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Orpington 1st is a not-for-profit company owned and led by local businesses.
by Orpington 1st BID Executive Director, Chris Travers
AVERY warm welcome to the autumn 2024 edition of The Orpington 1st Magazine, and whilst we look forward to the festive season, we’re also taking a look back at what’s happened in Orpington this summer.
In August we commissioned local artist Beci Ward to paint the Orpington Mural. It’s been incredibly well received, so thank you for all the positive comments. You can read about the idea behind the mural and learn a bit more about the artist on page 6.
The inaugural Orpington Motor Show took place in Market Square in June, proving very popular. If you missed it, you can take a peek at some of the vehicles that were exhibited on page 18 – before coming along to the next one in 2025!
A superb Priory Live Festival 2024 is reviewed on page 32, and we introduce you to one of the high street’s latest additions, Creo World, on page 15.
There’s a look at Orpington’s participation in the London Festival of Architecture on page 20, and on page 12, we highlight the role that our local Tesco store plays in the community.
We have your regular updates from London Fire Brigade Borough commander Chris Line, Orpington’s Safer Neighbourhood Team sergeant Luke Giles, and your MP Gareth Bacon, whilst on page 17, Orpington Royal British Legion honour a local D-Day veteran.
Following the town’s Remembrance Sunday service at the War Memorial on 10th November – to which all are welcome - we’ll be lighting up Orpington for the town’s annual switch on event (details on page 39), and the Orpington Santa Dash takes place on Sunday 1st December. Turn to page 25 and scan the QR code to book your place.
As always, thank you for continuing to support your town centre, and we wish you and your families all the best for the months ahead.
Orpington War Memorial
Orpington 1st commissions local artist
Orpington 1st Business Improvement District (BID) has commissioned local artist Beci Ward to design and paint an Orpington inspired mural, celebrating the town.
COMPLETED over two weeks in August, the 4-metrehigh Orpington Mural can be seen on the reverse of the pillar at the High Street entrance to The Walnuts and has already captured the imagination and the adulation of shoppers and workers.
Local artist Beci Ward
for celebratory mural
The mural has been delivered as part of the business community’s work to create a more welcoming town centre, which this summer alone has included the removal of chewing gum from across the high street’s pavements as well as the installation of a parklet and technicolour flower cubes.
Orpington 1st Executive Director, Chris Travers, explained, “We wanted to brighten up this corner of town with an eye-catching, vibrant, and colourful work of art which reflects Orpington’s identity and encourages visitors to connect with their environment.
“As a fellow Orpington resident, and having seen her work, Beci was the first person we thought of, and we were delighted with how she interpreted our brief. It’s been a pleasure to watch her design come to life on the wall.”
Beci said, “When Orpington 1st shared the idea of creating an Orpington Mural, I thought it
would be a really nice opportunity to put a creative mark on my hometown.
“I’m very enthusiastic about promoting the creative scene in Orpington and a big believer
in the positive role which the arts can play in communities, so it’s been great to work with a like-minded organisation in Orpington 1st.
“My brain tends to work intuitively and spontaneously, but when I got the brief, I started to think about how to incorporate all the different elements listed in the most fun and vibrant way possible and I came up with the idea of using the word “ORPINGTON” as a mechanism to frame the visual elements.”
Orpington born and bred, Beci studied at St Martin’s College before completing an art degree and has been a freelance illustrator for the last decade, with clients including Tesco, Unilever, the NHS, Ministry of Justice, and Orpington GPO. She also teaches at Crofton Junior School, the school she attended as a girl.
Transferring the design from a screen to the wall presented a challenge. Due to the location use of a projector was not possible, so the image was created in a black and white form to the appropriate dimensions, then printed into a grid system (104 x A3 size!) and transferred on to the wall using graphite paper, aided by a light duty scaffold, before painting could commence.
The style Beci employed for the Orpington Mural is accessible, using bold colours and shapes, with finer detail added where appropriate.
Tucked up in the top left is a silhouette of the London skyline, highlighting Orpington’s location on the southeastern edge of the nation’s capital, whilst a strong natural theme highlights the abundance of green space surrounding the town.
The River Cray flows across the mural, with featured wildlife including the Little Egret and Kingfisher, both of which can be spotted along the river, and the
Greylag Goose, many of which populate Priory Gardens, where the river’s source is. There’s also a Ring-Necked Parakeet - the UK’s only naturalised parrot, now common across southeast England - and inside the O of ORPINGTON you can find the famous Buff Orpington Chicken.
