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nine
Totally independent, serving the community for over 7 years
Eltham SE9
www.senine.co.uk
DECEMBER 2013 Bob Hope Panto
Eltham Station
Minimum fare £5.00 for the fi rst 2 miles
020 8859 7666
West End £35.00Heathrow £55.00Stansted £57.00Gatwick £48.00City Airport £25.00
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Return journeys add £5.00 for parking, up to 45 min waiting time is free
For more set fare prices visit www.maydaycars.co.uk or call our office
Hardy Flooring020 8859 1616
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SEnine
2 It is your community, you have the right to a say in what happens
Cover: Remembrance Day - St John's Church, ElthamCover photo by: John WebbCameo: Alex Mayer will make his debut as The Cheshire Cat in this yeas Bob Hope production of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. See page 13 for details.
Main Office Mark Wall [email protected]
Editor: John Webb [email protected]
Advertising Mark Wall [email protected]
Phone: 020 8333 7493 (For all matters)
Web: www.senine.co.uk
Publisher: SEnine Ltd: PO Box 24290, Eltham, SE9 6ZP
Totally Independent
Friends Membership. Support for the magazine is always appreciated. You can
help the magazine with an annual Friends Membership
The standard membership is £24.00 per year (in the delivery area)
Royal Mail membership £36.00 per year (Outside the current delivery area and delivered by messenger or post)
Send your name, address and contact details along with
payment to 'SEnine Friends' PO Box 24290 Eltham SE96ZP
Or visit our web site www.senine.co.uk to pay on line.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Closing Dates. All copy must be received by about the 15th* of each
month to appear in the next edition. Contributions and Stories are
always welcome from the residents of Eltham. Submissions are
subject to our overall editorial policy. *Some months do vary, check our web page www.senine.co.uk for exact dates.
We only use the very best industry standard vegetable oil based inks. We use environmentally friendly papers, from a
sustainable source, with a chain of custody from well managed forests through the supply chain to our printer.
It has been a busy month with a lot
happening. The biggest news is
the council's proposal to convert the
council owned building now occupied
by Poundland into a cinema complex. It
is hoped that such a development will
help grow the night time economy in
Eltham. You can read more about this
proposal on page 4.
Eltham held its annual Lights Up event
on November 21st, and, in my opinion,
it was the best turn out to date, with
thousands on the high street. The
fi reworks were spectacular and the
parade full of fun.
However I
was surprised
that many
stores shut
their doors
and missed
a wonderful
oppor tunity
to entice
t h o s e
attending into
parting with a
pound or two.
Another big event in the month was
Remembrance Day Parade and wreath
laying. This too saw large numbers
turn out to march and a huge crowd
attend the wreath laying service at
the memorial on front of St Johns. Our
cover this month captures a moment
on that day.
Later in the month I was invited to join
a group travelling to a place called
Tankerton to have a look at how a micro
pub (not micro Brewery) runs and to
sample the wares on off er.
The invitation came from a local man
who is investigating the feasibility of
opening such a place in Eltham
I must admit to being a little sceptical as
to what such a place might look like and
if it would be the sort of place which I
would enjoy having a real ale.
I was pleasantly surprised. The place
situated in a small shop front retail
premises was packed with people, of
both sexes and of that certain age,
all enjoying a pint of real ale brewed
generally at micro breweries. The mood
was bright and friendly.
I am certain that if our local entrepreneur
can get the plan off the ground and
jumps through all the hurdles that will
no doubt be thrown in his direction, it
will be a great success and a wonderful
addition to Eltham.
To fi nd out more about micro pubs
visit the web address below for a pretty
good and brief overview.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micropub
As we move into
December and the
Christmas season
I would like to
wish all readers
and supporters a
wonderful happy
and holy Christmas.
With the year drawing to an end with
this, the 85th issue we move into our
eighth year of production.
Over the year I have met so many
wonderful people in and around
Eltham most who have a passion for the
wonderful area we live in.
We hope that Christmas trading
provides a much needed boost to local
businesses and I ask that you try as best
you can to give them your custom.
Without many of them supporting
the magazine with advertising you
would not be reading this and the
magazine would not have been able to
provide seven years of information and
enjoyable reading.
There is one other group I cannot thank
enough, that is the Friends of SEnine.
Their valuable fi nancial support has
helped the magazine ride
out the recent diffi cult
trading conditions.
M e r r y C h r i s t m a s . Enjoy life:
Enjoy Eltham.
SEnine
3
OPINION, FROM MY DESKISSUE NUMBER 85
This publication is subject to copyright - if you want to use something, ask we will usually grant permission
DECEMBER 2013
A hundred years after the fi rst picture
house opened in Eltham, the town
could be about to enter a new cinema
age.
The old Co-op department store
building in the High Street is being
lined up for re-development as a multi-
screen cinema.
Bought by the council for £1.7m from
the Co-op group last year, offi cers have
had positive meetings with cinema
operators about the potential for the
site to be re-developed.
Current tenants, Poundland, have a
lease until 2015 after which the two
storey building would be bulldozed to
make way for the new cinema complex,
of possibly up to nine screens.
The council said: “Initial discussions
have been held with cinema operators
to explore the potential for bringing
forward a cinema and restaurant
development.
This soft market testing has resulted in
strong interest from cinema operators.
It is now proposed to take forward the
development of this site as a cinema
and restaurant.
It will be the subject of an outline
planning application, before Christmas,
from the council and further discussions
to select one of the major cinema chains
to occupy the site.
Decisions to be taken will include the
need for the building to ‘fi t in’ with the
architecture of the High Street and
whether there will be a need for extra
parking to accommodate cinema goers
from the surrounding areas. Others
will be keen to see an alternative site
for Poundland, which has been a busy
addition to the High Street.
The move, which was mooted in the
council’s Masterplan published last year,
would provide a valued new facility for
residents, who currently face drives to
Bexleyheath or Greenwich for movie-
watching. It will also be a boost for
Eltham High Street with a knock-on
benefi t for local restaurants and more
revenue for the after-hours economy of
the town.
Eltham cinema: the history
Eltham has been a cinema black hole
since the Coronet at Well Hall closed in
1999. Its peak was pre- and post-War
with three cinemas in the town.
Eltham Cinema
On the corner of Westmount Road and
the High Street, Eltham’s fi rst screen
opened 100 years ago, in 1913 showing
silent fi lms to the accompaniment of a
pianist. Named aff ectionately ‘the Bug
Hutch’ by locals, it closed in 1931 when the
owners, Kent Cinema Company, opened
the ‘Palace’ in the High Street. Used for
many years as a photographic studio and
eventually demolished in 1968.
The Palace
On the corner of Eltham High Street
and Passey
Place. Opened
on 28 August
1922. It was
an imposing
building, more like an old variety theatre.
In 1934, the interior was remodelled by
architect Robert Cromie and it re-opened
on 13th August 1934 . It was re-named
ABC in January 1964, and closed on 29th
April 1972. The building was demolished
and the site was redeveloped as a block of
shops and offi ce space.
The Odeon/Coronet Well Hall
Opened in 1936, the cinema was built
as an Odeon by the architects Andrew
Mather and Horace Ward. The cinema
has an eye-catching white façade and
the protruding glazed stair-tower strongly
resembles the Grade I listed De La Warr
Pavilion in Bexhill. The auditorium had
seating capacity of 1480 when it fi rst
opened. Became two screens in 1977
and then re-named Coronet in 1981,
becoming Eltham’s last cinema until it
closed, in a state of disrepair, in 1999. It has
just re-opened as a gym.
The Odeon Eltham Hill
Opening in April 1938 with 1700 seats, the
Odeon had a life of just under 30 years,
closing in September 1967. Stars visited
the cinema to promote their fi lms and
other events including Tommy Handley
and Eltham’s own Frankie Howerd. It
changed its name to Gaumont in 1949
and eventually became a Top Rank bingo
hall opened by comedian Tommy Trinder.
New cinema for the High StreetThe old Co-op building could be re-vitalised in a council
plan for development. John Webb reports
Photo from the John Kennett collection
SEnine
4 Don't be a litter lout, fi nd a bin
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Home Cooked Hams
Prime Danish
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A selection of English
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Range of Home Made Sausages
Prime Scotch Beef
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SEnine
5Strong People Strong Families Strong Community
98 Riefi eld Road Eltham London SE9 T: 020 8333 0452E: scott @londonandkent.co.uk
• Free detailed quotes and
professional advice
• We survey and provide design
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• All aspects of building works
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• Landlord and property
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• Punctual and polite we
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time.
Eltham parish church of St John the
Baptist Eltham High Street
Saturday 7 December
10.00 am to 2.00 pm
Christmas Fair and Sale
Sunday 15 December
Candlelit Carol Service at 6.00 pm
A traditional candlelit service with nine
lessons and carols followed by mulled
wine and mince pies
Tuesday 24 December
Children’s Nativity at 4.00 pm
Bring the children to hear and sing about
the story of Christmas around the crib,
with children of the church singing
and Midnight Mass at 11.30 pm
Wednesday 25 December
Christmas Day Family Eucharist at 10.00 am
A service for all the family
Eltham Park Methodist Church
Sunday 15 December
10.30 am Christingle Service for all the
family
Sunday 22 December
4.00 pm Carols by Candlelight
accompanied by organ and orchestra
Tuesday 24 December
Christmas Eve 4.00 pm Carols and Nativity
Service for all the family with a story
round the Christmas Tree
Wednesday 25 December
Christmas Day 10.30 am A short family
service to celebrate Christmas Day
Holy Trinity ElthamHoly Trinity Eltham
59 Southend Crescent 59 Southend Crescent
Sunday 22 DecemberSunday 22 December
Last Sunday of AdventLast Sunday of Advent
6.00 pm Nine lessons and carols, with the 6.00 pm Nine lessons and carols, with the
Greenwich concert bandGreenwich concert band
Tuesday 24 DecemberTuesday 24 December
5.00 pm Christingle and Nativity. Children 5.00 pm Christingle and Nativity. Children
are encouraged to come dressed as a are encouraged to come dressed as a
shepherd, angel or wise manshepherd, angel or wise man
11.30 pm Midnight Mass with the Blessing 11.30 pm Midnight Mass with the Blessing
of the Cribof the Crib
Wednesday 25 DecemberWednesday 25 December
Christmas DayChristmas Day
8.00 am Said Mass & 10.00 am Parish Mass8.00 am Said Mass & 10.00 am Parish Mass
St. Luke’s Eltham Park
Sunday 22nd December
6.00 pm Traditional Christmas Carols
and Readings followed by seasonal
refreshments
Tuesday 24th December
4pm Carols around the Crib for children of
all ages.
11.30 pm Midnight Mass of the nativity.
