The petition.

A story that I featured some time ago looks like it will be coming to fruition. Regular readers may well recall that I wrote about the potential sale of the old Erith Council Offices a while back. The offices have been little used since Bexley Council merged several outsourced administrative functions such as housing benefits and council tax with Bromley Council, and these have been relocated away from the Erith site. Now there is very little activity on the historic Erith office location, and I have it on good authority that Bexley Council are now looking for a buyer for the site for redevelopment. Whether this would mean demolishing the 1930's building (the upper of the two photos above - click on it for a larger view), or possibly converting it for another use - highly likely to be apartments, is not yet known. Money allocated to the redevelopment of Erith by the London Regeneration Fund would almost certainly be used to aid this. It is also distinctly likely that any developer looking at the Council Offices site would also be interested in the Electricity House site, directly opposite (the lower of the two photos above - click on it for a larger version). As I have reported previously, most of the building work that has been recently carried out on the building by The Redeemed Christian Church of God has been done illegally, without any form of planning permission. Last July I reported that the Snooker Centre that had been located on the upper floor of Electricity House had been sold to an unknown buyer for £305,000. The snooker club was the single biggest occupant of Electricity House, and paid £28,000 a year in rent for the premises. with the existing lease with the snooker club lasting until 2047. It turned out that the church had bought out the snooker club, evicted them from the premises, and then proceeded to illegally convert the snooker hall into a convention centre. Complaints were made to the Council about the illegal changes being made, and the amount of noise and disruption that were being caused. It seems to me that The Redeemed Christian Church of God are going ahead with the works with the opinion that by the time that Bexley Council Planning Department get around to taking out any form of enforcement work, it will be a "done deal" and they will be allowed to keep the illegal changes to the building. I think there may also be rather more to this than meets the eye. The people behind the Erith branch of The Redeemed Christian Church of God are not stupid; I am pretty certain that they are fully aware that the whole of the Electricity House building has got to the end of its useful life, and that it is only a matter of time before Bexley Council slap a compulsory purchase order on the place, then sell it for redevelopment in the same was as the old Council Office site on the opposite side of the road. By carrying out the modifications and a improvement works - illegal or not, they are adding value to the decrepit building, and thus securing for themselves more money when it is sold. Incidentally, there may be more devious works going on in Electricity House than I had originally thought; a very well placed and reliable informant tells me that The Redeemed Christian Church of God - Praise Embassy Limited, based in Electricity House, Bexley Road, Erith, was officially dissolved and struck off the Companies Register on Tuesday of last week. Instead a new church group, called The KingsGen Foundation has now taken over. The original leader, Pastor Ogedengbe - is still advertising on Facebook and Eventbrite, and a huge church conference is scheduled at the former snooker club on the eleventh of November. It would seem that the church have done what many dodgy businesses have done in the past - closed down and opened up again under a different name in order to try and avoid the numerous legal cases that are stacked against them. I know that a group of local residents, other interested parties, and the former snooker club manager have at least two court cases currently in action over the activities of the church group - whatever name it tries to hide under. Bexley Council also have concerns over the building work which has been going on without any form of building control or planning permission. I get the feeling that this whole situation is going to come to a head in the very near future; it could prove to be interesting to observe. My source tells me that the court cases are almost certainly going to go against the church group, but as to what kind of action will happen if this does happen is currently unknown. More on this story in the weeks to come.

The Association of Bexley Charities '78 is holding an Autumn Fair at the United Reformed Church, Geddes Place, Bexleyheath DA6 7DJ (near the Broadway Shopping Centre) on Saturday 28th October 2017 from 9.45 am  - 1.00 pm. Thanks to John Salt for the information.

The above photo shows the Chairman of Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association Dana Wiffen (left), Joyce Sutherland (right) and Gareth Bacon, London Assembly member (centre).  The photo was taken yesterday as a petition was handed to the London Assembly protesting at the proposed closure of Bexleyheath Police Station. Upon receiving the petition, Gareth Bacon said:- "This petition shows a growing concern from Bexley residents, particularly among elderly and vulnerable groups, about the Mayor’s plans to close this vital community asset. Residents are right to question the logic of moving police services away from the centre of the borough, further from the reach of many for reporting crime. It will also result in the loss of other community and crime prevention benefits that a permanent police presence brings. We need to consider how this change will impact local communities in Bexley, as well as seeking assurances on how it will affect response times in the borough. I fully support this petition and will be handing it to the Mayor.”

