Greenwich & Lewisham Weekender - April 22nd 2020

Weekender April 22 2020 • www.weekender.co.uk

Greenwich & Lewisham

Cinema / Theatre / Education / Arts / Music / Food & Drink / Family / Property

Blackheath author on making the most out of time with the kids

Spotlight

editor

Laura Burgoine

The

Greenwich & Lewisham Weekender is an independent weekly newspaper, covering the boroughs of Greenwich and Lewisham.

We publish every Wednesday, covering every postcode sector of the borough, and boasting, by far, the highest weekly circulation in Greenwich.

Each week, we deliver to homes in 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: Laura Burgoine Advertising Manager: Tammy Jukes Media Partnerships: Anthony Phillips Advertising team: Katie Boyd; Clarry Frewin; Lorraine Wood; Sam Ratcliffe Editorial: Michael Holland; Holly O'Mahony News reporters: Katherine Johnston; Josh Salisbury Cover Photography: Matt Austin Design Manager: Dan Martin Design team: Aurelio Medina Finance: Em Zeki Managing & Commercial Director: Chris Mullany Managing & Editorial Director: Kevin Quinn

Can yoga help us stay mentally strong in these uncertain times?

Yoga is a discipline known for its many health benefits. In a physical sense, practicing regularly can tone your muscles, improve your posture and help you lose excess weight. While mentally, many find yoga helps to reduce stress and anxiety, and silence a busy mind. But can mindful stretching help us stay mentally strong and healthy while housebound and facing of a global pandemic like Covid-19? Silvia Sanvito, a yoga instructor at The Yoga Space in Woolwich, thinks it certainly has a role to play, writes Holly O’Mahony…

Holly O’Mahony: How do you believe practices like yoga and meditation can help in the face of unprecedented circumstances, such as those we're currently living through?

Silvia Sanvito: Yoga is a practice that encourages awareness and connection with ourselves. In challenging times like those we’re living though right now, when we are under unprecedented emotional pressure, yoga can be of great support as it offers us a restful and re-energising space. I personally choose yoga, however any practice that helps us to calm an active mind, relax the body and refresh it through movement can be very beneficial.

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HOM: Are there any particular lessons from your own training, or deep-rooted beliefs in the philosophy it's based on, that are particularly helpful in times like these?

SS: Breathing exercises, or ‘pranayama’ as they’re called in yoga are extremely helpful. Consciously breathing brings us into the awareness

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of the present moment, and that allows us to take the necessary time before reacting to outer and inner circumstances. In the practices I share, I mainly promote moving in harmony with our own breath flow.

When we are aware of the present moment and our own state, we are then in the condition of understanding our needs and therefore taking the actions that support us better.

The breath is that friend that holds our hand and shows us the way.

HOM: You’ve started teaching virtual lessons for the first time as a result of studios having to temporarily close. How have you found the experience of teaching online so far?

SS: This is a brand new experience for me. It is reminding me how we can connect to others remotely and how powerful this is when we have the right intention. As a yoga instructor, I have to make sure my students are safe when practicing, therefore my teachings at the moment are focused on simple and accessible sequences

April 22 2020 3

spotlight

that can be safely done without my supervision. It is not what we do but how we do it – and less is more.

HOM: Tell us more about the online classes you’re currently running…

SS: Currently, I’m sharing practices on my professional facebook page [IN YOGA JOY with Silvia Sanvito] and I’m still in the process of setting up regular online classes. As with my regular classes, the focus is on gentle hatha flow, pregnancy and post-natal, chakra, and restorative yoga. At the moment, my classes are free and accessible at any time, while donations are welcome.

HOM: What do you hope participants take away from these virtual classes?

SS: My intention is to offer a moment where they can switch off a busy mind, empty the body from tensions, and open up mind and body to new, refreshing energy. This is a time when we are being pushed to let go of a lot.

The practices I offer are designed to provide self-love and kindness, so as to find the strength and light needed to face the change taking place around us and build a new world.

HOM: People often talk about the power of yoga. What do you think that means?

