Mi Amigo.

Not only did the garden fence at Pewty Acres suffer in the recent storms. but local business The Royal Alfred Premier Store in Manor Road lost some roof tiles and some lead flashing was damaged by the gales. The former pub, on the corner of Appold Street is in a very exposed position, close to the River Thames, and thus quite vulnerable to wind damage. The scaffolding was erected to make access to the roof possible for the workers who carried out the repairs, which apparently only took  a day to complete. The former Royal Alfred pub was converted into a large Premier convenience store with luxury apartments above in 2017. You can see my photos of the interior of the apartments by clicking here. Comments to hugh.neal@gmail.com.

The photo above (click on it for a larger view) was taken a few weeks ago at The Bookstore Cafe in Walnut Tree Road, Erith. It was the first Jazz Lunch to be held, and as you can see there was an excellent turnout. Unfortunately all events at The Old Library are on hold, as is now the case for a great many locations around the UK at present. The Bookstore Cafe is currently not open to visitors, but you can order freshly cooked food to be delivered to your home, as the kitchen is open and working for deliveries only.  The Bookstore cafe is now available on Deliveroo:- The Bookstore Cafe - Opens at 09:00 - £0.99 delivery - £5.00 minimum - The Old Library, Walnut Tree Rd, Erith, London, DA8 1RS. All food is made with fresh ingredients, working with and supporting local producers. All profits generated by The Bookstore Cafe go towards maintaining The Old Library and The Exchange community programme.

Fake news is often used to promote fears. These fears are then used as a means of obtaining access to personal information and money. Fake news and scams have the same root. Before you believe what you are reading and whether you will make a decision on what you have read, you need to consider a number of factors. This especially true in the present situation, with many so called "experts" on the Coronavirus situation holding forth on social media. For example, this week hoax social media messages have spread fears that Coronavirus is being spread at petrol pumps. Twitter posts and Whatsapp messages supposedly from NHS nurses have been shared warning people to wear gloves to prevent "rapid spreading". Public Health England have dispelled the notion that petrol pumps specifically are a worry. A spokesperson said: "Petrol pumps are no worse than other surfaces, although we do recommend people use gloves and wash their hands after using them." Many fake news spreaders have a personal agenda to promote. Sometimes interesting or gratifying or controversial facts, posts and memes are complete fabrications. The fact that tens of thousands of people have ‘Liked’ an article doesn’t prove that it’s true. (Though it doesn’t prove that it isn’t, either). The fact that one or more of your very intelligent and well-informed friends posted it isn’t conclusive proof that it’s accurate, either. Sometimes, very bright people fall for bogus messages because they want to believe them: for instance, because they fit with their political views, or offer some exciting gift, or refer to some threat that they don’t have the technical knowledge to recognise as improbable. Intelligence and omniscience are not synonyms. Sometimes, people just don’t care: they like the story the message tells too much to check it for factual accuracy.  The late scientist and philosopher Professor Carl Sagan produced what he called his “baloney detection kit” – a series of rules to employ when encountering any potential guile or manipulation. “1. Wherever possible there must be independent confirmation of the “facts.” 2. Encourage substantive debate on the evidence by knowledgeable proponents of all points of view. 3. Arguments from authority carry little weight — “authorities” have made mistakes in the past. They will do so again in the future. Perhaps a better way to say it is that in science there are no authorities; at most, there are experts. 4. Spin more than one hypothesis. If there’s something to be explained, think of all the different ways in which it could be explained. Then think of tests by which you might systematically disprove each of the alternatives. What survives, the hypothesis that resists disproof in this Darwinian selection among “multiple working hypotheses,” has a much better chance of being the right answer than if you had simply run with the first idea that caught your fancy. 5. Try not to get overly attached to a hypothesis just because it’s yours. It’s only a way station in the pursuit of knowledge. Ask yourself why you like the idea. Compare it fairly with the alternatives. See if you can find reasons for rejecting it. If you don’t, others will. 6. Quantify. If whatever it is you’re explaining has some measure, some numerical quantity attached to it, you’ll be much better able to discriminate among competing hypotheses. What is vague and qualitative is open to many explanations. Of course there are truths to be sought in the many qualitative issues we are obliged to confront, but finding them is more challenging. 7. If there’s a chain of argument, every link in the chain must work (including the premise) — not just most of them. 8. Occam’s Razor. This convenient rule-of-thumb urges us when faced with two hypotheses that explain the data equally well to choose the simpler. 9. Always ask whether the hypothesis can be, at least in principle, falsified. Propositions that are untestable, unfalsifiable are not worth much. Consider the grand idea that our Universe and everything in it is just an elementary particle — an electron, say — in a much bigger Cosmos. But if we can never acquire information from outside our Universe, is not the idea incapable of disproof? You must be able to check assertions out. Inveterate sceptics must be given the chance to follow your reasoning, to duplicate your experiments and see if they get the same result. Certainly some very thought provoking principles. What do you think? Leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

This week marks the fortieth anniversary of an event that has largely been forgotten, but that had a major impact on radio broadcasting in the UK and Europe at the time. It is forty years since the Radio Caroline ship, the Mi Amigo sank in a North Sea storm. The rescue of the crew by the RNLI was so hazardous that the coxswain of the lifeboat was awarded the RNLI's highest honour. The story of the sinking, and the subsequent heroic rescue was told by one of those involved - the DJ Stevie Gordon, who related his memories to The Pirate Radio Hall of Fame. Stevie writes:- "During my time on board Radio Caroline, we worked around the clock in shifts. But little did I realise what was in store for me that March afternoon in 1980 as I headed for my cabin and my usual siesta. “Every man has his 15 minutes of fame” and mine were soon to begin. “You'd better get up, Stevie. We're off the anchor”. Tom Anderson didn't seem unduly worried and indeed our ship, the Mi Amigo, had lost its anchor before and been adrift on several occasions. Not when I was on board though! I was up in a flash and hurried upstairs to find out what was happening. There was a heavy sea but we were used to that and the radio station was broadcasting normally. However my first glance outside showed me that we were not at our usual location. There should have been seven or eight crew on board. The make-up tended to be three or four English DJs, two Dutchmen who read the news and presented a live breakfast show for the daytime service aimed at Holland and Belgium, a transmitter engineer, a cook and occasionally a sailor. However, due to a mix up, although all those who were due shore leave had been taken off, there was only one replacement. Hans Verlaan was on his first tour of duty and had only arrived a few hours earlier. That left just us three Brits who between us knew the ship inside out, and the ship's canary. Looking back, I can see that, with the usual complement, lives could very easily have been lost but at that early stage none of us had any idea how the affair would end. “We'd better get the emergency anchor down!” Tom Anderson again and, yes, he knew how to do it. He had been on board the previous time it was needed. There seemed to be no immediate danger so I told Tom I would, as a courtesy, notify the coastguard but not until the ship was once again at anchor. He made his way forward to the bows and my other English colleague, Nick Richards, went downstairs to see if there was any water in the bilges. There wasn't, but that was the only good news! Tom Anderson was in trouble. The reserve chain was not wound around a drum or stored in a locker but lay in an untidy heap in the forepeak. The anchor itself was mounted above the chain on a slide and secured in place by rope binding. Using a large knife Tom had slashed through the ropes but, instead of sliding into the sea, the anchor sat stubbornly fast on the slide. Watching from the bridge, that was the first time I became aware that this time things might not go as smoothly as before. I could see Tom struggling to get the anchor free and I knew just how easily he could get swept overboard with it. The weather was steadily deteriorating but, just for a moment, there seemed to be a chance. Slowly at first, the reserve anchor was beginning to move. Tom had time to get clear. There was a rush of the chain, the anchor went down and the ship was no longer adrift. Time to notify HM Coastguard. My call was immediately answered and, although at first the fact that we had moved was not known, our new position over a sandbank close to a busy shipping lane was soon confirmed. Then an unexpected question! “We've got a lifeboat out” the coastguard told me. “Do you want to come off?” Surprised, I gave him an assurance that all was well. The ship was back on anchor, I reported, and there was no need for anybody to leave. That information was accepted but I was again told that there was a lifeboat standing by in the area. The six hours since I had been called from my bunk had disappeared. The time was now 9pm, low water, and the Mi Amigo sat ever so gently down on the seabed. For the first time in nearly three days the ship was lying quietly, there was still no water in the bilges, and there was time for a cup of tea. We could now see the lifeboat about a mile away at the edge of of the sandbank and, although we didn't yet have any idea how quickly our situation would change, we would soon be very grateful that it was there. The tide turned, the sea began to rise and once again there was movement in the ship. But what on earth was that awful banging? As the ship rose and fell with the tide, it was banging loudly on something which caused a series of shudders right through the vessel. (Probably what was left of the first chain was trapped between the hull and the seabed.) “There's water in the bilges. We'll need the pump running”. Nick Richards was as confident with the engine room as Tom had been with the anchor. Well, let's hope everything goes alright this time, as well. But the water continued to force its way in to the bottom of the ship. Nick had three very fast pumps running and the water was soon over the bilge plates, which meant the ship had taken in about two feet of water stem to stern. Watching from my station on the bridge I saw Nick making his way along the deck towards the engine room door suddenly waist deep in a breaking wave. I knew then that we would have to abandon ship. Neither of my English colleagues disagreed with my decision but, before we left, the radio station had to be closed down. None of us thought that the ship might be lost forever. We were more concerned about what could happen to the radio equipment if it got wet. Especially if it was still turned on! We were leaving because that was the sensible thing to do. Tom and I made our way to the studio, and Nick went to the transmitter hold to switch off there. We left our new Dutchman in the mess room out of his depth in every way. In a brief final message I told our listeners what had happened and why we were leaving the ship “... hoping that the pumps can take it” added Tom. And my final words: “from all of us for the moment, goodbye and God bless.“And then the four of us were upstairs at the door opening out onto the deck. The time to go had arrived. However there seemed to be no chance of the lifeboat coming alongside. The sea was much too rough. As the Mi Amigo rose on a wave, the lifeboat seemed to disappear in an adjacent trough, and then vice versa. Every time he tried to approach us only the extraordinary skill of the coxswain prevented his lifeboat from smashing into the Mi Amigo. A first attempt to leave from the stern was quickly found to be impossible. If we were to get off, it had to the usual way over the side! Coxswain Charlie Bowry brought his lifeboat up as close as he dared. For a brief moment the two ships stood quietly side by side and Tom and I bundled Hans Verlaan into the arms of the waiting rescuers. After his shaky start in the business, Ton Lathouwers (these days he prefers his given name) went on to become president of Sky Radio and a billionaire! However moments after we had passed him over to the lifeboat the raging sea had pushed the two ships one hundred yards apart. Nobody else was getting off just yet. We looked at each other and then, with a guilty start, Nick asked “What about Wilson?” The ship's canary was named after an earlier Prime Minister and we couldn't just leave him to his fate. Nick flew back into the mess room to get him. Then, once again, the lifeboat managed to close in but this time Wilson in his cage was first across followed immediately afterwards by Nick Richards. That left Tom and myself, and the weather was still getting worse. Quite a few minutes passed before the lifeboat managed to fight its way in and then there it was and it looked good! We couldn't both go. In case of an accident, one of us had to remain behind. Everything happened very quickly! The lifeboat was coming alongside. Tom and I turned to look at each other. “Go on then!” I told him and helped him on his way. No heroics on my part. It just seemed the thing to do. After all, I was the senior announcer even if he had worked for Caroline longer than I. But now I was alone. Too late to wonder if I had done the right thing. I was standing on the top of the deck rail, hanging on for dear life to a stay attached to the broadcasting mast. And there I remained until finally the lifeboat managed one last time to struggle alongside. Charlie Bowry had of course been making numerous attempts, but the storm was too severe and kept pushing him away. But, some twenty minutes after Tom had been snatched to safety, there they were again. Still grasping the stay, I reached out my other arm. Strong hands clamped around it like a vice. I was safe, and my few minutes of fame generated by the attention of the world's press and other media were about to begin". Footnote: daylight revealed that the Mi Amigo had sunk on the edge of a sandbank but part of the antenna was still above water. RNLI Coxswain Charlie Bowry received the RNLI's highest award for bravery for the rescue. Many at the time thought that this was the end for Radio Caroline, but this proved to be very far from the truth. The next chapter in Caroline's history was about to begin.