Wednesday 25th December
10.00 am Christmas Day worship
Eltham Park Baptist Church,
Westmount Road/ Glenure Road
Saturday 07 December
6.00 pm Greenwich Academy Concert
Sunday 08 December
10:30 am Brigades Parade Toy Service
Tuesday 17 December
3.00 pm Seniors Carol Service & High Tea
Sunday 22 December
6.30 pm Carols by Candlelight
Tuesday 24 December
4.00 pm Christingle
Tuesday 24 December
11.30 pm Midnight Communion
Wednesday 25 December
10:30 am Christmas Day Celebration
St. Barnabas Parish Church
Rochester Way
Sunday 22nd December
Carol Service 6.00 pm
Tuesday 24 December
Christmas Eve
Midnight Mass 11.30 pm
Wednesday 25 December
Christmas Day
Family Communion 10.00 am
SEnine
6
CHRISTMAS IN ELTHAM
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SEnine
7Find and Support Local Tradesmen
Jane Webb has lived in Eltham since '85 with her husband and daughter. She has taught at several local primary schools'
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Free Parking
Travellers' Tale‘They'd fought with villains and smugglers and gypsies too –
many a thief and a crook’.
Thank-you Enid Blyton and her
Famous Five, back in the day.
Tinkers, pedlars, travellers or Roma, a
few names which have been given to
gypsy communities over the years.
I’ve always had a soft spot for them. My
fi rst year of primary school teaching
was in Hertfordshire. I remember a
couple of open and friendly ten year old
gypsy boys who would talk about their
beloved animals and ‘country sports’.
On to Yorkshire and I once let a gypsy
girl bring her pet ferret in to school for
the day. ‘Health and safety’ hadn’t been
invented then and, thankfully, nobody
was bitten.
Of course, in the 19th century, many
gypsies were forced into the suburbs
when their rural livelihoods were
threatened by enclosure and changes
to farming.
So it was that here in SE9, before most of
our homes were built, that this was an
area rich in gypsy families and customs.
There was a long standing community
recorded as living in Kidbrooke Lane,
perhaps associated with the farmland
attached to the Tudor Barn.
The 1881 census doesn’t just record
residents of houses, but also people
living in caravans and tents. Many
d e s c r i b e d
themselves as
‘general dealers’
and others as
‘horse traders’
in times when
these might have
been considered
respectable roles.
New Eltham had
its settlements with
some living on land
at Merchland
Road, surname
Lee, a common
name among
travellers. Others
were recorded
as inhabiting
‘vans in fi elds’ in
Cross Lane, now Southwood Road.
Family histories record grandparents
who were born in tents on Eltham
Common, one Emily Louder, born there
in the 1870s, then shown in the 1881
census as living, still in a tent and one of
11 off spring.
Of course, in south east London, there’s
Gypsy Hill and nearby in Beckenham is
buried Margaret Finch, known as the
Queen of the Gypsies, said to have died
aged 109 and famed for her fortune
telling.
My own experience of that is mixed.
While expecting Jottings Junior, a gypsy
called at my door in Yorkshire selling
pegs and heather. Panicking a little, I
bought a sprig. The lady wished me well
and said it would be a boy. It was a girl.
SEnine
8 Vote at elections, it is your right
JANE’S JOTTINGS
H&HTANNING
One of SE9’s oldest residents,
Steph Stevens has died, aged
102.
Born in Eltham of an Armenian
father and local mother in 1911, she
remembered seeing Zeppelins over
Eltham in World War One.
At the age of 99, she ventured into
the world of publishing to record her
remarkable and varied life story.
This took in a comfortable suburban
childhood, two world wars, poverty
and homelessness in the 1930s,
religious conviction and the warmth
of countless friendships Steph’s candid and light-hearted
account was a heart-warming reminder
of the strength of human spirit to
overcome problems. And that it’s
never too late to realise ambitions,
with remarkable foreign travel plans
and a hot air balloon trip over Kent
undertaken after the age of 90.
Living for many years in Glenlyon
Road, and latterly the Abbeyfi eld
Home in Westmount Road, she
remained an active member of St
Luke’s Church until her death. A
funeral service was held at Eltham
Crematorium.
‘I Remember…The Memoirs of a
Nonagenarian’ by Stephanie Stevens
is published by Memory Lane, priced
£9.99 available at
www.irememberstevens.com
or www.pearlpress.co.uk
Step Stevens at her 100th birthday party
Vale to a remarkable Lady
8859 65848859 6584209 Eltham High 209 Eltham High
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SEnine
9 Don't wait for people to be friendly, show them how.
News in BriefNews in BriefGold Ring Eltham Choral
Author, author
“What a shock” said Bill Lawrence of
Elibank Road, “I had given up hope of
ever seeing it again”
With tear fi lled eyes, Bill explained to
SEnine how the wedding ring had
dropped from his fi nger while walking
home from his daughter’s home in
Rochester Way some months ago. They
had searched up and down the route
looking for the ring without success.
“The ring was very important to me”,
Said Bill. “My wife, Yvonne, passed
away in March 2013 and the ring was a
constant reminder of our wonderful 52
years of married life together”.
In a last hope attempt, Daughter Karen
Lawrence, contacted SEnine who ran
a small story in the November issue of
SEnine.
A plain envelop arrived at the offi ces
of SEnine. Upon opening, it contained
a man’s gold wedding band and a brief
unsigned note explaining where it had
been found.
Bill, who has 5 grandchildren and 2 great
grandchildren and has lived in Eltham
for 53 years said, “Thank you does not
seem enough to the anonymous fi nder.
They have healed a sadness in my heart
that was caused by the loss”
An inaugural Christmas concert is being
held at the new Kemnal Park cemetery
and memorial gardens on Saturday
December 21 at 5pm.
‘A Service to Remember’ is being
held on behalf of Kemnal’s Christmas
charity appeal, in conjunction with the
Salvation Army.
People attending are encouraged to
bring wrapped gifts for distribution over
the Christmas period.
The event will take place in the park’s
modernist chapel, which has seating
for 150. Those wishing to attend should
contact Kemnal in advance on
020 8300 9790. Singing will be led by a
local school choir.
There will be complimentary glasses of
mulled wine and mince pies.
Kemnal opened earlier in the year and
provides state of the art facilities for
burials and services, sited in woodland
just off the A20 at New Eltham.
First it was the Eltham poetry competition;
now it’s the Eltham short story contest.
Organised by Eltham Arts, 'Tales of Eltham'
is a 300 word short story competition with
the theme 'An Eltham Experience'.
The stories can be of any genre, including
comedy, ghost, romance, sci-fi , adventure,
true or mystery.
Competition leafl ets have been sponsored
by Conran Estates and are available across
town including Eltham Library. Everybody
is free to join in! There will be a celebratory
event on World Book Night in April.
Eltham Arts will support the contest by
organising some events working with
residents, businesses and organisations in
the area.
If you want to know more about Eltham
Arts and what it is planning, more details
on the Eltham Short Story Competition ,
or run an arts/ creative activity and want to
be part of Eltham Arts, email Elthamarts@
aol.co.uk or phone Gaynor Wingham
07976 355398 . You can also follow twitter
on @ElthamArts .
Eltham Arts has been set up by Gaynor
Wingham with the support of members
from the community to promote the arts in
the SE9 area off ering support and a forum
to existing organisations, encouraging all
members of the community to get involved
and creating an artistic identity for SE9.
Eltham Choral Society’s annual
celebration of Christmas will take place
on Saturday December 14 at Holy Trinity
Church, Southend Crescent.
The main work performed will be
Benjamin Britten’s ‘St Nicolas’, to mark
the 100th anniversary of the composer’s
birth this year. The soloist is tenor Julian
Forbes and the Amadeus Orchestra will
accompany.
There will also be a varied selection
of Christmas carols both for the choir
and audience. Led by conductor Peter
Asprey.
Tickets for the concert, which starts at
7.30pm, are £12 (£10 - concessions)
available from 020 8850 3532, Normans
Music, Well Hall Road or on the door.
Christmas Concert
Late NoticeEltham United Reformed ChurchDecember 15 Christingle Service 11.00 am December 22 Carol service 11.00 am
December 25 Christmas morning service 09.30 am
Pride & PrejudiceA new version of one of Jane Austen’s most
famous books, ‘Pride and Prejudice’, is being
performed in Eltham in January.
The full-costumed narration, which has
been recently performed at Chawton,
Austen’s home in Hampshire, will be in the
elegant period surroundings of St Mary’s
Community Centre in Eltham High Street.
Written and staged by Wendy Reynolds,
Austen’s work of manners, morality and
marriage has been adapted to be performed
by her troupe Theatricks.
See St Mary's on page 11 for details.
Eltham United Reformed ChurchEltham United Reformed ChurchEltham United Reformed Church
SEnine
10 Join in a Community Activity
NEWS
ST MARY’S COMMUNITY COMPLEXST MARY’S COMMUNITY COMPLEX
020 8850 2040 Main Offi ce 180 Eltham High St
Anstridge Hall
Anstridge Road SE9 2LL
Flintmill Hall
Flintmill Crescent SE3 8LU
Lionel Road Hall
Westhorne Avenue SE9 6DH
Progress Hall
Admiral Seymour Rd SE9 1SL
St Mary's Community Complex 180 High Street Eltham
For more information on
Halls and Rooms for Hire at
aff ordable prices contact the
main offi ce on 020 8850 2040
5 Wonderful
sites for your
CHRISTMAS
Function
Merry Christmas from St Mary's
........ reassuringly diff erent
........ reassuringly diff erent
Supported by The Royal Borough of Greenwich
A leading local interior design agency
with a global clientele is among the
fi rst occupants of Eltham’s prestige new
offi ce accommodation, the Orangery.
Four local small businesses have now
moved into the suite of offi ces which
have breathed new life into the elegant
18th century listed building.
The Orangery, once in the garden of
Eltham House which fronted onto the
High Street, had been left neglected
for many years before becoming the
brainchild of Greenwich Enterprise
Board director Michael Finlay.
Now incorporated into a contemporary
offi ce development, the Orangery has
been given a fresh purpose with its
proud architectural features restored to
peak condition.
Linked to a new structure to its west,
the £2m Orangery Studios is now home
to seven business units, three of which
are still available.
Local interior design company Innovare
was the fi rst small business to move
into the accommodation.
Client Services Director Rebecca
Sharman said: “This is great
accommodation for us and it has the
‘wow’ factor. We had outgrown our
previous offi ce and were looking for
somewhere to expand with the right
image and facilities.”
I n n o v a r e
has clients
across the
w o r l d ,
specialising
in retail
d e s i g n ,
i n c l u d i n g
shop space,
architecture,
i n t e r i o r
design and branding.
Also moving in are three other local
companies, M J Rooney Construction,
Treasure Publishing and Prestige
Graphic Applications from Woolwich.
The size of the seven units ranges from
approximately 25sqm to 120 sqm,
with rent levels yet to be fi xed. Anyone
interested in taking one can contact
Jane Holman at GEB on 020-8305-2222,
Orangery Opens
One Night ONLY not to be missed.
A performance of 'Jane Austen's' 'Pride and
Prejudice' adapted by Wendy Reynolds with cast
in full costume. The performers read from scripts
enhanced with the visual benefi t of wonderful
costumes.
