Erith Lighthouse closes.

The photo above shows a rather unusual view of the ADM Oils Thames - side edible oil refinery, along with a moored bulk freighter, which was offloading a cargo of oilseed rape seed for processing into vegetable oil and soft spread. ADM Oils is the largest producer of edible oils and vegetable fats in Europe, and one of the largest in the World.  The ADM Oils facility is located at the end of Church Manor Way, as you can see by clicking here. Answers on a postcard please - where was the photo above taken from? Prize is an air guitar last played at the 1988 Donnington Monsters of Rock festival, and has not been played since, so it is probably a bit out of tune by now. 

Fellow local Blogger, Darryl Chamberlain of the 853 Blog has done something very ambitious and quite daring; he's crowd funding the 853 Blog so that, with enough funding, he will be able to make his online journalism a full time career. Unlike myself, an amateur who writes the Maggot Sandwich as an unpaid hobby, albeit one that takes up a large amount of my free time, Darryl is a "proper" trained journalist who has worked for The Guardian and the BBC News website. Darryl has set up a Patreon account that you can see here. He's hoping to be able to earn enough money through donations and sponsorship to pay for him to work on the 853 news and current affairs blog full time. he writes:- "I started looking more closely at issues involving Greenwich Council because they weren't receiving much coverage in the local press. Now the situation's even worse. The Mercury, traditionally the Greenwich borough's campaigning paper, is a pale shadow of its former self while the News Shopper is in tatters thanks to its owners squeezing it for every last penny of profit. And a new entrant, Greenwich Weekender, has stopped covering news after being threatened by Greenwich Council with the loss of an advertising contract for the crime of publishing some dissenting views on what councillors are up to. I'd like to be able to keep producing 853, to keep telling stories that aren't being told and to dig deeper into issues that affect the area. Over 700 people subscribe to the site - if every one of those paid £3 per month, it'd become a full-time wage. I'm not expecting anything near that, but the more people are able to pay, the more I can do. Hopefully I can live up to the generosity of those who have already donated - all contributions are gratefully accepted, and let's help keep public interest journalism alive in south-east London". Darryl plans on covering the stories that the local papers can't, or won't cover in the Charlton, Greenwich and Lewisham areas - the area covered by the old British Telecom 853 dialling code, hence the name of Darryl's Blog. I am proud to say that I am one of Darryl's sponsors, and if you would like to become one as well, you can click here for more information. 

I know that many readers will be pleased by the news that as of last Monday, trains on the Bexleyheath, Greenwich and Sidcup rail lines will have their number of carriages increased. Those that previously have had six cars will be increased to eight, and those that have had eight cars will be increased to ten. Southeastern expects to create 5,000 additional seat for morning-peak commuters to London by adding the carriages. Ten is the maximum length of train that can be used on the Greenwich line; although most stations on the line were extended to accommodate twelve carriage trains, shortly before the 2012 Olympics, two factors prevented trains regularly employing twelve carriages. The first of these is insufficient traction current to run very many long trains, but the most significant factor is the restricted length of the platform at Woolwich Dockyard Station. It is the only station on the Greenwich line which is constrained by a tunnel at each end of the platform. The maximum length of train that can stop there is ten cars; unlike on the Docklands Light Railway, where certain stations can be shorter than the trains that visit them - Island Gardens being an example - the overland trains are not able to lock out the doors of the carriages still in the tunnel - this is known as Selective Door Operation. The only time twelve carriage trains operated on the Greenwich Line was during the 2012 Olympics and 2012 Paralympics; the work - around was that trains in either direction did not stop at Woolwich Dockyard Station  - thus avoiding the problems of the doors of the front and rear coaches potentially opening whilst still being in the tunnel. Some wags also suggested the motivation was that the Olympic organisers did not want visitors to the UK accidentally getting off the train at Woolwich Dockyard, and then finding out what a dump the area then was! There have been substantial improvements since 2012. In any case the issue is moot; the trains on the Greenwich line will be longer, but the limit will still be ten car trains. 

This weekend has marked the successful conclusion of the Pier Commission and the Erith Lighthouse Project, which I have covered in detail over the past weeks. The pioneering art installation, community interactivity events and the pop - up restaurant which took place initially in Erith Riverside Gardens, and subsequently on Erith Pier have attracted much attention, and not only from local residents - people from farther afield have been attracted to Erith, in many cases for the first time. Sarah Batten, one of the Directors of arts commissioning group The Exchange writes:- " Back in March 2017, we approached Orbit and Wates Residential with an outline idea of sponsoring a contemporary arts project based on Erith Pier, with a view to drawing attention to it, and redefining or enhancing its purpose as a public space. With the sponsors the idea for ‘The Pier Commission’ – an annual arts project that would support emerging artists and contribute to community life in Erith – developed. An open call out resulted in over 70 proposals from all over the world, each reimagining the space in different ways – some bonkers, some magical, some impressive. The judging panel – consisting of The Exchange, Orbit, Wates Residential, local artists Gary Drostle and Guy Tarrant, Totally Thames and The Decorators (the group responsible for the Erith Lighthouse project) – had a difficult challenge to whittle this long list down to a shortlist of four, which were then presented to the public for the final vote. Julia Snowdin’s proposal was by far the most popular with local and wider audiences. Snowdin’s artwork, which has hung on Erith Pier for the last few weeks, has had overwhelming support from the public. From the fishermen who shelter under the sails, to the people who live in the flats opposite who watch them lit up in the evening, to the 65 people who contributed to the designing of the work (the youngest was 4 months old, the oldest 92!), to the children from local schools who made paper boats and helped us to imagine a new creative future for the town. In total over 3,000 people visited the pier over the course of the installation. We would like to thank the Port of London Authority, Morrisons and in particular Orbit, Wates Residential and Bexley Council - without their support this project would not have happened. There were of course challenges, and things that we would do differently in the future. The principal thing would be to allow ourselves more time to develop the project, and give the artist more time and resource to develop their work in close collaboration with the Erith community. We want also to explore how the programme could be extended, to other sites in Erith, and by reaching out to different groups developing close and meaningful partnerships. Probably the best thing about The Pier Commission, and the Erith Lighthouse project, has been the conversations we have been able to have with Erith residents of all ages, groups and persuasions. There is some sadness about what has happened in Erith in the past, but this is coupled with incredible positivity about the future of the town. It is this positivity, and the community spirit that we have witnessed, that will make the success of any future projects – we look forward to being a part of it." 

