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2nd June 2011

SHAM update

It’s been quite a while since the campaign against the fire brigade mast on Eaglesfield Road has been mentioned on here, but they’ve been very busy petitioning the locals, and attending planning meetings.

Since the start of their campaign, the group have already achieved something of a victory in their ongoing efforts to get the mast moved to the woods. They somehow discovered that Orange (who share the mast with the firefighters) had set their mobile widgets higher up than they had been permitted to (apparently this makes a difference). Orange’s mistake apparently invalidated previous planning permission, which has subsequently led to them having to reapply – and so far they have been refused; hence the appeal.

According to the online planning website, the previous planning permission sought by Orange in 2002 was also refused, but apparently they won on appeal – so presumably Orange are hoping to pull of a similar feat this time round. Despite this, popular opposition to the proposal has now been mobilised by the SHAM group, so it’ll be interesting to see what happens over the next month as the appeal proceeds, and any opposing comments are submitted.

2nd June 2011

Lambing Day Podcast (c/o In The Meantime)

The folks over at Meridian Radio‘s ‘In the Meantime‘ podcast have agreed for their feature on the latest Woodlands Farm Lambing Day to be rehosted on here; thanks! The podcast itself is transmitted on Queen Elizabeth hospital radio on Sundays, and comes out at some point the following day on their website.

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/15154776″ params=”show_comments=false&auto_play=false&color=0003ff” width=”100%” height=”81″ ]

2nd June 2011

The Silver Wind

Interzone 233 cover

A new novella set in an Oxleas Woods of the future has recently been published as part of Interzone, a science fiction & fantasy magazine (issue 233, March-April 2011).

Shooter’s Hill had a rough reputation. The reforestation policy had returned the place to its original state, and the tract of woodland between Blackheath and Woolwich was now as dense and extensive as it had once been in the years and centuries before the first industrial revolution. The woods were rife with carjackers and highwaymen, and scarcely a week went by without reports of some new atrocity. The situation had become so serious that there were moves in parliament to reinstate the death penalty for highway robbery as it had already been reinstated for high treason. During the course of certain conversations I noticed that local people had taken to calling Oxleas Woods by its old name, the Hanging Wood, although no hangings had occurred there as yet. At least not officially.

4th May 2011

Who would be our AV MP

Today is the last day before the referendum on electoral reform, and although it looks like we’re stuck with the old ways (according to the pollsters), I did wonder how the politics in our constituency would now look if we’d voted using AV in the previous ballot.

I took the votes from the 2010 general election, and then began a process of wild speculation as to second preferences, based entirely on vague notions of the political spectrum: I assumed that right wing second preferences would gradually come in from the extremes towards the Tories (IND→ED→BNP→UKIP→CON); Green Party supporters would do likewise for Labour, and Lib-Dem second preferences would split 50-50 each way for the biggest two parties. Although this is mostly pie-in-the-sky thinking, the Green Party’s Shooters Hill candidate for the council election got more votes than their Parliamentary candidate; and since both elections happened on the same day, this suggests that Shooters Hill voters went for Green in the locals and possibly Labour in the nationals.

2010 General Election Results
Name	Party	Votes	%	+/-
Clive Efford	Labour	17,416	41.5	-0.7
David Gold	Conservative	15,753	37.5	+2.9
Steven Toole	Liberal Democrat	5,299	12.6	-4.7
Roberta Woods	British National Party	1,745	4.2	+1.6
Ray Adams	UK Independence Party	1,011	2.4	-0.4
Arthur Hayles	Green	419	1.0	+1.0
Mike Tibby	English Democrats	217	0.5	+0.5
Andrew Graham	Independent	104	0.2	+0.2
	Majority	1,663	4.0
	Turnout	41,964	67.0	+8.6

