Greenwich Weekender 1

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May 3, 2017

Local arts and entertainment listings

This is Houston calling The Charlton hip hop dancer breaking the glass ceiling NEWS: Union warns of more school strikes ● Fight to save Abbey Wood post office ● Woolwich man in MasterChef semi-final

GEENWICH

McGann-can-can WITHNAIL AND I STAR ON STAGE

Pick of the WEEK: Mini marathon, and BYO baby comedy nights

Pic up a weel cop of the Greenwich Weeender here: ABBEY WOOD

Basildon Road Surgery, 111 Basildon Road, SE2 0ER Abbey Wood Community Group, Abbey Wood Community Centre, 4 Knee Hill, SE2 0YS Trayners, 34-36 Grovebury Road, SE2 9BB C2K Youth Community Centre, 2 Penmon Road, SE2 9PH Abbey Wood Library, Eynsham Drive, SE2 9PT ----------------------------------------------

BLACKHEATH

Blackheath Library, Old Dover Road, SE3 7BT Westcombe Park Station, Station Crescent, Westcombe Park, SE3 7EQ Blackheath Newbridge Working Mens Club, 22 Charlton Road, SE3 7HG Mycenae House Community Centre, 90 Mycenae Road, SE3 7SE Westcombe Park Dental Practice, 13 Station Crescent, SE3 7EQ Manor Brook Medical Centre, 117 Brook Lane, SE3 0EN ----------------------------------------------

CHARLTON

Charlton Dental Care Ltd, 88 Charlton Road, SE7 7EY Charlton Village Dental Practice, 20 The Village, SE7 8UD The Fairfield Centre, Fairfield Grove, SE7 8TX Queen Elizabeth Hospital, A&E Reception, Stadium Road, SE18 4QH Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Main Reception, SE18 4QH Charlton Neighbourhood Office, 76 Hornfair Road, SE7 7BD Charlton Triangle Homes, 9-10 Cedar Court Fairlawn, Cherry Orchard Estate, SE7 7EH Charlton Athletic Football Club, the Valley, Floyd Rd, SE7 8BL Time Court, Woodland Terrace, SE7 8DD Charlton Library, Charlton House, Charlton Road, SE7 8RE ----------------------------------------------

DEPTFORD

Armada Court Community Hall, 21 McMillan Street, Deptford, SE8 3EZ ----------------------------------------------

ELTHAM

Middle Park Community Centre, 150 Middle Park Avenue, SE9 5SD Vista Children’s Centre, Middle Park Avenue, SE9 5SD Briset Corner Surgery, 591 Westhorne Avenue, SE9 6JX St Mary's Community Centre, 180 Eltham High Street, SE9 1BJ Eltham Centre, 2 Archery Road, SE9 1HA Eltham Library, Archery Road, SE9 1HA Anstridge Community Hall, Anstridge Road, Avery Hill, SE9 2LL University of Greenwich (Mansion Site), Avery Hill Campus, Bexley Road, SE9 2PQ Coldharbour Library, William Barefoot Drive, SE9 3AY Cold Harbour Leisure Centre, Chapel Farm Road, SE9 3LX New Eltham Library, Southwood Road, SE9 3QT Eltham Palace, Court Yard, SE9 5QE M J Rooney Construction Ltd, Studio1, Orangery Studios, Orangery Lane, SE9 1HN Sunny Dent Dental Practice, 188 Bexley Road, SE9 2PH Eltham Community Hospital, 30 Passey Place, SE9 5DQ The Neighbourhood Dentist, 416 Well Hall Road, SE9 6UD ----------------------------------------------

GREENWICH

Nisa Local, John Harrison Way, SE10 0EL Greenwich Council (in foyer), 6 Mitre Passage, SE10 0ER Gllab Work and Learn Centre, 3 Green Place, SE10 0PE East Greenwich Library, Woolwich Road, SE10 0RL Greenwich Theatre, Croom's Hill, SE10 8ES West Greenwich House, 141 Greenwich High Road, SE10 8JA West Greenwich Library, Greenwich High Road, SE10 8NN Alfa International School of English, Meridian House,

Greenwich High Road, SE10 8TL Greenwich Magistrates' Court, 9 Blackheath Road, SE10 8PE Royal Standard, 67 Pelton Road, SE10 9AH Cutty Sark Halls of Residence, 1 Welland Street, SE10 9ED Forum @ Greenwich, Trafalgar Road, SE10 9EQ Greenwich University (Cooper Building) Students Union, King William Walk, SE10 9JH Greenwich University Dreadnought library, Park Row, SE10 9LS University of Greenwich (Maritime Campus), East Lodge, 30 Park Row, SE10 9LS Discover Greenwich (Tourist Information Centre) College Approach, SE10 9NN Greenwich Communications Centre, 164 Trafalgar Road, SE10 9TZ Plumbridge Medical Centre, 32-33 Plumbridge Street, SE10 8PA Woodland Surgery, Woodland Walk, SE10 9UB Vanbrugh Dental Centre, Vanbrugh Hill, SE10 9HQ Waitrose, Dreadnought Wharf, Victoria Parade, 1 Thames Street, SE10 9FR Greenwich Square Health Centre 2nd Floor, the Greenwich Centre, 12 Lambarde Square, SE10 9GB ----------------------------------------------

KIDBROOKE

Concierge Team, City Point Concierge Suite, Campbell Court, Meadowside, Kidbrooke Village, SE3 9XT Dentcross Kidbrooke Village Dental Surgery, 3 Elford Close, SE3 9FA Kidbrooke Dental Centre, Telemann Square, SE3 9YR ----------------------------------------------

We deliver 33,500 copies of the Greenwich Weekender through letterboxes in every postcode sector of the borough.

If you don't receive one, you can find one at any of the distribution points listed here, or read us online each week at: weekender.co.uk Greenwich Community College, 95 Plumstead Rd, SE18 7DQ Ash Green NRC, Sandbach Place, SE18 7EX Glyndon Community Centre, 75 Raglan Rd, SE18 7LB Glyndon Medical Centre, 188 Ann Street, SE18 7LU Conway Medical Centre, 44 Conway Road, SE18 1AH The Waverley Practice, 37 Waverley Crescent, SE18 7QU Plumstead Health Centre, Tewson Road, SE18 1BH ----------------------------------------------

THAMESMEAD

Woolwich Community Centre, Leslie Smith Square, SE18 4DW Clockhouse Community Centre, Defiance Walk, Woolwich Dockyard Estate, SE18 5QL Waterfront Leisure Centre, Woolwich High Street, SE18 6DL Olan, 130 Powis St, SE18 6JL McDonald's, 54-58 Powis St, SE18 6LQ Woolwich Customer Service Centre, 35 Wellington Street, SE18 6PW Post Room, Woolwich Service Centre, Wellington Street, SE18 6PW Greenwich Council, Wellington Street, SE18 6PW Woolwich Centre Library, 21 Love Lane, SE18 6QT Sheltered Housing, 51 Vincent Road, SE18 6RW Brookhill Children's Centre, 130 Brookhill Rd, SE18 6UZ

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Gallions Reach Dental Clinic, Bentham Road, SE28 8BE Claude Ramsey Library, Thamesmere Leisure Centre, SE28 8DT Thamesmere Leisure Centre, Thamesmere Drive, SE28 8RE Gallions Housing Association, 90 Titmuss Ave, SE28 8HL Trust Thamesmead LTD, 19A Joyce Dawson Way, SE28 8RA

PLUMSTEAD

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WOOLWICH

WOOLWICH ARSENAL

MAZE HILL

Trafalgar Café, 98 Trafalgar Road, SE10 9UW Arches Leisure Centre, 80 Trafalgar Road, SE10 9UX Maze Hill Station, Tom Smith Close, Maze Hill, SE10 9XG

Slade Library, Erindale, SE18 2QQ Shrewsbury House Community Centre, Bushmoor Crescent, SE18 3EG Eglington Children's Centre, Paget Rise, SE18 3PY Barnfield Project, Oak House, 71 Barnfield Road, SE18 3UH Garland Road Dental Centre, 2 Garland Road, SE18 2AE The Trinity Medical Centre, 213 Burrage Road, SE18 7JZ Plumstead Library, Plumstead High Street, SE18 1JL Plumstead Sports Centre, Speranza Street, SE18 1NX

Woolwich Crown Court, 2 Belmarsh Rd, SE28 0EY Gllab Work and Learn Centre, Old library Calderwood Street (opposite Sainsburys) SE18 6QW Sainsbury Woolwich, 25 Calderwood Street, SE18 6QW All Saints Medical Centre, 13a Ripon Road, SE18 3PS Saint Marks Medical Centre, 24 Wrottesley Road, SE18 3EP Heronsgate Medical Centre, Goosander Way, SE28 0ER

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WOOLWICH DOCKYARD

Escreet Grove Surgery, Escreet Grove, SE18 5TE

The Greenwich Heritage Centre, Artillery Square, SE18 6ST The Point, 47 Woolwich New Road, SE18 6EW Smile With Pride Dental Care Ltd, 81A Powis Street, SE18 6JB Equitable House General, Gordon Place, SE18 6AB Royal Arsenal Medical Centre, 21 Arsenal Way, SE18 6TE

THE WEEKENDER STARTS HERE

W

elcome to the first edition of the Greenwich Weekender – an independent weekly newspaper covering the whole borough of Greenwich.

politics, and all your community events and campaigns.

