Author: Neil Clasper

What’s on at Charlton House this summer?

Neil Clasper
Duo Furioso
Duo Furioso will perform at Charlton House in August

Here’s the latest from Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust on upcoming events at Charlton House & Gardens over the summer:

July and August’s Friday Concert Programme sees recitals from a host of talented musicians including; Royal Greenwich Brass Band 12th July, the Ensemble of the Central Band of the Royal Air Force 2nd August and Duo Furioso 30th August. A firm favourite for audiences young and old Charlton House’s Friday Concert programme is free to attend from 1pm to 2pm every Friday in the Old Library, and only made possible by kind and generous donations.

Tickets are still available for an open-air performance, in association with Drama Impact, of the Shakespeare classic comedy ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ on Sunday 14th July, 2pm and 7pm. Tickets are available at £15.00 per head from the dramaimpact.com website.

Two very special outdoor screenings in association with the Extraordinary Travelling Film show are being held on Friday 19th and Saturday 20th July.

Watch the Oscar winning Bohemian Rhapsody on the big screen under the stars on Friday 19th 7.30pm, within the impressive grounds and gardens of Charlton House. A big night is expected so come along and make some noise to the classic hits of Queen. Tickets are available at £12 per adult, £9 per child and £35 per family.

Hidden Figures screens on the evening of Saturday 20th July, part of a series of events in association with the Moon Festival celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the moon landings. This heart-warming crowd pleaser film celebrates the crucial and often overlooked contribution of a group of women to space history, to critical acclaim and with a stellar cast. Tickets for this screening are now available at the discounted rate of £8 per adult, £6 per child and £25 per family.

For families and young children Holiday Histories returns to Charlton House every Wednesday from the 31st July to the 28th August, with activities centred on Jacobean fashion and embroidery, Honeybee making and dressing up. Suitable for children aged 4+, you can drop in on the day from 10am to 1pm, £1.50 per child, with younger children welcome to join with the help of a responsible adult.

More details and booking information on all the events coming up at Charlton House & Gardens can be found at greenwichheritage.org/whats-on or by calling 020 8856 3951.

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Charlton Toy library musical fundraiser at The White Swan

Neil Clasper

Charlton Toy Library Fundraising Concert Flyer - Final

Charlton Toy Library is holding a Fundraising Concert on July 6th, from 5pm at The White Swan in Charlton Village.

The Toy Library offers play and borrowing sessions three mornings a week, and also provides an outreach service that delivers and fits safety equipment for families, including families at risk.

The fundraiser will start with a children’s concert upstairs in the Swan function room. Entry will cost £5 per adult and will feature students of local music teacher Colin Foord-Divers. The kids have been practising hard and the vast majority will be performing for the first time!

From 8pm the party moves downstairs to the main bar where The Shangrilads will blast out a bit of punk, a bit of rock and a side order of roll. Also on the bill will be London singer-songwriter Marie Bashiru, with an enticing mix of folk, jazz and pop rock (which you can listen to ahead of time here: https://soundcloud.com/mariebashiru).

The downstairs gig is free to all, but there will be buckets rattling (not during the songs hopefully) and people are invited to support the Toy Library while enjoying the tunes and the White Swan generally.

For those that don’t know, the Toy Library was set up in 1982 by local mums and initially was run from their homes. The Toy Library now has a regular base in Charlton House and children are free to visit and play on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, between 9.30 and 12.30 (term time only).

Further information:

Tickets can be purchased on the day at The White Swan.
The White Swan can be found at 22 The Village (opposite the Co-op).
You can read more about Charlton Toy Library on their website: http://www.charltontoylibrary.co.uk

Our thanks to Charlton Champion reader Paul Chapman for sending over details of the event.

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Charlton Society marks 50 years with a garden party at St George’s Garrison Church

Neil Clasper

The Charlton Society has been in touch with news of its Golden Jubilee celebrations being held this weekend at St. George’s Garrison Church, Woolwich this weekend:

The Charlton Society would like to invite you to attend their Garden Party at St. George’s Royal Garrison Church on Saturday 15th June.  See further details on the flyer above and RSVP as requested.

There is a small entrance charge (cash only) and as the garden is in full sunshine we suggest you bring a sun hat and umbrella or parasol with you.

We would strongly recommend that you reach the Garrison Church by public transport – there are numerous bus services – as parking in the area is limited.  Download a map here

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This weekend is Open Studio Weekend at Thames-Side Studios – and you’re invited

Neil Clasper

Thames-Side Studios Open Weekend Poster

Summer is upon us and it’s time for the annual Open Studios weekend at the largest artists’ studio complex in Europe, Thames-Side Studios. Charlton-based author ANDREW DONKIN reports…

YOU’RE INVITED! OPEN STUDIO WEEKEND AT THAMES-SIDE STUDIOS

Still one of Charlton’s best kept secrets, Thames-Side Studios is home to over 500 artists, carpenters, print makers, jewellery makers, sculptors, leather workers, stained glass workers, landscape designers, photographers, wood workers, book binders, picture framers, clock makers and one graphic novelist. The list is almost as endless as Brexit.

Over the weekend of Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th June from noon to 6pm each day, all sorts of creative types will be throwing open their doors to welcome you into their studios. It’s an opportunity to meet them, talk about what they do, and buy some fantastic pieces of art direct from their creator.

Thames-Side Studios is located next to the river, off from Warspite Road which is the road that runs towards the river from the Woolwich Road roundabout with the McDonald’s on it. The event is really family friendly with loads for kids to see and do.