  

Recently I wrote at some length about the problems with Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBT) in betting shops on our high streets. Whilst I highlighted the problems these present to people on low incomes, and to those who have problems with gambling, one area that I neglected is that surrounding organised crime, and how crooks use FOBT’s as part of their own business model, astonishing as that might seem. The Gambling Commission - the industry regulator also publicly admitted what has long been privately acknowledged: FOBTs present a "high inherent money-laundering risk". In a letter to the industry trade association, the commission warned about "a retail betting model that includes high volumes of cash transactions, particularly where this includes low individual spend and a high level of anonymity, especially where that model also offers (FOBTs). What the machines provide is the chance for criminals to quickly and easily convert large sums of money from the real world into virtual cash that can later be converted back into the real thing. There is little official research into the scale and extent of such operations. The 2005 Gambling Act, which regulates the terminals, says one of its primary objectives is "preventing gambling from being a source of crime or disorder, being associated with crime or disorder or being used to support crime". It has long been obvious to the public that criminals can convert their loot into a clean win on an electronic roulette table. Surveys for the commission show that 40 percent of the public regularly identify gambling with criminal activity. The industry regulator found one in 14 respondents associated money laundering with gambling. Dealers feed their drug money through the machines, losing a little and then cashing out with the vast majority of their stake. They can then collect a printed ticket from the bookmaker showing they have gambled that day – meaning that if stopped by police, they can answer questions about why an apparently unemployed young man carries hundreds of pounds in rolled-up cash. The Fixed Odds Betting Terminals arrived in Britain back in 2001, and were lightly regulated from the outset. Gamblers in bookmakers found that they could bet £100 every 20 seconds on roulette. The temptation of high-speed, high-stake casino games in the high street proved irresistible: there are now over 33,345 FOBTs in the UK. The drug dealer who wants to launder his pile if ill – gotten cash has a very straightforward strategy, which is embarrassingly simple – they bet : £20 on black, £20 on red and £2 on zero. A press of a button and the wheel spins before the ball lands on red. That's a loss of £2. The money placed on the zero is the only risk the drug dealer is taking with his cash. If the ball does land on zero, he wins £72. With no horses to run or dealer to shuffle and just the 20 second spin of an electronic roulette wheel to wait for, it takes a little over a minute for the drug dealer to cash out. Many experienced money launderers know that unless they gamble at least 40 percent of the float money they have put in the machine, an alert will pop up on the staff computer warning them of suspicious activity. So they methodically place the same bet to make sure that they have been seen to have wagered enough. The economics of drug dealing make it cost-effective to pay 5 percent to 10 percent to betting shops to launder the illicit profits. I have it on good authority that it not just proceeds of illegal  drug sales that are being laundered through the FOBT machines, but that of robberies as well; Did you know that security dyed bank notes from bank robberies can be submitted to The Bank of England and the book maker company gets reimbursed? This whole process seems to have been overlooked by the Police.

Following my article last week concerning the MBNA Thames Clipper service running experimental ferry trips from Gravesend Town Pier to London, it would seem that Bexley Council are now putting out a somewhat different line to their original rather dismissive press statement that they had no knowledge of the trial ferry service expansion, or any reference to the ferry company having aspirations to run from Erith Pier; now they are back pedalling somewhat. In a follow up statement to the one I reported last week, a spokesperson for Bexley Council has since been quoted as saying:- "We would welcome a clipper type service if it offers another option for people travelling to and from the City and central London. We don’t own the pier and, while we understand it does not currently have the facilities to allow vessels to dock, we would hope they can be provided if the service is extended along the Thames. We support greater use of the river, particularly for leisure and tourism, and we await the results of this week’s trial with interest.” Sean Collins, CEO and co-founder, MBNA Thames Clippers said in a News Shopper interview that:- “Our Gravesend trial service was a complete success. Bookings completely sold out, and we have had incredibly positive feedback from passengers, many asking us when it will become a permanent extension to our current network. The purpose of the trial sailings was to provide us with the required information to enable us to evaluate the potential of such services for the future. The infrastructure and vessels required to operate such service would need to be built, as well as evaluating other potential stops for the route to support the routes viability.”  It was also announced last week that The company behind the long-promised theme park to be constructed in Swanscombe has reached an agreement to ferry tourists to the resort. London Resort Company Holdings hope the agreement with MBNA Thames Clippers will carry about ten per cent of visitors to the theme park from central London into Kent to visit the proposed resort. It is planned that the clippers will link the resort with Tilbury and Grays in Essex, and potentially Erith Pier, as well as to central London. Sean Collins also said:- “We want to transport as many visitors to the London Resort as possible to realise the huge benefits in terms of speed, comfort and frequency of travelling by river. Having recently agreed to run free test trials from Gravesend to offer journeys direct to central London in cooperation with Gravesham Council and seen overwhelming interest, we are delighted to play a crucial role in one of the biggest Global Entertainment Resort projects in the world, where the commuter and leisure market can be served by a first class ferry service.” It would seem that the momentum to get a ferry service running along an extended River Thames route is increasing; if the theme park does actually go ahead - it has been delayed several times - mainly due to the departure of Paramount and all of their intellectual property from the deal some time ago, then improved communications to the Swanscombe Peninsula site will be imperative. As mentioned last week, there are considerable barriers to setting up a MBNA ferry terminal on Erith Pier; the problems can be divided into two specific types. Firstly there are the engineering and physical challenges to enabling a ferry to dock at the pier. A free floating pontoon extension to the existing pier structure would be needed; this would project out into the deep water channel closer to the middle of the river. This would, however create problems of its own. Whilst the floating pontoon would enable ferries to dock at the the pier whatever the state of the tide was, it would also create a hazard to other shipping that uses the river. Commercial vessels, including cargo ships and bulk freighters, such as vessels like that featured in the photo above - click on it for a larger version - use the deep water channel, and if a jetty was protruding into the channel, this might create a hazard to navigation, especially at night and at times of reduced visibility. There are several ways to manage this, the most obvious one being to make the floating jetty movable - to swing it out into the deep water channel only when a ferry was approaching the pier. Unfortunately this would add complexity, and therefore cost to the design, and for safety reasons would almost certainly require a supervising operator to be located on site. The jetty, whether movable or fixed, would require hazard warning lights, a fog horn, and a radar reflector. The pier itself would also require some shelters for waiting commuters to occupy in inclement weather - the wind coming off the Thames at Erith in winter can be absolutely bitter, not to mention the freezing rain. Who would foot the bill for all of the alterations and upgrades is uncertain - at this point it has not been debated. The second barrier to using Erith Pier as a landing place for MBNA Clipper Ferries is actually by far the more difficult one - the bureaucracy and vested interests of the likes of The Port of London Authority, Morrison's Supermarket (who own the pier) and Bexley Council. I know from personal experience that dealing with these organisations, when any mention of Erith Pier is made, it tends to provoke the response of "The answer is no, now what is the question?" Long term readers may recall that I had a small involvement some years ago with an abortive project to bring the Ross Revenge - the Radio Caroline ship to Erith Pier to open it as a public attraction for the Summer season. The objections and bureaucratic barriers that were put up to block the temporary project were simply staggering, and even the involvement of Teresa Pearce, MP for Erith and Thamesmead was not enough to get the project the green light, and it ended up being abandoned. The transformation of Erith Pier into a ferry terminal is of a completely different scale, as it would require permanent changes to the pier structure and thus its functionality, which has since it was refurbished and repurposed in 1999 been exclusively for leisure use. If London Mayor Sadiq Khan does put his weight behind the project, I can see it getting enough momentum to actually come to fruition, but to be honest, I still am of the opinion that it is unlikely to happen. What do you think? Leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

