Charlton Lido in the late September sunshineIt’s officially autumn, despite the late burst of September sunshine, and autumn means three things for Charlton Lido swimmers: swimming in the dark on weeknight evenings (try it – I promise you it’s one of the very best things you can do in Charlton on a Monday night); the water temperature being noticeably higher than the air temperature making it easier to get in the pool and harder to get out; and – less positively – a reduction in pool opening hours.
Here’s how it’s looking for Autumn/Winter ’18:
Charlton Lido Winter Pool Timetable October 2018 to March 2019:
The popular Swim Doctor drop-in sessions will continue on Monday evenings and Friday mornings, with the current Wednesday morning session moving to Tuesday mornings.
News in from Charlton’s amateur dramatics group about their upcoming production:
The Alexandra Playersare delighted to present “Oh What A Lovely War” in support of The British Legion’s#ThankYou100 campaign. Through the sale of poppies, we hope to raise money for the charity and provide our audiences with 4 nights of acting and entertainment in October.
Oh What A Lovely War
A chronicle of the First World War, told through songs and documents in the form of a seaside pierrot entertainment of the period, was devised and presented by Joan Littlewood’s Theatre Workshop at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East, London, in 1963. It was the result of close co-operation between writer, actors and director, where the whole team participated in detailed research into the period and in the creative task of bringing their material to life in theatrical terms. It won the acclaim of audiences and critics and the Grand Prix of the Theatre des Nations festival in Paris in 1963 and has become a classic of the modern theatre.
8pm, Wednesday 24th – Saturday 27th October 2018 (Doors open at 7.30pm)
Tickets: Seats £9 Concessions £8
Venue: The Alexandra Hall, Bramshot Avenue, Charlton, SE7 7HY
Annie Keys of the Big Red Bus Club, which has received funding for specialist play equipment for disabled children amongst other projects, told TheCharlton Champion: “Big Red Bus Club has been incredibly fortunate to be supported through Charlton’s ward budget scheme. It’s been great to help us try out new ideas and projects that local families have wanted to see happen in Charlton. A perfect example is Play Plus; £750 helped us to buy sensory play equipment for children who have additional needs.
That little bit of funding three years ago led to a whole programme of support for local SEND (Special Education Needs and Disabled) under-fives and their families. Now, Play Plus has three years of funding from Children in Need, for a specialist support worker, a programme of community arts and every Monday a whole day of targeted activities including Makaton story telling.
Our local Charlton councillors have also supported Large and Legging It our running group for women over 30BMI, and this year a new project aimed at families that could benefit from English as a Second Language (ESOL) support with their under fives. If any community groups want to come along and have a chat about how our projects have benefitted, we would be happy to share experiences. Get in touch by email at party [@] thebigredbusclub.com”
Greenwich Council says that Ward Budget funding should support initiatives that:
promote the well-being of the community and which are developed in response to local priorities and/or to meet a need identified from within the ward
look to provide additional funding where community groups are already making efforts to raise funds to support the project
are developed and monitored by local councillors, making use of their knowledge of local needs and priorities
have consensus across a ward or between wards
enhance the council’s community leadership role and promote civic pride.
If you have a project idea you think could be funded, contact your local ward councillor.
Charlton House might be the first place that comes to mind if someone asks about listed buildings in SE7, but did you know that there are two Grade II-listed telephone boxes in Charlton?
The phone boxes – one located at the top end of Wyndcliff Road and the other on Charlton Road opposite Charlton House – are K2s, designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott. They were built sometime between 1926 and 1935.
According to The Telephone Box website, around 1,700 boxes of this iconic design were installed before a slimmed down design (the K3) was rolled out, and 224 examples remain in London today.
Charlton’s examples still seem to work (unlike some more recent models) but could do with a little TLC; the one on Charlton Road in particular is missing quite a few panes of glass. Responsibility for the upkeep and maintenance of public telephone boxes lies with BT, which plans to scrap half of the payphones it manages in response to the dramatic decline in use since mobile phones gained widespread adoption. Grade II-listed status should hopefully protect these two examples.
K2 telephone box on Wyndcliff Road, Charlton.K2 telephone box on Wyndcliff Road, Charlton.K2 phone box on Charlton Road, near Charlton Church Lane.K2 phone box on Charlton Road, near Charlton Church Lane.K2 phone box on Charlton Road, near Charlton Church Lane.K2 phone box on Charlton Road, near Charlton Church Lane.
