Filmmaker Gordon Buchanan will share his wildlife tales at Blackheath Halls
New year, plenty of new ideas
Could you change a child’s life?
We urgently need more foster carers to look after local children when they are unable to live with their parents. All our foster carers receive great allowances, training and 24/7 support, as well as an exemption from Council Tax. We welcome applications from people of any age, sexuality, or relationship status.
The most important thing is that you have the time and energy to care for a child when they need it most. Find out more: royalgreenwich.gov.uk/fostering
Make a splash with our swim offers
Kickstart 2025 by getting active with great value swim offers at Eltham, Greenwich, Thamesmere and Waterfront leisure centres.
Greenwich One Card holders can enjoy £1 weekday swims and £5 weekend family swims for up to six people, available during selected sessions.
Find more leisure centre offers: better.org.uk/leisurecentre/london/greenwich
Find a new interest
There are free or low-cost adult community learning opportunities available for everyone aged 19 or over. Courses cover everything from art, and cooking, to learning English as a foreign language, and business skills. greenwichlearns.org.uk
It’s time to quit
smoking
Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health. It helps you breathe better, reduces your risk of serious illnesses like cancer and heart disease, and improves your overall well-being. You’ll also save money that would otherwise be spent on cigarettes, and you’ll likely feel healthier, have more energy, and enjoy a better quality of life.
Download the free Smokefree app and access the help you need with free digital tools and 24/7 support: smokefreeapp.com
Go for a stroll
Despite the drizzly January weather our parks have never looked more beautiful. If you’re looking for free ways to get active then why not explore dozens of award-winning green spaces? You can also become a ‘friend’ of your local park and help make it the best it can be. royalgreenwich.gov.uk/parks
Eliza Frost
The
Greenwich & Lewisham Weekender is an independent weekly newspaper, covering the boroughs of Greenwich and Lewisham.
We publish every Wednesday, covering every postcode sector of the borough, and boasting, by far, the highest weekly circulation in Greenwich. Each week, we deliver our paper to every Greenwich neighbourhood, with further copies stocked at convenient public stands. We are also the highest distribution newspaper in Lewisham.
You can also view each edition online, as well as daily news and events, on our website: www.weekender.co.uk
The Greenwich & Lewisham Weekender covers all aspects of life in the boroughs, including music, theatre, comedy, film, events, and food and drink, as well as all your community events and campaigns.
Weekender
The Greenwich and Lewisham Weekender is a member of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (which regulates the UK’s magazine and newspaper industry). We abide by the Editors’ Code of Practice and are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism. If you think that we have not met those standards and want to make a complaint, please contact 020 7231 5258. If we are unable to resolve your complaint, or if you would like more information about IPSO or the Editors’ Code, contact IPSO on 0300 123 2220 or visit www.ipso.co.uk
Weekender Editor: Eliza Frost
Media Partnerships: Anthony Phillips
Advertising team: Clarry Frewin
Advertising support: Katie Boyd
Editorial: Michael Holland; Eliza Frost
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Design team: Ann Gravesen
Finance: Em Zeki - Tel: 0779 883 3758
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Offices at: A202, The Biscuit Factory, Drummond Road, SE16 4DG.
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News: 020 7231 5258 /hello@cm-media.co.uk
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Issue: GLW396
Pick of the Week
Calling all trainee detectives… Join The Albany for a brand new, board-game-style theatre show, The Mystery of the Albany, where your skills are needed to solve a thrilling murder mystery. From the creators of I Believe in Unicorns comes this new brain-teasing interactive adventure aimed at children aged 7-11. Team up with super sleuth Danyah Miller to navigate through secrets and surprises. You’ll examine evidence, inspect video footage and interrogate suspects, every clue bringing you closer to the truth. Can you crack the case together? Expect intrigue, mischief, spontaneity and a sprinkle of magic. Get involved and get it solved.
Date: Tuesday 18 February 2025
Tickets: £9.50. Douglas Way, SE8 4AG www.thealbany.org.uk/shows/the-mystery-ofthe-albany
The MysteryoftheAlbany
Justin Moorhouse: The Greatest Performance of My Life
Justin Moorhouse returns with “The Greatest Performance of My Life”, coming to Blackheath Halls this February. After a successful
and extended tour of his 2022 show “Stretch and Think”, he’s back on the road with this new show. The story covers subjects ranging from pantomimes to dreams, how to behave in hospitals, small talk, realising his Mum is a northern version of Columbo, and how being
Buffy Revamped
Seventy minutes. Seven seasons. One Spike. Bringing you the entire 144 episodes of the hit 90s TV show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as told through the eyes of the one person who knows it inside out… Spike. Following its Edinburgh Fringe premiere in 2022, a Christmas season in Toronto in 2023 and several sold-out national tours, Buffy Revamped is touring the UK and coming to Churchill Theatre in February. Satirical and bursting with 90s pop-culture references, it’s the perfect parody for Buffy aficionados – or those who never enrolled at Sunnydale High. Created by comedian Brendan Murphy who also created the show FRIEND (The One with Gunther).
Date: Monday 24 February 2025
Tickets: £23.60 to £29.50 High Street, Bromley BR1 1HA trafalgartickets.com/churchilltheatre-bromley/en-GB/event/ play/buffy-revamped-tickets
February Producers Market
The first Sunday of February means it’s Producers Market Day at Severndroog Castle, where you can expect all your usual food and craft stalls to peruse at your leisure. The February Market will also see the re-opening day for the Castle Viewing Platform, you can go up to the roof to experience those clear winter views over London. No ticket is required to enjoy the market, you can simply turn up on the day. Tickets for the Viewing Platform will be available on the door.
a smart-mouthed kid saved him from a life of continually being beaten up.