24th January 2014 arrive 7:15pm for 7:30
performance to fi nish at 10pm including
a refreshment interval. Held at St Mary's
Centre 180 Eltham High Street. Tickets £5.
There are only 80 seats available. Please book early to avoid disappointment. This would make
a great Christmas gift for some one!
SEnine
11Don't be a Litter tosser, put it in a bin
Saturday November 30Christmas Bazaar St. Luke’s Church, Westmount Road.
Hand made cards/crafts, tombola, Christmas gifts, toys,
books, cakes, bric-a-brac, books, CDs & DVDs, games,
raffle & refreshments - 10.30 am – 1.00 pm
Adults 50p, children free.
Saturdays November 30 onwards‘Material Matters’Exhibition exploring the relationship between cameras
and sculpture, Gerald Moore Gallery, Eltham College
Entry free. 12-4pm until February 1
Wednesday December 4Quiz night at the White HartOn behalf of local charities
Includes carvery meal and dessert
£10 per ticket from 8850 1562
Doors open 6pm, quiz starts 8pm
Saturday December 7Greenwich Youth Band Christmas ConcertEltham Park Baptist Church, Glenure Road
Tickets at the door - 7pm
Saturday December 7Progress Residents Association AGM and Christmas SocialProgress Hall, Admiral Seymour Road
Mulled wine, mince pies and raffle - 1-3pm
Thursday December 12Eltham Jazz ClubHugh Ockendon Trio and guests
Woodcroft Club, Eltham High Street
£9 on the door - 8.30 – 11pm
Saturday December 14Winter birdwatchEltham Nature Club
Woodlands Farm, Shooters Hill - 2pm
Saturday December 14Family Christmas partyAvery Hill Park Café
Eldorado performers, sing-a-long carols, raffle, mince
pies, mulled wine, Father Xmas. Entry free. 2-4pm
Saturday December 14Eltham Choral Society Christmas ConcertFeaturing Britten’s ‘St Nicholas’ and carols for choir and
audience. Holy Trinity Church, Southend Crescent
Tickets from 8850 3702 or Norman’s Music. 7.30pm
Saturday December 14Greenwich Community Choir and FriendsChristmas Concert. Eltham Park Methodist Church
Tickets on the door. 7.30pm
Sunday December 15Eltham Farmers' MarketRange of fresh produce. Passey Place. 10am – 2pm
Wednesday December 18Christmas Concert with the Mottingham Village Concert Band. Maryfield Hall to the rear of Our Lady Help of Christians
at junction of Mottingham Road and Leysdown Road.
The programme will include popular and seasonal music
with carols. Admission free with a retiring collection.
Refreshments available. 8pm
Saturday December 21‘A Service to Remember’Christmas carols at Kemnal Park cemetery and memorial
gardens. For Kemnal’s charity, the Salvation Army
Complementary mulled wine and mince pies
Off the A20 at New Eltham. Reserve a seat in advance at
020 8300 9790. 5 – 6.30pm
Sunday Dec 29 to Sat February 1Alice in WonderlandAnnual panto. Bob Hope Theatre, Wythfield Road
Tickets £10 and £8. 8850 3702 or www.bobhopetheatre.
co.uk. 2.30pm, 5.30pm and7.30pm
Tuesday January 21‘Deer: In London and beyond’Illustrated talk by Derek Stimpson, chair of the south east
British Deer Society. Eltham Nature Club
St Mary’s Community Centre, Eltham High Street
More details www.elthamnatureclub.org.uk
£1.50 members, £3 non-members. 7.30pm
Sunday January 26Comedy NightWith John Mann, PaulMcMullen, Paul Adams and Phil
Butler. Bob Hope Theatre, Wythfield Road
Tickets £10 (on door), £8 pre-book. 8850 3702
or www.bobhopetheatre.co.uk. 7.45pm
Weds March 12 – Sat 15‘Pygmalion’Classic musical. Bob Hope Theatre
£9 (£8 conc). 7.45pm
Every MondayGreenwich Community ChoirEltham Park Methodist Church on Westmount Road
7.45pm. All Welcome.
An opportunity for people aged 18+ to enjoy singing in a
fun choir. It meets every Monday during term time.
Age UK Bromley & Greenwich 2-6 Sherard Road
TUESDAY
3rd, 10th & 17th Dec Exercise Class. 10am – 11am
Sit & Get Fit - exercises to help keep you keep fit!
For more information contact:
Yvonne Conway on 020 8315 1850
3rd, 10th & 17th December French Group 2pm – 4pm
Join other Francophiles and brush up your French.
Beginners and improvers welcome. For more
information contact: Community Volunteers
Time Bank - 020 8315 1883
19th December Christmas Floristry Workshop
11.00 am – 1.00 pm – with expert tuition, learn how
to create, and take home, your own festive table
centrepiece. For more information contact: Pauline
Cahill on 020 8294 3017 / [email protected]
10th December: Nutritional Advice 10am – 1.00 pm
1 to 1 tailored advice from our nutritionist.
For more information contact: Wendy Smith on 020
8294 3013/ [email protected]
WEDNESDAY
4th, 11th & 18th December Community Health Trainer
10am – 2pm
Get up to six weeks’ lifestyle support from your own
free personal Health Trainer, part of Royal Greenwich
Public Health & Wellbeing Team. Booking essential -
for more information contact: 0800 587 5833
THURSDAY
5th, 19th December Craft Group 10am – 12pm
Bring along your own craft project or try something
new with fellow enthusiasts! For more information
please contact:Community Volunteers Time Bank 020
8315 1883 / communityvolunteerstb@ageukbandg.
org.uk
5th, 12th & 19th December Forget-me-not Singing
2pm – 3.30pm
For older people, people with disabilities, those with
Alzheimer's, dementia and their carers.
For more information contact: Rose Waghorn 0781 118
7490 / [email protected]
FRIDAY
6th, 13th & 20th December Technology Club 10am –
11.30am
We offer help and support on a range of subjects to
help you Keep in Touch with Technology from mobile
phones, tablets, cameras to laptops.
For more information contact: Louise Donovan on 020
8315 1850 / [email protected]
SATURDAY
7th December Knit & Natter 10.30am 12pm
Bring along your own knitting project or try something
new – Tunisian crochet, finger knitting, learn or
teach how to cable. For more information contact:
Community Volunteers Time Bank 020 8315 1883 /
SEnine
12 Eltham has something for everyone
WHAT'S ON
This musical masterpiece has been
specially adapted, combining Alice
Through the Looking Glass, to make
it a Bob Hope original. With some
pantomime elements, it is a Christmas
show that will be adored by everyone,
even those who aren’t too keen on
pantomimes. There are no ‘behind yous’
and no dame. Its appeal for children
will be by being more musical and less
wordy than many of the versions you
may have already seen.
Directors Larissa Webb and Ian
Hamilton have worked together before
on The Wizard of Oz and Return to the
Forbidden Planet, and had a desire
to work together on a pantomime.
Once they had decided on Alice in
Wonderland, they wanted their own
version to maintain the essence but
be more Christmassy. Adapted by
Jacky Webb (another experienced Bob
Hope director and Larissa’s mum) it is a
full on all singing, all dancing musical
Christmas feast. Bright costumes, big
dance numbers, original music mash-
ups and well known musical theatre
numbers. The Musical Director is Richard
Cooper (Acorn Antiques – The Musical),
and as usual you’ll be tapping your feet
and wanting to bop in the aisles. The
Caterpillar ‘Rhythm’ number is one of
many high energy gems.
Most of the parts have been
double cast, due to its long
run. And they have found
the alternative performances
that the diff erent
combinations of cast have
created have been a boon
for the directors and cast
alike. The choicest versions
have been cherry picked for
the best show possible.
Alice is played by Katherine
Vennard and Annalise Webb
(Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz),
Dinah the Cat is Alexandra
Thompson and Louisa Dodd
(typecast as she was the cat
last year), the White Rabbit
is Jodie Upton and Heather
Claisse (seen this June in
Cider with Rosie), whilst Tweedledum
and Tweedledee are played by identical
twins Daniel
and James
T e m p l e t o n .
Trudi De-Lisser
Boyle who
was Prince
C h a r m i n g
last year is
C a t e r p i l l a r
One this year,
a l o n g s i d e
Marcia Hinds.
Phillip Inns and
Susan Owen
are Caterpillar
Two. Ria
Mahady who
was Cinderella
last year is the
March Hare,
and Graham
Johnson, who
directed Cider
with Rosie, is the
Mad Hatter. The
dancers joined
for the Wizard
of Oz, and have
done every year
since.
The Cheshire
Cat is Alex Mayer’s debut.
He’s the landlord of the
White Hart which is hosting
an Alice themed fundraising quiz on
Wednesday 8th January. They are raising
money for the RNIB, which is using Alice
in Wonderland characters as the theme
of their fundraising this year.
The set has quite simple backdrops,
but there will be special eff ects and
surprises. The costumes, being made by
Jacky Webb, are perfect for a Christmas
show.
There will be no dull moments in this
highly subscribed production. Don’t
delay in getting your tickets as more
than a 1000 have already been sold
six weeks before it starts, and the
expectation is that they will sell out
early as in previous years.
Bob Hope Panto - A Must SeeSEnine
13Be a good neighbour
PREVIEW by Beattie Slavin
An epidemic of obesity among
children is gripping the borough
and threatening the health of future
generations, SEnine has learned.
The latest fi gures, which have been
down-played by Royal Greenwich, show
that children in the area are much more
likely to be overweight than others
across the country.
They are also signifi cantly heavier than
in other London boroughs with a similar
social and ethnic mix.
The new fi gures, which have been
unheralded publicly by the borough,
will be a heavy blow for the Council,
which has staked its reputation on
reaping an ‘Olympic legacy’ of sports
participation and healthy living.
An offi cial report to the borough
concealed the extent of the problem by
presenting the fi gures as part of a three
year rolling average; these show higher
levels of obesity in Greenwich than in
comparable boroughs but were said
'not to be statistically signifi cant’.
However, SEnine has seen written copies
of an oral report from the borough’s
Assistant Director of Public Health,
Bridget Imeson, which admits that the
latest fi gures show childhood obesity
levels in Royal Greenwich are indeed
both substantially and signifi cantly
higher than in Lewisham, Lambeth,
Southwark and Haringey.
An alarming
projection by Ms
Imeson is that, on
current trends, by
2023 more than two-
thirds of 11 year olds
will be overweight.
She says that in
2011/12, 41.3 per cent
of Royal Greenwich
11 years olds (Year
6) were found to
be overweight,
compared with 39.6
per cent in similar
boroughs and 33 per
cent nationally.
Among reception class children (4/5
year olds), 28 per cent were found to be
overweight compared with 24 per cent
in comparable boroughs and 22 per
cent in England as a whole.
Since April, boroughs have become
responsible for implementing the
National Child
Measurement
Programme.
