Reminder: your bin collection days will change over Easter
Royal Greenwich bin collections will change over Easter.
Usual collection day New collection day
Friday 18 April Friday 18 April
Monday 21 April Tuesday 22 April
Tuesday 22 April Wednesday 23 April
Wednesday 23 April Thursday 24 April
Thursday 24 April Friday 25 April
Friday 25 April Saturday 26 April
Smaller crews will be collecting your bins so it may take a little while to catch up.
Updates will be shared on the council’s social media and WhatsApp channel.
Check your collection dates at royalgreenwich.gov.uk/ bank-holiday-collections
Follow @royal_greenwich on X, Facebook and Instagram and sign up to the WhatsApp channel at royalgreenwich.gov.uk/follow-whatsapp for updates on your bin collections.
Greenwich residents invited to have a say on local decision making
The Royal Borough of Greenwich is calling on residents to participate in a survey designed to shape the council’s Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme for 2025-2026.
This offers locals a chance to highlight the areas that matter most, ranging from housing and healthcare to the local economy, public safety, and environmental concerns.
Councillor Lauren Dingsdale, Chair of Overview and scrutiny, said: “This is a real chance for residents to shape what scrutiny looks into over the next 12 months.
“We want to make sure our work aligns with the priorities of the people we serve, and that starts by listening, investigating issues, and suggesting improvements to make life better for all residents.”
Whether you care about the quality of local services, how public money is spent, or how decisions are made, this is your opportunity to make your voice heard.
The survey is open until Sunday 20 April . Have your say: royalgreenwich.gov.uk/overview-scrutiny-survey
Residents can stay independent longer thanks to new care technology service
The council has launched a pioneering Digital Health and Care Technology Service to help residents stay safe and independent at home.
The first of its kind, the service will bring familiar and easy-to-use technology into people’s home offering extra support, peace of mind, and early help when needed. The joint initiative between the council and local NHS services is part of a wider plan to modernise and improve health and social care in Royal Greenwich.
Research shows that when people get the right support at home, they recover more quickly, stay healthier for longer, and avoid unnecessary hospital visits.
Councillor Mariam Lolavar, Cabinet Member for Health, Adult Social Care, and Borough of Sanctuary said: “This is all about making life easier for people in Royal Greenwich. Whether someone needs a little extra support after coming out of hospital, reassurance for their family, or help with daily tasks, digital tools like video doorbells, voice assistants, and tablets can make a big difference.”
Find out more: royalgreenwich.gov.uk/dhact-launch
Pick of the Week
TheGreenwich & 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: Kevin Quinn
Media Partnerships: Anthony Phillips
Advertising team: Clarry Frewin
Advertising support: Katie Boyd
Editorial: Michael Holland; Issy Clarke, Evie Flynn
Design Manager: Dan Martin
Design team: Ann Gravesen
Finance: Em Zeki - Tel: 0779 883 3758
Managing & Commercial Director: Chris Mullany
Managing & Editorial Director: Kevin Quinn
Published weekly on a Wednesday at: Community Matters Media Ltd
Trinity Laban Vocal Studies students are presenting four programmes of opera scenes to give a taster of different operas. It’s ideal for people who want to experience opera but aren’t sure where to start.
Date: Wednesday 30th April - Friday 2nd May Time: Performances at 6:30p, 7pm, and 8pm.
Tickets: FREE Blackheath Halls (Great Hall), 23 Lee Rd, Blackheath, London SE3 9RQ
Showdown at the Albany
Upswing and Chamäleon Theatre
Berlin bring Showdown to the Alabant this May. Six acrobats combine jawdropping circus stunts and humour in a competition where the audience is invited to vote for their favourite performer! Suitable for ages 12+
Date: Thursday 1st May - Saturday 3rd May
Time: 7:30pm on Thursday and Saturday, 7pm on Friday.
Tickets: £12-14
The Albany, 9 Giffin Street, London, SE8 4RJ
Easter Art and Adventure Trail, Greenwich Peninsula
To celebrate Easter, the Greenwich Peninsula are offering a fun-filled trail, perfect for the whole family. There will be riddles, sketch sculptures, public art, and local landmarks.
Date: 12th April - 3rd May
Time: Tuesday - Sunday 10am-5pm
Tickets: FREE Starts at Firepit Art Gallery & Studio, Cutter Lane, London, SE10 0XX
Live at the Works with Troy Hawke
Character comedian and internet sensation Troy Hawke is headlining a comedy night at Woolwich Works. The president of the Greeter’s is joined by BBC’s Live at the Apollo’s Laura Smyth and Edinburgh Comedy Award-nominees Josh Pugh and Ania Magliano.
Date: Saturday 26th April
Time: Doors open at 6:30pm, performance starts at 7:30pm
Tickets: £18.70 - £28.60
Woolwich Works, The Fireworks Factory, 11 No 1 St, Royal Arsenal, London SE18 6HD
Late night Jazz in the bar, Blackheath Halls1st May
Enjoy late-night jazz courtesy of Ethan Sweeting from the Trinity Laban Jazz Department. It’s free for all, just walk in and enjoy the jazz vibes.