This week’s incident reports from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association; firstly from Belvedere ward:- “This week, we have managed to identify further children / youths that have been involved in anti-social behaviour both in and around the car park in Nuxley Road. We will be making efforts to visit those we are aware of in order to speak with the subjects and their parents, to advise against the type of behaviour that has been taking place. We are hopeful that this action will have the desired effect. PC Holmes has been busy dealing with various CCTV enquiries on the ward, most of which originate from shoplifting offences taking place in both Upper and Lower Belvedere. Images of those believed to be involved are being circulated on social media websites such as Twitter and Facebook, in the hope that they can be identified. The team have very recently dealt with a female shoplifter from B and Q in Lower Belvedere who is being interviewed in relation to the offence in the very near future.” Brampton ward:- “There have been 6 crimes over the past week. 1 x computer risk to human welfare in Cyril Road 1 x Criminal damage to a motor vehicle in Birchington Close, victim has seen a puncture mark in their tyre that has gone flat , NHW coordinator spoken to regarding the incident which is an ongoing problem in the road. 1 x Attempted theft of a cycle outside The Bakery Pickford Lane, the victim was riding home on the pavement when the suspect attempted to stop the victim who then fell off the bike, members of the public attempted to stop the suspect leaving the scene, it is unknown if the offence was an attempted theft or something else. 1 x Theft shoplifting in Long Lane, suspect stole washing powder 1 x Possession of cannabis in Albury Avenue, suspect stopped whilst walking along smoking 1 x Burglary Shakespeare Avenue , suspect smashed rear kitchen window and gained access.” Colyers ward:- “There are no reported burglaries on Colyers Ward between 13/09/17 to 19/09/17. There was one reported theft of motor vehicle and one criminal damage to motor vehicle during the same period. On 16th September 2017 the victim parked his vehicle outside his house address in Elmstead Road Erith at 7pm. The vehicle was locked and secured. At about 9pm when the victim came out, he discovered that his vehicle was gone. No suspect was seen but there is possible CCTV. On Monday 12th September 2017 in Larner Road the victim had her vehicle damaged by a male on a motor bike, VRM R251XBW(?) in Larner Road, Erith. The victim indicated that the male riding the motor bike came close to her on the driver’s side and punched her wing mirror and damaged it. She had no clue why it happened and she was very shaken by the experience. The victim managed to get a picture of the VRM of the motorbike on her phone.” Crayford ward:- “Two mobile phones were stolen, one from McDonalds and one from Sainsbury's. Each victim recalls having their phones at these locations. Counterfeit notes have also been reported as being used in a Crayford shop. There have been three bicycles stolen and two mopeds stolen in this last week. The mopeds have both been located nearby. With the assistance of officers from Christchurch and Barnehurst SNT, our team completed a successful Section 23 Drugs warrant at an address close to Crayford Way. Several items were seized and enquiries will be ongoing that should lead to prosecution of offenders.” North End ward:- “2 motor vehicle crimes in the last week, 1 vehicle damaged by 3 guys on mopeds kicking the wing mirror as they rode past in Bridge Road. Please let us know any descriptions or number plates if you see any groups of motorbikes and mopeds riding around. All information we get is being used to build an intelligence plan in to trying to identify anyone involved so a red coat, orange bike etc, any of this information could prove useful in future. The other vehicle crime was a theft of number plates in Frobisher Road, no trace of the plates as yet.” Northumberland Heath ward:- “This week we have had no residential burglaries reported on the ward however an attempted burglary took place on Monday September 18th at the Natwest bank which closed earlier this year. Entry to the premises was not gained but a window was smashed and the entry door was damaged. The suspect has been arrested. Theft of a Lefan motorbike in Streamway on Thursday September 14th between 0800 – 1530 hours. The bike was stolen from the front of the property. Criminal damage to a white transit van parked in Eastry Road this week. An attempt was made to access the vehicle and tool marks and scratches were discovered around the lock. Also a theft of a box containing personal effects from a vehicle parked in Bexley Road Between Saturday September 16th 0800 and Monday 18th at 08:00. The box contained receipts, bills and other paperwork. Please be vigilant and make sure all personal belongings are out of sight where possible. An apple iPhone was stolen from a male walking in Brook Street on Wednesday September 13th at 12:45pm. The suspects made off in a Black Vauxhall Corsa. A handbag containing cash, credit cards and other belongings was stolen from an elderly lady in Bexley Road on Thursday September 14th at 10:30am. The suspects made off on a moped. The lady was unharmed but sustained wrist pain following the incident.” Thamesmead East ward:- “Good news, no Burglary / vehicle crime reported on the ward during the past week. The team attended the Southmere Park summer fete over the weekend, good fun was had by all. A spectacular firework display over the lake ended the day’s events on Saturday evening. Four youths were stopped by PCSO Buckley and Hobbs on Saturday evening after reports of Anti-Social Behaviour around the Staplehurst Court car park, Southmere Drive. Good Intelligence gained. It’s Operation Sceptre this week. The team have / will be conducting weapon sweeps on the ward and making residents aware in an attempt to reduce knife crime across the whole of the MPS.”

The ending video this week is courtesy of Reverend Simon Archer of Christ Church Erith. He's appealing for more donations to Erith Food Bank, as you can see from the short video below. Do donate what you can; it is an extremely worthy cause. 

The Belvedere Beach.

It would seem that Bexley Council have taken on board the recent protests by residents of Slade Green and parts of Erith in regard of the Bexley Growth Consultation proposal that I featured a couple of weeks ago. It looks very much like the council regard themselves as "being caught on the back foot" following the rather inflammatory protest leaflet that was delivered to the letter boxes of a large number of roads potentially allegedly affected by the proposed changes. As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, the lurid claims made in the leaflet have now been investigated, and I have come to the conclusion that they are for the most part pretty far – fetched. I have had private words with a number of people involved with the Bexley Growth Consultation proposal, and off the record it has been said that it is pretty much a “sticking a finger in the air” exercise at present, and that a lot of the suggestions included in the report will never see the light of day, and those that do may not happen for decades. The protest leaflet looks like a classic piece of scare mongering - a case of "never let the facts get in the way of a good story". The new Council leaflet has a wording that definitely reflects the concerns that have been voiced by concerned local residents who have been persuaded by the original inflammatory leaflet that their houses are only months away from being compulsorily purchased and then bulldozed, which could not be any further from the truth. I think the underlying reason for the level of panic is due to the understandable insecurity of many Slade Green and Erith residents. Many are not wealthy, and don't feel that they have any real say in local events. Historically the North of the London Borough of Bexley has been the industrial / manufacturing heart of the area, and where the less privileged members of society tended to live. If one looks at the demographic breakdown of the borough, the Northern areas of Erith and Slade Green shows a higher than average number of residents receiving benefits, and / or being paid the National Living Wage. The people feel disenfranchised, and completely out of control of their local environment. I think this is the reason for the very strong protests at the perceived changes in the original, poorly worded Council proposal document. I do think that whoever created the original protest document may have done so with the best of intentions, but the end result has not been very constructive, and has worried people unnecessarily. The website of Slade Green Together have a far more measured and realistic analysis of the Bexley Growth Consultation proposal, which you can read by clicking here. There has been a major setback to the Bexley Growth Consultation Plans in their current form - and a great victory for the campaign to preserve Crayford and Slade Green Marshes. London Mayor Sadiq Khan has vetoed the proposed massive 149 acre rail marshalling yard, warehousing and a bridge over the River Cray. The development had been approved by Bexley Council (no surprises there) but blocked by Dartford Council - who share administration over the marshes. In a letter to Bexley Council, Sadiq Khan said: “Having now considered a report on this case, I do not consider the proposal would achieve the modal shifts from road to rail freight within London envisaged within my Draft Transport Strategy, and therefore there are not demonstrable benefits for London which would outweigh the loss of London’s Green Belt. I direct you to refuse planning permission, under the powers conferred on me by article 6 of the above Order. The proposal is inappropriate development in the Green Belt and very special circumstances have not been demonstrated which would clearly outweigh the harm to the Green Belt by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm.” A significant portion of Bexley's regeneration plans were centred around development of the marshes, and the associated construction in and around Slade Green. I get the feeling that much of these plans will now need to be substantially revisited following the decision of the Mayor of London, which overrides that of the individual boroughs by statute. 