Local landmarks depicted include Orpington War Memorial, the historic grade II listed Priory, and the iconic tower of London South East Colleges’ Orpington campus. There are small pictorial nods to different types of town centre businesses - hospitality, cinema, personal care, and gyms - whilst floral choices reflect the high street’s summer planting programme, the abundance of blossom across the Bromley Borough, the rose gardens of the Priory, and the Poppyemphasising the importance of remembrance.
“I’m very fond of my hometown,” said Beci. “There
are many hidden gems, lots of creative people, and so much potential. Painting this has strengthened my sense of place, and I hope it does the same for others. The local engagement has been overwhelmingly positive, and people have been delighted to see the work happening. I think it’s a wonderful reflection of the positivity in the town. Local businesses and residents have been incredibly supportive, and I have certainly felt looked after. There is tremendous generosity of spirit in Orpington.”
Orpington resident, Anna, said “It’s really great that this has been commissioned by Orpington 1st. Art like this breathes life into places. I’ve already seen lots of people coming to appreciating it, and my own little girl was so excited to see it and loves pointing out the different parts. It captures much of the essence of Orpington and Beci has created something stunning.”
London Biggin Hill hosts record breaking Air Charter Expo
JUST twelve miles from the centre of the Capital, London Biggin Hill is the only dedicated business airport in the city, and the home of the Air Charter Expo (ACE’24), which saw a record turnout on Tuesday 10th September.
Presented by The Air Charter Association (The ACA) and Business Air News, the event brought together the global business aviation charter sector, with a wide range of exhibitors showcasing the very best the industry has to offer. An impressive selection of aircraft on static display included the all-new Dassault Falcon 6X –exhibited in the UK for the first time – as well as a Gulfstream G700 from Qatar Executive.
A comprehensive and engaging conference programme included
sessions covering industry challenges, sustainability and innovation, and how to encourage young talent to join the industry.
David Winstanley, Chief Executive Officer at London Biggin Hill Airport, also participated in a panel discussion which highlighted the benefits of the business aviation industry and how to better communicate its value.
Kevin Ducksbury, Chair of The Air Charter Association, said, “It was fantastic to build upon the success of last year’s Air Charter Expo with another record number of exhibitors and attendees, firmly cementing ACE as one of the best industry networking events of the year. The ACA has members spanning 59 countries globally, and we were delighted to welcome familiar and new faces to the event.”
With a commitment to putting in place sustainable initiatives, the ACA worked with partner 4AIR to calculate and offset the CO2e footprint of the event, including the movements of the display aircraft. Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) was also available onsite to all aircraft exhibitors.
Robert Walters, Commercial Director, London Biggin Hill Airport, said, “The Air Charter Expo has been another phenomenal success bringing the global business aviation charter sector together in the UK. With a wide range of international exhibitors, an impressive static aircraft display and valuable conference sessions, this record-breaking event once again showcased the best the industry has to offer. London Biggin Hill Airport is proud to be the home of ACE, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back for ACE 2025 on 9th September.”
For more information about the show, please visit the ACE website at www.aircharterexpo.com
Local store champions community causes
Tesco Extra in Orpington serves approximately 4,500 customers every single day as residents do their “big shop”, buy clothes, or use the Pharmacy or Travel Money services - but many may be unaware of the good work their local store does in the community.
IN addition to providing jobs for 300 people (plus around 40 temporary roles at Christmas), the Orpington store has a dedicated community champion, Jessica, who coordinates a wide range of support for good causes in the local area including organising fundraisers, supporting grant applications, signposting referrals to appropriate charities, and fulfilling donation requests for school fairs, nurseries, or charitable events when the store budget allows.
One of the standout initiatives over recent months was The Summer Food Bag Campaign for the Trussell Trust and the Bromley Borough Foodbank. Spanning the six weeks of the summer holiday period, the campaign saw pre-packed donation bags available for customers to pick up as they walked in the door, to add to their general shop and donate on their way out. In the context of the cost-of-living crisis, this donation drive was of particular significance to the charity, and Tesco Extra Orpington is their biggest retail donor in the borough.
