Charlton Rail Users’ Group meets this Thursday

Darryl Chamberlain2 Comments

charlton_station_bookshelfIt’s been a busy year and one of improvements at Charlton station, but there’s still plenty to be done.

The security and information facilities at the station have improved, while it also saw service as a Olympic and Paralympic interchange for the North Greenwich/ O2 Arena during the summer. There’s been a clean-up, while the flag poles have now been decorated for the first time in a decade.

There’s also been one new innovation – the bookcase, where commuters can pick up and leave books if they fancy something a bit more rewarding than reading Facebook or the Metro in the morning.

The improved facilities show what happen when local people can get together and put some pressure on station operators.

There’s still a long way to go, and the service still leaves a lot to be desired – see this open letter that’s been doing the rounds. And six car trains still stop at the far end of the platform.

On Thursday at 7pm at Charlton Liberal Club, you can put your questions to Southeastern’s Mike Gibson, as well as representatives from TfL and Greenwich Council. The CRUG meets twice a year, so please pop in if you can.

Charlton Community Gardens latest

Darryl Chamberlain1 Comment

Claire Williams has the latest on the Charlton Community Gardens scheme…

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Congratulations to Bill Dolan and Gordon Parrish, joint winners in the over 16s category of Charlton Community Gardens Edible Window Box Competition. Their winning entries used a range of decorative and edible plants, and scored points too for the recycled birdbath used as the container.

Neighbours agree with our judges, Jillian Smith from Charlton and Blackheath Amateur Horticultural Society and Barbara Holland of the Charlton Community Gardens group: “What Gordon and Bill create in their gardens each year gives so much enjoyment.”

The joint first winners shared prizes donated by shopkeepers from The Standard, a voucher from Sparkes the Butcher and a pair of secateurs from Marnells. The winners said “These great prizes will go towards our Christmas”.

The prize in the children’s section went to Theo Saldin and the over 16 runner-up was Maria Bloor. Their prizes came from Ottie and the Bea and from Well Bean Health Food store.

Charlton Community Gardens group is not yet a year old. It was set up to promote
cooperation and support for everyone interested in sustainable and organic growing
and wildlife diversity in Charlton. The group is working on leasing local land for
shared growing and learning together.

Alongside running the Edible Window Box competition, the group raised plants for
sale at The Hornfair and at local school fairs. “We are keen that schoolchildren get
the habit of “grow to eat” and window boxes will flourish on balconies and ledges in
any sunny spot,” say members of the Steering Group.

If you’d like more information about how to get involved in the Charlton Community
Gardens group, send an email to charltoncommunitygardens@gmail.com. The
group’s website is under development.

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Charlton Toy Library’s 30th anniversary party

Neil Clasper

Charlton Toy Library are having a birthday party on Saturday – and they need your help to secure the future of this local service…

Charlton Toy Library celebrates its 30th Birthday on 10th November 3pm-6pm at Charlton Assembly Rooms with a spectacular party. Everyone with children is invited to come and enjoy a music session with Boppin Bunnies, theatre workshop with Theatre bugs, balloons, bubbles, birthday tea, party games, face painting and much, much more.

The library is based at Charlton House and runs a borrowing service of toys, books, DVD’s, CD’s, baby safety equipment, dressing up clothes, games puzzles and lots more. It also runs stay and play sessions three times a week 09.30-12.30 on Tuesday, Thursday and Fridays.

Charlton Toy Library does not receive any public funding and relies on a diminishing number of grants. It is likely to lose its outreach programme, which provides a much needed service in the local community for disadvantaged families, in the next few months due to lack of funding.

The service in Charlton House is run solely by a tireless team of dedicated volunteers but the Outreach service delivered by a part time qualified worker and, until recently, a big friendly red van is a cost that the library can no longer afford to run.

Colin Brown, chair of the management committee of the library, said “After 30 years serving the community it will be a terrible shame for the toy library to have to cease running its outreach programme. The ‘stay and play’ and borrowing sessions in Charlton House are also at risk as we rely very heavily on volunteers.

We hope that, following the volunteering boost triggered by the Olympics, we may be able to attract some more help but the running costs needed to keep our outreach worker are increasingly difficult to come by, indeed we have already had to sell the ‘friendly red van’ to cover salary costs for the next few months.  This has not been helped by the fact that applications to charitable trusts have been increasingly unsuccessful in recent months due to the economic climate and the number of other organisations applying for them.

We will keep the Toy Library going in its present format for as long as possible and will enjoy celebrating our 30th birthday on 10 November”

The party will be a fundraising event with an affordable ticket price and an auction of promises for the adults. We are very grateful to Asda on Bugsby Way who is sponsoring the event.

If you would like to help us celebrate and support Charlton Toy Library, tickets can be purchased online at uk.virginmoneygiving.com/charities/charltontoylibrary.  If you are unable to attend but would like to support the Toy Library you can still do so by visiting the Virgin Money Giving website and making a small donation or by donating a ‘promise’ for the auction (details of which can be found on our website www.charltontoylibrary.co.uk).

