Greenwich & Lewisham Weekender - September 22nd 2021

Weekender September 22 2021 • www.weekender.co.uk

Greenwich & Lewisham

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

Dial M For Murder Tom Chambers at The Churchill Theatre

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News from the Royal Borough of Greenwich

SEPTEMBER 2021 UPDATE We’re building over 750 sustainable council homes for local people! Here’s our progress so far: 400 homes being designed

0 homes awaiting approval

366 homes being built

22 homes completed

New tenants move in royalgreenwich.gov.uk/greenwichbuilds

Our Greenwich Builds council home building programme is in full swing, with hundreds of sustainable homes for local people now approved, under construction or complete across the borough.

New residents of one such scheme in Greenwich Peninsula were visited recently by Leader of the Council Cllr Danny Thorpe, Member for Housing Cllr Anthony Okereke and Deputy Leader, Cllr Denise Scott McDonald (pictured below).

More zero-carbon homes

17 more zero-carbon Greenwich Builds council homes were given planning approval last week, bringing the total number of new council homes now approved to 353.

The latest scheme is in Plumstead and offers a range of homes, from onebedroom wheelchair-accessible flats to three-bedroom family homes.

Juniper and Jacob House are 15 homes for over-55s, and the Councillors met residents Angela, Temitope, Joseph, Marcia, Vivienne, Anthony and Martin, who all moved into the new development recently. Marcia was especially enthusiastic about the first time she saw her new home, telling councillors “I was screaming, it’s so lovely! It was like winning the pools”.

Angela said of her flat “I’m proud to have a council who are building, thank you so much”. Brothers Martin and Anthony were also full of praise for their new home, saying “it’s a lovely flat, two nice bedrooms… we’re very happy!”.

£38 million funding boost

Greenwich Builds has been given a boost in the form of a £38 million grant from the Mayor of London, as part of of the new Affordable Homes Programme.

The additional funding will be used to build hundreds of new council homes across Royal Greenwich.

Find out where we’re building: royalgreenwich.gov.uk/greenwichbuilds

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Pick of the Week

By Holly O’Mahony

Greenwich on screen Head behind the scenes of one of the most popular filming locations in the world, as the Old Royal Naval College lifts the lid on the blockbuster movie scenes and memorable TV episodes captured in its impressive quarters. From being transformed into Buckingham Palace in Netflix’s The Crown, to becoming the grounds for revolution in the Paris-set, 2012 film adaptation of Les Misérables, you might be surprised at just how versatile a setting the venue can be. The hour-long tour walks visitors through 60 years of filmmaking, both inside and outside the historic college.

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Holly O'Mahony

The

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

Old Royal Naval College, King William Walk, London SE10 9NN. Saturdays and Sundays, 12:30pm and 2:30pm. Admission: £13:50. www.ornc.org/whats-on/ film-tv-location-tour-2/

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.

In the 1920s, ‘queen of the circus’ Mabel Stark made a name for herself as the only woman to step into the ring with seven tigers. With 2020’s Netflix hit Tiger King fresh in our minds, hear the tale of one of America’s most daring big cat tamers, as it’s brought to life on stage by devised theatre company Dead Rabbits.

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.

Greenwich Theatre, Crooms Hill, London SE10 8ES. September 27, 7:30pm. Admission: £15. www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk/ events/tiger-lady/

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: Holly O’Mahony Advertising Manager: Tammy Jukes Media Partnerships: Anthony Phillips Advertising team: Katie Boyd; Clarry Frewin; Lorraine Wood Editorial: Michael Holland; Holly O’Mahony News reporters: Katherine Johnston; Design Manager: Dan Martin Design team: Aurelio Medina Finance: Em Zeki - Tel: 0779 883 3758 Managing & Commercial Director: Chris Mullany Managing & Editorial Director: Kevin Quinn Offices at: Unit A202, The Biscuit Factory, Drummond Road, SE16 4DG. Printed by Iliffe Print Cambridge Ltd – www.iliffeprint.co.uk News: 020 7231 5258 / news@weekender.co.uk Ads: 020 7232 1639 / ads@weekender.co.uk Finance: 0779 883 3758 / em@southwarknews.co.uk www.weekender.co.uk @weeknder_life @weeknderSL therealweeknder Issue: GW227

Last calls for sky-high dining Dining around a 22-seat table that hangs suspended in the air by a crane has got to be the ultimate novelty experience. But in London, it’s a popular one too. Closing this weekend, Greenwich’s Dining in the Sky experience offers diners the chance to tuck into a gourmet meal (no plane food here!) 100ft above the O2 arena. One for those with a strong stomach, the experience sees you strapped in by a double-breasted seatbelt before the table lifts you up and away to enjoy a communal meal in the clouds. Breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, and cocktail sessions are all available. Whichever you choose, it’s sure to be a meal to remember. (Just don’t think about needing the loo).

Outside the O2, Peninsula Square, London SE10 0DX. Until September 26, 7am - 10pm. Admission: £79 - £139. www.londoninthesky.co.uk/

Shop ‘farm to fridge’ with Blackheath Farmers’ Market Swerve the supermarket this Sunday and instead, head to Blackheath to take advantage of the weekly farmers’ market. Apples, partridges and samphire are among the seasonal specials you can pick up at this time of year, plus a chance to buy everything from juices and pies to free-range meat, shellfish and flowers.