The fi gures
are a blow to
the borough’s
hopes for a
b e n e f i c i a l
O l y m p i c
legacy in
terms of
i m p r o v e d
public health;
the deterioration of the obesity fi gures
has accelerated through the entire six
year build up to the Games, leaving
Greenwich one of the worst eff ected
areas in the country.
Levels of sports participation have so far
failed to respond to the success of the
UK team with state of the art facilities
now in place across the borough
providing facilities for a broadly similar
number of individuals and teams.
In truth, Royal Greenwich’s eff orts were
always likely to be against the strong
headwind of blanket marketing across
traditional and social media that has
created a culture of snacking and
sugary, fatty diets.
But, despite Ms Imeson’s warnings,
neither ‘obesity’ nor ‘weight’ appears
anywhere in the Council’s Best Value
Review of public health as presented to
the Council’s ‘cabinet’ in November.
She says that the obesity fi gures leave
children at greater risk of developing
cancer, Type 2 diabetes and heart
disease in later life, early puberty,
eating disorders, asthma, teasing
and discrimination by peers, low self-
esteem, anxiety and depression.
In response to the problems, the Council
has put in place a ‘healthy families’ pilot
programme focussing on Charlton and
Woolwich Riverside, but not in SE9,
working with parents, children and fast
food outlets to improve
diet; also generic work
through schools and
children’s centres looking
at nutrition and the need
for exercise.
Cllr John Fahy, the
Council’s representative
on the Greenwich
Clinical Commissioning
Group said tackling
obesity remained a ‘high
priority’ for the borough.
In the last two years the increase for Year
6 children has levelled off , testimony to
the work done in schools on physical
activity and the ‘Olympic legacy’. But
the numbers arriving in reception
class already over-weight remained a
concern.
Numbers involved in sport had
remained stable in recent years but it
was hoped that heavy investment in
new facilities would start to show an
increase.
Childhood Obesity, Prevalence and PreventionStory by John Webb
SEnine
14 Help keep Eltham tidy! Put your litter in bins.
FEATURE
Contact Sally for details
0751 009 4170or [email protected]
Fitness Classes
St. Luke’s Church,
Westmount Road,
Wednesday 7-8 pm
Thursday 7-8 pm
Fi
St
W
W
T
50 plus Ladies
Classes (all levels)
Eltham Park
Methodist Church
Westmount Road,
Monday 11.00am - 12.00pm
Wednesday 2.00pm - 3pm
5
C
E
M
W
020 8850 2772
140 Well Hall Road
SE9 6SN
Near Eltham Station
Come & meet our friendly team in our 97th Anniversary year
OAP special off ers - Tue or WedOAP special off ers - Tue or Wed
Trims £10.00 - Perms from £36.00Trims £10.00 - Perms from £36.00 all inclusiveall inclusive
We do Men's HairdressingWe do Men's Hairdressing
OAPs Tue & Wed £7.00
Cuts Tue to Sat from £9.00
SEnine
15Make a diff erence in your community
Locksmith Stickers
Local police in Eltham have received
an increase in calls to local policing
teams and the non-emergency number
when locksmith stickers were placed
on many properties around Eltham. It
was suggested that the stickers may be
a way for burglars to mark vulnerable
properties.
However there is no evidence yet
linking the stickers directly to any
criminal activity in Eltham.
Inspector Ivor Gwyn said: "I am aware
that people are really concerned in
relation to the stickers. Our advice is
to remove them if you see them. We
have received a number of calls from
members of the public reporting such
stickers and are working to establish
exactly where the stickers have been
found and if they are linked to any
burglaries. Our local intelligence team
is aware of the stickers and we have
a number of offi cers working on this
issue."
Police offi cers in Eltham are
asking members of the public to
remain vigilant and do all they
can to keep their property secure in
order to make it harder for criminals to
break into homes.
Whilst overall burglary in Eltham and
across Greenwich is down there is a
seasonal trend for it to increase over the
period from September to December.
Offi cers across the borough are
reminding residents that a number of
simple measures can make a diff erence
and reduce the risk of becoming a
target for burglars.
Sergeant Catmull said: "Figures show
that residents become more vulnerable
to burglars at this time of year as the
evenings get darker with burglars on
the prowl for vulnerable properties.
During this period residential properties
remain in darkness for much longer
periods which makes them easier for
burglars to target. A number of simple
steps can really help to protect your
property."
Sergeant Catmull's advice is as follows:
Do not leave your car keys, valuables or
ID documents near a door, letterbox or
window. We have had incidents where
car key and house keys have been
‘fi shed’ through letter boxes.
Close and lock all your doors and
windows, even if you are only going
out for a few minutes - some people
tell us that they have been burgled after
popping down the road and thinking
that it would not be necessary to lock
their door.
Do you have a UPVC door? Take great
care in locking it. Don’t just turn the
handle up, but use the key to double
lock it. Burglars are able to ‘pop’ UPVC
doors and open them easily if you have
not locked it.
Keep your valuables out of sight -
money, jewellery, mobiles, and other
expensive items left by the window can
simply attract unwanted attention.
Leave some lights on a timer so they
can come on when it gets dark if you
are not in your home - this gives the
impression that someone is in and it
can be an excellent deterrent.
Fit a mortice lock to your front door
and other external doors and consider
installing a police approved burglar
alarm.
Always keep sheds and outbuildings
locked - burglars are aware that people
store valuable items in sheds and
those can generally be the type of
goods which can easily be sold on.
Cancel milk or other deliveries if you
will be away for days or weeks - milk left
outside tells a burglar that the house is
empty.
Mark or etch your property with your
postcode, house or fl at number or the
fi rst three letters of your house name.
Register items with a serial number at
www.immobilise.com
Sergeant Catmull added: "We have a
great range of crime prevention advice
on our website, including a virtual
house designed to advise you on areas
that may be vulnerable in your home. Of
course our team, as all the other teams
across the borough, remain available to
off er burglary crime prevention advice
by phone or in person."
More information on how to protect
your property is available on line at
http://content.met.police.uk/Site/
crimepreventionbumblebee.
SEnine spoke to Sergeant Marianne Catmull, in charge of the Eltham North Safer Neighbourhoods team.
You should call 101 to report crime and other
concerns that do not require an emergency
response. For example, if:
Your car has been stolen, Your property has been
damaged, You suspect drug use or dealing in
your neighbourhood
Or to:
Report a minor traffi c collision, Give the police
information about crime in your area, Speak to
the police about a general enquiry
You should always call 999 when it is an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, someone suspected of a crime is nearby, when there is danger to life or when violence is being used or threatened.
Sergeant Marianne Catmull
SEnine
16
NEWS
Take a walk in the Tarn
Whether you want to drop a dress size or run a marathon, the perfect gym is just around the corner.
The Dome Gym offers a friendly and relaxed environment – and highly competitive rates. Our qualifi ed staff will answer all your questions and help you get fi t. They will also take you through our excellent facilities, including our full range of cardio-vascular and resistance equipment.
Want to fi nd out more? Just drop in or get in touch
Dome Gym, Southwood Site, Avery Hill Campus, University of Greenwich, Eltham SE9 2UG
020 8331 9945 [email protected] www.gre.ac.uk/ahdome
University of Greenwich Avery Hill Gym
Get fi t and change your life.
SEnine
17Join a local community group
Renovation of the historic Severndroog
Castle, a dream of campaigners for more
than 12 years, is only months away from
being realised.
Their ambition is to return the Castle
to the community, together with the
panoramic vista from its summit, not
only southwards over SE9 but also
towards London, into Kent, Blackheath
and the river Thames.
Local conservation contractors Hilton
Abbey are three months into their task
to restore the Shooters Hill Castle as
close to its original 18th century glory
as possible.
This includes the winding spiral staircase
leading to the rooftop viewing platform
which has been out of bounds to the
public for decades.
A ground fl oor kitchen area will service
a fi rst fl oor cafeteria space.
T h e n
upwards to a
second fl oor
e d u c a t i o n
a n d
interpretation
r o o m
c o n t a i n i n g
details of the
b u i l d i n g ’ s
history and
origins.
Work is scheduled to trim back some
of the trees surrounding the top of the
Castle in order to open up vistas to all
point of the compass.
A new entrance is being opened up to
facilitate access with modern kitchen
and toilet facilities built in.
Finally railings, in Georgian style, will
be erected around the site to fi nish the
eff ect and increase the site’s security,
alongside comprehensive
CCTV coverage.
Providing warmth to the
rooms via under-fl oor heating
pipes will be an air source heat pump,
located on the building’s roof, giving
the latest low-cost sustainable energy
solution.
Barring last minute hitches, the
Severndroog Castle Building
Preservation Trust will be handed over
the keys in January; following this,
there will be gearing up for a formal
launch to the public in April.
Although unexpected works will bite
into the Trust’s contingency reserve,
the building work is expected to come
within the budget of nearly £850,000,
which has come from a variety of private
and public sources lead by the Heritage
Lottery Fund.
SEnine was given a sneak preview of the
on-going work in order to record the
progress being made.
Trustee Steve Daly said: “It has been
many years of eff ort but now we are
within sight of our ambitions; to return
the building to the community for
public enjoyment.”
The Trust is looking for variety of
voluntary helpers including marketing
assistants, tour guides and interpretation
helpers.
There are plans for a webcam to beam
pictures from the roof terrace and
A View to LondonWork to open up one of the finest views in London, over the
rooftops of SE9, is progressing well. John Webb reports.
SEnine
18 Be active in your community
SEVERNDROOG REPORT
community events taking place in the
Castle during the evenings. It’s planned
to bring in a professional company to
run the catering operation.
A new-look website gives details of the
Castle’s history and latest developments
of the progress towards the offi cial
public opening.
Lee Hilton, contract manager, has been
responsible for co-ordinating teams of
craftsmen restoring brickwork, acres of
plastering, gilding cornices, reinstating
sash windows, and installing wiring,
plumbing and pipework.
He says it has been a complex job
requiring heritage skills to match new
brickwork with old and shades of mortar
which in time will blend in with features
which have been in place since the
building was constructed in the 1784.
Doorways have been bricked up,
plaques taken down and given a deep
polish and windows re-glazed to a
heritage standard fi nish. Old
doors, opening inwards, are
being restored and will be
re-hung to open outwards,
which will reveal automatic
sliding doors to keep in the
warmth.
This will be an important
issue; with a ceiling height of nearly fi ve
metres on each level, temperatures will
not be high in the winter months.
Constant discussions have taken place
with conservation offi cers from English
Heritage and Greenwich Council in
order to ensure a fi nish which respects
the fabric of the unique building, which
is expected to bring in visitors from
across London and the Home Counties.
As ever when working
with a building of this age,
unexpected problems
emerged, including insecure
brickwork on the ground fl oor
which required 15 courses of
new bricks and pinning work
to make the structure sound
for another 230 years.
Lee said: “Most of the work
has been to the interior.