We would love to hear from you, so if you’re holding an event, launching a business, championing the needs of your local community, or just want to tell us about something that’s happening in Greenwich, feel free to get in touch.

The Greenwich Weekender is owned, and run, by Chris Mullany and Kevin Quinn, (pictured left to right), who also publish London’s only independent weekly paidfor paper, the Southwark News, and the monthly Lambeth and Southwark Weekender titles. Our company, Southwark Newspaper Ltd, is based in Bermondsey.

A dedicated team works tirelessly to cover as much of what’s going on as possible, and strives to ensure that a community-led, independent newspaper can survive and excel in a market dominated by national and multinational media groups.

We deliver 42,000 Greenwich Weekenders every Wednesday, covering every postcode sector of the borough, and boasting, by far, the highest weekly circulation in Greenwich. Each week, we deliver 33,500 copies to homes in every Greenwich neighbourhood, with a further 8,500 copies stocked at over 100 stands. If you don’t receive the Weekender through your letterbox, you can see where to find a copy on our map on page 2. You can also view each edition online, as well as daily news and events, on our website: www.weekender.co.uk

Cinema ● Th eatre ● Come dy ● News ● Arts ● Mu sic ● Food & Drink

WEEKENDE

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March 29, 2017 www.weekend er.co.uk

The Greenwich Weekender covers all aspects of life in the borough, including music , theatre, comedy, film, events, and food and drink, as well as reporting on local news, town hall

BUST IT LIKE BEYONCE

At Your Beat workouts sh dance in Elephant ake things up and Castle

W The Greenwich Weekender is published by Southwark Newspaper Ltd an independent newspaper publisher, based in Bermondsey, south London.

Managing Directors: Chris Mullany & Kevin Quinn Group Editor: Anthony Phillips Weekender Editor: Laura Burgoine Reporters: Kirsty Purnell; Michael Holland Advertising Manager: Tammy Jukes

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Advertising team: Nancy Simpson; Liz Gold, Paul Langton, Katie Boyd; Sarah Stewart Design Manager: Dan Martin Design team: Milena Kanakova; Ann Gravesen Website & social media: Kirstie Summers Finance: David Ellis; Em Zeki

Published every week at: Unit A302, Tower Bridge Business Complex, Clement’s Road, SE16 4DG. Printed by Newbury News Ltd. News: 020 7231 5258 news@myweekender.co.uk Ads: 020 7232 1639 ads@myweekender.co.uk Web: www.weekender.co.uk Twitter: @weekender_life Facebook: @weekenderSL Instagram: therealweekender Issue: GW01

May 3 2017 3

PICK OF THE WEEK

A mini marathon, short stories, and motorbike fixes

By Laura Burgoine

TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT

Art Plumstead has a short story competition for novices and professional writers, around the theme of summertime. Entry is free, with prizes of £25, £15, and £10 for first, second, and third places respectively.

The winning writers will see their names in print, published by Art Plumstead. Original short stories must be 500-1000 words. Competition opens on June 5. (artplumstead.wordpress.com)

CONTAIN YOURSELF

SE9 Container Gallery’s new group show, Precision of Thought, features Louisa Chambers, Chris Daniels, Lisa Denyer, Andrew Graves, Trevor Sutton, James Faure Walker, Jonathan Waller, Anthony Whishaw and Gary Wragg. Running until May 27. Entry is free. (se9containergallery. wordpress.com)

OLIVER’S JAZZ TWIST

Joel Culpepper’s live residency at Oliver's Jazz Bar launches on May 12.

Debuting songs from his upcoming album Tortoise, shows (on May 12, 19, 26, and June 2) start at 8pm.

Tickets: £5 on wegottickets or £7 on the door.

9 Nevada Street, SE10 9JL.

ZEN AND THE ART OF MOTORCYCLE MAINTENANCE

Learn motorcycle maintenance and go dirt biking for free in Thamesmead. The Archway Project has free workshops for young people, with motorcycle maintenance every Tuesday, and Thursday from 5pm7:30pm, and Wednesday from 6pm-8:30pm. 11-19 year olds can learn to do oil changes, engine rebuilds, and learn motor mechanics on a fleet of dirt bikes. Work on repair in the garage and go dirt biking every six sessions.

Belvedere Road, SE2 9BS. archwayproject.org

BRINGING OUT BABY

Up the Creek is hosting Bring Your Own Baby Sunday shindigs for mums and dads who can’t find a sitter.

The child-friendly event features TV comedians and stars from the circuit. May 7 from 11:15am2:30pm. Tickets: £10. (up-the-creek.com)

MINORS’ MARATHON

Hot off the blistered heels of the London Marathon comes the Mini Marathon at Greenwich Park (SE10 8QY). Kids aged between 5 and 16 years can run or walk their way around a 2.62 mile route. After completing the one tenth of a full marathon, mini marathoners receive a medal and goody bag. Sunday 7 May: 9:15am arrival for 10am start.

Admission: £7.50. To register, visit: www.communityhospice.org.uk. Phone: 020 8319 9230.

Or pick up a registration form at any Greenwich and Bexley Community Hospice charity shop.

4 May 3 2017

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May 3 2017 5

SPOTLIGHT

By Laura Burgoine

This is Houston calling Charlton breakdancer Emma Houston talks Sadler’s Wells, vogue, and breaking gender barriers

B

reakdancer Emma Houston is known for her bold signature moves. When we spoke, she was warming up for her performance at the 14th Breakin’ Convention international hip hop festival.

“I’m mixing breaking and vogue,” the Charlton local told the Weekender. “I wanted to make a statement with my choice with two guys doing vogue, and two girls breaking.”

Emma choreographed the routine over a week at Sadler’s Wells’ Open Art Surgery. The dancer has previously performed for the electronica trio Years and Years, been Nickelodeon's 'Skills crew' featured breakdancer, represented Warner Brothers at the TV licensing awards, and, as a former member of the all-female Boadicea crew, made it to the finals of Sky’s Got To Dance.

Breakin’ is still very male dominated, according to Emma.

“It’s brilliant to see that it’s changing.

There’s still definitely a lot more guys doing it,” she said.

Growing up in Scotland playing football, Emma was told “girls can’t play football.” “I wonder about breaking’s accessibility to females.

I’ve had lots of support and respect from the community but I’ve had to prove myself and re-prove constantly,” she said. “I wonder if more care went into the female’s growth how that would change things.” She refers to B Girl Terra, a breakdancing starlet who’s currently making waves. “She’s ten years old and this kid has been doing insane stuff since she was four or five years old. And she was always taken seriously.”

She describes changing attitudes as “inspiring.” “I want to be a part of that to make sure it does happen,” she said. “There’s been lots of times where you could drop off. I’m glad that never stopped me.”

Emma was sixteen when she discovered dance. “My sister was an Irish dancer, and that’s what I thought dance was. I definitely spent a lot of time taking the piss out of her. Hilariously now she’s a

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lawyer, I’m a dancer,” she said.

A couple of things lead her into the dance world. “I saw the movie You Got Served. That was my first exposure to something like that.

Then my friend’s 16th birthday was attached to a club, and I snuck into the club and there was a guy doing breaking, and I was mesmerised by seeing it live,” she recalled. “I want to do it. That kickstarted it. I started doing very basic classes, once a week, and then I wanted to find something more specialist.”

From dance classes once a week, the obsession grew and Emma transitioned out of football, which she’d been playing since she was five-years-old.

Since graduating from a contemporary dance degree in 2014, the dancer “generally keeps fit,” with a mixture of gym workouts and breakdancing itself. “I don’t agree with this idea of a shelf life of a dancer,” she said. “I’m going to keep moving. It depends on your perspective on things, and life and it all feeds into everything else: healthy body, mind, and spirit.”

With a “very physical” career, injuries are part and parcel. “Injuries are an interesting part -touch wood I’ve not been seriously injured. I’ve got a knee thing going on, which is kind of inevitable with breaking when you move in a circular pattern, and it puts a lot of pressure onto the left knee.” The fitness, however, is extreme. “Body Pump class doesn’t touch me –I’m not going to lie,” she said, laughing.