Jessica said, “As part of a national Tesco campaign, I collaborated with Kate, Jen, Ray and the rest of the
amazing team at Bromley Borough Food Bank to bring Customers our Summer Bag Campaign. With the help of our generous customers, we raised 3.667 tonnes of food in store, which is enough to feed a single person for three and a half years!”
Jen, and the team at Bromley Foodbank said, “Thank you to Tesco Extra Orpington, and in particular to Jessica, for all the amazing support they have given to Foodbank. So many people in our community are benefiting from your willingness and good heart, and we thank you from the bottom of ours.”
L-R: Kate (Trussell Trust), Jessica (Tesco Community Champion), Claire (Tesco Store Manager), Jen (Trussell Trust).
A Day in the Life
Jessica, Community Champion, Tesco
I“HAVE worked for Tesco for six years, and have been Orpington’s Community Champion for the last three, as well as the Community Group Lead for all large Greater London stores. It’s such a privilege to be involved in the local community and to be able to make a difference where it counts.
“9am – Check and respond to various queries, ranging from donation requests to charity bookings, referral questions and National Campaign correspondence. This is a chance to make sure anybody needing assistance is signposted to the right place, or receives a referral voucher to the right charity.
10am – Lead Community Meeting – Each week, the Community Group Leads from all across the UK join for a Zoom call with Head Office to discuss what’s new, and what could be improved upon. It’s a chance to come together to discuss new ideas!
11am – Check our Stronger Starts vote count. Our little blue tokens add up! Each participating project receives a grant, but it’s my responsibility to make sure the vote is fair and recorded properly. The scheme is open to all schools, registered charities and not-forprofit organisations, with priority given to projects that provide food and support to young people.
11.30am – Check in with the Food Bank. We are Bromley Borough Food Bank’s biggest supporter; they collect from us twice a week to empty our Food Collection Point and all the overflow donations we store.
12pm – Check for cleared stock (items no longer for sale). These get signed off to me to donate to local charities. Bromley Brighter Beginnings, Baby Bank Bromley, Bromley Homeless Shelter, PRUH, and many more Orpington based charities all gladly receive stock from us.
12.30pm – Check our fundraising calendar. Crime Awareness Days, Baby Bank Drives, Slips/ Trips & Falls Awareness, The Poppy Appeal… they’re all scheduled in with the relevant paperwork and insurance. I then vet any new requests by checking their information on the Charity Register, if something doesn’t look right, or we don’t know where their money goes, they can’t come in store.
1pm – Ensure our Food Partnership is running smoothly. Tesco commit to zero food waste, so all of our surplus food gets collected by a charity every evening, with anything not fit for human consumption sent to make animal feed!
1.30pm – Take care of the group. Orpington sits in a group along with all of the large format Greater London stores. Each store has a Community Champion and their own questions and queries; I need to know the right answers, or who to refer the questions on to. If a new Community Champion joins, I visit their store to give them the right tools to help them help their local community.
2pm – Fulfil donation requests. I manage a very small quarterly budget to be used to fulfil donation requests of in-store items. I have to check the requests carefully to make sure donations are distributed evenly, and that all UK based causes have an equal opportunity.
2.30pm – Home time! I’m thankful to work for an employer who advocates for flexible working and family balance.
New beauty salon aims to exceed expectations
ON Saturday 7th September the Mayor of Bromley Councillor Dr David Jefferys visited the town to officially open a stylish new salon on Orpington High Street.
Beautifully furnished, with stylish décor and a light, relaxing atmosphere, Creo World is the creation of three Ukrainian women, Viktoriya Maksimora (pictured fifth from left with husband Sergey), Maryna Karpenko (alongside the mayor with husband Oleksii), Oksana Shatokhin (third from left with husband Yergen).
The salon’s grand opening was a suitably elegant and warm occasion, bringing together friends and family
with members of their new business community to celebrate the new venture. After performing ribbon cutting duties and declaring Creo World officially open, The Mayor and Mayoress enjoyed some true Ukrainian hospitality, sampling authentic national cuisine and chatting with attendees.
Reflecting on their journey so far, Viktoriya explained, “I worked in the beauty industry for 10 years in Chelsea West London. I always had the idea to set up my own salon one day, but it was a question of the right time and place.”
Two years ago, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Maryna and Oksana, with their husbands Oleksii and Yergen, made the move to the UK, and the seeds for Creo World were sown.
