The Kentish Belle opens.

The photos above were taken by me last Monday lunchtime in Erith Riverside Gardens. Representatives from Bexley Council were handing over the newly installed hose tap and recently refurbished garden tool storage facility to the Friends of Riverside Gardens Erith (FORGE). A council photographer was on hand to record the ceremony. The day was bitterly cold, with a strong, freezing wind coming from the River Thames. Considering the very cold weather, the turnout of FORGE members, council officials and  a few members of the public was impressive. The event was not without incident; as you can see from the three photos above (click on any one for a larger version), the council photographer was very keen on using his stepladder, and instructing the group of people on how he wanted them to pose; personally I don't like this rather old fashioned approach to people photography - I prefer to catch people unaware to get the most natural shots possible. Nevertheless the official photographer spent considerable time directing the group into how he wanted them to pose. In fact he spent more time faffing around then he did taking photographs - but maybe he's old school, and that is the way he works. In the middle photograph of mine above, you can see a gentleman on a push bike, who is dressed in high visibility wear. He was a council gardener, and had been passing when he saw the photographer standing in the flower bed, as you can see above. He wasted no time in telling off the photographer, and asking him not to tread on the delicate flowers that were just beginning to bloom. What the gardener did not realise was that one of the assembled crowd was Colin Rowland, the Head of Parks and Open Spaces for Bexley Council, and the gardener's ultimate boss. I do hope that the gardener gets some recognition for his timely and wholly appropriate intervention. The plants were struggling against the unseasonably cold weather, and being stood on would not help things at all. FORGE now have access to the newly installed water supply, and a very large tool and hose store, the door of which you can see to the left of the lower photo. The door might look quite small, but the storage space behind it is absolutely huge. When council workers were leaning it out prior to the official hand over, they found a number of old canoes in the store, which apparently had been left and forgotten there many years ago by Erith Rowing Club. A notice board for the exclusive use of FORGE will be installed in the gardens shortly. This will enable the group to post information and notices in relation to activities in the garden in the future. 

Bexley Council's recent decision to remove collection hoppers for plastic waste in the various recycling centres around the borough may turn out to be  a major mistake, as I recently wrote. Central government is very keen to reduce the production and use of single use plastics, and to increase the amount of plastic that is recycled, rather than being sent to landfill. It is estimated that 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic have been produced since the 1950s. Research indicates that without urgent action to cut demand this is likely to be 34 billion tonnes by 2050. In the UK alone, during its recent Great British Beach Clean Up, the Marine Conservation Society found 718 pieces of litter for every 100 metre stretch of beach surveyed, and of this rubbish from food and drink made up at least one fifth. Bexley Council stopped the collection of plastic waste and cartons at its recycling facilities last December. The reasons quoted were that the plastic waste was being contaminated with household waste - apparently people were mixing other things in with their plastic for recycling. Whilst I am certain that some of this was being done deliberately, in my experience most of this was because other waste containers were already full (they are not emptied as regularly as I feel they should be) and people dropping off recycling were of the mind - "well, I am not taking this stuff home". Whilst the recycling of glass and metal materials can be quite lucrative for Bexley Council, the recycling of plastics does not bring in much in the way of cash. I think the decision to cease plastics collection for recycling was far more likely to be financially motivated, than the council would ever be prepared to admit. With the new policy on plastics recycling now being set by central government, I can foresee a back track by Bexley Council in due course.

Now for some rather overdue good news. The Kentish Belle micro pub has now opened after a number of setbacks and delays. You can see the place in the photos above - click for a larger view; thanks to the ReV for sending me the photos. Bexley's newest micro pub is located at 8 Pickford Lane, Bexleyheath, almost next door to Bexleyheath railway station, and adjacent to the Co-Op supermarket. You can see full details of the Kentish Belle and its opening times by clicking here. Originally the plan had been for The Kentish Belle to open late last November, but a number of unforeseen factors came into play which caused a series of delays. Nevertheless they are now open, and by all accounts doing very well indeed. I understand that on the opening day alone, the micro pub sold a combined total of around 900 pints of real ale, cider and soft drinks - an amazing figure for a full - sized pub, let alone a micro pub. There is an unfortunate aspect to the opening, and it illustrates one of the negative sides to social networking. The owners of The Kentish Belle posted the following observations online:- "An ode to opening weekend: And the comments that have marred our fantastic start. On Friday, we opted to have a soft opening to make sure Saturday wasn't a complete disaster. The Mayor and Mayoress of Bexley came down, and so did other people from our community including the estate agents, our solicitors and some other folk. Another group to appear were from the Sapphire Dance Studio, located above. Sapphire, a thriving dance studio and school, was also opened by Mayor Peter Reader last year and so, during a random conversation with Natalie (the instructor), she made the magnanimous offer to come down and support us for 20 minutes before the girls went back to their lesson. We, as a business, had no idea what the 'Sapphire Girls' were, nor how old they were (and to be honest we still don't), nor what they would be wearing. For all we know it could have been a jumper and jeans but they came, braving the cold weather, in their trademark sapphire dresses. Until now, the photos on the digital camera hadn't been uploaded and we are clearly being judged based on the one mobile phone photo we have of the ribbon cutting. So, let's think about what sort of things that have been said via Facebook and Twitter. So far, the business has been accused of some form of ingrained sexism, misogyny and worse. Indeed, one Twitter user felt the need to suggest that the Landlord had a personal interest in scantily-clad girls which, to be honest, is absolutely awful. The whole debacle is being run and peddled by a group of people who clearly have nothing better to do and who seriously need a hobby. Then, a CAMRA member from South East London, let's call her A, came in on Saturday and, being unable to even force the faintest congratulations she opted instead to start a 20 minute dialogue during a remarkably busy period which was totally unnecessary and which clearly had been pre-planned. Apparently, the photo should instead have been of the girls with their soft drinks and their instructor but I ask how that would have been any different? People want to forget the fact, it seems, that more than 500 people visited us in two days, we poured some 736 pints, served 87 bottles or cans of beer and a fair hit of wines, soft drinks and real cider (the latter of which I enjoyed immensely). It was a stunning community effort and only one person mentioned these fantastic young women who popped in to be part of the community spirit much akin to the bakery who brought us a handmade cake. We thought we had a really good opening weekend but, thanks to the wonders of the modern internet where there are no consequences to opinions and even libellous comments, it's just taken the shine off. We hope people enjoyed coming into our pub. We hope everyone who was there had quality beers, wines and ciders (and such) and feels they are always welcome no matter their age, background, gender or anything else but if there are people who seriously think we are a hive of sexism is always welcome to drink in an alternative establishment. It says something when a number of women, notably one who has sought to stop genuine sexism, is able to say this sort of thing is just finding offence where none was intended nor designed.And with that, we're going to bed. Tomorrow we will be yesterday's news as someone decides another beer pump clip is upsetting or whatever it is that helps them justify their existence. Goodnight". It would seem that the malicious actions of a couple of keyboard warriors with their own agenda have been doing their best to disrupt the opening of a new independent business, and seeing fault where none exists in reality. You can read the entire discussion thread by clicking here. I visited The Kentish Belle on Saturday night, and was very impressed. The place is so new that you can still smell the fresh paint and varnish - and there are still spacers between the tiles on the wall in the gents loo, where the grouting still needs to be done. Other than that, it is a lovely place with a wide selection of draft ales and specialist bottled Belgian beers, some of which are more like wines than beers. The Kentish Belle suffers from a problem common to many micro pubs, and that is of noise levels - the former shop unit has a lot of hard, flat surfaces that reflect noise, and the level of conversation meant that during my visit it was sometimes difficult to hear what was being said. A few drapes or other soft furnishings would help this issue. The London Borough of Bexley is exceptionally well - served in respect of micro pubs, and another is due to open soon, in Barnehurst. The Bird and Barrel will open at 100 Barnehurst Road, just around the corner from Barnehurst Railway Station. It will be the first pub opened by the Bexley Brewery, although I understand it will serve a variety of beers, alongside their own brews. 