Blackheath Station car park, London SE3 9LA. September 26, from 10am 2pm. Admission: FREE. www.lfm.org. uk/markets/blackheath/

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A famous big cat tamer resurrected on stage

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A celebration of cliffhangers Allow the daring team behind Kendal Mountain Festival to transport you to far-flung corners and literal cliff edges of the world in this evening dedicated to celebrating adventurous filmmaking. The event includes on-screen interviews with filmmakers as well as brave, beautiful footage from their films. A warm-up to the annual Kendal Mountain Festival, which takes place in the Lake District in November, the Kendal Mountain Tour brings highlights from the festival to screens across the UK. The Albany, Douglas Way, London SE8 4AG. September 24, 7:30pm 9:30pm. Admission: £16. www.thealbany.org.uk/ shows/kendal-mountaintour/

September 22 2021 3

theatre

Murder’s on the cards at Churchill Theatre: actor Tom Chambers on returning to the stage A new touring production of Frederick Knott’s 1952 mystery thriller play Dial M for Murder is set to have audiences clinging to the edge of their seats at Churchill Theatre this week. Household name Tom Chambers (Strictly Come Dancing, Waterloo Road) stars as the vengeful Tony Wendice, opposite 2008 X-Factor finalist Diana Vickers in the role of Margot. Holly O’Mahony speaks to Tom Chambers about the play’s enduring popularity and the dark side of playing baddies…

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theatre Immortalised by Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 film adaptation starring Grace Kelly, Dial M for Murder follows manipulative former tennis player Tony Wendice, who is hell-bent on having his wealthy socialite wife Margot murdered after discovering she has been unfaithful. But will Tom be able to frame the perfect crime?

Dial M for Murder is often described as the blueprint Hollywood crime thriller.

What is it about the story that continues to appeal almost 70 years after it was written? “Humans have a fascination with mystery and it offers a little dose of that,” ponders Tom. “It’s not a whodunnit but a ‘howdunnit’. It’s acidly funny, quite complex and it zips along.”

Tom and the company have only recently reacquainted themselves with the show. They were 100 performances in and nearing the end of their tour in early 2020 when lockdown hit.

“We opened in January 2020, went all over the country and had 18 weeks left of the tour,” Tom recalls. “We’d just done Saturday night in Salisbury, finished the show and went for a drink, and I joked saying, ‘come on guys, get off your phones, we might not be together next week’, and sure enough, we got the call over the weekend saying don’t come to work on Tuesday.”

Like most, the company assumed the closure of performance venues would be temporary. “We thought we’d pick up [the show] again in July,

but then it got pushed and pushed,” he says. “There were nights when I lay awake thinking: how is anything going to happen again? How is [live performance] going to survive this?”

The story’s Tony Wendice, he adds: “is a character you can love to hate.

You can make him charming and charismatic, but then you have to remember you hate him”.

Eighteen months on and the company has finally been able to pick up the tour where they left off. When we speak, the show has just opened in Leicester. “Coming back to it, I have a renewed sense of energy, humbleness, excitement and joy,” beams Tom. “It’s so great to be back in the room because you can’t recreate that experience anywhere else. Together with fellow cast members Christopher Harper and Michael Salami, Tom performed in an online production of Apollo 13: Dark Side of the Room, produced by Original Theatre, during lockdown – an experience he felt was flat without a live audience. “When you’ve got real people in the room, you can’t beat it.”

The story’s big themes of manipulation and domestic abuse are, sadly, as relevant today as when the play was written. In the hands of director Anthony Banks and designer David Woodhead, the production carries a strong 60s aesthetic, further supported by a soundtrack composed and collated by Ben and Max Ringham. But the script has been tweaked to engage a contemporary audience. “We’ve changed words that are a bit drab and given it a much fresher, more direct approach,” Tom reveals.

Tom is no stranger to portraying dark and twisted characters, but he doesn’t sit comfortably in their skin. “It’s funny, I remember playing Max Tyler in [BBC drama series] Waterloo Road, who’s a horrible machiavellian headmaster, and I hated it so much,” he muses.

Feeling increasingly uncomfortable with spending 15 hours a day living with the character, he eventually left the show.

“But with Dial M for Murder, maybe it’s my age, but I’ve actually experienced narcissistic people now and it’s in the news a lot, I think it’s important to see it, it’s addressing lots of things,” he says.

According to Tom, new cast member Diana Vickers, who has joined the company for the 2021 leg of the tour, has given Margot “a lick of northern” and “a touch of that Hitchcock class”.

“Diana is doing it in her own way and it’s really great. It’s quite Killing Eve,” he grins, adding the show is “more sexy and raunchy” than the film or its early stage counterparts. “The audience are certainly getting their money’s worth,” he laughs.

