Hidden Figures.

The photo above was taken by me last night in Christ Church Erith; it shows the audience assembling for a showing of the excellent film "Hidden Figures" as part of Black History Month. I was unable to take photos of the full audience, as the main lights were turned off before the film started, and I did not want to use flash. The event was also to raise funds to go towards the installation of toilets inside of the church, a project being managed by the Friends of Christ Church Erith. Currently if you are visiting the church and need to use the loo, you have to take a trek round to the church hall - a fair distance, and especially quite hazardous at night, as much of the path between the church and hall is unlit. The film was a great success, although the start had to be delayed, as the DVD player initially used to show the film developed a fault, and a second player had to be used. The delay meant that the raffle draw which had been planned for the end of the event was brought forward. Nevertheless all those who attended enjoyed themselves, and a substantial sum of money was added to the toilet in the church project. More on "Hidden Figures" at the end of this week's update.

As regular readers will be aware, I am very keen on observing  the law of unintended consequences. Several of these unintended consequences are occurring either now, on in the very near future. Unfortunately very few people - and especially politicians, are aware of them. I am not about to debate the ins and outs (pun intended) of the whole Brexit issue, because (1) I don't do politics on the Blog, and more importantly (2) because it is outside of the remit of the Maggot Sandwich, which deals primarily with issues in the Northern part of the London Borough of Bexley. However, some anomalies have been discovered which do bear reporting. Among the daily two-dozen or so government updates on Brexit progress slipped in on Friday were a number considering the impact on copyright and intellectual property. Firstly: anyone using an EU satellite decoder to access programmes included in a UK broadcast (to avoid a charge) will be breaking the rules after Brexit. If you are accessing programmes in your native language, or otherwise using an EU decoder for any reason except to avoid paying you can continue to do so - all rather confusing. Also changing are rules on EU Portability Regulation. This currently allows people to access online services from anywhere in Europe as if they were at home. So you can use Amazon Prime or Netflix, for example, if you are a British citizen temporarily in another European country. European citizens have the same rights when visiting the UK. That arrangement will end come Brexit. Providers will no longer have an obligation to make sure that is possible, although they may continue to do so on a voluntary basis. The EU Orphan Rights Directive will also be removed. In simple terms this covers copyrighted items – films, books or photos – where the rights holder is either not known or cannot be found. It covers quite large amounts of material held by archives and museums and offered online. The British Film Institute, for instance, offers 170 orphaned works on a dedicated YouTube channel. Government advice is for cultural institutions to remove any orphaned works from their collection online, consider applying for a UK orphan licence, or if they have a UK licence find a way to limit access to only UK residents.

Plans have been submitted to Bexley Council Planning Department regarding the old Hainault building in Lesney Park Road. The submission is for the demolition of the existing buildings and erection of 25 dwellings comprising 5 x 4 bed, 7 x 3 bed, 5 x 2 bed houses and 8 x 1 bed supported living apartments together with car parking and associated works, as shown in the picture above - click on it for a larger view. The site has some considerable local history. The Infant Welfare and Maternity Home was opened in 1920 by the Erith Urban District Council in a large Victorian house named 'Hainault', bought for the purpose as a cost of £1800. The Home had six beds, three of which were in the maternity ward. There was also an infant welfare centre, and antenatal, dental and school clinics were held there.  The coach house and stables were converted into an operating theatre.  The staff consisted of two midwives, a ward maid, a cook and a caretaker. The Maternity Home remained open during WW2, although it was in a danger zone.  A temporary clinic was added in 1943.  In 1944 a flying bomb exploded nearby and caused considerable damage, but the only injury was to a baby in its cot. In 1945 the building was extended and the bed number increased to 22. In 1948 the Home joined the NHS under the administration of the Woolwich Group Hospital Management Committee. It was renamed the Hainault Maternity Hospital. In 1956 the bed numbers were increased to 24. In 1965 a delivery unit was added, which provided two first-stage rooms and a bathroom, WC and sterilising room. The Home closed in 1974 with 21 beds, a victim of the new NHS policy of placing maternity units in general hospitals. From 2009 until 2014 the Hainault became Hainault Hostel, a long-stay hostel with 12 beds for people with learning difficulties run by the MCCH Society Ltd. After 2014 it was closed, and is now being readied for demolition. My understanding is that the old buildings did not meet modern health and safety regulations, and would have been too difficult (and thus expensive) to modify.

A story that has not been picked up to date by the local media is a very worrying one. You may well be aware that Police Officers were called at 2.48pm on October 13th to Barnehurst Avenue following reports of males fighting in the street. Officers attended with the London Ambulance Service. A 20-year-old man was found suffering from a stab injury to his chest. He was taken to an East London hospital, where he died at 5.27pm that day. Two sixteen year old boys were subsequently arrested on charges of murder. What is far less well known is that a stabbing happened on Friday night in Erith. At around 11pm on Friday the 25th of October, a youth was stabbed in Aperfield Road, Erith; I understand he then staggered into Manor Road near to the zebra crossing outside of the Premier corner shop, where he flagged down a passing car and the sought aid. Police and Ambulance personnel were soon on the scene, and the whole of Manor Road was closed to traffic for several hours. It is understood that the injuries to the youth were relatively minor; nevertheless this is an alarming development. I am unaware and unable at this point to comment on the specifics of the case.