Bexley has not had a local radio station for some years. Back when it did have one, it got very few listeners as it was utterly awful. What seems to have happened is that over the last handful of years, local radio listeners in some considerable numbers have been tuning into a radio station that is primarily aimed at an audience just over the other side of the River Thames. Time 107.5 FM is based in Romford, and mainly covers the London Boroughs of Havering and Barking and Dagenham, but a surprisingly large number of listeners to the station are located in places on "our" side of the River Thames, including Belvedere, Erith, Slade Green and Bexleyheath, amongst others. Their travel reports are extremely detailed and up to date, and cover the Dartford River Crossing and the North Bexley road systems. The station is very community based, and runs all sorts of campaigns to help people in need - a true local radio station; I would strongly urge you to tune in to 107.5 FM - right at the top of the VHF FM broadcast band and give Time FM a try - it is exactly what local radio should be. You can see their brand new website by clicking here. 

Now for the weekly safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly from Barnehurst ward:- "Excellent news again for Barnehurst ward with no crimes of note reported for the third week running, long may it continue. We are aware of reports about Quad bikes racing around the ward over the last couple of days and have increased patrols in the affected areas in an attempt to identify the riders, if you have any information at all please contact the Barnehurst team. On Tuesday this week we held our last ward panel meeting prior to the ward boundary changes in April. The ward panel consist of local residents who are passionate about their area and meet with the Barnehurst policing team every three months to set policing priorities for the ward. If you would like to be involved, we are always looking for and welcome new members. We will be holding a drop In surgery on Tuesday 27th March at 1pm at Barnehurst Golf Course, please feel free to pop along and join a member of the team for a chat about local issues or anything that may be concerning you. Finally we would like to say a big thank you to all our ward panel members for their contributions over the years in helping keeping Barnehurst one of the safest wards in London. It has been a pleasure in getting to know you all and for all those that we lose we wish you well, we hope you will continue to make a difference and be part of any new panel following the boundary changes".  Belvedere ward:- "On Wednesday 14th March, the team responded to a call to Police from staff at Asda in Lower Road who had detained a female that had attempted to shoplift from the store. It transpired that the female was in breach of a court order. She was subsequently arrested by PC Holmes. After a recent robbery took place in Picardy Road (a female had been followed to her home from Nuxley Road before being approached directly outside of her home), extensive enquiries were carried out around the area. From this, CCTV images of a suspect were discovered and a male was identified, who has now been arrested for the offence. There was a fatal collision on Picardy Manorway late last week, in which one of the vehicles involved failed to stop at the scene. Ongoing enquiries led to a male being arrested in relation to the incident. On Tuesday 20th March, PCSO Worrall assisted officers in Erith Town Centre at a crime scene. Assisted by several officers from neighbouring wards, the team were able to carry out ‘weapon sweeps’ in key areas of the ward this week, ensuring that no items that may be used in violent offences had been hidden in areas known for ongoing Anti-Social behaviour. We are happy to report that no items of this nature were found. Having seen a male using his mobile phone whilst driving in Station Road, PC Green issued a fine to the driver on Wednesday 21st March. Finally, our next Community Contact Session is set to take place on Monday 26th March at the Belvedere Library on Woolwich Road from 10 am". Brampton ward:- "The ward has seen an increase in motor vehicle crime over the week with Theft of motor vehicle in Wenvoe Avenue and Interference with a motor vehicle in Long Lane. The team are dealing with Harassment allegations from a primary school on the ward that will end with a suspect being interviewed on 27th March. The team have been in constant contact with the school regarding this and given advice on a banning order. Criminal damage to a house in Barrington Road has been linked to other offences in the area (Not Brampton) investigation ongoing. Courier fraud in Heversham Road , investigation ongoing , no details to show that anyone has been targeted and no further offences reported. Shoplift in Long Lane Co-Op , these offences on the ward are down but still 1 is too many. The NHW meeting organised for Friday the 16th March went ahead in the big hall and was well attended. The team had guests from Crayford ward PCSO Barlow, NHW and Councillor John Wilkinson. Thanks to those and to all that attended. The team gained some very good information and are working on them". Christchurch ward:- "Over the last week we have had three reports of burglaries on the ward, brief details below: Two reported on Olron Crescent on the 13/03/2018. Both being next door to each other and entry was gained via rear patio doors. On the 12/03/2018 the other burglary took place on the 12/03/2018 along Grosvenor Road Bexleyheath, entry was gained via the patio door. We have had 5 reports of Theft of Motor Vehicle reported over the last week. 17/03/2018 – Number plates were taken from the vehicle whilst parked outside the car park area by Sainsbury’s Broadway Bexleyheath. 14/03/2018 - Tools were taken from a van along Upton Road Bexleyheath. 12/03/2018 – Along Petworth Road, suspect had smashed side window to gain entry. 13/03/2018 – Car window was broken to gain entry to a vehicle along Abbey Road Bexleyheath 12/03/2018 – Items taken from inside a vehicle along Highfield Road Bexleyheath. A criminal damage to a motor vehicle was reported on the 16/03/2018. There was reports of youths throwing stones at cars. On the 21/03/2018 - A mobile phone was taken from the victims pocket whilst in the Broadway. On the 15/03/2018 – Report was received that a group of youths had tied to snatch a mobile phone from the victim whilst inside the Marriot Hotel A robbery was reported on the 12/03/2018 along the Broadway. The suspect had demanded the victim’s wallet and was then pushed. The team had recently arrested a male for shoplifting, also at least 12 stops were conducted along Iris Avenue as well as a recent school talk at Townley Grammar School". Colyers ward:- "There are no reported burglaries in the last two weeks on Colyers Ward. This is great news and long may the burglary figures remain at zero. Please continue to be vigilant and above all keep your possessions locked and secured. Keep your home safe and make it harder for burglars. There are also no reported motor vehicle crimes on Colyers Ward between 15/03/18 to 19/03/18. There was a reported theft on 16/03/18 in Cheviot Close Bexleyheath. The victim explains that he sold an item on Ebay but it was returned via the post. The delivery driver put a note through the victim’s front door saying he had left the parcel by the garden gate. When the victim returned from work no parcel was found. The parcel contained a pair of men’s boots valued at £66". Crayford ward:- "On 16/03/2018 between 23.27 and 23.28 there was a business burglary at Game at Tower Retail Park. Entry was made via the rear fire doors and a number of items were taken from the stock room. Between 16.00 on 12/03/2018 and 07.30 on 13/03/2018, front and rear number plates were stolen from a vehicle parked on a driveway in Crayford Road. Other crimes recorded in this last week on Crayford ward have included ABH, common assault, public order offences, domestics and shoplifting. Our ward panel meeting was held on Saturday 17th March, many thanks to Europa Gym for allowing us to use their conference room and for the refreshments laid on and to our residents and councillors on coming along on such a bitterly cold day. Our ward promises were set as Anti-social behaviour and speeding. Last week while off duty I became aware of a small child running along a side road out on to a main road in front of a car, thankfully, the car stopped safely and child was safely picked up and taken home. But it made me think about doors being locked and secure, it’s not just about keeping burglars and strangers out but keeping young children and other vulnerable inside their homes. Just a second to lock a door securely, this instance could have had the most awful outcome and was most certainly food for thought". Lesnes Abbey ward:- "Friday 16/03/18 Burglary 12:05-13:20pm King Harold's Way; Victim was leaving the house when victim was approached by a male delivery driver. The male has asked Victim if they could take in a parcel for the neighbour. Victim has taken in the parcel placing it in their house. Victim left home then realised they did not double lock the door; Monday 19/03/18 Criminal Damage to Motor Vehicle 10pm – 6am Abbotts Walk victim stated he parked his vehicle at the location. When he returned to his vehicle he found that someone had poured a tin of white paint over the car. The Paint is covering the rear window, boot, front door the outside wing mirror had also been to be kicked off. Date for your diary; Have a say on Tuesday 27/03/18 between the hours of 03:00pm and 04:00pm at the Bostall Library Community Group, King Harolds Way. An opportunity for members of the community who prefer face- to – face contact, to speak with a Dedicated Ward Officer. Follow Lesnes Abbey on twitter@mpslesnesabbey. Any Burglary or Motor Vehicle Crime prevention information wanted, contact the Lesnes Abbey team on the details above". North End ward:- "We have had a burglary in the afternoon of Thursday 15th March at Mariners Walk, Frobisher Road. Entry was gained through the front door and a lap top and iPad were taken. There was also a business burglary at Erith Plant Services on Manor Road where machinery was loaded onto a van, CCTV enquiries are ongoing. 2 positive stop and searches were made by PC Mark and PC James this week. One in Hazel Road and one near Boundary Street. Both resulted in Cannabis warnings being given. On Sunday they arrested a male who was wanted for Failing To Appear at Court. We are noticing a slight increase in calls relating to off road bikes in the ward, especially the Manor Road and Ray Lamb Way area. We will be doing what we can to try and identify anyone involved and any help is gratefully received if you do see anyone riding in your road and can give any details, description, bike description etc". Northumberland Heath ward:- "The team are pleased to report that we have not any reports of anti-social behaviour this week, and no motor vehicle crimes. We have been busy on the patrol bus over the weekend, and as a result of this an eighteen year old male was issued with a cannabis warning following two males being stopped in a vehicle in Avenue Road. Last Wednesday morning Police were called to a suspicious package that had been delivered to the Erith and Labour party building in Bexley Road. The package was examined and deemed not to be suspicious. Six youths have been interviewed under caution at Bexleyheath Police Station in relation to a report of criminal damage and this is an ongoing investigation. The team have been involved in two arrests. One for breach of a court order and the other for a serious sexual offence. Please note these crimes were not committed in Northumberland Heath. A male was stopped last week in Mill Road selling items door to door. A concerned resident was worried that the male may be targeting elderly or vulnerable people and alerted us. Please be vigilant of any door to door salespeople and check their identification card. A real charity collector will not mind if you keep them on the doorstep whilst you make a phone call to check their credentials. Unfortunately we have had another burglary in Bedonwell Road this week. This took place on Wednesday evening March 14th between 8pm – 8.30pm. Entry was gained by the suspect smashing a glass panel by the front door. An untidy search was conducted but it’s not clear at this stage what, if anything, as the victim was away". Thamesmead East ward:- "Friday 16/03/18 - Theft from Motor Vehicle between 7pm – 9am Kinder Close. Person unknown has entered the vehicle without causing any damage, searched throughout and removed various items; Criminal Damage to Motor Vehicle 6:04pm – 6:11pm Dashwood Social Club Victim saw 5 persons smashing the windows on his car. No clues who they were or why it was done. Monday 19/03/18 - Theft from Motor Vehicle 1pm – 3:17pm Glimpsing Green Van broken into plumbing tools, iPad monitor, drills and memory sticks of music taken. Tuesday 20/03/18 - PC Pruden arrested a male for Malicious Communications investigations are ongoing. On Friday 16/03/18, PC Nana arrested a female for allegedly making violent threats to a vulnerable person – investigation is ongoing. On Friday 16/03/18, PC Pruden attended one of the teams Community Contact Sessions at The Link were members of the public can attend to discuss any issues they may be experiencing on the Thamesmead East Ward. The next session will be on Wednesday 18/04/18 between 4:30-5:30pm at The Link. PC Nana, PCSO Buckley and PCSO Hobbs attended St John Fisher School in Kale Road to give a talk at the morning assembly about Staying Safe and Internet Safety. On Monday 19/03/18 PC Pruden and PC Nana attended Sporting Club Thamesmead in Baylis Avenue and showed off their kick up skills in support of Sports Relief".