SS: In Sanskrit [the language of ancient India, from which yoga originates], yoga means ‘to yoke’. It is a practice that brings union and connection between the different layers of ourselves: the body, the mind and the spirit. When this union

4 April 22 2020

happens, we become aware of our own specific needs – physical, mental and emotional – as well as our path and life purpose. We get to know ourselves better. Allowing ourselves simply to be, and accepting ourselves as we are, means building up a world based on tolerance, kindness, selfexpression, creativity and love.

HOM: Is there anything in your teachings that can help us find a silver lining to all of this? Could we benefit from temporarily living slower, more thoughtful, less noisy lives, perhaps?

SS: Well, this is a big question that touches many aspects of our contemporary lifestyle. I would say that what is happening right now is teaching us the importance of our well being. When we are not healthy, we realise that our health is the most important thing that matters.

If anything, I hope this experience makes more of us start – and keep – taking extra care of ourselves, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. When we heal ourselves, we heal the community, and yoga teaches us we are all one.

Silvia is a yoga instructor specialising in hatha flow yoga (a sequence of yoga postures linked together in a flow) and chakra yoga (a practice for experienced yogis that explores the flow of energy in your body). Ordinarily, she teaches at The Yoga Space, 9-11 Gunnery Terrace, Woolwich, London SE18 6SW. www.theyogaspacelondon.co.uk

Yoga is a practice that encourages awareness and connection with ourselves. It can be of great support as it offers us a restful and re-energising space editorial@weekender.co.uk

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ADVERTORIAL

News from the Royal Borough of Greenwich

We're recruiting

Are you looking for flexible, paid work and do you want to help in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic? Do you want to do a job that makes a difference in your community? Are you caring, compassionate and driven by a passion for helping others?

If you have these qualities, there are great opportunities for you to work within the care industry on a temporary basis to help during the crisis.

We’re looking to recruit 500 community care professionals.

The roles: • can be full-time or part-time • offer a range of contracts and shift patterns • are based at various locations across London • do not require previous experience or qualifications.

Care professionals earn the London Living Wage of £10.75 and work in the community to provide care and support and help with everyday tasks in people's homes or in care homes.

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Keep your distance!

If you want to help save people’s lives then PLEASE stand at least two metres apart!

Social distancing is vital if we want to keep our community safe.

Latest updates: royalgreenwich.gov.uk/coronavirus

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Season tickets saver period

extended indefinitely

Millwall Football Club can confirm that the saver period for 2020/21 season tickets has been extended indefinitely.

The decision has been made due to the ongoing situation surrounding COVID-19 and its impact on the lives and finances of supporters Everyone at Millwall wishes to thank fans for their loyalty, support and understanding during what is a challenging time for us all.

All information relating to season tickets for 2020/21 can be found on www.millwallfc.co.uk. If you are in a vulnerable situation and need assistance of any sort then please contact the club's supporter liaison officer, Shona Groves, by email to slo@millwallplc.com.

In my Den

S TAY

H O M E .

S AV E

LI V E S.

arts

NOW Gallery goes virtual

Like art institutions across the UK, NOW Gallery in Greenwich has closed its doors for the time being to help prevent the spread of Covid-19, but you can still enjoy snippets of its exhibitions, curators talks and inspiration for getting creative yourself via the gallery’s website and social media channels. Holly O’Mahony speaks to NOW Gallery curator Jemima Burrill to find out more…

a presence and a voice for south London’s art scene,” she says.

“We’ve also started recording short podcasts with artists. We’ve always had an archive of photos but [this experience has made us realise that having] an archive of interviews should be equally important to us.”

The gallery is also keen to interact with its audience and provide inspiration for budding artists and designers to get creative.

“We’ve held Q&As via Instagram Stories, which have allowed us to immediately engage with our audience and find out what they’re thinking,” Jemima says.

At the time of NOW Gallery’s sudden closure, architect and designer Emmanuelle Moureaux’s Slices of Time exhibition was showing. Part of NOW Gallery’s on-going Design Commission, the exhibition was an installation of epic scale, consisting of 6,000 hanging numbers in 100 different shades of colours, which aims to express the flow of time.

Finding a way to shift the exhibition online, so that potential visitors to the gallery could still access it, was Jemima’s first priority.

people will be able to see it in person.

“It’s really important to us that people know if they come onto the website there will be something for them there,” explains Jemima. “It cost us quite a lot of money to get the Slices of Time exhibition filmed [a decision the team took ahead of the coronavirus outbreak], but I insisted we did it to get our content out there to a wider audience, and now I’m really glad we did!”