Date: Thursday 1st May
Time: 9:30pm
Tickets: FREE Blackheath Halls, 23 Lee Rd, Blackheath, London SE3 9RQ
TCS London Marathon
Don’t forget about the iconic TCS London Marathon, the 26.2 mile course through Greenwich, Lewisham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, and Westminster. Good spots to watch include Greenwich Town Centre, areas around Cutty Sark (mile 6) which is earlier in the course and doesn’t get too busy.
Date: Sunday 27th April
Time: 9am-5pm
Tickets: FREE to spectate Start: Greenwich Park, SE10
You can travel from Lewisham & Greenwich for FREE on the bus for an entire year!
It is now free to travel from Lewisham and Greenwich on the bus thanks to three new bus routes being launched by Transport for London, writes Louisa Woolf...
The 108, 129 and the new Superloop 4 are now carrying passengers and customers won’t have to pay a penny for the first 12 months.
The Superloop 4 now connects south east London to Canary Wharf for the first time and make it easier for people from Blackheath, Lee and Grove Park to cross the Thames.
It will run every eight minutes during weekdays and every 15 minutes during the day at weekends.
The 108 runs from Stratford International Station to Lewisham Station, while the 129 begins in
Newham and ends in Lewisham. These new services are were launched in conjunction with the opening of the brand new Silvertown Tunnel linking North Greenwich to the Royal Docks.
So where can you go for FREE on the bus?
Route 108 will continue to run every 10 minutes from Lewisham station to Stratford International via the Blackwall Tunnel, passing through North Greenwich and Bow Church stations. This route has been upgraded to become electric buses.
The newly extended route 129 will run from Lewisham, past the O2 arena, through the Silvertown Tunnel, to City Airport and as far as Great Eastern Quay. It also takes in popular destinations like Greenwich Town centre, Blackheath on this side of the river and Beckton District Park in Newham.
And a brand new route, the Superloop
The Cycle Shuttle Service will be free for the
SL4, will run through the new tunnel from Grove Park to Canary Wharf.
The Superloop 4 will call at all stops between Grove Park and Kidbrooke Park Road, via Lee station and Blackheath station.
It then runs non-stop to Leamouth via the new Silvertown Tunnel, and calls at all stops from there until Westferry Circus, including East India Station and Canary Wharf Station. The SuperLoop buses will run every eight minutes.
You must touch in with a valid Oyster card or contactless card or device, but the fare will automatically register as £0.00.
There is even a FREE ride on the Docklands Light Railway
It’s not only the buses that are free, you can also get free DLR travel across the river between Cutty Sark Island Gardens, and between Woolwich Arsenal and King George V.
Passengers will tap on as normal, and the fares between these stations will be automatically refunded. But this will only be until the end of May (see story below).
And not forgetting cyclists - they go FREE too
Cyclists are also able to travel through the new 1.4km tunnel for free on the bike shuttle service.
A shuttle bus now runs every 12 minutes from 6:30am to 9:30pm, taking cyclists and their bikes to and from the stop on the north side of the river, close to Royal Victoria DLR station, and the stop on the southside on Millennium Way.
It has two stops, one on each side of the river, with the ‘north’ stop located on Seagull Lane close to Royal Victoria DLR station, and the ‘south’ stop located on Millennium Way near the junction with Old School Close. Maps showing local cycle routes are on display at shelters to help with journey planning and encourage further journeys by cycle.
Why did TfL build the Silvertown Tunnel?
The 1.4km tunnel, which was first announced in 2012, will see the number of buses able to cross the river each hour increase from six to 21.
The tunnel is estimated to reduce journey times by up to 20 minutes during peak hours.
It cost £4 to drive a car through the tunnel during peak times, and up to £10 for larger vans and lorries. The same tolls will also kick in at Blackwall Tunnel. Both will be free to use overnight, and standard off-peak charges will also apply for vehicles
Cutty Sark DLR station to close for 10 months
Cutty Sark DLR station will be closed from the end of May until next spring while all four escalators are replaced, writes Louisa Woolf...
Problems with the existing escalators have disrupted passengers since 2021, with all four now out of service.
To get from platform to street level, commuters currently have to walk up
121 steps or wait for a single small lift.
TfL says that replacing all four escalators at once is the best way to minimise disruption. It says due to limited space at the station it is impossible for it to remain open during the works.
The refurbishment has been scheduled to avoid disruption during the London Marathon which takes place on April 27 this year, and is expected to be completed by next Spring, ahead of the 2026 event.
Cutty Sark is one of the closest stations to the start line in Greenwich
Park for the marathon’s 50,000 runners, and many more spectators.
The closure will affect commuters to Canary Wharf and the 20 million tourists who visit Greenwich every year.
Cutty Sark is London’s third busiest DRL station, following Canary Wharf and Limehouse.
TfL says the new “state-of-the-art, energy-efficient escalators” will provide customers with easier and more reliable access to the station.
Ben Grellier, TfL’s head of operations for the DLR, said: “We know Cutty Sark’s escalators have been causing disruption and frustration for our
customers and we would like to thank them for their patience during this period.
“We apologise for any further disruption the station closure may cause, but it is not possible to replace these escalators with the station in operation. Once installed, the new state-of-the-art escalators will provide customers with reliable and easier access to DLR services at the station.”