Dial M for Murder is showing at Churchill Theatre, High Street, Bromley BR1 1HA. September 21 - 25, performances at 7:30pm with additional 2:30pm matinees on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Admission: £22.50/concessions available. www.churchilltheatre.co.uk/Online/ tickets-dial-m-for-murder-bromley-2020

Box office 020 8463 0100 • blackheathhalls.com •

& s u n e V s i n o d A 2021 PRESENTS

AUTUMN 2021

SUZI RUFFELL

ED BYRNE

KATHRYN TICKELL & THE DARKENING

GARY DELANEY

DANCE LIKE EVERYONE'S WATCHING SAT 16 OCT 8pm

IF I'M HONEST WED 20 OCT 8pm

ow John Bl y b c i s Mu

SUN 17 OCT 8pm

TUESDAY 28 SEPTEMBER | 6.30PM & 8.30PM THURSDAY 30 SEPTEMBER | 6.30PM & 8.30PM SATURDAY 2 OCTOBER | 2.30PM & 5PM SUNDAY 3 OCTOBER | 2.30PM & 5PM

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TICKETS £19 | £17 CONCESSIONS | £6 UNDER 12s

GARY IN PUNDERLAND FRI 29 OCT 5.30pm & 8pm

V+A September 22 2021 5

Spotlight

Gods, shepherds and Cupids-intraining: Blackheath Halls stages first community opera since the pandemic

After a pandemic-enforced hiatus in 2020, community opera returns to Blackheath Halls, with Baroque composer John Blow’s Venus and Adonis the chosen production for this year.

Uniting professional singers with students from Trinity Laban, local amateurs and talented children, the annual community opera is a chance for people of all ages and abilities with a passion for music-making and dramatic storytelling to come together on stage, writes Holly O’Mahony…

The last community opera to welcome live audiences to Blackheath Halls was 2019’s production of La belle Hélène (pictured). Unable to stage a show in 2020, the team at the Halls prepared a short film, A Journey Through the Rake’s Progress, featuring contributions from the venue’s 70-strong community of singers and instrumentalists, plus guest appearances from professional opera singers and artwork from the youth company.

Based on the classical myth of the same name, Venus and Adonis is the earliest known English opera and was composed in 1683 for King Charles II. A medley of singing, dancing and storytelling, the opera’s themes of love, seduction and grief are brought to life in a pastoral setting by gods, shepherds, hunters and Cupids-in-training.

Two casts, differentiated as Green company and Blue company, will stage the story on alternating

6 September 22 2021

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days. There will be a special socially-distanced performance on September 28 for those not yet comfortable sitting in an auditorium at full capacity, and a BSL signed performance on October 2.

The Weekender spoke to Rose Ballantyne, Community Engagement Manager at Blackheath Halls, to find out more…

Holly O’Mahony: What led you to pick John Blow’s Venus and Adonis for your first community opera since the pandemic?

Rose Ballantyne: We wanted something relatively short and simple for this complicated year, and with not too many principal parts as we have a reduced budget.

HOM: The opera is being brought to life by a cast spanning professionals, local amateurs and adorablesounding little cupids. How did you go about finding your ideal cast? www.weekender.co.uk

Spotlight RB: We auditioned both professionals and Trinity Laban students for the solo roles, and can’t believe how lucky we have been with them all. As always, a place in the community cast was open to anyone who wanted to try being in an opera, but we didn’t have quite enough space for everyone.

For the little Cupids we used all our networks in the local area to promote the opportunity as well as delivering some taster sessions in two local Primary Schools supported by the Samuel Gardner Memorial Trust.

HOM: Is this your first time tackling Venus and Adonis? How have you found the experience of adapting it for a cast of varying abilities?

RB: Yes, it is. It’s proved such a great choice for the project. The music is wonderful and uplifting, and there’s something in it for everyone. Also, the production team has come up with a really clever and engaging concept for the shows.

HOM: The opera will be your first in front of a live audience since the start of the pandemic.

How are you feeling about it?

RB: Scared and very, very excited.

It’s been such a hard 18 months for everyone and it’s really thrilling to be back in a rehearsal room again.

HOM: With their sung-through storylines and heightened energy, operas can be somewhat confusing to follow for those unfamiliar with the genre. Any pointers on how to follow Venus and Adonis for audience members new to the story?

RB: Our production will be really

contemporary and engaging. The music is beautiful and varied, and we have fabulous leads in the principal roles. At just over an hour, it should be accessible to anyone who is unfamiliar with going to the opera.

come together to make something special. There will be some spine tingle moments, for sure! And we hope it makes them see that opera is something they can enjoy.

HOM: The production is likely to mark the first time back in an auditorium for many people in the audience. What do you hope the night offers them?

Venus and Adonis is showing at Blackheath Halls, 23 Lee Road, Blackheath, London SE3 9RQ. September 28 - October 3, performances at various times.

Admission: £19/£17 concessions.

RB: It’s about the joy of seeing a live production and watching people from every walk of life really

www.blackheathhalls.com/ whats-on/blackheath-hallsopera-2021-venus-adonis-3/

Discover The John Roan School Open Evening - Wednesday 13th October, 6-8pm Open Mornings 9-11am: Wednesday 22nd September Wednesday 29th September Wednesday 6th October For families thinking about secondary school for 2022 and beyond, find out more at www.thejohnroanschool.org.uk t: @TheJohnRoan facebook.com/TheJohnRoan

ADVERTORIAL

News from the Royal Borough of Greenwich

Woolwich Works opens this week Woolwich Works is throwing open its doors on 23 September.