If you would be interested in becoming a volunteer, helping run our weekly sessions, helping with fundraising or have any services you could offer directly to the library, please contact us on 020 8315 0055 or e-mail us at charltontoylibrary@gmail.com. 

Thorntree School Christmas Craft Market

Darryl Chamberlain


Sarah’s been in touch to say you should come to the Thorntree School Christmas Craft Market, which is this Thursday evening.

“Once again we will be showcasing local craftspeople such as Emi & Ben Natural Skincare, Sweet William Ceramics and Jentus Bags.

“It takes place this Thursday from 7-9.30pm; entry is £1 for adults and includes a raffle ticket. We’ll be selling refreshments too.”

There’s also a Facebook page for the Friends of Thorntree Association.

A ghostly historical show at Charlton House

Darryl Chamberlain

London Paranormal gets in touch with this message…

For the third year running Charlton House will be witness to yet another historical ghostly performance by Phantasmagoria Events this coming Halloween in a show recalling some of the capitals most wretched murderers, evil villains and sorrowful victims.

Local supernaturalist and gothic author, Algernon Blackwood is researching his new book ‘Cry Murder Scream Ghost’ and has rented Charlton House for the duration. Things are not going to plan. Lost in a mixture of alcohol, an over active imagination and on the edge of losing his mind, Algernon is unable to decipher the difference between reality and unreality, the natural and the supernatural.

Historical, scary and full of local gruesome facts, this promenade performance is suitable for all those aged 12 to 80

CRY MURDER SCREAM GHOST takes place at Charlton House on
FRIDAY 26TH and SUNDAY 27th OCTOBER 2012 ( No Show on Saturday 26th)

Opening Times: 7pm -9pm

(Please note: Your journey lasts approx: 70mins and requires you to walk around the house in groups on a specifically designed route)

Price: Adult £12.00 per person / Child £7.50 per person / Family Ticket: £26.00 (2 adults 2 kids)

Please note: a few tickets will also be available on the door ( cash only)

Please Note: This event is not suitable for under 12’s
Disclaimer: Unfortunately this event is not wheel chair accessible

HOW TO BOOK

Tickets are available:

1: GREENWICH THEATRE

Online: www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk

By telephone – call Box Office: 020 8858 7755

In person: Greenwich Theatre, Crooms Hill, London, SE10 8ES

2: CHARLTON HOUSE MAIN OFFICE
( cash only please)

It’s the Charlton Society’s annual meeting this Saturday

Darryl Chamberlain14 Comments

Here’s Charlton Society chairman David Gardner…

All Charlton residents and friends are warmly welcome to the Annual Meeting of The Charlton Society on Saturday 20 October in Charlton House at 2.30pm. You do not need to be a member, though be great if you could join.

We are very pleased to welcome our MP Nick Raynsford and the Deputy Mayor of Royal Greenwich, Cllr. Angela Cornforth and many local councillors.

But we can also celebrate a good year for Charlton, not just the football club being promoted, but the adoption of the Charlton Riverside Masterplan, a commitment to downgrade Woolwich Road, the 200th anniversary of PM Spencer Perceval’s assassination, the reopening of a heated Charlton Lido, the new Maryon Wilson Animal Centre Trust and the Charlton Village Conservation Area review and Charlton House Trust on the near horizon.

Altogether, there is so much happening in Charlton and so much potential. And some great coming together across Charlton whether for our parks and green spaces, heritage buildings, places of worship, the station and for particular roads and neighbourhoods.

Be great to see you on 20th and so stop for refreshments afterwards.

Catch a musical star of the Paralympic closing ceremony perform in SE7 this Sunday

Neil Clasper1 Comment

This Sunday sees one of the semi-regular acoustic sessions run by Gus Glen at Catttleya’s on Charlton Church Lane, and this week promises a very special guest. Local musician Lyn Levett, most recently seen playing with the Paraorchestra and Coldplay at the Paralympic Closing Ceremony, will perform an improvised set amongst other regular performers.

From The Paraorchestra’s website:

It all began in the late 80’s. Lyn bought a Commodore 64 inch computer from Boots that had a music package and was hooked instantly. She then went on to have music lessons from Community Music Wales and become a music tutor in Cardiff. Lyn has also released a single and a twelve inch.

Lyn has cerebral palsy and produces music on a Mac using Logic Pro. She uses a trackball to input notes and other actions. Lyn also has an iPad with several music apps and operates the pad with her nose.

Today, Lyn’s aim is ‘to produce the highest possible music in my studio. I’m currently exploring performance programs for the iPad and hope this will improve interaction with other musicians’.

Lyn is highly creative and has been described as producing the ‘most dizzyingly brilliant electronic music.’ (Charles Hazlewood). Watch this space.

The entertainment starts around 8.30pm; why not go a long to watch, try Cattleya’s Thai-Tapas, or just have a drink?

Cattleya at Chu & Cho’s, 52 Charlton Church Lane, London, SE7 7AB