“Being able to shift your weight helps with everything. A big growth for me was learning handstands.”

After moving to London, from Stirling in Scotland, five years ago, Emma now works in outreach at Greenwich Dance.

“We go into the community, and work with different primary schools.

I teach them more breaking, hip hop grooves –a range of things. It’s great. It’s about having that excited energy and being able to harness it into something” she said. “And I work at a centre called Tramshed in Woolwich Arsenal, [Greenwich and Lewisham Young People’s Theatre] which is set up like a community theatre, encouraging the arts.”

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At Breakin’ Convention, Emma performed in a quartet, that she choreographed, mixing breaking and vogue. The dance styles stem from different sub-cultures in New York. “Breaking is the style I focus on. It’s a dynamic style of dance that comes from New York. There’s a lot of powerful movement, to the break of a song. It came about when a DJ called Kool Herc started looping the break of a track, and noticed when a track became the drum part people became wild and started going down to the floor.

Music was, like, the stimulus, and lot of younger kids were doing it, and it happened organically with freezes, power moves, head spins, windmills.”

Vogue was found in the LGBT community. “Madonna commercialised it, but it was very much a product of the gay community,” Emma said. The dancer discovered it while she was traveling on a scholarship fund last year.

“I was a part of the breaking and hip hop battles event at Dance Kommunity, and afterwards they had a vogue night, and you could feel the shift of energy in the music and it seemed very disconnected,” she explained.

“The Voguers were coming in, and I was super fascinated by it, not because I didn’t see a crossover -they almost borrow a few things from each other-

but there’s aspects I love, the freedom of expression, no limits.

On a spectrum of expression of gender and identity there’s something for everyone.”

Emma Houston teaches at Greenwich Dance, the Borough Hall, Royal Hill, SE10 8RE. Phone: 020 8293 9741.

There are still places on Emma’s Hip Hop course for adults ( 18+) which run on Thursday evenings.

For class and workshop dates and times, visit: greenwichdance.org.uk She also teaches at Tramshed, 51-53 Woolwich New Road, SE18 6ES, every Thursday from 4pm5pm. Admission: £40 for a 10-week term (£15 concession).

Phone: 020 8854 1316.

May 3 2017 7

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

By Kirstie Summers

Thursday 4th May

Beats in the Bar at Oliver’s Jazz Bar 9 Nevada Street, SE10 9JL, 7.30pm, free Oliver's provides a great environment to relax and see live Jazz of the highest calibre. It is one of Greenwich's most hidden charms.

Tucked away downstairs you will find a buzzing cosy venue, whether you fancy a glass of wine or catching some of the excellent live music playing most nights of the week.

This Thursday head over for a much-loved regular series features guest artists alongside students in a relaxed atmosphere.

Thursday 4th – Saturday 6th May

Grand Hotel musical at New Eltham Methodist Church 435-439 Footscray Road, SE9 3UL, 7.30pm, £10 - £12 It is 1928. The world is between wars, the stock market is booming, Berlin is the centre of high life, and optimism rules the day. Passing through the golden light and dark shadows of The Grand Hotel is the fading, still-beautiful Prima Ballerina, the charming young Baron, the ambitious Hollywood hopeful, the mortally ill bookkeeper, meeting society before his grave, the honest, hardworking fatherto-be and the doctor, whose cynical tone foreshadows the looming depression.

Friday 5th May

Schumann Series: Carnaval and Dichterliebe at Old Royal Naval College King William Walk, SE10 9NN, 7.30pm, free This major free concert series places Schumann’s great masterpieces for solo piano alongside his chamber music and songs. The programme of free concerts allows audiences to discover the full range of this imaginative, visionary and poetic composer. Performances are courtesy of Trinity Laban’s outstanding students, staff and visiting guest artists.

Kyle Nash-Baker will and Drew Steanson will be performing various pieces for piano, with baritone accompaniment from Michael Lafferty-Smith.

Monday 8th May

Folk and Blues Night at Bob Hope Theatre Wythfield Road, Eltham, SE9 5TG, 7.30pm, free - £2 The Bob Hope Theatre Bar offers an exciting venue to enjoy some lively folk and cool blues at this open mic performance. You are invited to come along and enjoy the live music from the local area’s most talented musicians – or bring your instruments with you and provide some of your own to entertain your neighbours. While folk and blues is the theme of the evening, all kinds of music are welcome.

Paul Chowdry tour preview at Up the Creek Comedy Club

Monday 8th May

All Hands Charity Night at Up the Creek Comedy Club 302 Creek Road, SE10 9SW, 7pm, £12.50 This special show invites you to enjoy a night of stellar comedy and to raise money for All Hands Volunteers, a volunteer-powered disaster relief organization. The All Hands Charity night promises to be an evening of great entertainment and a force for good in the world. The line up for the evening stars Joel Dommett, Daniel Kitson, Suzi Ruffnell, Nish Kumar and Ross Smith. Food is available on the night.

302 Creek Road, Greenwich, SE10 9SW, 7pm, £10

Monday 8th May

Having started stand-up comedy on London’s small circuits, Paul Chowdhry has built an incredibly strong audience, achieving two national tours to date.

What’s Happening White People cemented his place in British mainstream comedy. He recorded his DVD at a sold out Hammersmith Apollo, which reached no5 in the charts. He is kicking off his newest tour with an exclusive preview warm up gig at Up the Creek Comedy club in Greenwich.

The Marriage of Maria Braun at the Greenwich Picturehouse 180 Greenwich High Road, SE10 8NN, 1pm, £6.50 - £13.50 Near the end of World War II, Maria marries Herman, who is immediately sent off to battle. When the war concludes, Maria believes that Hermann is dead. She starts working at an Allied bar, where she meets American soldier Bill. Their relationship is interrupted when Hermann returns alive.

During a scuffle between the men, Maria accidentally kills Bill. Hermann takes the blame and goes to jail, while Maria begins a hard new life.

Wed

3rd May

Tuesday 9th May

Friday 5th May

Orlando Shamlou at Charlton House Charlton Road, SE7 8RE, 1pm, free Orlando Shamlou is a British-Iranian pianist.

He studied at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance and the University of Leeds, and has taken lessons with Alasdair Beatson since 2011. He studied with Jimmy Brière and Paul Stewart at the Université de Montréal, Canada.

He performs as a soloist and chamber musician, and has worked closely with composers. At this performance, he will be playing a handful of carefully chosen piano piece by Bach.

Friday 5th May

Independent Label Night Market Greenwich Market, SE10 9HZ, 6pm, free The Independent Label Market debuts in Greenwich Market this weekend at the Night Market. South London’s finest vinyl labels will be pitching up to sell their wares. Join The London Brewers’ Market in the Beer Garden and discover what's brewing in Southeast Lon-don at Greenwich Market. Meet the people behind some

Smackdown Live at the O2 Area

8 May 3 2017

of your favourite local breweries and discover new beers from some of the newer brew crews on the block. Delicious street food too!

Saturday 6th May

Social Cycle Ride from West Greenwich Peter the Great Statue, Glaisher Street, SE8 3ET, 2pm, free The Royal Borough of Greenwich hosts social rides throughout the year, except during December and January when the weather poses a risk. The rides are led by professional cycling instructors, and give budding cyclists across the city the opportunity to explore the borough’s wealth of historic landmarks, green spaces and river ways – and get some fresh air, exercise and community spirit at the same time.

Sunday 7th May

Chinatown at the Greenwich

Picturehouse 180 Greenwich High Road, SE10 8NN, 12noon, £6.50 - £13.50 Los Angeles, 1937. Private detective Jake Gittes discovers murder, corruption and enigma when he is lured into an apparently simple investigation of adultery and estrangement. Rooted in a palpable evocation of time and place and in a mordant sense of the dark underside of American history, CHINATOWN became the classic detective film of the 1970s. This classic movie is being screened at the Greenwich Picturehouse as a Vintage Sundays special.

Sunday 7th May

A Dream Concert by Carla’s Dreams at IndigO2 The O2, Peninsula Square, SE10 0DX, 6pm, £25 Carla’s Dreams is a Moldovan band that formed in 2012. Fans are drawn to the air of mystery

Beats in the Bar at Oliver’s Jazz Bar

about it and its blend of various musical styles from around the world. Every member of the band – singers, musicians and composers - remains anonymous, with even the lead singer wearing a hood and sunglasses when performing. The band mixes influences from jazz, hip hop and rock music and sings in multiple languages including Romanian, English and Russian.