You can find Creo World at 142-144 High Street Orpington, BR6 0JS. @creo.world.london
“I met Maryna at my former place of work. We became good friends - we complemented each other well. Maryna introduced me to Oksana, and we realised that we could go into business together –together we could make it work.”
With premium service at the heart of the business, Creo World brings together a highly qualified team of beauty professionals using top-quality products to deliver personalised care and a luxurious experience. Offering a range of services from hair styling and colour to manicure and pedicure, brows and lashes to skin care, the team promise to exceed expectations with attention to every detail.
Creo World’s directors, all of whom live in Orpington, are delighted to have invested in the town and have already made an impact on the high street.
Victoriya said, “It’s been a fabulous start, and we have added lots of new happy customers to our existing client base. We’ve certainly poured our hearts into Creo World, and we’re looking forward to helping many more women achieve flawless results.”
RBL Orpington event honours
D-Day Veteran
ON 15th June 2024, 80 years and nine days after the Normandy landings, D-Day veteran Chris Durban was invited by Orpington Royal British Legion (RBL) to a special cream tea held at their home on Church Hill.
Chris was a gunner on HMS Primrose (pictured), one of thousands of ships involved in the largest seaborne invasion in history. The landings on 6th June 1944 marked the start of the campaign to free northwest Europe from the Nazis – a pivotal moment in the second World War.
A fellow member of Bromley Royal Navy Association, Orpington RBL invited 101-year-old Chris as the guest of honour to an afternoon of tea and
Chris with members of Orpington Royal British Legion and Orpington Sea Cadets. Chris is holding a card thanking him for his service. It was made by children with special educational needs who asked RBL to distribute them to surviving World War 2 Veterans
HMS Primrose (K 91) Corvette of the Flower Class. Built by William Simons & Co. Ltd. (Renfrew, Scotland) The pennant number ‘K..’ was used by deep-sea going patrol craft and corvettes. Chris brought this photograph with him to share with attendees.
coffee, cakes, and chat. He was accompanied by his daughter and son in law, Gillian and Alan.
At the end of October, Orpington RBL will begin fundraising for the Poppy Appeal ahead of Remembrance Day. You’ll find their volunteers at Tesco Extra, The Walnuts Shopping Centre, and various other locations.
All are welcome to the town’s Remembrance Sunday service on 10th November at Orpington War Memorial, arrival 10:30am.
Marvelous motors in Market Square
A sunny Sunday in June saw another first for Orpington town centre as the inaugural Orpington Motor Show took place.
AFINE selection of classic, vintage, and collectible cars, plus a motorbike or two, were on display in a free to attend event organised by Orpington 1st Business Improvement District (BID).
A Trojan 200, TVA Tamora, Lotus Elan, Morgan Roadster, and even a VW Campervan hearse were among dozens of awesome automobiles exhibited by their owners who were happy to talk with fellow enthusiasts and share the stories behind their, often unique, vehicles with the hundreds of residents who visited the show.
A follow up event is planned for 2025.
ORPINGTON MOTOR SHOW
The Jaguar S Type, 1968. 3.8 litre engine, top speed 125 mph. Jaguars were a popular choice for the police in the 1960s, largely the Mk2, and later, the 340. A few forces, however, opted for the S Type, with the largest fleet - of 266 - belonging to the Met Police. This 1968 S Type - one of only two known police cars left – was used as the divisional area car based at west end central, Soho. In 1969 it was used to take one of the infamous Kray twins to custody. Following its life as a police car it spent 30 years in storage before being sold to a TV production company. In 2007 it was rescued and required very little restoration meaning the vehicle today is largely as it was in its police days.
Orpington celebrated for London
With the London Borough of Bromley selected as a key destination for London Festival of Architecture 2024, Orpington 1st Business Improvement District (BID) worked with a group of local organisations to deliver a programme of events throughout June.
Friends of Priory Gardens meet every Monday at 10am to preserve the heritage of this hidden gem in the heart of the town. If you would like to join them, please email friends@orpingtonpriory.org.uk
AMONTH-long celebration of architecture and citymaking, the London Festival of Architecture (LFA) takes place every June across London.
