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Growing up in a foster family: Chloe and Hannah’s story

The Royal Borough of Greenwich urgently needs more foster carers to provide children and young people with a safe and caring home while they are unable to live with their own families.

Sisters, Chloe (21) and Hannah (19) have helped their parents foster more than 60 children since 2008. They’ve had two foster brothers living with them for almost ten years and are speaking about what it was like growing up in a fostering household to encourage other people to consider it too.

When we were kids...

Hannah: “The first child my mum fostered was the first friend I ever had. When I was younger, having other children in our house was fun – it was like a sleepover that never ended. Having those experiences shaped who I am, making me able to be sociable and enjoy meeting new people.”

Chloe: “I never really understood it when I was younger. One day there was a baby in our house, and I was confused about the concept. As I got older, I understood the impact my family was having on children who needed a safe home. I now appreciate the responsibility I have and understand how life-changing fostering can be.”

How it changed me...

Hannah: “It’s taught me how to adapt and communicate with different people. It’s easy for me to interact with people from all walks of life, cultures and backgrounds. It’s definitely improved my social skills.”

Chloe: “I’m someone’s pillar now and someone’s important person that they look up to and get advice from. All children need someone to depend on, no matter what their age and no matter if they’re foster children or not. It’s taught me how to be a good listener for someone else.”

My best experiences...

Hannah: “Last year, the council took foster families down to Southend. I’m scared of rides, but my little brother was being so brave – I was so proud of him. I love seeing them grow. I also enjoy helping them with their homework and school exam preparation.”

Chloe: “We stay in touch with our foster children and one of my favourite memories was when one of our previous foster babies’ adoptive parents asked us to be a god family for them. It was such an amazing feeling but really emotional too.”

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.

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Issue: GLW397

Pick of the Week

The Albany presents Love Music Hate Racism

Love Music Hate Racism is a grassroots anti-racist campaign that unites people through music. This summer, they released a statement condemning the far-right violence across the country, which was signed by many artists like Fontaines D.C., Nubya Garcia and Nova Twins, and more. For 2025, they are organising gigs in areas that have been affected by far-right violence, starting at The Albany. The event will promote a message of unity, and it is for those aged over 16. It will star Dave Okumu & the 7 Generations, David Mrakpor and a host of special guests.

Date: Saturday 1 February 2025, 7pm

Tickets: £15 to £20

The Albany, Douglas Way, SE8 4AG www.thealbany.org.uk/shows/love-music-hate-racism

Taylor Swift Reimagined (strings version)

Join Woolwich Works for a night of Taylor Swift’s greatest hits, reborn through musical arrangements by a live string quartet. The Taylor Swift Reimagined (strings version) concert blends the magic of Taylor’s most popular songs across The Eras with a performance from a

modern take on a classical string quartet. But there’s a twist… In this interactive performance, you, the audience, will help shape the night. For the first time, fans have the chance to vote and decide on select songs live – influencing the setlist and making each performance completely one-of-a-kind. The show is a great way to celebrate Taylor’s songs in an intimate setting. And it’s

Yarn Play with Nicola J Reid

Unleash your creativity with Firepit Studios and Nicola J Reid, and have some fun by using recycled yarn and sustainable materials to create accessories. These sessions will teach you how to think outside the box using traditional craft techniques to make and create wearable art. If you want to learn the techniques to make necklaces, you will need to be there for the whole session (from 6:30pm to 8pm). The workshop is free, but Firepit also has a donation option when you are reserving your ticket, which goes directly towards running costs.

Date: Wednesday 12 February 2025, 6:30pm

Tickets: Free Firepit, 10 Cutter Lane, ground floor, unit 5, SE10 0XX www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/yarn-play-withnicola-j-reid-february-tickets-1141013916339

on Valentine’s weekend – this could be ‘the 1’ for any partners who are Swifties.

Date: Saturday 15 February 2025, 7:30pm

Tickets: £20, concessions from £17

The Fireworks Factory, 11 No 1 Street, SE18 6HD www.woolwich.works/events/ taylor-swift-reimagined

The Smartest Giant in Town

Based on the book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, Little Angel Theatre Fierylight brings The Smartest Giant in Town to Blackheath Halls this February. George wishes he wasn’t the scruffiest giant in town. So, when he sees a new shop selling giant-sized clothes, he decides it’s time for a new look: smart trousers, smart shirt, stripy tie, shiny shoes. Now he’s the smartest giant in town…until he bumps into some animals who desperately need his help – and his clothes. This tale about friendship and helping those in need is brought to life in a musical, puppet-filled adventure, following on from Little Angel Theatre’s adaptations of Julia Donaldson’s picture books, including The Singing Mermaid and The Everywhere Bear.

