Prosecco.

Erith Morrison's seem to have made some very good decisions as a response to the Coronavirus pandemic; as mentioned last week, the precautions taken to socially isolate customers and staff seem to work well, and cause minimum disruption to the shopping process. On the other hand, the store management have made some quite curious, if not completely perplexing decisions, as can be seen in the photo above - click on it for a larger version. The well used, popular salad bar has been closed and replaced with a large display containing crates of Prosecco. When one considers the requirement for all people to eat healthily, especially to maintain one's resistance to infection, it would have been thought that access to fresh vegetables and salad items would have been a premium consideration. On the other hand I can see that despite breath shields, the salad bar could be considered a potential vector for infection. Also, the salad and custom pizza creation area are relatively labour intensive, and with the need to have additional staff on the shop floor, directing customers to maintain a two metre distance from one another must involve making some pragmatic decisions; having said that, I am not entirely convinced that replacing fresh salad with a display of Prosecco bottles is entirely sending the right message to customers. What do you think? Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

On another food and drink related theme, Brewer Shepherd Neame has provided a much-needed boost for local hop growers this week, by placing a bumper order for Kentish hops. Following shifts in production requirements prompted by the ongoing Covid-19 situation, the Faversham-based independent family brewer has tripled its usage of Kentish hops. It has therefore just purchased an additional 4,000kg of Kentish hops from local growers to meet demand. In an article originally published on the Produced in Kent website, Senior Brewer Stewart Tricker said: “Shepherd Neame has always been committed to supporting local hop growers, and we typically use around 85% Kentish hops in our ale portfolio, which includes great British classic ales such as Spitfire. We also use Kentish hops where possible to provide a robust bitterness in its other more contemporary beers, such as the Whitstable Bay collection and Bear Island collection, while using more aromatic continental or American hops to provide the desired hop-forward aromas. Following the Government decision to close all pubs last month, our current operational focus is to continue production at the brewery and maintain sales to supermarkets. The majority of these orders are for premium bottled ales, so we are now focusing our efforts almost exclusively on beers that use Kentish hops, such as Spitfire and Bishops Finger. This temporary change in demand has therefore resulted in an increase in our usage of Kentish hops.” The large order placed by Shepherd Neame offers much-needed support for the Kentish hop growers, many of whom have seen a collapse in demand from brewers following the closure of pubs. Chief Executive Jonathan Neame said: “Hops are an intrinsic part of Kent’s heritage, and Shepherd Neame is proud to have been based in the heart of hop country for more than 400 years. We are committed to supporting local businesses, and we hope that our order will go some way to helping Kentish hop growers in these extremely difficult times.”