When we last looked inside the Summer House it still had its public toilets in situ (albeit unused for some time); now with the toilets, internal walls and an amount of asbestos removed – plus new clear windows letting the light in – it’s easier to imagine the space in use for events. Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust (RGHT) is still looking for ideas for future use of the Summer House that will balance its aims of historical interpretation, community use, and revenue generation – if you’ve got any ideas, get in touch with the team.
As you can see from the pictures below, the refurbishment is still underway; amongst other work to be done we were told that stone flagstones will be put down soon and, pending the reconnection of the electricity supply, temporary lighting put in to light the building up at night.
We were also able to have a look in the Summer House’s undercroft, the basement space which saw use as an air raid shelter in WWII. We were told this won’t be open this weekend, but RGHT hope to use for future special events, including possibly the Horn Fair.
Charlton House’s Summer House, currently undergoing restoration works, will be open to visitors as part of this year’s Open House Weekend.
Many thanks to Charlton Champion contributor LARA RUFFLE COLES for this round-up of the properties in Charlton and nearby that are taking part in this year’s Open House Weekend.
Open House is a tricky beast… there is always so much to see over the two days, and as the event increases in popularity each year, balancing visiting many buildings versus visiting the popular ones gets harder and harder – let alone navigating your way round London.
So, how about you just stick to the Royal Borough of Greenwich this year? It is definitely worth focusing on a smaller area and is something the other half and I did one year – and we’ve been ‘Open House-ing’ since 2009.
This year’s event takes place on Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd of September, and Greenwich borough alone has 23 buildings to visit and 3 tours to consider. As it can all be a bit overwhelming, here is a Top Five ‘must have’ list, plus a few more if time allows.
An obvious but excellent choice. Our local community centre is London’s only surviving Jacobean mansion, and a superb venue to get married in. Visit rooms that are usually off limits during regular opening hours, and gaze lovingly at our local park through the upstairs windows. This year you’ll be able to take a look around the Summer House, currently undergoing an extensive refurbishment.
I’ve not been to this location but having visited other homes in Greenwich and further afield, a good nosy round someone else’s house is well worth your time (and it is the only house listed for Greenwich borough this year). This 1960s building is also the architect’s home so you can ask all the questions you like – whether your interest is the building itself or its interior design.
This graceful foot and cycle bridge between Deptford and Greenwich was opened in 2015 and spans over Deptford Creek. Visiting at low or high tide is an exciting prospect, and if you are really lucky you might see it open and close – please note we have no information on when this might happen!
A hidden gem at the top of Shooters Hill, this tiny 18th century tower reopened to the public a few years ago. The views from the roof are magnificent and you can also hire the castle for various events including weddings.
Built in 1903, our borough’s Edwardian town hall has an absolutely stunning main hall with bifurcated stairs. The entrance itself, the clockhouse and the exterior are also worth a good look at. And you can definitely get married here – as I did in 2014!
I’ve not been inside the yacht club, but viewing the building, the walkway to it and the surrounding Thames views make the trip there worthwhile. The area itself is also part of the Thames Path.
Across from Woolwich Barracks, the bombed-out St George’s Garrison Church is well worth a pootle about. Lovely brickwork, mosaics that have been recently restored, and a new arched roof to protect the ruins from further damage.
Don’t forget to order your guide to plan the weekend in advance. You can use the Open House site to read up on every listing, but having the actual book to carry about is essential. Order ASAP as delivery will be a few days.
If you aren’t keen on carrying an A5 book about, you can download the Apple and Google apps, but please do buy the guide for £10 and help support this amazing event.
Did you know that Open House takes places in other cities? 42 participants as of this year, read more at Open House Worldwide.
Have you got an Open House Weekend recommendation? Let us know in the comments below!
Citing the “historical, architectural and environmental” significance of the pub, the Save the Pickwick campaign is calling on the developer to retain and reopen the pub in consultation with local residents, rather than demolish it and replace it with a ‘bland pub’.
The deadline for comments on the Pickwick planning application is Monday 24 September. To see the full application and make comments, visit planning.royalgreenwich.gov.uk and enter reference 18/2976/O. Comments on the application can also be sent to Peninsula ward councillors.
To get involved or contact the campaign, email savethepickwick [at] gmail.com.
The Charlton Champion 