News

Charlton skate park: First detailed images emerge with construction planned for summer

Darryl Chamberlain4 Comments

Charlton skate park

The first images of the planned skate park for Charlton Park have been published as part of the final planning application for the scheme.

Charlton skate park

They show the park, which was given outline planning permission by Greenwich councillors in September, curving around the current mini-gym.

This latest planning application fills in the detailed design for the scheme, with construction due to take place on weekdays only between June and September.

A viewing mound will be created, while the existing table tennis tables will be moved. One tree will be lost to create the skate park.

Charlton skate park

Rather embarrassingly for Greenwich Council, which is commissioning the facility, the designers have managed to spell “Greenwich” wrongly.

The full report and more images are available on the Greenwich Council website, click on the document marked “condition report”. You can make comments to Greenwich Council – it’s planning reference 17/1288/R.

CANCELLED: Quiz Greenwich & Woolwich’s general election candidates at Charlton Community Hustings on Sunday 4 June

Darryl Chamberlain1 Comment

Polling station

UPDATE 4 June: Today’s planned general election hustings at Charlton Assembly Rooms have been cancelled following last night’s murders at London Bridge and Borough Market. 

The snap general election might make you want to dig a hole in the garden and bury yourself for the next seven weeks. But when polling day’s in sight, you might have a different view.

After all, there’s a lot riding on this one…

So we’re pleased that the Charlton Community Hustings team have moved quickly, pulled some strings, and got the candidates for Greenwich & Woolwich to make their pitches to you, the voter, in the flesh. Come and see them smile, squirm and squabble at Charlton Assembly Rooms at 2.30pm on Sunday 4 June.

The event is being held by the Charlton Society in conjunction with the Charlton Central Residents’ Association, Charlton Parkside Community Hub and the new Valley Hill Hub.

“The hustings held for the 2015 general election were standing room only, and although we weren’t expecting to have another one quite so soon, we are delighted that Matthew Pennycook, the sitting MP for Greenwich and Woolwich and the other candidates have agreed to join us,” says Charlton Society chair Carol Kenna.

“I’m also delighted that this event is being run under a community umbrella including not just the Charlton Society but also our neighbours in the CCRA and our two local digital community hubs, Charlton Parkside and Valley Hill.

“I hope the voters of Charlton will turn out in great numbers to question the candidates in this important election.”

But who will the candidates be? At the time of writing, we just have Labour’s incumbent MP Matt Pennycook and Liberal Democrat challenger Chris Adams in place. Brexit will be the main beef here, with Pennycook currently a shadow minister for leaving the European Union and so a target for a party hoping to mop up anti-Brexit votes.

Update Friday 12 May – The full list of candidates for Greenwich and Woolwich:  Chris Adams (Liberal Democrats), Caroline Attfield (Conservatives), Daniel Garrun (Green), Matthew Pennycook (Labour).

If you’re in the very south-east of Charlton – south of Charlton Park, east of Indus Road – you’ll get a very different election thanks to an eccentric boundary; the close fight for the marginal seat of Eltham. Labour incumbent Clive Efford will face a challenge from the leader of Greenwich Council’s Conservatives, Matt Hartley in a contest that’s bound to get some wider attention. David Hall-Matthews will be flying the Lib Dem flag there.

Need to register or get a postal/proxy vote? Get all the details.

Squeeze star Glenn Tilbrook to play Thorntree School benefit show at Blackheath Halls

Darryl Chamberlain

Glenn Tilbrook at the Tall Ships Festival - photo Sarah Coburn

How would you like to thank the teachers at your local school for their excellent work in educating your kids? If you’re a nice guy like Squeeze’s Glenn Tilbrook, you decide to play a benefit show. That’s why he’s holding a special show for Thorntree School at Blackheath Halls on 18 May. Here’s Thorntree parent Paul Chapman with more…

On May 18th, one of Charlton’s finest – Mr Glenn Tilbrook – is headlining an evening of music and comedy to raise money for Thorntree Primary School. Supporting Glenn on the night, at Blackheath Halls, will be cult R&B band Nine Below Zero and The Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir. Also on the bill is ex-Thorntree student Leon Tilbrook, himself an accomplished musician. Compering the festivities is comedian Nick Wilty.

If you’ve been lucky enough to see Glenn perform before, whether as part of Squeeze or solo, you’ll know what a great performer he is. And if you haven’t this is your chance to put that right! Tempted?

Nine Below Zero, like Squeeze, are another band rooted in South London and can sometimes be found playing local venues such as the Pelton Arms in Greenwich or Charlton’s White Swan. A great live act, Nine Below Zero and Glenn have collaborated in the past and are firm friends, all adding to the family feel of the line-up. Fun fact: Nine Below Zero performed their track Eleven Plus Eleven on the first ever episode of The Young Ones!

Not least because Glenn’s son Leon is also on the bill! An ex-pupil at Thorntree (his younger brother has also been through the school) Leon is making his own way in the music world and it’ll be a proud moment for his former teachers and friends to see him up on the stage. You can see the father and son performing a medley of songs here.

Rounding out the line-up are The Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir,  first seen on Gareth Malone’s BBC2 show, ‘Sing While You Work’, where they were narrowly beaten in the final but went on to score the 2015 Christmas Number 1 with ‘A Bridge Over You’.

The whole evening promises to be great entertainment, and is in a great cause so let’s pack the place out! Tickets are £22 and £20 concession from www.blackheathhalls.com. You can contact the box office by phone on 020 8463 0100.

New Whitehall cut – 53 bus to stop short at Lambeth North again

Darryl Chamberlain4 Comments

Route 53 bus in Whitehall

More bad news for users of the number 53 bus – the service, which usually runs to Whitehall, is being cut back to Lambeth North again from Monday, as a result of roadworks at Parliament Square.