The station will be closed from Saturday 31st May 2025 until Spring 2026, with passengers advised to use Greenwich station, an 11-minute walk away, and local buses during the closure.
registered with TFL Auto Pay.
Silvertown has in part been built to relieve congestion at Blackwall Tunnel, which suffers from more than 700 closures a year.
What other discounts are available?
Low-income residents in 12 east London boroughs and the City of London, and on certain benefits, are eligible for a 50 per cent discount on tunnel crossing charges.
Small businesses, sole traders and charities registered and operating from Greenwich, Newham or Tower Hamlets are also eligible for a £1 discount on the off-peak charge on a maximum of three vehicles.
What the Mayor has to say
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “The new Silvertown Tunnel will transform travel in the South and East of our city, particularly across the River Thames, and will help to address the chronic congestion and poor air quality around Blackwall Tunnel. The new tunnel will reduce journey times, help to manage pollution levels and improve crossriver public transport.
“The original plans for the Silvertown Tunnel were developed by the previous Mayor of London in 2012. We made a series of significant improvements to make the scheme greener and to include a package of measures to support Londoners, local residents and businesses.
“This includes ensuring there are discounts and concessions in place, reserving a lane for double-decker buses, a free innovative cycle-shuttle service and free bus travel for pedestrians, which will encourage more people to switch to greener modes of transport.”
Silvertown Tunnel entrance
New free bus service through the Silvertown Tunnel
fi rst year
The ground-floor property in Thamsemead was initially priced at just £90k - due to its poor condition and leasehold status.
But at a competitive auction last week, it sold at £117,000 - which property expert and CEO of homebuying platform OneDome, Babek Ismayil, says proves just how desperate buyers are to get onto the property ladder - even when a home is barely livable.
Mr Ismayil commented: “A property just over £100k in London might seem like a bargain, but this sale highlights the extreme affordability crisis buyers are
facing. Even in an uninhabitable state, without a working kitchen, the property still sold for well above its guide price.”
The flat, located in a purpose-built block near Abbey Wood station, includes a reception room, kitchen, two bedrooms, a bathroom, and access to communal gardens.
The walls are covered in mould and it needs a full refurbishment before it can be lived in.
Also with just 60 years remaining on its leasehold, it would be difficult to secure a traditional mortgage for the home.
With a six-week completion period available, the sale was expected to attract cash buyers rather than those relying on mortgage lending.
Mr Ismayil added: “With average house prices in the capital soaring to almost £600,000 – more than 12 times the average income – affordability has never been worse.
“And from April 1, the stamp duty nilrate threshold for all buyers will drop to £125,000, meaning even the cheapest London properties will likely incur tax— piling yet another cost onto buyers in an already unaffordable market.”
Mum of child too anxious to attend Lewisham school gets payout due to council delays
A mum of a South London child too anxious to attend school has been awarded £1,500 from her council after it failed to arrange alternative education, writes Robert Firth...
The unnamed girl, known only as B, missed out on classes for six months due to Lewisham Council’s delays in offering her replacement tuition elsewhere.
The Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) said the situation caused the girl and her family ‘distress, frustration and uncertainty’, in a report from February. B’s mum, known only as Dr X, informed the council that her daughter was unable to attend school due to anxiety in November 2023.
The girl’s school offered her mindfulness and lunchtime support session if she could attend. But alternative arrangements for her
education in the meantime were not put in place.
In December 2023, the school’s attendance officer sent a letter to Dr X warning her she could be taken to court if her child continued to skip classes. Later the same month, B’s
doctor informed the school that she had a diagnosis of autism, which was a potential cause of her nonattendance at school.
Lewisham told the LGO it took steps to arrange alternative education for B upon receiving the doctor’s evidence.
But it did not manage to secure replacement tuition for the girl until April 2024, four months later.
As compensation, the LGO ordered the council to pay Dr X £1,500 and remind attendance staff of their responsibility to provide education for children who
don’t attend school full-time.
The LGO said: “We have found the council at fault for a delay in providing access to suitable provision after receiving a medical letter. This caused distress, uncertainty and frustration for Dr X and her child.
“The council has agreed to apologise, make a symbolic financial payment and remind its staff of the Ombudsman’s guidance on how we expect councils to fulfil their responsibilities to provide education for children who do not attend school full-time.”
A Lewisham Council spokesperson said: “We have reviewed the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman’s decision regarding Dr X’s complaint and accept the findings. We have apologised to the family for the disruption to their child’s education, and acknowledge that we should have done better.
“We are committed to learning from this experience and are actively reviewing our attendance and hospital outreach programme policies and processes to ensure that children facing health challenges receive the support they need without unnecessary delays.
Safeguarding the wellbeing and educational development of all children in the borough remains our top priority.”
Eleanor Hill overshares
‘It’s not funny,’ she said through the giggles’
In 2022 I reviewed Sadvents - a brilliant one-woman play written and performed by Eleanor Hill who shared all the horrors of her life, which involved abusive boyfriends, parental divorce and a mum dying. It was equally as horrifying as it was hilarious, writes Michael Holland...
Last week, Eleanor made contact to say she had a new show that brings us up to date with her life. I was hoping Ms Hill had oversome her problems, purged her life of bad people and found happiness. Sadly, no; she went temporarily blind in one eye, which led to surgeons finding a massive cyst on her brain and performing surgery: ‘The horrors persist,’ she says with a sigh. Of course, though, with her unique style, she had me in stitches when we met to talk about the past few years and her new show, Overshare, which will get a three-week run in Greenwich Theatre. She laughs a lot, for a reason.
