Charlton – Page 4 – The Charlton Champion

Rugby returns to the Rectory Field as Askeans move in

November 2, 2021June 19, 2023Darryl Chamberlain

Full-time rugby has returned to the historic Rectory Field, five years after Blackheath FC upped sticks and moved to Eltham.

Askeans, who play in the Kent 2 league, the tenth tier of English rugby union, have signed a long-term deal with Blackheath Sports Club to move into the ground on Charlton Road, and are already making themselves at home.

Blackheath moved its first-team matches out of the Rectory Field at the end of the 2015-16 season, saying it needed to make the move to ensure its financial stability as it battled for promotion to the Championship, rugby union’s second tier.

The much-loved old ground staged international matches in its heyday, and was also a venue for Kent county cricket until 1972.

Now Askesans’ move brings regular rugby back to the ground – and the club is keen for the community to get involved. DAVID SHUTE takes up the story….

We are delighted that we have now found a permanent home at the Rectory Field in Blackheath. But it’s so much more than somewhere for us to play – we enjoy great facilities – for a start there’s 2 fully licensed long bars (I knew you’d be pleased).

We also enjoy excellent changing rooms, a seriously big stand for spectators, several function areas, a great social side and even a pool table (for anyone who the ref sends for an early bath).

In addition to all that, the ground is steeped in a long and rich history starting way back in the 1880s.

It was originally developed for cricket, football and lawn tennis and was, for many years, home of Blackheath rugby club. Five years ago Blackheath moved to a new home in Well Hall, Eltham.

For several years the Rectory Field only hosted odd games – a great shame for such a prestigious and first class ground that was once used for international sporting events. England played matches here before Twickenham was developed.

Back in the day the All Blacks, Springboks, Australian and Maori touring sides all graced the Rectory Field pitch. It was also the Kent County home ground.

But the rich history is not just rugby, the ground has hosted senior cricket and county games and is now the home in the summer months for Blackheath Cricket Club.

Other facilities include tennis courts and a new commercial gym.

Most importantly – rugby is back at the Rectory Field.

We have already settled in and we look forward to calling it our home for many years to come.

We’ve also been made very welcome and so will you be – if you’re interested in joining – players of all standards and supporters (of any standard) can call Ian (Director of Rugby) on 07957 280530.

Askeans’ next home match is against Dartford Valley on Saturday 6 November at 2pm: there is no charge for admission.

For more information, visit the Askeans website.

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Vintage buses come to Charlton for Plumstead garage open day

October 25, 2021June 19, 2023Darryl Chamberlain

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.

Not Peckham (photo: Aubrey via Creative Commons)

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.

For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page.

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Sparkle in the Park light trail comes to Maryon Park this December

October 13, 2021June 19, 2023Darryl Chamberlain

Sparkle in the Park 2020 — 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. @EEALondon pic.twitter.com/5LWxbrAkD9

— This is Eltham (@ThisisEltham) December 12, 2020

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.

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See great views of London from the tower of St Luke’s Church on Sunday

October 13, 2021June 19, 2023Darryl Chamberlain

St Luke with Holy Trinity, Charlton — St Luke with Holy Trinity is opening its doors to Horn Fair visitors

To coincide with the Horn Fair taking place across the road at Charlton House on Sunday, St Luke’s Church is offering a rare chance to climb its tower to take in the views across London.

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.

You can sign up for the event at eventbrite.co.uk.

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Trinity Rise: Work on new housing to replace Morris Walk Estate to begin in new year

October 2, 2021June 19, 2023Darryl Chamberlain

Trinity Rise, Charlton/Woolwich — A Lovell image of some of the new homes

Work is due to start early next year on 766 new homes on the site of the old Morris Walk Estate, its developer announced this week after being given final planning permission for the scheme.

Demolition work on the old estate, which was built as 562 council homes between 1964 and 1966, began last summer and has continued throughout the year.