In addition to the Slices of Time exhibition, visitors to the NOW Gallery website and social media channels will also be able to virtually explore Rebecca Louise Law’s stunning 2017 exhibition The Iris, which saw 10,000 fresh irises suspended with copper wire appearing to float within the gallery space. “We’ve got some amazing time lapses of the irises going [online]”, adds Jemima.

The footage of the Slices of Time exhibition will be one of several assets uploaded by the gallery to Google Arts and Culture, a tool that allows browsers to take a virtual tour of exhibitions from around the world.

Meanwhile the physical exhibition, which was meant to close on April 17, has been extended until the end of June in the hope that should the lockdown lift before then, more

Raw Edges’ Steps is also being given the digital treatment. Viewers will be able to take a virtual tour of the innovative outdoor seating created by the design duo in response to a commission to redefine how people use the public space outside the gallery. While over on Instagram, browsers will also be able to take a look at Mah Rana’s 2018 exhibition Meanings and Attachments,

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examining the meanings we attach to the pieces of jewellery we wear.

Virtual visitors will also be able to catch the gallery’s recent takeover

by Witchy (Women In Technology Creative industries Hub), which was in part brought to life by live music from Witchy co-founder Bishi. “Thankfully we filmed that. There was some really beautiful music and technology [at the event]. We’re keen to get the film out to people,” says Jemima.

NOW Gallery’s annual fashion commission, held in September, will still go ahead, if only in the virtual sphere. “We’re going to make it more about the process this year and talk about the three designers who are pitching,” explains Jemima.

“We’re going to do presentations online, talking about exhibitions we’ve held in the past and how we feel designers are important. One of

NOW Gallery’s objectives is giving them a space to explore something they haven’t explored before.”

For Jemima, sharing the gallery’s content online has always been a priority. “I feel very strongly that there’s only so many people who can come to the physical gallery, but looking at our Instagram page, we have a really big following in New York, too, for example. So it’s always been important for us to get our content out there digitally.”

Since closing the gallery’s doors, Jemima has been busy hosting curator’s talks via video conferencing service Zoom, and keeping NOW’s Instagram page, Instagram TV (IGTV) and Facebook channels updated. Essentially, bringing the gallery to the viewer. “It’s made us think about connecting with our gallery family. We have to maintain

She and the team are also currently working with four artists to produce a series of design colouring sheets for people to download via Instagram. The project is providing the artists with paid work at a time it’s tough to get commissions and, Jemima points out, colouring provides a sense of mindfulness for adults and children alike. Making the project interactive, Jemima and the team will be encouraging participants to share their drawings with the gallery via social media.

Of course, continuing to foster a relationship with an online audience won’t help fund NOW Gallery through its months of closure, but Jemima is determined to take each day as it comes and ultimately, stay positive.

“Funding wise, we just don’t know.

We have no idea how long this will go on for,” she says. “Right now, it’s about keeping ourselves valid as an arts organisation while this is going on. We're letting people know that there’s a light burning from Greenwich Peninsula, even if other things aren’t happening.”

Visit NOW Gallery via the website: www.nowgallery.co.uk/; on Instagram: @nowgalleryse10; and on Facebook: www.facebook.com/NOWGallerySE10

April 22 2020 7

DON’ T

LIVE WITH DOMESTIC

ABUSE

Does your partner or family member: Put you down? Ever frighten or hurt you?

Control your movements, friendships or money?

If so, this is domestic abuse.

For support for yourself or someone else that you are concerned about call the Greenwich Domestic Violence and Abuse helpline: 020 8317 8273.

For 24-hour support, call the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.

Visit royalgreenwich.gov.uk/domesticabuse for more information.

Food & DRINK

Five of the best restaurants delivering takeaways in Greenwich Thai Tiger Between its smart wooden tables and prettily arranged dishes, dinner at Greenwich’s Thai Tiger has a celebratory, fun-for-all-the-family feel to it. While closed for now, the good news is the restaurant’s delicacies can still be enjoyed at home during lock down. For those unfamiliar with the menu, you can look forward to all your Thai favourites – from starters and soups to curries, stir-fries and salads – plus a selection of exported drinks.