Local specialist sports car maker Caterham Cars have got two very good reasons to celebrate. The company, which has its factory in Kennett Road, Crayford, is celebrating its 60th anniversary this week, and is also celebrating its highest number of car sales this year. Although it has not yet released the final numbers, it has announced that its sales this year have exceeded six hundred of their high performance, hand built sports cars, more than the previous record which has stood since 1996.

I don't get to report good news as often as I would like. This week it is great to be able to confirm that the former Barclays Bank on the corner of Plumstead High Street and White Hart Road in Plumstead, which, due to some incompetence on the part of Greenwich Council, was due to be converted into yet another unwanted betting shop, has now had a reprieve. Betting company William Hill’s plans for a new betting shop were rejected by Greenwich Council on February 17, but approved on appeal by the Planning Inspectorate. In its report on the decision in July, the Planning Inspectorate said that the council’s “abject and repeated failures” in its reasoning behind rejecting the application led to the decision being overturned. There was a concerted and very active campaign against the creation of another betting shop in an area already infested with them, and a very large petition was drawn up. It looked like the betting shop was a "done deal,", but in a surprise announcement last week, William Hill announced that they were pulling out - for now. In an interview with the News Shopper, a spokesperson from William Hill said:- "We were granted a license on appeal but the decision was taken not to take it up and that’s a basis taken in the UK as a whole. There isn’t an appetite for betting shops all of the UK now. Our expansion has slowed. There is all kinds of legislation and things coming, which means we are cutting back on the amount of betting shops.” The rather impressive Gothic building had been refurbished less than a decade ago, and from what I understand it is in pretty good condition both inside and out. I would not be at all surprised if William Hill put the former bank on the market for some developer to turn into flats. What do you think? Leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Did you know that we have a major engineering company that holds a Royal Warrant that is based locally? I certainly did not. In fact, whilst I had heard of the company, I had no clue that it was based in Bexleyheath, just off the Broadway. The prominent office HQ of the prestigious company is hidden down a little used side road called Banks Lane, next to the former Bexleyheath Job Centre and Pradas bar and grill. Not the kind of place you would necessarily expect a widely respected organisation such as Apex Lifts to be based. Apex Lifts have their head office in Bexleyheath, and their manufacturing, repair and training facility in Sidcup, so they are most definitely local. They describe themselves thus:- “Founded by Arthur Jenchner over four decades ago, the Apex vision is to create a positive impact on the lift industry; offering lift maintenance, servicing, manufacturing, modernisation and training services throughout London, Greater London and the South East. Current MD Warren Jenchner continues to lead the company into the future, combining the latest technology with British craftsmanship to construct and maintain the top lifts and escalators in London. With Apex, you’ll receive a customer-tailored, proactive service, 24/7. Our manufacturing and training facilities in Sidcup, South East London, are fully fitted with state-of-the art machinery, so we can manufacture and repair lift parts to the highest degree of tolerance, and ensure excellence and quality assurance in everything we do. We don’t just manufacture and repair lifts – the Apex Training Academy was established in 2011 to train the next generation of highly skilled engineers”. Apex Lifts hold a Royal Warrant from H.M The Queen as Manufacturers and Suppliers of Passenger Lifts. A Royal Warrant of Appointment is a mark of recognition of those who have supplied goods or services to the Households of HM The Queen, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh or HRH The Prince of Wales for at least five years, and who have an ongoing trading arrangement. The Monarch decides who may grant Royal Warrants. These are known as the Grantors: HM The Queen, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and HRH The Prince of Wales. The Royal Warrant is the document that appoints the company in its trading capacity, and is granted to a named individual, known as the Grantee. The Warrant gives the Grantee permission, and responsibility, for the display of the relevant Royal Arms in connection with the business. Today there are around 800 Royal Warrant holders representing a huge cross-section of trade and industry, from individual craftspeople to global multi-nationals. They are united by a commitment to the highest standards of service, quality and excellence. Almost all Warrant holders are members of the Association.

It would seem that the official opening of the new Abbey Wood Crossrail station has been delayed for a month, according to Malcolm Knight of the excellent "Bexley is Bonkers" blog. Malcolm lives very close to Abbey Wood Station, and is able to keep a close watch on proceedings there. Malcolm has recently observed that the official station opening was set for 23rd October, but by mid September it had become clear that this deadline was not going to be met. It is now unclear exactly when the official opening is actually going to take place, though for most users of the station it will actually make little difference - on a functional basis, the station will continue to operate as it has done throughout the reconstruction process. You can read more about the current programme overrun situation on the Bexley is Bonkers blog here. 