Radio Caroline returned to the air in 1983 with a huge and very impressive ship - the former side trawler and ice breaker the Ross Revenge, which between 1983 and the hurricane of 1987 boasted a three hundred foot tall antenna mast, which was the highest free floating marine structure in the World. The Ross Revenge remained at sea until November 1991.  My time on board was towards the end of the station's time based at sea. You can see a photo of a very young me above - click on the photo for a larger view. Any semi clandestine organisation tends to attract eccentric characters, and Caroline was no different. In the greater scheme of things, my involvement with Radio Caroline was relatively brief – some people from the time, such as station manager Peter Moore are still hard at it today. My own time with Radio Caroline was between 1988 and 1992; You can see a handful of photos by clicking here. I have a couple of hundred others that are not yet digitised. Initially I was involved with a group of friends who helped run the shore side of the organisation, and arranged for secret supply deliveries to be made covertly to the Radio Caroline ship, the Ross Revenge, which was anchored fifteen miles off the Kent Coast, opposite the North Foreland in an area of sea called the South Falls Head. I made several secret supply runs on a variety of vessels – invariably these would set out from places such as Strood Pier or Ramsgate Harbour at the dead of night, laden down with fresh drinking water, food, technical supplies, new records, letters from listeners and most importantly, magazines and newspapers for the crew to read. At the time I was working as a trainee quantity surveyor for a very prestigious London company. More and more of my time was being taken up with Radio Caroline activities, to the point where I realised that I was going to have to give up the day job – which was not such a big step, as I was struggling with my surveying exams, and had already realised that life on a building site was not for me. I jacked in the job, and six weeks later I found myself on board the Ross Revenge. I had a dual role. In the daytime I was to project manage the complete repainting of the ship from stem to stern (I had encountered a very wealthy Radio Caroline fan who owned a large commercial painting and decorating business West of London, who was happy to supply the organisation with roughly £10,000 worth of high quality marine paint), then at night I hosted a radio show featuring album tracks and various quirky news items. I was fortunate that this all happened in the long and glorious summer of 1990 – the weather was excellent, sea conditions for the most part were calm, and life was good. I have a host of stories from my time with the station – many of which sound decidedly far- fetched, though in those cases I have photos from the period for proof! Several people have suggested that I write a book about my experiences, and maybe sometime I will. To be honest, quite a few other Radio Caroline staff have written books over the years, and I wonder whether I would actually contribute anything worthwhile to the genre. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at sea on the Ross Revenge, and still keep in contact with my old boss Peter Moore from time to time (being honest, working for Radio Caroline is a bit like working for the Mafia – you never really leave). Nowadays, though the station has retained and restored the historic Ross Revenge, it broadcasts mainly online from land based studios located in Strood High Street. Coincidentally, there was a story published this week in The Sun about Radio Caroline and organised trips to visit the Ross Revenge, which you can read here.

Now for the weekly local safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly the report from Barnehurst ward:- "We are pleased to report there has been no burglaries  on the ward over the past week. There has also been no reports of vehicle crime which is really good news. Barnehurst Officers assisted with a Licensing Operation on Barnehurst Ward. The operation was aimed at identifying drug dealers and users of cocaine. Drug testing kits and drug dogs were used to identify potential offenders who were searched accordingly. Arrests were made for possession of drugs. A number of residents from Holmsdale Grove received smart water kits over the weekend. Holmsdale Grove residents were offered the smart water due to the alley ways that run round the rear of the property's. In the past burglars have used these alleys to gain entry to property's with less chance of being seen. Lastly we regret to inform you, due to COVID-19 all community contact sessions will be cancelled as from today". Belvedere ward:- "The office have just had an email from a resident in Belvedere to say - 'Just had two cold callers at the door claiming to be from ‘Money Saving Expert' or ‘Money Expert' to talk about bills during the virus. It's a scam trying to get people to switch energy suppliers. Don't entertain them. They clearly have nothing to do with the well known website by that name'. I also had one of these cold callers knock on my door on Tuesday afternoon and in the evening in Northumberland Heath. It is uncertain as to whether this is a scam or not, but there will always be those who try to profiteer at times like this". Bexleyheath ward:- "Tuesday 10/03/20 Theft or Purse Stolen whilst in M and S Broadway. Wednesday 11/03/20 1745 – 12/03/20 0730 Theft From Motor Vehicle Upton Road. Wednesday 11/03/20 1500 Theft of Purse Stolen whilst in Charity Shop Broadway. Thursday 12/03/20 0105 Theft from Motor Vehicle Broomfield Road. Monday 16/03/20 0825 - 0845 Theft of Phone Belvedere Road. Monday 16/03/20 1415 – 1630 Theft of items from locked locker The Gym, Broadway. Monday 16/03/20 1620 Theft of items from locked locker The Gym, Broadway. Monday 16/03/20 1445 – 1630 Theft from locked locker The Gym, Broadway. Please be careful and do not take valuable to The Gym, Bexleyheath Broadway, as there has been a spate of thefts from the locked lockers". Crayford ward:-"There was an attempted burglary in Marden Crescent on Tuesday 10th March at approx. 9.15, the victim was aware as they received a CCTV alert on their mobile phone. The rear door had tool marks on but entry was not gained. A pedal cycle left outside and unlocked at flats to the rear of Crayford High Street was stolen between 20.00 on Thursday 12th March and 09.00 on Friday 13th March. A catalytic converter was stolen off a Honda whilst parked at Tanners Close between 18.30 on Thursday 12th March and 09.30 on Friday 13th March. A wing mirror was stolen off a vehicle (description not given) whilst parked in Mill Place between 22.30 on Friday 13th March and 08.15 on Saturday 14th March. Another catalytic converter stolen off a blue Honda whilst parked in Ridge Way between 18.00 on Friday 13th March and 09.00 on Saturday 14th March. The rear number plate LV69KCC was stolen off a Ford Transit whilst parked at Kennett Road on Tuesday 17th March. These are uncertain times, we will not be holding community contact sessions for the time being but please be assured that we are here if you need us. In an emergency please call 999, for non-emergency calls please call 101 or go on line at www.met.police.uk. We can be contacted on 020 8721 2584 if you would like to speak to one of the team directly, please leave a message if we don't answer and we will call back when we are next on duty. You can also contact us by email Crayford.SNT@met.police.uk" Erith ward:- "For anyone concerned we are carrying on as normal covering Erith. This will even include working from home for extra hours if needs be. There is 4 teams that work out out of Pier Road police office and we will all work together to help each other out. Just to remind you, you can report non urgent crimes online this will free up our call centre for more urgent calls. Weekly Crimes of note report - Friday 13/03/20 Theft of Motor Vehicle Park Crescent. Saturday 14/03/20 Theft of Motor Vehicle Bexley Road. Saturday 14/03/20 Theft of Motor Vehicle Sandcliff Road. We are looking to see if any of these are linked. Monday 16/03/20 Burglary St Francis Road - entry to flat via front door number items removed. Monday 16/03/20 Theft of Motor Vehicle South Road".  Northumberland Heath ward - no report received this week.