Sunday 7th May

Mini Marathon at Greenwich Park Charlton Way, SE10 8QY, 10am, £7.50 The Mini Marathon, on Sunday 7th May, is a unique sponsored running event for children aged between 5 and 16 year olds. Children can run, walk or jog their way around a 2.62 mile route in Royal Greenwich Park; the famous start point for the Virgin London Marathon. The 2.62 mile distance is one tenth of a full marathon. All Mini Marathoners will receive a much deserved medal and goody bag at the end.

China Town at The Greenwich Picturehouse

Scenes from Post War London 1946-1960 at West Greenwich Library 146 Greenwich High Road, SE10 8NN, 9am, free Terry Scales was born in Rotherhithe, South London, at that time a busy community of Thames Watermen and visiting sailors.

This background created a deep affection for London and its word famous river.

The Thames became a central part of his subject matter, but he also enjoys a wide variety of landscape scenes. This exhibition showcases his interpretation of the chaos and culture shock of post war London with its spirit of upheaval and change

Tuesday 9th May

WWE Smackdown at the O2 Arena Peninsula Square, SE10 0DX, 5.30pm, £25 - £85 WWE have announced that its unique brand of action packed entertainment is returning to the UK in May 2017 at The O2. Fans will be able to see all their favourite WWE Superstars under one roof. WWE LIVE is unique blend of sport and entertainment, combining in-ring match action with dramatic entertainment. The show is bursting with all the drama and energy of a rock concert, in a lively and exciting environment.

Schumann Series: Carnaval and Dichterliebe at Old Royal Naval College

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CINEMA

By Laura Burgoine

We are being watched

E

very month, sci-fi fans flock to the Royal Observatory Greenwich to watch cult classic films, with follow-up talks by astronomers. Pitch Black is the latest star on the monthly film line-up.

The 2000 sci-fi action horror follows a spacecraft full of people, and dangerous criminal Richard Riddick (played by Vin Diesel), who crash land on an unknown planet with three suns. When the travellers discover that the planet is about to enter a month-long eclipse, plunging them into darkness and releasing light-fearing aliens from hiding, Riddick is their only one who can save them.

“We try to find films that have a strong angle in the world of astronomy,” Tom Kerss, Astronomer at Royal Observatory Greenwich, told the Weekender. “This planet in the film is cast in permanent daylight, and the creatures that live underground will come out only when it’s dark,” he explained. “In the story an eclipse occurs and when that happens the creatures come out and attack our heroes. Vin Diesel has an ability to see in the dark, and he has to decide whether to help or abandon the people he’s stranded with.”

After the film, astronomers from the Observatory talk audiences through the science and discuss the philosophical implications of

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the movie. “These planets do exist.

We know of planets that have three sunsets a day,” Tom said. “We’ll be showing people what it would be like to be on that planet, we’ll talk about eclipses, the effects, why they occur, and what the conditions are like.”

The astronomers also test how true to life the film is. “Pitch Black has a solar system alluded to in early scenes. We might talk about whether the structure of that solar system is feasible or fanciful,” Tom said.

“When Pitch Black was released in 2000 it was highly speculative. Now we know about those exoplanets, in another solar system, which orbit other stars.”

More recent sci-fi films have failed to capture the zeitgeist quite like the classics. “Really good sci-fi has not really occurred in the last few years,”

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Tom said. “Arrival [2016] is brilliant.

It’s a great example of using tension and keeping things off screen and letting the imagination fill in the gaps.

And I love Sunshine [2007] – that’s ten years old and one of my all-time favourite films.”

Most of the film selections at the Observatory are cult classics from the ‘50s and ‘60s. “With those films the narrative structure had to lead the story. When the film was conceived, the filmmakers were thinking about how possible it was,” the astronomer said. “We also select sci-fi films that don’t have astronomical aspects – like the original film of West World, and A Scanner Darkly that deal with philosophical questions. We’re massive nerds.”

Tom joins a couple of colleges in

planning the line-up. “We have a season of programming around stars. Sunshine reminds us that the sun is a star, and there’s plenty of films that allude to the destruction of stars, and how stars work,” he said.

Sci-fi fans are generally open minded. “If you’re into sci-fi you’ll try almost every film,” Tom said.

“We always poll our audiences, and I’m always surprised that a lot haven’t seen the film before - like Alien.”

The planetarium’s major selling point is its “immersive nature.”

“The screen is a dome above you; we liken it a bit to an outdoor cinema. Except that you’re sloping into a space screen. You can completely forget where you are.”

As a genre, sci-fi has long

been preoccupied with artificial intelligence: Silicon Valley’s current obsession, and billionaire tech guru Elon Musk’s greatest fear. “Elon Musk has an interesting idea to tether AI to the human brain and keep the interface there so we can understand every stage,” Tom began.

“Watch the Ted Talk by Sam Harris on AI; he’s a philosopher of science,” he continued.

“Essentially AI is a tremendous threat. People have a romantic idea and excitement about it all, but when it happens it’s going to be devastating.”

“You can’t overstate how dreadful it’ll be if we switch on an AI that’s capable of acting in the world. Sam Harris points out it’ll be very easy to create an AI that’s capable of having 20,000 years’ worth of human thought per week. They will overtake us very quickly, and begin thinking about things we can’t understand.

AI could start developing its own language and then speak secretly.

And it’ll be developed for warfare so it will be a weaponised technology.”

Pitch Black is at the Royal Observatory, Planetarium and Astronomy Centre, Peter Harrison Planetarium, on May 13 at 6pm-8:30pm.

Admission: £10 (£8.50 concession). www.rmg.co.uk

May 3 2017 9

THEATRE

By Michael Holland

Withnail's McGann in Greenwich P

aul McGann was the man whose portrayal of the I in the cult classic Withnail and I propelled him to stardom. That was 30 years ago, and in the years since his varied career has included playing the eighth Doctor Who.

His latest role as Commander Von Pfunz in Moira Buffini’s Gabriel is his first UK theatre tour. It’s 1943 in Nazi occupied Guernsey. Widow and mother Jeanne does whatever it takes to keep her adolescent daughter Estelle and daughter-inlaw Lily safe on an island filled with danger and fear. Her toughest test arrives in the terrifying Commander Von Pfunz, whose romantic advances may be the only way to keep her family alive. But tensions intensify when a mysterious young man is washed ashore with no memory of who he is. Fluent in German and the Queen’s English, is he an RAF pilot, an SS interrogator, a local boy with amnesia or a saviour sent from heaven? The stakes are high and getting it wrong means certain death.

In interviews McGann has told of the research he did into the Nazi occupation of the Channel Islands, a time when some islanders collaborated, a time when families were split and long-term hatreds

were founded.

“It’s a fascinating piece,” the actor said. “It’s dark and intense, although it’s not all doom and gloom, of course, but it’s a real thriller, exciting and incredibly gripping.”

Jeanne’s house is commandeered by the Germans and Von Pfunz finds himself attracted to the widowed mother of two. She hates him but has to be careful for her family’s sake.

McGann admits: “He’s not a nice man. In fact he’s horrible, and he comes on to Jeanne, much to her disgust.”

The Liverpool boy, who still wonders how he got accepted to RADA, praises the writer for how she “weaves situations and tensions together.” His excitement rises as he talks about the thrilling ending, but gives nothing away.

Paul McGann seems very happy to be back doing live performances, so we may be seeing more of him in theatre.

Gabriel is at the Greenwich Theatre, Crooms Hill, SE10 8ES, from May 8-13 at 7:30pm and 2:30pm matinees (Wednesday and Saturday).

Admission: £25, £31 (concessions £21).

Phone: 020 8858 7755. greenwichtheatre.org.uk

In stages box in a kitchen. His wife whispers that it’s safe to come out. But is it a trap? His friend offers recovery - in the form of a capsule - and parachutes them into their recently fractured pasts.

Trapped In A Cardboard World at the Greenwich Theatre Crooms Hill, SE10 8ES, 8pm, £13.50 - £16

Thurs 4th – Fri 5th May Theatre Give Me Your

Thurs 4th – Fri 5th May

Give Me Your Love at The Albany Douglas Way, SE8 4AG, 7.30pm, £10-£14 Give Me Your Love is a funny, fragile and profound fable based on real-life war testimonies and groundbreaking medical research into the use of MDMA to treat post-traumatic stress.

Ex-soldier Zach has withdrawn into a cardboard

10 May 3 2017

Mercury Fur at the Bathway Theatre The Old Baths, Bathway, Woolwich, SE18 6QX, 7.30pm, £5-£8 Mercury Fur is set in a post-apocalyptic version of London’s East End, where gang violence and drugs - in the form of hallucinogenic butterflies - terrorise the community. The protagonists are a gang of youths surviving by their wits. They deal the butterflies from locations such as the now burnt out British Museum. Their main source of income, however, is holding parties for wealthy clients in which their wildest, most amoral fantasies are brought to life.

