Charlton

Charlton should be on Silvertown Tunnel bus network, Greenwich & Woolwich MP says

Darryl Chamberlain
An early proposal involved routing the 335 to Kidbrooke via Charlton

Greenwich & Woolwich MP Matt Pennycook has criticised the lack of a route through Charlton plans for the new Silvertown Tunnel bus network.

Transport for London indicated that a service through Charlton would be part of its plans when it applied for permission to build the tunnel in 2016.

But last year, it was announced that just two routes are set to use the new tunnel, which will run from North Greenwich to the Royal Docks when it opens in 2025.

There would be an extension of the 129 route, which currently runs from Lewisham to North Greenwich, to London City Airport and Great Eastern Quays, a housing development at Beckton.

And a new service, the X239, would run from Grove Park to Blackheath before running fast through the A102 and the new tunnel to Canary Wharf. Despite Greenwich councillors – and Pennycook’s predecessor Nick Raynsford – being among the loudest backers of the tunnel when it was proposed more than a decade ago, the X239 would just serve a handful of stops in the borough.

No services would run through Charlton, despite a possible service from Canary Wharf to Charlton Church Lane, Blackheath and Grove Park featuring in the submission to the Planning Inspectorate, and a service linking Charlton and Kidbrooke being shared with council officers.

In a letter to Transport for London, Pennycook – who has opposed the tunnel since the start – said it was “deeply regrettable” that just 20 buses per hour would be serving the Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnels, compared with the 37.5 suggested before. This includes the existing 108 service, which would be mostly unchanged.

“I am concerned at the absence of any proposed cross-river route serving Charlton,” he wrote.

“The indicative network published by TfL in 2016 included a new Canary Wharf to Grove Park route serving the Charlton community and a specific bus corridor running through Charlton to Kidbrooke and beyond was identified in Silvertown Tunnel Implementation Group documentation up until last year.

“The Silvertown Buses Supporting Document published alongside the consultation makes clear that a corridor of high demand, distinct from the Woolwich Road corridor connecting Woolwich to North Greenwich, exists “towards Kidbrooke and through Charlton”.

“Given population forecasts for the Charlton area, in particular the projected increase associated with the development of the Charlton Riverside Opportunity Area, I would urge you to give further consideration to how Charlton might be served by a new or existing cross-river route.”

The proposed bus network

TfL documentation supplied as part of a consultation into the new network said that it considered rerouting the 335 service via Charlton Church Lane and extending it to Beckton, but dropped the idea because it would inconvenience too many existing users of the route

A spokesperson told our sister site 853 when the consultation was first launched that proposals “make the best use of our resources and match the ridership levels we expect when Silvertown Tunnel opens”.

“This plan is currently just a proposal. No decisions have yet been made and we encourage people to get in touch with feedback to help us shape our plans,” the spokesperson said.

TfL’s consultation is open until tomorrow (January 11) at haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/silvertown-tunnel-bus-network.

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Government cuts hit Charlton’s trains from Sunday – your guide to Southeastern’s new service

Darryl Chamberlain
Call in Sick graffiti at Charlton station
This advice could become more tempting for many passengers

This Sunday will see the biggest rejig to rail services through Charlton since… well, the last one. But while the last two major changes have improved services, this one reduces them.

Before the pandemic, eight trains an hour served Charlton – six Southeastern trains and two Thameslink. Now a new timetable means this will, on the whole, be cut to six – four Southeastern trains and two Thameslink.

This reduction in services is at the behest of the Conservative government, which says that demand for trains does not warrant the service levels warranted three years ago.

There was no consultation, and local politicians and councillors of all parties criticised the plans. However, they are still going ahead.

Importantly from Charlton, there will no longer be any Charing Cross services (save for one late train two nights a week). Southeastern says this is to reduce pressure at the junction at Lewisham, where services to Charing Cross, Victoria and Cannon Street meet and cross. It also says this will make it easier to add services when demand picks up.

Changing at London Bridge is easier than it used to be, but the prospect of losing a direct link to the West End has angered many passengers. Southeastern says there will be extra staff on hand to help anybody who needs it.

The long-established “rounder” services which loop from the Sidcup line are also being scrapped – a pain for Charlton fans coming to The Valley. The less useful rounders to the Bexleyheath line remain.

Lewisham trains will also stop at St John’s and New Cross – but won’t run on Sundays at all, causing huge problems for anyone trying to reach other parts of southeast London.