And, there’s something for everyone: the ‘gap yah’ generation can tuck into steaming plates of pad thai with a chilled Chang beer – a throwback to a trip spent raving at full moon parties.

While those after the restaurant’s finer fare should look to the specials, of which the Weeping Tiger (marinated steak grilled and served with house spicy sauce) and massaman lamb shank (a mild curry of stewed lamb cooked in coconut milk and spices) sound particularly appealing.

The Hill

Thai Tiger, 1 Woolwich Road, Greenwich Peninsula, London SE10 0RA. Available on Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats. www.thai-tiger.com

In search of a more upmarket takeaway? Perhaps a gourmet feast you would have previously only tucked into while ‘eating out’?

Mediterranian restaurant The Hill has special occasion dining covered, thanks to its home delivery service.

The family-run restaurant has built up a reputation for its tapas dishes which, while delicate, can still be delivered to your door. Go for a selection of sharing plates (such as grilled octopus, patatas

The Pizza Room Did someone say pizza? Impress your fellow isolators (or simply your stomach) by ordering from one of the best pizzerias in town. Awardwinning mini-chain The Pizza Room is still in business, delivering a range of fire-baked and tantalisingly-topped sourdough delights to your door from its New Cross branch. As well as a wide range of tomato-based options, there’s bianco (white) pizzas and calzones for those after something a little bit different, and a decent selection for vegans and vegetarians, too.

bravas, slow-cooked chorizo and croquettes) to recreate the Spanish dining experience at home, or go it alone with something from the ‘Latino specials’ portion of the menu. I’ve got my eye on the grilled Argentine rib-eye steak with chips and chimichurri sauce.

The Hill, 89 Royal Hill, Greenwich, London SE10 8SE. Available on Deliveroo and Just Eat. www.thehillgreenwich.com

The Pizza Room, unit A, atrium house, 459 New Cross Rd, New Cross, London SE14 6AJ. Available on Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats. www.thepizzaroom.co.uk

Rox Burger If, for you, the perfect takeaway comes in the form of a sizzling patty sandwiched between two halves of a pillowy brioche bun, smothered in homemade sauces and garnished with a decorative leaf of lettuce (yes, we’re talking burgers), look no further than Rox Burger. The Creek Road joint was once crowned the ‘UK's No.1 Burger’ on TripAdvisor, and has also been a runner up in Time Out’s Love London Awards two years running. While I’ll be ordering the playfully-named ‘On the Rox’ burger (a patty topped with cheese, chorizo, grilled onions, jalapeño peppers and mayo), Rox Burger caters for dietary requirements too, offering halal meats, gluten-free beers and even bottles of their 0% ABV equivalents.

Rox Burger, 302 Creek Road, Greenwich, London SE10 9SW.Available on Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats. www.facebook.com/RoxBurgerUK

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Pho City Warm the cockles and bust any bugs lurking around with a steaming bowl of pho from authentic Vietnamese joint Pho City. While its ‘eat-in’ attraction of live lobsters is off the menu, there’s a number of different pho dishes (noodle soups served with fresh herbs and chillies), plus Vietnamese baguettes, salads and –

my personal favourite – ‘Bun’ dishes: vermicelli noodles with salad, fresh herbs and grilled meats served with a sweet and salty dipping sauce.

Pho City, 13 Greenwich S Street, Greenwich, London SE10 8NW. Available on Deliveroo. www. instagram.com/phocityldn

April 22 2020 9

education

Blackheath author Amy Ransom on surviving social distancing with the kids

No sooner had the social distancing restrictions come into place than Amy had penned the blog post many parents will be searching for: ‘13 ways to survive the coming weeks (without fear)’. In it, she offers 13 tips for adjusting to, and coping in, the new landscape, such as muting all Whatsapp groups that aren’t funny, trying to see things the way your child does and learning to enjoy a simpler life.

Much like Amy’s Notebooks For Mums series, the blogpost combines anecdotes from Amy’s own experience with useful parenting hacks and an underlying message that mums should do things their own way, having confidence in whatever approach they choose to adopt.

“I wanted to do something to help others process [the government’s advice to stay at home], whilst also processing it myself,” says Amy, about the blog post. “I'm lucky working for myself because I’m the only one breathing down my neck, and I've decided to go easy on myself, since the schools have closed,” she says. “I'm performing at about 50 per cent of my usual capacity, but the fact that any of us are managing to work at all is something of a miracle at the moment, she laughs.