Now in its twentieth year, LFA’s mission is to open discussions around architecture, bringing together the public and built environment professionals for the whole month. Under this year’s ‘Reimagine’ theme the festival sought to “inspire and engage with a programme that showcases London as a global architecture hub, with an aim to move towards a more equitable, sustainable city.” Describing what makes its people-led programme unique, the LFA cites “the power of collaboration with the people
Photo of the sunk garden from an article written by Cecil Hughes, published in Gardening Illustrated in 1924 - 100 years ago - and donated by Cecil and Lilian’s grand-daughter some years ago to Bromley Local Studies (now Historic Collections). In the article, Cecil describes a remarkable feat of garden landscaping required to create the Sunk Garden, which would be impressive in 2024 with the assistance of modernday machinery.
The reimagined Sunk Garden, August 2024.
Amongst events taking place in Orpington was the Community Planting Day, highlighting the Grade II listed Priory and Gardens, just a minute’s walk from Orpington High Street. On Saturday 22nd June, residents
Under the guardianship of shared ownership arts organisation V22, today the Priory, which dates back to the 13th century, has been reimagined as the home to a group of creatives.
Tours of the building, led
Festival of Architecture 20th anniversary
who live, shape, and truly know London.”
As part of boroughwide activity, Orpington 1st BID worked with London South East Colleges, Friends of Priory Gardens, V22, and the creatives based at the Priory, Bromley Libraries, Priory Live Music Festival, Orpington and District Archaeological Society, and Bromley Council.
were invited to join the volunteers from Friends of Orpington Priory & Gardens as they reimagined “the sunk garden”, made possible by the generous support of Coolings Garden Centre, who donated hundreds of plants.
The communal gardening came a week after an invitation to explore the historic building at Orpington Priory Open Day.
by Orpington and District Archaeological Society, took place every hour, with many of the independent businesses bringing new life to the building on hand to discuss their work.
Other events included an Open Day at Crofton Roman Villa, whilst just weeks ahead of Priory Live Music Festival a selection of acoustic acts performed live under
Richard Gibbons, co-chair of Friends of Orpington Priory & Gardens.
Orpington and District Archaeological Society taking visitors through the history of the Priory.
The Crypt at Orpington Priory: Part of newel stair that served the 14th century ‘priest quarters’. The room was converted into a chapel in the nineteenth century.
the canopy of the Sub-Urban Tree, a pop-up art installation and performance space which took root at The Walnuts for the afternoon.
London South East Colleges’ Orpington campus hosted a lecture from award-winning architect Chris Dyson, who discussed his career and the balance between heritage and modernity. Following the lecture, work by the college’s art students was exhibited, which reimagined various buildings in Orpington.
Orpington 1st Executive Director, Chris Travers, said, “LFA’s 20th anniversary has been a great opportunity to celebrate Orpington’s heritage and its unique position within Greater London, highlighting the importance of preservation, as well as the need to be forward thinking. It’s been a pleasure to work with such passionate people who make a positive impact on our town, so a big thank you to all involved.”
Leesons Primary School
Leesons Hill, Orpington Kent BR5 2GA
The London South East Colleges Orpington Campus tower and Orpington Priory were among landmarks depicted in the Orpington Mural.
• Fully qualified caring staff
• Extensive grounds for forest school and outdoor learning
• Flexible, affordable sessions
• Funded places for 3 and 4 year olds
• Modern refurbished facilities
• Stay & Play session available
• Affordable term time sessions
Call 01689 602786 to book a viewing
Email nursery@leesons.bromley.sch.uk
Website www.leesons.bromley.sch.uk
London Fire Brigade in Bromley
LFB Bromley Borough Commander, Chris Line, “This summer has been busy for us all across the borough and I wanted to share some highlights....
Orpington & Bromley Fire Station Open Days
T“HERE was a fantastic turnout from our community on the 16th August when we opened our doors at Orpington Fire Station. Lots of activities were on offer, from colouring and bouncy castles to a look around a fire engine. We were even joined by two princesses and Spider-Man, who happened to be in the neighbourhood! Our open day at Bromley on the 23rd August was also well attended with our control room officers hosting an interactive stand showing how to call 999 and how we send our fire engines to incidents. A nerf gun stand also proved popular! Both these days were a huge success and provided a great opportunity to pass on our safety messages, so thank you for your support.
OUR Firefighters have been busy at several incidents across the Bromley Borough over the past month. Please follow us on X (formally Twitter)@BromleyLFB or go to our website www.london-fire. gov.uk for news on future open days and the most up to date news items and safety advice.