Date: Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 February 2025, times vary Tickets: £17, £15 for under 16s 23 Lee Road, Blackheath, SE3 9RQ www.blackheathhalls.com/whats-on/ the-smartest-giant-in-town-8

The Magic Bookmark

Book Worm is livid that encyclopaedias give people so much knowledge, so decides to steal all the books from Mama G’s library in this performance of The Magic Bookmark at Greenwich Theatre. Before the world can turn to chaos, Mama G – Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist – vows to save the day by proving that books can help make the world a better place. Of course, she can’t do it alone, and that’s when she discovers the mysterious and wonderful Magic Bookmark... This show is full of panto fun for the whole family. Music and lyrics are by Katie Pritchard, with puppetry by Magic Light Productions and set design by Daniel Hanton and Harper Bizarre Art.

Dates: Wednesday 19 to Thursday 20 February 2025, times vary Tickets: £11, under 16s and concessions £9 Greenwich Theatre, Crooms Hill, SE10 8ES greenwichtheatre.org.uk/events/ themagicbookmark

SOS Dance with Eilidh

Looking to try something fun and incorporate some movement into your routine? Introducing SOS, the empowering dance classes. All SOS routines are created by backing dancers who work with stars like Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Rihanna and Dua Lipa. The same routine is then taught by certified instructors. Absolute beginners are welcome to join in and master the routine, which, this week, is I’m A Slave 4 U by Britney Spears, choreographed by Lili Hodge. The SOS dance routines are broken down so you can go at your own pace, and the classes aren’t about being perfect – they’re about moving your body, feeling good and having fun. Time to channel your inner pop princess.

Date: Tuesday 4 February 2025, 7pm Tickets: £12

Forum At Greenwich, Trafalgar Road, SE10 9EQ

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sos-boss-witheilidh-im-a-slave-4-u-by-britney-spearstickets-1129412837199

The Year of the snake at Greenwich Peninsula

New for 2025, enjoy a Lion Dance performance winding through the Peninsula, plus events in block printing, bamboo weaving and Chinese knots

Embrace the Year of the Snake this Lunar New Year with a whole day of events at Greenwich Peninsula on Saturday 1 February, from 12pm to 4pm.

There will be a whole host of celebrations and free and paid-for activities to welcome health and prosperity; from dragon and lion dances to workshops and cultural performances, expect a blend of art, culture and community.

The day’s highlights include the dragon and – new for 2025 – lion dances weaving through Peninsula Square and the Design District.

With vibrant costumes, rhythmic drumming and blending acrobatics with cultural artistry, the performances chase away bad fortune and welcome good luck for the Year of the Snake.

London-based studio Yi Crafts will lead a full line-up of workshops suitable for all, offering opportunities to engage with heritage while enjoying a relaxing and rewarding experience.

You can also try the timeless ancient craft of bamboo weaving, linking intricate patterns to create a decorative bamboo coaster; learn Chinese knotmaking, featuring classic knot designs representing unity, luck or prosperity; discover one of China’s most celebrated cultural traditions, woodblock printing, which played a role in the preservation and spread of the country’s literature and art; and create traditional decorations for your home with paper cutting.

You can even learn – or master – Mahjong. Originating in China during the Qing dynasty, Mahjong has become a celebrated pastime for its rich history and intricate gameplay. Guided by experts from Dear Asia language school, this workshop allows all to explore the legacy, logic and joy of one of East Asia’s cultural treasures.

For food lovers, the Canteen Food Hall and Bar serves up a taste of East Asia with Juk Pou’s congee and youtiao alongside a variety of international cuisines.

Plus, Greenwich Peninsula residents and founders of Brut Tea, Joyce and Raphael, will also offer a tea-tasting session; a curated journey through the origins, stories and characteristics of four of their blends.

Laura Flanagan, director of Greenwich Peninsula, said: “We’re excited to see Greenwich Peninsula once again transform into a hub of celebration for Lunar New Year.

“Our riverside neighbourhood is the perfect destination to experience art and creativity, and this year’s programme has something for everyone. With themes of connection, prosperity and renewal, we’re delighted to collaborate with so many talented performers, artists and experts to bring these experiences to life.”