Come to enjoy spectacular arts companies like NYJO, Chineke!

Orchestra, Protein Dance, and Punchdrunk. Gather to feast on delicious food with friends, or relax after work in its sensational setting next to the Thames.

There’s extra reason to celebrate because our careful restoration of the five historic buildings on the Royal Arsenal has saved two buildings from being lost forever. They’ve now been removed from Historic England’s At Risk Register, as part of our visionary redevelopment.

Cabinet Member for Culture and Communities, Cllr Adel Khaireh, said: “We’re incredibly proud to restore historic buildings and breathe new life into them; our whole community, and the generations of the future, will now be able to make new and exciting histories in them.” Find out more: royalgreenwich.gov.uk/woolwichworks

SE10 community cleans up!

Local residents rolled up their sleeves and grabbed some litterpickers to help make Catherine Grove Park look sparkling.

On the morning of 11 September, Cabinet Member for Culture and Communities, Cllr Adel Khaireh, joined the volunteers and local ward councillors to help make the space rubbish-free. If you want to help clean up your local area email waste.advisors@royalgreenwich.gov.uk

Step it up and recycle This week, Recycle Now’s annual campaign is asking us this year to ‘Step It Up’ this year and help stop climate change.

Through the simple act of recycling, we can make a huge difference to the environment and help stop climate change. Did you know that making 20 aerosols from recycled materials uses the same energy as making one from scratch? Just by putting your used aerosols in the recycling bin you can make a positive change. So, step it up and recycle more!

For more information on what you can recycle and how, visit: royalgreenwich.gov.uk/recycling

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ARTS & ENTS

Live music returns to Cutty Sark

For the first time since before the pandemic, audiences are able to catch a concert live aboard the Cutty Sark. Joe Danks, former musician-inresidence at Royal Museums Greenwich (RMG), presents a rousing concert featuring tracks from his new album Seaspeak, conceived in response to stories and objects exhibited at the National Maritime Museum, including J. M. W. Turner’s famed painting The Battle of Trafalgar, writes Holly O’Mahony…

“We are excited to welcome back after-hours audiences to the unique setting of Cutty Sark’s hull,” beams Emma Massoud, a manager at the historic tea clipper. “Cutty Sark is a great venue for live music, particularly acoustic sets, and it is incredibly exciting to be able to offer this to the public once again,” she says, adding the concert “marks the start of a vibrant live programme of music and comedy to look forward to in the coming months”.

Born in Nottingham, Joe has built

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his career as a vocalist and multiinstrumentalist specialising in the guitar, bodhran and melodeon. A former Deptford resident fascinated with the area’s maritime history, Joe was “thrilled” when the opportunity arose to become RMG’s musician-inresidence. “I really enjoyed learning more about London’s rich maritime history and connecting with the museums’ vast collections,” he says.

Joe recorded Seaspeak over two days at the Queen’s House during his residency at Royal Museums www.weekender.co.uk

Greenwich in 2019. “With the launch of the album in July, and the success of our online event ‘Up She Rises’ during the lockdown in April this year… having Joe back to perform in the surroundings that helped inspire Seaspeak seemed the perfect way to restart our programme of live performances,” says Emma.

“The album is a collection of 10 songs and tunes that aim to bring to life some of the museum’s most affecting stories,” clarifies Joe. “Acting as something of an

auditory tour of the museum, the music connects with well-known objects at the museum, as well as shedding light on some lesser-known gems,” he says. “The album uses traditional music as a jumping off point, so many of the songs are old folk songs or songs rejuvenated with new lyrics or tunes.”

With thousands of items on show or in storage within the museums, Joe quickly became aware his album couldn’t cover everything. “I just went with the stories that inspired me, whether that was unknown sailors at the Battle of Jutland, or brave soldiers aboard the HMS Rawalpindi,” he says. “I also tried to use some broader brush strokes to celebrate the museums’ connection with the Thames or reflect the theme of the album, so it felt like a complete piece. And no maritime album is complete without some hornpipes and step dancing,” he grins.

Staged beneath the tea clipper’s striking hull, the concert will see Joe perform the entire album with the support of his band.

“The concert will feature some of the UK’s best folk musicians on harp, fiddle, accordion and hurdy-gurdy

– so if nothing else, I imagine some members of the audience will hear some new sounds and get inspired,” he says. “The music we are playing is packed full of stories and detail but first and foremost we are just excited to play uplifting, joyous music that fills the space with energy. It’s the perfect place to play this music, and it will be a magical night.”

For Emma and the team at Cutty Sark, the concert marks an exciting new chapter for the ship’s programme of live events. “Cutty Sark is a brilliant museum by day but also a great space for live performances by night… The pandemic put this on hold for some time but we are excited to welcome back audiences for a night of music inspired by our collections,” she says. “This will hopefully encourage our audiences to learn more about the objects we hold and the stories we tell, as well as the diverse programming we offer across Royal Museums Greenwich.”