Sarah Batten of Erith based arts commissioning group The Exchange has made the following announcement:- "Join representatives from Bexley Council, The Exchange and Robin Lee Architects for a drop-in event to discuss the future plans for Erith’s Carnegie Library on Thursday 26 October. The event will take place at the Carnegie, and attendees will have the opportunity to discuss the phased repair and renewal project that is due to start this year, and the future use of the building. We look forward to seeing you there! Event details:- Location: Erith's Carnegie Library, Walnut Tree Road, DA8 1RS. Date:- Thursday 26 October. Times:- 12 - 7.30pm". I will be visiting after 4pm, so do come over to say hello if you see me.

Now the weekly safety and security reports from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association:- Barnehurst ward:- "Unfortunately we have had two burglaries reported this week, the first on the 12th October in Long Lane, Bexleyheath where at 5.30 pm two males described as being white, 6’ tall, large build, short hair wearing long sleeved shirts forced entry through the front door of a detached bungalow, they were confronted by the elderly occupier and walked out of the venue, thankfully no property was taken and the occupier is safe and well. The second is a non-residential burglary which occurred overnight on the 14th October at the Mini Market in Parkside Parade. Entry was gained to the rear storage area by suspects forcing open two doors, one being a substantial metal door, a crow bar was left at the scene. £6000 worth of alcohol was stolen as well as £2000 in chocolates and sweets. The alcohol included Bottles of Grey Goose and Smirnoff Vodka and bottles of Jack Daniels. If you are offered any cheap alcohol especially those listed, then they could be and are probably stolen, If it’s too good to be true then it normally is. Remember there is an offence of handling stolen goods and you may commit this offence should you purchase any goods offered. If you have any information or are offered any items then please get in touch or if you prefer contact Crime Stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. There has been an increase in theft and attempted theft of mopeds and motorbikes, please make sure that your bike is properly secured, ideally using a ground anchor, good quality chain and an alarmed padlock, for up to date crime prevention advice please visit the Metropolitans police main web page.  In the run up to Halloween and fireworks we are be increasing ASB patrols in the ward and across the borough, if you have any information about who is causing issues in your area please e mail us in confidence at Barnehurst.snt.@met.police.uk As always we are on Twitter. Follow us @MPSBarnehurst to find out what your team are up to". Belvedere ward:- "The team were in and working late over the weekend. On Friday PCSO Worrall located 2 males known to the local team who were in a car in the back of Victoria Street; PC Holmes and PC Green joined PCSO Worrall and considering recent reports of males using the area to use drugs searched the males and the vehicle. Some cannabis and numerous nitrous oxide canisters were found and one male was issued with a Cannabis Warning. On Saturday evening the team were out again searching for people committing crime in all the hotspots and lesser used areas of the ward. The team spotted 3 males trespassing in Woodside School and as such detained the males and searched them looking for items they may have been using to break in or do damage to the school. No such items were found, however cannabis was again found on one of the males and he was issued with as Cannabis Warning also. On Wednesday the team attended Little Lambs nursery, Albert Road and met with staff and the children to introduce ourselves and engage with the children. The visit was thoroughly successful and we have been invited to attend some of their upcoming events. PC Holmes has been investigating thefts of post in the Belvedere Park Estate after recent reports. If you have any information that may assist with the investigation then please contact the team – if you would like to remain anonymous you can pass any information to CrimestoppersUK. PC Green has also referred a family on Elstree Gardens to the ASB prevention team and will be working with the council to reduce the issue of ASB in the area. Upcoming Surgeries: The next crime surgery will be at the Library, Upper Belvedere on 27/10/2017 at 2pm”. Christchurch ward – message from a Neighbourhood Watch member:- “I've just been informed of an incident in my parents road Woolwich Road/Nursery Avenue. On Tuesday night a lone man was seen to pick up bricks from the drive of a house, then randomly (it would seem) smash car windscreens, this is the school end to the corner of Nursery Ave. The same man was seen again 11pm Wednesday evening, this time with another man, also attacked random cars. The description is vague, a white man with beard possibly aged between 25-35 and wearing hoodie top”.  From the Safer Neighbourhood Police team:- "There has been a burglary in Standard Road entry gained via forcing back window and jewellery taken from property. This happened on 16/10/17 between 1715 and 1835 this is just as it is starting to get dark. Please ensure that there are lights on in your properties and it appears as if someone is home. Please visit the Met Police website for additional crime prevention advice on burglaries. There was a motorbike stolen from the alleyway next to Primark on the Broadway on 14/10/17 at approximately 1500 hours, if anyone saw this please contact police to give descriptions of suspects.  There has been several incidents of items thrown at cars over the past week including a firework, please be vigilant when driving as these incidents have occurred on smaller roads off of the Broadway. Most of them have happened late in the evening or overnight on driveways. Unfortunately this time of year sees an increase in anti-social behaviour leading up to Halloween. Please speak to any young people in your family and discuss the implications of such behaviour to get the message out to everyone. As you can appreciate it is very distressing for persons to have their property damaged unprovoked and this impacts on their daily lives for example not being able to get into work. This can also include eggs thrown at vehicles and people, if an egg does hit your windscreen please do not use your wipers as they will smear it preventing you from seeing through the windscreen at all. Continue onto a safe place if you can do so and wash the eggs off. There was a fight outside McDonalds on 13/10/17 at 1735 hours involving school children, no-one was hurt and my colleagues were very quickly on scene. If you have any concerns then please raise these with the council under the Public Space Protection Order which covers the Broadway. We have seen a few dippings of purses, phones and handbags this week and given the lead up to Christmas thieves will be looking out for easy targets. Please, Please make sure that your bag is safe and your purse is safely tucked away. I still see many members of the public with open handbags and bags on the back of buggies, and