You can also pick up some Christmas cards in the Old Cottage Coffee Shop
Last year, during what was a bleak Christmas when most of us were obeying the pandemic restrictions, the good people at the Old Cottage Coffee Shop in Charlton Park delivered cards, gifts and Christmas meals to older people on 25 December. Some 120 local people helped out by chipping in with cards, gifts and donations.
They’re doing it again this year. Can you help the cafe’s Mimi and Michael by donating gifts and writing cards? If you can, drop in at the cafe (open Wed-Sun, 9am-4pm) or drop them a message on Twitter (@oldcoffeeshop).
Johnnie Jackson’s dominant Addicks notched up another convincing win at The Valley last night. KEVIN NOLAN reports.
After tasting the novel experience of cup successtwice last week, Charlton returned to the bread and butter of League One competition to host Ipswich Town at a bouncing Valley.
A second Fill The Valley offer meant another bumper crowd was on hand to celebrate a repetition of the imperious performance which saw off Plymouth Argyle nearly three weeks ago.
The right result is always the priority on occasions like this and the Tractor Boys received the same short shrift as the Pilgrims. Only the lateness of Alex Gilbey’s clincher gave cause for concern but without an effort on target, Suffolk’s finest, supported by a subdued, sold-out Jimmy Seed stand, were second best throughout.
On Saturday, for the third of the club’s enterprising Fill The Valley initiatives, Cambridge United, themselves impressive 5-0 winners at Cheltenham last night, will provide the opposition. There’s no such thing as a walkover but they will have their hands full if the Addicks are in this mood again.
In this clash of interim managers, meanwhile, Johnnie Jackson’s men made an uneven start but still created what few chances there were. A restless bundle of fizzing energy, Conor Washington sent an optimistic lob over Christian Walton’s crossbar, Eliot Lee headed tamely wide and Diallang Jaiyesimi nodded Ben Purrington’s cross off target.
As Town’s early resistance crumbled, Jayden Stockley continued his hot streak in front of goal to put the Addicks ahead. The spadework was provided by George Dobson, who neatly evaded a midfield tangle to send Washington haring through the inside-left channel, with Sam Morsy in fruitless pursuit.
Opening his body to shoot right-footed for the opposite corner, Washington was foiled by Walton’s excellent save; following up alertly, Stockley confidently drilled the rebound through the goal area confusion and claimed his 13th goal of a productive season.
Charlton’s perfect evening was off and running and though the coup-de-grace eluded them for a further hour, they remained in effortless control.
The visitors were comprehensively outclassed, with the exception of the outstanding Walton, whose defiance kept his side in with a notional chance. During a one-sided second half, the big keeper made a string of superb saves to introduce an element of doubt.
In the home goal, Craig McGillivray sailed through 90+ minutes of complete unemployment, protected by the old-pro/young gun combination of skipper Jason Pearce and Akin Famewo.
Total midfield control was guaranteed by the tigerish Dobson, Lee and Gilbey, whose first goal of the campaign rewarded a tireless box-to-box contribution.
Supported by Jaiyesimi, versatile Sean Clare put in a faultless shift at right wingback with Purrington providing balance on the opposite flank.
💬 "It was a wonderful night for us. The Valley was rocking under the lights and it was a performance to match it."
Watch what Jacko had to say on CharltonTV following this evening's 2-0 victory over @IpswichTown…
The latter was among Walton’s second half victims, his point blank header somehow conjured clear by Town’s brilliant keeper. Stockley, Lee and Washington were also denied by Walton as the Addicks sought the security of that elusive second goal.
Aware of football’s axiom that you inevitably pay for your failure to seal an issue, The Valley shifted uncomfortably as the second half wore on without resolution of the problem. Not that the visitors looked even remotely likely to produce an equaliser, but you know how it is – you worry. Until, that is, Gilbey stepped up to lower a satisfying boom on the outclassed Tractor Boys.
Never one to hide, Lee’s had been a performance of uneven impact. One of his precise passes put Washington through, to be foiled by George Edmundson’s great recovery tackle. With a minute of normal time left on referee Sarginson’s watch, he produced another peach to send Gilbey accelerating through a square defence and into the penalty area.
A clever feint earned him room to pick an inviting spot and nonchalantly slot right-footed past the desperately advancing Walton. The tall playmaker’s first goal of an injury-hit season was saluted by a relieved crowd, fully aware that Gilbey’s form is vital to the second stage of Charlton’s mediocre campaign.
The injuries are healing, the squad seems strong, the future seems suddenly brighter… what could possibly go wrong?
Referee: Christopher Sarginson. Att: 26,272 (3,159 visiting).