Date: Sunday 2 Feb 2025. Tickets: £16 23 Lee Road, Blackheath, SE3 9RQ www.blackheathhalls.com/whatson/justin-moorhouse-the-greatestperformance-of-my-life
Fierce Queens
In celebration of LGBTQ+ History Month, Royal Museums Greenwich’s Queen’s House is throwing open its doors for a fashion show like no other. Join Fierce Queens and Kings to celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month. Taking place every year in the heart of historic Greenwich, Fierce Queens brings together performers and historians for a night of queer liberation and LGBTQ+ representation. Hosted by resident Drag King and Queen Adam All and Apple Derrieres, this soirée at the House of Delight invites everyone to celebrate, explore, disguise and un-masque their splendid identity(ies).
Date: Friday 28 February 2025
Tickets: £16 adults, £13 concessions, companions free Romney Road, SE10 9NF www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/queens-house/fiercequeens-en-vogue
Date: Sunday 2 February 2025
Tickets: Free Severndroog Castle, Castlewood Drive, Shooters Hill, SE18 3RT www.severndroogcastle.org.uk/ events/february-producers-market
Laugh on the Thames
Hop on the River Bus for a unique comedy experience as Uber Boat by Thames Clippers presents evenings of stand-up comedy as you cruise past London’s iconic landmarks, including the Cutty Sark and the Royal Observatory Greenwich. The line-ups will showcase a mix of comedians, TV personalities and talent from comedy scenes across the world. The January line-up sees Alistair Barrie, Sean Collins and Dana Alexander, the February event has Daliso Chaponda, Josh Howie and James Dowdeswell, and March invites Dave Fulton, Prince Abdi and Keith Farnan to the boat.
Dates: Thursday 23 January, Friday 21 February, Friday 28 March 2025
Tickets: £20
Victoria Embankment, WC2N 6NU www.thamesclippers.com/ whats-on-and-offers/river-buscomedy-night
© Ellie Kurttz
Sodo Pizza
“Sourdough pizza is nutritious and you’re not going to feel bloated afterwards,” says Dan Birch, founder of Sodo Pizza.
With a focus on fermentation, traceability and seasonality, Sodo Pizza will leave you feeling good.
The restaurant has locations around London, and its newest home is Deptford, which was opened in 2022.
And Dan has enjoyed moving into the area: “Deptford has loads of small, independent, interesting places, and it’s not too busy, but busy enough to be fun.
“We know all the neighbours; everybody is on first-name terms. It’s a nice community of businesses here. We just need to get people out to support them.”
Originally from Wales, Dan spent
time studying and travelling in his 20s before moving to London. He wasn’t enjoying his corporate job so got some friends to bank together and he opened a restaurant based on a pop-up he was doing.
All hands on deck, they worked to piece everything together to open shop and then invested pretty much everything back into the business to continue the good work. All these years later, with four sites now open, the hard work has paid off.
And they have kept the “shining star” that they are always heading towards – of traceability, seasonality, UK produce and working directly with producers – at the forefront.
They don’t just work to use local ingredients, but also things that are good for you. This includes the sourdough used for pizzas, which is made through fermentation, and other
pickled and fermented items – like kombucha and pickled cucumbers.
“It’s becoming more well known that fermented foods are very good for your gut,” says Dan. “Essentially, you are breaking down the food before you consume it.”
He adds: “I heard a great line regarding diet a few years ago, there are three food groups: things that make you feel good, things that make you feel bad, and things that make you feel neutral, and you should eat more of the good and neutral.”
For much of our history, we would’ve eaten sourdough bread, explains Dan, the process helps to break down the gluten and the starches to “make it more digestible and lighter on the stomach” before we eat it.
If you’re comparing sourdough with non-sourdough, “I personally
Founder Dan Birch talks about the benefits of sourdough and the restaurant’s goal to source local
find non-sourdough much heavier because you haven’t done that bacterial fermentation”.
Sodo Pizza sources UK-grown organic and stone-milled wheat flour for its sourdough, too, and it makes up a large percentage of its dough. It is grown in Buckinghamshire from genetically diverse mixtures of old varieties.
When it comes to ingredients to top the pizzas, the focus follows this same train of thought.
Dan talks about the home of pizza, Naples, and how all the ingredients can be traced back to the area. The reason that pizza is so delicious is the local ingredients, he explains, and that is what they are trying to mimic at Sodo.
Over the years, they have worked to find a solution to sourcing
ingredients from afar but keeping it as local as possible.
The mozzarella and burrata are from Simona at La Latteria in Acton using milk from a single organic principal local herd. Tomatoes and cucumbers are from The Tomato Stall from the Isle of Wight.
Charcuterie is from Cobble Lane Cured in Islington. They use grass-fed, free range animals reared in the UK.
And the olive oil is small batch, Extra Virgin from Two Fields Zakros, which is regeneratively farmed in Crete by brothers Will and Harry.
Of the olive oil, Dan says that “it’s just incredible”, adding: “The brothers bought a bit of land in Crete, brought it back to health, and are making fantastic olive oil. Now, they’re doing tastings at Michelin star restaurants – that’s how good that olive oil is.”
He says, that at Sodo Pizza, one way they are looking at is that “you can come to one of the restaurants and eat the ingredients you get in a Michelin star restaurant, but you’re not paying Michelin star prices because we put on the pizza”.
When we’re talking flavours, Sodo Pizza has specials on the board for when you visit, and always the best staples.