Well, based on rather crude apportioning of second preferences on a spectrum, and considering that Clive Efford didn’t get more than 50% of the overall vote in the first count, Andrew Graham (IND) dropped out of the competition at the end of round one. Part of his manifesto included bringing back capital punishment, so his second-preference votes got thrown in with the far right, and they went to Roberta Woods in round two, mainly as I’m not entirely sure what the English Democrats were campaigning for, only realising that they existed when I got to the voting booth. This reallocation didn’t make any difference to the overall picture, so Mike Tibby (ED) dropped out, and as before (according to an arbitrary political spectrum), his votes went to Roberta Woods, although she still wasn’t getting anywhere nearer to a 50% share of the vote. In round three the Green party votes went to Clive Efford (LAB), taking him up to a 42.4% share… again not enough for a win. And so to round four, at which point UKIP fell out of the running, and their votes went to David Gold (CON), taking him up by 2.5% to 40%. On to round five… here all the right wingers’ votes went to David Gold, and he nudged ahead of Clive Efford by just over two percent, but still not by enough to become our MP. At this point the Lib-Dems dropped out of the competition, leaving only two parties in the final round. I gave LAB and CON half each of the Lib-Dem votes, and because the CONs had previously benefited from more second hand support from right-wing voting, David Gold ended up as the 2010 (AV) general election winner!

Overall then, this (imaginary) vote count went right to final round, and was incredibly close in the end – I’m not sure that splitting Lib-Dem second preferences down the middle was a very realistic move. Equally, BNP support often comes from disgruntled Labour supporters having a protest, so giving their secondary support to the Tories may also have been a bad idea…

Since this whole trifle has been based on wild speculation about voting behaviours in Eltham, it would be a mistake to really make anything of it really. However, this being a marginal seat, it could be the case that voters who don’t initially support Labour or Tory candidates might get more of a say.

3rd May 2011

Experiment IV

Having recently been enjoying the video of local singer Kate Bush’s Deeper Understanding[1. Courtesy of arthur pewty, a rather wonderful weekly Erith blog], it felt quite serendipitous to stumble across a recent forum discussion regarding the filming location of her music video for the song Experiment IV, from 1986.

The film was recorded at the Royal Herbert Hospital before it was partitioned and turned into flats. At around 2 minutes into the video there is a clear view of one of the old wards (with Kate Bush flying around as some kind of Banshee), and there are a couple of scenes filmed in the corridors.

Kate Bush herself grew up in East Wickham I believe, and is currently returning to the spotlight to publicise some new material – she’s going to be on Radio 4’s front row show tomorrow, although I suspect that her childhood home will not be one of the subjects of discussion, as she’s famously reluctant to give confessional press coverage.

Experiment IV, including scenes filmed at the old Royal Herbert Hospital.

23rd April 2011

The Woolwich Grand

Cinema! Theatre! Live Music! At one time all these were available to the residents of Woolwich, but no more. It is our hope to set up an arts centre in the old regal cinema on Wellington Road, previously the N-tyce night club, in order to provide acccess to the arts for the local community. The regal cinema used to be a place of civic pride when it opened in 1955.

A small group of local artists are hoping to run the old cinema as a place for the local community to enjoy – their aspirations for the area have however met with some difficulty, as the Christ Apostolic Church, which already has 10 venues in London, has taken out a lease from the council. The church has apparently agreed to find a way of sharing the cinema space between its prayer meetings, and the group are trying to achieve the backing of the council to return this old cinema to its original function as a civic amenity in an area that has already given over two of its beautiful cinemas to gala bingo and the new wine church (I have to say that the new wine church have done a good job of renovating the old odeon, although I didn’t feel especially welcome when I sauntered in one Saturday afternoon – but access to the magnificent bingo hall is even more difficult).

To this end, the group are staging a public meeting at the cinema on Tuesday the 3rd of May at 6.30pm. This meeting is open to anyone interested in the project:

Cheese and wine will be available, turn up for a chat, a tour, making connections and a chance to hear future plans for the The Woolwich Grand Theatre.

It would be wonderful to be able to get in to one of Woolwich’s glorious old buildings, even better that it would be a real cinema and live performance space for the local community.

The theatre has a website www.thewoolwichgrandtheatre.com/ and a facebook page, where more can be found out about what the group are doing at the moment, mainly painting the front doors it seems!

Here is a promo video from 2009, so this is clearly not a new campaign: Greenwich Council have stated clearly their aim of regenerating Woolwich, and let’s hope they support the idea of a local arts centre:

23rd April 2011

On the Brink

…of madness!