Basically, the structure is
sound although we have
had a lot of work to the
pointing and windows. On the inside,
it has been providing the necessary
service facilities, replacing ceilings and
massive areas of replacement plastering.
Door and window surrounds to match
the original fi nish have been a challenge
and the company’s carpentry has been
commended by conservation experts
overseeing the work.”
Finally, three lightning
rods to reduce the
risk of natural disaster.
The Castle might be
a folly, but that was
230 years ago; soon
Severndroog will be,
literally, the area’s top
tourist attraction.
The Castle was erected in 1784 by his wife, Lady James to commemorate Sir William James after his death. She wanted it erected on Shooters Hill so it could be seen from her home, Park Farm Place, in Glenure Road.
Donations should be sent to The Treasurer, 155, Greenvale Road, Eltham, London SE9 1PG. People can also sponsor a brick or make donations online at;www.severndroogcastle.org.uk/help.html
SEnine
19Help keep Eltham safe - report suspicious activity!
SEVERNDROOG REPORT
The present White Hart public house
was erected in the mid 1920s and is
numbered as 2 Eltham High Street and
stands opposite Sherard Road.
The site is historic and would once
have been owned by the Crown, as
were some nearby properties until
recent times. John Border is the earliest
recorded licensee in 1838 when the
beer house was the fi rst, or last, place of
refreshment in Eltham for local drinkers
and travellers between London,
Maidstone and the Channel ports.
Between 1843 and 1847 James Pilbeam
was licensee until he died that year
on 14 June, aged 88. The memorial
erected at his burial spot in St John’s
churchyard faces towards the White
Hart and concludes with the words
‘Judge Me Not’ which is open to wide
interpretation! In 1843 he had a ‘run
in’ with a local police inspector when
he was brought to court at Greenwich
before Mr Jeremy, ‘for keeping his house
open after the hour of ten o’clock at
night, contrary to the statute’.
Mr Jeremy declared that by the recent
Act, the power of fi xing the hours was
taken away from the magistrates but
in places having 2,500 inhabitants the
beer houses might be kept open until
eleven o’clock, whilst those places
not so inhabited must close at ten.
The number of inhabitants was to be
proved by the last census of 1841 but
the chief clerk said the return had not
been published but it was a well-known
fact that the Eltham population did not
amount to more than 2,300. As this fact
was only hearsay, Mr Jeremy dismissed
the summons with lack of proof but
the defendant was warned not to run a
similar risk. In 1851 widow Mrs Charlotte
Pilbeam is recorded as the licensee.
In the 1860s Thomas Gimson is recorded
as the beer shopkeeper and was born in
Chislehurst. In the 1861 census beside
his wife Mary and son Alfred there
were also residing eight male lodgers
described as ‘labourers’. At this time
some property west of the White Hart
was demolished to make an access to
meadow land where a large house,
Kings Garden, was built on Crown land;
in the mid 1930s this was redeveloped
as Kings Orchard. A parade of four shops
was built over the former house access
in 1935 by local builder WE Wright with
workshops to the rear for his business;
they were converted to Hill View Studios
in 2009.
The 1871 census records William
Frederick Turner as the beer shopkeeper
with his wife, two young daughters, a
servant, a potman and three labouring
lodgers. That year on Wednesday 25
April saw the savage attack in nearby
Kidbrooke Lane of housemaid Jane
Maria Clouson who was discovered at
an isolated spot near a Kidbrooke farm
by a policeman on his early morning
round. He was able to summon more
police support at Well Hall and the poor
victim was taken by stretcher to the
home of Dr King who lived opposite
the White Hart and then on to Guy’s
Hospital where injuries to her head were
investigated. She died the following
Sunday unable to give any information
about her assailant. The case prompted
wide public attention and the jury
eventually acquitted the man brought
for trial. The picture of the White Hart
shown here was part of a contemporary
montage produced to illustrate the
events under the title, THE MURDER AT
ELTHAM and is the earliest likeness of
the beer house where no doubt the sad
events were recalled.
Between 1882 and 1910 the landlords
were John Frederick Annett, Thomas
John Marshall, Richard John Lane and
Alfred G Nunn. In 1904 the pub was
bought by the Dartford Brewery Co. Ltd.
1913 saw the publication of The Amateur
Gentleman by popular novelist Jeff ery
Farnol who lived at 71 Eltham Road. It
tells the story of a hero from humble
beginnings who inherits a fortune and
cuts a fi gure in the fashionable world
as a Regency buck and eventually wins
‘the lovely lady’. The locations in this
book include references to Eltham, the
races and two Eltham pubs, The White
Hart and The Chequers (now Draughts).
‘Bright rose the sun upon the ‘White
Hart’ tavern that stands within Eltham
village, softening its rugged lines,
gilding its lattices, lending its ancient
timbers as mellower hue. The inn of
the ‘White Hart’ is an ancient structure
and very unpretentious (as great age
often is), and being so very old, it has
The White HartJohn Kennett looks at the history of a popular local pub
The 1871 drawing of the White Hart
SEnine
20
HISTORIC ELTHAM
known full many a golden dawn. But
surely never, in all its length of days, had
it experienced quite such a morning
as this. All night long there had been
a strange hum upon the air, and now,
early though the air, Eltham village was
awake and full of an unusual bustle and
excitement.’
This was published in the time when
William John Batchelor was the licensee
but in April 1916 he was the victim of
a near fatal attack when a drunken
customer who, being ejected from the
premises, rose to his feet and seriously
injured the landlord’s throat with a knife.
Following court proceedings the farm
labourer, from nearby Lyme Farm, was
sentenced to six months detention at
His Majesty’s pleasure. In 1920 trams
from Lee stopped almost outside the
White Hart and in 1921 the missing link
was completed from ‘Eltham Church’ for
journeys towards London.
In the mid 1920s the old premises was
demolished for a new house. Some old
objects were unearthed, including a pair
of slippers bearing the royal monogram
MR encircled by four crowns, several
coins including a Queen Anne fl orin of
1707, a nosebag with the initials DT, and
wild was the unfounded speculation as
to their historic importance.
Three disused wells were
found in the garden and
there was a request to, ‘try
and use some of the old
beams in the rebuild’ but
no details were recorded
of such an action. The new
premises were opened in
June 1926 under licensee
Mrs Elizabeth Harriet
Batchelor.
Across the road old property
including Kingsdene, the
one time home of Dr King
was demolished and the
Eltham Baths opened in
April 1939.
During the 1980s the landlord owned
the unique PUB 1 number plate
attached to his car often parked on the
pavement in front of the
pub – it must now be
worth a fortune! In June
1997 work commenced
on the rear garden to
create a single storey
restaurant extension,
which was fi nished in
September. For a short
time jazz evenings were held on
Thursday featuring Patsy May’s band.
In August 2010 the pub closed and
was boarded up and then off ered for
sale freehold. In 2011 a ‘TO LET’ board
appeared and in September the pub
was receiving a revamp and paint and
re-opened in November 2011 with
new signage as a ‘Pub and Carvery’.
Present management HRM Pubs Ltd
commenced trading on 14 March 2012
and have attracted customers in a
welcoming atmosphere of food, drink
and charitable activities.
All pictures are from the John Kennett collectionThe White Hart in 1964
The timbered White Hart and the small Sherard Stores corner shop.
c. 1923 by Llwyd Roberts
Landlord’s unique number plate,
1989
Pub sign, 2012
Top - Advert from 1949
Below - 1970 advert from Eltham Little Theatre
programme.
SEnine
21
HISTORIC ELTHAM
November was a very good month for Erith Town as they progressed to the 3rd Round of the FA Vase to join 4 other Southern Counties East Football League clubs in the draw. I think that in itself shows the strength of our League and hopefully one of our clubs, and it’s destined not to be us unfortunately, can emulate Tunbridge Wells who managed to reach the fi nal last season before narrowly losing to Spennymoor United at Wembley Stadium!
Erith comfortably beat Hartley Wintney 5-1 at Badgers (with Aaron Jeff ery scoring a hat-trick for the Dockers) as the Millers were gaining a creditable 1-1 draw at South Park. We were slightly unlucky to lose 3-2 in the replay at Badgers four days later after leading 2-1 with 7 minutes of the tie remaining! Erith will now travel to Norwich United in the next round while the Millers have to await a reshuffl e from our fi xture’s secretary to see who we face in the League as the Dockers are making the journey up the A12 on January 7th.
You can of course keep up to date with all the latest fi xtures and results at www.scefl .com or www.cray-valley.co.uk
Meanwhile, in the League Cup, we brushed past Deal Town by an aggregate of 8-3 (including a 5-1 home leg win) while Erith were beating Holmesdale by 7-5 to put both clubs into the Quarter Finals. Let’s hope more success is on the way!
Fixtures are pretty sparse during December as we all look forward to the Christmas break and spending some time with our loved ones but we will be back to full swing in the New Year.
All that’s left for me now, on behalf of all of us at Badgers, is to wish all readers of SEnine, a very Merry Christmas, a happy and prosperous New Year and I look forward to seeing some of you at Badgers soon!
Frank May, Chairman, Cray Valley (PM) FC
Badgers Sports ClubHome of Cray Valley (pm) FC & Erith Town FC
For Cray Valley: Contact
Dave Wilson (Secretary)
07715 961886
or Frank May (Chairman)
07778 987579
Middle Park Avenue Eltham SE95HT
020 8355 [email protected]
www.badgersportsclub.co.uk
For Erith Town: Contact
James Davie (Secretary)
077807 712149
or Ian Birrell (Chairman)
07956 291274
Set in the grounds of Cray Valley &
Erith Town Football Clubs, Badgers
Sports Club is the ideal venue for
a variety of functions & events. Our
professional catering & hospitality team
can tailor a package that best suits
your requirements. Our newly rebuilt
& refurbished Clubhouse has lifted the
whole venue, now with air conditioning,
while the large glass domed roof fi lls the
hall with sunlight. As part of our package
we can also recommend a range of
services, from Wedding cars & fl owers, to
DJs & even live bands if you require.
Decembers FixturesCray Valley
7th TBA (home)
14th Canterbury City (home)
28th Beckenham Town (away)
4th Jan 2014 Rochester United (home)
Erith Town
7th Norwich United (away) FA Vase
21st Ashford United (home)
28th Phoenix Sports (home)
4th Jan 2014 Holmesdale (away)Striker Joe Nwoko (CV, green) against Holmesdale Ryan Sawyer keeping a close eye on a Redhill striker!
SEnine
22
SPORT
Join you local neighbourhood watch scheme
Suspended until further notice due to renovations
Full range of beauty treatments.
Dermalogica® stockists.
Gift vouchers. Graham Webb salon
202-204 Eltham High StreetEltham SE9 1BH
Telephone 020 8850 6311www.beautywithineltham.co.uk
Why not book your Christmas party with us
here from 1st December - 23rd December 2013?
We are off ering set
Christmas meals , Christmas
Buff et Menus. We also will
be hosting 'Bring a party to a party' on Friday evenings.