Dan’s favourite? If he’s feeling “hungry and a bit dirty”, it will be the Wicker Man –tomato, mozzarella, pepperoni, nduja, mascarpone and chilli honey.
But he also enjoys the Jon Bon Chovy when out with family and friends, which is tomato, mozzarella, anchovy, capers, olives, chilli and parsley.
Save us a slice!
144A Deptford High Street, SE8 3PQ www.sodopizza.co.uk
London Frontrunners is an inclusive running and triathlon club for lesbians, gay and bisexual men and women, trans people and allies.
The running club is open to anyone, regardless of ability, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity.
Formed in 1995, it is part of International Front Runners, a network of LGBT+ running clubs all over the world.
Members range from recreational joggers to competitive road- and cross-country athletes; and everyone in between. Regardless of your level of fitness, your pace or your preferred distance, you will find members to run and train with at London Frontrunners.
With groups all over London, the Greenwich group meets at The Greenwich Centre (12 Lambarde Square, SE10 9HB) every Wednesday.
The run starts at 7pm and lasts for 5km or 10km – one or two loops of Greenwich Park – and ends with a post-run social at The Pelton Arms for a well-deserved drink.
Three Greenwich runners tell The Weekender about how they have found community in their hobby… Sarah
“I saw the Frontrunners at London Pride in 2022 and immediately thought I’d like to join. However, I wasn’t really running much at the time, but I liked that it was a queer group.
“I ended up signing up for the 2023 London Marathon and knew I’d need some motivation to get
Greenwich’s London frontrunners
Three people from the LGBT+ running club discuss the benefits of exercising with likeminded people
prepared for it, so I finally joined the club in January 2023 and have been a regular ever since.
“Before joining Frontrunners, I was an infrequent runner at best and always approached it as a very solo activity. Since joining the club, running has become both more enjoyable and more social for me.
“I have found a community that I can run with but also a group of friends who I see outside the club, too. I have gained a fantastic friend group who I’ve been to concerts, musicals and festivals with.
“My physical health is probably both better and worse than what it used to be. My cardiovascular
fitness has improved a lot. I can run further or, more importantly, talk much more while running.
“On the downside, my joints have felt the impact of running in a less positive way so I need to work on some exercises to protect them. I definitely find running and being outdoors beneficial for my mental health.
“As someone who struggles with anxiety, I find exercising outdoors extremely beneficial for me and knowing I’ll be running with friends makes it all the better, especially during the dark winter months.
“Joining the club has been the best thing I’ve done for myself since moving to London in 2020.
“Each week I am excited to attend because of the friends that I have made. I am always excited to see who will be there. I’ll run together with some friends and perhaps sit with others when we socialise afterwards.”
Daniel
“I moved to London 10 years ago; it’s a struggle to meet new people when you’re new to a city, especially other LGBT+ people. I already enjoyed running, so I thought why not give this a try? I really think without joining Frontrunners I would have struggled to stay in London.
“After 10 years, I’ve made so many great friends, next year’s calendar already has invites to birthdays,
holidays, stag dos and weddings all with friends I met through Frontrunners.
“I wasn’t a very sporty kid, if you told me back then I would be doing Trail Runs, cross country runs or half marathons I wouldn’t have believed it.
“If it weren’t for the club being so supportive and its members spurring me on, I don’t think I would have done any of those things.
“The best thing about running with London Frontrunners has to be the people; everyone is so friendly and all the volunteers that make the club run are really passionate about making the club a great and welcoming place.”
Spence
“I joined the club after moving from Manchester to London in 2022. I was looking to make new friends and find other people like me.
“It’s great to be able to run with people who are like you, who you know you can fully be yourself around.
“Running as part of the club has helped me become a better runner, especially from the encouragement of other people in the club. Knowing you’ll see good friends is a particularly helpful motivation in the colder and darker winter months!
“The best thing about Frontrunners is all the friends I’ve made since joining. I’ve had a great time and made friends for life; it was exactly what I needed when I moved to London.” londonfrontrunners.org
Lions and Tigers and Bears on tour
Wildlife filmmaker Gordon Buchanan will share his wildlife tales at Blackheath Halls this March
Wildlife photographer and filmmaker Gordon Buchanan will hit the road this year bringing his live tour Lions and Tigers and Bears with Gordon Buchanan to audiences everywhere.
With a life dedicated to exploring the untamed beauty of the natural world, the 35-venue tour will come to Blackheath Halls on Saturday 1 March.
Lions and Tigers and Bears with Gordon Buchanan will see him recount tales from his thrilling encounters with some of nature’s most fascinating animals.
Speaking about the new tour, Gordon said: “Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my! It could be a line straight from The Wizard of Oz but there’s no fiction here, just amazing facts as I get the chance to bring to life the amazing adventures that I’ve had the absolute privilege to experience.
“Bears and big cats are the undisputed icons of the animal kingdom, and I’ve spent a lifetime capturing them on film.
“From pandas in China to orphaned grizzlies in Russia, from high-altitude tigers in the Himalayas to jaguars in the depths of the Amazon; I have been fortunate enough to meet many of these incredible creatures in their natural habitats – and I love being able to share their secrets with audiences.
“There has been mud, sweat and tears, tender moments and terrifying encounters and I can’t wait to meet more animal lovers and tell more tales as I hit the road again.”
Hailed as Scotland’s own David Attenborough, Gordon Buchanan has dedicated his life to exploring wildlife around the globe, from
forests to snowy landscapes, and from towering mountains to the depths of the great rainforests.
All his travels were with a single mission in mind: to capture the majestic bears and big cats on film and reveal their secrets to audiences.