The programme is part-funded by the UK government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund, supported by the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the Mayor of London and in partnership with Visit Greenwich.

www.greenwichpeninsula.co.uk/ whats-on/lunar-new-year

The Weekender’s event highlights

Brut Tea Tasting

Time: 12pm – 1pm

Location: Salon, Design District

Price: £5, book online

Join the founders of Brut Tea for a tea-tasting session, showcasing four blends from their brand. This curated experience takes you on a journey through the origins, stories and unique characteristics of each blend.

Chinese Knot-Making Workshop with Yi Crafts

Times: 12pm – 12.30pm, 12.30pm –1pm, 1pm – 1.30pm, 1.30pm – 2pm

Location: Design District D4

Tickets: £6, book online

Discover the craft of Chinese knotmaking in this interactive workshop. Guided by Yi Craft instructors, you’ll delve into the techniques behind the art form, a centuries-old practice originating from China’s Tang and Song dynasties. Participants will create decorative ornaments featuring classic knot designs. Each knot carries its own symbolic meaning, representing unity, luck and prosperity.

Paper Cutting Workshop with Yi Crafts

Times: 1.30 – 2pm, 2pm – 2.30pm, 2.30 – 3pm, 3pm – 3.30pm

Location: Canteen Food Hall & Bar, mezzanine level

Price: Free, bookable online

Immerse yourself in the festive art of paper cutting, a tradition for the Lunar New Year that dates back to the Han dynasty in China. Originally a decoration for windows, lanterns and

walls, designs often feature shapes like snakes, flowers and Chinese characters, and represent wishes for good fortune.

Guided by the Yi Craft instructors, you’ll use precision-cutting tools to create your own decorative pieces.

Lion Dance

Times: 1.30pm, 2.15pm, 3pm

Location: The performance begins in Peninsula Square, outside Greenwich Peninsula tube station. Arrive early to secure the best viewing spot Tickets: Free, no need to book

New to the programme for 2025, the traditional Chinese Lion Dance brings a burst of energy to this year’s Lunar New Year celebrations. Blending acrobatics with cultural artistry, the performance will chase away bad fortune and welcome good luck for the Year of the Snake. Vibrant costumes and rhythmic drumbeats bring the lion to life as it moves through the Design District and Peninsula Square, spreading joy and a sense of wonder to everyone in its path.

Dragon Dance

Times: 1.45pm, 2.30pm, 3.15pm

Location: The performance begins in Peninsula Square, right outside North Greenwich station. Arrive early to secure the best viewing spot Tickets: Free, no need to book

A Lunar New Year must-see, the Dragon Dance brings even more excitement to Peninsula Square as it winds through the crowds. Guided by skilled performers, this larger-thanlife dragon moves with grace and power, celebrating luck, prosperity and renewal for the year ahead.

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Winter Sun with Helios

Old Royal Naval College to host London premiere of Luke Jerram’s new celestial installation Helios

Embrace the Year of the Snake this Lunar New Year with a whole day of events at Greenwich Peninsula on Saturday 1 February, from 12pm to 4pm.

The day’s highlights include the dragon and – new for 2025 – lion dances weaving through Peninsula Square and the Design District.

With vibrant costumes, rhythmic drumming and blending acrobatics with cultural artistry, the performances chase away bad fortune and welcome good luck for the Year of the Snake.

London-based studio Yi Crafts will lead a full line-up of workshops

suitable for all, offering opportunities to engage with heritage while enjoying a relaxing and rewarding experience.

You can also try the timeless ancient craft of bamboo weaving, linking intricate patterns to create a decorative bamboo coaster; learn Chinese knot-making, featuring classic knot designs representing unity, luck or prosperity; discover one of China’s most celebrated cultural traditions, woodblock printing, which played a role in the preservation and spread of the country’s literature and art; and create traditional decorations for your home with paper cutting.

For food lovers, the Canteen Food Hall and Bar serves up a taste of East Asia with Juk Pou’s congee and youtiao alongside a variety of international cuisines.

Peninsula, said: “We’re excited to see Greenwich Peninsula once again transform into a hub of celebration for Lunar New Year.

The programme is part-funded by the UK government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund, supported by the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the Mayor of London and in partnership with Visit Greenwich.

www.greenwichpeninsula.co.uk/ whats-on/lunar-new-year

Laura Flanagan, director of Greenwich

“Audiences are in for an absolute rock and roll party. It’s larger than life and an absolute riot,” says leading man Glenn Adamson ahead of the UK tour of Bat Out of Hell: The Musical, coming to Churchill Theatre from 27 January to 1 February.

The show features the music of Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf.