I always speak to them and advise them to close the bag. Be aware of your surroundings and who is near to you. An over the body bag which is in front of you is the safest type with a zip or clasp entry, ensure your money/purse is safely stored away before leaving any shop too". Colyers ward:- "There were no reported burglaries on Colyers Ward between 12th October 2017 to 18th October 2017. There were 2 reported thefts of motor vehicles during the same period. The victim left his vehicle outside his address in Northumberland Way Erith between 9th October and 13th October 2017 and unknown suspects have stolen the vehicle a blue Yamaha registration K607 HEV. The victim still has keys to the motorcycle. The victim indicated that his vehicle was stolen from outside Becton Place, Erith. He left the vehicle at the location on 17th September 2017 and on his return from holiday on 18th October 2017 discovered that the vehicle, a red Honda Accord registration L146 HKM, was gone”. Crayford ward:- “The crimes of note this week have been attempted burglary, burglaries, robbery of a mobile phone and arson of a motor vehicle. On Tuesday 17 October at approx. 21.00 in Green Walk, a resident noticed males looking at the cars on his drive, shortly after they attempted to gain entry by kicking the front door. The resident chased after about six males aged about 16-18 years but they got away while he was calling 999. On Thursday 12 October at approx. 12.05-12.20 there were two distraction burglaries at Claston Close within a block of flats. In each instance the male said that there was a water leak and asked that items be removed from under the sink. In the meantime he and possibly an accomplice took small items and cash from each elderly lady’s home. On Friday 13 October at approx. 15.45-16.00 a twelve year old child was robbed of his mobile phone whilst near to the allotments in Crayford Way. He was robbed by school children in school uniform and the phone was smashed and left at the scene. Officers from our team worked closely with Christchurch team and Kent officers in a traffic operation on Wednesday 18 October, many vehicles were stopped and drivers spoken to/given words of advice. Anti-Social behaviour continues to be an issue, five children have been identified from incidents at Smyths Toy Store and two have now had home visits to discuss their behaviour with them and their parents”. Erith ward:- "Erith Safer Neighbourhoods are pleased to report that over the last week there has been no reported burglaries across the ward, however this time of year does traditionally see a rise in Burglary offences so we ask that you always close windows and lock your doors when leaving your house. If you have a multi-point locking system always lift the handle and then key lock which engages the locks securely making it extremely hard to force open. Across the ward 3 motor scooters have been stolen in addition to 1 car and 1 van. If you own a scooter or motorbike secure it using strong chains or approved bike locks and try to lock your bike to a fixed object. Also consider using motion activated lights to cover the area where the bike is parked as thieves would prefer to stay in the dark and not risk being seen. This week we have responded to complaints from shopkeepers in the Town centre regarding young people causing Anti-social Behaviour. We worked in plain clothes and uniform and have successfully identified the individuals involved, so far there has been no further problems. Further action is being taken against those involved and we are working closely with the town Centre security and management to prevent future issues. We have also completed talks at Trinity School speaking to students studying Public services. There was a large number of questions asked by the students about not only the role of a police officer but some good questions about how we engage with the community and how we work with partner agencies.  We have a drop in surgery at Starburger at 2pm on the 27th October 2017 so if you would like to speak to us then please pop along. We also have a free bike security marking event outside the front of our office in Erith town centre on the 28th October also at 2pm. if you have a bike bring it along, we can mark it so should you be unfortunate enough to have it stolen, if we find it we can then restore the bike back to you”. Lesnes Abbey ward – report from a Neighbourhood Watch member:- “Please be aware, at about 17-30 this evening my wife saw 2 young boys of about 11 and 12 years old enter the front garden of a house in Fossington Rd and stole a children's bike from the front garden. When she shouted after them they ran off with the bike. My wife has informed the residents of the theft. One boy appeared to be of mixed race with swarthy skin, the other was white with fair wispy hair. Please make sure that bikes, toys or any other items are not left in yours, or your neighbours front gardens. Please do not leave tools or ladders out in your back gardens as the can be used to gain entry your house or garden sheds”. North End ward:- "Starting with good news, 2 arrests have been made made after some good Intel received. No further details at this time due to ongoing investigation. We attended Slade Green Big Local Stakeholders conference where good links were made with many other partner agencies, plus another resident has agreed to help out with N.Watch in Rainbow Road. 5 Vehicle crimes have been reported in the last week, 3 Theft of Motor Vehicle and 2 Theft from Motor Vehicle. One of the vehicles stolen was recovered soon after it was taken thanks to an installed tracker. A dumped moped has been recovered by us in Whitehall Lane which was being ridden around the field by a group causing ASB. Reports of dangerous parking outside of our schools has led to extra gate patrols but with no further incidents to report at this time. Extra patrols in Daleview after increased reports of ASB in the stairwells”. Northumberland Heath ward:- "There was a burglary in Horsa Road last Thursday October 12th at approximately 6.50pm. A tool was used to access the property via the front door. The suspect was disturbed and left without taking any property. Please ensure your UPV doors are locked securely. We have had reports of Motorbikes in and around Bexley Road riding dangerously, and a youth was seen laying over the bonnet of a car in Hurst Road on Saturday afternoon when it drove away at speed. One report of Criminal Damage to a Motor Vehicle last week in Brook Street. The driver was approached by a group of several motorbikes who proceeded to kick the driver door and kicked the wing mirrors off the vehicle”. Thamesmead East ward:- “No burglaries to report this week, Vehicle crime reports see below, During the early hours of Thursday 12th October a vehicle was stolen from Kinder Close, and a vehicle was interfered with, Courtland Grove. A male was arrested for Handling stolen goods, after being seen trying car door handles in the Fieldfare area. When searched a Satellite Navigation unit was found on him, enquiries continue. PC Pruden has been at court this week, where a male has found guilty of Actual Bodily Harm. (A result of extensive CCTV enquiries)”.