Lions and Tigers and Bears with Gordon Buchanan will feature his adventures with pandas, grizzlies, tigers, jaguars and more – making for a night of adventure, awe and wonder.
Gordon grew up on the Isle of Mull and began his career in filmmaking in 1989 as assistant to survival cameraman Nick Gordon – travelling to Sierra Leone to document animals in the Gola Rainforest. He went on to work on the Big Cat Diary series as well as the long-running expedition series Lost Land of the… for the BBC.
The Family & Me documentaries began in 2010 when he featured alongside Minnesota black bears, with Gordon going on to showcase some of the world’s most fascinating animals.
Most recently, Gordon has been on screens as part of the presenting team on Our Changing Plant, a seven-year diary charting the fight to save the planet’s ecosystems.
He is currently filming Big Cats 24/7, tracking lions, leopards and cheetahs in Botswana over a sixmonth period for a new BBC series.
Date: Saturday 1 March 2025
Tickets: £27, concessions £25 23 Lee Road, Blackheath, SE3 9RQ www.blackheathhalls.com/ whats-on/gordon-buchananlions-and-tigers-and-bears
At The Heart Of The
Kickstart your football journey in 2025 with Charlton Athletic Community Trust
Charlton Athletic Community Trust (CACT) are delighted to offer a range of football programmes for young people in 2025, with something for everyone. CACT’s sessions, designed for both boys and girls aged 3 to 16, ensure there are opportunities for all to get involved!
CACT’s Charlton Challenge football sessions run across various locations in South East London, with weekly sessions for children aged 2-3, 4-5 and 6-8 years old. These sessions, which are overseen by FA and UEFA qualified coaches, are designed to help young footballers reach their full potential. Each course focuses on the game’s four essential skills: dribbling, passing, control and shooting, while also improving coordination, balance, fitness and social skills. Please scan this QR code to book your space.
Meanwhile, our Player Development Centre caters to players aged 9-16. Once again, this course offers age-specific coaching from FA and UEFA licensed coaches across different locations in South East London. All players attending the centre will work to a specialised Charlton Athletic Academy-designed curriculum, focused on enhancing technical, tactical, physical and social abilities in players who are looking to improve their 7-a-side, 9-a-side and 11-a-side performance and gameplay. Secure your place at a venue near you by scanning this QR code.
CACT also offers a comprehensive girls-only football programme. We run weekly, age-specific football sessions for girls aged 3-16 across South East London, led by FA and UEFA qualified coaches. Age-specific Wildcat sessions (ages 3-11) are perfect for beginners, offering a fun, noncompetitive environment with peers. Squad Girls sessions (ages 12-16) focus on developing football skills in a structured, progressive way to maximise enjoyment and help players reach their full potential. For experienced players, the Girls Development Centre (U12-U16) offers a Charlton Athletic Academy-designed curriculum to enhance technical, tactical and physical skills for 11-a-side gameplay. Book a place on our girls-only football sessions by scanning this QR code.
Charlton Challenge QR Code
Girls only QR Code
Player Develpoment Centre QR Code
Charles Hutton, mathematician at the RMA, the Landmann’s next door neighbour
The early life of George Landmann
Now that my book about George Livesey is finished and published (please buy it!) I thought I might move on to do a biography of George Landmann
He was the Royal Engineer who built the Greenwich Railway - the railway between London Bridge and Greenwich which we all still use and which was the first commuter railway in the world. George was born and brought up in Woolwich and a couple of weeks ago I wrote a piece here about his father, Isaac Landmann, who was recruited by the British government from France to teach artillery and fortification at the newly established Royal Military Academy.
George was born in 1779 in staff accommodation in the building called ‘The Academy’ or Building 40’ and used by the entertainment complex which replaced the Greenwich archive and museum. Designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor it was used by the Royal Military Academy in 1731. George described it as ‘ancient’.
The RMA building had been built on the site of a 16th century mansion, Tower Place, and the tower remained.
George says it was the home of a Mrs. Simpson ‘the widow of Thomas Simpson, mathematics master at the RMA’. The Tower was ‘considered unsafe’ and George saw it rocking to and fro in a high wind. His father showed him how to carry out tests on what he had seen by ‘suspending a plummet to the ceiling’ - and, yes, the Tower did rock two inches either way. This illustrates how George was educated from his earliest years by his father – and was also surrounded by an intellectual and scientific elite.
Cadets in the Academy were taught ‘writing, arithmetic, algebra, Latin, French, mathematics, fortification, attack, defence, gunnery, mining, laboratory work, fencing, dancing.’
Staff appointments included some of the most distinguished scientists of the day - and it was the foremost educational establishment for technical subjects in the country.
There were also many distinguished visitors to the RMA who met with George’s father. George III himself was a frequent visitor and special displays would be put on by the cadets and members of the artillery. I described in an earlier article how the Landmanns entertained the French virtuoso Chevalier St. George. Another visitor was ‘Madame la Princess de Lamballe’ – ‘the intimate friend of Marie Antoinette... with ‘a train full five yards long...borne by a young black page’. She ate a lunch prepared by George’s mother - and it is disturbing to learn of her end, years later- raped, violently killed,
mutilated, her head paraded around Paris on a pike. Otherwise and more normally visitors were dignatories like The Duke of Richmond (Master General of the Ordinance), General Sir W. Green (Chief Royal Engineer), Major Blomfield, (Inspector of Artillery),and of course Nevil Maskelyne (Astronomer Royal).