I have written in the fairly recent past of the integral part The Red Barn pub in Barnehurst played in the resurgence of interest in traditional Jazz music in the UK in the decades following World War II. I have written in the past about the part played by musicians Chris Barber and George Melly, who played regularly at The Red Barn, but I have only touched on another, equally talented and influential Jazz musician. George Webb, who died on March the 10th  2010 aged 92, he was universally acknowledged to be the father of the postwar traditional jazz revival in Britain, serving as an inspiration to, and frequent band member with, the trumpeter Humphrey Lyttelton. The movement George created, which grew steadily in the late 1940s, led directly to the "trad boom" of the late 1950s and early 1960s in which he also played a leading part, first as pianist and bandleader and later as agent and promoter. George Horace Webb was born in Camberwell, south London, on October 8 1917, the son of a music hall artiste. His earliest memories were of his father and uncle (the "Brothers Webb") rehearsing their act at home. The family later moved to Belvedere, and George took a job at the Vickers Armstrong armaments factory in nearby Dartford. When war broke out in 1939, he was already a skilled machine-gun fitter and thus exempt from the call-up. A keen jazz enthusiast and self-taught amateur pianist, George helped organise entertainment in the factory canteen and, in 1940, began assembling a group of like-minded young jazz lovers with the aim of forming a band. The intention was to play in the style of the early jazz masters, whose music they knew well from records. In 1941, the band acquired a name: "George Webb's Dixielanders", and a regular place to play – the downstairs bar of the Red Barn pub in nearby Barnehurst. Modelled on King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band of 1922 to 1924, their music sounded alien, even barbaric, to ears brought up on crooners and English dance bands. George was fond of recalling the band's first appearance at The Red Barn: "By the time we had finished the first number we were playing to about ten people, the other 50 having fled to the saloon bar upstairs." A sometimes pugnacious character, he once defended the band's honour from a mocking onlooker by striding off-stage mid-performance, landing a heavy blow, then returning to the keyboard. But the word gradually spread, and over the next six years jazz devotees converged upon their unlikely suburban stage to enjoy the unique experience of hearing jazz in the classic style played live. One such visitor was Humphrey Lyttelton, newly demobbed Grenadier Guards officer, first-year art student and aspiring jazz trumpeter. He sat in with the Dixielanders and was soon invited to become a permanent member. As the style took off in the postwar years, a growing network of venues, along the lines of The Red Barn, became established around Britain. There were features in the music press, occasional radio broadcasts, and even recordings. In 1948, with its members scattering in search of employment, the Dixielanders folded and George joined Lyttelton's newly-formed band as pianist. Partly as a result of George's pioneering work, Humphrey Lyttelton quickly found a new audience among the growing student population. In place of the beer-sipping aficionados of The Red Barn, his band played for crowds of youthful dancers at venues in central London, and later around the country. It also recorded prolifically, with George's effervescent piano often featured. He was a small man, with tiny hands, which Humphrey Lyttelton said reminded him of a pair of kittens, scampering up and down the keyboard. In 1951, observing the growing popularity of revivalist jazz, George thought it a good moment to branch out into promoting jazz events. The most successful of these were the Sunday night sessions at the Shakespeare Hotel, Woolwich, which played to packed houses until the early 1960s. In 1955, George joined the staff of Jazzshows Promotions, booking bands and singers for the ever-expanding club and concert circuit. Leaving Jazzshows after 10 years, he set up his own management and agency business, numbering rhythm and blues groups as well as jazz bands among his clients. George barely touched the piano during these years, but returned to playing in the early 1970s. He toured Europe as accompanist to the singer Jo Starr and, in 1973, briefly formed a new version of the Dixielanders. In 1974 he took the tenancy of a pub at Stansted, Essex, a move which enabled him combine all his various activities. He ran the bar, booked the entertainment and sat in with visiting bands whenever he felt like it. In 1985 George gave up his tenancy and moved back to Belvedere, close to the scene of his early triumphs. On July 4th of that year he was guest of honour at the unveiling of a plaque at The Red Barn, commemorating his contribution to British jazz. He continued to promote jazz through his "Goodtime Jazz Festivals" and regularly attended the local Sidcup Jazz Club. Although officially retired, he resumed playing with gusto,  appearing as guest artist with many bands, formed several temporary outfits of his own, and was always the first to volunteer to perform at a charity event. In 1998 he took a prominent role in the celebrations of Humphrey Lyttelton's half-century as a bandleader. He continued to play with his "Band of Brothers" until the end of his long and colourful life.