Amy’s advice for other solo parents left in a similar position comes down to one key point: If you’re able to, be flexible with your time and how you organise it. “Rather than scheduling your day in consecutive hours, as you might have done before, break it up,” she says. “Do a few hours early on, spend a few hours with the kids during the day and then crack on again in the afternoon. Trying to do both at once is unsatisfying for everyone,” she cautions.

As for getting to grips with homeschooling – particularly for the many parents who will have no prior teaching experience – Amy says it’s all about establishing routine and acknowledging that any schooling you're managing to do is good enough for now.

Amy Ransom is something of an expert at guiding parents through new territory. Having built up a grateful, loyal following through her blog, ‘Surviving Motherhood’, the author and solo parent has gone on to write and selfpublish a book series, Notebooks For Mums, which she continues to add to each time she’s been through – and survived – a new parenting milestone. Amy’s kind, funny and reassuring voice is one you’ll want in your ear if the closure of schools has left you having to juggle work commitments with overseeing a home-schooling environment for your kids – while being in their company 24 hours a day, seven days a week, writes Holly O’Mahony…

10 April 22 2020

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“Routine is really helping us. This isn't a time to focus on our children's academic excellence – even schools acknowledge that,” she says. “I've discovered that home schooling is a very divisive subject – to schedule or not to schedule – it's a very personal choice and dependent upon your circumstances,” she adds.

“I'm taking advantage of the home environment and doing stuff with them they probably wouldn't do at school, such as building dens, teaching them to make a cake and so on,” says the author, who also suggests searching for YouTube videos relating to school topics and getting the kids to draw a picture about what they learned afterwards.

And for exercise? “We start the day doing P.E. with Joe Wicks (The Body Coach) on YouTube,” she shares. The sessions take place at 9am every weekday morning, are free to watch, and, while aimed at kids, are open to everyone.

Would Amy offer her 2019 self any advice, knowing now what 2020 holds?

Well, all the things I wished for at the www.weekender.co.uk

education

Whilst it's a terrible thing for the world I feel like there is a very precious message at the heart of this. No one will ever forget 'that year we all stayed in’

end of last year – more time with the kids, no SATs for my year six daughter, a simpler life, moaning about doing the weekly food shop – I have literally been handed on a plate,” she chuckles wryly. “So I've already said to my 2019 self, ‘this is what you wanted, so now what are you going to do with it?'.”

Jokes aside, Amy believes there’s lessons to be learnt by little ones as well as parents from our weeks – or months – at home. “I hope it teaches [my children] to consume less and realise how little you actually need to be happy,” she says. “Whilst it's

F.A.A.

a terrible thing for [the world] to be experiencing in terms of people dying from Covid-19, I feel like there is a very poignant, precious message at the heart of this. No one will ever forget 'that year we all stayed in’.”

Amy Ransom is the author of the book series Notebooks for Mums and writer of the popular parenting blog ‘Surviving Motherhood’. Her next book, The Soul Soaring Virtues of Separation about positive separation will be released in January 2021. Amy is currently writing a psychological thriller, which will be her first novel. www.amyransom.com

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community trust At The Heart Of The Community

news from charlton athletic community trust

CACT teams up with partners for COVID-19 response

The Andrews Sykes van was used to make an essential collection and delivery over the Easter weekend

Charlton Athletic Community Trust (CACT) has thanked its partners for their support to help ensure that vulnerable members of the community can be looked after following the COVID-19 outbreak.

CACT is working with the Royal Borough of Greenwich and a range of community partners such as Greenwich Co-operative Development Agency (GCDA) to support vulnerable residents through the Greenwich Community Hub. And CACT has also received support for the initiative from two of its corporate partners.

Long-time CACT partner Andrews Sykes helped ensure food can reach vulnerable people on Easter Monday by putting a large vehicle forward for a key collection and delivery of food boxes from Lidl in Charlton.

Jason Morgan (left) with ITRM’s Managing Director Dave White

“As a company with strong community links, we were very keen to assist CACT with their delivery which will provide local people with food during these challenging times”.