The end video this week is the first of an occasional series featuring videos shot in and around Erith by a company called Shootmedia, who have been commisisoned by London and Quadrant Housing Association to highlight some of the notable features of the local area; this week the spotlight falls on Erith Playhouse - the largest - and entirely volunteer run - theatre in the Borough. Leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Walnut Tree House.

As I have previously written on a number of occasions, I don't get involved in party politics. For the most part, the mainstream political parties are all aiming at pretty much the same targets, albeit from slightly different angles. On a national basis it is a case of voting for one bunch of idiots over another bunch of idiots. Locally the story is slightly clearer. If you want to know what is going on at a local council level, I would highly recommend that you regularly consult Malcolm Knight’s “Bexley is Bonkers” website – he has his metaphorical finger on the local pulse – and much of what he uncovers is not very encouraging. Malcolm recently attended a meeting convened by the Bexley branch of the UK Independence Party – a group of individuals who would appear to make up in enthusiasm for what they lack in political experience. Their local manifesto makes for interesting reading; though I doubt how much of it they would actually be able to bring off in the (not very likely) event of them winning the local election. They do have one policy which strikes me as well thought out, and indicative of something created by people with real local knowledge. Long term readers may recall that quite some time ago, I suggested that there was a need to improve public transportation for commuters into and out of London. At present, if the overland rail service is non functional, the only option for travellers in the Erith / Belvedere / Abbey Wood areas is to get a bus to Woolwich Arsenal, and pick up the Docklands Light Railway from there into town. In a few years we will have Crossrail from Abbey Wood, but right now the public transport options are somewhat limited when compared to those available on the other side of the River Thames, where the tube is available. What we do have at Erith, which is pretty much unique to the riverside town, is Erith Pier (photo above - click for a larger view). UKIP are suggesting that the Thames Clippers should extend their coverage from their current termination point at Woolwich Arsenal further East to Erith Pier. The mechanics of this would require the rigid concrete pier structure to have at least one moving, floating jetty installed. The reason for this is that the tidal range of the Thames at Erith is very great. If a floating pier was not present, the clipper vessels would be limited to landing only at high tide, which would hardly be practical. I think this could be carried out as a cost neutral exercise. The Clipper service already has corporate sponsorship, and I think that Transport for London could be persuaded to contribute towards the pier modification work that would be required. The travel time from Erith into London by Thames Clipper would understandably be somewhat longer than by train, but I think the overall experience would be far more pleasant – it would also be easier to get a wheelchair or baby buggy onto a Clipper than onto a London bound train at Erith, as South Eastern still refuse to install a lift – but that is an ongoing story for another time. I would be interested in what others think of this proposal? Please leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

The photo above (click on it for a larger view) was taken back in 1880 of a very grand property which was called Walnut Tree House. It was owned by the Parish family, who by the looks of it were not short of a bob or two – the place looks lovely. The patriarch, John Parish owned the ballast wharf in West Street, and the ballast pit in what is now the Europa Industrial Estate in Fraser Road. The very fine quality loam dug from the pit was taken to the wharf to be loaded onto freighter ships for transportation up to the great iron and steel forges on Tyneside, where it was used to make moulds for metal castings. Unfortunately Walnut Tree House does not exist today; it was demolished to make way for Erith Council Offices in the early 1930’s. I don't know what the Parish family would have made of the location nowadays, with 24 hour motor traffic using the hideous fish sculpture roundabout, it would definitely be very different from when the house was occupied. Still, the needs of the council had to be satisfied then, and again today. The migration of staff from the old Bexley Council offices in Bexleyheath Broadway to their newly converted, ex Woolwich Equitable HQ base around the corner in Watling Street will be taking place, starting  in May, and running through in phases until the end of July. Malcolm Knight of the Bexley is Bonkers blog details the move, which you can read here. Malcolm makes