There’s an exciting programme of events, demonstrations and activities taking place across the whole site including:

  • Hundreds of artists and creators studios open to the public.
  • Creative family workshops in the Education Space.
  • Print demonstrations and workshops in Thames-Side Print Studios
  • Chance to get your hands dirty with The London Sculpture Workshop.
  • Circus skills workshops from the fantastic Aircraft Circus Academy (2-6pm.)
  • Art on display in the Gallery and The Viewing Room.
  • Free screenings of Ray Richardson’s award-winning film “Our Side of the Water”.
  • Craft beer from Off-The-Wagon’s mobile beer factory.
  • Loads of grub options including vegetarian and vegan.

As if all that wasn’t enough (and I’m suggesting to you that it very much is
enough), street artist Rosie Woods will be painting a huge scale mural live during
the weekend.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

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Concerts, Shakespeare and outdoor films at Charlton House & Gardens this summer

Neil Clasper
Bohemian Rhapsody film image
View an outdoor screening of Oscar winning film Bohemian Rhapsody at Charlton House in July

News in from Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust about upcoming events at Charlton House & Gardens:

Charlton House’s Friday Concert Programme, which takes place every Friday from 1pm to 2pm and free for all to attend, welcomes the Royal Academy and Royal College of Music students back to the Old Library, with recitals from the Brompton String Quartet and Academy Harp Department in June.

July sees the return of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and Royal Greenwich Brass Brand, a firm favourite for audiences young and old.

There are also a number of special events taking place in July, with an open-air performance in association with Drama Impact of the Shakespeare classic comedy ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ on the 14th July, 2pm and 7pm. Tickets are available at £15.00 per head from the dramaimpact.com website.

More open-air events are planned in July with two very special outdoor screenings in association with the Extraordinary Travelling Film show.

Watch the Oscar winning Bohemian Rhapsody on the big screen under the stars on Friday 19th July at 7.30pm, within the impressive grounds and gardens of Charlton House. A big night is expected so come along and make some noise to the classic hits of Queen.

Hidden Figures screens on the evening of Saturday 20th July, part of a series of events in association with the Moon Festival celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the moon landings, this heart-warming crowd pleaser film celebrates the crucial and often overlooked contribution of a group of women to space history, to critical acclaim and with a stellar cast.

Early bird tickets for both screenings are available until the 16th June after which they will go on general sale. Early bird prices are £9 for adults, £6 for children (3-12) and you can purchase a family ticket (2 adults, 2 children) for £35.

More details and booking information on all the events coming up at Charlton House & Gardens can be found at greenwichheritage.org/whats-on or by calling 020 8856 3951.

SUPPORT THE CHARLTON CHAMPION

The Charlton Champion provides news and information about issues and events in London SE7.
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Charlton Lido latest: Summer opening, Swim Doctor, cafe… and caps

Neil Clasper


Charlton Lido - May 2019

With the sun making increasingly regular appearances and a bank holiday weekend hoving in to view, we thought we’d take a quick look at the latest news from Charlton Lido:

You can start your long weekend with a Friday afternoon swim as they extend pool opening hours until 4pm today (though note they’re closing early at 4pm on Monday):

 

Summer opening hours for the pool start on Tuesday 28th May and will be:

  • Weekdays: 6.30am – 8pm
  • Weekends: 9am – 5pm

(Easier to remember than previous summers, though many will wish that they’d stay open until the evening on warm weekends).

The cafe has now re-opened:

 

And – at last! – they have some merchandise to sell. Charlton Lido & Lifestyle Club branded swim caps come in four colours and are for sale at the reception for £5 each:

 

The lido’s Swim Doctor sessions – drop-in swimming classes for adults, included in lido membership fees or £3 on top of the cost of a swim – are now running 6 times a week:

  • Monday 7–8pm
  • Tuesday 9.30–10.30am and 12.30–1.30pm
  • Thursday 1–2pm.
  • Friday 7–8.30am (fitness) and 9.30–10.30 am (technique)

This writer highly recommends these classes as a way to improve your swimming as part of a supportive group of swimmers of varying experience and ability, without having to commit to regular attendance.

Inexplicably, there’s no mention of the Swim Doctor sessions on the official lido website, and you can’t book them online (as far as we can see – if anyone’s worked out how to do this, let us know!). We recommend following Tracy Swim Doctor or Friends of Charlton Lido on Twitter to keep up with the latest news.

Here’s to a happy summer of lido swimming!

SUPPORT THE CHARLTON CHAMPION

The Charlton Champion provides news and information about issues and events in London SE7.
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Charlton Lido: Spring swimming opening hours announced

Neil Clasper

Charlton Lido heated open air pool
Charlton Lido has announced its pool opening hours for Spring 2019, which come into effect today.

The pool is now open 7 days a week, having been closed on Wednesdays and Thursday through the winter. The new opening times are:

  • Mondays – 06.30-14.00 / 16.00-20.00
  • Tuesdays – 06.30-14.00 / 16.00-20.00
  • Wednesdays – 06.30-14.00
  • Thursdays – 06.30-14.00
  • Fridays – 06.30-14.00
  • Weekends – 09.00-17.00

The announcement was made via Instagram and Twitter posts and, at the time of writing, the new times were not reflected in the centre’s online timetable. The latter has not shown accurate opening times for much of this year (you’ll struggle, for example, to find any info on the excellent Swim Doctor sessions which run several times a week).

The Charlton Champion hopes that GLL/Better will provide the centre with a fit-for-purpose website in the near future.

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