George was sent to school at the age of six and this is somewhat of a mystery. He says he was sent to a school run by a M. Dufort, a Frenchman, although M.Dufort has so far proved untraceable. He also says it was ‘later a school conducted by the Reverend Dr Watson’ – this must be the school advertised in the Kentish Gazette “SHOOTERS - HILL SCHOOL WILL open on Monday, the 22nd of January, 1787. Where young Gentlemen will be genteelly boarded, and taught the Greek, Latin, and French Languages, Writing, Arithmetic, Vulgar and Decimal; Book-keeping, Mensuration, Geography, &c. &c. By SAMUEL WATSON, A. B. Student of Christchurch, and able Assistants. Terms, Twenty Guineas per Annum, and Two Guineas Entrance. Drawing, Dancing, &c. by eminent Masters.” Rev. Samuel Watson was also ‘Senior Chaplain of the Ordnance Department in Woolwich Garrison, Rector of Gravesend, and a Magistrate” The Gravesend diarist, Robert Pocock, remembered that the Rector had been master at The Shooters Hill Academy.
Georg also says that he met William Congreve at school. I don’t doubt that Congreve and Landmann were friends
Mary Mills
as adults but Congreve’s biography gives no hint of him attending a school in Woolwich. He was also a few years older than George - and such a gap is important when one of you is only six –and so it is unlikely they were at school together. George says in his autobiography that some of his ‘memories are extracts from his father’s ‘commonplace book’ and admits they may be out of order.
Living on what became the Arsenal site meant that he saw a lot of foundry and other work which involved weaponry, its manufacture and testing. For instance tests on firing guns in different wind speeds were carried out two hundred yards from the front of the barracks - sometimes with alarming results. He describes how a batch of new cannon - a hundred or so received from the Carron Company - were all lined up pointed at a butt and then set off. It was ‘no very uncommon occurrence’ for cannon to burst - and on this occasion one bursting set off its neighbour, sending a cannon ball flying in the direction of Woolwich Church.
Even outside the Arsenal he couldn’t get away from explosions. Out for a walk with his mother and sister one day they visited the battery on Plumstead Common. A mortar was fired and they were struck with a shower of something like gravel. The gun had burst on firing and the artillery men around it had been all knocked down.
Of Woolwich itself around 1780 he
says- “the inhabitants there was very respectable - but only three kept carriages’. The first of the three he lists is Squire Martin, an ‘opulent and independent farmer’. He then lists ‘Squire Bowater’ - the Bowater family are well documented and owned huge areas in the western part of Woolwich. There is also however a bit of a problem. If we take it that George’s memories are of his childhood - say 1780-1790 - then the inheritor of the Bowater estate, John, was in Europe avoiding those looking to recover vast debts from him, having fled the country in 1778. There also seems to have been a certain amount of scandal attached to his marriage. Although, I suppose, young George might not have known about all this.
He also mentions a ‘Mr.Whitman who ‘kept a carriage’ and built a house ‘on the northern declivity of Shooters Hill”. George adds that the house was later owned by “General Cuppage”. I was very disinclined to believe that anyone of such a strange name existed but it turns out that following a distinguished career the General settled in Shooters Hill. He was Irish from a family with close ties to Edmund Burke and had been educated at the Royal Military Academy. His Shooters Hill house is said to have extended considerable hospitality to ‘educated and scientific men’. George says it was ‘in front of a piece of water which owing to its peculiar position on the side of the hill appears to be out of level’.
George remembers someone with
many social contacts, including ‘Lord Eardley of Belvedere’although Samson Gideon was not created Baron Eardley until 1789, but George’s account is, of course, retrospective.
He devotes a couple of pages to the work of Sergeant Bell, concentrating on the Sergeant’s suggestions for raising the Royal George wrecked at Portsmouth. John Bell was indeed based at Woolwich - and had actually witnessed the wreck of the Royal George. His ideas for raising the ship were demonstrated - in front of a distinguished audience and Landmann describes other devices invented by him.
Bell is one of the many people in this period who developed new methods of working - but not one of the ones which will get mentioned in accounts of ‘great inventors’ or the ‘industrial revolution’.
George wrote about many other childhood memories - and his memories are sometimes a bit imperfect. He was a privileged child who met interesting and important people in circumstances where other children might have been sheltered. The people he met were from an overwhelmingly military background - but one which was intellectual, cosmopolitan and more than a bit eccentric.
When he was about 10 years old the family left Woolwich and moved to the posher bit of Greenwich, as we will see.
Royal Military Academy building showing the tower still in place
Drawing by Isaac Landman of work in the Arsenal
Princesse de Lamballe
Royal Borough of Greenwich
Town & Country Planning Act 1990 (AS AMENDED)
Town & Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015 Planning (Listed Buildings & Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (AS AMENDED) Planning (Listed Buildings & Conservation Areas) Regulations 1990 (AS AMENDED)
Notice is hereby given that application(s) have been made to The Royal Borough of Greenwich in respect of the under mentioned premises/sites. You can see the submissions and any plans at http://www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/planning.
If development proposals affect Conservation Areas and/or Statutorily Listed Buildings under the Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Area) Act 1990 (As Amended) this will be shown within the item below.
Anyone who wishes to comment on these applications should be made in writing to Development Planning within 21 days of the date of this notice.
Please quote the appropriate reference number.
Date: 15/01/2025
Victoria Geoghegan
Assistant Director - Planning and Building Control
List of Press Advertisements - 15/01/2025
Publicity for Planning Applications
Applicant: Miss Caroline Van Arwegen 24/3758/HD
Site Address: 82 ROYAL HILL, GREENWICH, LONDON, SE10 8RT
Development: Addition of an external fire escape stair from basement to ground level in the front lightwell. Proposed modifications to the front fence and railings for a pedestrian access gate, with the existing lightwell fabric retained and waterproofed. Repairs will match existing materials and finish.