The Coffee Tavern shown in the two historic photos above used to be a prominent building located in Nuxley Road, Upper Belvedere (NOT Nuxley Village - no such place exists - it is a fictional construct dreamed up by out of town estate agents and has no historical relevance). The Coffee Tavern was one of the oldest buildings in the area. For the last couple of decades it as been the home of (the currently shut due to the lock down) The Spice Master Indian Restaurant. The building that the restaurant is located in has a lot of history. It was originally constructed as a Victorian temperance cafe called the Belvedere Coffee Tavern and Refreshment Bar – see the period photographs above - click on either for a larger version. I can dimly recall it as a “greasy spoon” type cafe when I was a child, growing up in Upper Belvedere. I never went in it, but would go past regularly. In the mid to late eighties the cafe building was extensively extended and remodelled, to the extent that the owners got into some rather hot water with Bexley Council planning department, as the original structure was a grade II listed building, and they altered it so much that it lost its’ listing. At the same time it was extended, it changed from being a rather scruffy looking cafe into a rather upmarket Italian restaurant called La Dolce Vita, which seemed to be mainly  frequented by elderly Jaguar driving wide boys and their brassy wives. It was very popular at lunch times for people holding business meetings, and at weekends it was packed – especially for Sunday lunch when one would need to book in advance to stand a chance of getting a table. During the middle of this period, it was exposed by the News Shopper has having the worst kitchen hygiene recorded in Bexley to that date; the place was so bad that it was featured on at least one television consumer protection programme. This had the effect of killing trade off almost overnight. They cleaned the place up, and re-launched it the next year with a new name –“The Garden”, but people had long memories, and the trade did not return. One diner of the time told me ”It was nearly always empty and almost overly friendly with the service. We knew of its health and safety problems (but that was like a year before we'd started going there so it had cleaned up its act) and we had some lovely meals. We tended to use it as a "sod-it-we-can't-be-arsed-to-cook" night as it was local, quite reasonable and they had a tolerable/well priced wine list. It was nice enough but I'm not a fan of Italian Restaurants seeing as at home we eat a lot of Italian style dishes (pasta, lasagne, meatballs, Mediterranean salad etc) so I like to have stuff a bit different when I go out.  It was the height of mid-80's home decoration inside, if I remember rightly. Artex about 3ft thick and everything covered in fake Roman columns, plastic ivy and plaster statues with B and Q's finest wall-hangings and light fittings. Probably quite swish in the day but when we were there in the mid-90's it was a little tired and dated and not my type of thing at all”. Not long after this, it closed for good and lay empty and boarded up for quite a time.It was about at this time that I moved to Erith, and was less aware of the goings on in Nuxley Road than I used to be. The old restaurant building was again gutted and refurbished, this time as an Indian restaurant The Spice Master; the first competition for the venerable and long established Belvedere Tandoori, which was one of my introductions to high street curry eating back in the day. I did not try the new restaurant, now called The Spice Master for many years; I was working in the East End, and used to visit the legendary, and sadly now closed Sweet and Spicy a couple of times a week; I would also make regular lunch time trips to the Halal Restaurant in Mark Street E1 – which has been serving up genuine Bangladeshi food since shortly before WWII, and is one of the oldest continually in service curry houses in the UK. In many ways at this time I was spoiled for choice, and “ate what the locals ate”. Consequently I did become quite sniffy about ordinary high street curry houses and the food that they cooked. I felt that it was not “authentic” and was too engineered to suit a Western palate. In essence I had become a bit of a curry snob.  During this time, The Spice Master just curried on (oh the wit!) and our paths did not cross. Once I had moved on from the job based in the East End, the curry consumption drastically reduced, but I still had a degree of disdain for ordinary high street restaurants. Over the last few years I have come to realise that your high street curry is a thing on its own. It may not bear much resemblance to food you would eat in Bangalore or Karachi, but it has now been around for long enough to have created its own unique identity – it is what it is, and it is rightfully unapologetic. Most high street curry, whilst being called “Indian” is actually far closer to Bangladeshi cuisine, as most of the original restaurant owners came from Bangladesh, rather than India, but were quick to realise that in 1950’s / 1960’s Britain, most English people had not heard of Bangladesh, so a bit of inspired re - branding labelled the new food outlets as “Indian” restaurants.