The cut to the service, which is the only bus from Plumstead, Woolwich, Charlton and Blackheath to central London, is due to last four months.

However, it’s worth being vigilant about this – in January 2015, a similar temporary cut lasted 18 months.

While the new “hopper” fare – which enables people to take two buses within an hour for the price of one fare – reduces the impact of the latest truncation of the route, it will still inconvenience many passengers. Indeed, recent figures obtained by London Assembly member Caroline Pidgeon show the 53 is the 10th most popular route for hopper fare users – these passengers won’t be able to take a third bus to finish their journey. (It’s worth asking the bus driver for a transfer ticket if this affects you.)

Two years ago, Greenwich councillors bound a motion calling for the restoration of the 53 service up with criticism of Boris Johnson’s stewardship of the bus network. Hopefully there won’t need to be a new motion this time…

Join 2017’s Big Dig at Maryon Park Community Garden

Darryl Chamberlain

Big Dig

Now Easter’s over, what are you doing this weekend? Maryon Park Community Garden have an invite for you…

Big Dig Day celebrates the start of the growing season and encourages people to visit their local Capital Growth-supported Community Garden. This year Capital Growth are encouraging wildlife-friendly growing.

Maryon Park Community Garden, one of Capital Growth’s flagship gardens are taking part and have a Drop-in Open Day on Saturday 22nd April, 10.00 am to 4.00 pm.

The Community Garden provides organic growing plots for local and retired people, a Forest School for primary schools and volunteer opportunities for individuals and corporate groups as well as educational visits for special schools.

On Saturday 22nd April visitors can learn more about the Community Garden, enjoy tours and talks about the plots, orchard, wild flower bank, Forest School and the historic Maryon Park, location of the 1960s film Blow-Up. There will be refreshments including a pizza oven, children’s activities, a plant sale, and a fund raising stall. Visitors can join in with gardening activities or join the waiting list for a plot.

There will be family events: PJ the Magical Clown at 1pm and Family Outdoor Art at 2pm.

Maryon Park Community Garden is a not-for- profit voluntary project situated in the former council plant nursery in Maryon Park. Now in its fifth year, Capital Growth, the Olympic Transform Fund, City Hall, the Friends of Maryon Park, the London Tree and Woodland Trust, Greenwich Parks Forum and Tesco’s Bags of Help have help fund the Community Garden.

“The Big Dig Day is about encouraging people and families to visit their local community garden. Whether you are an experienced gardener or new to gardening or just want to see how your local project is developing you will be welcome,” says chair Tim Anderson.

The White Swan needs you! (Yes, you)

Darryl Chamberlain1 Comment
White Swan
The White Swan: It sells Proper Job beer (which is very nice)

A few words from the team at The White Swan…

“Calling all friends in Charlton who wanted to/might like to help us ‘Save The White Swan’…we have had some flyers printed and are asking you all to forward to as many friends as possible please. If you can share via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram we would really appreciate it as I am sure there are many people that don’t know about us.

“What would be really amazing would be for people to do a leaflet drop through neighbours houses… if you are keen/kind enough to do this then please let us know and we can cross your street off the map and not duplicate. Thanks so much!”

White Swan flyer

If you can help, call in and pick up some flyers. Running a pub isn’t cheap, and The Swan’s recently trimmed back its daytime opening hours (it now opens from 3.30pm Monday-Thursday, noon Friday-Sunday) since, frankly, hardly anybody used it then. It’s also due start showing some sport to drum up some new trade – it already showed international events from free-to-air TV, live football and rugby from BT Sport shouldn’t be any more obtrusive than the recent Six Nations coverage.

But we’d suggest that maybe there’s more you can do. How about getting a team together for the weekly quiz (8.30pm Tuesdays) or the monthly music quiz (8.30pm on third Thursday of the month)? Or if there’s an event or get-together you host, why not speak to the pub about having it there? (We have our own idea…)

Three years ago, a local campaign helped make the pub an asset of community value and convinced the current owners to take a punt on the place. And a successful Swan has potential to boost business in The Village as a whole. So pop into the Swan – and think of it as an investment in your neighbourhood.

PS. If you want to start tonight, there’s a tap takeover with Signature Brewery featuring beer and music from “London’s musically influenced breweries” – it starts at 6pm.

Invicta Primary School remembers 15 killed in wartime bombing

Darryl Chamberlain

The unveiled plaque in the assembly hall

A plaque remembering the 15 people killed when Invicta Primary School was bombed in World War II was unveiled last week at a special ceremony.

12 firefighters and three others were killed when the then Invicta Road School – then being used as a fire station – was destroyed by a parachute mine on the evening of 14 November 1940. The bomb fell into trees opposite the school before exploding.

Among those who died was fireman Arthur Grant, who was in line for a George Medal for his bravery in preventing the school being destroyed in an earlier attack.

School caretaker Charles White, who stayed behind after the children were evacuated to the countryside, also died.

The plaque is erected in the playground

The plaque was revealed to pupils at special assemblies last Thursday, where children sang wartime songs and read their own poems before reading out the names of those who died.

Visitors to the school can now see the plaque on a Victorian wall next to the playground, which is the only surviving remnant of the original school buildings. Firemen Remembered, which made the plaque, is an independent organisation devoted to raising awareness of the work of London’s fire services during World War II.

The replacement 1950s buildings were demolished last year after the school moved into new accommodation on the site of its old playground.

There’s more about the bombing of Invicta Road School on the Blitzwalkers blog.

Invicta school plaque