Conservation Area: WEST GREENWICH
Applicant: Mrs Anna Stafford 24/3809/HD
Site Address: 11 MORDEN ROAD MEWS, BLACKHEATH, LONDON, SE3 0AE
Development: Construction of a part 1, part 2 storey rear extension incorporating "link" extension and new garden room, new upper level external balcony elements with new external stair, altered openings, installation of new rooflights and associated external alterations and landscaping.
Conservation Area: BLACKHEATH PARK
Applicant: Ms Juliana Koch 24/3883/HD
Site Address: 23 WINFORTON STREET, LONDON, SE10 8UR
Development: Replacement of existing roof tiles with new, x
Conservation Area: WEST GREENWICH
Applicant: Calford Seadon, on behalf of Housing for Woman limited 24/3942/F
Site Address: 99 MYCENAE ROAD, BLACKHEATH, LONDON, SE3 7SE
Development: Replacement of all doors, windows and rooflights across the building's external elevations, and associated external works. (This application would impact the setting of a Grade II Listed Building and the Westcombe Park Conservation Area.)
Conservation Area: WESTCOMBE PARK
Applicant: Mr James Dixon 24/3978/F
Site Address: 42 DEVONSHIRE DRIVE, GREENWICH, LONDON, SE10 8JZ
Development: Construction of lower ground floor infill side extension to existing outrigger, including external alterations to rear facade; installation of new lower ground floor front door; replacement, repair works and painting to front and rear facade, roof tiles, windows and front railings; minor landscaping to front and rear gardens; and other associated external alterations
Conservation Area: ASHBURNHAM TRIANGLE
Applicant: Greenwich Millennium Village Ltd 24/4073/F
Site Address: Becquerel Court and Farnsworth Court, West Parkside, Greenwich, SE10 0QF
Applicant: Mr Szivuljak 24/4208/HD
Site Address: 45 GRANBY ROAD, ELTHAM, LONDON, SE9 1EH
Development: Single storey side and rear extension with the inclusion of a dormer to the rear elevation.
Conservation Area: PROGRESS ESTATE
Applicant: Mr Derek & David Ovenell 24/4237/PN2
Site Address: FRANKLYN JAMES ESTATE AGENTS, 4-6 BLACKHEATH HILL, GREENWICH, LONDON, SE10 8DE
Development: Prior Approval is sought for the change of use of ground floor commercial services estate agent unit from class E (commercial, business and service) to C3 residential use for 2 no. 1 bed 1 person self contained residential studio flats.
Conservation Area: ASHBURNHAM TRIANGLE
Applicant: Alison Glen 25/0020/HD
Site Address: 14 KINLET ROAD, PLUMSTEAD, LONDON, SE18 3BY
Development: Construction of a single storey side extension and associated external works.
Conservation Area: SHREWSBURY PARK ESTATE
Publicity for Listed Building Consent
Applicant: Miss Caroline Van Arwegen 24/3759/L
Site Address: 82 ROYAL HILL, GREENWICH, LONDON, SE10 8RT
Development: Addition of an external fire escape stair from basement to ground level in the front lightwell. Proposed modifications to the front fence and railings for a pedestrian access gate, with the existing lightwell fabric retained and waterproofed. Repairs will match existing materials and finish.
Conservation Area: WEST GREENWICH
Listed Building: Grade 2
Applicant: Network Rail Infrastructure Limited 24/3821/L
Site Address: GREENWICH RAILWAY STATION, GREENWICH HIGH ROAD, SE10 8JQ
Development: The refurbishment and replacement of life-expired components of the canopy on Platform 2 and associated refurbishment works.
Conservation Area: WEST GREENWICH
Listed Building: Grade 2
Applicant: Sentinel Design and Built Ltd 24/3914/L
Site Address: 17 KING GEORGE STREET, GREENWICH, LONDON, SE10 8QJ
Development: Replace defective roof on a like-for-like basis as follow: NEW ROOF COVERINGS SPECIFICATIONS 1) Erect scaffolding to front and rear of building, install a water
Listed
Applicant: Calford Seadon,
Site
Applicant:
Applicant:
24/4207/HD
Site Address: 2 CHAUNDRYE CLOSE, ELTHAM, LONDON, SE9 5QB
Development: Demolition of existing conservatory and construction of a part-one, part-two storey
LANE PLANNED ROAD CLOSURE (ORDER)
1. The Royal Borough of Greenwich intends to make this Order in exercise of powers under section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. This is to facilitate works by Network Rail who need to carry out examination works at the rail crossing point.
2. The Order will come into operation on 01st February 2025 and would continue to be valid for 18 months. However, the works are expected to take 3 days. The duration of the Order can be extended with the approval of the Secretary of State for Transport.
3. The effect of the Order would be to temporarily prohibit vehicles from entering, exiting, proceeding, or waiting (including waiting for the purposes of loading or unloading) in Charlton Lane at the rail crossing point.
4. Whilst the Order is in operation traffic will be diverted via the placing of the appropriate signage. Prohibitions remain in force; pedestrians are not affected, and vehicle access will be maintained wherever possible.
5. Nothing in this Notice will apply to anything done with the permission or at the direction of a police constable in uniform or traffic warden, to emergency service vehicles, or to vehicles being used in connection with the works.
6. The restrictions described above will apply only during such times and to such extent as shall be indicated by traffic signs as prescribed by the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016.
7. Queries concerning these works should be directed to the Royal Borough of Greenwich’s Directorate of Regeneration, Enterprise & Skills on 020 8921 6340.