Full Christmas Buff et and
Disco. Price per person to be confi rmed
Christmas will be full of fun and laughter with
colleagues , friends old and new here at White Hart.
Just call us at 0208 850 1562, or send us an e-mail
Follow us on Facebook &
Twitter@TheWhiteHart3
2 Eltham High StreetEltham London SE9 1DA
020 8850 1562www.whiteharteltham.co.uk
Special Lunch MenuMonday - Friday
12pm - 4pm
2 course meal for £10.95
3 course meal for £12.95
New Beer Garden
Open
Christmas is comingChristmas is coming
Book now for Christmas
Try our SET
LUNCH*- £9.95For your dining pleasure.
2 courses includes a glass of House wine
90 Eltham High Street SE9 1BW020 8294 0303 or 07899 078 686
*limited off er
Experience the
Gusella diff erence.
Fine food, fi ne
wine and service
with a smile
Gusella'sGusella'sR i s t o r a n t e
Italian & Cypriot menus
SEnine
23
SEnine
Take an interest in local events
More than 650 members in the fi rst
month have been recruited to
the beautifully restored former cinema
space bringing ‘keep fi t’ at aff ordable
rates to local people.
The magnifi cent Art Deco space has
been lovingly restored with the addition
of a sensational glass atrium overlooking
Well Hall roundabout, kitted out with
the latest cardio-vascular equipment.
Open seven days a week, from 6am in
the morning weekdays to catch the
commuter trade, and 8am at weekends,
Kinesis off ers convenience and easy
parking to its patrons.
The introductory off er for the fi rst 500
members was snapped up rapidly and
Kinesis is heading towards the 1,000
mark by the Christmas season, when
membership is expected to be a must-
have Christmas gift in Eltham stockings
this year.
In the New Year, the second fl oor studios
will be open with a range of keep-
fi t classes running through the week
including yoga and ‘spin bike’ sessions
to music led by trained instructor.
The stunning foyer area is being kitted
out as a ‘chill-out’ space serving, initially
coff ees, teas, healthy drinks and light
snacks, but eventually with a more
extensive menu.
Commuters will be off ered a ‘breakfast’
take-away menu which they eat en
route to nearby Eltham Station or the
132 bus to North Greenwich.
Manager of the family-run concern,
Matt Suggars, said: “We’ve doubled our
expectations for the fi rst few weeks and
people are really loving coming in here.
“We’re taking feedback from our
customers all the time; we started with
the essential equipment at fi rst and
then we will add features which are
popular and in demand”, he said.
The refurbishment of the space has
been to the highest specifi cations
with exterior tiles
restored, Art Deco
glass staircase
renewed and
period features
added. The livery
is in the colours of
the Odeon group,
which originally
opened the
cinema in 1936.
“We’re getting great comments from
local people who are pleased the
building has been restored after 15
years of dereliction”, said Matt.
New members Holly Rouse and Louise
Coxall said they were enjoying being
able to drop in to the facility when they
like, timed around their working lives.
“It’s close to home and a great place to
come and keep fi t”, said Holly.
Using the cardio-vascular equipment
looking out on Well Hall, Taylor Scully,
not previously a gym member, said:
“I’m coming down three or four times
a week; it’s close to home and has easy
parking. I’m really enjoying it.”
More details at
www.kinesisgym.co.uk/.
Membership is £29.99 per month
or £24.99 per month for an annual
subscription. Joining fee £25.00.
Fit for PurposeEltham’s latest sports facility - the Kinesis Gym and Fitness Centre –
has opened to a fantastic response from the local community.
SEnine
24 Local Business - use it or lose it
HEALTH
Cut & Blow Dry's Short Hair £36.95 Long £39.95Highlights (Bleach) with Cut & Blow Dry (foil)Short Hair £75.00 Med Hair £85.95 Long Hair £95.95Tinting extra per colour £13.50
Senior Stylist, Cut & Blow Dry's £25.00 short, £29.00 long
Highlights (Bleach) with Cut & Blow Dry (foil) Short Hair £49.95 Med £59.85 Long Hair £69.95Tinting extra per colour £8.95
Style Directors
Alan, Jason, Karen Brenda and Hayley
Ring for your
appointment today Appointments not always necessary
Hair &
Beauty
Stylist Off er
Beauty with SeetaHigh Defi nition (hd) brows £25.00
Mon - Thur 9 - 6 Friday 9 - 7
Saturday 9 - 6020 8859 5228
020 8850 2931
190-194 Eltham High Street190-194 Eltham High StreetLeft to right
Hayley, Style Director - Wed & Sat
Kim, Senior Technician - Fri & Sat
Zoe, Senior Stylist - Mon to Sat
MoM n -
51 Welling High Street Welling, Kent DA16 1TU
F I R E P L A C E S
020 8303 1131
Well ing-- Modern & Traditional
Fireplaces
Large showrooms
Wide Selection on
Display
Site Survey & Fitting
Service
Friendly Service
Easy parking
Over 20 years in
business
We service gas fi res
Issue landlords
certifi cates.
Greenwich Association of Disabled People offer disabledor elderly people in Eltham the opportunity to choose who,when and how their requirements for Personal Assistantsare met:
Leisure support so you can enjoy a regular activity like swimming or a short trip away
Money support with basic financial tasks including paying bills and record keeping
Personal support with everyday things like bathing, dressing, preparing meals and shopping
Support at night if you need someone thereAssistance with laundry and cleaningSitting or companionship service.
Established for nearly 40 years, Greenwich Association ofDisabled People is a registered charity enabling disabledpeople to be independent. We reinvest income fromPersonal Assistant services into developing more servicesfor disabled people.
Contact us today on: 020 8305 2221Email: [email protected]
SEnine
25When in doubt, do the right thing
How long have you been running
the cafe?
I took over in January 2011 after I'd
worked there for a while. I was sure it
had more potential than just doing teas
and coff ees.
What did you change?
I introduced an extensive menu of hot
food and freshly made cakes and other
snacks. I brought in Rob, who I knew as
a customer, to be chef. He makes all our
cakes on the premises, our bread is fresh
and we do all our cooking on site. We
also serve cappuccinos and lattes, ice
creams, sweets and cold drinks.
Is it only outside?
No, we have the indoor room when it’s
poor weather or for people who prefer
to be inside.
Has it been hard work?
Yes. I’m here seven days a week from
7.30am to get things ready.
No holidays?
Just one a year, we close for a couple of
weeks.
When does the cafe open?
Seven days a week, from 9am to closing
time, which depends on the time of the
year so can be up to 7 or 8 o'clock in
summer. Sometimes in the summer we
do 17 hour days.
What do you like about the job?
Our regular customers; I’m my own boss
running my own business; it’s outdoor
in a lovely park.
Who are your regular customers?
We get dog walkers, parents with young
children, ramblers, older people who
just want to get out of the house and
council workers. Saturday mornings
we get parents and children from the
Marathon Lions football club who train
here, there are tennis classes and cycling
clubs run by Limited Edition for children
and adults on Saturday and Sunday.
So it’s not just individual customers?
No, we cater for groups, I’ve just served
22 lunches for the ramblers in our
indoor room; we’re doing three course
Christmas dinners for parties of 10 or
more.
Have you and Rob got families?
Yes, we both have grown up children,
Rob used to bring his to this park when
they were young, I come from Welling,
so we’re both local.
Do you get support from Greenwich
Council?
We could defi nitely do with a lot more
help from them to attract people to
use the park. The swing park and play
area need improving, it's a bit rundown.
Kids want more facilities, perhaps a
skateboard area? More sport would be
good.
What about events?
We organise our own, such as the
Hallowe’en party we did recently. It helps
to generate business and provides a
service for the community. We cater for
private parties like a children's birthday
celebrations.
Has this summer's weather helped
business?
Yes, it's been really good, so diff erent
from the year before when we struggled
badly after the poor summer weather
of 2012. That was followed by a tough
winter. We barely had enough money to
pay the bills and came close to closing
down but people encouraged us to
keep going and supported us.
Give us a taste of your food menu?
Home-made vegetable soup, roast lamb
or pork baguettes, 100 per cent beef
half-pound burgers, chilli con carne,
jacket potatoes, chips, and food like
bacon, eggs and sausages for breakfast,
home-made cakes"
What's your ambition for the future
of the cafe?
I'd like to see it thriving with lots more
going on in the park and the cafe at the
heart of it all, people sitting at our tables
and enjoying the community spirit.
Once a run-down shelter, Eltham Park cafe has become an important part of the community which had a busy summer. Matt Bell talks to proprietor
Caroline Parnell and her plans for the winter months.
The Heart of the Park SEnine
26 Help keep Eltham tidy! Put your litter in bins.
PERSONAL ELTHAM
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SEnine
27Don't fi nd fault, fi nd a remedy
Artistic GymnasticsOne of the area’s longest running gym clubs, Falcon Spartak has
celebrated its 40th anniversary.
The club, which was formed in 1973
and is based at Hurstmere School in
Sidcup, marked the birthday by holding
a gymnastics display and party.
Many of its members come from SE9 as
it serves Greenwich and surrounding
boroughs.
Falcon Spartak’s history has featured
medal winners at tournaments both
in this country and beyond starting
from its original mission to off er men’s
artistic gymnastics to those who were
interested in training’.
In recent years, it has expanded to off er
gymnastic opportunities to young
people of all ages and abilities, including
those with disabilities. Team members
attend events both across this country
and beyond.
Training is held in the school’s spacious
gym four times a week with fully
integrated sessions in artistic and
rhythmic gymnastics on Mondays,
Wednesdays and Thursdays for fully
integrated groups. On Saturday, sessions
are held for gymnasts with disabilities in
the morning with a general session in
the afternoons.
Special needs coach Iain Slater, from
New Eltham, (pictured with gymnasts)
has been associated with the club for
more than 20 years, having started as
a fi ve year old and been on numerous
trips to events across Europe, training up
to three times a week in his childhood.
He has now come back as a coach,
having taken his qualifi cations and
returned to the area following university.
Taking sessions with disabled gymnasts
on Saturdays is an ideal antidote to his
pressurised work as a producer on ITV's
‘X Factor’ programme, he says.
“I enjoy helping young people to
develop as gymnasts and gain self-
confi dence”, he said.
"You get to meet a wide range of
people, but also, because the club is
integrated, our disability gymnasts can
learn from the mainstream gymnasts
and vice versa, so it is good that the club
has them training side by side."
Lesley Walsh became involved with
the club when she took her daughter
Joanne to the club.
She was so inspired by the club’s
friendly atmosphere that she decided to
continue helping with its administration
after her daughter has passed through
the ranks.
Kay Salter has been the chairman
and senior coach of Falcon Spartak
for 26 years having been involved in
gymnastics all her life. Since retiring six
years ago, she has devoted much of her
time to running the club, which has 110
members.
She said the club had the full range
of men’s and women’s equipment for
artistic gymnastics including pommel
horse, rings, parallel bars and beam; for
rhythmic gymnastics there are hoops,
ribbons and balls.