Eleanor believes her desire to perform began at primary school, aged 6, when the class were doing an extract from James and the Giant Peach. The script said her character was drinking lemonade but she was asked to ‘mime’ the act of drinking. This caused our star to have a ‘huge coughing fit’, which meant the teacher had to go and fetch water, allowing the Year 3 diva to continue with the scene but without having to mime. That piece of genius adlibbing led to Bath Spa University and a Masters at E15 Acting School.
Having never studied writing in her education, Eleanor has found her own style, and that entails going out for walks while filming her streams of consciousness ramblings as they randomly occur. She then views the footage at home. ‘Some is absolute sh*t,’ she laughs, ‘and some of it’s gold.’ It is the gold that is put into her plays/ performances. She feels that this method helps her both as an actor and a writer.
The writing and performing is therapeutic for Eleanor. The violent boyfriend from before has now been expunged from her life, but there have been others who will no doubt be metaphorically dragged around the stage in Overshare.
‘Yes, it is therapy and I’m fine with that… Hopefully, one day I will make money and that will pay for my therapy bills and I will have the last laugh.’ This was a cue for an infectious chuckle that you can’t help joining in with. This seemed like the ideal time to bring up the brain problem.
‘I was in the office at work when out of the blue I lost complete vision in my left eyeTerrifying! I went into shock, shaking and distressed - “I’m blind!” When she calmed down she planned to go home and ponder the rest of her life with half-vision, but her colleagues sensibly called an ambulanc. At the hospital they could not work out the cause. Her sight returned and was replaced by searing headaches and face muscles sagging like a stroke victim.
An MRI scan found the ‘huge, Grade 3, arachnoid cyst’ on the left side of her
brain and a cavernoma on the other side.’
I was hoping Eleanor didn’t laugh this time because I didn’t want to join in. Sitting before a young woman telling me about all these unwanted growths in her skull was not a laughing matter. Thankfully, she continued with tales of further episodes of blindness and head pain and then the neuro-surgery. This included drilling into the skull to monitor what was going on in there and to release any pressure. Eleanor expects more brain surgery before the year’s end, which spurred me on to say, ‘Next year’s show will be a blinder!’ Laughing was back on the menu.
‘It’s not funny,’ she said through the giggles, ‘it’s very, very traumatising, but the dark humour has been a gift. It’s the only way to get through.’
The script for Overshare is 50% new stuff and the rest is fine-tuned and streamlined from Sadvents. Eleanor says that the team she is working with have helped her with dramaturgy, so Overshare will be a lot less random.
She was keen to mention Rachel Thomas(Associate Producer & Support Worker) who is there ‘to make sure I don’t go insane… She ensures that I get therapy along with everything else that has to be done; she makes sure I get a break and am organised…’ Rachel sounds crucial to this operation where Eleanor is producing, writing and performing.
Adding more phone use int o the show will, Eleanor hopes, bring in people who don’t think theatre is for them.
Each show is relaxed, people can come and go, they can take photos and videos and livestream it: ‘They can send jokes while I’m jumping around and talking about my dead mum, which is ridiculous in itself but that’s how social media works’.
Overshare is a show that can evolve and grow as long as Eleanor Hill evolves and grows, and updating it every year is something that crosses her mind. She jokes about a ‘Me and My Cyst’ working title.
However, she has been commissioned by Camden People’s Theatre to write for them, so that could throw up something different. Plus, there are hopes to tour Overshare after the Greenwich run, and, astonishingly, she talked herself into a marketing job at Greenwich Theatre.
‘When I came to talk to James Haddrell (Artistic Director) about putting my play on here, I told him I had worked in marketing and he gave me a job!’
But for now, Eleanor Hill is preparing Overshare and urges the audience to keep their phones turned on to interact with the show. This is theatre as you’ve never known it before.
Greenwich Theatre Studio Space, Crooms Hill, SE10 8EX from May 6th - 25th. Tuesday - Saturday 7.45pm; Sunday 5pm.
Admission: £13.50, £11.
Booking and full details: www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk @iameleanorhill @greenwichtheatre @oversharetheplay
10 of the best South London festivals this summer
With summer around the corner, it’s time to put these South London events in your diary, writes Evie Flynn...
GALA, PECKHAM RYE PARK:
An independent and communitybased festival, celebrating their 10th year anniversary this year. They are all about bringing soulful sounds to the community.
Tickets start at £43.50.
Date: 23rd-25th May
WIDE AWAKE, BROCKWELL PARK (PART OF BROCKWELL LIVE):
From the people behind MOTH club and the Shacklewell Arms, Wide Awake is an independent festival for underground music fans.
Headliners Kneecap, CMAT, and English Teacher are joined by other cutting-edge leftfield artists, such as
Tickets start at £54.50.
Date: 23rd May
FIELD DAY, BROCKWELL PARK (PART OF BROCKWELL LIVE):
Field Day has been celebrating underground music and diverse audiences for the last 15 years. Field Day continues to shape the future of electronic music and returns this year with internationally celebrated DJ Peggy Gou.