There has been considerable controversy and discussion on a number of radio enthusiast websites over the last month or so; the reason for the debate has been the fact that the 648 KHz Medium Wave transmissions from Radio Caroline have been much reduced in output power for some time, and many listeners have been concerned about this; some theorised that Caroline had deliberately cut the transmitter power to save on the electricity bill. This turns out to be far from the case, and the conspiracy theorists were incorrect. Radio Caroline Transmitter Engineer Alan Beech writes:- "Radio Caroline returned to the medium waveband on 648 KHz AM as a legal broadcaster at the end of 2017 after applying for and being granted the OfCom licence for the Essex and Suffolk areas of South Eastern England. You can hear us strongly in Suffolk and most of Essex, with the signal dropping off gradually further afield. Those with 'good' radios or communication receivers can hear us at considerable distances from our transmitter, depending on local conditions and other factors. In the 'watery wireless' days Radio Caroline, and other offshore radio stations, had to use radio-ships housing powerful transmitters to broadcast to their area of choice. These days, with an efficient aerial at a suitable land-based location extreme high power isn't as necessary – although our allocated 1 kilowatt ERP has challenged our engineers to get the best match between transmitter and aerial to squeeze every milliwatt of our power allocation up the aerial mast! Our (second hand) Nautel transmitter is housed at the former BBC World Service site at Orford Ness, an irony not lost on us. The site though is not open to the public, and being on an island isn't readily accessible to anybody except those that work there full time. Getting this far was a long process, but it has given the station a tremendous boost and helped prove that, despite the current pan-government trend of dropping AM in favour of DAB, there is still sufficient interest in old fashioned 'steam radio' – and indeed the radio sets to receive it. On Friday 11th of October our engineers made a long planned visit to our 648 transmitter site to give the equipment a general tune up and service. It was two years ago when we installed the equipment at Orford Ness in October 2017, and we knew that future access for maintenance visits would need careful planning and arrangement. Not just because it is located on a remote site only accessible by boat, but also our engineers all live 100-200 miles away and have their own busy work schedules. It is testament to the quality of the 25 year old Nautel transmitter and the other equipment which was expertly installed by our engineers that it has run for 2 years without requiring a single maintenance visit - something that was unimaginable when we were out at sea and equipment needed almost constant attention. However, our on site telemetry system reported minor problems following late summer thunderstorms, and over the past month or two our own observations plus comments from listeners were that our signal was not as good as it used to be. On site we found that two of the six power amplifier modules within the transmitter had shutdown (presumably as a result of lightning strikes) and would not respond to a remote reset command. These were manually reset and a general overhaul of the equipment was undertaken. The air filters for the cooling fans were found to be caked in dust and dirt and with these cleaned the airflow is now much better and the amplifier temperature much lower. All electrical connections were inspected for tightness and voltage and meter readings noted to make sure everything was within spec. We also took the opportunity to finely adjust our audio processing since this is much easier to do precisely when you have test equipment such as an oscilloscope and modulation monitor connected to the transmitter rather than adjusting remotely and relying on your ears! Overall we were impressed as to how clean and the stable the installation was, considering it is so close to a salt water environment. Various comments received from listeners during Friday all reported improved reception so it was definitely a worthwhile visit and gets our signal ready for those dark winter days when interference levels on the AM band generally increase". So there you have it - no conspiracy, merely a much overdue need for preventative maintenance. 

Another planning related story, this time with the controversial White Hart African Restaurant in Erith High Street. The restaurant has now been open for a year, after it got it original extended hours licence application rejected. It originally wanted to open from 10am until 5am the next morning, seven days a week. Last October a session of the planning committee sat in Bexley Council Offices to consider the application by the licencee, Mr Ojuanu Sodunke. It was unanimously rejected. In her representation to the sub committee, Councillor Nicola Taylor said:- "Erith does welcome this restaurant to the area and the opening is much anticipated. We have followed the restoration of the historic building closely. However, this establishment is close to residential homes. Behind it there are two retirement developments, and there are family properties close. All of these residents would be impacted. All of the residents have expressed concerns over the increase of public nuisance. The town centre is quiet in the evening. Residents have a fear the area will become an area known for excessive drinking, possibly worse. It seems mad to have an establishment open for these hours. We have got to consider the community as a whole". The White Hart already held / holds what is termed as a "Luxury" licence, which enables it to open until 1am on Friday and Saturday - more than enough time to operate as a restaurant and bar. Quite why Mr. Sodunke wanted to open until 5am still seems unclear. Now, exactly one year later, he has made a further licencing application. This time the request for a change in the licence conditions reads as follows:- "The application is to apply to change the Class Use of the Premises from A4 to mixed use A3/A4, as the premises predominantly trades as a restaurant under the current owners. This use of the premises commenced on the 17/10 /2018, when licensable matters were finally sorted out, and it was only when the applicant received a letter from Bexley Council advising that they did not have the correct permitted use to trade as a restaurant that this application was commenced. The application is also seeking to remove the following conditions from the current planning permission 15/02366/FUL. No Live Music. We wish this to be removed, to allow the applicant the flexibility to have live African music for certain events. given the soundproofing has been installed in relation to recorded music, the live music would be subject to the same conditions as recorded music and so would not cause a disturbance to the residents. Sales to cease at 23:00 hours Monday to Sunday and the premises closed at 23:30 Monday to Sunday. We wish to amend the permitted hours to align with those granted by the Licensing Authority, namely Sunday to Thursday 10:00 to midnight, with the doors locked at 00:30 hours, and Friday and Saturday 10:00 to 01:00 with the doors locked at 01:30. These hours have in the past been traded, with no complaint from residents and neighbouring properties". What this change in planning status does not address is the stark fact that The White Hart has been using the former pub's  beer cellar as additional restaurant space, despite being forbidden to do so by the London Fire Brigade, as the converted cellar space only has one entrance / exit, and no secondary fire escape. This restriction was made abundantly clear at the planning meeting last year, but photographic evidence shows that the former cellar area is in use despite being forbidden by the fire brigade. On top of this, the restaurant still only has a one star "Scores on the Door" hygiene rating, as you can see by clicking here. We need more restaurants, bars and other night time venues in the local area, but they have to be compliant with the regulations. Feel free to contact me in confidence at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