Joe Danks is performing live at Cutty Sark, King William Walk, London SE10 9HT. September 25, 6:30pm - 7:45pm.

Admission: £20. www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/cutty-sark/ cutty-sark-concerts-joe-danks

September 22 2021 9

History

Deptford Bridge’s two millennia of history

Mary Mills And so our walk up the east bank of the Creek reaches Deptford Bridge - and I am aware that I have missed out some sites and some industries on the way and that I am going to have to backtrack down the Creek again eventually.

Deptford Bridge is important and a pivotal site in more than one way. It is where the Dover Road crosses the Ravensbourne – and down river is called Deptford Creek and upriver is the Ravensbourne. There are also a whole bunch of industrial buildings here spread over a surprisingly wide area for this narrow crossing.

It is the junction of roads going to Greenwich and to Deptford as well as to Lewisham and it is where they meet the main road from London. It is also, of course, the site of a station on the Docklands Light Railway. The bridge itself has a long history – probably rather longer than we realise and has been the site of various events – battles even. And of course all sorts of famous people have crossed it.

The river is of course the reason for the bridge being there at all. I wonder how many of the thousands who cross it every day know it’s there – only this week I mentioned it to a friend who thought it was an old canal. In fact the upriver stretch of the Ravensbourne going up to Lewisham is ‘canalised’ as the result of flood containment

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work in the 1960s and some of it was changed and re-done more recently for the Docklands Light Railway. Up until the 1960s maps show two River Ravensbournes running up river from Deptford Bridge – the current river and another winding stream to the east. The route of this winding stream is still the Borough boundaries of Greenwich and Lewisham but the watercourse it is not there now – in fact a number of blocks of flats are on the line of it. Does anyone remember it? I would be interested to know. I intend to return to it since there were some important works on its length.

Down river is now called Deptford Creek and again much of it is artificial in that inlets have been constructed as well as the infrastructure for many mills. Slightly down river of the Bridge is ‘the highest point to which medium tides flow’ – the Creek is tidal but the Ravensbourne is not.

I have a copy of Paterson’s Roads, left me by my father in law. Published in 1826 it gives routes on all the ‘Great and Direct Roads’ in the Kingdom. So page 1, the first road and the first route: ‘London to Dover’ … From the Surrey side of London Bridge…. Bricklayers Arms ….. New Cross Turnpike … Enter Kent … Deptford Turnpike... crosses the River Ravensbourne. This is of course the Turnpike Road. Turnpikes were an 18th century scheme for sort of privatising the roads which – making their money from exacting tolls from those who wanted to use it. New Cross Turnpike Trust was one of the biggest and most important in the

country and one of the most efficient.

They had a toll gate with a toll box at the bottom of Blackheath Hill on the corner of what is now Greenwich South Street but which was then Limekiln Lane - from at least 1809

until 1833. A little further up the hill, another bar was constructed across the entrance to Plumbridge Street in 1818, removed in 1833. The Turnpike Trust held their meetings at the top of the Hill at the Green

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Man – demolished in the 1970s and replaced with Grey Ladies Gardens.

Now we all think that the A2 – the Dover Road - is a Roman Road, don’t we? I don’t know if the stretch from www.weekender.co.uk

History Blackheath to the Old Kent Road is Roman. I am aware of a lot of learned articles written over the past 100 years or so claiming that from Blackheath the Romans went this way or that way or some other way. But it seems to make most sense for them to go the same way we do – down Blackheath Hill and over Deptford Bridge. I have been trying to find reports of the work done to rebuild Blackheath Hill after it collapsed in 2001. I am sure I had read that after they had cleared away 2000 years’ worth of holes and diggings and new road surfaces, there was the Roman Road all intact – but all I can find are reports that they found a solid base of chalk going down the hill. Again does anyone know if it was established if it was the Roman Road, and if not what was it?

At the site of the Bridge there is supposed to have been a ford on the Ravensbourne– hence the name of ‘Deptford – but this is the main road from the coast. You would think the Romans were efficient enough during the 400 odd years they were here to build a bridge over this fairly small river; but there appears to be no sign of any such thing. 400 years is the time span between us and the Mayflower sailing to America, Shakespeare had only died six years earlier. That’s how long the Romans were here – plenty of time to build a bridge.

It may be interesting to remember that the approach to Deptford Bridge before Blackheath Hill had buildings erected on it looked and was very different to today. The 2001 road collapse was very largely because of chalk and gravel extraction over two millennia. Flats and houses lining the road means we are unable to see the sheer chalk faces at the back of them – and also what would once have been the entrances to many small chalk workings. We would have been in the midst of landscape – although on a smaller scale – to what Swanscombe and Northfleet were like in the 1950s and 1960s one of bare chalk pits. They are still there all those pits off Blackheath Hill, it’s just that we can’t see them now.

Of course Deptford Bridge has been built and rebuilt many times there.

There was a medieval wooden bridge which is said to have had a chapel on it which was dedicated to St.Katherine.