Now for the weekly local safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly the report from Barnehurst ward:- "Good news for Barnehurst Ward, there have been no burglaries over the past week. There has also been no reports of vehicle crime. The team have been out and about, due to Covid-19 we have been asking people to return to their homes, we would sooner police by consent than issue fines, we have patrolled open spaces, car parks and supermarket areas". Belvedere ward:- "The team have been carrying out several patrols of open spaces and parks throughout the ward in the last week to ensure that current government guidelines in relation to COVID-19 are being adhered to. We are pleased to say that for the most part, there do not appear to be any issues around this as most people are keeping distance from others and most people observed are walking dogs and not loitering in any particular areas. However, we have been advised that there are several younger people that have been using the basketball court area of Franks Park on some afternoons (which has been closed by Bexley Council). Whilst we have not been witness to this as yet, we would advise that if there are people using the equipment in any of our parks/ open spaces, that you should call 101 and let Police know. Our patrols will continue and anyone seen using equipment will be spoken to and dealt with as required. With regard to crime on the ward, we can report that there have been no reports of burglary since our previous update. There have been two reported thefts from motor vehicles around the Picardy Road and Fremantle Road areas – number plates removed from vehicles that have been parked in the street. Please continue to follow the government advice and remain at home unless absolutely necessary – for food, medical/ health reasons or to travel to work (if you are unable to work from home). If you do go out, try to stay at least 2 metres from other people at all times. Should you decide to go out for exercise, this can be done alone or with members of your household – do not meet up with friends or other family members". Bexleyheath ward:- "Sunday 05/04/20 Theft of number plates from a motor vehicle Rydal drive Bexleyheath. The team have been out and about, due to Covid-19 we have been asking people to return to their homes, we would sooner police by consent than issue fines, we have patrolled open spaces, car parks and supermarket areas. Please observe the lockdown and only leave your property for the following reasons: Stay at home, unless: * shopping for basic necessities, for example food and medicine * taking exercise – alone or with members of your household * for any medical need, or provide care to a vulnerable person * travelling for work purposes, but only where they cannot work from home. BBQ's and picnics in public places DO NOT constitute taking exercise." Crayford ward:- "Just two crimes to mention this week. The driver's window of a black Peugeot 208 was smashed on Tuesday 31st March at 22.21 whilst parked in Station Road close to the shops, nothing was stolen. On Sunday 5th April at approx. 16.55 a female was robbed. The incident began in Thames Road by the Ford garage, a male approached the victim and tried to snatch her phone. She continued to walk down to Howbury Lane and the male continued to follow her and snatched the phone, an iPhone 11 in a blue case. He is described as an IC3 male, aged 25-35 years with a pencil thin goatee, dark clothing and wearing a green helmet, he was riding a blue pushbike and headed away up Lincoln Road. The team have been out and about, due to Covid-19 we have been asking people to return to their homes, we would sooner police by consent than issue fines, we have patrolled open spaces, car parks and supermarket areas. We were made aware of a white transit van parked in Ridge Way that appeared to be abandoned, it was on cloned plates and the vehicle had been stolen from Sussex, it was recovered to Charlton pound". Erith ward:- "We have been out on the ward on foot, bike and van questioning anyone we see as to reasons for being out in this lockdown. Crimes on Erith are low at the moment, we haven't had a burglary all this week but that does not mean we are not still focusing on the normal jobs we do. We have been concentrating on areas that are still getting high motor vehicle crime. Stay safe if you need information from us send an email to erith.snt@met.police.uk." Northumberland Heath ward:- "Unfortunately there has been a report of an attempted garage burglary in Silver Spring Close on 02/04/2020 at approximately 23:30hrs.The suspects were seen by a witness and made off from the scene. Males were seen getting into a black Volkswagen Scirocco. There has also been reports of a white transit van with the registration plates covered up . SNT have also assisted OXLEAS this week in completing a mental health assessment on an elderly gentleman. The team have Officers patrolling the ward next week and will be focusing on the ASB hotspots. There hasn't been any reports of Drug activity or ASB within Northumberland Recreation Ground since the camera has been put up. Also the wall has been removed by the council with a new mental fence which has prevent local youths from congregating. Please see our tweets on @MPSNorthHeath where your see good stories, advice & information on COVID-19 also scam warning advice. I must remind everyone you should only leave home for essentials such as food or medicine, or to exercise".

