Inner London’s last trams ran through Charlton 70 years ago (photo: Leonard Bentley via Creative Commons)
Charlton’s strong links with London’s lost trams will be explored in the Charlton Society’s monthly talk this Saturday, November 19th. The last trams ran 70 years ago along Woolwich Road along a route that was a precursor of today’s 177 bus. The repair works were in Felltram Way, where tram tracks remained visible until the 1990s. The trams were scrapped in a yard in Penhall Road, where remnants of the tracks still lurk beneath the undergrowth.
See how many SE London streets you can spot in this film from 1953…
The talk will be delivered by Mark James, a former Greenwich councillor who works as a project sponsor for Transport for London. It takes place at 2.30pm this Saturday at the Grand Salon in Charlton House – admission is £2 for Charlton Society members and £3 for visitors.
On Monday morning, staff and children at Invicta primary school joined firefighters past and present to mark 82 years since its original building was hit by a German parachute mine, killing 12 firefighters and three civilians. The school was being used as a base for the Auxiliary Fire Service at the time. Local war historian STEVE HUNNISETT was there – he takes up the story.
This year, the ceremony fell on the exact 82nd anniversary of the original incident, which occurred at 9:20 pm on 14th November 1940.
Ironically, the casualty list was so high because it was a rare quiet night in London, with the main thrust of the Luftwaffe’s attack being directed at the city of Coventry. As a result, instead of the resident firemen being out on calls as they would be on a “normal” Blitz night in London, they were still at the school, awaiting their first call of the night. The mine largely destroyed the school and instead of being the rescuers, the firemen of Invicta Road found themselves in need of help from the colleagues at other neighbouring fire stations.
Twelve firemen were killed, including Arthur Grant who had just weeks earlier been awarded the George Medal for carrying a live bomb from the assembly hall of the school into the playground, where it later exploded. Also killed were three civilians, including Charles White the school caretaker.
Present at the informal ceremony was Stephanie Maltman of the charity Firemen Remembered, who originally placed the plaque back in 2017. Also present were re-enactors representing the Auxiliary Fire Service and the Army, who fielded many questions from the pupils, including the school’s “History Hunters”, a group of children who specialise in the study of history. The History Hunters laid a poppy wreath at the memorial, as did a group of present-day firefighters from White Watch at East Greenwich Fire Station, who later to the delight of the children present, allowed them to inspect their fire engine and aim fire hoses across the school playground!
Thanks to Steve and Invicta Primary School for the photos.
The site, behind the derelict Victoria pub, is billed as a “significant residential development opportunity” that currently generates £167,300 a year in rent, according to sales documents.
A neighbouring site, to be developed by the housing association Optivo, is unaffected by the possible sale.
There are plans to build up to 7,000 houses on the riverside, but the Aitch site is one of just three major projects to win planning permission and no work has started on any scheme so far.
Plans for a low-rise neighbourhood have been hampered by advice from the Environment Agency warnings that ground floors should not be occupied because of flood risks.
The Aitch development site as it is now, viewed from Eastmoor Sreet
There are also fears that a shortage of land for warehouses in inner London could mean that Charlton remains more valuable for industrial developers rather than homebuilders. One site once earmarked for homes – the VIP Trading Estate off Anchor & Hope Lane – has been bought by a company specialising in logistics hubs.
Representatives for Aitch and the company itself have not responded to requests for comment.
Optivo, which plans to build 67 homes for London Affordable Rent on the site next door, said: “We can confirm our plans for Evelyn House have not been affected. We’re still planning to deliver 67 homes with work due to start by the end of the year.”
But plans for a school fell through during the summer when the Department for Education pulled out of plans to buy part of an industrial estate on Anchor & Hope Lane, citing reduced demand.
Job advertisement: If you are friendly and well organised, with good written and verbal skills, we’d love to hear from you. St Luke’s and St Thomas’ Church of England churches are looking to recruit a part-time administrator (24 hours a week).
Come and help our churches run smoothly and communicate well. Most of this role will be carried out remotely.
SALARY: £16,224
CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: Midnight, Friday 18th November INTERVIEW DATE: Saturday 3rd December
One of Charlton Village’s best-loved shops could be demolished if plans to extend the block next door are given the go-ahead.