Junior Citizens
OUR staff, alongside partners including the Met Police, facilitated three weeks of the Junior Citizens Scheme where we welcome visits from Year 6 pupils across the borough to discuss safety messaging. Themes covered included fire safety in the home, safer transport use from TFL, and community safety from the police. These events were hosted at Orpington and Beckenham Fire Stations as well as Bromley Football Club. I’d like to say a big thank you to all the volunteers who gave up their time to come and represent their organisation. It is really important for us to focus on our borough’s youth to ensure we develop safer citizens of the future.
SANTA DASH
•
Mytime Active... making a real difference in Orpington
With more than 100 activities on offer across the borough
AS your local charitable trust, Mytime Active strives to help people in the borough of Bromley to get more out of life. With more than 100 activities on offer, it’s on a mission to improve wellbeing and help people live longer, healthier and happier lives. Jean Smith-Chandler, who lives in Bromley, is just one example of how Mytime Active helped a local resident to make a change for the better. Jean and her husband Michael moved back to the UK from South Africa in 2008. “We just wanted to be together, that’s what made us happiest,” says Jean. “But soon after we arrived, Michael
was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and died. I realised I had no friends, no family and was completely alone; my grief was so extreme I felt there was nothing to live for.”
Jean’s GP suggested that exercise might help improve how low she was feeling and, after a neighbour mentioned Mytime Active’s Primetime sessions for the over 60s, Jean decided to give it a go. Primetime quickly became a lifeline and Jean now takes part in classes including yoga, Zumba, line dancing and paracise. “Everyone I met at The Pavilion Leisure Centre was so lovely,” says Jean. “Little by little I got into it and began taking care of myself again. Going to the classes gave me a reason to get out of bed. I now do 11 classes a week and can honestly say it saved my life. I have nothing but praise for Mytime; I feel very blessed to have use of the wonderful facilities. Primetime is such a good resource and I believe exercise is vital for everyone, but especially for older people who wish to remain active and healthy.”
Primetime offers recreational activities, sports, dance and keep fit classes for over 60s, helping older adults in Bromley to socialise more and make new friends.
Make your change for the better this autumn with Mytime Active. Visit any Mytime Active site for a completely free, three-day trial. If you decide to join as a member, you’ll receive 20% off your first three months membership. To find out more, visit www.mytimeactive.co.uk/20-off
Holy Innocents’ Preschool
Mitchell Road, Orpington, Kent BR6 9JT
preschool@holyinnocents.bromley.sch.uk
01689 813040
Set in the beautiful grounds of Holy Innocents’ RC Primary School.
Delivering a well balanced early years foundation stage curriculum, by highly experienced, qualified staff who aim to offer a very high standard of care and education, and providing fun and friendship within a secure, caring and stimulating environment for all children from 2 years old
The preschool is open 8.00-5.30, five days a week (term time only).
• Full and part time vacancies
• Ofsted registered
• 15/30 hours funded for those eligible
• Hot school meals available
If you would like to book a place or arrange a viewing please call us on 01689 813040 or call in to the school for a prospectus and registration form.
(These can also be found on www.holyinnocents.bromley.sch.uk)
All
together now... in Orpington!
Priory Live Festival 2024 hailed best yet
Showcasing an exciting array of emerging talent alongside established acts, Priory Live’s return to the glorious Priory Gardens this August was a huge hit with festival goers.
WITH the weather in stark contrast to the previous year, the Grade II listed park provided the perfect backdrop for a day of great music and good vibes. An eclectic audience was treated to an array of quality acts performing original music
spanning a variety of genres.
The Scribes brought their brand of block rocking, soul crushing, freestyling Hip Hop from the South West of England to South East London. London indie rockers The Rifles festival debut proved a big draw, whilst London-born British singer and
songwriter Brooke Law’s fun, gutsy and soulful performance captured the mood of the moment perfectly.
The Farm, whose debut album Spartacus reached no 1 when it was released in 1991, had the audience singing along to the hit single Groovy Train, and the unifying anthem All Together Now certainly struck a chord with the crowd.