I have written at some length in the past of Hiram Maxim, the American born, but naturalised British subject who went onto to be granted a Knighthood. There was a second foreign born engineer and inventor who worked in Erith at around the same time as Hiram Maxim; his name was Thorsten Nordenfelt. He was a Swedish born and educated man who married a British woman and moved to the UK - his photo is above - click on it to see a larger version; initially they lived at an address in the Uxbridge Road, Paddington, after migrating to the UK in 1867. Thorsten and his British brother in law started a business trading high quality Swedish steel for British railway rails and engineering fittings. After a while, he founded the Nordenfelt Arms and Ammunition Company, which manufactured a variety of medium calibre deck mounted guns for arming motor torpedo boats and coastal patrol vessels. The guns were manufactured in Erith (as you may gather, in Edwardian times, Erith was a major centre for weapons manufacture, and many locals were employed in the factories).  The problem that Thorsten Nordenfelt had was that he  was an excellent engineer, but an absolutely terrible businessman. His arms factory was losing money hand over fist, and after much pressure from his bank – Rothschilds – Nordenfelt was forced to merge his company with Maxim to form the Maxim Nordenfelt Guns and Ammunition company, with Maxim as the majority shareholder. Two years later Nordenfelt was declared personally bankrupt, and lost complete control of the company, leaving Maxim the benefactor. Not to be deterred, Nordenfelt and his family upped sticks and moved to France, hoping to start afresh. He set up a new company designing arms, and developed a revolutionary new breech mechanism for the French 75mm field gun. This all went swimmingly until he received a letter from Maxim’s lawyers, reminding him that he had signed a non compete clause that Nordenfelt  had signed upon leaving the Maxim Nordenfelt company. The case went as far as the House of Lords, and was found partially in Nordenfelt’s favour, but by this time he had grown heartily sick of the arms business, and decided to go into the then brand new submarine business instead. He formed a new company with a vicar and keen amateur naval architect called the Reverend George Garrett. They jointly designed a new submarine – the Nordenfelt One, which weighed in at fifty six tons, was 19.5 metres long and had a range on the surface of 240 kilometres, powered by a one hundred horse power steam engine which gave the vessel a speed of nine knots. It was armed with a single torpedo, and a deck mounted gun. It had to shut down the steam engine before it could dive. It was accepted by the Greek Navy, but never saw active service, and ended up being scrapped in 1901. A Nordenfelt Two submarine was later built, followed by a Three, which was larger at thirty metres long; It did have one claim to fame – it was the first ever submarine to successfully fire a torpedo at a target whilst fully submerged. The final Nordenfelt submarine was the Four, which was commissioned by the Russian Navy, but in sea trials it proved to be unstable and very unseaworthy, and ended up running aground off Jutland. The Russians refused to pay for it, in yet another commercial disaster for Nordenfeldt. He then decided to call it a day and retired to Sweden, where he died in 1920 aged 78. Some small signs of Thorsten Nordenfelt do still exist in Erith. Nordenfelt Road, off West Street is one link, as was the Nordenfelt Tavern at 181 Erith Road – a local pub named after the man; it is now long closed and converted into flats, and so another link with our past is severed. Please leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

The Association of Bexley Charities '78 held its Autumn Fair in the Geddes Place Reformed Church Hall, Bexleyheath on Saturday the 26th October. There were eleven stalls selling  a variety of goods including Christmas cards, calendars, children’s toys, knitted goods, cakes, jams, jigsaw puzzles, books, model railway items, jewellery, handbags, clothes and shoes. The refreshments, tea, coffee, cakes and cheese and ham rolls were particularly popular.  The event was very well attended by more than 100 people.  The Worshipful the Mayor of the London Borough of Bexley, Councillor Geraldine Lucia-Hennis and her husband, Peter Lucia-Hennis, also supported the event and spent more than an hour meeting and talking to the stall holders. Thanks to John Salt for the information and the photo above - click on it for a larger view.