Slade Green and Northend ward:- "Theft of Motor vehicle Friday 13/03 Rainbow Road, Theft of Motor vehicle Saturday 14/03. Overnight on 15-16/03 there were 3 Theft From Motor vehicles recorded all on the Frobisher Road estate including Power tools taken from a van. Burglary between 7pm and 7.15pm on Saturday 14/03 at Wessex Drive. Rear patio door left unlocked and items stolen, the suspect was disturbed by the victim. Aggravated burglary on Manor Road at 1145pm Sunday 15/03. Victim was injured in the seemingly motiveless violent incident. CID are investigating. Reassurance visits and patrols have been made by SNT officers. PC's Mark and James have had 2 positive drug stop and searches with the relevant warnings given. This week's crime prevention has been based around moped crime. In particular the garage area behind the shops in Bridge Road was checked where stolen bikes are often found. All garage areas are being checked. At this moment, we are working as normal during the coronavirus situation except all engagement activities have been cancelled for now. We will try and keep you updated during this difficult and unprecedented time of any major news. In the meantime, please keep an eye out on any vulnerable family members, friends and neighbours". Thamesmead East ward:- "Lensbury Way Wednesday 11/3/20 6:30pm – 12/3/20 5:50pm Victim states Vehicle broken into by suspect/s an untidy search of glovebox nothing reported taken. No damage to vehicle seen. St Katherine's Road Saturday 14/3/20 7pm – Sun 15/3/20 1:30pm Catalytic Converter removed by suspect/s unknown from victims vehicle Honda Accord. Criminal Damage - Harrow Manor Way Saturday 14/3/20 5:30 – 6pm Victim reports hearing a loud bang downstairs when investigated the kitchen window in the property had been smashed by suspect/s. A brick was found on the front lawn". West Heath ward:-"One attempted burglary this week in Exmouth Road. This incident took place on Wednesday March 11th between 10.30 – 15.00. The resident came home to find the barrel lock on the front door had been tampered with. Her key bent as she attempted to put in the lock. Entry to the property was not gained. Theft of number plates from a vehicle parked in Hurst Lane. This incident took place between Monday 16/03/20 15.00 – Tuesday 17/03/20 -12.00. Theft of a black Mercedes from a driveway in Dryhill Road on Wednesday 18/03/20 at 01.30 when the tracker on the victim's phone was activated. There is no further information regarding the location of the vehicle at this time. The team have made three arrests this week so far, these arrests were made as a direct result of stop and searches. The arrests were for non-payment of fines, possession of an offensive weapon and possession of a knife".

The end video this week is pretty topical; it features American TV chef and expert in the science of food and cooking, Alton Brown, giving a demonstration in a very effective way to wash your hands. Comments to hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Five stars.

You may recall that last week I wrote a fairly detailed piece on the Ring range of internet enabled "Smart" doorbells, and how they were very easy for malicious people to hack. Following this article, I was contacted by local technologist and software developer Miles, who is the owner of several Ring devices, as well as a large number of other pieces of fairly cutting edge technology. I was expecting him to rebuke me for exaggerating the level of risk involved in using the technology, but in fact quite the opposite turned out to be the case. Miles writes:- " I spotted your comments on the Ring doorbell and thought I'd drop you an email. I believe the general populous does not appreciate just how insecure IoT (Internet of Things) devices actually are. As you know I do like a gadget so I own quite literally tens of these device performing all kinds of tasks from motion sensing, smart switches, thermostats, cctv etc etc. Each and everyone typically runs an embedded distribution of linux, usually BusyBox - most with the default credentials left enabled. Given how cheap microprocessors are these days, each device is actually quite capable, probably faster than a computer you bought fifteen years ago. As you mentioned, once one of these devices are on your network they have free reign to do whatever they want - somewhat akin to locking a burglar inside your house. I bring this up for two reasons, firstly most of these devices are produced in China - not exactly our closest ally and the second, botnets. Often IoT devices are used to create absolutely huge 'botnets' for denial of service attacks against all sorts of targets. With just about everything becoming "internet enabled", it strikes me as we're opening ourselves up to a world of pain. Even as a technologist I'm not even sure what the solution is, or how to protest yourself without going to extreme measures (blocking the devices from accessing the internet, moving them on to a different network or VLAN etc etc). They are inherently insecure. Imagine the personal information you retain on your computer, passwords, images, bank statements, old contracts etc - all it would take is one of those devices to become compromised to take this information and go to town. Identity theft would be a walk in the park, it would be trivial to open up lines of credit etc. I don't know if you remember, Mr Jeremy Clarkson was arrogant enough to post his bank account number online assuming it could not be abused - not long after he was quickly signed up for regular donations to a charity. On a similar vein of thought, I found it curious how willing people are to share their personal information on Facebook. When you consider the likes of Cambridge Analytica, manipulating, or worse, threatening people has never been so easy". My own philosophy of computer use is - 1) Never store anything online that you cannot afford to lose. 2) Assume everything is insecure, or potentially so. 3) Keep - and test - backups. An untested backup is not a backup. 4) Don't use social media - it is the modern equivalent of a bear pit, and potentially bad for your mental health. 5) If an online service is free, then you are the product. Of course your mileage may vary, and the guidelines above are my own personal ones; as always, I abide by the principle of "if it works for you". I often hear people complaining about government organisations such as GCHQ, or the US equivalent, the NSA holding too much information on private individuals, when in reality the likes of Facebook, LinkedIn, Amazon and Google hold far more personally identifiable data on individuals than any government. What do you think? Email me in confidence at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Head chef Louisa Budds at the Bookstore Cafe, run by not for profit group The Exchange, located in the old Carnegie Library in Walnut Tree Road, Erith has got much to celebrate. Not only has the very first health inspection of the kitchens and restaurant area got an outstanding five out of five stars on the "Scores on the Doors" hygiene standard, but on top of this award, the Bookstore Cafe is rated as the number one food venue in the local area on Trip Advisor, as voted for by customers. The poster above gives some details of forthcoming events to be held in the old library - click on it for a larger view. The venue will be closing over the Christmas holidays to allow the staff a decent break before the commencement of business in the New Year. The Bookstore Cafe, and The Exchange will close on the 23rd of December, reopening on the 15th of January 2020. There are big plans for the Bookstore Cafe over the next couple of years, all of which will become apparent in due course.