12 April 22 2020

CACT’s Chief Executive, Jason Morgan MBE, has been very thankful for the support of key partners at this time.

“Andrew Sykes have been key supporters of CACT’s work in the community for many years. It was proving to be a challenge to find appropriate transport in this period.

“After I contacted Paul and Andrew Sykes, they were immediately willing to assist at the key moment to help us get vulnerable residents the food they need.”

Paul Wood, Andrews Sykes’ Managing Director, said: “As a company with strong community links, we were very keen to assist CACT with their delivery which will provide local people with food during these challenging times.

“We have a long history of supporting CACT and are very proud of our association with an organisation that does so much good throughout the Borough and beyond.”

ITRM, CACT’s Principal Partner and Charlton Athletic’s shirt sponsor, also went above and beyond to help ensure the Community Hub could get up and running as soon as possible.

The call centre has been operating for three weeks and is now taking hundreds of calls per day, providing support to residents in Greenwich. The Hub can arrange to collect prescriptions and deliver food boxes to those who are selfisolating and have no one who can help with their shopping.

Speaking about ITRM’s help upscaling the call centre, Jason said: “It took us three days to scale up our call centre to become the Community Hub, which we’re running on behalf of Royal Greenwich. The Club and ITRM really stepped up when we needed to move quickly to help our community.”

Dave White, ITRM’s Managing Director, said:

The set up involved more than doubling the capacity of the existing Live Well line and moving to remote working to maintain social distancing.

“I am especially proud that in the midst of every ITRM customer requiring home worker remote access solutions, my team understood the importance of this requirement to CACT, Royal Greenwich and of course to the vulnerable residents in our community.”

Within 48 hours, ITRM had set up 37 laptops for the call centre operators, along with ensuring the Telephone Call Centre Agent had functionality and integration with CACT’s IT system.

If you live in Royal Greenwich and need help because you are vulnerable and self-isolating, call the Community Hub, seven days a week, from 8.30am to 6pm.

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T HE

The

ESSENTIAL guide to EDUCATION PLEASE CONTRIBUTE AND HELP US TO KEEP PROVIDING YOU WITH LOCAL NEWS AND SPORT A message to all our readers: We are continuing to bring you all the latest news on the Coronavirus and other important local issues, news, sport and local life.

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History ©©Pat O'Driscoll

Ballast Quay Mary Mills Working along the Greenwich riverside the next area is Ballast Quay. There is an amazing web site for this area – so good and so comprehensive that I am very nervous in case I am just copying what they say and/or upsetting them. Hope the people who set it up don’t mind. It includes interviews with local people and with some expert historians as well as lots of pictures and information pages. www.ballastquay.com On the web site is a recording of a talk by historian Julian Watson who starts off by talking about the Ghent ownership of this area, which I covered in my article on Anchor Iron Wharf.

Julian makes the important point that this area – Ballast Quay and Anchor Iron Wharf – may be the real old Greenwich. Following on from what he says, that the palace was built on land probably taken from the original bequest to Ghent’, the area we now know as Greenwich, around St.Alfege's church, may have originated in service areas for the palace and an area for fishermen. While the

14 April 22 2020

administrative area was here, at the Court House, on Anchor Iron Wharf.

There is so much to say about the history of this site but I can only stick to essentials – look at the web site and listen to Julian. What can we see here – there is the garden, the pub, and the Harbour Master’s House.

Most importantly up on the wall no.10 is a plaque with a ‘lion rampant’. This is a mark of ownership by Morden College. They acquired much of what remained of the Ghent lands in the 1690s and they still have most of it, and they will turn up in the future of

this riverside story with increased frequency. Morden College is a large almshouse (probably designed by Christopher Wren, no less) over on the other side of Blackheath. They have a wonderful archive – for which all of us Greenwich historians are very, very grateful. (Thank you Elizabeth).

The name of ‘Ballast Quay’ appears to date from at least the 17th century – although it seems sometimes to refer also to Anchor Iron Wharf. Ballast was used for the return journeys of the ‘collier’ ships which brought coal to London from Northumberland and Durham. It is thought to have come from pits on the hillside between riverside Greenwich and Blackheath – one important source of ballast locally being the pit in which Maze Hill Station now stands. Chalk for ballast would have been loaded onto ships here – although some captains were less scrupulous and the City Thames Commissioners' minutes are full of complaints about chunks of river wall being surreptitiously removed for this purpose

A pub had stood on this area from at least the early 18th century. It was called the Green Man and was roughly where the Cutty Sark pub stands now but further back from the riverside.