“And it’s everything you’d expect from their fantastic songs,” Glenn adds, “but in a story that’s set in a futuristic, post-apocalyptic world.”

With a book by songwriter and producer Steinman himself, the musical is set in the dystopian city of Obsidian, which is ruled over by tyrannical leader Falco. Their DNA is frozen so that they are destined to remain 18 forever, the Lost boys and girls are living in the tunnels beneath the city.

Then, the fearless leader of the Lost, the immortal Strat, locks eyes with Falco’s daughter Raven and their loveat-first-sight obsession threatens to destroy both of their worlds.

Strat is played by Adamson, who says: “He is sort of like Iggy Pop meets Peter Pan, stuck at age 18 for eternity. He falls in love with Raven, but she’ll continue to age while he can never grow older. It’s a dilemma, to say the least.”

The actor is reprising a role he

Bat Out of Hell

The award-winning touring show lands at Churchill Theatre from 27 January to 1 February

previously played in the West End and on tour in Australia and New Zealand. Excited about returning to the show, he says: “The buzz being out there each night is amazing.”

The stage musical originally premiered in 2017, and saw Steinman incorporate songs from the Bat Out of Hell albums, including the title track

‘You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth’, ‘I Would Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)’ and ‘Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad’, as well as the previously unreleased song, ‘What Part of My Body Hurts the Most’.

“The songs are perfect for a musical because they are so theatrical and poetic,” Adamson points out.

“He writes these banging tunes that lend so well to the format. Sometimes, in a musical, it feels like the songs are shoehorned in, but here they feel they were always supposed to be in a show.”

Strat’s love interest Raven is played

Katie Tonkinson, who says of the character: “She’s been kept locked up for her whole life and she’s looking for freedom and exploration and love. She’s still quite innocent, she doesn’t have a lot of knowledge of the world and because she’s so excitable, she is quite emotionally reactive to things. That’s a lot of fun to play.”

Katie’s credits include Tarantino Live, and she was recently seen as Snow White in Greenwich Theatre’s annual pantomime. She toured in Bat Out of Hell previously, where she covered for the actress playing Raven and got to play the role herself a few times.

Of being cast as Raven in the new tour, she adds: “I’m so excited about it. As a cover, you don’t necessarily get to delve into the details, whereas actually doing it properly, you get to make choices and really explore the character.”

Like Glenn, she’s a big fan of Steinman’s songwriting. “Everything

in it matters. The way the songs are written, they all tell a story and they’re full of drama. That’s why they work so well in a musical,” she says.

As for the story in the show, Tonkinson feels there are serious themes amid all that classic music. She says: “With the Lost, for example, they’re fighting back against the system and questioning things, and I’m a big fan of people speaking their minds. They also have a brilliant sense of community, which Raven wants to be a part of because it’s more colourful, vibrant and interesting than what she’s used to.”

Husband and wife Rob Fowler and Sharon Sexton have been there from the start. They originated the roles of Falco and Sloane and have returned to the show many times over the years.

The music, Fowler feels, is timeless: “Jim’s songs are like a two-act play. Every song has its own story and journey, and that keeps the

piece moving. It’s like going to your favourite theme park. Every ride is exhilarating, every ride is an adrenaline rush and every ride makes you want to get on it again.”

Sexton loves how the show speaks to so many different generations, she says: “What is lovely is that the music is being discovered by a whole younger generation who wouldn’t have grown up with it.

“Then with the parents who bring them along and introduce them to it, it’s like they’re finding themselves again. We all grow old in our bodies, but we don’t always grow old in our minds and in our hearts. So many people come up to us at the stage door after the show and go ‘You reignited something in my soul that I forgot’.”

Rob agrees. “I’ve seen grandparents come along with their grandchildren and they tell us, ‘Seeing the show, it made me go home and share my record collection with my grandkids.’ That’s the power of Bat Out of Hell, both with the music and the story.”

Date: Monday 27 January to Saturday 1 February 2025, times vary

Tickets: £24 to £60

Churchill Theatre, High Street, Bromley BR1 1HA trafalgartickets.com/churchilltheatre-bromley/en-GB/event/ musical/bat-out-of-hell-tickets

Celebrating the Year of the Snake

Join

Dragon Dance

Lion Dance DJs

The Eternal Market: East & Southeast Asian food, art, crafts, and culture

@greenwich.peninsula

Splendours of Henan: A Cultural Tapestry

Traditional Workshops

Family fun this half-term

Imagine Festival is back at the Southbank Centre this half-term from Tuesday 18 –Sunday 23 February, full of world-class theatre, comedy, music, dance, talks and activities for children aged 0 – 11 and their grown-ups!