The end video this week features Erith Playhouse, a volunteer run theatre, which is the largest of its kind in the whole of The London Borough of Bexley. Please feel free to leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

The Bird and Barrel.

Progress on the new housing development on the site of the old Erith Riverside Swimming Baths has stopped for the Christmas break; the whole project is running somewhat behind schedule through no fault of the developers. The company that was contracted to demolish the old swimming baths and to clear the site of all of the resultant rubble and waste materials took a short cut. Instead of using trucks to remove all of the spoils, thee bulldozed most of the material into the hole that was the empty swimming pool itself. They then paid a thin layer of topsoil over the top and planted grass seeds; the finished site looked fine, and it was only when the building firm hired by the developers moved onto the site and started to dig the foundations for the new flats and houses that the short cut by the demolition company was then discovered. This obviously slowed down construction work on the site. The Riverside Baths site is only one of several new developments in what is being called the Greater Erith Project. This project is a collaborative venture between Bexley Council, The Greater London Authority, Transport for London and The London Enterprise Panel. According to what I have read, The Council’s vision for Erith is to encourage housing and employment growth, allied with the provision of additional services, facilities and infrastructure, including an enhanced educational and leisure offer, to ensure the creation of a sustainable and healthier community. Key elements of this approach are the encouragement of mixed use developments within and around the town centre of high design quality which respect the areas built and natural heritage, improve accessibility, enhance environmental quality and maximise the recreational, ecological and flood management potential of the River Thames. The regeneration of Erith Town Centre will create new coherent predominantly residential riverside communities, which will provide a mix of housing, new and improved business premises, community uses, and public transport improvements within a framework of new residential streets with an improved public realm. The London Regeneration Fund (LRF) will finance major physical improvements to key areas of the town, particularly to the area between the Town Hall and the Post Office. It will also pay for activities designed to re-energise the area and to improve training and job opportunities for local residents. How much of this will actually be delivered remains to be seen, but I am cautiously optimistic. What does concern me is that whilst some improvements will be made in and around Erith Station, the fundamental problem related to the station looks like it is not going to be addressed; that is, the lack of step free access to the London bound platform. Nearby stations such as Bexleyheath have a passenger lift, even though it does not really need one - as both platforms can be easily accessed by a buggy or wheelchair user from the road and pedestrian bridges at each end of the platform. At Erith Station however, there is no such option - the only way to get to the London bound platform is to climb the Victorian footbridge, which is about as unfriendly to those with mobility challenges as you can get. The only alternative is to stay on the Kent bound platform and get the train to Dartford, change there using the passenger lifts at that station, and then come back the other way, towards London. This is time consuming and impractical for many wheelchair and buggy users, and besides that, why should they be treated differently from other rail users? Local MP Teresa Pearce has long campaigned for step free access to the London bound platform at Erith Station, but thus far her efforts have met with little success. I am hopeful that as the profile of the town increases as the development money is spent locally, that her efforts to improve the station for all users will get better recognition. Work also starts in the next couple of weeks on the refurbishment and repurposing of the old Carnegie Library in Walnut Tree Road. It will become a centre for ‘innovation, creativity, learning and production’ once The Exchange become new occupiers of the landmark. The local company will take on the building under a lease and partnership agreement with the London Borough of Bexley. Councillor Linda Bailey, Cabinet member for Regeneration and Growth, said in a recent interview:- “We are very pleased to have found three experienced local entrepreneurs who have established The Exchange Ltd to work with us to prepare the building for the next exciting phase in its history. “We have agreed to co-finance the refurbishment of the building together with the Mayor of London and the new operator, and we believe it will be a powerful demonstration of the ways in which regeneration can benefit the town and its people.” The Exchange plan to offer cultural, artistic and designer studios. and workshop space for creative businesses to make and sell products. I was fortunate enough to attend the former library open day a while back, and I was absolutely astounded as to just how big the place is; back in the day when it was still open and operating as a library, only around a third of the building space was actually open to the public. On the open day the entire structure was open for investigation, and I have to say that The Exchange have got a huge job in front of them - the library building has been neglected for the best part of a decade, and whilst it is not exactly falling down, the building is not secure from the weather; when it rains, water pours down the inside of several of the windows, and in places, trees are growing inside the structure. All of this can be rectified with sufficient money and construction resources.

