The whole situation with local papers and their consolidation / merging has been brought about by a number of separate factors – not least of which has been the rise of the web; many local papers around the country have found it exceedingly difficult to  monetise their online content, as reader are extremely reluctant to pay for what they can get for free elsewhere. This has not only affected local papers – even the nationals have felt the pinch. The “never let the facts get in the way of a good story” Sun put their content behind a paywall for a couple of years, and their online readership dropped off a cliff. They were then forced to make their content freely available, as it now is. The News Shopper have gone down a different path, as on top of closing their Petts Wood office and moving to South West London, they have cut the number of editorial and journalism staff, and they have crammed their website with advertising and all sorts of bloated code. You may have noticed  that the News Shopper website takes an age to load and finish rendering – and it does not matter how fast your internet connection or your computer is. The reason for this is the large amount of hidden HTML, XML and JavaScript code that the web browser is forced to download and process. The News Shopper are not unique in this practice, but they seem to do it to a greater extent than most other similar sites. You also get a ton of “Sponsored Content” articles at the bottom of each page; as I have previously written, these are “Click Bait” – designed to get the user interested and to click on the story to read more. The advertisers that sponsor such non – stories give a fraction of a penny to the link host for each click through the link gets. It all adds up for a website that is trying to generate as much cash as possible, even if it does impede page loading / rendering times and gives a negative user experience.

On Tuesday a large number of traveller caravans appeared in the car park of Morrison’s in Erith; one regular reader sent me a couple of discreetly taken photographs, one of which you can see above. I was walking home from work, though the car park as usual when I encountered a large number of caravans that you can see in the photograph. I think the main problem with travellers and non – travelling people is a lack of dialogue. I know that many people have had bad experiences with travellers, but I would hazard a guess that as many travellers have had problems with us in one form or another. The mutual distrust / dislike between the two communities has been ongoing for decades. I refuse to believe that all travellers are criminals in the same way that there are all sorts of people in the general community – some good, some middling, and some bad. The lack of dialogue between the travellers and non-travellers has fed this distrust to the point where I could understand that some travellers might not even try to get along with others, thinking “what’s the point?” The fact is that some in the travelling community do themselves no favours by leaving large amounts of fly tipped litter and damage to the land where they have been camped. One thing is clear; Irish Travellers are a distinct ethnic group. In 2011 an analysis of DNA from forty Travellers was undertaken at the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin and the University of Edinburgh. The study provided evidence that Irish Travellers are a distinct Irish ethnic minority, who separated from the settled Irish community at least 1000 years ago; the claim was made that they are as distinct from the settled community as Icelanders are from Norwegians. Irish Travellers "left no written record of their own" and their families do not date back to the same point in time; some families adopted Traveller customs centuries ago, while others did so more recently. It is unclear how many Irish Travellers would be included in this distinct ethnic group at least from a genetic perspective. I understand that the Travellers that were camped in Morrison's car park have some kind of dispute with the travellers on the permanent site in Thames Road Crayford, opposite the council tip. Fortunately nothing violent took place, although there were concerns that something might kick off. The travellers were served notice to quit on Tuesday evening; the notice said that they had to be clear of the site by 9am on Wednesday morning; they actually left at 2.20pm, according to a reliable source. Two Morrison's staff then spent much of the rest of the afternoon clearing up the mess that had been left behind. All is now back to normal. What do you think? Leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Eight percent of the male population and four point five percent of the general population of the UK as a whole are colour blind, and there are estimated to be over 250 million colour blind people worldwide - comparably the condition only affects something like one in two hundred women. The vast majority of people with a colour vision deficiency have inherited their condition from their mother, who is normally a ‘carrier’ but not colour blind herself. Some people also acquire the condition as a result of long-standing diseases such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, some liver diseases and almost all eye diseases. The effects of colour vision deficiency can be mild, moderate or severe depending upon the defect. If you have inherited colour blindness your condition will stay the same throughout your life – it won’t get any better or worse. The retina of the eye has two types of light-sensitive cells called rods and cones. Both are found in the retina which is the layer at the back of your eye which processes images. Rods work in low light conditions to help night vision, but cones work in daylight and are responsible for colour discrimination. There are three types of cone cells and each type has a different sensitivity to light wavelengths. One type of cone perceives blue light, another perceives green and the third perceives red. When you look at an object, light enters your eye and stimulates the cone cells. Your brain then interprets the signals from the cones cells so that you can see the colour of the object. The red, green and blue cones all work together allowing you to see the whole spectrum of colours. For example, when the red and blue cones are simulated