In the Middle Ages Bridge maintenance was usually assigned to and carried out by religious houses and so they built chapels on the bridges which belonged to them. The medieval wooden bridge was replaced in the mid sixteenth century by a stone one. By the 1870s there were complaints about being … ”compelled to drive into the roadway from crowding foot-passengers, and meeting on the right hand and left tram cars”. It was widened again in the early 20th century when the river and creek were also widened and it has been rebuilt again more recently.

As Jess Steele points out in her admirable history of Deptford ‘Turning the Tide’ regular flooding has damaged and even washed away various bridges and related structures over the years. Jess also points out some of the many crossings of the river here by the famous or otherwise on the Dover Road on the way to France– although I guess they were innumerable. Any journey to France, via Dover will very probably have involved crossing Deptford Bridge

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and that includes all the famous ones along with the very numerous others.

The bridge and the area round it was also the site or transit camp for various rebellions and revolts and was sometimes the site of various skirmishes and actions. Jess quotes for example the Peasants’ revolt of 1381 when protestors against a poll tax forced their way over the bridge and marched on London. In 1450 the Cade Rebellion also came up from Kent and over the bridge. They were against corruption and much else and protestors gathered at a camp on Blackheath. In 1497 guns were placed on the bridge to defend it against Scottish rebels backing Perkin Warbeck against Henry VI – 2000 men were killed there. The Wyatt rebellion of 1534 included a camp of 2000 men at Deptford. None of this can have been good for local people and I am reminded of an article I once read about the Battle of Brentford in 1642 – at another river crossing on a main road into London. This article was about the aftermath of the battle – and when the soldiers have moved on. The locals are left with piles of corpses, lots of abandoned weaponry, no food, badly damaged houses, everything of value stolen, traumatised children and old people unable to cope, bedridden and sick abandoned – the only people to do well out of it are the scrap dealers, who are always with us. Brentford managed to get compensation out of Parliament, I wonder if Deptford did?

Jess goes on to describe more cheerful crossings – beginning www.weekender.co.uk

with Chaucer’s Canterbury pilgrims, although they were there at 7.30 in the morning. They are just some of the many many travellers who have come this way. What local people did get eventually was access to the wharves as well, but also shops and some amenities.

Shops included in the 1850s Harmon’s Boot and shoe warehouse ‘cheap and fashionable’ - clearly a slogan from a shop which understands its clientele.

They advertised seamless boots, American overshoes and there was a Ladies fitting Room with a ’female in attendance’. In 1857 there was the Deptford Bridge Book & Stationery

Depot... A Circulating Library of Standard Books. Agents for the Rev. C. H...Spurgeon’s ‘Sermons” and also J. Wedderburn, Scale, Weight & Weighing Machine Manufacturer, Any kinds of Weights and Scales Cleaned and Adjusted by the Year.

In the 1880s there was W.J. Gibbins, French dyer, cleaner and bleacher.

This is a random selection but it seems that they include at least a couple who are actually manufacturing businesses. In this respect the report of a fire may be of interest - this was in the premises of no 1 Deptford Bridge of. J. Z. Knowles & Co., they were cabinet makers and house furnishers,

and they said “Notwithstanding the disastrous dilapidation of fire, all goods entrusted to them are perfectly safe”. This was because their workshops were elsewhere.

Deptford Bridge was and is not just a major crossing of a river on the way into London from ‘abroad’, the river itself an important commercial and manufacturing centre and a tributary to the commercial heart of one of the world’s major rivers – it provides a local centre and a hub for small businesses and today – a college. These days of course it has its own station on the Docklands Light Railway and that is another subject I will have to tackle.

Greenwich Riverside.

Upper Watergate to Angerstein £15 available from Amazon pp.282. Lots of pictures.

This is an in-depth itinerary along the Greenwich riverside from the Lewisham border to the Charlton border. This is not a book about the areas the tourists visit - but about what was, and is many ways still is, an industrial and residential riverside with a strong relationship to river based work and activity. It looks at how the area developed because of river use, but also how the proximity of the Royal Court, and closeness of the City of London influenced the nature of much activity. It is also a story of some superlatives - the first this, the biggest that, and how the world changed because of what went on here.

September 22 2021 11

community trust At The Heart Of The Community

news from charlton athletic community trust

60 young people attend Street Violence Ruins Lives Day

The 60 young people at The Valley ready to watch Charlton Athletic v Cheltenham Town

On Saturday 11 September, for the 13th Street Violence Ruins Lives (SVRL) Day, Charlton Athletic Community Trust (CACT) invited young people to activities followed

by Charlton Athletic’s match against Cheltenham Town.

The SVRL initiative raises awareness of the serious consequences of weapons-related violence amongst young people through the experiences of the Knox family following the death of Rob Knox in 2008.

60 young people who regularly participate in CACT’s diversionary activities across Greenwich, Bexley and Kent enjoyed a morning of go karting and mini golf at TeamSport Indoor Karting Docklands.

Charlton Athletic players wore t-shirts to promote the SVRL campaign and CACT’s work in the local community as they ran out of the tunnel. A video played at halftime showcased the activities that took place earlier in the day and how CACT’s crime reduction work has grown in recent years, particularly since 2019 when CACT published a new SVRL strategy and received funding from the Mayor of London, local authorities and Peabody Trust.