In a move that many long - term readers may see as supremely ironic, The local studies and archive centre located on the upper floor of Bexleyheath Library has just won a national accreditation. Bexley’s Local Studies and Archive Centre has been awarded Archive Service Accreditation. The service has met defined national standards relating to management and resourcing, the care of its unique collections and what it offers to its wide range of users. In an interview with the Bexley Times,  Councillor Peter Craske said:- “Local people are proud of the borough and its past and the centre works with people if all ages to help them appreciate our rich culture and history. The team’s passion and enthusiasm is clear to anyone who uses the service or visits the centre and I am delighted that their hard work has been recognised". Those readers with a long memory will recall that I highlighted the threat to merge Bexley local / historical records with Bromley back in October 2013; you can read what I wrote at the time by clicking here. It is instructive to note how Bexley Council can go from wanting to close the archive facility less than four years ago - albeit to a storm of protest, to now taking credit for the unit now being awarded a prestigious accreditation now. Craske and his cronies seem to underestimate local people who recall how the councillors acted back in the day. It would appear in this case the council now wish to take credit for saving something that they actively tried to destroy. 

You may recall that a couple of weeks ago I asked if anyone knew what had happened to renowned local fisherman Dave Pearce, who had been the last commercial Eel fisherman on the River Thames. I was extremely surprised to get an Email from the man himself - it turns out that he is a long time Maggot Sandwich reader. Dave writes:- "How I became the last eel fisherman by Dave Pearce. Fishing was in my blood; my great grandfather. Owned several fishing boats fishing out of Erith in the mid 1800s,  and a wet fish shop. Skip a generation. My two uncles. Ron and Bill Dott both well known in Erith. took up fishing. Bill fishing and Ron making gear and repairing it. The boats. from a early age, 3 or 4 I was always with them - boats and fishing was my life. I loved it; at a young age Ron and I built the Harry Boy a 35 foot trawler that I fished in the Thames, regularly landing fish in Erith. One day I saw someone eeling in long reach  had a chat with them and thought I'd have a go - that was 1990 ish  and I did OK. I had a mate with me called Gary Cochran - we both liked the life - you had to, as it was dirty hard work with odd hours. We fished 6 days a week and too the eels to Billingsgate on a Tuesday morning. The season was from April till end of November always glad to pack up by then as  the back usually hurt by then, but after a few weeks I couldn't wait to start again. When I started there were 12 teams eeling between Tower Bridge and Canvey Island. They gradually packed up or retired, but I still loved it I also got to work at The Natural History Museum doing fish surveys. About 2010 I started to slow down eel fishing  and doing other work still on the river that I love. If you see a red workboat going past Erith it's probably me. I would say about  2014/5 I packed up eel fishing. Very sad time I was probably the last fisherman out of Erith. In those years I learned a lot about eels and the river of no use to anyone but me. Never say never! I still own a fishing boat, got my nets, and I am still licenced to fish eels. One day one day I hope to wet a net again . I could go on for ages about  the good days I well remember and the bad days I sooner forget. but I guess I have said enough already, so over and out. Dave Pearce". Excellent stuff, and really fascinating reading; I hope to see Dave back out in his little work boat soon. Please feel free to leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

The controversial Belvedere Beach play area in Woolwich Road, Upper Belvedere opened on Thursday of last week. It takes the place of the incredibly popular and well used Belvedere Splash Park that was closed down two years ago after much wrangling and anger from local residents. A campaign was set up to preserve the Splash Park, but Bexley Council chose to ignore the overwhelming opposition to the park closure. The Belvedere Beach is a sort of compromise; some of the features of the old park have been retained, but the overall new park layout is substantially different; what the children and their parents will make of the Belvedere Beach remains to be seen. In a not unexpected move, local Councillor Peter Craske (remember him from earlier?) said in an interview in the News Shopper that "Belvedere Beach is a tremendous landmark that will be here for years to come. Both contemporary and unique, children of all abilities will be able to take part in themed, imaginary play, and with the on-site facilities, families can now stay and play for longer. The new playground will also be open all year round and is yet another reason to come and visit our fantastic borough. I am looking forward to the opening next week and hope to see lots of people there!" Craske seems to turn up for the opening of an envelope, so I suppose the comments are really just to be expected. Upon the opening, he was quoted in the News Shopper as saying:- "I’d like to thank all those involved in this project for everything you have done to turn what was an idea on a piece of paper into reality, creating something unique - not just for Bexley but beyond that too. Without the funding from Cory Environmental Trust, strong team work and creativity that everyone involved has shown we would not have a playground of this incredibly high standard that is opening well ahead of schedule and in time for the school holidays. I'm so proud of what you have all achieved". He really does seem to be everywhere. If you have visited the revamped park, do let me know what you think of it. Does it live up to the hype?

The photo above shows a fly tipped fridge / freezer which was illegally dumped in Hind Crescent, close to the entrance to The Urgent Care Unit at Erith Hospital. The person who took the photograph noted that the fridge / freezer was right in the middle of the footpath, and anyone with a visual disability might well trip over it and possibly injure themselves on the sharp and rusty exposed metal. I know that I am far from being alone in wanting far more rigorous enforcement of fly tipping; the discredited company Kingdom Services supposedly enforcing the litter ban in Bexleyheath Broadway might be more productive if they were to patrol the streets of the borough to catch and prosecute the commercial fly tippers. Whilst much of the UK suffers from problems of this nature, the issue in South East London and North Kent seems to be especially bad.

Local arts and design commissioning group The Exchange invited proposals from practitioners with ideas to transform London’s longest pier in Erith into a piece of art for the period of the Totally Thames Festival 2017 in September. 75 artists, designers, architects, performers and creatives submitted ideas to use this newest and most unique public art space. Submissions came from all over the world and the quality was exceptional. The judging panel – that included The Exchange, sponsors Orbit and Wates Residential, local artists Guy Tarrant and Gary Drostle, The Decorators (responsible for Erith Lighthouse), Totally Thames, and the Port of London Authority – whittled the list down to four applicants. These four final ideas were then put out to public vote, that was collected online and in Erith Library, which finished on Friday. Julia Snowdin’s ‘Changing Sails’ aimed to work with the community to decorate ships’ sails that would hang around the pier; The City Art’s Doctors proposed to create listening posts, shaped like clay pipes, which would project stories of Erith; Oliver Palmer wanted to recreate Callender’s Cable Works Brass Band with a sound installation and performances; and Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs proposed to create urban auricles that would amplify the sounds of the Thames and industrial Erith. The result of the public vote will be published on Monday. More information can be found by clicking here. The piece will be installed by 6 September, to tie in with the Totally Thames Festival and the Erith Lighthouse project. This will be a major cultural and social event in Erith - something that we have not had before; I for one am very excited by the various projects and will be covering them in some extensive detail - watch this space.