Now for the weekly local safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly the report from Barnehurst ward:- "Unfortunately Barnehurst have suffered a burglary and an attempted burglary. Both Incidents occurred on Monday 21st October 2019. In Holmsdale Grove between 08.10pm – 11.00pm an untidy search was carried out throughout the property. Cash and jewellery were taken. It is believed entry was gained by forcing the front door which was not locked securely due to a faulty mortice lock. The attempted burglary occurred overnight in Westfield Road whereby tools were used in an attempt to gain entry. Tool marks were visible to the top and bottom frame. Thankfully no entry was gained.  In Eversley Avenue on Monday 14/10/19 overnight a vehicle was broken into and a wallet taken. Also in Eversley Avenue on Monday 14/10/2019 and again overnight an attempt had been made to steal a motorcycle from a drive way. The security chain was found cut and steering lock broken. A lock on the front wheel prevented the bike from being stolen.  In a private car park in Colyers Lane between the Friday 18th – Monday 21st October suspects have jumped over a fence to gain access to a BMW. The dashboard, gearbox, and door interiors were taken from the vehicle. On 22/10/19 victim returned to his van in Eversley Cross to find a side window smashed. Fortunately the van was fitted with an alarm, tracker and a steering wheel lock. Nothing was taken.The team attended a Diwali community event. Officers gave crime prevention advice and were happy to answer questions on local issues. The event proved very successful. We cannot stress enough the importance of looking at your home security especially at this time of year. Is the front of your property obscured by trees/bushes giving burglars more time? Do you ask neighbours to take wheelie bins in or remove leaflets sticking out of letterboxes? What items do you leave in your porch? (Items left here tell a burglar something about the residents) Do burglars see what your home is like by having a clear view through a window? Are you double locking your doors ? Think about things what you could do to make it look like someone is home. Alarm systems nowadays can be affordable and are very easy to use. Our community contact session will be on Tuesday 05/11/19 at 11.00 in Barnehurst Golf Club. Please pop along and meet the team. This is also an opportunity to meet other residents on the ward". Belvedere ward:- "PC's Rob and Marc have been undertaking patrols across the ward this week including plain clothed drug patrols and burglary initiatives. Two males in the past week have been stopped and searched by the officers and drugs found and cautions administered accordingly. These took place in Brook Street and Picardy Road respectively. PCSO Jay has been completing his usual sterling reassurance work and visiting those unfortunate enough to have been the victim of a burglary. Here he offers crime prevention advice along with the opportunity to take part in the smart water initiative which has been a huge success within the Met. A gentle reminder please to all residents about securing windows and doors at night and when leaving the property. The run up to Christmas historically can see a rise in burglary and theft offences, so therefore anything you can do to hinder these horrible crimes will stop you from becoming a victim". Bexleyheath ward:- "There was a theft of number plates overnight 19th October/20th October. Removed from a black Toyota Aygo whilst parked in Trinity Place". Crayford ward:- "On Saturday 12th October at 3.45am someone was disturbed trying to get in to a garden shed in Heathview Avenue, no entry was gained. A window was smashed by 2 male youths and one female youth in Crayford High Street on Tuesday 15th October at 21.10.  A female victim's black and white bicycle with black bags near the rear wheel that was chained up. was stolen from near the Doctor surgery in Crayford Town Centre. On Friday 11th October it was reported that a number of cards and pin numbers and letters relating to loans had been received at an address in Dale Road. It transpired that the postman had kindly told the residents that post was being stolen from external letter boxes, they had removed theirs and then received this post in their name which it is believed the suspect intended to steal from the external post box and use fraudulently. A large quantity of beef joints were stolen from Aldi on Thursday 17th October at 20.15, the IC1 male described as having dark hair got in to a grey Mercedes convertible to get away. A motorcycle was stolen from The Homestead between Thursday 17th October and Friday 18th October, no make, model or number plate given on the report.  Between 17.00 on Sunday 20th October and 8.29 on Monday 21st October the corner stone of a wall was damaged, shrubs were destroyed and vandalism occurred at Hall Place overnight. A car intentionally drove at a parked vehicle in the car park at Denton Road, moving it some distance. There was an attempted burglary in Crayford Way on Monday 21st October at approx. 21.45. The suspect smashed the porch door and attempted to enter the front door within but was disturbed by the homeowner, the suspect ran off and got in to the front passenger seat of a small black car. Iceland had meat stolen on Monday 21st October at 9.30am, the female was seen putting meat in her bag, she abused staff on being challenged, they have CCTV and photographic evidence. On Monday Monday 21st between 6.00 and 23.30 someone attempted to enter a property in Medway Road causing damage to the rear door lock, UVPC surround and seal, entry believed to be via shared access between houses. On Wednesday 23rd October at 00.55 a vehicle came in to the rear of Tower Retail park and attempted to jack up a silver Honda Jazz, on being disturbed the suspects chased the victim before making off. On Tuesday 22nd October number plates were stolen from a vehicle parked in London Road, no further details known at this time. Our next community contact session will be held at Vintage Lindy Lou's at Waterside Gardens on Wednesday 30th October between 10.00-11.00. Could I urge those of you with external mailboxes to consider that a criminal can get their hands in them and remove your post, gaining your identity and attempting to obtain credit in your name. The darker nights are really drawing in now, please visit www.met.police.uk/burglary to consider ways to keep your home safe and looking occupied when you are out". Erith ward:- "Trick or treating. We want you to enjoy Halloween, but remember, not everyone wants to take part! Here's a few things to remember when you're out this Halloween. • If you're going trick or treating, make sure you go with an adult and your parent or carer knows where you're going and when to expect you back. • Respect posters asking you not to trick or treat at someone's house. • Don't go trick or treating alone - stay with your group. • Eggs and flour are for baking. Don't throw them. • Be careful crossing roads in the dark. Residents advice - It is not just at Halloween when unexpected callers turn up on your doorstep. • Remember official visitors should always make an appointment beforehand • Look through the door view or window to see who is outside. • If you decide to open the door, put the chain or bar on first. • Check the caller's details before you let them into your home. Telephone the relevant organisation to confirm the caller's identity • Do not rely on a phone number that the caller gives you". Northumberland Heath ward:- "At 04:35 hours, the Police were called to Bexley Road, DA8 following reports of a male lying unconscious in the road. Police attended and established that the male was the victim of a fail-to-stop road traffic collision. The victim is a 26 year old male from the Bexley area. Enquiries are on-going at this time for the driver and vehicle. The victim remains in a critical condition at a hospital in South London. Police are asking for witnesses to come forward".

Slade Green and Northend ward:- "Only one crime of note. Around 4am on Saturday 19/10 a vehicle was broken in to on the new estate at Egerton Place next to Richmer Road. Items taken were a Satellite Navigator, an iPod and cash. Again we reiterate the importance of removing ALL valuable items from your vehicle at all times. Our police officers have been working late shifts doing ASB (Anti-Social Behaviour) patrols with our neighbouring SNT's in the last week and this will continue until after bonfire night. This time of year is always busier in terms of ASB so extra effort is being made across the borough to do targeted patrols in hotspot areas. Halloween will see many more officers patrolling during the evening times. PCSO Mark attended the Welcome Café at St Augustines church on Tuesday. 30 people were there to enjoy tea, cakes and lunch with Reverend Jim Bennett and church staff. (see photo above - click on it for a larger view). Our next Community Contact Session is on Monday 28/10/2019 in Slade Green Library from 3pm". Thamesmead East ward:- "Thursday 17/10/19 smashed window to vehicle. Another incident occurred between the hours of 04;30pm of 16/10/19 and 08;00 of the 17/10/19 the drivers window was smashed, nothing taken. Between Monday 21/10/19 at 10:00pm and 07;40 of Tuesday 22/10/19 the drivers side window was smashed .The vehicle was displaying both front and rear green taxi badges, nothing taken. Between the hours of 01;00am and 11:00am of Tuesday 22/10/19, the drivers window was smashed and a sat nav was taken from the glovebox. Two vehicle owners residing in Wolvercote Road ,but had their vehicles parked near Coralline Walk, the drivers window of one vehicle was smashed ,two pairs of glasses to the value of £210;00 were taken. Lensbury Way. Between the hours of 05:00am - 05:30am on Thursday 17/10/19, the owner of a vehicle heard a window smash and saw a suspect making off.£50.00 in change was taken. Officers conducting an arrest enquiry found the male to have in his address, property belonging to an recent victim of theft from a motor vehicle. Enquiries are ongoing".West Heath ward:- "One attempted burglary in Long Lane on Saturday October 19th between 6am – 6.30am. The occupant heard a noise and went downstairs but did not see anything. He went back up to bed and then the lights came on and he discovered the living room rear window damaged. He stated the window is double glazed and the inner pane was cracked. He looked out of his conservatory and saw a suspect in a hood jump over his wall and run away. He also stated when he heard the first noise it was the suspect trying the handle on his front door. We have had several motor vehicle crimes reported to us over the last week. One theft of a white Sprinter van in Bedonwell Road overnight between Tuesday October 22nd at 8pm and 7am on Wednesday 23rd when the victim discovered it missing. Theft on a front number plate from a vehicle parked in Bedonwell Road on Saturday October 19th at 11pm. A handbag containing a number of personal effects were stolen from a vehicle in Longleigh Lane between Saturday October 19th at 8.50pm and 11am the following morning. It is believed the vehicle was accidentally left unlocked. Please check your vehicles are locked and secure before leaving them unattended and do not leave any items on show for potential thieves to steal".

