The RT buses ran for 40 years from 1939 (Photo: Pete Edgler via Creative Commons)
Two vintage London Transport buses will run on route 53 through Charlton on Saturday as part of celebrations to mark Plumstead bus garage’s 40th anniversary.
An open day is being held at the garage from 11am to 4pm, and to mark the day two buses that used to run on the 53 will run from Elephant & Castle to Plumstead, passing through Charlton at just after 10am.
The first bus will be an AEC Regent – the predecessor of the more famous Routemaster, and the type used in the Cliff Richard film Summer Holiday. This particular bus, the RT4779, last saw service in 1978, after which it was left to rot in a farmer’s field before being set on fire for the 2002 film Heart of Me. Enthusiasts restored the bus to its former glory and it will be seen plying its old route in Saturday.
Alongside it will be MD60 – not as iconic, but a bus which saw service on the 53 in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It is only one of two surviving roadworthy Scania Metropolitans and has also been restored by an enthusiast.
The buses will depart Elephant & Castle at 9.30am, reach Blackheath Royal Standard at 10.01am and Charlton Park at 10.06am, although these times may slip somewhat. Later in the day, the RT will run a return trip on the 122 to Crystal Palace, leaving Plumstead at 4.10pm.
The open day will include old buses and other memorabilia, and will raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support. Tickets will be available on the day for £5 (£2.50 for children) and there will also be a shuttle bus linking the garage with Woolwich Arsenal station.
Last night’s defeat to Accrington Stanley left Nigel Adkins’ career as Charlton manager hanging by a thread. KEVIN NOLAN watched another humiliating night for the Addicks at an angry Valley.
In the 9th minute of this desperately fraught game, a thoughtless foul by Albie Morgan on towering Accrington midfielder Harry Pell conceded a free kick 25 yards from Craig McGillivray’s goal.
Its victim deliberated long and hard over a setpiece he clearly fancied, drew a careful bead and arrowed a perfect shot over Charlton’s wall into the top left corner.
Abruptly, an already simmering atmosphere erupted into naked anger. “Sacked in the morning” and “you don’t know what you’re doing” were among the politest of protests on an otherwise balmy Tuesday evening.
The target for the tide of profanity was, of course, manager Nigel Adkins, who must have dreaded such an early concession. Even the hardest of hearts surely felt a twinge of sympathy for Charlton’s beleaguered boss. It was Morgan, after all, who had needlessly fouled Pell and the buck for Stanley’s early breakthrough surely stopped with him. But in the overall scheme of things, it’s the manager who carries the can.
Listening to the foul-mouthed abuse in the VIP section of the lower West Stand was owner Thomas Sandgaard, his presence confirmed by the endless pre-match onslaught of heavy metal served up as entertainment.
Be thankful for small mercies, though. He could have been a Cliff Richard fan.
Hailed as something of a Messiah as recently as March, Adkins already seems on borrowed time. Clearly struggling to find a settled side, he surprisingly restored Morgan as his midfield orchestrator, relied on speedsters Jonathan Leko and Corey Blackett-Taylor to provide width but left hard-running Conor Washington on the bench.
Up front, Jayden Stockley was preferred to Josh Davison in a side geared for pace and aggression. Of Ben Purrington, George Dobson, Harry Arter and Charlie Kirk there was no sign.
After some 20 minutes of ceaseless opprobrium, Adkins was handed brief respite by an unexpected, but welcome, equaliser. The determination of Tuesday’s best Addick, Alex Gilbey, won him space near the right byline to send over a low, drilled cross. First to the dangerous ball was Morgan – Stanley’s David, not the homeboys’ Albie – who turned it neatly past Toby Savin. The pressure on Adkins eased slightly.
Before the interval, Charlton provided proof that they hadn’t absorbed the lesson handed out earlier by Pell. An ill-advised foul by Sean Clare gave the former Charlton academy pupil a second chance from a similar position as his first success. A wicked delivery again cleared the wall, left McGillivray grasping at air, but crashed down from the underside of the bar; also over the line, as it happens, but who could begrudge Adkins a break?
A smart save by Savin from the busy Gilbey concluded a fractious first half, leaving the Addicks level but their manager still squarely in the firing line.
Smartly out of the blocks in the second period, the Addicks briefly held sway. Blackett-Taylor’s fine cross was swept wide by Gilbey before Stockley’s far-post header from Morgan’s inswinging corner beat Savin but was booted off the line by Colby Bishop.
Recovering their poise, the visitors produced the ideal riposte by taking the lead for a second time before the hour mark.