 Slade Green and Northend ward:- "Late night on Friday 03 April someone tried to force entry into the rear of McColls – again! Fortunately entry wasn't made. The shop's head office will be asked to improve the CCTV set up at the back of the premises. We are aware that the weather is nice at this time but we urge you all to not keep going out for unnecessary reasons. Far too many reports are coming to our team, and indeed across Bexley, of groups congregating in parks and open spaces. This needs to stop. Anyone seen outside in a group will be dispersed and fines issued accordingly if necessary. Our officers will be patrolling parks and open spaces whenever possible. Please, stay safe". Thamesmead East ward:-"No residential Burglaries to report this week. Vehicle Crime - Drake Crescent SE28 on Tues 31/4/20 10 pm – 7 am Victim reports front number plate removed by suspect/s unknown. Mangold Way DA18 on Thurs 2/4/20 between 11:30 am – Fri 3/4/20 5 am Victim returned to vehicle to find number plates had been removed by suspect/s unknown. Southmere Drive SE2 on Thurs 2/4/20 10 pm Victim reports vehicle not been used for two weeks due to COVID-19 restrictions when victim went to turn the vehicle over it was noticed the back seat had been pulled down by suspect/s unknown who have gained entry into the boot and removed a parcel. Redpoll Way DA18 Tues 7/4/20 2:30 pm – 11 am victim reports both front and rear number plates removed by suspect/s unknown". West Heath ward:-"Another week with no reported burglaries. One theft of a black Mercedes from a driveway in Longleigh Lane on Friday 03/04/20 between the hours of 1300 – 18.20. One report of criminal damage to a classic VW Beetle in Bedonwell Road on Friday 03/04/20 16.30 – 22.30. The team have been busy patrolling parks, open spaces and conducting reassurance visits to local shops during this this difficult and testing time. We have received reports of groups gathering in Clovelly Road and playing football. We all have a responsibility to each other and our communities to stay at home despite the recent good weather we are currently experiencing. We wish you a happy and peaceful Easter, stay safe and keep washing your hands!"

The end video this week is quite topical. It features classic comedy drama show M*A*S*H and how scenes from the show can teach people today many vital lessons in avoiding infections such as Covid-19. Do give it a watch and let me know what you think by Emailing me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

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. 

Lily Savage and a bird.

This is getting familiar. Once again I am in my favourite hostelry, blogging with the Asus mini Eee PC. Things have now got back to a semblance of normality after the pleasant madness of the last week. You may have already seen the photos on my Flickr site – both of the party, and of the actual post induction shots outside of Buckingham Palace. Incidentally, whilst waiting for the inductees to be admitted to the palace, I was standing next to a tall chap with white hair, dressed extremely smartly in a morning suit, complete with top hat. I thought to myself “he looks familiar”, but did not really think anything more about it. I was reading that amiable and easy reading daily commuter friendly rag, Metro on Thursday, when I discovered that I had been rubbing shoulders with TV chat show host and former alternative comedian Paul O'Grady!

Whilst writing this piece, comfortably ensconced in my favourite corner of the pub, the door opened and a very familiar figure, accompanied by by a small person entered – it was Ian with elder daughter Ella; they came to see me and say hello before going off to the cinema. I am obviously getting extremely predictable in my weekend behaviour, as they knew exactly where to find me.

One thing I have discovered with Shepherd Neame Late Red best bitter, is that it has an unfortunate side - effect; especially if imbibed in the evening prior to bed. To put it bluntly, it makes you fart. I am currently doing a very accurate impression of a two stroke outboard motor on full throttle.