A story was published in the Bexley Times last week which I understand has annoyed many people, and I can fully understand why. Despite a London-wide focus on the behaviour and a spate of moped-related acid and knife attacks earlier this month, Detective Inspector Dawn Morris has said police cannot always pursue every suspicious moped rider. “Our officers have to consider whether chasing after a suspect is always the safest thing to do, or if it could endanger the public, officers or the suspect, In those cases we tend to request support from a police helicopter, or lay down puncture strips, which let down wheels slowly to prevent any accidents. While we may not always make an immediate arrest after an incident, these types of criminals don’t tend to want to dump their vehicle and walk the 10 miles home after using them, so we’re developing a picture of where they are and how we can stop them by basing our patrols in the correct areas. We are also working with the public to show them how to better protect their bikes by making them more secure with better locks and using traceable liquids like SmartWater so bikes can be identified as their own under an ultraviolet light. We are also monitoring websites to see if anyone is trying to sell the stolen vehicles online.” Police say the rising concern of stolen bikes and mopeds can be linked to incidents of robbery and violence in the borough, with the vehicles also used to snatch phones from victim’s hands as riders drive past. I feel that one comment made by Detective Inspector Morris is most telling; Her line:- "Our officers have to consider whether chasing after a suspect is always the safest thing to do, or if it could endanger the public, officers or the suspect" (my emphasis). I think the senior Police officer is fundamentally misreading the mood of the public when it comes to moped and motor cycle related crime. The Police already acknowledge that the illegal moped riders deliberately do not wear helmets as they are fully aware of the Police "Rules of Engagement" that prohibit officers from chasing un-helmeted riders as the illegal riders might crash and hurt themselves. The criminals are laughing at authority. Feedback that I have received is pretty much unanimous - the Police need to change their policy, chase the criminal scumbags, and if required, ram them off the road, and if as a consequence a few crooks get injured, then so be it. I know, as I have previously mentioned, that Dagenham and Redbridge Police are dropping the Met - wide non engagement rule, following a radio debate I took part in on Time 107.5 FM on the 3rd of July, where the Borough Commander of Dagenham and Redbridge Police stated that they were about to trial a new policy of engagement, that, if successful would very likely be expanded to cover all Metropolitan Police areas. Whilst I doubt a change in pursuit policy would deter the hardcore moped criminals, the thought that they might be taking their next meal through a drip might deter many. Secondly Detective Inspector Morris is largely mistaken in thinking that mopeds are sold online after being used in criminal activity; from what my sources tell me, after being used, most stolen motorbikes and mopeds are broken for spare parts, which are then sold on, as the parts are far harder to trace than whole vehicles.  On top of this, moped crooks are getting wise to vehicles fitted with immobilisers - recently they are starting to rip off the immobilisers on certain models of Vespa scooter, and then wire in their own, hacked immobiliser unit which then allows them to start the vehicle and illegally ride it away. The stolen bikes are then used in muggings, car jackings, illegal drug deliveries and most publicly, in the recent alarming spate of acid attacks. Gangs such as Bike Life TV UK also stage illegal "rides" around places including Thamesmead and Lower Belvedere, as I have written about in detail in the past. What do you think? Should the Police institute a tougher policy on bike crooks, or are things fine as they are? Leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

A further Police related story - you have none for ages, then two turn up together. I am surprised at how many local people are unaware of the threat of closure to Bexleyheath Police Station. It has been proposed that Bexleyheath police station is sold off and services moved to Sidcup. This has been vigorously opposed by MP for Bexleyheath and Crayford David Evennett.  The proposal is to close and sell off Bexleyheath Police Station (which has already lost its custody suite and cells) and move everything to Marlowe House in Sidcup, right on the far South of the Borough. This would leave the entire borough with only one fully active Police Station. What also concerns me is that if Police make an arrest say in Lower Belvedere, they then have to go all the way across the Borough to Sidcup in order to get the felon processed - which could take them off active duty for several hours. This definitely sounds like an idea that has not been properly thought through - I feel the law of unintended consequences coming into play once again. I do appreciate that nowadays the Police are lot more mobile than they once were, and don't all sit in the Police station waiting for a 999 call to come in, then all run out Keystone Cops style, but the message this sends to crooks is a poor one.

A message from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association:- "Can everyone remember that with the summer comes the unwanted door knockers touting for Gardening / tree pruning work, Roofing/guttering cleaning , and Driveway work. These cold callers are usually in unmarked transit vans and not in any kind of company uniform but you may see them slowly driving around looking at houses. Likewise, they will often put a card through doors if nobody answers when they knock, but can I just remind everyone to please look out for their elderly neighbours as these are often the easy target for chancers, and that if you haven't personally called anyone or don't actually need the work done, don't answer the door but if you do DON'T be talked into having any work done". Reports from a Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator in Barnehurst reads:- "Two reps from Safe Style UK Windows knocked on my door and said they were doing work for a neighbour and offered me a quote. They were a bit pushy, but I agreed to have a quote from them. Soon afterwards, another neighbour said they were calling further down the road, saying I was having work done by them, as if in recommendation. I cancelled my appointment but would caution others that they are at least guilty of misrepresentation". From The Colyers Safer Neighbourhood Team:-"There were 2 reported burglaries, 1 commercial burglary in Erith Road on 24th July. Suspect forced entry via a glass panel in the early hours of the morning. Cosmetics and food were stolen. Suspect identified by CCTV and arrested. Investigation ongoing There was also 1 attempted burglary on the morning of the 19th July in Edendale Road where an attempt to enter by forcing the kitchen window. Entry was not gained and nothing was taken. No CCTV or witnesses. There have been 3 thefts from motor vehicles this week. One in Badlow Close on the morning of the 19th July where a lock was forced and a bag stolen from the foot well of the car. There was no CCTV and no suspects were seen. Another was in the early hours of the 21st July in Cumbrian Avenue where the wheel trims were stolen from a vehicle. There were no witnesses or CCTV and no viable leads. Lastly there were some number plates stolen from a car in Northumberland Way sometime between the 18th-21st July. There was 1 criminal Damage to a vehicle in Larner Road overnight between the 12th-13th July where a known suspect poured paint on the victims vehicle due to an alleged parking dispute. Investigation ongoing. Our next surgery is on Thursday 27th July in the Community Centre, Blackberry Patch, Badlow Close at 6pm". A report from the Erith Safer Neighbourhood Team:- "There has been an increase in theft of number plates in Erith we are trying to get hold of some security screws that will hand out to local residents that request them. We had a successful ward panel meeting with a record turnout and Jerry Martin was voted in as our new chairman. We are going to increase patrols in the area - that was brought up from the meeting – more on this to follow". 