Tickets start at £64.50.
Date: 24th May
CROSS THE TRACKS, BROCKWELL PARK (PART OF BROCKWELL LIVE):
A jazz, soul and funk festival headlined by Michael Kiwanuka and jazz quartet Ezra Collective. The line up is set to include a mixture of heritage legends and up-and-coming artists.
Tickets start from £59.50
Date: 25th May
CITY SPLASH, BROCKWELL PARK (PART OF BROCKWELL LIVE):
City Splash is a May Bank Holiday celebration of Caribbean and African culture with Reggae, Dancehall, Dub and Amapiano music. City Splash advocates for Black music, culture and food and is the world’s biggest independent one-day celebration of Caribbean and African culture,
Tickets start at £39.50.
Date: 26th May
PROJECT 6, BROCKWELL PARK:
A festival dedicated to ‘bass-heavy sounds’, including garage, grime, house and jungle. Project 6 returns to Brockwell park this May with dates and tickets tbc.
Tickets: tbc
Date: May (exact date tbc)
UPTOWN FESTIVAL, BLACKHEATH COMMON:
A family-friendly festival headlined by Boy George and Culture Club, allowing you to relive music through the decades and experience their
iconic feminist artist Peaches.
free, interactive entertainment
Tickets: start at £52.50
Date: 27th July
BIG SMOKE FESTIVAL, CRYSTAL PALACE BOWL:
The only place to see Skepta perform live in 2025, the Big Smoke festival returns in August. Presale tickets are released on 7th March.
Tickets: start at £64.40
Date: 9th-10th August
RALLY, SOUTHWARK PARK:
Curated by GALA and Bird On The Wire, RALLY is a one day music and arts festival inspired by DIY culture, celebrating the importance of community, the festival is usually followed by the annual FREE Bermondsey Carnival (watch this space for more details).
Tickets: Pre-sale sign up available Date: 23rd August
BATTERSEA PARK IN CONCERT, BATTERSEA PARK:
Open concerts paired with picnics on August Bank Holiday Weekend, celebrating classical, disco, jazz and blues sounds. Special appearances from the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra.
Tickets: Early bird tickets start at £43.10
Date: 23rd-25th August
At The Heart Of The Community
CACT Awarded EFL League One Community Project of the Year Award
Charlton
Athletic Community Trust’s (CACT) Youth Engagement Vehicle programme has been named EFL League One Community Project of the Season.
The youth engagement buses, which engage with young people in the Royal Borough of Greenwich and Bexley, play a pivotal role in reaching a diverse group of young people in south-east London. The buses, which are equipped with a variety of activities and supported by experienced mentors, have created a safe and welcoming space for young people, helping them build confidence and take part in positive activities.
The Community Project of the Season award recognises the most innovative and impactful initiatives carried out by EFL clubs and their community trusts. After being named the winner of the Divisional Community Project of the Season award for League One at the EFL Community Awards at the House of Commons earlier this month, CACT is now in the running for the overall Community Project of the Season accolade.
CACT will go up against Plymouth Argyle and Port Vale, the divisional winners from the Championship and League Two, to earn the overall prize at the EFL Awards which take place at the London Hilton on Park Lane on Sunday, April 27th.
CACT CEO Jason Morgan said: “We are thrilled that CACT’s work towards crime reduction has again been recognised by the EFL.
“The youth engagement vehicles project is one we’re particularly proud of as it continues to make an impact in the London Boroughs of Bexley and Royal Greenwich as part of our commitment to help tackle anti-social behaviour and youth violence.
“Through a targeted approach in challenging areas, the vans create a safe space for young people to meet and engage with staff and youth mentors, while also providing the wider community with reassurance through their presence.”
Scan the QR code to learn more about CACT’s Youth Engagement Vehicle Programme, including its locations and timings.
Setting up the railway line
This week I want to continue with the background to George Landmann’s involvement in the London and Greenwich Railway. I left it a couple of weeks ago with the crucial first meeting in 1831 of what was to become the Board - the group of men who were to set up the Greenwich Railway. Before I do so there are still some issues in Landmann’s life before 1831 which, if I am telling his story, I need to add in. So, I want to return briefly to his private life – if only to keep his story in some sort of order. I need to go back a few years, to before he resigned his commission in 1824...
I don’t know why Landmann resigned his commission but I believe he had orders for a posting which he did not want to take up - possibly to Ceylon. This may be an indication that there were reasons why the authorities wanted him out of the way. It is noticeable that in his life after he left the army he no longer seems to have contact with royalty and other elites - his whole lifestyle became much more downmarket. Remarkably the obituaries published after his death, some 30 years later, only describe his life up until the sale of his commission - there is never anything about his subsequent career
and the building of two railways. This complete omission of his later life was continued in national biographies. After 1824 in official eyes he ceased to exist.
In 1821 his son Charles was born. Strangely his birthplace was a central London hotel - the Chedron Hotel in Leicester Square. He was later christened in the central London church of St Martin’s in the Fields. I am convinced that these prominent locations were chosen to make some sort of statement - although I’m not entirely clear what it is. Landmann was not married to Charles’
– his wife and mother of Louisa and George was Harriett Dickinson - his new partner was Harriett Hayward, and her background is very interesting.