12 September 22 2021

Danny, one of the young people who attended SVRL Day, first got involved with CACT a few years ago and credits SVRL with helping to “keep me off the streets”. Danny says he has been regularly attending sessions with CACT for a few years: “I used to come to a few of their [Premier League] Kicks sessions on Friday as it was at my local school. And then over the past few years, I’ve become a youth ambassador and I’ve formed a great relationship with them”.

Paul Robinson, CACT’s Crime Reduction and Mentoring Manager, added: “It is important that these young people get an opportunity to do things they’ve never done before, but also important is the relationship they have got with their mentors.

And you could clearly see that on Saturday. A lot of these young people have been mentored one to one for a long time and it’s great to see them strengthening relationships with their mentors and other young people.”

To support CACT’s work across the seven strands, please visit: https://cact.gives/donate

Charlton Athletic men’s players wore t-shirts to promote the SVRL campaign

It is important that these young people get an opportunity to do things they’ve never done before

Even the Charlton Athletic mascots were getting involved with SVRL Day

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public notices Licensing Act 2003 Notice of Application NOTICE IS GIVEN THAT an application has been made to Lewisham Council (the Licensing Authority) for a New Premises Licence

by Suya and Lobster Limited in respect of Suya and Lobster, 4 Deptford Broadway London SE8 4PA The details of the application are as follows: Alcohol for consumption ON the premises

08:00 – 00:00 Monday – Wednesday 08:00 – 01:00 Thursday 08.00 – 03.00 Friday – Sunday

Recorded & Live Music, Late Night Refreshment

23:00 – 00:00 Monday – Wednesday 23:00 – 01.00 Thursday 23.00 – 03.00 Friday – Sunday

Details of the application may be inspected by appointment only at Lewisham Council, Licensing Authority, Holbeach Office, 9 Holbeach Road, SE6 4TW. Any interested party or responsible authority may make representations in respect of the application, which must be submitted, in writing, to the above address within 28 days of the date below.

This notice remains in force from and including the day after the giving of this notice to the licensing authority, namely 7th September 2021, for 28 consecutive days.

It is an offence knowingly or recklessly to make a false statement in connection with an application. The maximum fine on summary conviction is £5,000.

- Premises Licence - Variation to the Premises Licence - Club Premises Certificate - Variation to the Club Premises Certificate

ROYAL BOROUGH OF GREENWICH The Greenwich (Free Parking Places, Loading Places and Waiting, Loading and Stopping Restrictions) (Amendment No. *) Order 202* The Greenwich (Charged For-Parking Places) (Amendment No. *) Order 202* 1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Council of the Royal Borough of Greenwich (hereinafter referred to as “the Council”) proposes to make the above-mentioned Orders under sections 6, 45, 46, 49, 124 and Part IV of Schedule 9 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, as amended.

2. The general effect of the Orders would be to: a) introduce an electric vehicle charging parking place on the northeast side of Ludham Close, outside No. 2, for 4.5 metres; b) introduce double yellow line ‘at any time’ waiting restrictions on: i) Red Lion Lane, both sides, from its junction with Shooters Hill to a point 10 metres north of that; ii) Highbrook Road, both sides, from a point 7 metres northwest of its junction with Carnbrook Road to a point 6 metres southeast of that junction; iii) Carnbrook Road, northwest side, from a point 7 metres northeast of its junction with Highbrook Road to a point outside the shared boundary of Nos. 5 and 5a; iv) Carnbrook Road, southeast side, from a point 7 metres northeast of its junction with Highbrook Road to a point 15 metres southeast of that junction; c) update the map tiles attached to The Greenwich (Free Parking Places, Loading Places and Waiting, Loading and Stopping Restrictions) Consolidation Order 2018 and The Greenwich (Charged-For Parking Places) Consolidation Order 2018 so as to reflect the provisions referred to in sub-paragraphs (a) and (b).

3. A copy of the proposed Orders and other documents can be viewed by emailing Parking-Design@royalgreenwich.gov.uk (quoting reference 21-09 Minor Works).

4. Further information may be obtained by emailing Parking-Design@royalgreenwich.gov.uk.

5. Any person who wishes to object to or make other representations about the proposed Orders, should send a statement in writing by 13th October 2021, specifying the grounds on which any objection is made by email to Parking-Design@royalgreenwich.gov.uk (quoting reference 21-09 Minor Works).

6. Persons objecting to the proposed Orders should be aware that in view of current access to information legislation, this Council would be legally obliged to make any comments received in response to this notice, open to public inspection.

Interim Assistant Director, Transport and Sustainability, The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, SE18 6HQ Dated 22nd September 2021

ROYAL BOROUGH of GREENWICH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 – SECTION 14(1) [Greenwich Church Street] PLANNED ROAD CLOSURE (ORDER) 1. 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 Thames Water who need to carry out Sewer Cleaning.

2. The Order will come into operation on 4th October 2021 and would continue to be valid for 18 months. However the works are expected to take 5 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, Greenwich Church Street at the junction of College Approach between 07:00 and 16:00.

4. Whilst the Order is in operation traffic will be diverted via College Approach, King William Walk, Greenwich Church Street, Creek Road and Welland Street. 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.