Ryan Nibbs Assistant Director, Transport. The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, SE18 6HQ
Dated 20 November 2024
Information from the Royal Borough of Greenwich for our residents
Marking 80 years since liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau at Holocaust Memorial Day service
The Royal Borough of Greenwich will bring residents, council and community leaders together for its Holocaust Memorial Day service on Monday 27 January. The annual event will take place at 10.30am in the Old Library at Charlton House, SE7 8RE.
Led by Councillor Jit Ranabhat, Mayor of Royal Greenwich, the service will feature performances, readings and multi-faith prayers.
Our event is open to all residents, but spaces are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Please email events@royalgreenwich.gov.uk to confirm your place.
This year’s Holocaust Memorial Day marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp, and 30 years since the genocide in Bosnia. It is a time to remember the millions of lives lost during the Holocaust, as well as those taken in later genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, and Darfur.
You can also join people across the country to place a light in your window on Holocaust Memorial Day at 8pm as part of the ‘Light the Darkness’ initiative.
Find out more at royalgreenwich.gov.uk/holocaust-memorial-day
Need
to register
a birth, death, marriage or citizenship?
Our Registrars have temporarily moved to The Woolwich Centre while we repair Woolwich Town Hall. During this time, citizenship ceremonies will be held at Charlton House.
Make an appointment with Registrars: royalgreenwich.gov.uk/registrars
Holocaust Memorial Day Service 2024
Get on the list First, you’ve got to be on the housing waiting list to join the scheme. If you’re not, register an application online at royalgreenwich.gov.uk/homes
Find your applicant number It will be on the letter you’ve already had from the Royal Borough of Greenwich about the new scheme. You’ll need that number and the reference number of the property you’re after, which will be on the advert.
Pick out your ideal property by looking in Greenwich Info or regularly checking the website: royalgreenwich.gov.uk/homes. Click on your preference on the website. If you don’t have a computer, you can always use one for free at either The Eltham or Woolwich Centre or a local library.
Apply in one of three ways
• Text bidding is now available and the number to use is 07786207913. For further information please see page 2, or
• Via the Royal Borough of Greenwich’s website royalgreenwich.gov.uk/ homes or
• Phone the 24-hour hotline 020 8921 4340. It’s an automatic pushbutton system and calls will be charged at the normal local ratell be charged at the normal local rate
For information or assistance Contact our Allocations Team on: 020 8921 2941 or email: housing-allocations@ royalgreenwich.gov.uk
CBL BIDDING
Please be aware that users must now enter the date of birth of the main applicant when logging into this site. royalgreenwich.gov.uk/homes
HOW TO BID FOR ADVERTISED PROPERTIES BY TEXT
If you would like to bid by text, please use the following Text Bidding Number: 0778 620 7913 and type:
CBL, the property reference number and your applicant number. The property reference will be on the advert and your applicant number is on the letter we sent to you when you registered for housing.
A successful bid will look like this: CBL 179104 12191
You will need to do a separate text for each property you wish to bid for and the text is charged at your mobile provider’s standard rate. You will receive a text response to confirm your bid within 5 minutes.
If you are unable to bid for advertised properties and have no one that can do so for you please contact the Allocations team on 020 8921 2941 and we will help you with bidding or will bid on your behalf. If you are in temporary accommodation, then please contact your Temporary Accommodation Officer for help with this.
If you are unable to bid for advertised properties and have no one that can do so for you please contact the Allocations team on 020 8921 2941 and we will help you with bidding or will bid on your behalf. If you are in temporary accommodation, then please contact your Temporary Accommodation Officer for help with this.
BIDDING FOR PROPERTIES
People on the Housing register are able to bid for all properties, regardless of their banding. You must be eligible for the size of property and bids will be considered in the following order:
First Band A, followed by Band B1/B2 both in priority date order. Those in Band C will then be considered in registration date order.
Please note that there will still be some properties with age restrictions so only people of this age group can apply for these.
A is for applicants in unsatisfactory housing, including people moving due to demolition and those under occupying their homes.
BAND
B1 or B2 is for applicants the Royal Borough of Greenwich must prioritise according to the law, particularly homeless people, and others with an urgent need to move for medical or welfare reasons.
C is for all applicants on the housing register, including those that are in priority bands A and B1/B2.
The next printed edition of Greenwich Homes will be available on 29 January 2025 at midday. The closing date for all applications for this issue is midnight on 19 January 2025. ALL households can bid for all types of property subject to meeting the bedroom size and any medical requirements.
Over 10,000 swaps
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED TO THE HOMES ADVERTISED IN ISSUE 938
MOVE TO A SMALLER
If your property is now too big for you, you can apply for the Small is Beautiful scheme.
To be eligible, your current property must:
• be a council or housing association property
• have 2, 3, 4 or 5 bedrooms
• be in the Royal Borough of Greenwich
The scheme can help you move to a smaller home that better meets your needs. We can then use your property to help another family who need it. For example, those in an overcrowded property or who are homeless.
WHAT YOU’LL GET
We’ll help you with costs and finding a new home that better meets your needs.
Financial benefits
We’ll pay:
• £1,000 for each spare room you give up
• an extra £500 if you downsize by mutual exchange
• your moving costs
• your disturbance costs, for example, for packing, disconnecting and reconnecting your appliances
Priority to find a new home
We’ll put your household in the highest priority band on the housing register so you can find a new home as soon as possible.
An Under Occupation Adviser will support you throughout the downsizing process.
Extra support for households with adult children
If you have non-dependant adult children living with you, we can offer them their own flat, if we can get a bedroom back. This means you and your adult child will each get a one-bedroom flat.