Something that I have recently noticed, is that very few school children seem to smoke nowadays. Whether it is that the health message has finally got through, or that the cost is now prohibitive is not the issue. They are just not smoking nowadays, and that has to be a good thing. Personally I think the main motivator is that they would rather spend their pocket money on credit for their ever present mobile telephones. I suppose it is a toss up health – wise as to whether it is preferable to croak from lung cancer (fags) or later on from a brain tumour (mobile phone). No doubt the debate will drag on ad infinitum.

I was travelling back to Erith on the 99 bus from my daily Dad visit, when I took the photos above. The bus abruptly slowed, then stopped in Woolwich Road, opposite the entrance to Abbey Wood. A car in front swerved to avoid an object in the road, which turned out to be a bird of prey. I am no twitcher or bird expert, but it looked like some kind of hawk. Perhaps a kind reader can inform me one way or another? Anyway, two blokes got out of a car in front and ventured over to the bird, standing in the middle of the carriage way and skillfully scooped it up into safety. I suspect that it was a tame bird that had escaped – it certainly had no fear of people. The two guys may well have been the bird's owners. I took the photos through the buses' front window; I have had to do some tweaking with Aperture 2 on my Apple iMac to restore the contrast lost through photographing though a pane of glass. All looking good enough now though. Click on any one of the shots above for a larger version.

I have noticed that an increasingly large number of people are lounging on public transport and putting their feet on the seats – something that really winds me up. I cannot recount the number of times I have got dirty marks or used chewing gum on my trousers due to the thoughtless actions of these scumbags. Knee capping with a chainsaw would be a suitable answer. I find that the type of person that acts in this way is quite usually the same as those that talk overly loudly on mobile telephones, and also play music out loud, from a mobile phone - something that is a major personal bugbear for me.

I had a bit of a trauma on Sunday night, just prior to the start of Steve's pre MBE party. His wife Jenny got a call on her mobile phone from a couple of party goers who were asking for directions to the Robin Hood and Little John. Jenny handed her phone to me, as party organiser – apparently I visibly shied away from the infernal device as she moved to hand it to me. Personally I cannot recall this, but I certainly would not discount it.

WNKR are currently sounding terrific on 1476kHz Medium Wave. You can also listen to them online here.

Also, do check out Thore's Blog. Until recently I worked with him; he's now moved onwards and upwards. All good, slightly surreal stuff anyway.

Here is a video clip of what I believe is the largest model aircraft in the world - a scale model of an American B52 heavy bomber; this is it in action during a UK model plane demonstration.

War bussing and a brewery tour.

Some diverse photos above; please click on any one for a larger version. I took a day off work this Friday, and went along to the lovely Kentish town of Faversham to go on a tour of the Shepherd Neame brewery. They are both the oldest and also the most profitable independent brewers in the UK, and produce some truly excellent real ales such as Bishop's Finger and the award winning Spitfire premium bitter. You can see a full set of photographs of the brewery tour, taken during during a working day by visiting my Flickr photo site. I would highly recommend the tour as an entertaining and informative day out, even if one is not interested in beer. I learned a lot of history and science - and even nearly bumped into Brewery Managing Director, Jonathan Neame during my visit!

The third photograph above shows my new Asus Eee PC 901 sub notebook computer, next to my work laptop in order to give scale. The work machine is the only one I have which runs Windoze, and then only because they pay me to! I am getting used to the new mini machine; Yesterday on the 99 bus back from Dad visiting, I fired it up and set the wireless to discover networks - I am absolutely stunned at how may people do not secure their home wireless networks; in the space of twenty minutes I discovered around two dozen. This kind of thing is sometimes called War Driving, but since I was using public transport, I felt that War Bussing was a more appropriate term. Please note, I was not hijacking their bandwidth, which is rather naughty - just seeing their network ID and its' security status. Now that I have the Eee PC, I will be installing a wireless hub in addition with my existing Ethernet hub and hardware firewall. Be assured it will have strong encryption and a decent password! You have been warned.