A report recently published by The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) shows the startling change in recycling rates in the boroughs that make up South East London. The report shows that Bexley is recycling less than it did in 2012, despite the data being more positive than Lewisham and Dartford. Between March 2016 and March 2017 - 53 per cent of all rubbish from households was recycled, which is one per cent less than the same period from 2011 to 2012. In the 12 months to the end of March this year Bexley cleared away 121,304 tonnes of rubbish, with 81 per cent of that household waste. I have discovered that the real reason that Bexley have stopped providing plastic and drinks container collection facilities at their recycling points is less to do with contamination of the materials previously deposited at the sites as they claim, and rather more to do with cold, hard cash. It has come to my attention that certain countries such as China are stopping the importation of plastic waste due to environmental concerns. This has meant that the charges imposed by plastic sorting and grading plants are now increasing because of their now increased overheads. Bexley Council don't want to spend the extra money - it would seem (no great surprise) that Bexley would rather that the local environment would suffer rather than paying for the additional recycling costs. As previously mentioned, Bexley Council is not alone in allowing plastic recycling to slip down their agenda; in fact central government is aware, and it is becoming increasingly likely that new rules enforcing minimum rates for plastic recycling may be forced onto local councils. I for one would like to see the plastic and drinks container hoppers restored to the various recycling facilities around Bexley, and I know I am not alone in this.

I am aware that humour is a very personal thing, and what appeals to one person may not appeal to another. Nevertheless, I have been astonished at the success of one programme in particular, which I just cannot understand the appeal of, as it seems to hark back to early 1970’s sit coms like “Bless this House” and “On the Buses” whilst to my mind lacking the wit or charm of those shows. On top of all this, the show managed to rack up the highest viewing ratings of the Christmas period – so a lot of people must like it. What show am I talking about? “Mrs Brown's Boys”. It really seems to be a Marmite show for a lot of viewers – you either love or loathe it, and I am firmly in the latter group. It does seem to be a “guilty pleasure” programme, as when I have mentioned it to people, all I have asked have said that they detest it, but some at least must be lying, as the viewing figures have been so high. I won't bother a critique of “Mrs Browns Boys” as others have done far better than I, and I know my personal views are extremely unlikely to sway the opinion of someone who actually likes the show. I am mystified. If you have any thoughts on this, then please feel free to leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Talking of TV shows, I am reminded that not very long ago I wrote about the fate of so called "Smart" TV's purchased only three or four years ago. Apps written for these not quite brand new models simply cease working as the app producers only write the latest version of their software for the most recent TV models. Samsung smart TV's from 2012 - 2013 have suffered this fate, and the same is happening with sets from other manufacturers. I have had a couple of readers contact me, asking what they should look for when buying a new TV set. In the past I have advised against purchasing a 4K TV, as so little 4K content was available. This is now changing. I know many potential purchasers are somewhat discouraged, as they have seen so many "must have" technologies incorporated into TV's fall by the wayside - 3D anyone? None of the mainstream TV manufacturers still makes a TV with 3D capability nowadays. It was all of the rage four years ago, but now it is almost completely forgotten - in my opinion 3D was always a solution looking for a problem. The new technologies that are now becoming commonplace in contemporary televisions are far less gimmicky than 3D. After the 3D debacle, and the less than stellar performance of apps used on Smart TV's compared to the average laptop, it could be argued that 4K and HDR are the next big forgettable fad. The difference here is that both technologies simply improve an existing experience. You don’t have to fight with an uncooperative system, wear special glasses or buy yet another version of the same movie you already own on DVD or Blu-Ray. Good 4K Ultra HD TVs are available for well under £1,000, with even really great, big sets costing under £1,500 – such as Sony’s fantastic 55in Bravia XE9005. While more pixels benefits large screens, it is HDR that has film and TV makers excited, as not only can it be made with four times the number of pixels, those pixels can be better. HDR allows content creators to better display their vision on your small screen as they have done on the big screen, as well as do things that have not been possible with SDR formats. HDR stands for High Dynamic Range video is that recorded and displayed with a wider range of colours than so called standard dynamic range (SDR). HDR video therefore has a greater range of both contrast and colour  than SDR, resulting in a more true-to-life picture and producing scenes with more "pop" or depth. HDR is usually combined with the increased resolution of 4K video producing greater detail and immersion. HDR video is different to HDR photography, where the latter is a technique that combines multiple exposures of a scene to create a single image with a greater dynamic range of luminosity, mimicking what is seen by the human eye. There are a number of different HDR standards, and different manufacturers don't always stick to the same standards. As of now, almost all but the very bottom end 4K televisions will have at least the basic level of HDR implementation, so buyers don't need to worry over much. The difference that has happened in 2017 has been the increase in native 4K content available for these new ultra high definition televisions. Both Netflix and Amazon Video are producing original content in 4K HDR, with Sky TV and BT TV playing catch up. Because of the extremely large quantity of data a 4K HDR picture requires, you will not be seeing ultra high definition programmes broadcast on Freeview or FreeSat any time soon. It has to be said that the future of all television is now in the arena of streaming. I predict that Sky TV will be entirely satellite free within the next five years - as fibre broadband gets faster and more ubiquitous, the need for expensive and potentially unreliable broadcasting satellites will simply cease to exist.

A story that I have been asked to keep quiet about for some time has now broken publicly; it was a bit of an open secret to be honest, but now the time has come where I can announce that The Bexley Brewery are opening a Micro Pub at 100, Barnehurst Road, Barnehurst, close to Barnehurst Station. The Micro Pub is going to be called The Bird and Barrel - after the green Parakeet bird that the brewery use as their logo. The Micro Pub was originally stared on the site a couple of years ago, but the chap who was behind it ended up puling out before it was ready to open. Cliff, Jane and Cameron Murphy have taken over the former Aquacadabra tropical fish shop (see the photo above - click on it for a larger view) and finished the conversion into the borough's latest Micro Pub. I have been promised the first photos and a preview visit before The Bird and Barrel opens to the general public - more on this story very soon.

I have long known that the Maggot Sandwich gets read by people far outside of its target area; I have previously had messages of support from places as far afield as Brazil, Melbourne in Australia, Tokyo in Japan, and most recently a very nice message from a chap called Patrick, who lives for several months of the year in the city of Perm in the Russian Federation, very close to the border with Siberia. He mentioned that winter temperatures are usually around minus 25 degrees Celsius. He did also comment that the local people were amazingly hospitable. When not in Russia, Patrick lives in the slightly less exotic surroundings of Dartford.