You might not realise it, but Erith was home to one of Britain’s best loved comedians – the late Linda Smith was born and raised in Erith, and attended what was then Erith College. Linda Smith would have been 61 years old this year, had she not died as a consequence of ovarian cancer at the age of 48. She had an entire line in Erith jokes, which to be honest were spot on, but ended up being believed by people unfamiliar with the town, and have ended up creating a lasting bad impression. For example, when talking about Erith’s teenagers she said “People knock ASBOs but you have to bear in mind they are the only qualification some of these kids are going to get”. Most famously she also said “Erith isn’t twinned with anywhere, but it does have a mutual suicide pact with Dagenham”. In describing Erith she said:- "So that's my home town, and I come from a perfectly ordinary working-class family; and in fact, I didn't really meet middle-class people until I went to university. It was quite a shock, really. People were saying things like 'Well, I was always going to end up doing English, because I was brought up surrounded by books - brought up in a house full of books'; and I'd think 'Yes, so was I; but they were full of Green Shield stamps'. I suppose we could have swapped them for books, but we had our eye on a twin-tub".

As people gear up for Christmas, the whole thorny issue of gifts and gift wrapping comes up. I have a major issue with gift wrapping paper for Christmas presents; due to the treatment much of 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, due to the plastic or wax derived finishes that many cards have. 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.

I cannot thank enough the readers who supply me with information for my stories; without the input from you, the Maggot Sandwich would not be the beast that it is today. the contributions - many anonymous, really help to keep readers informed of what is going on in the local area. Although the area covered by the blog is a little imprecise, it basically covers from Plumstead, following Eastwards along the banks of the River Thames to Crayford, and as far North as Bexleyheath, although if a particularly interesting subject crops up from beyond those geographical boundaries, it is fair game. This week a reader sent me information about the recently published plan for the expansion in use of the River Thames for both passenger and freight traffic. It makes for very interesting reading, and although the references to Erith Pier are slight, it does show that the pier is still being considered for passenger traffic use in the future, as you can see from the lower of the two graphics that are shown above - click on either for a larger view. A summary of the detailed report reads as follows:- "The Thames is London’s greatest natural asset and has become an iconic symbol of the city around the world. Two millennia of history, culture and heritage can be found on its banks from Hampton Court Palace, through to the Houses of Parliament, Tower Bridge, Greenwich and Canary Wharf, once the site of working docks and now one of the most important financial centres in the world. The river is a vital part of city life and an important part of its transport network. London is a growing city. Its population is forecast to increase from around 8.9 million today to 10.8 million within 25 years, generating six million additional trips on the city’s transport system each day by 2041. The London Passenger Pier Strategy sets out the Mayoral and Port of London Authority’s (PLA’s) vision for the role of piers in supporting London’s growth, particularly in east London. It aligns to the objectives in the Mayor’s Transport Strategy and PLA Vision for the Tidal Thames. This includes a PLA target to double annual river patronage to 20 million by 2035, reducing the number of journeys made by car and supporting healthy lives by promoting more walking and cycling. New piers served by extended river bus services will make the river a prime transport mode choice in east London where they can support new developments, homes, jobs and growth. The river can offer an alternative to car use while freeing up capacity on other public transport modes. This strategy focuses on the key challenges that river services face and the role of London’s passenger piers in overcoming them. Much of London’s future residential growth will take place along the Thames in east London with an estimated potential for 350,000 new homes and 370,000 jobs to be created across Inner and Outer east London and the Isle of Dogs over the next 25 years. River services can become a principal public transport mode to serve these developments, like Barking Riverside, supporting the aim of achieving a shift away from car travel. Traditionally, passenger piers on the Thames have been purely functional for the management of river passengers: ticketing, queueing, embarking and disembarking. There is, however, great potential to enhance the customer experience at piers though adopting the Healthy Streets Approach, ensuring piers are accessible for all and improving integration with the wider transport system. Careful management of commercial development at piers, where suitable conditions such as high footfall prevail, also provides opportunities to enhance the customer experience. In the current economic climate it will also need to be supported by a business case showing that the development offers an acceptable return on investment while delivering its core purpose of increasing passenger journeys and improving customer experience". You can download and read the complete, detailed 56 page report by clicking here. Unfortunately there is very little mention of Erith Pier in the document, but just enough to confirm that TfL and the Mayor of London's Office have not completely forgotten about it. One must also take on board that the involvement of the Mayor of London's Office and TfL in respect of river based activities to date has not been great; indeed quite the opposite could be said of their work regarding the replacement Woolwich ferries which are still not functioning as advertised due to a number of factors, including at least one possible design defect. There have been an almost constant series of mechanical and electrical breakdowns, labour strikes and other disruptions to the service, which the public was erroneously told the introduction of the new ships would prevent. There have been several problems with the new service; the ships are run by electric motors powered by diesel generators, and the new automated docking system is also powered by electro magnets. The diesel generators have so far proved far less reliable than predicted. On top of this, the electro magnetic docking system only seems to work properly when there is little wind or tide affecting the movement of the ferries as they dock. Anything less than perfect conditions causes the ferries to bounce on the docking mechanism, and fail to make a secure contact. I have read reports that the new ferries, despite their new technology, are actually far harder to operate than the old 1960's models that they replaced. On top of this, there are a series of ongoing labour disputes between the ferry crews and the management of the service; at the time of writing these are unresolved. Indeed, the excellent 853 Blog is reporting that Woolwich Ferry workers will hold another one-day strike on the 19th of December in a dispute over pay. Transport for London (TfL) is responsible for the service, which carries 20,000 cars and 50,000 passengers each week between Woolwich and North Woolwich, but it is currently run by contractor Briggs Marine. The service has already been halted by 10 days of strikes this year. You can read the full report on the continuing staffing problems with the Woolwich Ferry by clicking here.

The two photographs above were taken as screen captures from a silent, 8mm colour cine film taken of the old Erith Town Centre, just before the demolition engineers moved in to flatten the Victorian structures to make way for the hideous concrete monstrosity that locals had to endure between 1973 and around a decade ago. The demolition of the old Erith was an act of cultural vandalism that the town is only now starting to recover from. The photos above show the last day of trade for L.B Stevens - Master Butcher, filmed on Saturday the 27th May 1967, just before the shop was shut for good and demolished. By the look of things, the immaculate shop, with Len Stevens in his bow tie, spotless apron and straw hat was a real credit to the area. If the vandals had not come in and demolished things, I do wonder if Stevens the Butcher would still be running today? With the increase in popularity of traditional suppliers, Erith could have become a haven for foodies. I am also completely certain that Mr. Stevens would not have shut up shop early just because he could not be bothered to wait until closing time. A lesson that Erith Morrison's could do well to learn, when they close their salad bar at around 7pm, even though the store remains open until 10pm! You are more than welcome to contact me by Email at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

I have written in the past about the woeful sound quality and limited range of the DAB radio deployment in the UK. Low bit rates and often mono audio plague many radio stations that broadcast on the legacy digital radio format. Many stations and multiplexes still broadcast in the old DAB format, rather than the newer and more efficient DAB+ format. In a role that may well be followed by other broadcasters, RTE in Ireland are the first national broadcaster in the world to close down their DAB transmitters. They have to cut their annual budget by 60 million Euros, and the market penetration of DAB in Ireland has been so low that they cannot justify the expense. They are also getting rid of 200 broadcasting staff and engineers. The far newer DAB+ is an upgrade to the original DAB specifications, which uses a more advanced audio codec plus better error correction. It is, in theory, around three times as efficient as the old DAB that we are used to. That means better quality sound – and hopefully fewer mono stations – without the undersea gargling noises (caused by very low bit rate reception in poor signal areas) that some listeners are plagued by. The technology behind DAB means that it is possible to mix DAB and DAB+ services on the same multiplex – a set that doesn't understand the newer stuff will just ignore it. We don't yet know what programming the DAB+ channel on the new multiplex will carry; It may indeed be so compelling that owners of older sets will be motivated to replace them – unless they can just listen to the same station in a different way, such as online or via television using a set top box or Smart TV. So, while it is great news that DAB+ has finally come to the UK, I can't help thinking that it is too little, too late. Without a bold shift of more stations to DAB+, it is never going to gain much traction. Existing channels will likely be too scared of losing customers to switch, and so digital radio will continue for many channels as it is today: overwhelmingly mono and sometimes a bit too glitchy. I feel that an opportunity is now being wasted, as many people who listen to digital radio do so in ways other than DAB already. Streaming content via the web of 4G or 5G wireless data are very common – indeed some radio stations now receive more listeners via streaming than they do in other more traditional transmission methods. The excellent Radio Seagull from the Netherlands is a prime example of this.