The Newsshopper’s Nina Massey recently published a report on the local opposition to the pavement widening at Brinklow Crescent (which according to the paper is in Eltham, oops, wonder how that mistake happened!). Brinklow is a `true’ crescent, and its semi-circular shape curves round the hillside elegantly to meet Plum Lane at each tip. Both junctions have been modified, although it’s the changes on the west side that seem to be causing the most controversy.

It’s a curious tale because the work, which was carried out in the name of pedestrian safety, and includes tactile paving, a raised crossing at pavement level, and a wider pavement, has also created a narrower road, which has led to difficulties with cars passing each other…

Apparently someone from the council is going to meet the residents to talk this through.

Here’s the report:

GREENWICH Council has apologised to residents for failing to consult with them over residential roadworks.

No consultation was carried out before roadworks started on April 4 to narrow the entrances to Brinklow Crescent in Eltham.

Mother of two, Inderjit Gill, said: “We just don’t know why they’ve done it and what is even worse is that we weren’t consulted.

“Two cars used to be able to pass at the same time, but now that’s not possible.”

The 50-year-old added: “I don’t accept the council’s apology. It’s too late now and the damage has been done.”

Greenwich council has said the works were carried out to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians.

Paul Revel, a web editor who has lived on the road for almost 10 years said: “In all the time I’ve been living here, I have not witnessed any issues with pedestrian or cyclist safety.

“I would have liked to be told what was happening, especially as we ultimately pay for the road works.”

A spokesman for the council said: “Local residents should have been consulted on these proposals and we apologise that this usual process was not followed on this occasion. “

“Council officers are investigating how this error occurred so that we can ensure it does not happen again.”

Here’s some photos of what it used to look like, (taken from streetview pictures which were I believe last done in 2009).

This is the western tip of the Crescent, as can be seen it is quite wide for pedestrians, although apparently it’s historically safe, and there’s no official record of any accidents there going back as far as 1995.

Here’s what it looks like now.

This is the eastern tip of the Crescent, it certainly has a commanding view of casino wharf. Again, according to records, pedestrians here also appear to have been historically good at car avoidance.

Here’s what it looks like now.

So, altogether this raises two questions: (a) why did these road safety works happen when they did – are they part of a wider plan for the area? (b) why haven’t members of the community been involved – if they had been, would it have been done differently, or at all?

16th April 2011

Free Bowling

The local bowls club are celebrating the opening of the 2011 bowling season at the end of April with a series of free bowling events:

The bowls club in 1922.

Woolwich and Plumstead B.C. are holding a series of free sessions to attract new members to the club and build awareness in the sport of Lawn Bowls.

These sessions will be held at the club on Foxcroft Road SE18 3DB on

Saturday 30th April 10.30am – 12.30pm

Sunday 1st May 10.30am – 12.30pm

Wednesday 4th May 6.00pm – 8.00pm

Saturday 7th May 10.30am – 12.30pm

Sunday 8th May 10.30am – 12.30pm

Wednesday 11th May 6.00pm – 8.00pm

ALL AGES WELCOME
(Under 16s to be supervised by an adult please)

Bring Family, Friends and a pair of soft-soled shoes.

Bowls will be available for you to use and there will be Members on hand to show you the basics and to answer any of your questions about the game or the club.

Refreshments will be available.

I often used to wonder why the sign over the gate used to describe the place as a bowls and tennis club … well, there were tennis courts squeezed in there at one point, and it even had fruit trees at one point. It’s interesting that the bowling green survived the reduction in size of the club; perhaps the tennis players moved over to where the current lawn tennis club is on Eaglesfield road?

1970

1933

1905

As can be seen, I’ve been given some nice old plans of the club grounds, in fact I’m currently going through an archive of old photos, and bit by bit uploading them to flickr.com/photos/eshootershill

8th April 2011

Upcoming Events at Woodlands Farm

The farm is currently at the height of Lambing Season, with 42 lambs born as of midday today! April is quite an exciting time for Woodlands with lots of other things going on, and we did do a post on this a while back…but to briefly recap: there’s (a) Easter Holiday family activities on Tuesdays-Fridays; (b) The Lambing Day on Saturday the 23rd; and (c) another “Things that go bump in the night” event on Tuesday the 26th.