A report was published in August 2016, the findings of which surprised me not in the slightest. The report from The Department of Criminology at the University of Leicester suggested that supermarket self-checkout technology encourages even normally honest shoppers to commit theft. The report found that installing self-service checkouts raises lost revenue by 122 percent. Some of it is accidental – people forget to scan items, or get confused by instructions; other times shoppers get so frustrated with self-service kiosks that they feel justified in not paying. But the report  stated that mostly people shoplift because the technology makes it so easy. Mobile phone scanning technology is just as vulnerable – the study found that at the end of a typical shopping trip, up to ten percent of items had not been scanned, leading to “shrinkage” (loss through wastage or theft) of about 3.9 percent of turnover. Unfortunately the technology makes it very difficult to prove that customers are deliberately stealing. One retailer admitted they almost never prosecute people. For that reason supermarkets are now introducing tagging systems so un-scanned items trigger alarms. Supermarkets such as Morrison’s in Erith have now expanded the number of self – service checkouts so that now half of all tills are of this type. Finding an open, traditionally staffed checkouts are becoming a challenge to find. This week, to cement the academic findings of last year, a new report was published by The Office of National Statistics which said that £3.2 billion worth of goods is stolen through the self-scanning tills every year. The Office of National Statistics has previously revealed that shoplifting has increased by more than ten per cent in the last year. I have been told that the cost savings in checkout staff wage reductions is more than offset by both the increase in stock theft and the requirement to hire more security guards – who in any case are usually on a higher hourly rate than the checkout staff that they replace. I have always wondered why you have to pay the same price for an item when it is purchased via a self – service till when compared to a traditional one – after all, you are doing work on behalf of the supermarket, and surely this should be reflected in a cheaper cost? Personally I refuse to ever use self-service tills – why have a dog and bark yourself? I would not be at all surprised if the losses incurred via self-service till thefts cause the big supermarkets to re-think their strategy – which at no point is aimed at helping the customer – it is purely about making it as easy for the supermarket to collect money as cheaply and efficiently as possible.

Now for the weekly local safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association:- Firstly from Barnehurst ward:- "Barnehurst has just one burglary to report. This took place in Lea Vale on Wednesday 20th December 2017 between the early hours of 02.50 and 03.10. The resident was woken by a loud bang in the early hours. The suspect was seen running down the stairs holding a torch light. When the resident went to the window the suspect was seen getting into a dark coloured Honda Civic. There were at least two occupants in the vehicle, this vehicle sped off with the headlights off in unknown direction. There has been no reports of anti-social behaviour and the team are continuing to patrol all relevant areas. There have been no further reports of golf balls being thrown at property’s in Taunton Close. Concentrated patrols are being carried out to Martens Avenue in particular the garaged area of Braeside Crescent and to the alleys leading to Martens Avenue'. Belvedere ward:- "PC’s Green and Holmes have been busy continuing mobile patrols in the north of the borough, assisted by officers from neighboring wards. The team have been made aware of damage to garages in Lumley Close. We would like to ask that if anyone has any information in relation to this, please contact us on 0208 721 2050. We are currently making enquiries with the garage owners as the garages remain unsecured. PCSO Worrall also assisted officers from Northumberland Heath SNT recently with visits to residents of Hythe Avenue and Shinglewell Road after two burglaries took place in those streets. Home security and crime prevention advice was offered to residents. With help from a concerned resident of Picardy Road, PCSO Worrall was able to reunite a lost dog with her owner recently. The family pet had been able to find her way from her new home back to where the family previously lived in Belvedere". Brampton ward:- "On 22nd December 2017 overnight in Belvedere Road a resident reported criminal damage to property whereby three large spherical concrete balls were knocked off the brick wall at the venue. In Birchington Close overnight on 21st December 2017 a car tyre was punctured. This type of Incident has become an ongoing issue in Birchington Close. Due to the number of reported incidents here CCTV has now been installed to monitor and hopefully establish what’s going on in this area". Christchurch ward:- "Over night on 20th/21st December there was an attempted burglary in Rochester Drive. The Ring doorbell was removed in an attempt to stop CCTV footage of the burglars being recorded. Fortunately entry was not gained to the property. Over night on 21st/22nd December there was a burglary in Standard Road whilst the home owners slept. It is thought that the burglars were disturbed as only a handbag was stolen". Crayford ward:- "Good news - there has been no reports of any burglaries on Crayford ward. On 26th December 2017 a black BMW coupe 318i, vehicle registration number is T213 JVH was found taken from Barnes Cray Road. Local residents saw a white truck taking the vehicle away at midnight a couple of days prior. On 20th December 2017 between 09.00pm and 02.00pm on 21st December 2017 victim found their vehicle had been criminally damaged in Crayford way. The vehicle had been parked in the road locked and secure but was later found with a broken passenger side window and the ignition had been removed from the steering column with peripheral damage". North End ward:- "Not a nice way to start the festive email but we had a burglary in Slade Green Road during the afternoon of Christmas Eve, money and an expensive camera were stolen. Entry was gained through the front door by removing a small window of the door. Please call police if you see anyone tampering at any doorway. Erith Food and Wine Store in The Nursery had a robbery last Saturday with £160 stolen from the till. This occurred shortly after the same suspect tried the same thing at Northend Road Superstore a few minutes earlier. Fortunately nobody was hurt in either incident but CCTV has not given us a clear image of the suspect. A short update this week due to minimal staff and a few days not worked but we would like to wish you all a safe and Happy New Year. Thamesmead East ward:- "No Burglaries to report, however a vehicle was broken into during the early hours of Friday 22nd December 2017, Holstein Way. Nothing believed to have been taken. While on routine foot patrol, PC Nana identified a male who was wanted for a Domestic Assault, and quickly detained him, despite patrolling alone, and the male being known to Police for violence in the past (Great work). PC Pruden has interviewed a male in relation to Anti-Social Behaviour- riding Mopeds. Enquiries and further interviews to follow. The team have also been over the busy Christmas period, working into the early hours of the morning, and this will continue into the New Year. We are always interested in recruiting new Neighbourhood watch co-ordinators for the ward. Please ask your family and friends if they would like to set up a Neighbourhood watch in their road. Please spread the word to any family and friends in the Borough - they can contact us on 020 8721 2049 or Thamesmead.SNT@met.police.uk for more information. For the latest news updates and information from Bexley Police, please visit our twitter pages - @MPSBexley and @MPSThamesmeadE".

I know that many local people have been extremely unhappy about the disruption to the train services into London via both the Bexleyheath and Greenwich rail lines over the Christmas period. Public transport expert and TV presenter Geoff Marshall (he of All the Stations fame) was invited to see what has been going on in and around London Bridge Station during the Christmas holdays by Network Rail. The visit was somewhat unusual - it was undertaken by helicopter. Watch the video below, and please feel free to leave a comment, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Christmas 2017.

The photos above were taken last Sunday afternoon at the private, invitation only screening of "Star Wars - The Last Jedi" at the CineWorld cinema in Bexleyheath. The annual event was organised by Nav, who you can see wearing the Rebel Alliance X-Wing fighter pilot's uniform in the photo above - click on the photo for a larger view. Some of the invited guests came from as far away as Wales to attend the screening, and several members of The 501st Legion were also in attendance. It was an amazing afternoon, and great fun. Thanks to the ReV for supplying the photos. 