The Victorian building at 33 The Village has been empty since the Bowes shoe shop closed nearly seven years ago. Now a developer – whose name is given only as Mr Boyraz – wants to knock it down to expand the row of shops to the west, which themselves have recently undergone redevelopment.
Boyraz wants to build a new shop on the ground floor with two 2-bedroom flats and two studio flats to match the block next door. “The property is in a bad condition thus demolition will be more suitable,” planning documents submitted to Greenwich Council say, adding that it is significantly smaller than its neighbours.
Bowes was one of the last remaining traditional shops
“The proposed new building will be stepped back thus in line with no 25-31 and it will carry on the architectural elements and materials of said building,” it adds. “The result will be a continuous design and a better proportioned building to fill the gap between no 31 and 35.”
Bowes was one of the last remaining traditional shops in The Village but closed its doors for the last time at Christmas 2015. The building was bought for £265,000 in April this year, according to the Land Registry.
St Luke’s new community choir meets each Wednesday
Ever wanted to join a choir, but couldn’t find one? REVD LIZ NEWMAN of St Luke’s Church in Charlton Village has an invite for you if you’re free on Wednesday evenings…
Come and sing in our new community choir at St Luke’s. No previous experience is needed and there are no auditions. Families and all ages are welcome from six to 100 years old!
We’ll be learning lots of different styles of song including gospel, spirituals, modern worship songs and traditional hymns. In each session we’ll start with an energised warm-up to prepare the body for singing, play fun singing games and rounds to build up confidence in singing, and learn new songs that will be used in the Sunday service.
We’d love you to come along to sing on Sundays as well, at least sometimes, but that’s up to you – if all you want to do is come along on a Wednesday, that’s fine too. In time, we’ll be preparing songs for concerts and community events as well.
Children are VERY welcome, but for safeguarding reasons you’ll need to book – email rector[at]charlton.church. Aged 18 and above? – Just turn up!
Noah Mosley, the new director of music at St Luke’s will be leading the sessions. Noah is an experienced choir leader, musician, conductor and composer and he loves to make music fun! Here’s his message:
The St Luke’s Community Choir meets on Wednesdays from 6-7pm at St Luke’s Church, The Village, SE7 8UG.
The White Swan closed in March 2020 and still displays Six Nations rugby paraphernalia
The property developer that owns the closed White Swan pub is applying to Greenwich Council to convert the first floor into two flats.
Isle of Man-based Mendoza Ltd claims that it is “common to have residential units above a public house” and insists that the proposal would not affect the viability of the pub, which would be restricted to the ground floor and beer garden.
The company, which bought the freehold from Punch Taverns for £900,000 in 2015, won planning permission nearly two years ago to build a house on part of the beer garden after a casting vote from the council’s then-chair of planning, Stephen Brain.
However, despite submitting proposals that would have seen the house completed in October last year, work on the house has not started.
A marketing assessment from Jenkins Law, which had been marketing the pub on behalf of Mendoza, describes Charlton as “a densely-populated affluent suburb” and falsely claims that the pub ceased trading in November 2019.
The Charlton and Woolwich Free Film Festival were regular users of the pub’s upstairs rooms
Jenkins Law says the pub was initially on the market at £50,000 per year before being reduced to £40,000 per year. The company says four potential occupiers viewed the pub but concluded the area did not have enough footfall and that they would struggle to compete with the nearby Bugle Horn.
It is “unrealistic for the property to continue in community use”, Jenkins Law said.
Losing the upper floor would mean a reopened pub would be unable to host events such as the Charlton and Woolwich Film Festival, which regularly used its function room; while the upstairs bar frequently accommodated fans after Charlton Athletic matches.
It took Mendoza four attempts to get permission to build the house, and now the developer has shown its hand a similar lengthy tussle could now begin.
In July, Greenwich Council began an investigation after plasterwork collapsed from the ceiling of the Swan. Neither Glasshouse Asset Management, Mendoza’s property agent, not ECF, which was looking after the company’s communications, responded to a request for comment at the time.
The application can be seen on Greenwich Council’s planning website, where comments can also be left. Comments can also be sent to planning[at]royalgreenwich.gov.uk, citing reference 22/2746/F.
The Charlton Champion 