Thurs 4th – Sat 6th May

Coulrophobia – Two Clowns

Dik and Adam are Clowns! They couldn’t fight their way out of a paper bag, let alone a surreal cardboard world. Why are they there and what are they supposed to be doing? They know something sinister is afoot (wearing really big shoes…) and they need to get out before it’s too late. Join them on a ridiculous, anarchic, often hysterical and sometimes terrifying quest for freedom in this showcase of

mime, slapstick and puppetry.

Sunday 7th May

The Six Sided Man at the Greenwich Theatre Crooms Hill, SE10 8ES, 7.30pm, £13.50 - £16 Inspired by Luke Rhinehart’s novel The Dice Man, the 30th Anniversary Performance of The Six-Sided Man comes to Greenwich.

“There are two rules: Never give the die an option you're not prepared to follow, and never disobey the die!” In this darkly hilarious, quirky and seductive tale, a disillusioned Psychiatrist lives his life by giving options to a dice, but before long perceptions become twisted, ambiguity rules, and no-one is quite who you think they are.

Sat 6th – Mon 8th May

Festival of the Spoken Nerd at The Albany Douglas Way, SE8 4AG, 7.30pm,

£12 - £15 The science comedy phenomenon is back in London for two more nights of Just For Graphs, their latest tour show seen by 15,000 nerds (and non-nerds). Join acclaimed stand-up mathematician Matt Parker, TV experiments maestro Steve Mould and award-winning songstress Helen Arney for graph-a-minute fun on an unprecedented linear scale, as they record two final performances. Will they stay on-trend, or lose the plot completely? Either way, it’s sure to be off the chart!

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FAMILY

By Anthony Phillips

WOLF HALLS

Youngsters and their families can enjoy a production of Peter and the Wolf and a puppet making demonstration at Blackheath Halls on Saturday, May 6.

The classic fairytale tells the story of a mischievous boy who plays in the meadow with his animal friends, ignoring his grandfather’s advice about a nearby wolf. But clever Peter manages to triumph with the help of his pals.

The 60 minute production is suitable for children aged 4+. Tickets cost £8.50. www.blackheathhalls.com

GET ARTY (C) National Maritime Museum, London

Arty youngsters can join in the fun at the free, weekly Saturday Makes session in Greenwich Heritage Centre.

The Woolwich-based centre runs the sessions around its weird and wonderful exhibits, taxidermied animals and local history.

The arts and crafts sessions run from 10.30am to Midday and are suitable for children aged 4+, although younger kids are welcome. www.greenwichheritage.org

YO HO HO

Is a sailor’s life for you? Find out on the Cutty Sark, which will be exploring the life of James Robson, the ship cook.

Young shipmates can sing songs, learn sailor skills and find out what’s for dinner with James, who will be brought to life from the ship’s past!

James will be on board the Cutty Sark at various times on Saturday and Sunday, May 6 and 7. Admission is included in the Cutty Sark ticket price. Tickets range from £7 to £13.50 with family deals available. www.rmg.co.uk

GO BIRD SPOTTING

Animal lovers can join in a bird watching walk at The Woodlands Farm on Sunday, May 7.

Spot the late-Spring arrivals at the 89acre working city farm in Shooters Hill.

The walk is from 10am to 11.30am and costs £2 per person, or £1 for children.

It’s not suitable for very young children.

You’re advised to dress for the outdoors and bring binoculars, if you have them. www.thewoodlandsfarmtrust.org

Got a family event going on? Let us know events@weekender.co.uk 12 May 3 2017

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VOLUNTEER WITH GREENWICH+DOCKLANDS INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL 2017 London’s most spectacular outdoor theatre and performing arts festival.

From the 23 June to 8 July performances will be taking place across Royal Greenwich and Tower Hamlets.

Volunteers are the face of the festival and carry out a range of activities such as provide visitors with information about our programme, setting-up performance zones, meeting and greeting artists or helping in the box office.

For more information and to sign up visit our website www.festival.org/about/involved/ if you have any questions email Cleo Ingham volunteer@festival.org

F.A.Albin & Sons

52 Culling Road, Rotherhithe, London, SE16 2TN www.albins.co.uk / 020 7237-3637 / 2600/6366 OUR OTHER BRANCH ADDRESSES ARE: Deptford 164 Deptford High Street, London, SE8 3DP; Mottingham 65 Mottingham Rd, London, SE9 4QZ; East London 378 Barking Road, Plaistow, E13 8HL; Sidcup 163 Station Road, Sidcup, DA15 7AA; Walworth 88 Brandon Street, London, SE17 1ND; Welling 4 Welling Way, Welling, Kent, DA16 2RJ

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May 3 2017 13

FOOD & DRINK

By Michael Holland

Floating Epicurean boats

J

ust a hop, skip and a jump away from the magnificent main gates of Greenwich Park sits the equally grand Greenwich Tavern. On entry I was struck by the space and light afforded by the large windows and the white tiling behind the bar reflecting it all back to brighten up the interior.

Some of that light caught the array of beer taps on the bar, which in turn caught my eye. ‘A pint of Greenwich Ale, please’, I asked one of the two smart and smiling staff members. ‘When in Rome…’ I almost said but stopped myself from uttering such an awful cliché.

I was out with Mum, just turned 85 and still as sprightly as a sprite in spring, who had her usual glass of Merlot.

The ale was smooth and velvety; it was like sipping soft suede.

Mum didn’t get all pathetically poetic like me, and merely said her wine was nice.

A compact, succinct menu covered all the right areas of pub grub requirements, with a

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wine list to match. I was liking it already.

Mum was quickly on to the Crispy Salt & Pepper Squid with Aioli to start. Importantly they looked good when they landed on the table: crunchy rings of goodness that had the perfect bite to them. I had the Breaded Brie with Apricot Chutney - a sizeable chunk of warm, soft cheese escorted by delicious bread and a chutney with charm, inasmuch as it did not overwhelm the gentleness of the Brie, but complemented its delicateness.

Arriving early meant the kitchen was not yet inundated with orders, so soon after our first plates were cleared away so our main courses arrived. That was quick, I thought, while I was still savouring the aftertaste of the chutney.

Mum’s plate looked ideal, a picture of agreeable tones: the bright red tomatoes adding contrast to the deep green broccoli, the chips, crisp and golden against the dark Rib Eye Steak, glazed with melting butter.

The chips were amongst the best I have had the pleasure of biting

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into for a long while, and Mum said the steak was delicious.

I, on the other hand, went for a Caesar salad with corn-fed chicken. What was I thinking?

When is a salad ever going to float Epicurean boats? I obviously had a moment of madness and can only blame myself. There was nothing wrong with it, other than the chicken was lacking any succulence; the leaf was fresh and the dressing fine, although in need of the anchovy saltiness I was seeking; the packet croutons crisp and the egg boiled - just about everything required for a Caesar Salad. It would have made an excellent lunch so I must remember not to order anything with salad in the title for dinner again.

Whereas anything that has ‘tart’ and ‘vanilla ice cream’ included

in its description is a must! We decided to share the Lemon Panacotta tart, Raspberries & Vanilla Ice Cream and ‘tart’ was the operative word here. The lemon and raspberries combined to make you pucker up the lips like an outraged headmistress confronted with boys from Bermondsey mooning at her girls.

The perfect end to a delightful dinner.

The Greenwich Tavern, 1 King William Walk, Greenwich, SE10 9JH 020 8858 8791 www.greenwichtavern.co.uk Monday - Thursday: 11am - 11pm; Friday - Saturday: 10am - 12am; Sunday: 10am -10.30pm

THE DAMAGE Warm breaded brie with apricot chutney, and crusty bread £7.50 Crispy salt & pepper squid with aioli £6.95 Merlot 175ml £5.20 Greenwich Ale £4.40 Rib Eye Steak, chips, tender-stem broccoli, vine tomatoes & garlic butter £21.00 Caesar salad; corn-fed chicken, croutons, boiled egg, parma ham, & parmesan £11.95 Lemon panacotta tart, raspberries & vanilla ice cream £5.95 TOTAL

£62.95

FOOD (1-5) 0 0 0 0 AMBIENCE (1-5) 0 0 0 0 VALUE (1-5) 0 0 0 0 DISABLED ACCESS YES DISABLED TOILET NO BOOKING RECOMMENDED ON WEEKENDS

May 3 2017 15

NEWS & OPINION

By Kirsty Purnell

Greenwich libraries see record number of visitors GREENWICH IS becoming a borough of bookworms, with record visitor numbers to libraries across the borough last month.

There were over 240,000 visits to Greenwich libraries in March, up nine per cent on March 2016 and over two and a half million visits to Greenwich libraries in the past twelve months.