Interim Assistant Director, Transport and Sustainability The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, SE18 6HQ Dated 17th September 2021 (INTERNAL REF: PL//LA409394)

14 September 22 2021

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public notices 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 21 days of the date of this notice.

Please quote the appropriate reference number.

Date: 22/09/2021

Victoria Geoghegan Assistant Director - Planning and Building Control List of Press Advertisements - 22/09/2021 Publicity For Planning Applications.

Applicant: Site Address:

Mr Brown 21/1357/HD 400 SHOOTERS HILL ROAD, BLACKHEATH, LONDON, SE18 4LP Development: Construction of a heated, insulated garden room on the Eastern side of our property.

Conservation Area: WOOLWICH COMMON Applicant: Site Address:

21/2487/F Anna Strong 153C CHARLTON CHURCH LANE, CHARLTON, LONDON, SE7 7AA Development: Replacement of timber single glazed sash windows with like for like timber double glazed windows Conservation Area: CHARLTON VILLAGE

Applicant: Site Address:

Mrs Drought 21/3146/F 3B COLERAINE ROAD, BLACKHEATH, LONDON, SE3 7PF Development: Replacement of existing ground floor windows at the front elevation.

Conservation Area: WESTCOMBE PARK

Applicant: Site Address: Development:

Richard Scrivener 21/3161/HD 27 HYDE VALE, GREENWICH, LONDON, SE10 8QQ Demolition of a part of the existing two-storey rear outrigger and addition of a third storey with a flat roof to the original extension/outrigger and replacement of windows/openings in outrigger. Demolition of part of the rear facade including original window and replacement with french doors and external stairs up to garden level, and other associated external alterations.

Conservation Area: WEST GREENWICH Applicant: Site Address:

Mr & Mrs M Osborne 21/3180/HD 15 DINSDALE ROAD, BLACKHEATH, LONDON, SE3 7RJ Development: Loft conversion with new rear and side dormer, and conservation rooflights at front elevation. Alterations to windows and doors at basement level with associated internal alterations, lowering of patio and replacement of steps to side of property.

Conservation Area: WESTCOMBE PARK Applicant: Site Address:

R. Serrell 21/3239/F 23B BLACKHEATH ROAD, GREENWICH, LONDON, SE10 8PE

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

Development:

Replacement of existing single glazed timber and glass sash window and frame with double glazed timber and glass window frame.

Conservation Area: ASHBURNHAM TRIANGLE

Development:

Applicant: Site Address: Development:

Publicity For Advertisements.

21/3241/F Mr Shekoni 110B HERVEY ROAD, KIDBROOKE, LONDON, SE3 8BX Separating a four-bedroom, two floor maisonette into two individual, self-contained dwellings/flats on separate floors.

Conservation Area: SUN IN THE SANDS

Applicant: Site Address:

21/3248/F Mr Patel 53 ELIZABETH FRY PLACE, WOOLWICH, LONDON, SE18 4LA Development: Replacement of existing wooden windows with white uPVC windows to match existing.

Conservation Area: WOOLWICH CONSERVATION AREA Publicity for Listed Building Consent.

Applicant: Site Address:

R. Serrell 21/3240/L 23B BLACKHEATH ROAD, GREENWICH, LONDON, SE10 8PE

Replacement of existing single glazed timber and glass sash window and frame with double glazed timber and glass window frame.

Conservation Area: ASHBURNHAM TRIANGLE Listed Building: Grade 2

Applicant: Site Address:

I. Sid 15grams 21/2701/A 28 GREENWICH CHURCH STREET, GREENWICH, LONDON, SE10 9BJ Development: Retrospective installation of a hand painted nonilluminated fascia sign to the shopfront.

Conservation Area: WEST GREENWICH Applicant: Site Address:

Aldi Stores Limited - Chelmsford 21/2829/A 245-247 GREENWICH HIGH ROAD, GREENWICH, LONDON, SE10 8NB Development: Display of 4 x internally illuminated logo signs and 1 x vinyl sign.

Conservation Area: WEST GREENWICH

ROYAL BOROUGH of GREENWICH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 – SECTION 14(1) [West Parkside] 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 Water main repair works.

2. The Order will come into operation on 27th September 2021 and would continue to be valid for 18 months. However the works are expected to take 5 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, Guildford Grove outside number 32 4. Whilst the Order is in operation traffic will be diverted via Egerton Drive, Devonshire Drive and vice versa. 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

1. 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 Riverlinx who need to carry out Dewatering pipe works.

2. The Order will come into operation on 4th October 2021 and would continue to be valid for 18 months. However the works are expected to take 2 weeks. 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 remove prohibitions of the Bus Lane between Edmund Halley Way and River Way in both directions.

4. Whilst the Order is in operation traffic will not be diverted. Other 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.

Interim Assistant Director, Transport and Sustainability The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, SE18 6HQ

Interim Assistant Director, Transport and Sustainability The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, SE18 6HQ

Dated 22nd September 2021

Dated 17th September 2021

(INTERNAL REF: PL//LA408953

(INTERNAL REF: PL//LATBC)

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September 22 2021 15