some interesting points. The “new” building was originally designed in a pre – office data network age, and was more suited to the storage of large numbers of paper files, and has required extensive internal remodelling to make it fit for purpose. He also points out that the new entrance arch resembles a gallows – for “when the revolution comes” – and I can definitely see his point. To be honest, I am pretty certain that it will be a big improvement over the old Civic Offices, which were only ever intended to be a temporary structure in the first place. I recall that when my late Dad worked there in the early 1980’s, staff would have to grab waste bins to use as buckets every time it rained – the roof leaked in many places even then. I cannot imagine things have improved much in the intervening years. Whilst most of the Council functions will be moving into the Watling Street offices, some departments are staying put. I am pleased to say that the Housing, Council Tax and Benefits unit will be staying put in the old Erith Town Hall, where it has been located for many years. I recall that for a period my Dad worked in Erith Town Hall, before moving to the Bexleyheath offices – to be strictly accurate his office was a very rickety portakabin in the car park to the rear of the main building, as they did not have enough space in the main building, and they did not have any money to extend it – nothing much seems to change in around 35 years. I recall that a number of staff back then used to take in cans of pet food to feed a family of feral cats that lived in the undergrowth that bordered the car park. I wonder if any of their descendants are still around nowadays? Some time ago, and prior to the Woolwich Building Society office being selected, it had been mooted that the council would commission a brand new, purpose built office building somewhere in Erith. Whilst we have been fortunate to become home to the new Bexley College campus in Walnut Tree Road, which opens in September, I could not realistically see many senior council employees wanting to travel to the furthest Northern town in the whole London Borough of Bexley in order to come to work. If you live in the “posh” parts of the borough, like Bexley Village, Bexleyheath or Sidcup, you will hardly want to slum it in Erith. For various reasons the borough of Bexley seems to be divide in two; with the wealthy south versus the post industrial North. Bexley Council are definitely neglecting local roads in the North of the borough, and I can see it causing a serious accident in the not too distant future. Main roads such as Fraser Road and Manor Road in Erith are not just host to cars and vans; as they both provide access to large industrial estates, many heavy goods vehicles, often fully loaded use the roads, and both are also on the 99 bus route, which employs large double desk buses. The road surfaces are riddled with deep pot holes, which are hazardous to all road users. I was a passenger in a car last Saturday afternoon; we were driving along Manor Road when the driver had to steer towards the pavement to avoid a large hole. A driver who had parked, opened their door without checking to see if any traffic was coming. We almost took his door off. Fortunately an accident was avoided, but something similar to this near miss is bound to turn into something much more serious unless the local road surfaces are greatly improved. Manor Road was resurfaced in May / June 2009, and then partially again in 2011; I talked to the engineer overseeing the work on both occasions. He told me the problem of the road surface falling apart so quickly was at least partly caused by the specification of the foundations. In his opinion, the quality of the foundations were only designed to support regular car and van traffic, not the very heavy lorries and buses that use the road. The top layers were cracking and failing as the too weak foundations sagged under the weight. This would seem to make sense – if you go to either Manor or Fraser Road, and look where the road damage is the worst, it is by the 99 bus stops. Not only do the heavy double deck buses stand periodically at the stops, but their tyres scrub at the road surface as they brake, and then accelerate away from the stops. From what the engineer told me, the only long term solution would be to totally rebuild both roads from the foundations upwards – not re – skin the road surface as was done in 2011, as this merely puts off the inevitable. Bexley Council Highways Department seem to be fixated with “street remodelling” in places like Bexleyheath Broadway and Sidcup High Street – to the almost universal disapproval of local residents and visitors alike. I feel that the money being spent on these high profile unwanted works would be better spent on fundamental problems such as the quality of the Borough’s roads. It might not win any planning design awards, but it would reduce the likelihood of traffic accidents, as I can attest from my own recent unfortunate experience.