Monday proved to be a rather event filled day for me, and also really proved to me that in a crisis, most people really do want to help, and to do the right thing; we hear so much about local criminal and anti social behaviour, that it is really good to see the better side of people when something happens. I was on the 99 bus in Erith town centre, only a couple of stops from home. It was about 2.30pm or thereabouts; I was sat on the lower deck on one of the seats opposite the staircase to the upper deck. A lady of Indian descent who was I suppose in her early sixties got on the bus and went to sit down on the seat in front of me; she was almost seated when the bus driver pulled away from the bus stop. The lady overbalanced and fell onto the deck, cracking her head on the aluminium plate on the bottom stair edge. I and two women tried to grab the lady as she fell, but it just happened too quickly. The Indian lady was knocked out cold for around ten seconds, and very confused when she came around. The bus driver immediately stopped the bus and radioed in a "Code Red" alert to his controller, whilst another passenger rang 999 for an ambulance. The lady was bleeding quite heavily from a nasty cut on  the back of her head, and there was blood coming out of her right ear; I always carry at least one pack of pocket tissues, and luckily on this occasion I had two packs on my person. Between one of the other two female passengers and myself, we made an improvised compression bandage for the Indian lady's head, and I managed to get her sitting up right in the seat. The bus driver and I asked the other passengers to leave the bus, as it was going nowhere until the ambulance arrived. Surprisingly nobody complained - I think most of the other passengers had seen the accident and the blood on the deck, and realised that it could be a potentially very serious incident. The bus driver, the two ladies (one of whom was a first aider) and I stayed with the Indian lady for around half an hour, reassuring her, and occasionally changing the improvised wound dressing until the ambulance and paramedics arrived to take over. The Indian lady was very grateful, and thanked the four of us who had helped her; I hope she was OK after what was a nasty fall. I suspect that the wound looked worse than it actually was - as is often the case with head wounds; nevertheless she certainly needed to go to hospital to get checked out - you cannot afford to take any chances after a nasty bang on the head, especially as she had temporarily lost consciousness. I thought that would have been enough drama for one day, but I was sadly mistaken. My day had just begun. 

Can you identify the figure in the orange sweatshirt and dirty jeans in the upper of the two photos above? If so, Bexley Police would like to know, as the individual is wanted in connection with a number of vehicle related crimes. Shortly after the incident on the bus, I became involved in the aftermath of a vehicle crime. A number of males were in a dark coloured Vauxhall Astra, which they were using to tow an old VW Polo along Manor Road in the direction of Slade Green. A woman was parking her white Mini when the Astra tow car / Polo clipped her mini, and the towed Polo subsequently got stuck on one of the pedestrian crossing islands in the road, as you can see in the photo above - click on it for a larger version. The lady got out of her Mini to speak to the males, when one got out of the Astra, unhooked the tow line from the Polo, then jumped into the hatchback boot of the Astra and made off - you can see him in the upper of the two photos - unfortunately the quality is not good, due to the low light and the suddenness of the unexpected situation. The dumped Polo caused a partial blockage of Manor Road, which at one point caused and ambulance on "Blues and Twos" to have to mount the pavement to get past the vehicular obstruction. The Police were called, and an area patrol car soon arrived on the scene. The Police officers checked out the illegally dumped vehicle, and determined the actual ownership details. It was unclear whether the owner was part of the gang that had the vehicle under tow, or if they were actually a victim of vehicle theft. I am aware that spares for older VW models, including Polo and Golf models are currently selling at a premium. I would not at all be surprised if the blue Polo in the photo above was stolen to be broken for spares. A slightly older Polo was stolen in Lower Belvedere a few months ago in very similar circumstances. I would not be at all surprised if the same people were involved. The Police called for a contractor to come and tow the Polo away, but nobody turned up with a tow truck. After a couple of hours with the patrol car sitting, lights flashing. behind the dumped Polo, acting as a warning for oncoming motorists, the officers obviously got fed up of waiting and called a second area patrol car equipped with a tow hitch. The Police then towed the Polo away. I am told that their investigations continue.

As predicted last week, Radio Caroline did start full transmissions on 648 kHz Medium Wave sooner rather than later. Official programmes commenced on Friday morning at 7am. The initial test transmissions have been received all over Europe and beyond, greatly exceeding their target audience in Suffolk and Norfolk. Now that they are onto regular transmission and programming, it will be interesting to see how they go about building their audience over the next few months. You can read more about them by clicking here.

Following my recent coverage of Bexley Council's move to no longer collect plastic and drinks cartons at the borough's recycling centres, an about face may well be on the cards. Whilst the council may have chosen the policy of no longer collecting these items for recycling, it is looking increasingly likely that they will be over - ruled by national government. In a radical four-point plan, the Environment Secretary wants to tie councils to common guidelines that will make recycling less confusing for millions. At present, town halls are free to decide what they recycle. A recent BBC investigation found that there is a huge disparity on recycling plastic waste, with some local authorities collecting every type – and some taking none at all. Michael Gove has revealed he is considering nationwide standards to ensure that – as far as possible – councils collect the same items. The strategy to address the crisis aims to:- Reduce the number of plastics that are in use to make it easier for recycling firms; Cut single-use plastics such as drinking straws and coffee cups; Improve the recycling rate, which has been slipping; Make it easier for families to tell what can be recycled and what has to go in the general rubbish bin. A centralised standard on which types of recycling councils have to collect would help achieve at least two of these aims. Environmental campaigners blame the postcode lottery for Britain's woeful recycling rates – recently ranked 18th in the world, behind countries including Italy and Germany. Almost eight million families cannot recycle everyday plastics because councils refuse to pick them up. Another issue that many people are unaware of, especially at this time of year is the issue with wrapping paper for Christmas presents; due to the treatment the paper receives during production, it cannot be recycled, and is especially bad for the environment, as the only way to get rid of it is to put it in landfill, or to burn it. What I have chosen to do is rather than wrapping Christmas presents, I will be giving them in sparkly gift bags, which can be reused, year after year. As I have previously written, this is also the reason that I don't send Christmas cards, as I believe them to be ruinously bad for the environment - wood and rags are pulped to make the cards, energy is used to print them, fossil fuels are used to transport them to the shops, electricity and gas are burned to light and heat the shops, then once they are purchased, more fossil fuels are used to deliver the cards around the planet, then after a few days they are discarded, and many cannot be recycled. I can understand the practice in the past, when an annual card sent to friends and loved ones would be a form of annual communication when you might otherwise not hear from them, but nowadays this is far from the case; instant worldwide online communications mean that from my perspective, Christmas cards are consigned to the past. What do you think? Leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

If you use Windows 10, and employ the facial recognition system to log into your computer or tablet, you may find the following information somewhat worrying. German IT security experts have uncovered a serious weakness in the Windows 10 facial recognition system; All you need to do to log into the locked Windows 10 computer is a basic photo of the face that is already registered on the computer. If you hold up the facial print in front of the computer's camera, it will log you in - even if you have the enhanced security for facial recognition option activated. This means if you leave your Windows 10 PC or tablet somewhere public, even if it is locked, it is possible for a third party to access your Windows 10 machine, and your account, purely by holding up a photo of you to the machine. I think this howler of a security hole will be fixed pretty soon, but it is a worry nevertheless. You can read the full technical details of the exploit by clicking here.