The ending video this week shows one of the newly installed cycle path barriers on the Thames Cycle Path at Abbey Wood, close to Thamesmead; apologies that the video is in vertical / portrait format, but that is how it was supplied to me by a long - time Maggot Sandwich reader who chooses to remain anonymous. It is most definitely worth a watch, and really highlights how council tax payers money has been wasted in a poorly planned and even more poorly executed piece of very expensive street furniture. Give the video a watch, and either leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

The Erith Lighthouse.

The building in the above photo is one of the landmarks of Erith. It is the first thing many visitors see when they enter the town for the first time, but it is also one of the least memorable. I wrote last week about the major stakeholder in the building, one of the large African churches that have several plans for the future of the building, many of which may not come to pass without council planning approval. The large and nowadays rather run down and scruffy brick building is called Electricity House – though many locals are unaware of this. The blue painted block to the left in the upper photo above is a former car tyre warehouse. The structure was built back in 1938 and opened in November 1939 as a showroom and offices for the local electricity company, which at the time was run by the council. Pre – war services such as gas, water and electricity supply were quite commonly managed and supplied by local councils; the idea of private companies being involved was something that did not happen until after the war had ended. Electricity House was also a place where new electrical customers could view domestic appliances which they could buy via hire purchase (it sounds like an early version of BrightHouse, but without the crippling interest rates). As well as the showroom, Electricity House was home to what contemporary accounts say was a very upmarket dance hall with a fully sprung Canadian Maple floor; there was also a small Pathe cinema. The local electricity business was astonishingly successful – probably much helped by the fact that it offered the cheapest metered electricity in the entire UK at the time – one penny per unit. Ten thousand local people signed up for electrification in the first month alone, attracted by the offer of free connection to the local power grid – unusual at the time – many suppliers would even charge for the copper cable to connect new customers. In 1939 the Erith electricity board made a (for then) massive profit of £13,000. The idea was that the money would be used to improve local services and amenities for all, but the advent of war meant that early in 1940 Electricity House was handed over for war work, and once peace was restored, the money intended to benefit local people was absorbed by the LEB during nationalisation, and nothing was ever seen of it. Much of Erith was still lit by gas until relatively recently. I believe that some houses in West Street did not get electricity until 1947 when the London Electricity Board was formed, and the local council control of power was nationalised. Since my last update, events have been moving rather swiftly in respect of Electricity House and the activities of the African churches within. Bearing in mind that the work to convert the upper floor, which until recently contained Erith Snooker Club, (which had been located in the building since 1948, and who recently were unceremoniously evicted - an action which is currently subject to a court case) into an events venue has been going ahead despite a legal challenge case which is ongoing, not to mention the fact that no planning permission has been granted for either a change of use, or for the building conversion work, it would seem that things are progressing apace. Last weekend I got a series of Emails from a long time reader who has concerns over what is going on. They write:- “We went to bed as normal last night in order to get up early for our trip away from Erith. When we were both alarmingly woken up at around 12.45am, by very extremely loud music, singing and preaching which was all clearly coming from the old Snooker club, lights were on, door and windows all open, the noise was at such a level it caused vibrations through our walls!  Many attempts to call 101 police number but no joy as high levels of calls. I have left  rather irate messages on Councils Enforcement answer phones for them to hear and call me on Monday morn. We got up, and walked round building to investigate. By 2am. church service was in full swing. After a while, a stroke of luck, we flagged down a metro police car coming round the Pier Road car park, so, 2 policemen went up to  snooker club and told them to turn noise  down, close windows and they are sending report to our local police about this.  Within about half an hour after police had gone the music crept back up again. We got absolutely no sleep, We drove away from home at 4.30 am this morning and it was still going on then! Apparently, according to their Podium radio Facebook video info content of 4 days ago (I have only just seen it myself) The Snooker club is the venue being used all over this weekend and there is some huge church event taking place there from 1pm tomorrow from the sounds of it, there is going to be hundreds of people turning up to the P-square venue at 5 Pier Road”. Further to this message, I went round to Pier Road on Saturday afternoon, and a few churchgoers were present in their striking white silk costumes and hats. There was no music playing, and little noise of any description to be honest. I have had reports from other locals of the unlicensed and antisocial behaviour coming from the building. The reader who had initially reported the loud noise and disturbance then Emailed me with an update. "I had heard that there was a planned public police meeting at Pier Rd Police Office. They confirmed to us that they had indeed attended the snooker club on Sunday afternoon just before 3pm, (Hence, the silent time) as they could hear the noise all the way down to their offices! They went up there again to call a stop on the music at around 7.30pm. It`s unfortunate you didn`t plan your walk a little bit earlier or later, as contacts have got footage of the large speakers arriving and said that "the walls were rocking. By the way, you may have noticed all the large amounts of recurring piles of fly tipped rubbish and furniture being dumped around the recycle bins around Erith Town? This has all been identified as the contents which keeps coming out of the Snooker club, by the so called Christian church. The Council are at least taking some further action on this". For a group that purports to be of Christian origin, they don’t seem to be loving their neighbour as thyself. It all seems to be extremely hypocritical. The antisocial behaviour they have exhibited will very likely count against them as far as Bexley Council planning department are concerned; any contraventions of planning regulations is taken into account when a decision is made regarding a planning application. Also the fact the former snooker hall cum chapel is directly next door to residential housing is a major deciding factor in these kind of cases. What do you think? Leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Local Arts and Culture commissioning group The Exchange have just published the following announcement:-

"WE WANT YOUR VOTE! - Your chance to vote for the first ever Pier Commission on Erith Pier.  Have your say on the shortlisted proposal and pick your favourite at :-

https://www.theexchangeerith.com/the-pier-commission/  Voting opens midnight tonight."

It is not often that a local politician makes it into the national news, and when they do, the results are usually not very edifying. This week Labour councillor and former parliamentary candidate Danny Hackett, the councillor for Lesnes Abbey ward got into a very public dispute with the minor celebrity Lily Allen when he got into an argument via Twitter over comments Ms Allen made about former Prime Minister Tony Blair. You can read details of the case here. I have met Danny Hackett on a number of occasions and he comes across as a nice chap who is dedicated to his community. According to reports online, Danny Hackett was one of, if not the youngest councillor to be elected in the UK. He has admirable dedication to his role, but I do think in this case his youth and relative inexperience have been highlighted. He got into a very public spat with Lily Allen, which did not reflect very well on either party; I get the feeling that a more mature head would have maintained a dignified silence. There are times when saying nothing is by far the least bad option – and I get the feeling that this was one of them.

There has been much concern, and much activity relating to the Bexley Regeneration Consultation Project that I wrote about last week. Whatever the reality of what the outcome of the consultation project will be, it has cast alarm and concern amongst the community in Slade Green and parts of Erith - and potentially it may well cause housing blight in some of those areas. As I wrote last week; I feel it is very unlikely that many, if any of the proposals in the draft plan will actually come to pass - but that really is not the point. It is the fear that they will that is the problem. On top of the council proposals recently published, there is another development under discussion which has up until now not been mentioned; it is a private one that proposes to redevelop the former Sportsman Club / Slade Green Football Club in Moat Lane into a brand new community centre, sports club, medical centre, a meeting room and vocational and literacy hub, along with around three hundred apartments. A public meeting to show the proposals is to take place in St Augustine's church hall in Slade Green Road on Friday the 28th July between 7 and 9pm. 