Again it was Pell who did the damage by timing his run to the far post and turning in Sean McConville’s low centre. Having taken on the North Stand after scoring earlier, he was by now on his best behaviour and celebrated more discreetly with the 128 hardy pilgrims who had journeyed down from Lancashire.
They had further cause for joy when, nine minutes later, Ethan Hamilton embarked on a solo run, with Pape Souare in unconvincing pursuit, and found the bottom left corner from outside the penalty area.
💬 Nigel Adkins speaks to CharltonTV following this evening's defeat to Accrington Stanley at The Valley…
There were now no holds barred in the personal vituperation heaped on Adkins’ head; his response remained stoical and not without dignity. Whether that earns him more time from the fun-loving owner remains to be seen.
Or indeed, whether he wants more time. A quieter life without Metallica caterwauling in his ear must have its attractions. Music might be the food of love, as the Bard claims, but they didn’t have junk food in his day.
In the shorter term, meanwhile, Adkins’ replacement of a subdued Clare by Washington paid immediate dividends. The irrepressible Northern Irishman refused to accept as inevitable Sam Sherring’s shepherding of the ball over the left byline.
Dispossessing the complacent defender, he contrived a swinging cross which centre back Michael Nottingham clumsily shanked to Stockley’s feet. From 12 yards, Charlton’s top scorer swivelled to reduce the deficit to one goal again.
In a frantic, spirited conclusion to a poisonous game, Leko shot into the sidenet and Washington squirted an angled effort wide.
The was one more scare for John Coleman’s men as substitute Davison met Leko’s measure cross with a firm volley but was foiled by Savin’s prudently deployed right leg. That left a wounded, disconsolate Adkins with one more toxic gauntlet to run.
It might be that Sandgaard spares him next Saturday’s trip to Sunderland. Every cloud, Nigel, every cloud…
Referee: Sam Allison. Attendance: 11,183 (128 visiting).
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Greenwich councillors have backed plans to turn the closed Barclays Bank branch at Blackheath Standard into a bar and nanobrewery – despite objections from two local groups.
Planning officers recommended the proposal, pointing out that it would keep a valued building in use and allow a local business to expand in a town centre location.
The Greenwich area planning committee supported the plans tonight, although its outdoor seating was reduced to address concerns from local residents.
Neighbours either side of the building spoke of concerns about privacy, noise and drainage, and the owner of a house next door to the site of the bank’s old cash machine objected to plans to put seating and the bins close to his home, even though it would be shielded by a large trellis.
Both the Westcombe Society and the Blackheath Society submitted objections to the plan.
Plans to use this area for outdoor seating were dropped
Ann Hill of the Westcombe Society told the committee at Woolwich Town Hall: “We do not object in principle to a microbrewery on this site but we object to the impact of the hospitality component on the occupants of number 43. Even with the trellis and planters tables will still be in close proximity to number 43, people will be sitting and moving around just 2.6 metres away until 9pm.”
Hill also objected to the scheme on the grounds of noise and claimed the proposal failed to meet planning policies because it would have “an adverse effect on noise and quality of life”.
Stephen O’Connor, who founded Common Rioters with his wife Maryann, said that he would be happy to move the bins and not have seating next to number 43 if it helped get the plans approved.
He explained that the brewery would be brewing up to 500 litres at a time, up to twice a week – compared with the 100,000-litre operation at Meantime in Greenwich.
He told the councillors: “We wanted to help bring quality beer and other local drinks to the people of SE London. We’ve found what we think will be our home and we want to enhance it and bring it to life.
“We’re not about selling cheap drinks – it’s about setting a realistic price so that suppliers in the chain, some of them will be local, will get a fair income. We use a lot of carefully-selected, locally-sourced suppliers and we hope to continue that.”
Outdoor seating will close at 9pm
The Green Goddess has been operating as a pop-up bar at Charlton House since April and Maryann said that the “brilliant” experience had “really helped us decide the place we want to have at the bank”.
Councillors generally backed the scheme, although Geoff Brighty, the Blackheath Westcombe Conservative councillor in whose ward the bar will be in, said he would object if the outdoor seating by number 43 was not removed.
“I don’t particularly object to the change of use – it’s not going to be a boozing den by the sounds of it, but I do have real concerns about the use of that section of the forecourt,” he said.
The inside of the building has already been stripped out
Aidan Smith, Labour councillor for Greenwich West, quizzed one of the council’s planning officers, Neil Willey, on why he had opted against having two cycle parking spaces for bar customers. “I’ve been taught since year dot that you don’t drink or drive in a car, so why should you do that in a bicycle,” he said. Smith countered by pointing out that “a wet-led bar on Woolwich Road” – the River Ale House – had recently been given new cycle racks.