This bucks the national trend, with visitors to public libraries declining across the rest of the country.

There has also been a significant increase in the number of children taking books out compared with last year, with the figures up by sixteen per cent.

More adults are curling up with a good book, too, with book issues up by twelve per cent on last year.

The council points to a range of reasons for the surge in popularity, including welcoming buildings, the range of books and the Greenwich One Card, which allows users to access libraries, leisure centres and local discounts.

Councillor Denise Scott-McDonald, Cabinet Member for Culture, Creative Industries and Community Well-being, said: “While other local authorities have closed many of their library and leisure facilities, Royal Greenwich’s direct £12.2m investment in these essential community hubs continues to pay dividends.

“We are ensuring that our libraries meet the demands of the digital age through first class ICT provision and the adoption of innovative technologies such as tablets, high performance printers and scanners and Amazon lockers. The results speak for themselves, with more residents using our libraries than ever before.”

Union warns of more school strikes

N

UT members at Plumstead Manor School have said they are prepared to strike again if the council won’t meet them to discuss proposed redundancies.

The union confirmed their position just days after Leader of the Council, Cllr Denise Hyland, criticised their decision to strike during exam period at a Question Time event in Woolwich, asking them to “think very seriously what they want out of this.”

The Unions maintain that they

voluntary and that the school would also be creating eleven new roles.

They also said that the “support of Royal Borough of Greenwich” had enabled them to reduce redundancies from 30 to 26.

And they confirmed that the budget shortfall had arisen from lower than forecast student numbers in Year 7 and 12, rather than council or central government cuts.

The local authority and Union reps are at loggerheads over whether the council can – and should – provide a cash injection to save jobs at the

Mayor cuts ribbon on school's new keep fit kit CHERRY ORCHARD Primary School pupils were excited to get a visit from the Mayor as he officially opened their new fitnessfocussed playground.

Cllr Olu Babatola cut the ribbon at the Charlton school on April 21.

In a project backed by the Big Lottery Fund, students can now spend their breaktimes playing on a health walker, slalom skier, horse skier, rower, sky stepper and a pedal bike.

Young members of the school council got to choose the machinery, after they asked for some new equipment to help them keep fit.

The Charlton school also raised £10,000 to create a trim trail – a range of physical challenges including a rolling log and

16 May 3 2017

“do not take strike action lightly” and while they acknowledge the disruption caused by a strike day, are urging the council to consider the long term disruption of mass redundancies.

NUT and GMB members at the school took three days of strike action in April, railing against 26 proposed redundancies which have been catalysed by the school's £750,000 a year shortfall.

A Plumstead Manor spokesperson, however, stated that of the 26 redundancies, fourteen were

much-loved school.

The council has pledged commitment to supporting the school and its staff, but insists it is not in a position to “step in” and “resolve issues at Plumstead Manor.”

It reiterated it could not “write off deficit balances” without agreement from the whole schools community.

Even if this was obtained, it argued it would have “a significant financial impact on all other local schools” and would be “at the expense of the local taxpayer.”

Meanwhile, the Unions believe that some schools may be in surplus and have asked that this money be re-directed to the community school in crisis.

They have called on the council to publish the Designated Schools Fund pot – money for education which comes from central government.

They are also asking the council to consider alternatives, such as “paying off” the debt for the school rather than wiping it out, or extending the period of licensed deficit – which has already been extended once.

A council spokesperson said: “We urge for these disruptive strikes which are happening at a crucial time for our students in the run up to their exams – to be called off.”

Speaking to the Weekender, NUT Rep Kirstie Patton said: “Do you think we want to be on strike at this time of year? It may be disruptive for one or two days but if these cuts happen, there will be disruption to students every, single day.”

A Plumstead Manor spokesperson confirmed they had been “involved [in] a positive and continuous dialogue with staff and their Unions in an authentic consultation process” and will continue to work “openly and positively” with staff and unions.

balance beam – plus a solar stopwatch so that pupils can race against the clock.

Cllr Babatola spoke of his “delight” at being able officially to open the new playground, and trim trail and also at seeing “how excited the children are about keeping active.”

“I am sure that they will help the pupils easily incorporate exercise into their daily routines and form good habits as they grow older.”

Headteacher Maria Hill said: “We believe that physical activity is a key part of education, so I am pleased that we now have some great equipment which will make keeping fit fun.

“It was great to have the Mayor attend the official opening to help show how much the wider community values this addition to our school.”

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NEWS & OPINION

Meet the man twinning the world Steve mixing it with Greenwich (from a library) up on MasterChef JUST AS the borough of Greenwich is twinned with Tema in Ghana, did you know that Woolwich Polytechnic Street is also “twinned” with Singapore?

It really is, thanks to Plumstead artist Eric Maclennan, who's spent the past month in Eltham and Woolwich libraries, twinning small parts of the two communities with destinations all over the world.

Eric’s project, a twist on official “town twinning” – a friendship agreement between two communities in two different countries – invites people to remember people who are dear to them who don’t necessarily live close-by.

“When people come into the library, I ask them to think of someone who is important to them who isn’t in Woolwich or Eltham,”

said the 56-year-old creative.

“Then I ask them to choose from a series of photos from the local area and the twinning is done.”

“Whenever they walk past that area in Eltham or Woolwich, they’ll always be reminded of their friend,” he said.

Eric’s focus when choosing which local spots are twinning material is to “try and take things a bit off the beaten track and notice things which may be unloved”.

Locally twinned areas include the street sign for Love Lane, a tree on Wellington Street and the conservatory of a roof in Eltham.

Twinning partners include Santiago in Chile, Potsdam in Germany and more locally – Plumstead.

“I have participated,” said Eric.

I chose a small section of a nice Eritrean restaurant in Woolwich

(Blue Nile) and there’s a lovely librarian in Plumstead who shares my name, Eric, so now we can say Woolwich is twinned with Plumstead!”

Over 51 parts of Woolwich have been twinned, along with over 30 in Eltham.

“I’ve heard many lovely stories.

When people come to twin, we have a nice chat and they tell me about this other place they have a connection with. It’s an enormous privilege.”

While Eric finished his twinning duties in the borough last weekend, there’ll be twinning ceremonies happening in Eltham and Woolwich in May

Fight to save Abbey Wood post office goes to parliament THE FIGHT to save Abbey Wood Post Office went up a notch last week, as MP Teresa Pearce took a 66page petition to Parliament while an official campaign committee was formed by local residents.

The petition, which Ms Pearce took to Westminster during a “packed out” debate about post office closures around the country, carried 1,000 signatures from local residents.

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A newly-formed committee have announced their next public campaign meeting will be outside the post office on May 6 at 9.30am.

Campaigners are seeking to retain the Abbey Wood office’s “crown status” – which means that it directly managed by Post Office Ltd, rather than franchised to a retail partner, and offers the full array of Post Office services.

It is Greenwich borough’s final remaining crown post office.

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Campaigners fear that people – particularly older or vulnerable people – will have to travel out of borough to access post office services not offered by franchises.

“I don’t want the elderly having to travel miles to get to a post office,” said Secretary of Greenwich Pensioner Forum and member of the campaign committee, Tony Greville. “A lot of pensioners aren’t able to do that, to catch one or more buses

A WOOLWICH music producer and DJ will be mixing food not tunes this week as he goes head to head with eight other contestants in the MasterChef semi-final.

Steve Kielty, originally from Wembley, usually counts clubs around the world as his place of work but after getting “press ganged” by his sister into applying for MasterChef, decided to swap his decks for a chopping board for awhile.

“I’ve always liked cooking and been quite passionate about it. My family and friends used to say I should go on MasterChef and one of my sisters finally press ganged me into it. I’m really grateful, to be fair,” he said.

Steve said he’s gained a huge insight into food and cooking on a more professional level. “You don’t get to make chocolate spheres and spray paint them with red paint when you’re in your own house!” he said.

Steve said he’s unsure whether he’d substitute his vinyl collection for a chef’s apron on a full-time basis but said: “I’d love to find a way to combine both my passions.

I’d never give up writing music, same as I’d never give up food. I‘ll just see what sort of opportunities arise.”

Steve believes that the skills involved in making good music are the same as the those involved in making good food and says that his meals and mixes have lots in common.

“I make more technical, creative music – that’s reflected in my food. Lots of layers on top of layers to create a flavour, playing with different textures – that’s in my music too.”

Steve’s lived all over

somewhere.”

The Post Office has said that there are “no detailed proposals” as yet and re-affirmed their commitment to “retaining the same services, near the same area,” via a retail franchise partner.

They state that the “vast majority” of their branches are already operated as a franchise and that this “works successfully, supporting both Post Office services and retail businesses.”