In addition, various summer (and indeed autumn and winter) activities at have just been announced:

Upcoming Events at Woodlands Farm this Summer and beyond

Summer Cafe
We have a café run by volunteers in the Education Centre, weekends only, 12pm-4pm, from 30 April to 30 September (closed 9 July). Hot and cold drinks, snacks and second-hand books for sale.

Sunday 1 May
Bluebell Walk. Meet at Oxleas Woods Café at 2.15pm for a walk led jointly by the London Wildlife Trust and the Woodlands Farm Trust. No need to book. FREE, but donations welcome.

Saturday 7 May
Spring Bird Walk around the farm. Meet in lower farmyard for a 10am start. Duration 2-3hours. Will be cancelled if there is heavy rain. No need to book. FREE, but donations welcome.

Saturday 21 May
Barn Dance with live music by Skinner’s Rats, £10 per ticket (adults only; no discounts). Includes a ploughman’s supper; please bring your own drink and glasses. Tickets must be bought and paid for in advance; please contact the Farm Office during office hours on 020 8319 8900 or woodlandsft@aol.com

Saturday 28 May
Stag Beetle family activity day with the Education Team. Learn about and meet real stag beetles! Drop-in activities from 10.30am-3.30pm, no need to book. Mostly free; there may be small charges for some activities to cover materials.

Sunday 10th July, Summer Show, 11am-4.30pm.
All are welcome at the Woodlands Farm Trust Summer Show. Come and meet our animals, and enjoy the chance to buy quality local produce at reasonable prices, including home-made preserves, cakes and honey. Relax in our café or enjoy something from the BBQ, get involved in craft activities and games, and enjoy displays of country crafts, falconry and ferrets. Entry is £2.50 adults, £1.50 concessions and £1 children aged 4-16. Children aged 3 and under go FREE. All proceeds go towards caring for our animals. A great family day out!

Saturday 16 July
Barn Dance with live music by Skinner’s Rats, £10 per ticket (adults only; no discounts). Includes a ploughman’s supper; please bring your own drink and glasses. Tickets must be bought and paid for in advance; please contact the Farm Office during office hours on 020 8319 8900 or woodlandsft@aol.com

Sunday 23 October
Apple Day, 11am-4pm, FREE. Ties in with National Apple Day.

Sunday 27 November
Christmas Fair, 11am-3pm, FREE.

6th April 2011

Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, Archery

During the Olympics Woolwich will be playing host to the shooters. At one point there were calls to stage their events at the Bisley rifle range, which would have benefited the future of gun games in this country by upgrading their facilities, although it does seem appropriate to shoot stuff at the spiritual home of this country’s big guns: the Royal Artillery. Plus the competitors can all stay on Shooters Hill and feel at home.[1. Note that the name Shooters Hill more likely follows from the old English `Shaw Tor’ meaning Woody Hill…]

Apparently, work has recently started on the venues, without so much as a by-your-leave from anyone in the local area, although apparently there has been a `consultation’ (an increasingly spine chilling term). I wonder how many people actually went.

Some hoardings are now up on Woolwich Common, surrounding the site of the shootings to be, and here’s a look at the cheesegrater style architecture that’s going to be built on the common, and then taken away. No news what’s going to be left behind once they’ve gone, although I hope the Olympic people leave the common in the same shape they found it (i.e. pretty much as nature intended, bar the odd lawnmower and circus camel).

The view of the paralympic archery venue, looking westwards along haha road.

Thanks to @grantblowers for sending me the news release, and 853blog who wrote about this earlier today, also pointing out that ha-ha road and circular way will be out-of-service during the games, meaning that bus routes to the hospital will presumably be redirected via Charlton way – again this is the kind of thing that a more transparent (i.e. known about) consultation process could bring to people’s attention so they don’t find out in Summer 2012. More can be read about what’s happening in the first issue of Engage, the Olympic news release for our area.