Some very good news for musicians and music enthusiasts. Vox amplifiers are once again going to be manufactured in the UK. Vox originally had factories in both West Street, Erith, and in Dartford Road, Dartford. In recent years the Vox brand has been owned by the giant Japanese music instrument manufacturing company Korg. In a recent announcement The 60-year-old engineering group is looking to onshore a small number of highly skilled jobs from Vietnam after a successful test run building high end handcrafted amplifiers in the UK. Current Vox boss Ian Doggett said in an interview in the London Evening Standard:- “The UK is a very desirable option as a manufacturing centre and the skills of smaller manufacturers here mean they can make our products to the high-quality standard we need, and in smaller and more flexible production quantities.” Vox / Korg originally moved production outside the UK in 2002 to China and then Vietnam. Vox is yet to decide what functions to move onshore, but it is likely to involve small bespoke production rather than mass production units. A limited edition run of 600 hand wired amplifiers made in Britain retailing for around £3500 each saw a huge surge in demand from fans this year. It is somewhat doubtful that manufacturing of the very high end amplifiers will return to the local area, but nothing is impossible. Founder Thomas Walter Jennings started the business, then called JMI (Jennings Musical Instruments) in Dartford in 1958, when he took a prototype guitar amplifier which had been demonstrated to him by big band guitarist and Belvedere resident Dick Denney two years earlier, and turned it into a working, commercial product – the Vox AC-15. The AC-15 was almost immediately purchased by Hank Marvin, and the unique sound of the Shadows was down primarily to the use of Vox amplification. Soon after, the “British Invasion” of the early 60’s was under way, powered almost exclusively by Vox amplifiers. Keeping it local, Dartford’s own Rolling Stones used Vox, as did The Kinks, The Yardbirds, and in what was one of the very earliest pieces of celebrity product placement, Vox amplifiers were promoted and exclusively used by The Beatles, after manager Brian Epstein negotiated a deal – one which greatly benefitted JMI, who were pretty much called Vox by this point. As the audiences for gig got bigger, and the venue sizes increased, the need for more powerful amplification became evident – the 15 Watt AC-15 was not powerful enough; JMI effectively nailed two AC-15 amps together to create their all time classic Vox AC-30 amplifier – a model still in production to this day. Contemporary musicians who employ the AC-30 include Brian May of Queen, who was the first person to create a “wall” of AC-30’s to create his unique and totally distinctive sound; Tom Petty, Rory Gallagher, Pete Townshend, Ritchie Blackmore, Mark Knopfler, Paul Weller, and the Edge of U2 – pretty much all of rock royalty use or have used Vox amplification. JMI also manufactured guitars, many of which were technically ground breaking – including active pickups, and built in sound effects – the down side of this was that they tended to be heavy and ugly, and did not pick up many celebrity users. JMI / Vox also invented the Wah Wah pedal – most famously used by Jimi Hendrix, and the fuzztone distortion pedal used by Jimmy Page, then of the Yardbirds, and soon to be of Led Zeppelin. Vox / JMI also created the very first wireless microphone system, early models of which gained a reputation from picking up interference from nearby mini cab radios. Another very successful and influential product made by JMI / Vox at Erith was the Vox Continental electronic organ, which most famously featured on “The House of the Rising Sun” by the Animals, and “Riders on the Storm” by the Doors (actually, pretty much any Doors track heavily features the Vox Continental – it was integral to their sound).