The end video this week harks back to the first news story in this week's Maggot Sandwich update (who says I don't plan these things?) It is the trailer for the film "Hidden Figures" as shown at Christ Church Erith last night. If you have not already seen this excellent movie, then I would strongly recommend that you do so. It is available on DVD and Blu Ray, as well as on several streaming video services - your mileage may vary. Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

The Big Sky.

I took the photo above a while ago; it shows the River Thames at low tide, exposing the historic Erith wooden jetty that is still used by Erith Rowing Club to launch and recover their canoes. The photo really shows what I call Erith's "Big Sky" - something that you cannot see anywhere else in the London Borough of Bexley.  More on the view from the river front at Erith, and its unique properties later in this update. 

In the 12 months to the end of June of last year, Tesco distributed 430 million "bags for life" – the highest number for a supermarket. Environmental Investigation Agency figures show Sainsbury’s gave out 268 million, Morrisons 140 million, Aldi 52 million, Co-op 28 million, Waitrose 22 million, Marks and Spencer 14 million and Iceland 3.5 million bags.  Environmental campaigners are calling on retailers to increase the cost of bags for life to at least £1 in order to clamp down on their use. Environment Secretary, and current Prime Ministerial candidate Michael Gove is reportedly planning to hike the price of these bags to a minimum of 20p, which some supermarkets have already voluntarily done. He is also expected to extend the charge to small shops, which are currently able to give out plastic bags without making customers pay. Mr Gove is not planning to take any action on plastic bags for life. Some people just find it an inconvenience but will stump up the 10p or 20p to get their shopping home. Those are the people who have never and will never have their own bags with them when shopping, and regard the whole bag charge as a cost of going shopping. The problem with the 20p "bags for life" issued by many shops is that unlike their more expensive versions, which can cost up to £2 each, the 20p bags tend to be relatively fragile, despite containing twice the amount of plastic than the single use versions. In addition reusing such bags also can raise the risk of food poisoning, Bags for life pose a food poisoning risk if they are used to carry raw foods such as meat and fish, a consumer watchdog has warned. The Food Standards Agency says even if there is no leakage, packaging can harbour traces of harmful bacteria that can cause stomach bugs. Shoppers should have separate bags for raw foods, ready-to-eat foods and household items such as detergent. Reusable bags could be colour coded or labelled to avoid any mix-up, it says. If there has been visible spillage, soiling or damage, plastic bags for life should be replaced, while fabric ones could be washed or cleaned. "Even if there are no obvious spillages or staining after several uses, we would recommend that cotton/fabric bags for life be machine-washed regularly if they have been used for carrying raw items," warn the FSA. It is all so much more complicated than many, including me, had ever realised. Morrison's supermarket have been particularly clumsy in reacting to the changes; firstly they hiked the price of their entry - level plastic carriers from 10p to 20p each, with no increase in the extremely poor quality. Last week I used one for only the second time, and one of the handles came off, entitling me to a free replacement - but with each plastic "bag for life" containing twice as much plastic as one of the older single use bags, it does strike me that Morrison's at the very least are trying to be seen to do the right thing, without necessarily actually doing it. On top of this, I am a keen user of the Morrison's self service salad bar - on the occasions that it is actually open. Previously customers filled various sized salad containers and took them to the checkout, where the container was then wrapped to prevent leakage - the containers have a snap lid, but they have a tendency to break open and leak, which can cause quite a mess, especially if it happens whilst on your way home. Now the bags that are used to wrap the sometimes leaky salad containers are no more. Please don't get me wrong - I entirely support the move to reduce the prevalence of one time use plastics, and I am a very keen recycler. What I do object to is the virtue signalling of the big supermarket chains, where they make changes that are detrimental to the customers in the effort to be seen to be green. I am keen that the big supermarkets make changes that are less harmful to the environment, but please actually think things through rather than taking a "knee jerk" reaction to the public mood. The law of unintended consequences has seemingly come into force yet again; I have been talking to a couple of (anonymous) contacts I have in retail management. It would seem that the ban on giving away free plastic carrier bags at supermarkets has been successful in reducing the number of disposable bags shifted by the stores, but it has had an effect that has at the time of writing proved to be far more economically damaging. What has happened is that criminals are now able to walk around supermarkets with large reusable shopping bags on their arms, and can easily shoplift items into the anonymous bags. For shop security staff, someone carrying a large shopping bag around the store used to be a significant indicator that they could well be a shoplifter, and the security staff would consequently pay them more attention. Now that virtually all shoppers carry their own bags round the store, the criminals can far more easily blend in with the innocent shoppers. I have been told that the increased levels of stock loss have completely wiped out the lowered costs of supplying single use shopping bags in many high - street stores, but the management do not want to highlight the issue for fear of being thought of as "anti environment".  What do you think? Leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me in confidence at hugh.neal@gmail.com. 