Now for the weekly local safety and security reports from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly the report from Barnehurst ward:- "Good news for Barnehurst residents, again no burglaries to report. In fact it's almost been three weeks since the last burglary. We have had two incidents of vehicle crime. On Monday 2/12/19 in Hilary Close victim returned to find two flat tyres to his vehicle. At Parkside Parade, Northend Road on Saturday 30/11/19 victim had parked a vehicle for fifteen minutes, on returning to the vehicle victim found a window smashed and a mobile phone stolen. We are pleased to report Hillingdon Road, Westfield Road, Midfield Avenue, Beverley Road and Eastleigh Road are now all covered for Smart Water. Our next community contact session will be held at a slightly later time of 04.00pm in Barnehurst Golf Club on Tuesday 17th December 2019. Hopefully this later time is more convenient for some residents so we look forward to welcoming some new faces". Belvedere ward:- "We have suffered a few burglaries over the last week. We had one on Picardy Road, between 1630-1730 on Wednesday 27/11/2019 where the front door damaged via a tool and entry gained. Jewellery was taken. On Thursday 28/11/2019 between 0820-1740 on poplar Mount a glass pane was smashed on the rear door to gain entry. The thieves stole some jewellery and left the upstairs in a mess. On Friday 29/11/2019 on Stanmore Road between 0700-1920 a similar method was used with the rear door having its glass smashed and entry gained. Nothing was taken that we are aware of at the time of writing. Also on Friday 29/11/2019 around 1920 the victim returned home and believed the burglars were inside. They escaped via the rear door, which had the glass smashed. This is also believed to be the entry point. Nothing known taken at the time of writing. On the Saturday 30/11/2019 at 1637 the victim was disturbed in her bedroom by a female who claimed that the front door was open. This happened on Waterfield Close. The female was escorted out of the house and told not to come back. She then asked for some money for the electric meter. This was declined. Police were called, the female was then seen to knock at other addresses on Waterfield Close and beg for money and head towards the bus stop on Yarnton Way. The female is described as being white, aged 25-30 years but looking older, shoulder length brown hair, 5'2 in height wearing a three green quarter length parker jacket and a grey tracksuit. She had an English accent. Apparently a female with a similar description has been seen begging in Erith Town and Morrison's at Thamesmead. There has also been reports that a female has been doing door knocks on various roads around the borough asking for money for the electric meter. PC Mark has conducted two interviews this week in relation to cannabis he found on two males on Ruskin Road. Both have admitted the offence of Possession, one being just 17 years old. The adult was given a fine and the youth was referred to the young offender team". Bexleyheath ward:- "On Friday 29th November between 6.30-7.15 a house was burgled in Belvedere Road. Owners left around 6.30. Neighbours noticed alarm sound and alarm flashing and alerted the police. Entry was gained from the back by breaking the glass door but seems they left from the front and left the front door opened which was also noticed by neighbours. Due to Neighbourhood Watch and a street Whatsapp group owners were notified straightaway and they came back, but unfortunately the two bedrooms had already been searched the burglars. A bag and jewellery were stolen. Friday 22/11/19 1230 Theft of mobile phone from unattended handbag Broadway Bexleyheath. Thursday 28/11/19 2000 – 29/11/19 0108 Theft of Motor Bike Church Road. Friday 29/11/19 1625 Theft of Purse whilst shopping in Card Factory – 2 x Eastern European Females knocked into lady and shortly afterwards her purse was missing. Friday 29/11/19 2210 Grove Road vehicle stolen by person being threatened. Friday 29/11/19 1915 Burglary Belvedere Road jewellery and cash taken entry gained by smashing rear patio door. Saturday 30/11/19 0355 Midhurst Hill - Attempted Burglary fence broken in garden and also neighbours believed alarm disturbed them. Sunday 1/12/19 1445 Cafe Nero Broadway, a handbag taken off of chair as victim stood to put on coat. Sunday 1/12/19 1300 – 3/12/19 0750 Attempted Theft of Motor Vehicle Gravel Hill Close. Monday 2/12/19 1130 – 1330 Purse taken from bag whilst shopping on Broadway unknown which store. Monday 2/12/19 1000 – 1800 Burglary Latham Road jewellery taken and entry gained by hinges being removed from the back door".

Crayford ward:- "BBNWA attended the Crayford Waterside Gardens Christmas Festival on Saturday 30th November. The lighting was atmospheric, the public were cheery and the carol singers sung beautifully. Residents from the borough stopped by the Neighbourhood Watch stand and chatted, discussed local Neighbourhood Watch topics, received advice and information, and some registered to be coordinators for streets that currently don't have a Neighbourhood Watch scheme in place. The Mayor of Bexley and her husband also stopped by the Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association gazebo. It was a great day and a fantastic way to begin this festive season! Just one burglary, but still one too many! A TV and other items were stolen from a property in Halcot Avenue on Thursday 28th November between 16.45 – 17.20, no other details are known at present. All other crimes are motor vehicle related. A catalytic convertor was stolen off a black Toyota Prius whilst parked at Hall Place car park on Thursday 28th November between 10.45-13.00. An attempted theft of a catalytic convertor from a Ford Transit whilst parked in Swaisland Drive (rear of Crayside shops in Crayford Way) occurred between 18.10 on Wednesday 27th November and 7.25 on Friday 29th November. A white Ford Transit YG12NVO was stolen from Watling Street between 20.30 on Wednesday 27th November and 09.30 on 28th November. A grey BMW 1 series with three hooded occupants was seen on CCTV to break in to a container using a battery operated saw at 00.55 on Friday 29th November at Optima Park, in this instance they didn't get anything. A red Toyota Yaris with the number plate LV03BJU was stolen between 22.00 on Thursday 28th November without keys from Hillside Road. Between 22.00 on Monday 2nd December and 11.00 on Tuesday 3rd December a window on a blue Mini Cooper was smashed. We attended the Crayford Winter Festival on Saturday afternoon and gave out several Met Trace packs. The following is a response received from TfL when I requested an update recently about changes to routes 428 and 492. “We are currently in the process of reading through and analysing each of the large number of comments made during the consultation. Once this analysis is complete we will publish a Consultation Report detailing how the consultation was run and what responses we received. We will also publish our responses to the issues raised once they have been fully considered. Whilst this is happening the routes will remain as they are. Given this delay any changes will not be happening in January 2020; we will confirm any date when we announce our final decision.” Our next community contact session is on Wednesday 11th December at Crayford Library between 14.00-15.00".

Erith ward:- "Two vehicles have been stolen in the last week. A moped was stolen from West Street between 1745 and 1820 hours on Sunday 01/12/2019. A locker was broken into between 6pm and 8pm on Monday at Erith Leisure Centre, keys to a car taken and the vehicle stolen. Both incidents are currently ongoing investigations. Erith SNT are starting a Smart Water property marking scheme at the Quarry this coming week and then on to other areas. For more information, please email the team.  PCSO's Mark and Adam from each team, were invited to the Slade Green Seniors Cinema Club Christmas event on Monday 02/12/2019 at Slade Green Community Centre where over 90 residents from both wards had drinks and lunch with the Mayor of Bexley and Sir David Evennett, before the residents all sat to watch A Christmas Carol". Northumberland Heath ward:- "This week the team have been following up on a number of reports of a black male, approx. age 27 years old, the male has been allegedly approaching women in the Northumberland Heath area, mainly along Bexley Road. He is engaging in conversations of a sexual nature, making the women feel uncomfortable and scared. If you have any information on similar incidents, please contact the team and let us know. We have had numerous reports of ASB in Bronte Close. The team are in the process of gathering CCTV footage, it is believed that some of the youths involved are local residents. The team will soon be visiting home addresses, the local authority will also be notified as this could constitute a breach of tenancy. Unfortunately we have had a number of crimes this week as follows:-Monday 30/11/19 overnight between the hours of 00:00-07:45 hours a set of number plates were stolen from a black Ford Fiesta on Matfield Road. VRM – LR57 LSN. Wednesday 1/12/19 overnight between 23:00- 09:04 hours a vehicles window was smashed and cash stolen, the vehicle was parked on Frinstead Road. Tuesday 2/12/19 Burglary on Colindale Road at approx. 18:50 hours, 3 suspects disturbed, entry via kitchen door that was left ajar. Thursday 4/12/19 Burglary on Bedonwell Road between 18:10 – 20:05 hours. Entry via forced rear doors".