I am pensioning off my old Dell laptop to live in honourable retirement with Shirley, to use for her college course work. I have wiped the hard disk and installed G OS - a heavily customised version of Ubuntu Linux which looks and feels like Apple OS X and has a huge amount of Google software pre-installed. It really is ideal for the person who is not really interested in the technicalities of running a computer, but just wants to watch YouTube clips, visit social networking sites and the like, with a much reduced chance of encountering any software nasties when compared to a PC running XP or (gasp, horror!) Vista. See a screen shot here.

This weeks' video clip is from Shaun the Sheep; a really amazing animated series from Nick Park of Wallace and Gromit fame. See what you think.

The Stella Zeppelin.

This is the Stella Zeppelin. Click on any photo to view a larger version. This airship has been flying over my house several times a day for the last three or so weeks. It is nice to see an old fashioned form of transport back in regular use, even if the tourist flights are prohibitively expensive to book as a passenger, and it has been hijacked by the advertising brigade to promote the odious, mass produced Stella Artois additive laced fizzy lager. It is the almost exclusive preserve of the local scrotes, Chavs and dog on a string brigade; I suppose that they drink it because it does not actually taste of very much, and it is relatively strong at 5.2% alcohol. I think that painting an airship to promote the drink is a bit of a waste of time, as the numpties will pour the muck down their necks with reckless abandon without any need for external encouragement or prompting. Stella are preaching to the converted when flying over Erith.

The Zeppelin is due to finish its' tour in a couple of weeks and is then off around Europe. You can see some more photos of it, along with all of my other photos online on my Flickr site.

I am currently imbibing a cool pint of Whitstable Bay Organic Ale from the Shepherd Neame brewery. Bottled, it is nothing special at all, but in draught form it is light, flavoursome and aromatic, and an ideal accompaniment to a summer pub lunch. Nice to have it served in a proper dimpled pint jug too (you can tell where I am Blogging from, can't you!) I have the elderly Linux laptop running, playing an old episode of Round the Horne though mini earphones whilst I sit in the corner of the pub, writing away. I have come to the conclusion that Shepherd Neame are rubbish at bottling their beers; draught they are absolutely wonderful, but with the exception of Bishop's Finger, their bottled versions are rather poor. I am visiting their Faversham headquarters, home of the oldest brewery in the UK at the beginning of October, and I will certainly bring the issue up with the Head Brewer, should the opportunity arise.

I am hoping to purchase a new mini laptop running Linux soon – primarily to aid my mobile blogging efforts; the Asus EE PC 901 Linux edition is a favourite right now, though the model is notoriously difficult to locate right now, as it would seem everyone is after the model at present. If I can locate one, it would be much easier to Blog on the move with a mini notebook PC, rather than the full sized behemoth I lug around for the moment. The Asus is about the size of a paperback book, and will fit into a pocket; at present I have to take a laptop case with me to the pub.

At work, I have a number of bottles of hot chilli sauce on my desk in a cardboard "sauce garage". Anyone from my team is welcome to use the sauces to give their lunch a bit of kick; I have just encountered a new addition to the garage - Dilita Green Habanero hot sauce. Please feel free to add a comment using the link below if you have any suggestions as to other chilli sauces you can recommend.

Local radio station WNKR are celebrating their 21st birthday in a couple of weeks; they started transmitting to South East London and North Kent back in 1987, and they are still going strong.

Since my last moan about how banning activities tends to encourage them, I have taken special note this week of drivers using mobile phones whilst on the move; I would say that a quarter of people I have watched behind the wheel are also using a mobile telephone - something that is supposed to be punishable with up to a £1000 fine - as you can read here. In reality it does not stop offenders, as they have an almost zero chance of being caught. The same holds true for those low lives who continue to drink alcohol on public transport. Unless the authorities can provide Police to patrol on the buses and trains on a regular basis there is no way to stop this illegal activity. It also seems in almost all cases, the scrotes are getting a skin full of Stella Artois, which is exactly where we came in. Who says I don't plan these things!

To finish, a video clip from another kind of Zeppelin.