Now for the weekly security and safety updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. First, some general advice for local residents:- "Throughout December there is traditionally an increase in burglary. Last year on Christmas Eve alone there were 189 burglaries across London. Keep gifts and valuables out of view – placing gifts in plain view of windows will draw attention to your house and its contents. Be cautious when using social media – do not advertise your home is empty by showing you are somewhere else or having a countdown to your winter holiday. Consider using a timer to turn on your lights, your radio or TV to ensure you house appears to be occupied. Ask a family member or neighbour to pop in and open and close your curtains at various times and ask them to turn on lights if there isn’t a timer – so a potential thief does not spot a pattern. Dispose of boxes and rubbish discreetly. Leaving boxes outside will give away the fact that you have new and valuable items in the house. Consider property marking your valuables so that in the unfortunate event of a burglary it will help police to have a better chance of recovering your belongings. Protect yourself from distraction burglary, also known as ‘artifice burglary’ - a crime where a person tricks an occupant into allowing them into their property. Always ask for identification and never open the door to a stranger until you are fully satisfied they are who they say they are. Please keep an eye out for vulnerable people within your community to help keep them safe. Officers will be deployed to track down burglary suspects using various techniques including Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) operations. They will also conduct high visibility patrols in burglary hotspot areas". Now for the weekly news from the wards around the local area, starting with Barnehurst ward:- "Sadly we have had another burglary on the ward. On the 16th December 2017 between 4.30pm and 5.10pm Suspects have targeted an address in Bourne Road. Access was gained to the garden of the property via an adjacent open space by suspects cutting through a chain linked fence. They have then smashed the glass in a UPVC door, entered the house, making their way upstairs and taking a safe which contained a large quantity of cash and a large amount as Gold from a wardrobe. The safe was extremely heavy and it would have taken at least 3 plus peoples to carry it. Suspects have then forced open the main front door and took the safe down the driveway we believe to a waiting vehicle. If you do have a safe please make sure that it is bolted to something substantial, consider putting it in a less obvious place like a loft if you have one. We have also had a theft of vehicle from the rear of a property in Tower Road, Bexleyheath. Overnight from the 16th December between 10pm and 7am suspects have stolen a grey Yamaha MT125 motor cycle, registration number HY15 OBF. On Friday 20th December the team with the assistance of other ward officers from across the borough and colleagues from the Metropolitan police special constabulary executed a drugs warrant in Halcot Avenue. Drugs, cash and several mobile phones were seized from the address, Enquires continue. We are pleased to announce a new neighbourhood watch covering part of Watling Street. A big thank you to the coordinator making an effort to keep our community safe. We now have our Facebook page up and running, please search for Barnehurst Police and give us a follow, as always you can find out what the team have been up to via twitter @MPSBarnehurst. Finally a very merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our residents, please stay safe over the festive period and look out for each other". Belvedere ward:- "This week the team have spent time conducting anti-burglary patrols within Belvedere, Lesnes Abbey and Erith wards after offences committed in Abbey Road, Glenview and Bullbanks Road. PC Holmes and PCSO Worrall also dealt with two vehicle incidents in Nuxley Road, the second of which involved a broken down car causing obstruction to other road users. A thank you from the team to those drivers who remained patient whilst we were able to arrange for the vehicle to be recovered, we hope that there were minimal delays! We have also continued to carry out regular patrols of the Upper Belvedere areas in and around Brook Street and Nuxley Road after recent robberies having being committed, and have assisted with CCTV enquiries from businesses in Nuxley Road. PC Green and PC Holmes will be taking part in mobile patrols with officers from neighboring wards over the coming days to combat burglary in the north of the borough". Brampton ward:- "Very mixed week for the ward although we have had: 1 x Residential Burglary in Long Lane suspects got in through a front bay window , victim had stolen a safe with jewellery and foreign currency; 2 x Criminal Damage to motor vehicle tyres slashed in Birchington Close street briefing conducted on Wednesday 20th December with residents and wing mirror and window smashed on a vehicle in Haslemere Road; 1 x Interference with a motor vehicle in Oakhurst avenue locks had been tampered with but nothing stolen; and 1 x Theft of motor vehicle in Holmesdale road , 2 vehicles taken overnight/early hours of the morning investigation ongoing including the possibility of the vehicles being repossessed". Christchurch ward:- "Good news - we have no reported burglaries across Christchurch ward, please continue to lock and secure your property. Christmas presents out of sight, once the presents are open and you are left with packaging for the bin men to collect. Crime prevention advise destroy the labels on packages or boxes, don’t advertise your items for example electronical items Theives can see what items you have; Oaklands Road – Garden shed – cultivator taken. Secure your shed alarm it. Consider a battery-operated shed alarm. They look low key but they respond to movement or door contact with an extremely loud siren. ; Near Oaklands Road - Theft of Motor bike found burnt out prior to reporting. 16/12/2017 at 1711hrs. Call 101 if you saw anything or anyone acting suspicious; Standard Road, junction with Upland Road – Theft of motor vehicle 13/12/ - 14/12/2017 between 1730 – 0830hrs; 2X dips – Pickpockets on the Broadway. Please keep bags zipped and in front of you. Gentlemen keep your wallets in the front pockets not the back pockets, pickpockets like crowds in shops and the streets; Iris Avenue brought to our attention youths on push bikes making a nuisance obstructing traffic and being a nuisance; Christ Church Safer Neighbourhoods Team are aware and will stop youths cycling in an anti - social behaviour manner putting themselves at risk and other road users. Youths will be stopped by Police given strong words of advice, names taken and parental letters sent home. A resident in Church Road was disturbed by noises at approx. 1am on 20/12/17. When they investigated they found that the cable of the Christmas lights on the front of their house had been cut and that someone had drilled a hole close to the lock in the rear door of their van in an attempt to steal tools which was parked on the driveway. Colyers ward:- "There was one reported burglary on Colyers Ward between 13/12/17 and 20/12/17. There was also one reported theft of motor vehicle and one motor vehicle interference during the same period. A residential burglary occurred at Heath Way Erith on Monday 18th December 2017 between 0800 hours - 0300 hours. On Monday 18thDecember 2017 the victim left home at 8am for work. The victim returned at 3am on Tuesday 19th December 2017 and went directly upstairs to bed and the victim awoke for work at 0600hrs on Tuesday 19th December 2017, he noticed that the bottom part of his rear UPVC door had been put through and the door itself was wide open The victim states a yellow safe containing cash and documents was missing from the bottom of the wardrobe from a bedroom. The victim had £100 in cash also taken from the bedroom. The bottom panel of the UPVC door at the rear of the property was laying inside on the kitchen floor. It appeared that the suspects have unlocked the rear door to gain entry There was one theft of a motor vehicle in Downbank Avenue a silver Yamaha index LD07BFY but the vehicle was later found abandoned and recovered. There was one motor vehicle interference in LARNER ROAD ERITH on 15th December 2017 at 9:15am. The vehicle was broken into and the rear quarter window of the drivers side had been smashed. Nothing was taken from the vehicle. On Thursday 14/12/2017 a male suspect wearing a dark woolly hat, grey black jacket, dark trousers, grey trainers and riding a bicycle with a fluorescent yellow handle bars was seen trying car doors at Thanet Road /Larner Road area at 6am".  Crayford ward:- "The lull last week was too good to be true! In the early hours of Tuesday morning 19/12/2017 someone entered a locked porch via an insecure window and removed several coats and other items, placing them on the driveway at the address. On Monday 18/12/2017 at 19.32 hours a Robbery of Business Property occurred at GAME at Tower Retail Park. Four Males stole a large quantity of mobile phones, thankfully no members of staff or customers came to any physical harm. A number plate was stolen from a vehicle parked in Ridge Avenue on 14/12/2017 between 12.15 and 21.05. A lady had her purse stolen from her shopping bag which was in a shopping trolley at Aldi in Crayford. A moped was stolen from outside KFC whilst parked and locked at 17.15-17.20 on 16/12/2017. A bicycle was stolen overnight between 15/12/2017 at 22.00 and 12.20 on 16.12/2017 in Crayford Way. A parking permit was stolen from a motor vehicle parked at Perry Street on 13/12/2017 at 19.00. Brass and Copper were stolen from a locked container in Thames Road overnight between 18.00 on 11/12/2017 and 06.00 on 12/12/2017. Please keep your bags with you, wear them across your body if possible. Also be aware that thieves are placing devices on ATM machines that trap cards and PIN numbers to obtain cash. If you have any doubts about a machine please do not use it". Erith Ward:- "During the winter months ensure your car is ready for the season change in weather - are tyres, brakes, windscreens, wiper blades and windows free from defects and clean? Be aware of changing road conditions, don't put yourself and others at risk. Drink driving – don’t risk it, if you are out partying be aware of your alcohol consumption, our advice will always be if you are going to be the driver – Don’t have any alcohol at all. Personal safety is paramount. If you are going out, make sure you have your keys, money, phone and plans to get home. Make sure someone knows what time you will be back. If you are Christmas shopping, make sure you park in a well-lit car park and lock your car. Never leave any valuables in your car, such as mobiles or satellite navigation systems".  Lesnes Abbey ward:- " When the nights get longer keep the burglars guessing. Make your home look occupied by using Timer Lights. Motor vehicle crime - A Motor Vehicle had rear number plate taken in Langridge Road. Have you locked your doors and windows? 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. Out Shopping - Beware of pickpockets. Stay alert and keep your bags close to you. At home - Note frame numbers of bicycles/colour/make. Note serial numbers/make and model of electrical goods. North End Ward:- "We have unfortunately had a burglary in Eversley Avenue in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Entry was gained through a small open window and a purse was among the items taken leaving the victim very shaken. A reassurance visit was carried out on our behalf as this happened on our rest days but we will be ensuring that all follow up care will be taken. Six vehicle crimes have been reported in the last week. Vehicles have been stolen from Canada Road, Lincoln Road, Slade Green Road and Boundary Street as well as an attempted theft on Friday evening in Rainbow Road (Amethyst Court) and theft from a vehicle on the 14th of December in Reddy Road. Our vehicle crime numbers are still very high and we had a Street Briefing on Wednesday in Reddy Road giving Crime Prevention advice to all attendees. We attended the Erith Christmas tree festival last weekend. Although not part of our ward it was good to engage with members of the wider community and saw several residents in attendance from our ward with PC Brookes-Smith enjoying the Rock Choir concert on the Saturday evening. PC Brookes-Smith and PC Telfer stopped a male near Boundary Street last week. It turned out he was in possession of 45 bags of cannabis and was duly arrested. He was then charged with Possession with intent to supply drugs and pleaded guilty in court after being kept in overnight. Great result. A further 4 stop and searches were made close to the same location the next day with one male caught in possession of cannabis. He is due in on Friday for an interview. A known male is also due in for an interview this Friday after several breaches of his CBO. Some good news - The team found a stolen motorbike in Lincoln Close on Wednesday and the bike was recovered to be reunited with its owner. We would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a safe and Merry Christmas and we are at work at various times over the festive period so please feel free to contact us if needs be". Northumberland Heath ward:- "Another fairly quiet week on the ward with just one attempted burglary to a garage in Winchelsea Avenue between 10.30pm on Tuesday December 12th and 08.00 on Wednesday December 13th. Please refer to the following link for crime prevention advice www.met.police.uk/burglary Two reports of vehicle crime this week where number plates were stolen from the vehicles in Walsingham walk and Bexley Road. Crime prevention advice can also be found on the Met Police Website. On a happier note, a stolen vehicle was recovered from Swanton Road on Thursday this week. The high value car had been stolen from a burglary on the Colyers ward earlier this month. The car and the owner will be reunited for Christmas! Following recent anti-social behaviour in and around Dickens Close the council have now installed a CCTV camera in the area. With the end of the school term, the team are continuing to focus on uniform and plain clothes patrols in our hotspot areas. Our surgeries and coffee with cops events will continue after the Christmas break". Thamesmead East ward:- "No Burglaries to report this week. PC Pruden and PC Nana have been working with officers from neighbouring wards to combat burglary in the lead up to the Christmas period. This work involves targeting known offenders throughout the North of the borough with regular patrols at possible vulnerable locations. You can get crime prevention advice from www.met.police.uk/burglary. PC Nana – Arrested a female for fraud and a male on recall to prison. Crime prevention advice – Remove any personal belongings from your motor vehicle. If you lock your car using a remote key fob please try at least one of the door handles to confirm it's locked before you walk away. Always lock your car when unattended, even for a few moments. Never leave items in view in your car or home. Keep your purse or wallet secure. Protect your important property, register at: https://www.immobilise.com. Always report anything suspicious. Remember when leaving your property check windows and doors are locked. Tell your neighbours if you are going away and ask them to keep an eye on your house. 

The end video this week features a location that many local people are virtually unaware of, yet it is internationally reknown as being one of the very best campsites in the whole of the UK. The Abbey Wood Camping and Motor Home site can be seen in a short video report below. I have to say that it looks very nice indeed - leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.