Slade Green and Northend ward:- "A burglary took place at some time between Saturday 30/11/2019 and Monday 02/12/2019 in Lydia Road. The victims were away at the time. Entry was made by smashing the rear patio door window after climbing into the back garden using a wheelie bin. Jewellery was taken. An attempted burglary took place around the corner in Springhead Road on Saturday evening, again, the rear patio door window was smashed, entry was not gained. This is the 4th incident in the past few weeks in the same area. Patrols are being made in all the alleyways that link in to all these roads. CCTV footage from various residents have shown a male trying car door handles between 4am and 5am on Tuesday 02/12. This took place in Rainbow Road and the new development at Egerton Place which is Richmer Road and the dead end part of Slade Green Road. All of the information and footage was sent to us by N.Watch coordinators in Rainbow Road and after a successful meeting with PCSO Mark and Claire from N.Watch, residents at the new development will be setting up a new watch in the next few weeks.  Mark attended the Slade Green Big Local Christmas event on Saturday 30/11/2019 where there were many attendees enjoying ice skating, various stalls, raffles, reindeer and Santa's Grotto. If you look closely at the attached picture, the Santa looks slightly familiar!!  PCSO's Mark and Adam from each team, were invited to the Slade Green Seniors Cinema Club Christmas event on Monday 02/12/2019 at Slade Green Community Centre where over 90 residents from both wards had drinks and lunch with the Mayor of Bexley and Sir David Evennett, before the residents all sat to watch A Christmas Carol. Our next CCS is on Monday 09/12/2019 from 11am at the café in Forest Road. At 6pm on Sunday 08/12/2019, St Augustines is holding their Carols by Candlelight service. Everyone is welcome to join in singing Carols and listen to the readings. Mark is honoured to be reading the 6th lesson of the service". Thamesmead East ward:- "Burglary - Monday 2/12/19 Walsham Close between 9:30pm – 4:30am suspect/s entered property through front door which may not have been secured as no forced entry seen. Property taken a handbag containing bank cards Driving licence and a notebook containing passwords. It has since come to notice that the cards have been used at 4 different locations. Wallet containing partners bank card and Oyster card also taken. Vehicle Crime - Saturday 30/11/19 Kale Road between 8pm – 10am Victims tyres have been slashed by suspect/s unknown for the third time in under 2 weeks. Good News - PC Nana arrested a female on suspicion of handling stolen goods. Recently there were reports on social media about a female knocking on doors in the Thamesmead and Belvedere areas. If anyone has CCTV or has been a victim of her actions please ring 02087212049". West Heath ward:- "No burglaries have been reported to us over the last week. On Wednesday November 27th between 11am – 5.50pm in Longleigh Lane a front door to a property was damaged and entry gained. An untidy search was conducted and a gold necklace was stolen from a bedroom in the house. Theft of a number of items from a garage in Dryhill Road between Saturday November 2nd and midday on Monday November 3rd. Two high value Jet Ski's a sewing machine and other items were stolen. Theft of number plates from a black Honda Civic parked in Seaton Road overnight on Monday December 2nd 10pm – Tuesday December 3rd. One attempted theft/motor vehicle interference in Woolwich Road Saturday November 30th – Sunday December 1st at 8am. The owner of the vehicle discovered the driver's side door lock had been drilled out. Nothing appeared to have been taken and a screwdriver was found by the vehicle. Last Friday the team spoke to pupils at a local primary school about the role of a Police Officer/Police Community Support Officer. The children got to ask lots of questions and try on pieces of uniform. A great time was had by all".

The end video this week is a historical look at Plumstead and Woolwich; it is a montage of old photographs taken from the late Victorian age until the 1940's. Do give it a watch - many locations are easily identifiable today. Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

The Carnegie Ensemble.

The two photos above (click on either for a larger view) were taken by me yesterday afternoon. The Exchange hosted a concert by the newly formed Carnegie Ensemble, which consists of six members of the BBC Symphony Orchestra. They performed Brahms' string Sextet Op.18 and Dvorak’s Double-bass quintet Op.77 in the Carnegie Hall at The Exchange in Erith. As an encore they played a short piece by local Erith composer Percy Hilder Miles (1878-1922). The members of the ensemble are:- Anna Smith and Lucy Curnow (violins), Philip Hall and Peter Mallinson (violas), Michael Atkinson and Colin Alexander (cellos), and Beverley Jones (double bass). All proceeds from the concert are going towards the repair and renewal of Erith’s old library. As you can see from the photos above, classical concerts in the old library main hall are incredibly popular, and very well attended. The acoustics in the large space are very well suited to a string sextet, there certainly were no problems with hearing every nuance of the performance from any part of the auditorium space. 

Lidl have not given up on their project to build one of their discount supermarkets in Fraser Road, Erith. They were refused planning permission for the new store a while back by Bexley Council. In the last few days, a public campaign has been launched to try and persuade the council to change their mind. Lidl propose the demolition of the Atlas Trade Park in Fraser Road, and construction of a standalone Lidl food store with associated car parking. Provision of a brand new discount food store (1,375m2 sales area, 806m2 of ancillary space) with 91 free car parking bays of which 2 would be for electric vehicles, 6 would be disabled spaces and 8 parent and child spaces. Residents in Erith, Lower Belvedere and Northumberland Heath have received a personalised leaflet through their doors over the last few days. The leaflet urges locals to contact their local councillor to demand that planning permission be granted for the new store. Personally I cannot understand why Bexley Council declined the planning permission; Erith is dominated by Morrison's supermarket - there is no realistic competition - I don't feel that Farm Foods or Iceland offer anything like the full range of goods that Morrison's does. On top of this, the Erith Quarry housing development - next door to the proposed Lidl site will shortly be opening, with over four hundred new houses and apartments. This equates to roughly a thousand new people coming to live in the area. over the next year. Lidl carried out a survey of local residents; the results were overwhelmingly positive. A total of 1,366 people responded to the survey, of which 1,276 local residents supported the construction of a new Lidl store on the Atlas trading estate site. That is a majority of 93.6 percent. If the store does go ahead, it will employ 40 local people; I am led to understand that priority will be given to people who are employed by the outlets currently on the site. You can read more about the proposed new store by clicking here.  What do you think? Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

If you own a mobile smartphone, it will almost certainly use either Apple's iOS operating system, or Google's Android operating system. What many people are unaware of, is that these two competing operating systems are both based on the same foundations. You may think that your phone is state of the art, and a very high tech piece of kit, but the base software that runs it is actually fifty years old this week. Both iOS and Android are based on the venerable Unix operating system, which was released fifty years ago this week. The Unix project was initially an unapproved spin - off of an unsuccessful operating system called Multics. Unix and Multics were products of Bell Labs - part of AT and T, the gigantic American phone company. The burgeoning development team happened to be in precisely the right environment for Unix to flourish. Bell Labs, which was funded by a portion of the monthly revenue from nearly every phone line in the United States, was not like other workplaces. Keeping a handful of programmers squirrelled away on the top floor of the research and development complex was not going to bankrupt the company. Leaders of the Unix project were two programmers - Dennis Ritchie and Ken Thompson. During the summer of 1969, Thompson, Ritchie, and their ostensible supervisor Rudd Canaday hashed out the basics of a file manager that would run on a PDP-7 mini computer that they had "borrowed" from Bell Labs acoustics department. This was no simple task. Batch computing—running programs one after the other—rarely required that a computer be able to permanently store information, and many mainframes did not have any permanent storage device (whether a tape or a hard disk) attached to them. But the time-sharing, multi user environment that these programmers had fallen in love with required attached storage. And with multiple users connected to the same computer at the same time, the file manager had to be written well enough to keep one user’s files from being written over another user’s. When a file was read, the output from that file had to be sent to the user that was opening it. Eventually when they had the file management system more or less fleshed out conceptually, it came time to actually write the code. The trio—all of whom had terrible handwriting—decided to use the Labs’ dictating service. One of them called up a lab extension and dictated the entire code base into a tape recorder. And thus, some unidentified clerical worker or workers soon had the unenviable task of trying to convert that into a typewritten document. Of course, it was done imperfectly. Among various errors, “inode” came back as “eye node,” but the output was still viewed as a decided improvement over their assorted scribbles. The PDP-7 didn’t have a tape drive or a hard drive at the time—the system was “booted” by feeding a punched paper tape into it. Without an attached drive, the file system they had worked so hard on had to wait. At least they had a functioning multi-user time-sharing environment to play around with. Still, the team felt this was an accomplishment and christened their operating system “UNICS,” short for UNIplexed Information and Computing System. Eventually, word leaked out about this operating system, and businesses and institutions began contacting Bell Labs about their new operating system. The Labs made it available for free—requesting only the cost of postage and media from anyone who wanted a copy. By this time the operating system name had been changed to Unix. The rest has quite literally made tech history. By the late 1970s, a copy of the operating system found its way out to the University of California at Berkeley, and in the early 1980s, programmers there adapted it to run on PCs. Their version of Unix, the Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD), was picked up by developers at NeXT, the company Steve Jobs founded after leaving Apple in 1985. When Apple purchased NeXT in 1996, BSD became the starting point for Apple OS X and iOS. The free distribution of Unix stopped in 1984, when the government broke up AT and T and an earlier settlement agreement that prohibited the company from profiting off many Bell Labs inventions expired. The Unix community had become accustomed to free software, however, so upon learning that AT and T would soon be charging for all copies of Unix and would prohibit alterations to the source code, programmer Richard Stallman and others set about re-creating Unix using software that would be distributed to anyone free of charge—with no restrictions on modification. They called their project “GNU,” short for “GNU’s Not Unix.” In 1991, Linus Torvalds, a university student in Helsinki, Finland, used several of the GNU tools to write an operating system kernel that would run on PCs. And his software, eventually called Linux, became the basis of the Android operating system in 2004. So if you have an Android or iPhone, you are actually using something based on Unix - the best operating system that many people have not heard about.