Extra support for older tenants
If you’re Pension Credit age you can downsize to a home with one extra bedroom to allow for caring or support needs.
SEASIDE & COUNTRY SCHEME
This scheme offers one and two bedroom flats and bungalows on the Coast and in the countryside, in the South East and West of England. In order to be considered you must be:
• A Council or Housing Association tenant
• At least 55 years old. If you intend to add a household member under the age of 55 they must be either your spouse, current joint tenant, registered carer or dependent adult child.
Your removal costs will be met if you are a Council tenant and you do move to a Seaside and Country home.
To register, or find out more about the scheme, contact the Access and Allocation section on: 020 8921 2941
If you are a Housing Association tenant you need to contact your landlord to register. Further information is available from the scheme management organisation at housingmoves.org
We can visit you and support you with everything you need to downsize.
WHO CAN APPLY
You can apply if you’re under-occupying your home by at least one bedroom.
When we decide if a tenant is under-occupying, we count a second living room (or parlour) as a bedroom.
APPLY
Email: Housing-Allocations-Downsizi@ royalgreenwich.gov.uk
OTHER DOWNSIZING OPTIONS
If you’re 55 or over, you could also consider moving to the seaside or countryside.
This could be for you if you’re:
• in poor health
• struggling to cope in your current home
• keen to move nearer to friends, family or amenities
You can also contact us if you know other tenants who might benefit from this scheme.
Find out about moving to the seaside or country.
Greenwich Council (in foyer)
6 Mitre Passage, Greenwich Peninsula, London SE10 0ER
Greenwich Theatre
Crooms Hill, London SE10 8ES
West Greenwich House
141 Greenwich High Road London SE10 8JA
West Greenwich Library
146 Greenwich High Road, London SE10 8NN
Royal Standard
67 Pelton Road, London SE10 9AH
Forum@Greenwich
Trafalgar Road, London SE10 9EQ
Greenwich University
Cooper Building, Students Union, King William Walk, London SE10 9JH
Greenwich Communications Centre
164 Trafalgar Road Greenwich, London SE10 9TZ
Maze Hill Station
Tom Smith Close, London SE10 9XG
Blackheath Library
Old Dover Road, Blackheath SE3 7BT
Westcombe Park Station
Station Crescent, Westcombe Park, London SE3 7EQ
Blackheath Newbridge Working Mens Club
22 Charlton Road, Blackheath SE3 7HG
Waitrose
Dreadnought Wharf, Victoria Parade, 1 Thames Street, Greenwich, London SE10 9FR
Greenwich Square Health Centre
12 Lambarde Square SE10 9GB
Woodland Surgery
Woodland Walk SE10 9UB
Vanbrugh Dental Centre
Vanbrugh Hill SE10 9HQ
Greenwich Launderette
174 Trafalgar Road SE10 9TZ
Slade Library
Erindale SE18 2QQ
Woolwich Community Centre
Leslie Smith Square SE18 4DW
Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Station Road, London SE18 4QH
Clockhouse Community Centre
Defiance Walk, Woolwich Dockyard Estate SE18 5QL
Waterfront Leisure Centre
Woolwich High Street SE18 6DL
McDonald’s 56-58 Powis Street SE18 6LQ
Greenwich University 54-58 Powis Street SE18 6NL
Woolwich Centre 35 Wellington Street SE18 6PW
Post Room Woolwich Service Centre
Wellington Street SE18 6PW
Town Hall
Wellington Street SE18 6PW
Woolwich Centre Library 21 Love Lane SE18 6QT
Brookhill Children’s Centre
130 Brookhill Road SE18 6UZ
Charlton Athletic Football Club
Reception The Valley, Floyd Road SE7 8BL
Time Court
Woodland Terrace SE7 8DD
Charlton Library
Charlton House, Charlton Road SE7 8RE
Gllab Work and Learn Centre
Old library Calderwood Street SE18 6QW
The Point
47 Woolwich New Road, SE18 6EW
Smile With Pride Dental Care Ltd 81A Powis Street SE18 6JB
Equitable House
General Gordon Place SE18 6AB
St.Marks Medical Centre 24 Wrottesley Road SE18 3EP
Plumstead Library
Plumstead High Street SE18 1JL
Greenwich Community College 95 Plumstead Road SE18 7DQ
Glyndon Community Centre 75 Raglan Road SE18 7LB
Abbey Wood Community Group 4 Knee Hill, SE2 0YS
Abbey Wood Library Eynsham Drive SE2 9PT
Thamesmead Leisure Centre
Thamesmere Drive SE28 8RE
Gallions Housing Association 90 Titmuss Avenue SE28 8HL
Conway Medical Centre
44 Conway Road SE18 1AH
Basildon Road Surgery
111 Basildon Road SE2 0ER
Heronsgate Medical Centre
Goosander Way SE28 0ER
Middle Park Community Centre
150 Middle Park Avenue SE9 5SD
Vista Childrens Centre
Middle Park Avenue SE9 5SD
City Point Concierge Suite
Campbell Court, Meadowside, Kidbrooke SE3 9XT
Kidbrooke Dental Centre
Telemann Square SE3 9YR
Briset Corner Surgery 591 Westhorne Avenue SE9 6JX
Eltham Centre & Eltham Library
2 Archery Road SE9 1HA
Cold Harbour Library
Wiliam Barefoot Drive SE9 3AY
Cold Harbour Leisure Centre
Chapel Farm Road SE9 3LX
New Eltham Library
Southwood Road SE9 3QT
Eltham Community Hospital
30 Passey Place SE9 5DQ
52 Well Hall Road
52 Well Hall Road SE9 6SH