Groundwork London, the consultancy that is currently advising Bexley Council regarding improvements to the public realm in and around Erith, published the following press release last week; it reads thus:- "Several more events are planned following the success of two open days held in April at 68 Pier Road Erith, when over 200 local people came along and gave their views on the improvements planned to begin in Erith this year.  Local people can give their views on the Riverside Gardens improvements at two more consultation events, that will be held as part of the Erith Kitchen, at Pier Road on Friday 14 June 4pm–9pm and Friday 12 July 4pm–9pm. There is no need to pre-register for these - simply turn up on the day. An online survey is also available for community input into the refreshed Riverside Gardens in Erith. Cllr Louie French, Bexley’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Growth said: “The support of the local community is essential to help Erith become a vibrant riverside town again.  Its’s important to us that we get the input of local people at an early stage and that we ensure the improvements benefit everyone’. That’s why we’re running lots of different consultation events and have commissioned the specialists Groundwork to help us run the co-design and engagement process for the Riverside Gardens, and GCDA, who helped us deliver the open days at 68 Pier Road. There will be lots more opportunities to tell us what you think and you can always contact us via the Greater Erith website.”  Daniel Brittle, Community Programme Manager, Groundwork London said: “We’re delighted to be working with London Borough of Bexley to reach out to the community and find out what residents, businesses and community groups would like from the Riverside Gardens. We’re looking forward to hearing the creative suggestions that local residents come up with.” Residents can fill out the survey online www.greatererith.com/riversidegardens and community groups will also be invited to give their views at a Riverside Gardens Ideas Forum in May. There’ll also be the chance to get involved in outdoor activities celebrating Erith such as wellbeing walks and heritage talks. The details of which will be publicised on the Greater Erith website. The Improvements proposed to start in 2019 will be funded with £1.6m the Council secured from the Mayor of London’s Good Growth Fund.  As well as the upgrade of the Riverside Gardens, improvements include bringing Units 66 and 68 Pier Road, that have stood empty for some years, back into use and securing the long-term future of 70 Pier Road.  Funding will also be used to support business start-ups by providing new office space in the town centre to showcase their products and services and the pedestrianised area on Erith High Street will be brightened up. The improvements will build on previous regeneration work funded by the Council and the Mayor through their partnership project, the ‘Greater Erith Programme’. This includes the upgraded public areas at Erith Station and the soon to be renovated public space at the entrance to Erith Pier, as well as the renovation of the Carnegie Library building. Find out more about the planned improvements and tell us what you think at www.greatererith.com or follow Greater Erith on Facebook and Twitter.  

A technology birthday happened last week, and almost nobody even noticed; Microsoft's Bing search engine had its tenth anniversary. The engine was launched back in 2009 with the hope of persuading people to adopt yet another verb and "Bing it" rather than "Google it". Microsoft has sunk millions of dollars into Bing in the last decade, with almost no effect. Currently worldwide web searches using Bing account for 9.4 percent of the total, whilst Google's share of search (which does not include China) now is 75.48 percent. The USA is pretty much the only country where Bing has any kind of traction - with a creditable 34 per cent of the market (as of 2018) with 6 billion monthly searches. Around 19 per cent of UK searches are performed using Bing (405 million monthly). It is worth remembering that those figures are from the Bing team and include Yahoo! searches. Bing itself was a replacement for Windows Live Search and was unveiled by then CEO Steve Ballmer on 28 May 2009 with Yahoo! jumping on board in July of that year to have its search powered by Ballmer's baby. The Microsoft team has spent the years fiddling with the search engine in an effort to speed things up and make the results more relevant in order to tempt users away from the Google behemoth - even paying users to search with the thing, in the form of Microsoft Rewards, has not made much of a dent in Google's global search dominance. Incidentally, I once met the aforementioned Steve Ballmer. My encounter with him was very brief; I attended the UK launch of Windows XP back in 2001 in London, after managing to blag a ticket to the event through my job (there were occasions when working for a household name multinational blue chip professional services firm had its benefits). I was sat in an aisle seat in the Royal Festival Hall. There was a big opening video with a track by Madonna, then Ballmer came running down from the back of the hall, all WWE wrestling style. Had I known Ballmer was  running past my seat a couple of moments earlier, I could have stuck my leg out and sent him flying. Anyway, at the end of the presentation, a few members of the audience, myself included were invited for a corporate “meet and greet” session. I said hello to Steve Ballmer; he took one look at me, and the polo shirt I was wearing, and his look was pure poison. He blanked me completely. I have to say that I was very impressed with this reaction; the polo shirt he had taken such offence to was a sober grey in colour, but on the right  hand breast was embroidered Tux – the Linux mascot; this was at around the time that he said of the open source movement  “Linux is a cancer that attaches itself in an intellectual property sense to everything it touches.” Understandably he was not too impressed with my appearance! Steve Ballmer is retired now, thankfully, as his record as a business leader was patchy at best, and I personally found him to be a boorish loudmouth. 

There has been much speculation regarding the fate of the former Cairngall Medical Centre in Erith Road, Upper Belvedere. The building had been used as a GP surgery for the last half a century, but due to the owners of the building being unwilling to renegotiate the lease with the partnership who operated from the building, the doctors practice closed permanently earlier this year, and all of the patients were forced to move to other nearby medical practices. It had been thought by some locals that the prime development spot might well result in the current building being demolished, but recently information became available that the owners of the building actually plan to turn it into a pre - school children's nursery, as you can see from the architectural floor plan drawing above - click on the image to see a larger version. Workers have been active on the site over the last few weeks, mainly clearing the garden and the small car park that is next to the main building. A series of skips have been on site, and it would also appear that the interior of the building has now been stripped prior to alteration work commencing. More on this story in the weeks to come. 