A high energy DJ set from Capital Radio’s Lydia Rodford brought out the big tunes before headliners Space took to the stage. The indie band from Liverpool who went platinum with their debut album Spiders and the followup Tin Planet, delighted the audience with several of their eight top 40 singles, including Neighbourhood, Female of the Species, and Me and You Vs. The World.
Brooke Law
Orpington resident, and festival attendee, David Holmes, said “It’s been an amazing day with so much good music, and a great atmosphere. To have this on our doorstep is fantastic. My family all enjoyed it last year, but this has been the best one yet.”
With the impressive roster of main stage acts complemented by the Vinyl Village Dance Tent, Kids Zone, Wellbeing Area, food stalls - including delicious authentic Neapolitan style pizza, and exquisite Indian cuisine from Orpington’s own Talli Kitchen - and of course the fully licensed bar stocked with Westerham Brewery beer, there’s no doubt the 2024 festival delivered on its promise
to be a spectacular summer celebration.
Below: The Rifles
Festival organiser Nick Barclay, said, “I know we say it every year, but this year really was a special moment for us to see so many people rocking to the music. There have been so many highlights and amazing live performances, and of course this year we were blessed with the weather. We are really excited about raising the bar even higher next year for the festival on August 9th - so watch this space!”
Images courtesy of main festival sponsor, Manak Solicitors
Above: Thomas Scott, lead singer of Space
HELLO everyone.
The Orpington Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) have been busy over recent months. Officers are still pulled away from the ward more often than we would like, and the disorder seen across the country increased the number of abstractions. However, we have still made good progress.
We began the summer by identifying a group of young males who have been involved in Antisocial Behaviour (ASB) across the town, as well as causing criminal damage to commercial and residential property on the high street with catapults, and vandalising floral displays brought in by the business community. From viewing CCTV captured by various businesses, the team were able to pick out known faces, attend the homes of the individuals, issue warnings, and speak with their parents, or, in the
case of repeat offenders, coordinate with Bromley Council’s ASB team to put in place Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABCs). If further offences are committed whilst an ABC is in place, full criminal prosecutions can follow.
We are also working closely with the St Mary Cray Safer Neighbourhood Team. As you might imagine, criminals do not confine themselves to a particular ward, and we often see the shoplifters who are targeting Nugent Retail Park committing offences on Orpington High Street. Together, we are linking multiple offences and charging suspects accordingly with several prolific offenders being charged in recent weeks. One particularly troublesome individual was kept on remand in prison awaiting a court date before receiving a fourteenweek prison sentence. In the current climate this is a testament to the team’s hard work. I look forward to providing you with further updates as we have cases going through the system as I write this.
We recognise the importance of a visible police presence offering reassurance and deterring would be offenders, but I have continued to deploy officers in plain clothes, too. By blending in, officers are able to gather valuable information, and by targeting specific areas, officers can catch criminals red-handed. These operations are producing results – with more catapults being recovered, as well as drugs, counterfeit goods, and stolen property.
A lot of the good work carried out by the team is intelligence led and this means we can target the areas where we are needed most, so please do keep reporting crime.
In September, the SNT and Bromley Council arranged a Community Impact Day for the Orpington ward.
These are multiple agency events at which representatives from Bromley Trading Standards, Environmental Health, Bromley Council’s ASB team, DVLA, London Fire Brigade, Clarion Housing, and other Met Police
Nearest police station: Bromley Police Station, High Street, Bromley BR1 1ER @met.police.uk f Facebook.com/metpoliceuk
For crime prevention advice visit www.met.police.uk/ crimeprevention
To report a crime call 101 or visit www.met.police.uk.
In an emergency always dial 999.
Policing matters...
teams, come together to target particular areas of the borough.
Some officers manned a crime prevention information stand whilst others accompanied personnel from the various partner agencies as they conducted visits around the Orpington Ward.
Trading standards made seizures of vapes and tobacco that failed to meet regulatory standards. The DVLA seized several untaxed vehicles, some of which were potentially linked to crime. Clarion Housing carried out visits to the homes of those known to be committing ASB locally. Officers from London Fire Brigade were on hand to issue fire safety advice to shoppers and brought along a fire engine – ever popular with smaller children and a great way of engaging
youngsters. The day was extremely successful and a great demonstration of the breadth of work carried out by the Met and partner agencies to improve Orpington.
Our library talks continue to be well attended, and we have now started ‘Walk & Talks’ in Priory Gardens. These are advertised on our twitter page and on the Met Police website. Just search for the Orpington team and click on the meeting and events tab.