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A carol service is taking place at St Luke’s Church next Wednesday
The annual Christmas carol service returns to St Luke’s Church next Wednesday evening. All are welcome, says REVD LIZ NEWMAN, the rector of the Benefice of Charlton…
As usual, St Luke’s Church, The Village, will host Charlton Community Carol Service on Wednesday December 15th at 7pm. It’s a simple service of readings that tell the Christmas story, interspersed with carols. Mulled wine and mince pies will be served afterwards! Representatives of a variety of community organisations will read and sing. There will be a chance as well to sing your favourite carols. Everyone is welcome and we encourage everyone to please wear a face mask.
The forum aims to involve local people in the redevelopment of Charlton’s riverside as well as the rest of SE7
Plans for a neighbourhood forum for Charlton – which could allow local people to have a greater say in new developments in the area – have taken a big step forward with Greenwich Council launching a consultation into the idea.
Residents can now have their say on the idea, put forward by the Charlton Neighbourhood Forum, that a neighbourhood plan should be put together for the SE7 area.
Only two other neighbourhood forums exist in Greenwich borough at the moment – the Moorings forum, which covers a small part of Thamesmead, and the Lee Forum, which extends into Lewisham borough.
The proposed forum area – which covers the entire SE7 postal area plus areas included in the Charlton Riverside masterplan
While both groups have received town hall recognition, neither have yet had a plan approved.
There is also the question of just how seriously Greenwich will take any forum at first. At last night’s full meeting of the council, Conservative opposition leader Nigel Fletcher wrongly thought that the Charlton forum was the first in the borough. (Fletcher has been in touch to say that he misspoke, and meant to say that Greenwich had not yet approved any plans.)
Then the council’s deputy leader, Denise Scott-McDonald – who wasn’t listening to his question and had to have it repeated to her – seemed unaware of the Thamesmead forum, despite it being the only one wholly within the borough.
But if a forum can get a neighbourhood plan together, then by law the council and developers have to abide by it. And while there is a masterplan for the Charlton Riverside, there is nothing at all for the rest of the area, apart from the borough-wide commitments in Greenwich’s local plan.
And if you’ve ever listened to the average Greenwich councillor bumble around issues of planning or public realm (like the exchange above) and thought you could do better… this is your chance.
The proposed area would cover all of Charlton as well as very small parts of east Greenwich (industrial and retail sites off Horn Lane) and Woolwich (the old Siemens site which is due for redevelopment as Faraday Works), which come under the Charlton Riverside masterplan.
Many residents are frustrated with the council’s lack of action on bad parking
Many households in Charlton will have had a thumping great envelope thwack onto their doormats last week – Greenwich Council has finally got around to unveiling its plans for extending Charlton’s controlled parking zone (CPZ), two years after carrying out a survey into it.
Most of Charlton is already in the CPZ – but much of the area still permits free parking regardless. That will change if the council’s plans go through, with drivers in most streets between the A102 and Maryon Wilson Park set to need £107 annual permits.
With the growth in back-street traffic over the years and complaints about retail park customers parking up in side streets, much of this was probably inevitable, although some streets close to the A102 – where finding a space is less of a problem – may feel a little hard done by.
But if you regard lots of parking as a problem, there are some baffling omissions. Most of Victoria Way, home to vans which don’t move for weeks or even months at a time, would remain free for anyone to dump their old bangers on. As would nearby Tallis Grove, Highcombe and Bramhope Lane, which would find themselves squeezed between streets gaining restrictions.
Here is the same problem @Royal_Greenwich This person was parking on the pavement next to double yellows as I was walking. She got out and said she was going to call the police. I said do, and tell them that someone is taking a picture in the public of you parking illegally. pic.twitter.com/3dU501jyIc
Nor are there plans for permits in Charlton Park Road, where drivers frequently leave their motors where they like, with little enforcement. You may know of other omissions.
If you want to check whether your street is affected, download the maps at royalgreenwich.gov.uk/charltoncpz – the consultation lasts until 13 December.
First they came for the catalogues. Now it’s the standalone stores – Charlton’s Argos Extra store has only a few days left before it moves down the road to share space with Sainsbury’s.
The last day of trading at the standalone Argos on Bugsby’s Way will be Thursday 2 December – with the new Argos store inside Sainsbury’s opening the following day, Friday 3 December.
Argos was bought by Sainsbury’s five years ago, and all its standalone stores are gradually being closed in favour of smaller outlets inside the chain’s supermarkets.
If the group can get a plan together, then this will be a hugely important step for the area – so if you’ve got an interest in the future of the area, it’s worth heading along. Too often, this kind of group gets packed out with well-off homeowners objecting to schemes that will chip away at housing waiting lists, so if you’re someone that feels shut out of these kinds of decisions, now’s the time to go along and have your say, and think about joining its committee.
The event is in the Long Gallery on the first floor of Charlton House on Saturday 27 November at 11am. For more details, see the Charlton Neighbourhood Forum website.
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