The current terrace of houses and pub date from the early 19th century and were designed by the Morden College, Surveyor, Mr. Biggs. In 1829 he had further plans to develop the area and extend the wharf. It was then called Union Wharf, and the pub was the ‘Union Tavern’ - renamed ‘Cutty Sark’ when the famous ship was installed in Greenwich in the early 1950s. There is an excellent history of the pub by Neil Rhind at http://www.ballastquay.com/ the-cutty-sark-tavern.html. It remained a small local – still called ‘the Union’ by many (I know at least one who still does). It was refitted in the early 1970s with ‘a staircase for Erroll Flynn’, as one regular noted. Always previously owned and leased by Morden College it s now a Young’s Pub and gone all gastro.

Residents have recently ensured that the old street name ‘Union Wharf’ has been painted on one of the

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houses. ‘Union’ as a street name usually means ‘near the workhouse’ but here it seems to be something else – maybe the Acts of Union with Ireland in 1801, which would seem to be around the right date.

This was a busy working area and the houses, owned by Morden College, were rented to local workers, fishermen and boatmen. ‘A Fisherman of Greenwich’

by Julie Tadman describes the life of William Bracegirdle who began as a fisherman and rose to live in the only big house on the Wharf– Thames Cottage – and to become a small developer. He was however to end his days living on charity in an almshouse.

Also on the Cutty Sark Web site is the story of the boat building Hoskins family by Karen Johnson http://www. ballastquay.com/the-hoskins-family. html. It is from them that Hoskins Street previously Bennett Street – was named. Ballast Quay has rare survivals of 1860s granite setts, street-paving, to withstand heavy industrial traffic, in the area and at the east end of the Quay were gun posts to serve as bollards. www.weekender.co.uk

History

public notices ROYAL BOROUGH of GREENWICH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 – SECTION 14(1) SOUTHOLD RISE, SE9 PLANNED ROAD CLOSURE (ORDER)

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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 T Mobile who need to carry out maintenance work.

The Order will come into operation on 4th May 2020 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.

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 Southold Rise at the junction of William Barefoot Drive.

Whilst the Order is in operation traffic will be diverted via William Barefoot Drive, Southold Rise and vice versa. Prohibitions remain in force, pedestrians are not affected and vehicle access will be maintained wherever possible.

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.

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.

Queries concerning these works should be directed to the Royal Borough of Greenwich’s Directorate of Regeneration, Enterprise & Skills on 020 8921 6340.

Assistant Director, Strategic Transportation The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, SE18 6HQ Dated 12/02/2020 (INTERNAL REF: PL/205/LA384245

ROYAL BOROUGH of GREENWICH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 – SECTION 14(1) [Charlton Park Lane] PLANNED ROAD CLOSURE (ORDER)

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In the mid-1840s the East Greenwich Steamboat Pier was built opposite what is now the Harbour Master’s House. A path leads from the road to what was once the entrance to the office for the pier, which is now used as a building in the Ballast Quay garden. The mid-1840s were an era of intense competition among passenger steam boats companies and several short-lived piers were built. There were also standoffs with licensed watermen.

This may have been a ‘floating pier’ but is now no sign of it on the foreshore or river wall.

William Bracegirdle lived in Thames Cottage, the last of the older houses on this part of the riverside. His story is covered in a book

by Julie Tadman. In its place was built the Harbour Masters House. I covered this in some detail in a previous Weekender article in May 2016 https://www.weekender.co.uk/ digital-edition/2018/05/. It was built in 1855 as part of the regulatory framework for controlling collier (coal delivery) ships in the river. It belonged to the Thames Conservancy who had leased both it and Union Wharf in 1860. All collier ships had to report there and provide papers. `When the system was abolished around 1900 the house was sold and let into flats.