Ross Collins’s beloved story There’s a Bear on My Chair comes to life for the first time in a brand new stage adaptation with loveable puppets from Toby Olié (Spirited Away, War Horse) Also on stage, enjoy pop-punk juggling in Rollercoaster, join a rip-roaring, prehistoric science pop gig in The Colour of Dinosaurs, and see lots of CBeebies friends and animals celebrate the natural world in music and song at the spectacular CBeebies Wildlife Jamboree.

Be wowed by amazing authors and writers, including the return of award-winning festival favourite Rob Biddulph for an afternoon family session fizzing with laughs, creativity and one of the famous ‘Draw with Rob’ draw-alongs. Jodie Lancet-Grant also brings a rip-roaring event of interactive storytelling and Wild West-themed games at The Wild West Twins, Dr Ronx teaches fun practical skills and useful facts at How to Save a Life, and Athena Kugblenu debunks fact from fiction from throughout history at History’s Most Epic Fibs. On top of that, celebrate the joy of dance with Yasmine Naghdi & Chitra Soundar at Ballet Besties, discover how to grow mighty ingredients to make plant-powered feasts with Darryl Gadzekpo & Ella Phillips at Plant to Plate, and enjoy Lunchtime Comedy with The Lollies, jam-packed with jokes, laugh-outloud live drawing and fabulously funny stories.

Every day there's plenty of free things to do for a full day out, including songs with Singing All Over the World, comedy with Big Laughs for Little Bellies and storytelling with When Stories Come Alive! Come and dance the day away with Afro Dance With HomeBros, ZooNation's Hip-Hop Half-Term and Prancer the Dancer's DanceDanceDiscoParty FunShow. Plus, art fans can scribble, doodle, draw and create to their heart’s content at Imagine's Giant Chalkboard

Imagine Festival

 CBeebies Wildlife Jamboree Photo: CBeebies Wildlife Jamboree

 Southbank Centre's Imagine Festival. Photo: Belinda Lawley q There’s a Bear on My Chair

Photo: Ross Collins

 The Colour of Dinosaurs Photo: Paul Blakemore

Coal tar, caulkers and the push to protect shipping from rot

I went to a talk last week which was about dry rot and ways in the past of dealing with it in timber. I remembered how when I did my PhD on the early gas industry I looked at the use of coal gar as a preservative. This included tar sales to the Royal Dockyards in Deptford and Woolwich. I thought you might be interested in that and that I could write about it this week...

Now you think you know what tar is! In the later gas industry there were huge tar works like the big one at Ordnance Wharf in East Greenwich. Tar was used for all sorts of things, like, for example, road surfacing. But back in 1800 ‘tar’ meant something different and much more aromatic. ‘Tar’ then was made from woods grown in the pine forests of Northern Europe and it was Sweden’s most important export. For instance they sent 13,000 barrels of tar to England in 1615, where the largest user was the Royal Navy. It was used in ship building by both the private and government shipyards.

From around 1812 coal gas for lighting was manufactured in London, initially by the Gaslight Coke – or ‘Chartered’ - Company based in Westminster. They quickly found that they were producing a lot of coal tar as a

by-product. What were they to do with it? Why not sell it to the Navy to replace Swedish wood tar?

The discussion was not new and the dockyards must have known a great deal about coal tar and its potential already. The Earl of Dundonald - one day I’ll do an article about him - had tried to sell his tar to the Navy thirty years earlier. He thought it would be a preservative against gribble -teredo worm - which was a great scourge to wooden shops in tropical seas.

From around 1810 designers of warships considered the use of a coating of coal tar on ships for structural reasons - to turn them into a ‘solid body’.

The two inner London Royal Dockyards at Deptford and Woolwich had begun to concentrate on repair work during the 18th

century. Deptford was often used for experimental or new work and it was there that officers would make an assessment and then decide whether to place an order for the Chartered’s coal tar.

In August 1816 a Thomas Dalton wrote to the Chartered Co. ‘about tar’. He was foreman caulker at Wells, Wigram and Green’s shipyard at Blackwall. A caulker is, of course, the person who fills all the holes and places where the water might get in. People might remember the Jolly Caulkers pub in Rotherhithe – closed a few years ago but the building is still there.