As the nights draw in and the weather changes, we’re looking forward to seeing you at Light Up Orpington on Sunday November 17. Our team and other officers will be attending to help ensure the thousands of you who come to enjoy the event can do so safely.
Thanks for your ongoing support and all the best for the months ahead. Luke
Members of the Orpington Ward Safer Neighbourhood Team, L-R: PCSO Matt Lane, PC Ryan Kressinger, PC Kayleigh O’Donoghue, Sergeant Luke Giles, PC Andrea Chittenden. a column by Sgt Luke Giles
Thank You, Orpington
I am honoured to be writing my first column for Orpington 1st magazine since the election three months ago, and I would like to begin by thanking you for re-electing me as your MP.
MY focus for the next Parliamentary term is to do everything I can to help make Orpington an even better place to live, work, raise a family, and own a business. If you’re a regular reader of this magazine, some of my immediate priorities will be familiar to you.
I will continue in my work to make Orpington a safer place. Before the election, the previous government recruited 20,000 new police officers across the country. As a result, the Metropolitan Police now has a record number of officers. Thanks to joint efforts with Orpington 1st’s Chris Travers, we now have a new seven-strong squad in our town centre. But we need to do more to restore neighbourhood policing locally, and my job now will be to help get more officers on the beat and visible.
Many of you have told me through my crime survey that we need to prioritise tackling issues such as anti-social behaviour, car theft, and burglary. If you
live in Orpington, and haven’t yet filled in the survey, please take five minutes to let me know of your experiences and priorities. I will use this information to build a true picture of what is happening on the ground, anonymise the results, and then discuss it with the police so that they can focus their time and resources in the right places. You can find the survey at garethbacon.com.
We are lucky to live in a beautiful, green area and I will continue to fight to keep it that way. In the last Parliament, I successfully opposed an attempt by the Planning Inspectorate to review green belt protections in the London Plan. I have worked with Bromley Council to crack down on rogue developers who build illegally on our green belt, and I’ve campaigned for a new law to stop them from gaming the system to build on green land. Whilst we of course need more good quality family homes, they must be planned properly and built in the
A column by Gareth Bacon MP
appropriate places. I will keep fighting any attempt to degrade our precious green spaces.
We have made some good progress on improving our healthcare services, now I will work to make sure this is felt locally. A new £20 million endoscopy unit is being built at the Princess Royal University Hospital, which will care for thousands of patients and help detect and treat cancer earlier. There is also a new operating theatre at Orpington Hospital to perform hundreds more operations a year; and before the election, more doctors and nurses were recruited to serve us locally. Now my focus is on making sure this makes a tangible difference to you through better treatment and shorter waits.
And I will keep on fighting to protect motorists against unfair money-making schemes — whether it is drivers being unfairly fined on the A20 near Sidcup, the extension of the ULEZ tax to outer London, the growing number of blanket 20mph zones, or plans being drawn up to introduce a pay-per-mile tax.
The latest such scheme is a proposal by the Mayor of London to charge motorists to use the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels. Make no mistake, any new charge to use these tunnels is a political choice. I believe it is little more than another revenue raising exercise that will hurt drivers and businesses here in Orpington and it will come as no surprise that I am opposing it.
It is true that there are costs which need to be repaid for the construction of the Silvertown Tunnel,
Surgery Details
I hold regular surgeries to meet constituents, hear their concerns and offer support. If you would like to attend one of my surgery sessions, please get in touch with Judi Ellis at 07835 815 495 to book an appointment.
Please do keep in touch in the following ways: • www.garethbacon.com • gareth.bacon.mp@parliament.uk
For updates on local issues, follow Gareth on Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube, and sign up to his monthly newsletter at www.garethbacon.com/sign-up
but further burdening motorists in this way is not the answer. If the Mayor genuinely wishes to balance the books at TfL, there are other options he could be pursuing.
I list some of the changes that could be swiftly introduced in my letter to TfL which you can read on my website.
TfL are running a consultation on this — I encourage you to take part and make your voice heard. You can email TC-yourview@tfl. gov.uk.
GarethBaconMP garethbaconmp
I am now on Instagram as @garethbaconmp as well as other social channels — give me a follow to stay up to date on my work for Orpington.