Another IT anniversary happened this week; the Nintendo Game Boy hit 25. The Game Boy was the first handheld game unit that could use interchangeable cartridges. Up until this point, all hand held games came with just one game, with maybe a few variants of it. Nintendo had been a big player in the single game market, with a range called “Game and Watch” – you got a simple game like a Space Invaders clone, and it also showed the time. This market had slowed – and Nintendo were looking for a new product. Their head designer Gunpei Yokoi came up with a battery powered hand held unit that housed an 8 – bit processor manufactured by Sharp, along with a whopping 8K of RAM. This might sound laughably puny nowadays, but when it was launched, the hardware was way more powerful than anything else on the market. It had a grey scale screen (colour displays were still a few years off, and even then, they would have had a catastrophic drain on the batteries). The Game Boy was designed to fit in a child’s pocket, and could be brought out to play during car journeys and the like. What made the Game Boy so massively successful (it sold more than 64 million units in the ten years it was in production) was that not only were there a mass of great games available for it (estimates are that around 800 titles were produced, including classics like Tetris, Pokémon, Super Mario Land and Zelda) but that Nintendo continually released add – ons, such as a rudimentary digital camera and printer, as well as a cable allowing two Game Boys to share game content ensures that the system continued as a viable toy for many more years than the seemingly low technical specification would suggest. There have been many hand held games computers since the Game Boy, but none have had the success or longevity in the market.

The period advert above came from an old local publication that I own; I believe the ad dates back to early 1947, which was when the map the advert appeared in was originally published. The reference to war damage claims would tend to back this up. Old maps are a great way to find out about local areas - not just for the maps themselves, but for the adverts that they invariably contain. I always look out for them when out and about.

Only a week after I wrote about how the Ladbrokes betting shop in Erith High Street had recently closed, reports are emerging that the giant William Hill bookmaking chain are about to close around 109 shops around the country, putting 420 jobs at risk. I feel sorry for those who will be put out of work - the company blames the rise in tax on Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBT) - the "crack cocaine" of gambling. The Government has raised the tax levels on these terrible machines from 20% to 25% in an attempt to curb their invidious spread. Last year, a report discovered that over £13 billion was gambled on FOBT machines in that year, often by the poorest and most disadvantaged members of society. After doing some digging, I have discovered that the story about William Hill closing outlets may be a bit of a red herring. I understand that the company has been based in Gibraltar for tax reasons for some considerable time. They are looking to increase their revenues by migrating much of the business that has up until now been taking place in their network of betting shops and moving it online, where it will not be taxed, and they will be saved the expensive overhead of having to employ shop staff. The excuse that they are being penalised by an increase in taxes by the Government would seem to be little more than a cynical move to try and elicit some kind of sympathy, when in actual fact the increase in FOBT taxation would seem to be playing directly into their hands. Personally I detest gambling, but at the same time I continue to espouse my personal libertarian philosophy of "If it works for you" - but beware. 