Dalton lived in Naval Row, next to the East India Dock itself. The area was still semi-rural and he had a large garden plot attached to his house. Like other Poplar residents of the time he kept a pig, which the Poplar Health Committee in

1833 recorded to be a ‘clean’ pig.

Leaving his domestic arrangements aside, Dalton was an expert on the use of coal tar in shipbuilding and gave evidence to the 1809 Parliamentary Enquiry about it. He told how Wigram had bought coal tar and it had been used in his shipyard, intermittently, for many years and he had supervised its use, as foreman caulker.

The Chartered Gas Company then employed him to sell tar for them on an agency basis. He wrote, on their behalf, to the Navy Board - the civilian body in charge of Naval purchasing. They agreed to let him undertake ‘experiments’ at Deptford Dockyard. He drew attention to the use of tar for caulking and pointed out possible savings of ‘8/6d. per barrel. He suggested that they might like to take 100 tons ‘for use on ships’ bottoms’ and offered to demonstrate making up some rope using Chartered’s tar.

He gained some success and in September 1817 the Navy Board officers discussed with him the purchase of coal tar ‘in barrels similar to those in which [wood] tar is imported from Russia and Sweden’. But it was nearly a year before they placed an actual order for ‘10,000 tons of coal tar at Woolwich’.

In 1817 the Chartered Gas Co.

decided to open its own tar works. Dalton was to be in charge and he set about setting up the new works in Orchard Place, Poplar - just the other side of the River from today’s Millennium Village in Greenwich.

Dalton bought a ‘crane and pans’ and other equipment and a special committee was appointed to oversee the works. And for them a Pembroke table, and 8 mahogany chairs’ were bought. The works expanded and over the next ten years more equipment was bought – ‘a grinder for colouring material and, a deal plank to make a tub for washing spirits’.

Dalton worked hard to promote his products. He prepared information about the use of tar on ships, producing samples ‘of felt dipped in first mineral tar and the other with Stockholm or Archangel tar’ with which to show the difference. He wrote to the Board of Ordnance asking them ‘to try the black varnish on gun carriages’.

It must have seemed that there was an endless market for the new tar in the shipping industry on the banks of the Thames - but what neither they, nor Dalton, could have foreseen was that Thames shipbuilding had reached a peak. Many yards were building their last warships and would soon close. When they reopened it was to build ships of iron.

Mary Mills

 The use of tar at enderby cable works

 The site of the Poplar tar works shown on a contemporary map

Not all the Chartered’s tar sales were local. Messrs. Bayley, pitch tar and rosin merchants of Ford Street, Stonehouse, Devon, bought ‘70 barrels of prepared coal tar’; Von Dadeltzen and Co., on behalf of Peltzer of Hamburg bought tar, as did a ‘Mr. Tucker of Boston’, Massachusetts.

The relationship with the Navy Board continued. By 1819 naval shipbuilders were using coal tar as ‘the best prevention against dry rot ... and every ship is now completely saturated with it by means of a forcing pump’. By 1824 thirteen battleships had been injected but then linseed oil was used instead and the reason given by the Navy was the unacceptable smell of coal tar. In 1827 an offer by the gas company to sell 60,000 gallons of ‘mineral tar’ to the Navy fell.

After repeated failures in getting orders for tar from the Navy, the Company Secretary took over the job of replying to tenders. He succeeded in getting an order from the Navy Board Commissioners for ‘mineral tar fit for making cordage.’ Rope making was a field which makers of gas tar could well expect to enter by providing a cheap substitute for Stockholm tar.

I have never written here about the great Woolwich rope works, which preceded Woolwich Dockyard. By the 1820s it was in its last years but still a considerable force.

Within three months of the first sale for rope making it appeared that the rope makers of Woolwich did not like the smell of coal tar. G.Smith of the Navy Office wrote to say that ‘the use of mineral tar in the manufacture of cordage is having a pernicious effect on the workmen’. He ‘desired the Superintendent at Poplar to remove what is left at the ropeyard at Woolwich’. Gas industry sources confirmed that gas tar was disliked for rope making ‘because of the rawness and destructive nature of the ammonia’. The Gas Company quickly sent the Navy Board ‘37,000 gallons of tar that we feel confident will not be injurious to the health of their workmen’. However the contract was cancelled and the Navy Board agreed to take the rest of the order under threat of legal action.

The Chartered Gas Co. decided that the tar works was not successful and that it should be disposed of. In 1823 the coal merchant, Davey Sawyer, Bankside, had made ‘a proposal about Poplar which we cannot entertain’ but the works remained in business for several more years. In 1827 more discussions were held on disposal of the works, this time to a Mr. Bromley. In 1828 bad debts of £41 13s. 8d from tar customers were written off.