in a certain way you will see the colour purple. The exact physical causes of colour blindness are still being researched but it is believed that colour blindness is usually caused by faulty cones but sometimes by a fault in the pathway from the cone to the brain. People with normal colour vision have all three types of cone/pathway working correctly but colour blindness occurs when one or more of the cone types are faulty. For example, if the red cone is faulty you won’t be able to see colours containing red clearly. Most people with colour blindness can’t distinguish certain shades of red and green, although more severe variants are relatively common. It is worth noting that the term “colour blind” is colloquial and imprecise. To the uninitiated it can suggest a complete lack of colour vision, but many with the condition don’t see in black and white. Some people do (though that iteration of the condition is extremely rare), while others also labeled with colour blindness see mostly in shades of blue and yellow. Simply put, there are many types that range in severity from mild to extreme. As such, scientists use the more precise term “colour vision deficient” when speaking broadly about the condition. Scientists have known about the condition of colour blindness for the better part of two centuries. However, while some have worked to develop tools to aid the colour vision deficient, no one has produced a product that can offer people who have the condition much more than a crude workaround. An American scientist by the name of Doctor Don McPherson has come up with a very effective way of getting people with colour vision deficiencies to be able to see colour in the same way as people without the deficiency. Before founding his optical manufacturing company EnChroma, McPherson worked for a company called Bay Glass Research—putting his Ph.D. in glass science to use by engineering better ways to protect the eyes of surgeons using high-powered lasers for precision medical procedures. The first generation of protective eyewear these surgeons wore achieved its goal with thick, coloured glass, which absorbed the powerful, eye-frying energy of the laser. However, those glasses gave the surgeons headaches and made it difficult for them to distinguish between the tan, pink, and red tones of human flesh. The physicians had little choice, they needed to rely on other visual cues during operation. McPherson solved this problem by infusing glass panels with rare earth metals, which worked a bit like the surgeons he was aiding—by precisely targeting specific bands of the visible light spectrum. These glasses effectively deflected the dangerous wavelengths of the laser, while letting all other light pass through. The surgeons liked these glasses but not just in the operating theatre. McPherson soon got word that many of his clients were taking the shades home with them and using them as sunglasses. McPherson wanted to see what all the hubbub was about. And so, he made a pair for himself, inserting the customized glass panels into wrap-around Bollé frames, and unwittingly setting the stage for his breakthrough moment. In 2005, the self-described "avid ultimate Frisbee player" was wearing his high-tech shades at an ultimate tournament in Santa Cruz, California. While he was on the sidelines, resting, he lent the glasses to his friend and teammate. "And he goes: 'Dude! These are so cool! I can see the cones!" McPherson's friend was referring to the orange, sideline-deliniating cones, which, as colour blind man, he had previously been unable to see. McPherson knew this about his friend, and the news that his speciality glasses enabled him to see a colour he had never seen before hit the EnChroma founder like a ton of bricks. "I didn't play well after that," McPherson recalled in an interview. He was lost in thought—considering the nature of colour vision deficiency and what exactly these particular glasses might be doing that to corrected for his friend's condition. After the match he began feverishly researching colour blindness. According to McPherson he could hardly have picked a better time to take up interest in the field. To begin, around 2009, scientists working on gene therapy research found evidence that the brains of colour vision deficient individuals were able to process all of the colours in the visible spectrum, suggesting that if only the eyes could be aided in passing along the correct signal a previously colour blind person might be able to see the way those with normal  vision do. In essence, the software is OK, the problem is just with the hardware. If you can remedy the hardware, then everything would be fine. Most people have three types of pigment-sensitive cones in their eyes—blue, green and red. The information gathered by this trio, along with the information gathered by our light-sensitive rods, is processed by our brain and turned into a three-dimensional world of colour. In the eye of someone with normal colour vision, these cones are arrayed in such a way that the blue cone stands on its own. McPherson says that this pigment sensitive cone was likely the very first to appear evolutionarily. The green- and red-sensitive cones are much more recent developments—at least on the evolutionary scale. The predominant theory is that the green cone was the second to emerge and that the red cone was an advantageous mutation, which came along not long afterward. The Enchroma lenses filter out certain frequencies of light that confuse the malformed light receptor cones in people with colour blindness, allowing them to perceive colour in the normal way. There are caveats - the lenses have to be constructed specifically for an individual after a series of tests to determine precisely what colour perception deficiencies they have, and the lenses work best in bright daylight. Enchroma do make a separate set of lenses for indoor use, but they are not as efficient at rendering colour as the daylight lenses - also not every colour blind person can be helped with Enchroma technology - about twenty percent of colour blind people don't get any benefit from the glasses; having said that, eighty percent do get a marked improvement in colour perception - often in a very dramatic way, as you will see demonstrated in the short video below. Please feel free to leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.