However, the spokesperson confirmed that of the 11,000 franchised branches across the UK, just 3,000 offer exactly the same services as crown-operated post offices. CWU Branch Secretary for South East London, Mole Meade, pointed out that

south London but said that Woolwich is one of his favourite places. “A lot of London in general can be a bit soulless and it’s changed so drastically over the last fifteen years,” he said.

“Woolwich is like one of those last little enclaves of what London used to be when I was growing up. Still got that edginess and a complete mix of cultures,” he said.

The DJ named Blue Nile Eritrean restaurant as his favourite place to eat in Woolwich but feels that the area is “crying out” for more familyrun restaurants like that one.

Is Steve the man for the job?

“You never know!”

You can watch Steve on the MasterChef semi-finals tonight and Thursday at 8pm and Friday at 8.30pm on BBC One.

Steve Kielty

a Crown Post Office is the only place that people can collect a biometric card. The cards are for people new to the UK from outside the EU and provide a form of identity giving the carrier the right to access public services and apply for work. “This is an appalling situation for more vulnerable people arriving here, such as people seeking asylum,” said Mole.

A Post Office spokesperson said: “Some of our branches, mainly directly managed and Crown branches, operate this specialist service on behalf of the Home Office. In planning changes to our network we aim to make sure that customers can continue to conveniently access all our services.”

May 3 2017 17

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NEWS & OPINION

Constant train announcements are 'mental torture say residents RESIDENTS OF Abbey Wood Terrace say that “constant announcements” from the adjacent Abbey Wood train station are “mental torture” and are pleading for South Eastern to turn them off.

The residents report that the announcements run from 6.30am to 10pm at night and there’s “barely a minute” of peace and quiet.

Residents won the case for a noise abatement order on the announcements in 2002 and 2003, which saw the speakers turned off on the western side of the station – which is closest to housing.

However, after the station improvement works took place and platforms and tracks at the station were re-positioned, the speakers have been reinstalled and as of August 2016, the announcements have run for fifteen and a half hours a day.

“I hate coming out here to my garden, now,” said 61 year old Jim Grace, who’s lived at his property for 25 years. “I feel stressed out all the time, I’ve even been to my GP. I feel so trapped.”

“The front of the house, the back of the house, inside the house – I can hear it everywhere. There’s no escape,” he said. Abbey Wood Residents Association have been raising the issue at the Abbey Wood Community Liaison Panel, which is run by Cross Rail and

Residents Jim Grace Tina McDonnell and Kieron

New cultural centre plan for Thamesmead THE LAKESIDE Centre in Thamesmead is due to reopen as a brand new cultural hub in April 2018.

Network Rail but feel that their concerns are not being listened to.

“I’d like to say to the Head of Network Rail – would you live here? I’d challenge them all to it,” said Jim. “They won’t even visit for half hour to see what I’m talking about – yet we have to cope with this for fifteen and a half hours a day.”

Tina McDonnell, who lives a few doors down from Jim, has criticised announcements as being “superfluous”, such as “no smoking” and “stand behind the yellow line” warnings.

A Network Rail spokesperson

said that they were aware of concerns and had spoken to residents and the council about the announcements.

They stated that the PA system they used was “flexible”, ensuring passengers stayed informed while also “minimising the impact it may have on residents living close by.”

The spokesperson added that they had already lowered the speaker volume nearest to the affected properties and that they would “continue to review any other options that might help to reduce the impact of announcements on local residents."

The venue was originally opened as a bar and restaurant in 1971 but, if planning permission is granted from Bexley Council, will become a hub for “cultural and community life for residents and visitors alike.”

Overlooking Southmere Lake, the site will offer 40 affordable creative workspaces, a new café and the Enterprise Kitchen, which will support brand new catering businesses, run by Greenwich social enterprise, GCDA. A nursery, pop-up stalls and affordable housing for cultural key workers will also be on the site.

The project is being financed

by Peabody and the Mayor of London’s Regeneration Fund

(LEAP). Arts educational charity, Bow Arts, will manage the new space.

Peabody’s Executive Director for Thamesmead, John Lewis, said: “The Lakeside Centre will be a very special place for residents to enjoy and will also help develop Thamesmead’s existing creative and entrepreneurial spirit and bring new businesses, jobs and visitors to the area.”

Bow Arts’ Chief Executive, Marcel Baettig, said: “We know the Centre will become a catalyst for unlocking the talent that we know already exists in the area. But behind the excitement lies our long term commitment to Thamesmead, as one of its newest residents it will take us time to establish and become part of the community – but this is a process that we are very much looking forward to.”

Re-match coming up for Charlton v Homophobia CHARLTON ATHLETIC Football Club are gearing up to host the second annual Charlton v Homophobia football tournament on Sunday.

Returning for its second year, the anti-homophobia event will pit four local LGBT+ teams head to head at the Valley in a round robin 11-a-side tournament.

Organised by the club and Proud Valiants, Charlton’s official LGBT+ supporter’s club, the event aims to raise the profile of LGBT+ football and “take a stance” against homophobia in the game.

Proud Valiants, Bexley Invicta – South East London’s only LGBT+ friendly football team – and the University of Greenwich are all confirmed, with a mystery fourth team soon to be announced.

“The aim of the event is to take a stance against homophobia in football and it’s also a celebration of equality and diversity,” said Rob Harris, founder and chair of Proud

18 May 3 2017

Valiants.

“It’s about people coming together and enjoying football without barriers. A football match should be a safe environment for all people,” he said.

A Charlton supporter of 22 years, Rob believes that the club is one of the “best in the country” for working on issues of equality and said that they’ve given Proud Valiants huge support from day one. He applauded Charlton’s “amazing” fans, too, saying that Proud Valiants received over 300 well-wishing emails from supporters when they set up as a group two years ago.

“The number of straight fans who support us is amazing. I’ve barely heard any form of homophobic language in 22 years,” he said.

Rob recognises this isn’t the case in every club, though and that homophobia in football can still be a big issue.

“I shouldn’t have to sit there worrying about some guy behind

me shouting homophobic comments,” he said. “You need education across the board – from governing bodies, to fans, to stewards.”

“Hopefully, we’ll get to a day when we don’t even need to have events like this anymore,” he said.

Charlton Club Development Manager Lisa Squires, who’s supported Proud Valiants from day one, said: “Last year’s Charlton v Homophobia event was fantastic and it was great, but not surprising, to see the club’s fans respond so positively to it.”

“We’re looking forward to this year’s event and welcome any Charlton fans that would like to play their part in the day,” she said.

Kick-off is at 12.00. Tickets are free but should be booked in advance via www.eventbrite.co.uk

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NEWS & OPINION

Licence scheme brought in to tackle rogue landlords Greenwich Council is seeking to drive up accommodation standards in the borough, with its cabinet making the decision that all Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) will have to carry a licence from October 1.

Currently, landlords only need a licence if they are renting out an HMO property over three storeys tall or with at least five residents.

From October, however, all HMOs - properties with three or more tenants not from the same family - will be legally obliged to carry a licence.

The licensing extension is expected to root out “rogue landlords” and “unsafe accommodation”, with a series of property and landlord checks needing to be passed before the licence is granted.

These include health and safety checks on the property, a “fit and proper” person check on landlords and checks that there are enough essential bathroom and kitchen facilities for tenants.

“It will help us root out rogue landlords renting out sub-standard and often unsafe accommodation to their tenants. It will aid our targeting of over-crowded HMOs and the waste challenges that come with them such as overflowing bins and fly-tipping,” said Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Environment Cllr Jackie Smith.

Cllr Smith also highlighted the role the scheme would play in challenging the “exploitation of minority groups and vulnerable tenants.”

Landlords will be charged a fee for their licences. The proposed fee is £377 per habitable room, with a 50 per cent discount available for “early birds” – people signing up within the first six months of the scheme.

A further ten per cent reduction is available for landlords who are a member of a recognised professional body or landlord accreditation scheme.

All revenue generated through fees will be used to cover the associated administration costs, with the council prohibited from making a profit on the scheme.

There are approximately 6,500 HMOs in Greenwich, which accounts for over twenty per cent of the private rented sector in the borough.

Political brief coming soon: Greenwich's political leaders share their views 20 May 3 2017

Businesses on Plumstead Road and Spray Street say that regeneration plans for their area have left them fearing for the future.

The Spray Street Quarter site has been long-earmarked by the council for development, but since developers were appointed in 2014, businesses say they’ve been living “in limbo”, labouring under uncertainty and unable to plan for the future.

The Spray Street Quarter redevelopment, driven by a partnership between Notting Hill Housing and St Modwen, will bring 750 new homes, a cinema, new restaurants, shops and other amenities to the site between Plumstead Road and Spray Street.

Properties currently on the site do not feature in the masterplan, meaning businesses will have to sell their properties to the developers.