Five years later the Company commissioned a report on the tar works from a Mr. Hopwood, described as ‘the chemist’. His

remit was to report ‘concerning the results of his experiments on oil of tar... and his opinions of the Poplar Station’. It was decided that there was ‘not much advantage in his proposals’ - whatever they were. The Court of Governors thought that ‘despite the volume of business the works failed to pay its way’. By 1833 Dalton, who had put so much energy into the works, must have been in his sixties. It may be that he no longer felt able to continue. Closure marked the end of the hopes of the flourishing tar derivatives business so confidently envisaged in 1809. As we will see, however, this was not the end of the story - the marketing role, which the gas companies had not been able to fulfil, was to be taken up by others.

 Jolly Caulkers pub sign

ROYAL BOROUGH of GREENWICH

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - Section 14(1)

SHOOTERS HILL ROAD PLANNED CYCLE LANE 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 BT/Openreach who need to carry out works on laying ducts.

2. The Order will come into operation on 03rd February 2025 and would continue to be valid for 18 months. However, the works are expected to take 4 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 cyclist from entering, exiting, proceeding, or waiting (including waiting for the purposes of loading or unloading), in the cycle lane from the junction with Zangwill Road to the junction opposite Pallet Way.

4. Whilst the Order is in operation traffic will not be diverted. 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 27/11/2024

INTERNAL REF - EM/LA479639 FN712 /LIC No 72315

ROYAL BOROUGH of GREENWICH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 – SECTION 14(1) MARLBOROUGH 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 Southern Gas Network who need to carry out works on replacement of gas mains.

2. The Order will come into operation on 3rd February 2025 and would continue to be valid for 18 months. However, the works are expected to take 15 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 Marlborough Lane at the junctions of Charlton Road and Canberra Road.

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.

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 INTERNAL REF – EM/LA481320 FN725 / LIC NO 72466

ROYAL BOROUGH of GREENWICH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14(1) CHARLTON LANE PLANNED ROAD CLOSURE (ORDER)

1. The Royal Borough of Greenwich makes 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.

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.

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

INTERNAL REF: PL / LA480334 FN715 / Lic. No: 72597

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: 22/01/2025

Victoria Geoghegan

Assistant Director - Planning and Building Control

List of Press Advertisements - 22/01/2025

Publicity for Planning Applications

Applicant: Morgan 24/3212/HD

Site Address: 59 MAZE HILL, GREENWICH, LONDON, SE10 8XQ

Development: Demolition of existing rear and partial side boundary fencing, construction of a replacement brick garden wall and felling of eleven (11) leyland cyrpress trees in rear garden.

Conservation Area: GREENWICH PARK

Applicant: Mr Harkamal Sahota 24/4114/F

Site Address: 116-118 Woolwich High Street, Woolwich (also known as 119a Woolwich High Street, 51-62 Hare Street) SE18 6DS

Development: Change of use of Level 1 of site from Use Class Sui Generis (proprietary club with pole dancers) to Use Class C3 for 3x self-contained flats with associated ground floor bin and cycle store.

Conservation Area: Woolwich Conservation Area

Applicant: Mr & Dr Hawkins & Kearns 24/4240/MA

Site Address: 32 MORDEN ROAD, BLACKHEATH, LONDON, SE3 0AA

Development: An application submitted under Section 73 of the Town & Country Planning Act 1990 for a minor material amendment in connection with the planning permission dated 03/05/2024 (Reference: 24/1078/HD) for "Construction of a two-storey rear extension with a hipped roof, construction of a rear/ side garage and all associated works." to allow: - Amendment to Condition 2 (Approved Drawings)

Conservation Area: BLACKHEATH PARK

Applicant: Mr & Mrs Otterburn 24/4250/HD

Site Address: 50 GUILDFORD GROVE, GREENWICH, LONDON, SE10 8JT

Development: Construction of a two-storey side and rear extension and associated external works.