Barnehurst has played an important part in British musical history; the pub The Red Barn (photo above - click on it to see  a larger version), next to Barnehurst station was the home to the resurgence of Traditional Jazz music in the 1950's and early 1960's. Trombonist Chris Barber, now 86, is the last big-name trad jazz survivor and on the 9th of September the current incarnation of his group will play a celebratory concert in London to mark his 67th year as a bandleader. Barber regularly played at The Red Barn. The pub was built back in 1936 and was home to local jazz band the 'George Webb Dixielanders'. George Webb, a worker at nearby Vickers, formed the band with his friends in 1944 and performed regularly at The Red Barn on Monday evenings. The pub is celebrated as the home of the revival of traditional jazz in Britain and jazz legend George Melly unveiled a plaque on 4th July 1985 to commemorate this. The pub still has the plaque and photographs of this event on display. His source material, like the Yerba Buena's were the early recordings of Oliver, Morton and Armstrong. The Dixielanders made some recordings for Decca as well as sessions for the small Jazz label. Trumpeter, Humphrey Lyttelton joined the band and assumed leadership. In 1949, the band made some historical recordings with Sidney Bechet. The Lyttelton band went on to record many sessions for the Parlophone label, eventually landing a top twenty hit with Bad Penny Blues. Incidentally, back in the 90's, I used on occasion to see George Melly at Charing Cross station, where he was probably waiting for a train to his home in Blackheath. I used to think his outrageous, lurid suits were part of his stage attire; this was not the case – he really wore them in public! You really could not miss him, even in a crowd of people. The Big Chris Barber Band is performing at the Cadogan Hall, London, on the 9th of September. More on this later.

Bexley Council have released details of the survey of local residents that was undertaken recently by consultancy company Groundwork, who the Council commissioned to run the community design process. The results of the survey, and the idea forum have been published:- "Four themes dominated the feedback – The River Thames; Play; Attractions and identity of the park; History and heritage. People said that the river is an untapped resource for the gardens and that stronger connections need to be made between the gardens and the river. Their ideas were mostly around improving views of the river, designing a better viewing platform and creating better access to the gardens from the riverside walk. There were lots of imaginative suggestions from children and adults on how to incorporate play into the gardens. Local people said they wanted to visit Riverside Gardens, but don’t feel inspired to use the space. They suggested considering events and activities in the design, as well as ways to make the space more attractive and inspiring. The Riverside Gardens and Erith have a rich history and heritage. There were lots of ideas on how this could be incorporated into the gardens, through creative sculptures and artwork, new signage and historically themed planting. The next stages in the rejuvenation of Riverside Gardens will be to employ a landscape architect with a brief based on feedback from the local community. There will be more engagement activities in September to get feedback from local people on the design of the park. There are also plans for a summer activity programme to trial some of the new ideas. To stay informed about the next stages keep an eye on www.greatererith.com/riversidegardens or follow Greater Erith on Facebook and Twitter.  Work has also started on detailed designs for Pier Square following public feedback. The aim is to transform this area at the entrance to Erith Pier. Work is expected to begin later in the year. These improvements build on previous regeneration work funded by the London Borough of Bexley and follow the Council’s successful bid for a further £1.6m from the Mayor of London’s Good Growth Fund through the ‘Greater Erith Programme’".

The photo above (click on it for a larger view) was taken on Thursday evening at The Erith Think Tank meeting, held in the Conversation Room in the old Carnegie Library in Walnut Tree Road, Erith. Subjects discussed included the group's plans for the Erith Pier Festival on the 21st September - and there are a couple of surprises planned! Other subjects included the forthcoming presentation and consultation meeting with a couple of Bexley Councillors, which is to take place on October the 10th. Another subject was discussed, and it became apparent that Think Tank members had divided opinions on the matter; there is some controversy regarding the proposed West Street housing development:- that is, the Chichester Wharf development on the old public park space in West Street. it is the last piece of green land in West Street. The council proposal is to build 31 flats with only 17 parking spaces on the piece of parkland. There are already severe parking restrictions in West Street. All flats are to be commercially sold only - no social rent - the plot is regarded as too small to include any flats for affordable rent or part rent / part buy. Provision of a GP surgery has been urged. Several members of The Erith Think Tank objected to the development in principle, that the park should be left as green space. Developer (Bexley Co.) is requested to state how the money they make on the development will be reinvested in the local area. The lack of green spaces affect local residents physical and mental health challenges. What do you think about the proposed development? Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Bearing in mind Erith is very much a maritime town, the River Thames does not really get the exposure or use one would expect. Historically Erith was an important port outside of London. Many ships which were too large to make it into the Port of London were unloaded at Erith, with their cargoes being taken further up river by Thames sailing barges. This was before the river was fully dredged and managed as it is nowadays. Today one can watch huge container and bulk carrier ships passing Erith river front on a daily basis; the best time to see ship movements is at or around the changing of the tide.  Some of the small and medium sized vessels can often be seen moored on Erith Pier as well. Until 2013, there used to be an annual Thames Sailing Barge race on the River Thames. The race ended on its 150th anniversary. The race was the brainchild of a man who was nick named “The Golden Dustman”. His real name was Henry Dodd. He was born in 1801 into a very poor family; his first job was as a plough boy in arable fields that were within view of St. Paul’s Cathedral, which he did until he was in his early thirties, when he found employment as a “scavenger” – a sort of prototype recycling consultant. He soon discovered that the big money was in transporting waste, rather than actually sorting it. London was rapidly growing in size, and the population was booming. As the number of people in the capital increased, the amount of rubbish they generated went up. Dodd saw this as a very lucrative business opportunity, so instead of using slow and somewhat unreliable horses and carts to haul rubbish, he first hired, then purchased a fleet of sailing barges, which could transport far greater cargoes at a higher speed than any contemporary road solution. Most of the waste material Dodd was transporting was burned outside the capital, and the resulting ash was a vital ingredient in making bricks, which in turn were used to build the expansion of London. Never one to overlook a business opening, Dodd invested in several brickworks, including a very large site on what is now Manor Road in Erith. Nowadays, this kind of end to end ownership of all stages in a manufacturing process is known as “vertical integration” and Henry Dodd was a pioneer of it. All this made Dodd incredibly wealthy; he was one of the richest commoners in England, right at the start of the then new middle class. Dodd’s money bought him a degree of respectability in Victorian society (though I am sure there were whispers behind his back – though after having been brought up in the environment he had, I somewhat doubt if this bothered him). Dodd became a very enthusiastic patron of the theatre, and through this mutual interest he became very good friends with Charles Dickens. Dickens scholars believe that Dodd was the inspiration for the character of Mr. Boffin, the millionaire dustman who appears in the novel “Our Mutual Friend”. Dodd invested a large amount of money in sailing barges, and soon discovered that there was an intense rivalry between barge skippers. Never one to miss a main chance, he decided that in 1863 he would stage a sailing barge race – for entertainment, but also as a means to improve the business. The first race was only for his own sailing barges, and was run from Erith to Canvey Island and back, with the first barge and skipper to make the round trip being awarded a generous cash purse, which was awarded under the auspices of the Prince of Wales Yacht Club. Many in society assumed that the event had Royal patronage (something that Dodd did little to discourage), but in fact it was named after an Erith pub! In 1864 the race was opened to all comers, and after a while it became such a big event the running of it was passed over to a committee of barge owners. Within ten years, specially built racing barges were being constructed purely to try and win the race. Passenger steamers would be chartered to follow the racing barges on their course, and records show that over 10,000 people watched the race from on board these steamers. Henry Dodd, the “Golden Dustman” died in 1881; he left a fund to sustain the match – an eye watering sum of £100,000, which today is equivalent to tens of millions of pounds. In the latter years of the 19th century, the event was covered by Charles’ Dickens son (who confusingly was also called Charles) in his annual gazetteer. For the Centenary Match raced in 1963, the two principle rivals in Britain’s coasting trade, F T Everard and The London and The Rochester Trading Co. lavished money on their fastest barges in an attempt to ensure success for craft which were, by that time, an anachronism in transportation terms. The 48 mile course was from Mucking to the Mouse Lightship, and then back up to Gravesend. F T Everard’s Veronica was the winner, leaving the rest far behind in her wake. The 150th Anniversary Match on Saturday 13th July 2013, had the contest finishing at Erith for the first time since 1894. Not only was this spectacle thought to be the second oldest sailing contest in the world after the America’s Cup, unlike the America’s Cup of 1851, it was still sailed in craft virtually unchanged since those times, and as such was in itself an especially important part of this nation’s maritime heritage.