Housing association Orbit published some good news this week; their plans to redevelop the Arthur Street Estate have been boosted by a grant of £9.64 million from the Mayor of London's office towards the cost of demolishing the three 1960's tower blocks, and replacing them with 280 new homes. Built in the last 1960s, the street currently provides 263 homes, but developers warn “many components are now failing and the blocks no longer meet modern standards”. Orbit hopes 80 per cent of its new homes will offer affordable rent and shared ownership, with associated parking and public open space. Whilst the story of the substantial cash grant has only just broken, I reported the whole Arthur Street redevelopment project almost exactly a year ago. The estate, which is located on the opposite side of Northend Road to the Erith Park Development (which, incidentally has recently won London Regeneration Project of the year at the London Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors Awards (RICS) and has been shortlisted for a National Housing Award for Best Regeneration Project). The Arthur Street Estate consists of three high rise blocks of flats – Cranbrook House, Cobham House and Canterbury House, and some low level accommodation – Challock House, Charing House, and The Nursery. Orbit Housing Association have managed the estate since February 1998. Historically the Arthur Street Estate has been regarded by many as somewhat of a problem, this is principally because historically there has been a large proportion of prolific offenders, people with a criminal background, and people with high support needs - particularly with drug and alcohol dependency living on the estate. Figures from a police report for the 12 months to 30 September 2011 showed 56 suspects of crime in Bexley living within the postcodes for Arthur Street Estate. Of the 56 crimes, only 1 was a motoring offence and 3 public order offences, the remaining 52 more high level crimes. The effect on community sustainability has been huge, with law abiding residents seeing this as short term housing, a means to an end. They have often been subjected to incidents of Anti  - Social Behaviour. This led to those residents requesting transfers, moving out from the properties and increasing turnover of residents. Orbit have been working with Bexley Council and various authorities to address these issues, and much good work has now been done, in a similar way to how Orbit were able to filter out the real trouble makers from the old Larner Road Estate, and not permit them into the new Erith Park Development, and since the start of the programme the situation has markedly improved. In an interview with the News Shopper, Maggie McCann, development director at Orbit said: “We want the Arthur Street estate to be a great place to live now and for future generations. The regeneration of Arthur Street looks beyond bricks and mortar and will encourage an inclusive community for people who wish to work in London and live in a neighbourly community.” Paul Nicholls, regional managing director, added: “The regeneration of the Larner Road Estate and subsequent development of Erith Park is the perfect example of what good development really looks like with both the area and community having seen a vast improvement in their surroundings and Erith Park becoming a highly desirable place to live.” The main Arthur Street tower blocks are old, fuel inefficient and end of life, and should be demolished and replaced with modern, energy efficient apartments with better buggy and wheelchair access – as has proved so popular from the new flats on the Erith Park Estate. As for the lower – level accommodation, I feel that some could be extensively refurbished, but many of the buildings will have concrete frames, which are always problematic, especially as they age. To be honest, most of the housing stock on the Arthur Street Estate is old and looking understandably rather worn and past its best. There is also the spectre of fire resistance - I suspect that the old blocks would not fare well in the event of a major fire, whereas any new builds will be constructed to the very latest fire safety standards.

More sightings of drug paraphernalia have been made in the local area over the last week; one lady who prefers to remain anonymous spotted various suspicious items located at the bottom of the footbridge over the railway line, between Peareswood Road and Slade Green Road. The footbridge is used by children on their way to school or nursery. The items are Nitrous Oxide canisters and the cardboard boxes that they are supplied in. These are illegal to use for anything other than their intended industrial purpose. This is a growing problem in the local area. If you have any photos of illegal drug paraphernalia taken in the area, please send them to me at hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

The reports this week from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association read as follows:- "Two recent incidents in Bexley Primary Schools. An Eastern European male entered a primary school and walked directly to the year 6 area and spoke to a teacher. He said he was there to collect a child, who he named as Julia. This was the class where a Julia had recently left with one of her parents. The parent of that child was subsequently spoken to and had no idea who this male was. In a separate incident, an Eastern European female called another Primary School and named a child by their full name and stated that they would be collecting at 2.30pm to take her to a hospital appointment. They did not turn up and the child was collected by dad at the end of the school day as normal. He had no knowledge of who may have called. Please be vigilant and ensure that police are made aware of any similar incidents that you may know of". (Sgt. Alison Bateman, Borough Police). I know that this story sounds very similar to several "fake news" stories created by extreme right wing groups in the past; indeed a couple of concerned readers contacted me earlier in the week asking if the story was actually true - in this case I can confirm that it is true, I am sorry to say. Barnehurst Ward:- From Police SNT Team - PC Mark Laker. "Unfortunately we have had a theft of motor cycle this week, the bike, a silver and black Moto Guzzi, registration number LJ11GXT was stolen overnight from the 12th to the 13th July between 10.30pm and 9.15am from outside an address in Spring Vale Barnehurst. We have also has an attempted break in to an outside office/shed located at the bottom of a garden in Parkside Avenue. Thankfully no entry was gained however damage was caused to the door and locks. The garden is accessed via an alleyway which runs along the rear of the properties, Please make sure that any outbuildings are locked and secure with any garden tools and ladders locked away We are aware of some ASB issues within Martens Grove Park mainly by the basketball court area and the derelict premises situated behind Grovelands care home, we have liaised with the local authority and the area around the basketball court has been cleaned and litter removed, arrangements are being made to have the derelict premises secured. We will not tolerate any anti-social behaviour and a robust approach will be taken to deal with such. Please enjoy the parks and open spaces and treat them with respect “use it, don’t abuse it” As always you can follow us on twitter @MPSBarnehurst. We also hope to have a Facebook page up and running by next week, please search Barnehurst Police and give us a like and follow". Belvedere Ward. From Police SNT Team - PC Robert Holmes / PC Ashley Green:- "On Monday 17th July officers were on patrol along the footbridge of Picardy Manor way when a moped came towards us on the path. The rider stopped, dumped his bike and ran off. Unfortunately the rider got away, however the moped was uninsured so this was seized by Police. On Friday 14th July the team attended the Lesness Heath Primary School fete. We had a stand with crime prevention leaflets for the adults while the children enjoyed having their fingerprints taken for a certificate and played in the Police car. On Thursday 13th July the team paid a visit to the Brownies group at the Church Hall, Nuxley Road. The girls were shown our equipment and a play with the handcuffs (arresting each other all the while). We also spoke about some general safety concerns which they can utilise while out and about". Christ Church Ward:- "We have had a number of incidents in Warren Road that I would like to report. There is a vicious looking dog that often escapes the garden of a house in the road and terrorises the neighbours and the postman. On 17th July at approx. 01.30hrs a car pulled up and a bunch of kids jumped out with baseball bats, golf clubs and knives and smashed up a resident's car. The thugs returned twice more during the night causing a lot of commotion. Since the road was made one way as part of the Albion Road upgrade, Warren Road is now used as race track by a bunch of youngsters. Tearing up the road at 60-70 miles an hour, one day they will kill themselves or a pedestrian. The alleyway from Warren Road / Pincott Road on to Latham Road plus the unmade road at Warren Close is used a meeting point for many youngsters. The are often unsociable, causing disturbances, through things into neighbours gardens/conservatories and making lots of noise. Most mornings there is a another load of little canisters (Nitrous Oxide?) littered on the floor along with broken glass bottles". Crayford Ward:- "We have had reports of ASB on bikes, this plague seems to be across London at the moment of gangs of young riders on pedal and motor bikes being a general nuisance and hampering traffic as well as committing crime. Please report any incidents to either NW or your police team, giving number of youths / bikes together with place and time".