Conservation Area: ASHBURNHAM TRIANGLE

Applicant: Mr Christian Smith & Mrs Katie Hutchinson 24/4254/F

Site Address: 201 GREENWICH HIGH ROAD, LONDON, SE10 8NB

Development: Change of use from office (Use Class E) to residential (Use Class C3), construction of a first floor side extension, installation of an air source heat pump at the rear garden, other associated internal and external alterations. (This application affects the Grade II Listed Nos. 199-213 Greenwich High Road in the West Greenwich Conservation Area)

Conservation Area: WEST GREENWICH

Applicant: Claire Wilmann 24/4265/HD

Site Address: 81 LEE ROAD, LEWISHAM, LONDON, SE3 9EN

Conservation Area: BLACKHEATH PARK

Applicant: Mr & Mrs Greenwood 24/4271/HD

Site Address: 49 CONGREVE ROAD, ELTHAM, LONDON, SE9 1LW Development: Demolition of conservatory,

Applicant: Mr & Mrs Zaraisky 25/0050/SD

Applicant:

Development: Existing loft refurbishment with the addition of two new dormers on the side elevation and the replacement of an existing rooflight. Replacement sash window to the existing front dormer to match existing.

Applicant:

Development: Change of use from office (Use Class E) to residential (Use Class C3), construction of a first floor side extension, installation of an air source heat pump at the rear garden; other associated internal and external alterations. (This application affects the Grade II Listed Nos. 199-213

(including

and

Further details of the proposed development includes the following, which does not form part of the formal description of development:

• Residential Units: 269 Build-to-Rent dwellings (Use Class C3).

• Non-Residential Floorspace: 1,246.8 sqm of commercial and community use (Use Class E, F1 and F2), including 737.2 sqm of affordable workspace in Block A2.

The development consists of four blocks: Block A1 (Powis Street Building) 6 storeys and a height of 21.6 m (24.98 m with the ASHP roof structure); Block A2 (Garage Building) 4 storeys and a height of 17.7 m, including the lower ground and existing roof; Block B (Furlongs Landmark Building) 23 storeys and a height of 74.3 m; and Block C (Workshop Building) 5 storeys and a height of 21.22 m.

(This application is an EIA development and is accompanied by an Environmental Statement)

(The development may impact on the setting of the nearby designated heritage assets including Grade II* and Grade II listed buildings and the Woolwich Conservation Area)

A copy of the application and any plans and/or documents submitted with it is available for inspection by the public at https://planning. royalgreenwich.gov.uk/online-applications/ and by searching via the application reference 24/4088/F Representations to the Council about the application should be made within 30 days of the date of this notice using the above link or to the Planning Department, 5th floor, Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, Woolwich SE18 6HQ stating the full reference number above. Members of the public can access the Non-Technical Summary, the full Environmental Statement (ES), and related documents in either digital or hard copy format through the following options:

i) Online Access: Visit https://planning.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/online-applications/ and search using the application reference 24/4088/F

ii) Hard Copy Requests: Hard copies of the Environmental Statement can be obtained by contacting Plowman Craven via email at webenquiry plowmancraven.co.uk or by phone at +44 (0)20 7490 7700. Please note that hard copy requests are subject to professional printing fees. Alternatively, digital copies of the Environmental Statement can be provided free of charge upon request.

Date: 22 January 2025

Victoria Geoghegan - Assistant DirectorPlanning and Building Control

The hardest part...

Hannah: “The biggest challenge for us is having the foster children leave. We make a connection with them even if they’re here for one day. We like to look back at pictures or talk about children who have stayed with us as a family. We stay in touch with some of them by texting or calling and seeing how they’re getting on in life.”

Chloe: “It’s also hard to see our foster siblings see other foster babies come and go. I know the worries that go through their mind. It’s down to us to remind them that they’re here with us to stay and aren’t going anywhere.”

Our advice...

Hannah: “My advice would be to build friendships with the foster children, it can be fun. I think keeping everyone involved also helps – having dinner together or doing group activities where everyone is included. It never felt like we were sharing our parents or home – they’re my siblings, just like Chloe is my sibling.”

Chloe: “My advice to foster parents with biological children is to create a space where you can have open communication. I found it useful knowing why we were fostering and the benefits it had for the children. I also think the foster kids know when they’re being treated differently so inclusive activities are really important. A funny memory is when my brother – after eight years of living with us –asked if we were also foster children. It always makes me laugh but just shows how much they felt they were treated the same as my parents’ biological children and I think that speaks volumes.”

Looking towards the future...

Hannah: “My experience with fostering and seeing what some of the children had been through made me want to work in social justice. I’m currently training to be a lawyer so I can play an active role in changing lives.”

Chloe: “I’ve been around children all my life, so I want to work with them. I’m currently training in medicine and would love to work in pediatrics – perhaps as a GP.”

If you are inspired by Chloe and Hannah or are considering fostering, you can take the first step by heading to royalgreenwich. gov.uk/fostering.

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