Harriett was 23 and had been born in Brandon, Suffolk. Her father was Philip Hayward and if you go to Brandon today you can see his house (https:// www.brecsoc.org.uk/). There are many websites which describe him and how he set up the Brandon flint industry. In the late 18th century flint was increasingly needed in the manufacture of ordnance and it appears that originally it was sourced from chalk mines in the Swanscombe area, near Gravesend. Philip Hayward is said to have gone from there to Brandon in the 1790s to set up a flint knapping industry there which would provide huge amounts of flints for ordnance manufacture.
In the 1980s Stella, my then boss, had a house in the forest at Brandon and I spent a lot of time there and really got to know it. The whole town has reminders of the flint industry in names of houses, pubs and streets and all sorts of reminders of what was the major industry and a source of great changes in this small town.
Harriett Hayward appears to have been a respectable middle class young woman and maybe there was a scandal over Landmann’s relationship with her – although in the 1820s
the moral climate was still – well –Georgian! They were to stay together, marrying in 1844 two months after his wife, Harriett Dickinson’s death.
In 1831 several other men became involved in setting up what became the Greenwich railway. So, before I start the actual story of the railway I need to look at the people who were involved at the start of it. In the early 19th century many, many companies were being floated and if you look at the newspapers of the day you will find many lists of these companies and proposals which include lists of the first investors and of those who wanted to launch the company. In the 1820s and ‘30s many of these flotations were about building new railways. I intend to look at these in the context of the Greenwich Railway but, first, there are more general issues involved.
So, back to Landmann and some of his contacts. After he resigned his commission in 1824 he apparently took off around Europe with William Congreve in order to try to sell gasworks to European cities, in which they were successful. They did this under the auspices of the London based Imperial Continental Gas Association. Congreve had been involved with a number of gas companies in London and, for example. had worked to bring the attention of royalty with a spectacular display at peace
celebrations in 1814. He was involved in a number of gas companies - some with people who were less than honest.
The Imperial Continental Gas Association seems to have escaped some of these scandals and prospered, only being wound up in the 1980s – when some of the European gas industry was British owned, rather than the other way round. By chance when ICGA was in its last days I was in almost daily contact with its last Chair – he was a friend of Stella’s - and I was able to learn more about the history of the company through him.
One of the main promoters of the Imperial Continental Gas Association was Mathias Atwood, who was a director and partner in Spooner Bank. Spooners became the bankers for the Greenwich Railway and Mathias Atwood was to become their Treasurer. Although most histories of the railway mention at Attwood as a prominent banker he was much more than that. The Attwoods were a large and interesting family who had spread from an iron works in the Black Country into chemicals and much else. Mathais’s father had made a fortune through a monopoly on Swedish iron. His brother was Thomas Attwood the Reformer and early Chartist. His son, Mathias Wolverley Attwood, was Member of Parliament for Greenwich. The fortunes of the Atwood family were very much based on the
mother
Early plan of a proposed layout
The flint knappers pub in Brandon
exploitation of new technologies – like ICGA and the Greenwich Railway.
In November 1831 notices appeared in the newspapers from a solicitor’s company announcing an application for an Act of Parliament to enable a railway to be built from London to Greenwich. This application resulted from the meeting of 25th of November of the group who were to constitute the first board, the body which would oversee the construction of the new railway. They were George Landmann himself with a George Walter, Abel Rous Dottin, Robert Johnston, Digby Neave, John Twells and A.K. Hutchinson. So who were they and what was their interest in the railway? They met in Dottin’s office.
I think A.K. Hutchinson was the company solicitor and he was presumably present as an advisor. George Walter was to becomer a major player in the construction of the early railway, but does not appear in the list of subscribers which was published soon after the notice of intention to go to Parliament. I think he probably deserves quite a long piece about his background and activities –so you will have to wait for another week for that.
Abel Rous Dottin was the first Chair. He was by then in his sixties and had had a past as a Captain in the 2nd Life Guards. He is described as ‘a gentleman
of ample means and genial disposition - a fine old English gentleman’. (Hmm!). His family’s fortune was based on Plantations in Barbados and in 1837 he was ro receive compensation for estates there and 174 slaves.
In the 1830s Dottin was a Member of Parliament for Southampton. Earlier however, in 1818, he had been MP for Gatton - Gatton? At school when we learnt about the 1832 Reform Bill we were told about Gatton – the rottenmost of rotten Boroughs. It had a couple of electors who usually sold their votes for cash. You can still see the ‘Town Hall‘ – basically a garden folly in the grounds of a school. In the 1830s as MP for Southampton Dottin was involved in the Southampton and London Railway and Dock Company and later he was a Director of the London and South Western Railway.
Robert Johnson was another West Indies slave owner but one who was widely travelled. He moved to the United States quite soon after his involvement with the Greenwich Railway and so was not around to see it finished and open.
Digby Neave seems have been rather different. He was a Baronet with an estate in the Romford area of Essex. He was also an artist exhibiting at the Royal Academy and a close friend of Constable. He was related by marriage to Abel Dottin and later he was also
involved in the Dover Railway Company and New Gravesend Railway Companies.
John Twells was a partner in the Spooner Attwood Bank and related by marriage to the Attwood family.