She said: “I just enjoy being with the
gymnasts; having a mixture of people,
some with disabilities, means they help
each other and work together.
“It improves sociability, co-ordination
and how people see themselves”, she
said.
The able-bodied gymnasts are
encouraged to enter general
competitions; for the disabled there
are two national events a year, plus
one organised by Kay herself, in Poole,
which this year attracted more than 250
entrants.
The club still has spaces for new
members, all the way from 4 years
upwards to adult.
Anyone interested should call Kay on
07967 346060; the club’s website is
at www.falconspartak.com.
SEnine
28 Smile , it feels good
SPORT
Brickwork & DrivesPainting & decoratingTilingAny home improvement and instalment work
Mobile: 07944 575 848 Home: 020 8850 0354Email: [email protected]
Building Contractor
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Bill Treadgold
Reasonable rates and reliable
Residential Property ConveyancingResidential Lease Extensions
Commercial Property LeasesLasting Powers of Attorney
Employment Law AdviceFamily Law Advice
Probate & WillsLitigation
We refuse to pay estate agents for recommendations – we prefer to give you impartial advice and represent your best interests, without outside infl uences.
*Terms & proof to be provided
www.wattsandleeding.co.uk
Quality Legal Services
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Our fi rm will better any other local solicitor’s quotes* by 5%.
S o l i c i t o r sWatts & Leeding
Established 1969
4 Novar Rd, New ElthamSE9 2DN
We would love to help you with:
Lights Up ElthamPupils from Deansfi eld primary
school were among a giant turn
out for this year’s Lights Up parade and
celebrations up and down Eltham High
Street.
Fireworks lit up the sky at the end of the
parade, which marks the offi cial start to
the Christmas shopping period in SE9.
This year’s theme, of the Royal
Greenwich sponsored event, was ‘classic
children’s stories’ prompted by Eltham
author E Nesbit, who wrote her most
famous stories while living in Well Hall
in the fi rst two decade of last century.
D e a n s f i e l d ’s
chosen book
was ‘The
Owl and the
P u s s y c a t ’ ;
lanterns were
prepared by
the children
and, on the
night, the
youngsters
w e n t
to see a
b e a u t i f u l
p i r a t e
b o a t ,
h a u l e d
along the
High St with others from St Mary's,
Greenacres, Alderwood, Montbelle,
Kidbrooke Park, Haimo, Holy Family
primaries as well as St Thomas More
secondary and Eltham Hill. Workshops
were held at St Mary’s Community
Centre and the Eltham Centre; other
schools had drumming sessions,
providing an upbeat soundtrack to
proceedings.
SEnine
29Put your money where your house is - shop locally
YOUNG ELTHAM
It turned out to be a case of Big Storm/
Little Storm. Despite the predictions, the
weather of 28 October was nowhere near
as big a blow as the one 26 years previous.
There were some serious incidents; a giant
lime tree crushing a car in Court Yard,
large boughs down in Avery Hill Park and
some giant oaks in Shepherdleas Woods
threatening the railway line.
Horn Park suff ered the brunt of the wind
and lost eight willows, poplars and oaks
blown down. In Well Hall Pleasaunce an
old smooth leaved elm went down and an
ornamental cherry tree by the Tudor Barn,
planted when the park was fi rst laid out in
the 1930s.
Compare that with 16 October 1987 when
200 trees were lost in Greenwich Park, 50
in Avery Hill Park and around a third of
all trees in Oxleas Woods were said to be
toppled or damaged.
But many lessons were learned from that
event. The standard response had been
for fallen trees to be quickly chopped up,
burned or taken away.
That was not the right thing to do.
Decaying timber is one of the country’s
most important of habitats and, by being
excessively tidy, it has been under threat
at the hands of our own foresters with a
generation of rotting material having been
swept away.
At fi rst sight, decaying timber might look
like neglect or poor management. But it is
estimated that more than 1,800 species of
fungi, lichens, hoverfl ies, beetles, birds and
bats rely on old wood for their food and
homes, a wealth of biodiversity living off
each other.
It also begs the question about the
moment when a tree actually dies. It’s not
as straightforward as for humans or any
living creature in fact.
Trees are a long time a-dying and, in some
respects, the process begins when they’re
saplings. In later life, they start a process
of ‘veteranisation’, which can produce the
richest habitat of all.
Fungus can breed in the outer layers of a
tree quite happily for years, creating humps
and hollows for beetles and woodpeckers.
Open crowned ancient trees with hollow
trunks are best of all for nature. A good
woodland manager will have all ages of
trees and plenty of deadwood around.
Weathering the weather
Tree down in Court Yard
Photo by John Kennett
The new multi-million pound re-
build of Eltham Hill school has been
offi cially opened.
A new Sixth Form centre, taking both
female and male students, was the fi nal
piece of the jigsaw which has seen the
entire school re-built and modernised
over the past three years.
Students in the Sixth Form will study
both for A levels and the International
Baccalaureate (IB) qualifi cation,
which has a broader and more varied
curriculum.
Eltham Hill has become the borough’s
centre for students wanting to study for
the IB and the fi rst students taking the
qualifi cation are now in their fi rst year.
The new Sixth Form centre, and catering
complex, has been sensitively built
around the original buildings of the
school which back on to Queenscroft
Park.
It joins the new high-tech three storey
building fronting on to Eltham Hill itself
alongside the state of the art sports and
leisure centre.
Headteacher Madeleine Griffi n said the
offi cial opening was a great day for the
school, and all the students who would
be educated there.
The opening
was attended by
former pupils Pat
Allen (L) and Sheila
Wood (R) with
the plaque being
unveiled by the
newly ennobled
Baroness Lawrence
of Clarendon.
Balloons Fly at School Opening
SEnine
30 Take a walk in the Pleasaunce
NATURAL ELTHAM
Tan away the winter blues'Smart, clean and modern', that
was the simple brief for the
establishment of a new Tanning Studio
in Well Hall Road Eltham.
The shop, H & H Tanning derives its
name from business partners Anna
Hershman and Tom Hanks.
The concept and design came from
Anna who had very clear ideas of what
was to be achieved. But
the work was done by
Tom with help from family
and friends, all who live
in Eltham, making the
business truly a 'made in
Eltham' aff air.
"All the staff are local or
family" said Anna. "They
have all been trained
in the processes and
products used in the
tanning studio".
The premises boasts the latest in
tanning equipment with two 225 watt,
60 tube stand up booths and one 71
tube lay down bed.
"We have made hygiene and cleanliness
a focus while also concentrating on
ease of use" Anna commented.
"We have all the top name creams
and products available, you can buy a
bottle or
we have
a bulk
s u p p l y
and can
put a
'shot' of
p r o d u c t
into a
s m a l l
container,
t h u s
reducing
the price"
said Anna.
Whether it is to get a head start for your
trek into the holiday sun or brighten up
your tan for the Christmas season pop
in and see Anna and the team for advice
and that perfect tan.
H&H tanning
54 Well Hall Road, SE96SH
020 8850 2020L-R Jo, Anna (seated) and Carole
SEnine
31Your Community is what you make it
BUSINESS ELTHAM
One of London’s oldest music stores. Approaching 100 years in Eltham.
We stock a large range and variety of musical instruments and printed music, including Associated Board Publications
hamamamam.
32 Well Hall Road Eltham SE9 6SF tel: 020 8850 1263
Why risk buying from the internet or a catalogue shop when you can buy from the specialists?
www.normansmusic.co.uk
Free advice and guidance on all our products before and after your purchase.
We would like to thank all our customers for their support in 2013.
Have a happy and peaceful Christmas.
SEnine
32
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Independent Estate Agents serving the SE9 area for over 50 years www.bernardskinner.co.uk
020 8859 3033
22 Well Hall Road, Eltham, SE9 6SF OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK
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More properties wanted- selling out fast!Dairsie Road/Crookston Road - We have recently sold 4 properties in these roads and have buyers waiting for similar property.
Eltham Heights - Our offi ce has sold a record number of houses in this area and have other buyers very keen to fi nd.
Progress Conservation Area - Always a popular area but especially so in the last 6 months, all sizes and condition, fl ats and houses.
Eltham Park - There are many buyers looking for houses in the Glen Roads, Greenvale Road, Earlshall/Elibank Roads and surrounding
Please contact us if you have a property to sell - 020 8859 3033
Eltham £229,995
Stylish 2 bed f/f fl at in pop dev, few mins walk High St,
25' living room, balcony, 14'10 master bed, long lease,
epc c rating
Eltham £250,000Well presented 2 bed semi, lounge and dining area, 2
dble beds, 65' south-facing gdn, epc d rating
Kidbrooke £255,0003 bed terr with side access, smallest bed 9' x 8'6, some
updating req'd, g/f shower, 50' westerly gdn, epc e
rating
Sidcup OIEO £430,000
4 bed extended chalet, 18' kit/break rm, 20' living rm,
dining rm, g/f bathroom, f/f shower rm, gge and utility,
own drive
Raising the roofs….SPY’s property correspondent is becoming
excited about the possible breaking of SE9’s
house price record which he believes is
likely to be shattered in the coming months.
The title deeds to the record have been held
by a house in Court Road since 2006 when
it sold for £1.45m at a time when property
and the economy seemed on a non-stop
track to oblivion. Although three others in
Court Road, and one in North Park, have
broken the £1m sound barrier since then,
the big money has gone elsewhere. But
SPY’s ‘man on the Zoopla omnibus’ informs
him that there are now fi ve properties in the
area which might have the winning ticket.
Top of the tree is the re-build on Court Road
just south of North Park, which is said to
have ‘instant kerb appeal’ as well as seven
bedrooms (all en suite) and the obligatory
rich-man’s toy, a cinema room. Close behind
is a neighbouring property which boasts ‘a
wonderful in-out driveway’ and includes an
outdoor pool but just six bedrooms. A snip
at £2m is an eight bedroom number with
jacuzzi, sauna garage and ‘teenage den’. It
also has gated access to the 10th tee of the
Royal Blackheath Golf Club, handy if you
can’t sleep. None of the agents, apparently,
mention the handiness of the local bus
services just beyond the gated driveways.
Sited slightly more sedately in North Park
are two further properties jostling at £1.5m
which could conceivably sneak the record,
possibly for a cash buyer? (no questions
asked).
Posh prices..Also in the posh end of town, nearby Eltham
Palace, SPY understands, is not up for sale,
despite the increasingly commercial antics
of owners English Heritage, who apparently
keep it in trust for the nation. Many locals
started to doubt this proposition when the
heritage cognoscenti ripped up the ‘free for
Greenwich Card holders’ access to the lovely
gardens and started to demand entry fees.
The fi nal sell-out came when the ‘garden
only’ ticket was withdrawn earlier this year
leaving it an expensive £9.80 a head stroll
for locals already familiar with the house
and Hall. Surely a chance to hand an olive
branch to the poverty-stricken serfs from
Eltham village? Not a bit of it. Entrance £6.20
each.