Charlton escapes some of the worst of the new timetable – Westcombe Park, for example, will see yawning gaps open up when it once had trains every ten minutes. But it’s hard to see how this encourages anyone to ditch the car and travel sustainably, particularly on Sundays.

Charing Cross station
There’ll be no more Charing Cross trains from Sunday

Here’s a quick guide on what to expect – it is worth double-checking all times quoted.

Weekday morning summary
Before 6.30am, there are still seven trains to central London, including Thameslink services to Blackfriars and beyond. Between 6.30am and 9.30am, where most recently there were 24 trains, there are now just 20.

What time are the new morning peak-hour trains?
0634 Cannon Street via Greenwich
0640 Blackfriars via Greenwich
0647 Cannon Street via Lewisham
0703 Cannon Street via Greenwich
0710 Blackfriars via Greenwich
0717 Cannon Street via Lewisham
(16 minute gap just as the station gets busy)
0733 Cannon Street via Greenwich
0740 Blackfriars via Greenwich
0747 Cannon Street via Lewisham
0757 Cannon Street via Greenwich
0802 Cannon Street via Greenwich
0810 Blackfriars via Greenwich
0817 Cannon Street via Lewisham
0823 Cannon Street via Greenwich
0833 Cannon Street via Greenwich
0840 Blackfriars via Greenwich
0847 Cannon Street via Lewisham
0903 Cannon Street via Greenwich
0910 Blackfriars via Greenwich
0918 Cannon Street via Lewisham
All trains go to London Bridge. Trains to Blackfriars will carry on to City Thameslink, Farringdon, St Pancras and various destinations beyond.

What about the off-peak trains?
Broadly speaking, trains will now run to this pattern off-peak and on Saturdays:
03 Cannon Street via Greenwich
10 Blackfriars via Greenwich
17 Cannon Street via Lewisham
(16 minute gap)
33 Cannon Street via Greenwich
40 Blackfriars via Greenwich
47 Cannon Street via Lewisham
(16 minute gap)
The 17 and 47 trains may run a minute or two later at odd times during weekdays, but that’s the basic pattern.

Southeastern train
There will be fewer Southeastern services overall

I’m going the other way, when are my trains?
There are big gaps in the Kent-bound service, which now looks roughly like this:
05 Thameslink to Rainham
08 Southeastern to Gravesend
14 Southeastern to Barnehurst
(21 minute gap)
35 Thameslink to Rainham
38 Southeastern to Gravesend
44 Southeastern to Barnehurst
(another 21 minute gap)

What about trains home in the evening?
Check a journey planner.

What’s with the new stops on Lewisham trains?
They will now stop at St John’s (handy for Brockley Market on Saturdays) and New Cross, where you can change for the London Overground to Whitechapel and Dalston (although the connections aren’t great unless you’re heading home and time it right).

More trains into town on weekday evenings.
Fancy an evening drink at London Bridge? One quirk carried over from the old timetable is that there’s a better service into central London between about 6-8pm with some extra trains via Greenwich slotted into the timetable. So you can travel then and remember how things used to be…

London Bridge station
Passengers will now need to use London Bridge a lot more

Last trains home from London Bridge
2357 and 0027 (0030 on weekdays, when both trains are often interrupted by engineering works).

What about Sundays?
The service is, frankly, lousy, with nothing via Lewisham.
03 Southeastern to Cannon Street
10 Thameslink to Blackfriars
(23-minute gap – might as well take the bus to North Greenwich)
33 Southeastern to Cannon Street
40 Thameslink to Blackfriars
(another 23-minute gap – have you seen the traffic? Let’s go home)

What’s this new station on Thameslink?
Keep an ear out for Brent Cross West station, due to open early next year, which is due to serve “the new park town for future London” but looks a bit too far from the shopping centre to be useful. It’ll be between Hendon and Cricklewood stations.

Where do I find more information?
Southeastern has an information page at www.southeasternrailway.co.uk

Who do I complain to?
Southeastern has a complaints page at www.southeasternrailway.co.uk.

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Kevin Nolan’s FA Cup Valley View: Charlton Athletic 2-2 Stockport County

kevinnolan

Kevin Nolan's Valley View

Don’t talk to Charlton fans about the magic of the FA Cup after yesterday’s draw with Stockport. KEVIN NOLAN hasn’t completely given up hope, though…

Just one last-gasp corner needed to be cleared for Charlton’s name to feature – unaccompanied by the fateful addition of “or Stockport County” – in Monday’s FA Cup third round draw.