Thus we can see that the steering committee of the Greenwich railway consisted of middle aged and elderly men, some of them MPs and mostly Tories - with a strong element of bankers and, I’m afraid, slave owners. Ron Thomas pointed out in his history of the London & Greenwich that some of them had service connections in the army.
I will finish here with George Landmann and note the birth in September 1832 of his daughter Helen Catherine – his second child with Harriett Haywood. . We should also note that her birth was in the Old Kent Road; an area into which Landmann had recently moved and something which I will take up in a future article. She was however baptised, like her elder brother, at St Martin in the Fields.
Helen is the most interesting of Landmann’s children and in fact he seems to have done rather better with his daughters than with his sons.
I have not yet detailed his eldest child, Louisa, who by the time of Helen’s birth was 28 years old - and there will be more to come about both of them.
Mary Mills
Upper watergate
Newspaper notice of intention to build the Greenwich Railway
Meeting Including Landeman and Dottin
ROYAL BOROUGH of GREENWICH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 – SECTION 14(1) PARK ROW 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 RHD UK Production Ltd who need to carry out filming within Greenwich Naval College.
2. The Order will come into operation on 25th April 2025 and would continue to be valid for 18 months. However, the works are expected to take 2 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 Park Row between the junctions of Old Woolwich Road and Crane Street.
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: 18/02/2025
ROYAL BOROUGH of GREENWICH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 – SECTION 14(1) PANFIELD ROAD 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 Thames Water who need to carry out to install a long side service pipe relay.
2. The Order will come into operation on 22/04/2025 and would continue to be valid for 18 months. However, the works are expected to take 7 days until 28/04/2025. 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) outside 125 to 228 PANFIELD 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.
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: 06/03/2025
INTERNAL REF - EM/ MU70400773238-001 / LA 484318 / FN 759 /LIC No 73051
ROYAL BOROUGH of GREENWICH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 – SECTION 14(1) BRAMBLEBURY ROAD MAKING OF 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 BT /Openreach who need to carry out ROAD CLOSURE FOR SAFE ACCESS TO POLE REPLACEMENT
2. The Order will come into operation on 08:30 14/04/2025 and would continue to be valid for 18 months. However, the works are expected to take 1 DAY 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) OUTSIDE 22 BRAMBLEBURY ROAD, or banning of turning movements.
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:
INTERNAL REF - LA/479240 / FN 735 /LIC No 72673
ROYAL BOROUGH of GREENWICH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 – SECTION 14(1) CRESCENT ROAD 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 Thames Water who need to carry out a repair to a defective washout box with frame and cover.
2. The Order will come into operation on 14/04/2025 00:00 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) OUTSIDE 64 CRESCENT ROAD, or banning of turning movements.
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:
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)
Town & Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 2007 (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 24 days of the date of this notice.
Please quote the appropriate reference number.
Date: 16/04/2025
Victoria Geoghegan
Assistant Director - Planning and Building Control
List of Press Advertisements - 16/04/2025
Publicity for Planning Applications
Applicant: Sarah Wheatstone 25/0217/HD
Site Address: 62 FOYLE ROAD, BLACKHEATH, LONDON, SE3 7RH
Development: Construction of a rear 'catslide' dormer.
Conservation Area: WESTCOMBE PARK
Applicant: Mr Fikret Saglam 25/0653/F
Site Address: NATWEST BANK PLC, 2 GREENWICH CHURCH STREET, GREENWICH, LONDON, SE10 9BQ
Development: Alterations to the front façade, including enlargment of three ground floor windows through lowering the windowsills.
Conservation Area: WEST GREENWICH
Applicant: Daniel Smith 25/0666/HD
Site Address: 38 ASHBURNHAM GROVE, GREENWICH, LONDON, SE10 8UL
Development: Construction and extension of front under croft; landscaping works including paving and construction of bin store; demolition of existing fencing and construction of new front fencing.
Conservation Area: ASHBURNHAM TRIANGLE
Applicant: Mr Raza Rentease Ltd 25/0677/F
Site Address: 183-185 TRAFALGAR ROAD, LONDON, SE10 9EQ
Development: Construction of a mansard roof extension to create a 3-bedroom flat at the mansard level; other associated external and internal alterations. (Resubmission)
Conservation Area: adjacent to East Greenwich
Applicant: Mr / Ms Maynard 25/0720/HD
Site Address: 39 COURT ROAD, ELTHAM, LONDON, SE9 5AF
Development: Construction of a single storey side and rear wraparound extension, new paved patio; associated landscaping and external alterations. (Reconsultation - Revised Description)
Conservation Area: ELTHAM PALACE
Applicant: V Fund Limited 25/0793/F
Site Address: FORMER TENNIS CLUB, BLACKHEATH PARK, BLACKHEATH, SE3 0HB
Development: Creation of a padel tennis facility with the erection of a new clubhouse; associated works including parking and landscaping.
Conservation Area: BLACKHEATH PARK
Applicant: Euronet Worldwide 25/0862/F
Site Address: 279-283 GREENWICH HIGH ROAD, GREENWICH
Development: Proposed installation of an ATM through the shopfront window to the left of the entrance door as a through glass installation. ATM fascia only with fascia sign.