The Ballast Quay Garden now covers what was Union Wharf . When the Port of London Authority was established in 1908 it had became the Port of London Wharf and had been surrounded by a high wall, although it was later railed and some rails remain around

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the house and the approach to the wharf.. .Here a steam crane ran on rails along the wharf but it was later sold for scrap but the wharf became less and less used. In the mid-1960s the it was transformed into the garden on the initiative of Hillary Peters who also worked on Surrey Docks Farm, one of the earliest of the City Farms. The Ballast Quay garden is still with us and very beautiful and for a short time residents ran a tea shop here, but there are now sometimes open days (with cakes!). Art exhibitions are sometimes held in the ‘potting sheds’ which are actually the old ticket office for the short lived pier.

In the garden is a sculpture made of waste materials taken from the river by Kevin Herlihy as a memorial to the millions of animals killed during the foot-and-mouth crisis of 2001.

There are other art works and other items around the garden for us all to admore.

This account is only a tiny fraction of what is at what has been at Ballast Quay. Look at the web site http://www.ballastquay. com/history.html and also at a short but very good account on https://www. londongardenstrust.org/features/Ballast. htm which is actually by Hillary Peters.

Julie Tadman’s book is ‘A Fisherman of Greenwich’. This was self-published in New Zealand – I'm always happy to pass enquires on to Julie.

And there is much else on many, many web sites and histories of Greenwich

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The Royal Borough of Greenwich intends to makes this Order in exercise of powers under section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. This is to facilitate works by Compass who need to carry out electrical ducting works.

The Order will come into operation on 29th April 2020 and would continue to be valid for 18 months. However the works are expected to take 4 months. The duration of the Order can be extended with the approval of the Secretary of State for Transport.

The effect of the Order would be to temporarily prohibit vehicles from waiting (including waiting for the purposes of loading or unloading) in, Charlton Park Lane (from the Junction of Charlton Dene to Junction of Cemetery Lane), Charlton Dene ( from Charlton Park Lane to Grenada Road) and Grenada Road (whole length).

Whilst the Order is in operation traffic will not need to be diverted. Prohibitions remain in force, pedestrians are not affected and vehicle access will be maintained wherever possible.

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.

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.

Queries concerning these works should be directed to the Royal Borough of Greenwich’s Directorate of Regeneration, Enterprise & Skills on 020 8921 6340.

Assistant Director, Strategic Transportation The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, SE18 6HQ Dated 17th April 2020 (INTERNAL REF: PL/TBC/LATBC)

Town and Country Planning ROYAL BOROUGH OF GREENWICH TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1990 – SECTION 247 PROPOSED STOPPING UP OF THE HIGHWAY – HENLEY CROSS, KIDBROOKE

1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Council of the Royal Borough of Greenwich intends to make an Order under section 247 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, entitled the Royal Borough of Greenwich (Stopping Up of Highways) (No. *) (Henley Cross, Kidbrooke) Order 2020.

2. The general effect of the Order would be to authorise the stopping up of the following routes in order to facilitate development: a) Henley Cross from its junction at Kidbrooke Park Road for its full length. b) The ramp for pedestrian and cycle access from the south exit of the subway under Kidbrooke Park Road to where it meets Henley Cross.

The term “stopping up” means that this area of highway would cease to be public highway.

[Note: The bus-interchange facilities will be re-provided as part of this development].

3. If the Order is made, the stopping up would only be authorised in order to enable the provision of the development referred to in paragraph (2) above to be carried out in accordance with the planning permission granted to Kidbrooke Partnership LLP on the 31st October 2019 (the planning application reference is 18/4187/F).

4. A copy of the proposed Order and other documents, including maps, giving more detailed particulars of the Order are available for inspection during normal office hours until the end of six weeks from the date on which the Order is made or, as the case may be, the Council decides not to make the Order, at the Directorate of Regeneration, Enterprise and Skills, Strategic Transportation, Royal Borough of Greenwich, The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, SE18 6HQ. 5. Any person who wishes to object to or make other representations about the proposed Order should send a statement in writing by the 20th May 2020, specifying the grounds on which any objection is made, to the Traffic Team, The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, SE18 6HQ, or by email to Traffic.Team@royalgreenwich.gov.uk (quoting reference 04-20 Henley Cross).

6. Persons objecting to the proposed Order should be aware that in view of the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, this Council would be legally obliged to make any comments received in response to this notice, open to public inspection.

Assistant Director, Strategic Transportation The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, SE18 6HQ Dated 22 April 2020

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