They had been under steady pressure from their League Two visitors but seemed about to stagger over the line to a wholly unconvincing victory and the possibility of a plum tie in the next round. But that was to reckon without their storied inability to manage things through to a routine, undramatic conclusion.

We were in the last of seven added minutes – good to see that time-wasting has been taken seriously as a blight on football – when young keeper Ashley Maynard-Brewer tried desperately but vainly to prevent a deflected shot from crossing his goalline. There was that familiar feeling of foreboding when referee Lee Swabey agreed with this distant assistant that he had failed to do so.

A left-wing corner was duly awarded, which was swung in among the heaving mass of bodies congesting the penalty area in front of Maynard-Brewer and glanced inside his left-hand post by substitute Myles Hippolyte. A sentry guarding the post might have cleared the danger comfortably, but that’s so very yesterday, don’t you think?

A moment of sheer disbelief followed Hippolyte’s equaliser. Behind Charlton’s goal, nearly 800 travelling Hatters paused only to believe their eyes before erupting into unbridled glee. Fewer than 3,000 locals headed for the exits, experiencing no such problem in confirming what they had just seen.

“You couldn’t make it up!” was one of their more printable reactions. But if Monday’s draw sends the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal or Tottenham to The Valley for the fourth round, the language could get slightly more colourful.

Some of the wretchedly poor attendance – your reporter shamefacedly among them – looked forward to being put out of our misery by the exquisite torture of a penalty shoot-out. No such luck. Deputy pitchside compere Dave Lockwood (we wish an indisposed Brian Cole all the best) took almost fiendish delight in informing us that the tie would be settled by a midweek replay at Stockport’s Edgeley Park.

If that prospect doesn’t curdle the blood of Ben Garner and his crestfallen players (no insult intended to one of England’s oldest football clubs), then bless them in their blissful ignorance. They’re about to have their eyes well and truly opened.

County’s belated leveller neatly bookended their spirited performance. There had been only three minutes on the clock when they took the lead in vaguely similar fashion. A right-wing corner was taken short, crossed to the far post and brushed into the net by a stooping Chris Hussey.

It was hardly the start Garner had expected but almost the entire game stretched out before him. How could he know it would end as disastrously as it began?

Charlton were not kept waiting long for equality, which arrived 20 minutes later garnished by a huge dollop of luck. They were indebted to the enterprise and skill shown by left-back Steven Sessegnon, who had Macauley Southam-Hales floundering in his wake as he attacked along the left byline. Confusion reigned as Sessegnon’s low ball found its way into County’s net off – it turned out – the unfortunate keeper Ben Hinchliffe.

Home celebration was muted before a polite ripple of applause was mustered by the few loyalists on hand. It was hardly a classic and, frankly, not many of them had a clue how the ball had been nudged over the line. But they all count and the Addicks were level.

The goal by which Charlton forged in front was as majestic as its predecessor was scruffy. It was created by a gorgeous ball over the top delivered by George Dobson and finished superbly by the deft flick which Albie Morgan dinked over the advancing Hinchliffe.

It’s become a footballing axiom – one supported by extensive evidence over the years – that the longer you go without sealing the deal, the more likely you are to pay a bitter price for a lack of ruthlessness.

The Addicks would need a third goal, we told ourselves, and we were not far wrong. But as County’s second-half superiority went unrewarded by an equaliser, it seemed likely that Charlton would get away with it. Until, of course, one corner too many was conceded and proved their undoing.

To be fair to the visitors, it had been coming for some time.

A December replay on the outskirts of Manchester is scarcely the stuff of dreams. But the reality is that Charlton are still in the FA Cup and are capable of progressing further.

Their incentive – and that of Stockport – will depend on the identity of their fourth-round opponents. A trip, for instance, to Middlesbrough or Blackburn, is hardly guaranteed to fire the imagination. Again, apologies to the likes of Boro or Rovers because no disrespect is intended, but you’ll know exactly what is meant. To be brutally frank, you wouldn’t send your worst enemy (unless your worst enemy is Boris Johnson) to either of those venues on a frigid winter evening.

Mind you, Charlton did once win a momentous replay at Ewood Park, so anything is possible. Once is enough, though. No need for a visit to that particular ploughed ground.