Conservation Area: WEST GREENWICH
Applicant: Nisha Ram 25/0925/HD
Site Address: 12 HASSENDEAN ROAD, BLACKHEATH, LONDON, SE3 8TS
Development: Alterations to rear façade, installation of bifold doors, internal alterations and all associated works.
Conservation Area: RECTORY FIELD
Applicant: Nisha Ram 25/0926/HD
Site Address: 12 HASSENDEAN ROAD, BLACKHEATH, LONDON, SE3 8TS
Development: Installation of 2 rear loft dormers windows, 2 front rooflights, internal alterations and all associated works.
Conservation Area: RECTORY FIELD
Applicant: Royal Museums Greenwich 25/1003/SD
Site Address: NEPTUNE HALL, ROYAL MUSEUMS GREENWICH, PARK ROW, LONDON, SE10 9NF
Development: Submission of details pursuant to Condition 4 (variation of paint colours) of planning permission dated 12/02/2025, Ref: 24/4153/L.
Conservation Area: GREENWICH PARK
Applicant: Mrs Lucy Broadway 25/1006/HD
Site Address: 7 SHOOTERS HILL ROAD, BLACKHEATH, LONDON, SE3 7AR
Development: Replacement of all windows and part doors with like-for-like slim heritage timber double glazed alternatives, including the replacement of frames in 4 no. locations, and associated external painting to match the existing.
Conservation Area: BLACKHEATH
Applicant: Mr Hall and Lawley 25/1017/HD
Site Address: 7 TRENCHARD STREET, GREENWICH, LONDON, SE10 9PA
Development: Construction of a single storey rear extension and associated boundary/ retaining wall alterations and external works.
Conservation Area: EAST GREENWICH
Applicant: Mr & Mrs Greenwood 25/1028/HD
Site Address: 49 CONGREVE ROAD, ELTHAM, LONDON, SE9 1LW Development: Construction of single storey rear infill extension and external alterations.
Conservation Area: PROGRESS ESTATE
Applicant: Mr Richard Gomer 25/1107/HD
Site Address: 87 MANOR WAY, BLACKHEATH, LONDON, SE3 9XG
Development: Construction of a part-two part-single storey rear extension and front porch enlargement; removal of two side-facing front dormers; construction of replacement rear dormers; installation of new and replacement windows to the front, rear and side; other associated external alterations. (Amended description)
Conservation Area: BLACKHEATH PARK
Publicity for Listed Building Consent
Applicant: Mrs Lucy Broadway 25/1005/L
Site Address: 7 SHOOTERS HILL ROAD, BLACKHEATH, LONDON, SE3 7AR
Development: Replacement of all windows and part doors with like-for-like slim heritage timber double glazed alternatives, including the replacement of frames in 4 no. locations, and associated external painting to match the existing.
Conservation Area: BLACKHEATH
Listed Building: Grade 2
Publicity for Advertisements
Applicant: Wildstone Estates Ltd 25/0960/A
Site Address: PETROL FILLING STATION, 37A SHOOTERS HILL ROAD, LONDON, SE3 7HS
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New innovative partnership will help recruit more foster carers in Royal Greenwich
The Royal Borough of Greenwich has partnered with Now Foster to launch a new Weekenders pilot project, making it one of the first London councils to be involved.
Weekenders offer children in care a regular and stable home to visit at weekends, helping them explore new interests, develop skills, and build a supportive, long-term relationship.
Launched in March 2025, the partnership aims to recruit four weekenders over the course of the one-year pilot.
Councillor Adel Khaireh, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People said: “We’re one of the first councils to launch a programme like this because we’re absolutely committed to getting the best for each and every young person.
“This initiative will provide children in care with invaluable support, stability, and positive role models while also creating new pathways for people to engage with fostering.
“Young people in care deserve a whole childhood - complete with hobbies, new experiences, and opportunities to grow so they can reach their full potential.”
If you’re interested in becoming a Weekender , learn more by visiting the Now Foster website: nowfoster.org/weekenders
If you’re already a foster carer in Royal Greenwich and believe your young person would benefit from the programme, reach out to your Supervising Social Worker.
Eltham business fined for selling illegal vapes
The council has successfully fined an Eltham business £17,258 for selling illegal vapes.
At the end of March, the director of Repairs 4 Mobile on Eltham High Street pled guilty at Bromley Magistrates Court for selling mislabelled vapes, some which featured unauthorised trademarks of sweet brands and cartoon-style images.
Following resident complaints, the business had been visited multiple times by the council, first in April 2022. Last July, 603 illegal vapes were still found on sale at the premises and seized.
Councillor Rachel Taggart-Ryan, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Enforcement, said: “This fine is a great outcome and sends a message of the council’s no-tolerance approach to the sale of illegal vapes. These vapes were clearly marketed towards minors, which is completely unacceptable and dangerous, so the fine reflects the seriousness of the offence.
“We will continue to take the necessary steps to ensure our residents are safe and feel safer, especially when it comes to prosecuting traders that market dangerous products so deliberately to children and young people. We hope this substantial fine sends a message to anyone seeking to trade harmful goods in our borough.”
To report the illegal sale of vapes or tobacco products, please email tradingstandards@royalgreenwich.gov.uk or you can report it anonymously: londontradingstandards.org. uk/report-consumer-crime
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