El Theme Palace....But EH bosses have big ideas for the site.
SPY understands that Heritage HQ is
aiming to promote the Palace into a higher
league in the history stakes. There is to be
a children’s playground installed this winter
and next year a plush new restaurant will
be built near the car park off Court Road. To
service this extension, a new 40 place
car park will expand the overspill
provision through a hedgerow
into an adjacent fi eld. The siting
of the new play area is puzzling,
occupying the old tennis court
installed but rarely used by the Courtaulds.
The puzzle is that the over-educated elite
which runs EH is spending most of the
winter ordering beautiful fl ower beds to be
grassed over in the name of historical 1930s
authenticity. So what about the tennis court
then, hitherto considered an important and
authentic Courtauld feature? Anyway, are
we sure yew-berry hedges and children are
a good combination?
Invading the Palace?It’s antics such as this which is putting
the Palace on the radar screen of Royal
Greenwich council bosses. Shortly, and held
back for four years by the Olympic Games,
the council is to launch its own heritage
trust which will oversee historic sites such
as the Tudor Barn, Charlton House, and
Severndroog Castle. Councillors hope the
trust will soar into the sky with the success
of Greenwich Leisure Limited and have
long term ambitions to bring Eltham Palace
within its ambit, the fi rst time the royal site
will have been taken by force in its 1,000
year history. Pipe-dreaming possibly. If its
role is to co-ordinate the borough heritage
eff orts, perhaps the fi rst task will be to install
proper street signage for the Tudor Barn, so
long denied it by the council’s un-joined up
Highways section.
Hidden heritage…It’s good that heritage is taking a step out of
the shadows and the latest exhibition at the
Heritage Centre, tucked well out of sight at
Woolwich Arsenal, contains two priceless
gems relating to SE9’s past. The fi rst is the
sole surviving manuscript of Eltham author
E Nesbit, who wrote her famous books
while living at Well Hall, which has never
previously seen the light of public view.
One of her lesser-known tomes is ‘The
Magic City’ and the original manuscript
shows her keen, fl owing handwriting, with
numerous amendments. Interestingly, the
paper is marked ‘Woolwich Public Libraries’
which suggests that, despite her fame, she
deemed it necessary to ‘borrow’ paper to do
her work. Also on show is a ledger with the
landing sites of the war-time ‘fl ying bombs,’
or doodlebugs, in the area, with casualties.
It logs the fi rst V1 hitting a site near Avery
Hill Road on 17 June 1944. Just reading
the list of the landings, dates, deaths and
familiar street names brings home the real
terror which must have been felt by our
recent predecessors. Fascinating reading
but, scandalously, not available for all to
see on the internet, just a few passing souls,
Censorship by neglect.
Endangered species...So what have a dodo, the Loch Ness
Monster and young car-less couples who
can aff ord £250,000 apartments have in
common? Yes, you’ve guessed it, none
of them exist! Unless you’re Greenwich
Council and a developer trying to sort out
Eltham’s longest running derelict site, aka
Grove Market Place. SPY learns that new
contenders, Citigrove, are planning 144 fl ats
with just 49 car parking spaces, which runs
contrary to every bit of current planning
guidance. No bother, say Citigrove, the
answer’s obvious. People who have cars
just won’t want to buy them! That’s ok then.
Although it isn’t. Young couples with cars
will buy them but leave their vehicles strewn
around neighbouring residential areas. This
causes apoplexy at the nearby Bob Hope
Theatre, never normally ones to make a
drama out of a crisis. Planning watchers
will remember council leader Chris Roberts
giving them assurances that their evening
parking requirements would be listened
to in re-developing the eyesore, a promise
which came to nothing when Cathedral got
the go-ahead for their doomed commercial
hub proposals. History’s repeating itself.
Floored proposals….SPY wonders if anyone else noticed that
the previous six storey apartment planned
for the Grove has become eight storeys in
the latest plans. How? By putting fl ats in the
basement car parking space, calling it ‘lower
ground’ and using the continental system of
numbering from the second fl oor upwards.
C’mon, we can count boys.
In the queue….Meanwhile, pre-Xmas shoppers queuing
for ages to fi nd a parking space in Orangery
Lane will be pleased to hear relief is at hand.
After having spent years denying there
were more cars than spaces in Eltham, brain
boxes in the town’s regeneration board now
accept there’s a shortfall at ‘peak hours’. SPY
thinks we could have told them that some
time ago. Expect proposals for a new multi-
storey in the area.
Pizza Hut…Pizza shut. That's all I have to say about that.
SEnine
33Have your say, your opinion counts
Yalways newsy, sometimes
inaccurate or irreverent, often
controversial or gossip, but never
the opinion of SEnine.
Either go to the SEnine web site atwww.senine.co.uk
or write to the Editor at:
SEnine, PO Box 24290
Eltham SE9 6ZP
What is your opinion?
As a resident of Progress estate I have the overall trust that most people have in our fi ne estate, I have a nutty front garden with all kinds of interesting things in it and has many viewers and kids love it, along with my husky, but a few weeks ago I was appalled one morning when I noticed 3 of my large metal red/white mushrooms had gone walk about. I would be grateful if anyone has seen them around to let me know through se9 mag, as they are very old and are around 2/3 foot high metal, and I’ve had them for 10 years.
Another matter is the up keep of the estate which seems to be falling. I regularly report to the council about our ever running problem of the cracked and broken paving and repairs which are usually repaired when too late, but this is probably a large hazard, as there are many of them because of the parking on pavements, on bin days I have to walk in the road as you can’t get through, which is a real safety issue and tenants parking 3/4 on pavements as well all other times. I know our roads are narrow but this problem really needs addressing, posts or something to stop pavement parking which is the main cause of all the broken pavements ,and if it takes not parking your car slap bang outside your house so be it ,Lesley Ann Vint - Brome Road
Pernicious Retailer
ppSun Yard
Your Spy blithely asserts (November issue) that Lidl ‘would certainly give Mottingham high street (sic) a fi llip’. He hasn’t been spying in Mottingham, then.
In April, a packed residents’ association meeting gave Lidl a unanimous thumbs down to a supermarket in our village and a week later, an anti-Lidl mass demonstration was broadcast on BBC News. All our councillors and both local MPs and the relevant government minister oppose Lidl’s scheme.
Furthermore, Lidl’s PR machine has backfi red. An exhibition attempting to tout the new supermarket locally was supported by just 22 people out of hundreds participating in an exit poll. And a widely promoted Lidl online survey has fl opped, with under 30 named respondents supporting a supermarket out of thousands living here.
So why all this opposition to Lidl? This pernicious retailer proposes to demolish The Porcupine, an attractive old building that houses a community asset that has been run down for decades by successive incompetent owners of the pub. Their proposition involves the destruction of many trees, the paving over of extensive gardens for parking and permanent disruption of the lives of scores of families living around the site.
Add to this the unacceptable increase in local traffi c and Lidl trolleys littering our streets, plus job losses through the inevitable closure of existing local shops that already serve our local shopping needs, and Mottingham people would have to endure a sharp decline in their living environment.Some fi llip.Mike Park - Court Road
Progress Problems
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iyyL
I am pleased to see that the old name of Sun Yard has been revived for the access road alongside Eltham Library at the suggestion, I understand, of the Eltham Society. What a pity that the area is blighted by Prezzo and their eight refuse bins. When the Eletriq café operated the area contained no bins, Prezzo have turned it into ‘Bin Yard’.E.J., - Eltham…..
I don't know who all the local objectors to a path round the circumference of Avery Hill Park are, but I think it's long overdue.
Surely we should be encouraging people to exercise all year, including winter, when the unpaved path is a quagmire. I often walk the circuit and think it's great that I don't have to dodge dog poo and don't have to hose my walking shoes off afterwards.
More crucially, people with buggies, wheelchairs and those with sight or walking problems will fi nd it so much easier. It is a large, underused park which now has an extra excellent resource.S Darvill - Colepits Wood Road
I don't know who all the local objectors to a path
Park Path
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SEnine
34 SEnine does not necessarily agree with or support any letters published.
MAILBOX ....... Have your say
You can make a diff erence in your community
SEnine
35
ELTHAM
HARRISON INGRAM
rede
finin
g th
e a
rt o
f
sellin
g h
omes
ESTATE AGENTS RESIDENTIAL LETTINGS PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
156 Well Hall Road, Eltham, London, SE9 6SNT: 020 8859 4419 F: 0208 859 8207 E: [email protected]
www.harrisoningram.co.uk
SEMI-DETACHED FAMILY HOUSE
THREE RECEPTION ROOMS
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MODERN FITTED KITCHEN/DINER
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GCH INSTALLED IN 2012
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GARAGE & PARKING
Offers in excess o
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SEnine
36 Pick up litter and bin it
Greenwich Borough Property Groupconranestates.co.uk
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SEnine
37Look out for you neighbour
ELTHAM / MOTTINGHAM42 Well Hall RoadEltham SE96SFT: 020 8378 5450E: [email protected]
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LETTINGS MANAGEMENT DEPT221 Greenwich High RoadGreenwich SE10 8NBT: 020 8312 8316E: [email protected]
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If there’s a subject on which
Herbaceous is conspicuously quiet,
it’s politics.
Not because he has no views, in
fact he has more than plenty, but
their outlandish nature makes them
‘comedic’, as they say these days.
They’re the result of the distorted prism
through which the Old Grump sees the
world and are seasoned by his own
experiences.
But there’s a constant theme.
An example is his views on job seeking,
the prevailing view is that it’s good to
help young people fi nd them.
To Herbaceous, this is little more than
a game of musical chairs. You help one
youngster fi nd a job, it’s just snatching it
from under the nose of another.
Loads of kids getting ‘on their bikes’
just results in loads of kids going round
on bikes, not more of them actually
working, he reckons.
Similarly the latest eff orts to help couples
buy their fi rst houses. The only ‘help’ he
ever got was from a sharp-suit putting
his interest rate up to 17 per cent. The
poor lad spent a whole year having to
eat home-grown carrots. Mind you, the
cottage only cost £15,000, so it was just
about doable.
Again, he reckons, helping one couple
get their toes on the ladder only serves
either to push another’s off or to shift
the ladder completely.
Same with his bills for electricity. So, a
million folk club together to make their
bills cheaper. But it only serves to make
everyone else’s more expensive. Where’s
the point in that? It’s as much help as
handing out glow sticks.
As ever, Herbaceous’ preferred analogies
come from the world of horticulture. Is it
better, for instance to help some people
get allotments, without adding to the
number of allotments? Or to order more
compost so that more can be grown on
each plot?
And, instead of people growing
cabbages – only one per plant – better
courgettes, which produce more the
more you pick.
So, if he were a politician, that would be
his slogan. ‘More muck and marrows.
You know it makes sense!’
You can see why he keeps it quiet.
More Muck & MarrowsSEnine
39Never stop trying
HERBACEOUS
A Carol Service to Remember Christmas Carols at Kemnal Park
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