I have been aware for some time that a series of special events has been planned for Erith over the late Summer and early Autumn. I was asked to keep quiet about them whilst the details were finalised, but now the events have been made public and I am now free to publish the details. The official press release is here:- “Residents in the borough are being invited to enjoy Erith's riverside this summer, and to experience an extraordinary ‘pop up’ structure, the Erith Lighthouse, which will be offering a range of dining and family-friendly events. The Erith Lighthouse will host a programme of special dinners and events to explore and celebrate Erith’s unique London setting, and untapped potential. It will be at Riverside gardens from 10–27 August and then at Erith Pier from 7-24 September. The celebrations will begin with an Erith Lighthouse Garden Party on 10 August from 6.30pm. Throughout the summer 17 chefs will host 17 dinners creating distinct menus inspired by Erith’s unique riverside location. The guest chefs will use local growers and producers to inspire their menus and will include Steve Kielty, runner-up in this year’s Masterchef, who will be cooking up a British classics menu with a twist and Tiny leaf, London’s only organic, zero waste vegetarian restaurant. There will be a charge of £25 - £30 per person for a three course meal (excluding drinks). Numbers are limited and dining must be booked online in advance. Alongside this culinary extravaganza, the Erith Lighthouse will host a series of family-friendly events in partnership with the best of Erith’s people and places. Families can try their hand at potato printing, flower pressing and seed sowing, or simply come and spend time playing classic boards games on the Lighthouse deck all day, every day! Cllr Linda Bailey, Bexley’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Growth said: “Erith will be one of the first places to benefit from our ambitious growth plans, with a programme of regeneration aimed at developing the area into a thriving riverside community. “The Erith Lighthouse is a chance for local people to celebrate the rich heritage of their area. It’s also an opportunity for Erith to show those Londoners who haven’t yet had the chance to visit, just how fantastic a place it is.” There will also be a variety of tours and walks, including a ‘wild medicine’ walk and an ‘All paths lead to Erith tour’, that will explore and celebrate the many faces of Erith. In honour of Erith’s former market, the Erith Lighthouse terrace will become a marketplace on 26 August, selling goods from local makers. Those wishing to attend any of the events must book in advance. Simply visit www.eventbrite.co.uk and search for Erith Lighthouse. Most of the day time events are free. A small charge of £5 will be made for those guided tours and walks that include lunch at the Lighthouse and numbers will be limited. There will be a £10 cover charge for the Bexley beer tasting event on 19 August. Numbers are limited so book early to avoid disappointment. Erith Lighthouse is commissioned by the London Borough of Bexley and funded by the Mayor of London as part of Bexley’s Greater Erith Programme, a town centre regeneration programme that is enabling the creation of an active town centre that makes the most of Erith’s unique setting by the River Thames. Find out more about the planned events and dining experiences or visit their Facebook page. Space is limited at Erith Lighthouse so booking in advance for all events and dinners is essential”. I think the idea of the idea of the series of Lighthouse events is an excellent one, and really shows some confidence in Erith and its residents. I am also glad to see that the events will make good use of two of Erith’s most important public spaces – the Riverside Gardens and the Pier, both of which have strong maritime connections, which links in with the entire theme of the programme. My only concerns are ones that I raised last year in relation with the pop – up cinema event that also took place in the Riverside Gardens last year. Any public event needs a large amount of high profile promotion and publicity for it to be successful – the problem with the pop – up – cinema was that very few people got to find out about it in advance, and consequently the turnout was not as high as had been hoped. I feel that the Lighthouse events need to be given a strong promotion via multiple methods – the traditional posters and advertising flyers posted through local doors, along with a concerted campaign via social media such as FaceBook. The events also need to appeal / be promoted to people from outside the direct area; especially when the pop – up – restaurant is concerned. A meal costing £25 - £30 a head minus drinks may be the norm for someone from a relatively wealthy town such as Bexleyheath or Sidcup, but for many Erith residents it would be simply unaffordable, and the kind of people willing to spend such a sum on a meal from outside of the town I feel are very unlikely to want to come to Erith to eat. There is also the issue of physical security - the local illegal biker scumbags would relish the opportunity to take a pop at people at an evening event in the Riverside Gardens; I gather private security guards are to be employed.  I think this is an idea a couple of years ahead of its time - when Erith Quarry (the "posh" housing development) is finished and fully occupied, I think this is when an upmarket pop - up restaurant would be a better idea. I have been in contact with the Erith Regeneration team, who have partially assuaged my concerns, but I feel more needs to be addressed before I and many other local people are fully confident of the success of the forthcoming operation. I hope to cover the Lighthouse events in greater detail closer to the time; it is really good to see that the local area is finally getting some well – deserved recognition after decades in the shadows. I hope that many local people will get involved in the events coming in the near future – it look like being a fun time.

No prizes, but can you identify just what is wrong with the artists' impression of the housing in the forthcoming Erith Quarry development above? Drop me a line if you can. Many of the concerns expressed by readers about the Erith Quarry development related to the potential overloading of the existing drainage system in and around the area of the Pom Pom. Memories of raw sewage running in the street in Sandcliff Road are still fresh in many people’s memories. It would seem that developers London and Quadrant have been mindful of this, and over the last few weeks the Western end of Fraser Road has been subject to temporary traffic lights as drainage engineers install new, much higher capacity pipes deep under the road surface. It would appear that fears relating to future drainage issues are unfounded, which is reassuring for those living in the area. I am aware that many of the houses in Sandcliff Road are effectively blighted due to the history of raw sewage flooding the road during heavy rainfall; even if this problem has now been solved, the reputation of the road has been badly tarnished. I am led to believe that the rare house sales in Sandcliff Road have been to buy to let operators rather than people looking to live in the road. Hopefully the new sewage system will benefit all in the area. Incidentally, the reason the area around the Western end of Fraser Road , Pembroke Road and Alford Road is known, mainly by older residents as the Pom Pom is historical; the old Maxim (later Vickers Son and Maxim) gun factory was located in the area now used by BATT Cables. The gun factory had a  firing range where the 20 mm cannons were test fired prior to delivery. The characteristic deep boom as the small calibre cannons fired was likened to a Pom Pom – and thus the name stuck.

There has been plenty of fuss over the last week about the choice of actress Jodie Whittaker taking over the role of The Doctor in the next series of Doctor Who. Firstly, to settle any disputes, the creator of Doctor Who, Sydney Newman always said that the Doctor could be male or female, and secondly, the press reports saying that Jodie Whittaker would be the first female Doctor are also inaccurate. The first female Doctor was played by Joanna Lumley in the 1999 Comic Relief Special - "The Curse of Fatal Death" - which you can see in full below. Leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.