Now for the weekly safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly the report from Barnehurst ward:- "Despite that we have had an attempted burglary in Pennine Way where the suspect was seen scaling the side wall of the garden and was confronted by the householder. The suspect pushed past the victim and fled via the rear gate before leaving in a silver blue Peugeot. There was also two theft from motor vehicles overnight of Friday 30th August, one in Downbank Avenue and one in Barnehurst Road. In both cases there was no damage to the vehicles and there was an untidy search of glove boxes etc with cash and cards taken. The next community contact session will be held at Barnehurst Golf Course at 11 am on Tuesday September 10th". Belvedere ward:- "The team have been informed of suspected drug use taking place in Wadeville Close. Thus far we have not witnessed anyone partaking in such activity at the location – our patrols will continue. We have also had reports of several people gathering at the bench area opposite of Sainsburys in Nuxley Road to drink alcohol. Whilst this is not an alcohol controlled zone, those gathering are becoming rowdy and appear intimidating to members of the public. Once again, we have not witnessed this behaviour however we will continue to patrol this area; Issues on Essenden Road involving a white transit van and two mopeds have been reported to us. It is suspected that drugs are being dealt by either the van occupants or the mopeds. No particular times or days this happens. If anything suspicious is seen please report to us; Overnight from the Friday 23rd to Saturday 24th of August there was an attempted burglary at 67 Gertrude Road in which entry was not gained to the property. The resident of the address discovered that a pane of glass in his conservatory had been shattered during the night. This occurred between 7.30pm and 10 am; At 02.30 am on Wednesday 28th August there was a black Land Rover stolen from the front driveway of 95 Woolwich Road. It appears that someone was using a device of some kind to unlock the vehicle as it was opened without keys; There was a residential burglary at 22 Stapley Road on Sunday 25th August between 5pm and 5.15pm. Residents of the address were asleep in the living room when access was gained by someone climbing a wall into the rear garden and entering via the rear patio door. A wallet was stolen before the suspect was disturbed and left the venue".

Bexleyheath ward:- "There has been no reports of any Burglaries or attempted Burglaries on the ward. There was a report of theft from motor vehicle along Oakland's Close Bexleyheath. This was reported on Sunday 01/09/2019 and the incident had happened overnight. Also on the same day there was another report of a theft from motor vehicle reported by Christchurch Broadway; On Sunday 01/09/2019 – There was a report of a theft of motor vehicle at one of the car parks on the Broadway; A purse was reported stolen in W H Smiths along the Broadway. The incident happened on Monday 02/09/2019, the victim had been distracted; On Saturday 31/08/2019 a mobile phone was reported stolen whilst victim was in the M and S Store in Bexleyheath. Last Monday a resident was assaulted along Iris Avenue by two youths and the team are currently investigation the incident". Crayford ward:- "Crime in Crayford this week has once again been mainly motor vehicle related. On Wednesday 21st August between 11:00 and 11:15 the window and driver's window was smashed on a Vauxhall Vectra whilst parked in Old Road. There were three reports of criminal damage to motor vehicles in Crayford Way on Wednesday 28th August at approx. 23.20, wing mirrors were damaged and kicked off. The suspects were seen to be two white males, no further details known.  A Honda Jazz had the catalytic convertor stolen whilst parked at Hall Place car park on 29th August between 13:25 and 16:00. It does seem that Japanese vehicles are being targeted locally. On 29th August between 13:00 and 13:15 two blood pressures monitors were stolen from the pharmacy in Station Road. Two males described as white and aged 17-18 years entered the shop, one stole the monitors whilst the other kept the assistant busy. There will be no community contact session next week; the next will be held at Vintage Lindy Lou's on Wednesday 18th September between 16.00 and 17.00, please come along if there is anything you would like to discuss with me in person". Erith ward:- "Over the last week we haven't had any burglaries on Erith which is good news. However we have been hit with yet again a lot of theft from motor vehicles, these range from the following: Stolen Satellite navigator from a delivery driver, Tools taken from the back of a van and Items taken from the glove box. Please do not leave items in your vehicles overnight is the best advice we can give. Crimes from the week - Theft from MV Wednesday 28/08/2019, Erith High Street; Theft from Motor Vehicle Thursday 29/08/2019 10:30:00 Saltford Close; Theft from Motor Vehicle Wednesday 28/08/2019 17:00:00 West Street; Theft from MV Sunday 01/09/2019 15:00:00 Tower Road; Theft from Motor Vehicle Monday 02/09/2019 19:00:00 West Street. Community Contact Session: in Erith; Wednesday 11/09/19 Costa Coffee 1pm; Friday 13/09/19 Erith Library 11am". Northumberland Heath ward - no report this week.

Slade Green and Northend ward:- "Two burglaries to report in the last week. On Wednesday 28/08/2019 between 9am and 4pm, a bag of birthday presents and £1000 in Euros were taken from an address in Northend Road. Then at around 5am on Friday 31/08/2019 keys were taken from a house in Lincoln Road and the car stolen. In both incidents the suspect(s) gained entry through an open downstairs window. Please please check your windows are shut before going out and if you are home, do not leave any windows open in a room you aren't using. A stolen van was found by PC James and PCSO Mark in Frobisher Road last Friday. This was recovered and sent for forensics (image above). Rainbow Road has a new Neighbourhood Watch scheme being run by four new coordinators spread out across the estate. I am meeting three of them this coming Thursday evening just as an introduction between them and our local team. If you would like to have a catch up with the team, please let us know and we can arrange a date and time that suits everyone". Thamesmead East ward:- "Burglary - Tuesday 3/9/19 5am-8am Lensbury Way - The reverend at Church of the Cross Church states that the building was hired out on Monday 02/09/2019 after the event the church was locked and the keys placed in a the external metal post box. Suspect/s have broken into the post box and taken the church keys from inside and unlocked the front main doors of the church. On entering the church suspect/s have entered the two side rooms and broken into several cupboards, however nothing appears to have been taken. Tuesday 3/9/19 9pm - 8am Eastgate Close Victim reports suspect has broken padlock from rear garden gate and entered the vacant property via ground floor window. There is evidence of suspect sleeping over night as a sleeping bag and pillow was left behind in the property. Nothing taken. Vehicle crime - Sunday 25/8/19 8pm-945am Seacourt Road Victim reports driver's side window smashed. Victims neighbour saw the suspect. A male wearing black clothing on a scooter; Wednesday 28/8/19 Wolvercote Road between 12–1:37pm Victims car window smashed nothing taken; Thursday 29/08/19 Holstein Way 11am-11:30am Victims Catalytic converter removed from Toyota Auris by suspect/s unknown. Friday 30/8/19 – Monday 1/9/19 Thamesbank Place - Victims front and rear number plates removed by suspect/s unknown; Saturday 31/8/19 Eastgate Close between 12-11:30pm - Victim had parked vehicle in a private car park which is situated under the building. When victim returned home both front and rear number plates had been removed; Saturday 31/08/19 Wolvercote Road between 1pm–11:30pm - Victim reports vehicle had been broken into and spare tyre removed by suspect/s unknown; Sunday 1/9/19 Kale Road between 8pm-5am - Victims passenger front window smashed by suspect/s unknown nothing taken. Criminal Damage - Thursday 27/08/29 8:30pm Redpoll Way, victim was in her living room when victim heard a smash. One large window pane had been smashed. Victim did not see any suspects and is unaware of what caused it". West Heath ward:- "Another quiet week on the ward, no reported burglaries. Two motor vehicle crimes of note. Theft of a Land Rover in Knowle Avenue Between Tuesday August 27th 11:30 pm and 8 am on Wednesday 28th. The vehicle was stolen opposite the victim's address. A vehicle was broken in to in Exmouth Road between Monday September 2nd between 23:30 pm and 05:30 am on Tuesday September 3rd. It is not clear at this stage. For motor vehicle crime prevention advice please visit the Met Police website.  The next drop in police surgery will be held in the Bostall Library in King Harolds Way on Thursday September 12th between 4 pm and 5 pm".

The end video this week links in with one of my earlier stories concerning The Red Barn pub in Barnehurst, that was the venue most closely associated with the resurgence in the interest in Trad Jazz in the 1950's and early 1960's. One of the bands that used to play in the pub was the Chris Barber Big Band, who are still going to this day, and are performing at the Cadogan Hall tomorrow evening. The video below shows them performing live last year. Please feel free to leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.