Three years ago, Transport for London trialled contactless payment by mobile smart phone. It was a very low key effort, and it was quietly dropped after a number of problems were encountered. The trial took place across London, but problems were found with devices not registering with the readers, accounts being debited more than once despite only being swiped a single time, and a general slowness in the system. TFL are about to try again, citing the improvement in smart phone technology in the intervening period as the reason to give it another bash. The main motivator behind this is that TFL feel that the Oyster system is too expensive to operate, and they are thinking of the long term – where payments will go in the future, in a post – Oyster environment. There are a number of issues with NFC (Near Field Communication) payment systems. Whilst it is possible to store encrypted details of a number of debit and credit cards on a smart phone employing NFC, it is not always a good idea to do so. The Near Field Communication technical standard does not make any allowances for the  prevention of eavesdropping, and it is possible to record an NFC signal up to ten metres away from a smart phone, with suitable equipment and software – which is all available online already. Gangs who previously have been engaged in illegal “card skimming” activities at cash points are now known to be working on NFC snooping. The problem with the NFC protocol is that once contact has been made and verified between the smart phone and the computer at the far end of the connection, the far end computer will accept almost any data sent over the connection; only the most basic of parity checking is undertaken. This leaves NFC open to all sorts of trickery. I am sure that in a majority of cases NFC smart phones will work splendidly with the TFL electronic ticketing system. The problem comes when something does go wrong – be it due to malicious interference, or a plain old fashioned mistake. The onus is on the device owner to prove innocence, not the other way around, as is already the case with chip and PIN debit cards. NFC may be acceptable (due to convenience) for many regular public transport users, but it does not help occasional travellers such as elderly people and tourists. Some form of manual ticketing system is going to also need to be put in place – even if it is a single use passive NFC ticket, as is already deployed in the public transport systems in places as diverse as Singapore and Canada. What is clear is that Oyster is regarded as old, nearing end of life technology, and a cheaper replacement is needed soon. Comment below.

The BBC News website has been getting quite excited about a subject I have covered on the Maggot Sandwich in the distant past, but now seems to be back in the news. For some inexplicable reason, they have been writing about Secret Numbers Stations in some detail. Secret Numbers Stations have been in existence since World War II. They can be found quite easily if you have a radio which can receive the shortwave bands. Generally speaking, numbers stations appear somewhat erratically and consist of a disembodied electronic voice reading out streams of numbers which repeat a fixed number of times. The stations are usually outside of the main shortwave broadcast bands, and can sometimes be encountered in the amateur radio bands – much to the annoyance of their legal users. Whilst number stations are well known to radio enthusiasts like me, most of the general public will be unaware of their existence. The purpose of numbers stations is simple. They are the most secure method of communicating with spies in the field. Computer communications are easily intercepted, and even the most heavily encrypted ciphers can be broken over time by supercomputers – and it is relatively straightforward to identify a person from an Internet Service Provider. Old fashioned shortwave radio is completely anonymous – no sign in, or account is required, and a suitable radio can be picked up in a shop for a few pounds. Anyone found with a radio which can receive shortwave will not get much attention – most compact travel radios can receive shortwave broadcasts; thus a spy can be completely anonymous and untraceable whilst listening to the coded broadcasts. You can hear a BBC Radio 4 documentary about numbers stations by clicking here. Sometimes new technology is not the best solution to a problem, and this is most definitely the case here. Each numbers station transmission is read out by a computer generated voice, giving it an eerie, somewhat creepy sound. One would have thought that once the Cold War was over, the need for numbers stations would cease, but in many cases, the number of stations has actually increased – radio traffic, including numbers stations has been recently noticed in the Ukraine, where before the recent dispute with Russia, it was pretty much a backwater. You can watch a short news broadcast about secret number stations below. It is a few years old, but still very accurate and insightful. Please leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.