Many regular Maggot Sandwich readers are familiar with my writing about Hiram Maxim, the inventor,  engineer and very successful businessman whose main factory works were located in Fraser Road, Erith for many years in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. There was a second foreign born engineer and inventor who worked in Erith at around the same time as Hiram Maxim; his name was Thorsten Nordenfelt. He was a Swedish born and educated man who married a British woman and moved to the UK; initially they lived at an address in the Uxbridge Road, Paddington, after migrating to the UK in 1867. Thorsten and his British brother in law started a business trading high quality Swedish steel for British railway rails and engineering fittings. After a while, he founded the Nordenfelt Arms and Ammunition Company, which manufactured a variety of medium calibre deck mounted guns for arming motor torpedo boats and coastal patrol vessels. The guns were manufactured in Erith (as you may gather, in Edwardian times, Erith was a major centre for weapons manufacture, and many locals were employed in the factories). The problem that Thorsten Nordenfelt had was that he  was an excellent engineer, but an absolutely terrible businessman. His arms factory was losing money hand over fist, and after much pressure from his bank – Rothschilds – Nordenfelt was forced to merge his company with Maxim to form the Maxim Nordenfelt Guns and Ammunition company, with Maxim as the majority shareholder. Two years later Nordenfelt was declared personally bankrupt, and lost complete control of the company, leaving Maxim the benefactor. Not to be deterred, Nordenfelt and his family upped sticks and moved to France, hoping to start afresh. He set up a new company designing arms, and developed a revolutionary new breech mechanism for the French 75mm field gun. This all went swimmingly until he received a letter from Maxim’s lawyers, reminding him that he had signed a non compete clause that Nordernfelt had signed upon leaving the Maxim Nordenfelt company. The case went as far as the House of Lords, and was found partially in Nordenfelt’s favour, but by this time he had grown heartily sick of the arms business, and decided to go into the then brand new submarine business instead. He formed a new company with a vicar and keen amateur naval architect called the Reverend George Garrett. They jointly designed a new submarine – the Nordenfelt One, which weighed in at fifty six tons, was 19.5 metres long and had a range on the surface of 240 kilometres, powered by a one hundred horse power steam engine which gave the vessel a speed of nine knots. It was armed with a single torpedo, and a deck mounted gun. It had to shut down the steam engine before it could dive. It was accepted by the Greek Navy, but never saw active service, and ended up being scrapped in 1901. A Nordenfelt Two submarine was later built, followed by a Three, which was larger at thirty metres long; It did have one claim to fame – it was the first ever submarine to successfully fire a torpedo at a target whilst fully submerged. The final Nordenfelt submarine was the Four, which was commissioned by the Russian Navy, but in sea trials it proved to be unstable and very unseaworthy, and ended up running aground off Jutland. The Russians refused to pay for it, in yet another commercial disaster for Nordenfelt. He then decided to call it a day and retired to Sweden, where he died in 1920 aged 78. Some small signs of Thorsten Nordenfelt do still exist in Erith. Nordenfelt Road, off West Street is one link, as was the Nordenfelt Tavern at 181 Erith Road – a local pub named after the man; it is now long closed and converted into flats, and so another link with our past is severed.

Now for the weekly local safety and security reports from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly the report from Barnehurst ward:- "On Tuesday 28th May 2019 between 02.30 and 03.30am an attempted burglary occurred in Coniston Close. Unfortunately a side gate was left open and suspects have entered and taken plastic piping. It is believed suspects have attempted to enter the property by trying a rear door handle, this triggered the house alarm and suspects fled. A burglary occurred on Monday 03/06/2019 in Cumbrian Avenue between 06.00am and 23.30pm nothing was taken however a television was smashed. It is believed entry was gained through an open window. In Hillingdon Road there was a theft from motor vehicle on Saturday 01/06/2019. The item taken has since been recovered by the owner after seeing it for sale on eBay. In Hurstwood Avenue a mobile phone was taken from a vehicle, the window was smashed and glove compartment was also searched. Our next community contact session is on Tuesday 18th June 2019, 4pm at the Barnehurst Golf Club. Please come along and join us for a chat. From Member of the Public - in Downbank Avenue:- I was walking my dog in the grounds of Barnehurst Golf Club when 2 unaccompanied Rottweilers ran from the rear of a property backing onto park and attacked my dog. I lifted my dog up and the 2 dogs continued to attack me and my dog. After a few minutes the dogs must have been called off by someone from the house, although i could not see who. My dog needed the vet's attention. It was a very frightening experience". Belvedere ward:- "We had an attempted garage burglary on Wednesday 29th May in Elstree Gardens. The lock was broken and door opened but nothing was taken. It happened overnight. On the same night we had a burglary at the Chestnut Nursery on Nuxley Road. Access was gained through a window. A camera was taken. CCTV enquiries are on-going. On the Thursday 30th May we had a report from a resident that a male was seen to be loitering in a back garden in Mossdown Close during the day. Police attended but the male had gone. If anyone sees someone in their back garden please do call Police as they are probably up to no good. There has been some criminal damage to a wooden door leading to a rear garden in Albert Road. This has happened three times, once during the half term and twice last weekend. Garage burglaries are continuing, this time in the Albert Road estate. Locks have bene broken off and doors opened but nothing taken. If you see anyone loitering that looks suspicious and out of place please contact Police. The Wellbeing Centre had a window damaged during the half term week. The window was smashed, nothing was taken from inside. No exact date and time known. There was a distraction burglary on Tuesday 4/06/2019 in Court Avenue. At approximately 1500 hours two males knock at an address claiming that the homeowners roof is damaged. While the owner stays with one of the males the other goes into the address and steals a large sum of money. If you have any cold callers and are not happy with them never let them into your property or step outside, leaving the door open. Do not give any personal details over. If you have any concerns about a cold caller please let us know. Any descriptions of the people or any vehicles they ae using will be helpful to build up an intelligence picture. Our next drop in surgery will be held at Belvedere Community Centre on Monday 10/06/2019 at 10:00". Bexleyheath ward:- "Theft of motor vehicle reported on the Friday 31/05/2019 along North Street Bexleyheath between 1pm & 7.30pm, vehicle was left secured; Another theft of motor vehicle reported between the Wednesday 29/05/2019 & Thursday 30/05/2019. Vehicle was taken over night at some point; A theft from motor vehicle was reported on the Thursday 23/05/2019 along The Green Bexleyheath, cash and bank card used and card used to make transactions; Number plates were stolen from a vehicle along Heversham Road at about 2100hrs on Thursday 30/05/2019; On Tuesday 28/05/2019 – Another theft from motor vehicle was reported, vehicle was broken into on the victims drive along Mayplace Road East. Incident happened overnight; On Monday 03/06/2019 – There was a report of a theft of purse in the ASDA store at about 10am. Purse was taken from the victim's shoulder bag. Also on Saturday 25/05/2019 an elderly female had their bank cards and money taken from an unattended handbag.  Regular patrols are being conducted around the war memorial as the team have received complaints about ASB and drugs, also the car parks are regularly patrolled". Crayford ward:- "A metal barrier was stolen from Tower Retail Park on Sunday 19th May between 12.00-midnight. A white Skoda was broken in to whilst parked at Mill Place between Monday 27th and Wednesday 29th May, a sat nav, Apple watch and wallet were stolen. Number plates were stolen from a vehicle whilst parked in Greyhound Way between Monday 27th and Tuesday 28th, OX06 LZG should be on a blue Audi A3. Between 13.00 – 17.30 it is believed there was an attempted burglary in Crayford Way. Keys were heard in the lock outside, keys were in the lock on the inside of the property and entry was not made. As a precaution the locks have been changed, the keys have also been returned. There was an attempted burglary to the Bear and Ragged Staff in the early hours of Thursday 30th May. Tools were used in an attempt to open a door but the alarm activated, no entry made. Within the same time frame a burglary took place at the Dukes Head in Crayford High Street, a window was smashed to gain entry and money was stolen, again an alarm was activated. A male was robbed whilst in an alley way close to Station Road Thursday 30th May at approx. 20.00, his oyster card and money were stolen. Youths caused criminal damage to a window at Subway on Wednesday 29th May between 20.55 – 21.15, this has been captured on CCTV. The off-side wing mirror was kicked off a car in Crayford Road on Saturday 1st June. The rear number plate was stolen off a vehicle parked at Wilmoths Citroen dealers on Wednesday 22nd May. Sports Direct reported that clothes rails and equipment were stolen from the rear of the shop on Saturday 1st June between 5.25am and 6.05am. There was an aggravated burglary at Crayford Road on the Tuesday 4th June at 23.15, two suspects entered the shop and stole approx. £150. Large wheelie bins have been stolen from Topps Tiles between Monday 3rd and Tuesday 4th June. We have been out patrolling the ward on foot and speaking with members of our community. Our next community contact session will be at Vintage Lindy Lou's tea room at Waterside on Wednesday 12th June between 10.00 - 11.00, please come along and say hello. If there is anything you think we should know about, please contact us on the details above". 