“I wanted to refurbish my shop and then this came along. I can’t make any plans now,” said Jay Patel, a freeholder on Plumstead Road.

“There’ve been so many delays.”

Greenwich Council has said that it and the developers have been working on the project, including putting on community and business engagement events, since 2014.

However, one business owner who did not want to be named said that this was part of the problem.

They said: “They’ve been playing around too long. Just consultation after consultation. There are no timescales, no certainty.”

There is anxiety among businesses over the prospect of a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) being used, where a body can buy property or land without the consent of the owner.

Spray Street freeholder of 30 years Ann Gaus, well-known locally for her

An artist's impression of the planned development (main); and (inset) business owners Ann and Arnold Gaus

Woolwich businesses fear for future in plans for new flats and shops hairdressing business Del Capello with husband Arnold, said: “You hear horrific stories about CPOs and you worry.”

“I built the salon with blood, sweat and tears. My heart hurts. It’s our history.

"I feel like the carpet’s been pulled from under my feet.”

However, councillor Danny Thorpe, Deputy Leader of the Council and

Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Sustainability, has confirmed that “the council has made no resolution to use a CPO.” Cllr Thorpe also said that the council’s business engagement team were helping businesses seek alternative premises and had already supported several businesses to find alternative locations.

“Woolwich is changing for the better. It will be really improved by this development and the arrival of Crossrail,” he said.

A spokesperson for St. Modwen and Notting Hill Housing confirm they had had “initial contact with many site owners and occupiers, which will evolve into more formal discussions regarding property acquisition in the coming months.”

Teen has days left to raise Ghana funds A Woolwich teenager has just five days left to fundraise enough to achieve her lifelong dream of volunteering in Ghana.

Eighteen-year-old Tirivashe Jele has until May 8 to hit £400 on her Justgiving page, the first instalment payable for the International Citizen Service (ICS) placement.

While most people her age will be flying off to Ibiza for the summer, the student from Dartford Grammar School for Boys - which accepts girls into its sixth form - wanted “something meaningful to do” before university.

“I want to get into international relations and work for a charity,” she said, “I feel like by going to Ghana, I’ll gain skills, empathy and an understanding of development needs outside the UK, in different cultures.”

Tirivashe’s placement will focus on human rights, supporting marginalized groups and her passion, gender equality.

“As a young, black British woman, I’ve faced some social challenges. But you shouldn’t let that stop you. I’ve always been encouraged to do exactly what I want to but in Ghana, I don’t think women will have had the same encouragement as me,” she said.

Tirivashe said she had “always been interested in politics” and puts this down to watching the news with her grandad, who lives with her, since she was a little girl. If she raises the cash, Tirivashe will be “going alone” – without the company of any friends or schoolmates.

“I am a little nervous, yes! I don’t know what to expect!”

The total cost of Tirivashe’s ICS trip is £800. She has until June 15 to raise the full amount.

If successful, she’ll be in Ghana from July until September.

“The only thing that can stop me going now is the money,” she

said. You can sponsor Tirivashe at her Justgiving page www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ tirivashejele

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P U BL I C N O T I C ES ROYAL BOROUGH OF GREENWICH The Greenwich (Play Street Restrictions) (No. *) Order 201* 1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Council of the Royal Borough of Greenwich proposes to make the above-mentioned Order under section 29 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.

2. The effect of the Order would be to prohibit vehicles from entering or proceeding on the sections of Sherington Road and Siebert Road specified in the Schedule to this notice. The restrictions would apply on one day every two weeks, the days and times of closure being those specified in the Schedule to this Notice.

3. The Order provides that the prohibition would not apply to – (a) any vehicle requiring access to a property within the closure areas; (b) any vehicle being used for police, fire brigade or ambulance purposes, or for the purposes of a statutory undertaker in an

emergency; or (c) anything done with the permission or at the direction of a police constable in uniform, a traffic warden or a civil enforcement

officer.

4. A copy of the proposed Order and other documents 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. Further information may be obtained by telephoning Strategic Transportation on 020 8921 6024.

6. Any person who wishes to object to or make other representations about the proposed Orders should send a statement in writing, specifying the grounds on which any objection is made, to the Royal Borough of Greenwich, PO Box 485, Kemp House, 152-160 City Road, London, EC1V 2NX, or by email to GreenwichTMOconsultations@projectcentre.co.uk (quoting reference PCL/TMO/CW/1000003750), to arrive by 24th May 2017.

7. 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 3rd May 2017 SCHEDULE Road Sherington Road Siebert Road

Section Affected Entire length Entire length

Day of closure Friday Sunday

Times of closure 3pm to 8pm 1pm to 8pm

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

ROYAL BOROUGH of GREENWICH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 – SECTION 14(1) [West Parkside] 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 Volker Fitzpatrick who need to carry out footway repair works.

2. The Order will come into operation on 2nd May and would continue to be valid for 18 months. However the works are expected to take 3 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 prohibit vehicles from entering, exiting, proceeding or waiting (including waiting for the purposes of loading or unloading), the off-slip of the A102 Blackwall Lane southern Approach into Millennium Way. 4. Whilst the Order is in operation traffic will be diverted via The Off-slip of the A102 Blackwall Lane Southern Approach onto Blackwall Lane. 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.

Assistant Director, Strategic Transportation The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, SE18 6HQ Dated 26th May 2017 [INTERNAL REF: TIRBG03NOP]

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 AmberTM who need to carry out Width restriction works.

2. The Order will come into operation on 10th May and would continue to be valid for 18 months. However the works are expected to take 4 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 prohibit vehicles from entering, exiting, proceeding or waiting (including waiting for the purposes of loading or unloading), in West Parkside between Peartree Way and John Harrison Way. 4. Whilst the Order is in operation traffic will be diverted via Peartree Way, Bugsby’s Way, John Harrison Way 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.

Assistant Director, Strategic Transportation The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, SE18 6HQ Dated 26th April 2017 [INTERNAL REF: TIRBG10NOP]

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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 Dev elopment Planning within 21 days of the date of this notice.

Please quote the appropriate reference number.

Date: 03/05/2017 Publicity For Planning Applications Applicant: Miss C Ryan 17/1088/F Site Address: 70 OLD WOOLWICH ROAD, GREENWICH, LONDON, SE10 9NY Development: Repainting of front door, localised repairs to ground, first and second floor front windows, replacement of first floor rear

window and repairs to rear velux window and french doors.

Conservation Area: EAST GREENWICH Applicant: Mr M. Dickson 17/1171/F Site Address: 201 PLUM LANE, PLUMSTEAD, LONDON, SE18 3HQ Development: Replacement of side and rear fence with a new fence.

Conservation Area: SHREWSBURY PARK ESTATE Applicant: Ms E. Bailey 17/1173/F Site Address: 3 Liskeard Gardens, Blackheath, London, SE3 0PE Development: Construction of a single storey rear extension, part 1/part 2-storey side extension and loft conversion comprising side

dormer window and 3 rooflights.

Conservation Area: BLACKHEATH Applicant: Royal Borough of Greenwich Council 17/1213/F Site Address: Open Space Opposite 1 to 10 The Slade, Plumstead, SE18 Development: Conversion of the existing toilet block to create a cafeteria and community hub including construction of a glazed

conservatory and formation of a terraced area.

Conservation Area: PLUMSTEAD COMMON Applicant: Charlton Athletic Football Club 17/1234/V Site Address: Charlton Athletic Training Ground, Sparrows Lane, Eltham, London, SE9 2JR Development: Variation of condition 1 (Use of the Air Dome) of planning permission dated 09/06/15 (Ref: 15/0777/V) to extend the use

of the Air Dome for a further period of 2 years starting from the date of this decision notice.

Applicant: Berkeley Homes (East Thames) Ltd 17/1235/F Site Address: Building 10, Duke of Wellington Avenue, Woolwich, London, SE18 6SS Development: Change of use of part ground floor from Office (B1) to Gym (D2).

Conservation Area: ROYAL ARSENAL WOOLWICH Applicant: Mr N Coke Royal Borough of Greenwich 17/1288/R Site Address: Charlton Park, Charlton Park Road, Charlton, SE7 Development: Submission of reserved matters (Access, Appearance, Landscaping and Layout and Scale) pursuant to condition 2 of planning

permission dated 29/09/2016 (Reference: 16/0058/O) for the creation of a new skate park.

Conservation Area: CHARLTON VILLAGE Publicity For Advertisements.

Applicant: Site Address: Development: Conservation Area:

Mr H. Kanizi Golden Chippy Golden Chippy, 62 Greenwich High Road, Greenwich, London, SE10 8LF Retention of externally illuminated wall sign.

ASHBURNHAM TRIANGLE

17/1258/A

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