Charlton: Maynard-Brewer, Clare, Lavelle, Inniss, Sessegnon (Chin 63), Morgan, Dobson, Fraser, Rak-Sakyi (Jaiyesimi 85), Aneke (Blackett-Taylor 67), Kirk (Campbell 85). Not used: Harness, Mitchell, Payne, Kanu. Booked: Kirk

Stockport: Hinchliffe, Southam-Hales, Wright, Camps (Hippolyte 64), Crankshawe, Collar, Rydel (MacDonald 81), Croasdale, Wootton, Hussey (Horsfall 46), Lewis (Madden 64). Not used: Jones, Evans, Okwute, Johnson, Partington. Booked: Southam-Hales, Horsfall.

Referee: Lee Swabey. Attendance: 3,889 (925 visiting).

A little bonus if you enjoy reading these reports…

Find more about Kevin’s 36 years in the press box on our sister site 853.london.

Kevin Nolan and his wife Hazel at The Valley

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Can you help the Old Cottage Coffee Shop’s 2022 Christmas meal for older people?

Darryl Chamberlain

Old Cottage Cafe sign appealing for donations

Back in the days before the pandemic, the Old Cottage Coffee Shop in Charlton Park used to invite older people around on Christmas Day for a festive meal. Then Covid struck, and they had to switch to deliveries.

This year, the Christmas meal is back. But with a month to go, café bosses Mimi and Michael need your help.

– Firstly, do you know any older people that would appreciate a meal and some company on Christmas Day? If so, drop Mimi a note via m.speak9[at]icloud.com. There’s no charge for the meal.

– Secondly, can you help donate gifts to hand out to their guests, such as toiletries or things to help them keep warm? Or can you make a cash donation towards the project? Email m.speak9[at]icloud.com if you can help.

– Finally, Mimi and Michael are thinking of keeping the deliveries going as well. If you’d like to help out on Christmas morning, then drop them a line.

Need to know more? Drop in at the café between 9am and 4pm Wednesdays to Mondays – they’ll be delighted to hear from you.

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Parents launch crowdfunding appeal to revamp primary school’s playground

Darryl Chamberlain

Children in the playground at Windrush primary school

Parents at Windrush Primary School on Woolwich Road have launched a crowdfunding appeal to help revamp their school’s playground.

They are already a third of the way to their £10,000 target, and are appealing to their neighbours in the Charlton community to help back the appeal.

“This project is important. The school is fantastic – our children love it – but the playground is currently lacking, both in terms of play equipment and greenery,” said Anna Salmi, one of the organisers.

“We have almost 600 pupils, so improving the playground is vital for the wellbeing of a large number of local children, for many of whom the school playground is the only outside space they regularly get to enjoy and spend time in.

“We are fundraising in a variety of ways, but we really need all the help we can get. A successful campaign is crucial for making the playground revamp a reality by the end of the school year, rather than years down the line.”

You can support the campaign at crowdfunder.co.uk.

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St Thomas’ Church Christmas fair and wreath-making workshop this Saturday

Darryl Chamberlain
St Thomas Church Charlton-1
St Thomas’ Church is hosting its Christmas fair this Saturday

St Thomas’ Church on Woodland Terrace is hosting its Christmas fair this Saturday from 10am to 4pm.

There’ll be live music from The Woolwich Singers, the Crystal Palace Brass Band and classical guitarist Ellis Fox.

To raise funds for the church, there’ll also be a wreath-making workshop during the day led by Ali Edney, a professional homes stylist.

The workshop, which costs £45 a head, will help you make a “chic and elegant wreath from scratch”, with participants plied with Christmassy snacks and drinks by Angelique Glata, a professional chef.

“Rising utility costs are a challenge for all of us, including St Thomas’, and we are raising funds to keep the doors always open.” Angelique said. “Ali and I met at one of St Thomas’ community concerts and our friendship has seen us volunteering together at Greenwich’s Winter Night Shelter, at concerts and community events, believing in the warmth, hospitality and kindness that churches like St Thomas’ foster.”

Christmas fair flyer

No tickets are needed for the Christmas fair, but tickets for the wreath-making workshop can be booked through Eventbrite. For more information, contact Angelique on admin[at]moveablefeasts.co.uk.

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It’s Charlton House’s tree lighting and Christmas market this Thursday

The Charlton Champion

Charlton House

It’s that time of year again – Charlton House will be lighting its Christmas tree this Thursday, November 24th. There’ll also be an outdoor Christmas market, seasonal treats and warm drinks. The event runs from 3.30pm to 6.30pm, with the tree being lit at 5pm.

Charlton House Christmas tree in 2018

There’ll also be an indoor Christmas market on Saturday December 10th from 10am-4pm, promising carol singers and more than 40 stalls with festive decorations and accessories.

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