Erith ward:- "Tuesday 4th June 2019, 5am - Two males trying every single door of a car. They smashed a car window on St. John's Road but the owner refuses to report it. At least we now have a description of these criminals not the best but you can see the clothing attire and the use of gloves [of one of them, above]. We have had 2 Burglaries over the past week. Burglary Residential on Wednesday 29/05/2019 Cricketers Close - Unknown suspect/s have broken into the venue via the front door; Burg Res Sunday 02/06/2019 Compton Place - unknown suspects believed slipped lock gaining entry with minor search carried out and property stolen; Theft of a motor vehicle 31/05/2019 Neptune Walk. Theft from a motor vehicle 01/06/2019 Meyer Road. Theft from a motor vehicle Thursday 30/05/2019 Christchurch Avenue". Northumberland Heath ward:- "This week the team have said goodbye to PCSO Dee, she has moved to West Heath ward. She will be missed by the team as well as many residents on Northumberland Heath. We wish her luck. The team continue to patrol our ASB hotspots. Recently we have had complaints from both the Subway and Nisa store on Bexley Road regarding a large group of males causing ASB within the stores. We have obtained CCTV footage and are working hard to identify these males. So far we have identified two of them, we will continue our investigations into this matter, working together with Bexley council and local schools we will be dealing with these individuals. This week the team arrested an adult male in Carlton Road. The male was later charged with theft from motor vehicle, this was a good result for the team as we have had a rise in this type of crime on the ward recently. A residential property in Northumberland Heath that had been converted into a cannabis factory was discovered by police this week. An adult male was arrested under suspicion of production of cannabis. I am pleased to report that there have been no residential burglaries on the ward this week. A set of number plates were stolen from a vehicle in Colindale Avenue overnight on Monday 27th May. The next community contact session is Wednesday June 12th, 4.30pm in the Mill Road Library". Slade Green and Northend ward:- "There was a burglary around 3am on Monday June 3rd in Crescent Road. NHS ID and uniform was taken as well as a laptop. This comes less than 2 weeks after an attempted burglary just 2 doors away at a similar time. Crime prevention leaflets have been delivered. Three stop and searches this last week resulted in one positive find and the suspect given the relevant warnings. After a nasty robbery earlier this year at the Post Office in Forest Road, one of the suspects, Michael McCluskey was sentenced this week to serve 10 years in prison. Crime really does not pay. We are aware that last weekend there were a lot of issues around the ward involving a lot of off road bikes being ridden dangerously, with no helmets and on paths etc. We have received lots of intelligence on some of the riders and are working closely with the relevant Housing Associations in taking action against these people. Please keep us updated with any descriptions of bikes, riders and anything you may see that is causing any disruption across the ward. All information received is treated in strict confidence. We have also received a letter from Stoneham Estates stating that they forbid anyone riding anywhere on their land after recent confrontations with riders by Erith Yacht Club whereby they claimed to have permission to be there. They do not. We are also making Bexley Council aware that the access gate at the entrance to the Thames Path is not preventing the bikes from gaining access. Some good news - A male was arrested by PC Mark in Forest Road on Wednesday afternoon after being found in possession of several bags of cannabis. An investigation is ongoing.  Our next community contact session is from 9.30am on Saturday June 15th in Forest Road café".

West Heath ward:- "Unfortunately we have had one attempted residential burglary in Longleigh Lane which took place at 04.30 on Monday June 3rd, the victim heard noises at the front door and called Police. Tools marks were seen around the front door but entry to the property was not gained. One commercial burglary to a premises in New Road between 11pm on Tuesday June 4th and Wednesday June 5th at 5am. Entry was gained and an untidy search was conducted. It is not clear at this stage what, if anything was stolen. Once again we have several reports of motor vehicle crime over the last week. One theft from motor vehicle in Axminster Crescent on Friday May 31st in the early hours of the morning. The victim was delivering papers and left his van briefly. Cash and other personal items were stolen from the vehicle. On Sunday June 2nd 2019 at 1am, in Little Heath Road a male was seen on a resident's CCTV opening their car door and stealing loose change. The suspect left his water bottle in the vehicle! The previous evening, Saturday June 1st a white male was seen on CCTV by another resident in Little Heath Road trying car doors. A car was stolen in Hythe Avenue on Monday June 3rd at 9.10am. The victim left her car for approximately 10 minutes and when she returned her car had been stolen, although she was still in possession of the keys. On Sunday June 2nd at 3.55am a vehicle was broken in to in First Avenue, cash was stolen and an untidy search was conducted. The team have continued to assist with joint burglary patrols with East Wickham and Crook Log over the last weekend to deter crime". 

The end video this week closely follows the first photo at the top of this Blog entry; it is a short, time lapse film taken from Erith Pier, and shows passing river traffic, and what I have previously referred to as Erith's "Big Sky" - something unique to the riverside. Who says I don't plan these things? Please feel free to comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.