But Norman Adams, a Kidbrooke with Hornfair Labour councillor, said a bar would be an “unsuitable” use for a building that had previously only been in use during the day. “The other thing that worries me is rogue parking, they will come and park on double yellows, that gyratory comes under great pressure and I can’t see this proposal making that any better, in fact I can see it making it worse,” he said. Adams also questioned whether there was demand for another pub in the area, claiming that the Royal Standard and British Oak were not well used.
How the bar will look
Chair of planning Stephen Brain said that the application was “tricky” in some respects because of the outdoor seating, but said the building was already in a busy location and that the success of the River Ale House showed such an approach could work.
“[At least] Wetherspoons haven’t grabbed it,” he said. “Equally, a bookmakers could take that straight away without coming to planning and we have far too many bookmakers in the area.”
Councillors backed the scheme in a number of individual votes after Greenwich West Labour councillor Pat Slattery said she could not support adding cycle racks for customers – an amendment to the plan which was also approved.
The proposed opening hours would be 10am to 11pm seven days a week, with a midnight closedown on Fridays and Saturdays in December, although a licensing committee is yet to hear final plans.
Last year’s event was held in Avery Hill Park in Eltham
Greenwich Council is bringing its Sparkle in the Park Christmas light trail to Charlton this year, holding it in Maryon Park from 1-5 December.
The event is free and features music and performances as well as market stalls.
Last year’s event was held in Avery Hill Park, Eltham, but had capped visitor numbers and finished early because of the lockdown.
What a lovely event Sparkle in the Park was, congratulations to all those involved in it and to @Royal_Greenwich for putting on something to cheer us all up. Very well distanced as well. @EEALondonpic.twitter.com/5LWxbrAkD9
At present, there are no plans to ticket the Maryon Park event – visitors can just turn up.
Council leader Danny Thorpe said: “We’re very excited to be bringing a bigger and better Sparkle in the Park back to the borough this year. As well as the spectacular light trail, delicious food and fairground rides, visitors will be able to enjoy magical Christmas activities, live performances and seasonal market stalls.”
Adel Khaireh, the cabinet member for culture, said: “Sparkle in the Park gives all our communities a chance to come together and celebrate without hefty ticket prices to worry about. We’ll also be making sure our festive fun is open to everyone with a paved walkway to follow around the light trail and accessible facilities.”
Local performers, groups and choirs who are interested in performing at the event should contact events[at]royalgreenwich.gov.uk.
Local traders interested in having a stall at the event should contact events[at]cceventsuk.com.
The 17th-century building was traditionally a landmark for ships on the Thames – it still has the right to fly the Royal Ensign on two days a year in recognition of its former role.
It’s not the easiest of climbs for sufferers of vertigo, but we’re assured the views from the top are spectacular. And the church itself is worth a look if you’ve never been inside.
The church and tower will be open from noon to 4pm this Sunday, 17 October.
On Monday evening, the church is also hosting an information evening on for Safe Families, a charity working locally to provide support to isolated families.
At Safe Families we believe no one should be alone. Join us to find out how you can make this happen in Greenwich.
Join us where we will be sharing about who we are and the different ways you can support families in your community alongside Safe Families.
The Charlton Society AGM will include a talk on Woolwich
The Charlton Society, the local amenity society for the area, is having its annual general meeting on Saturday, with both members and non-members welcome to come along.
There’s a lot to discuss in Charlton right now, but the society has opted to have a talk about Woolwich in the second part of its AGM.
It says…
The layout of the room will be slightly different to allow for social distancing. Wearing masks is optional but we ask that you use the hand sanitiser provided.
We will ask you to sign in but, for this special meeting, we will not charge for refreshments. We will also be accepting annual subscriptions and this year should be able to offer contactless payment, although you might like to bring cash with you in case there is a technical glitch!
The Meeting will take place in two sections. The first section will deal with the business of the Annual General Meeting (at which non-members will not be able to vote) and the second part will be a talk presented by David Gardner who will outline the “Challenges Facing Woolwich”. As ward councillor for Woolwich Common David is well placed to bring us up to date with the multiple changes facing the Town and district.
The event begins at 2.30pm on Saturday in the Grand Salon at Charlton House.
The minibus was stolen from the school in August and later found abandoned and stripped
Charlton Manor primary school has launched an appeal for £25,000 to replace a minibus that was stolen during the summer.
The bus was taken on August 5, and was found the next day abandoned and stripped of parts.
“On top of everything, we have just started to recover from the terrible year we experienced due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and our children haven’t had any chance to travel for the last year,” the school says.
The school had raised just over £2,000 last night.
The Charlton Champion 