The former Morris Walk South estate – including streets close to Maryon Park in Charlton – will be renamed Trinity Rise and feature more low-rise homes and family housing. The northern side will be known as Trinity Park, and feature more high-rise towers of up to 13 storeys.

Of the 766 new homes, 177 will be for London Affordable Rent (about half market rent – the same rent being used for new Greenwich Council homes) with 76 available for shared ownership.

Lovell was appointed to develop the estate by Greenwich Council in 2013 under a deal which also includes the Connaught Estate in Woolwich and the crumbling Maryon Road and Maryon Grove estates in Charlton. The proportion of “affordable” homes was agreed when outline planning permission was given two years later.

Stuart Gibbons, Lovell’s regional managing director for London, said the scheme would “deliver hundreds of energy efficient new homes to the borough whilst also driving job creation, apprenticeships and economic growth over the next six years”.

“There aren’t many new schemes in London which are building this many family homes,” he added. “The Lovell vision is to create high-quality schemes with a strong sense of place and community. Our approach will ensure the new homes enhance existing connections to local communities, shared facilities, health, transport links and other infrastructure.

“Lovell was chosen for its flexibility and collaborative approach to long term partnership. We are proud of what we have achieved so far with our partnership with Royal Borough of Greenwich at Trinity Walk in Woolwich. These fantastic new homes will provide further opportunity for people living and working locally to live in these homes at accessible prices.”

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Trinity Park: 766 homes on site of Morris Walk Estate get final council backing

September 22, 2021June 19, 2023Darryl Chamberlain1 Comment

Lovell Trinity Park render — Lovell’s proposed view from Maryon Park – where Denmark House stood until recently

Greenwich councillors have approved detailed plans for 766 new homes on the site of the Morris Walk Estate on the Charlton/Woolwich border.

Developer Lovell already had outline permission to build on the site, but last night’s planning board meeting rubber-stamped its plans.

Residents and the media – including The Charlton Champion – were unable to watch the meeting remotely because of technical problems which prevented the meeting being webcast. Physical attendance at meetings is restricted so only a handful of people saw councillors unanimously approve the scheme.

Demolition work on the Morris Walk Estate, built as 562 council homes between 1964 and 1966, has progressed throughout the year, with the last blocks to go on the northern edge of the site.

Of the 766 homes promised in the Trinity Park development, 177 will be for London Affordable Rent (about half market rent – the same rent being used for new Greenwich Council homes) with 76 available for shared ownership.

There will be taller blocks – of up to 13 storeys – to the north of the site near Woolwich Church Street, with more low-rise housing to the south near Maryon Park.

The Charlton Champion reported on the plans last November, as well as an earlier consultation into the scheme.

The development is part of a 12-year deal with Greenwich Council signed in 2012, which has already resulted in Woolwich’s notorious Connaught estate becoming a new development called Trinity Walk.

Lovell also plans to redevelop the crumbling Maryon Road and Maryon Grove estates under the agreement, with a planning application expected in 2023.

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Help us keep saved Angerstein Wharf crossing safe, Network Rail asks neighbours

September 17, 2021June 19, 2023Darryl Chamberlain

Gates have since been installed at the Angerstein crossing

Network Rail bosses have asked neighbours and passers-by to watch out for misuse and vandalism at the Angerstein Wharf railway crossing, which has been saved from closure this week.

The track company had threatened to close the historic footpath across the single-track freight branch line, which links streets around Fairthorn Road and Gurdon Road to Westcombe Park station, but reversed the decision on Wednesday after a campaign by local residents.

Safety issues were cited as the reason for closing the crossing, but Network Rail said that an independent review by its head of passenger safety, Allan Spence, found that safety measures in place were sufficient to make the Angerstein path an exception to its normal rules on crossings.

Network Rail now plans to straighten out rights-of-way issues at the crossing

Network Rail now plans to upgrade the footsteps to the crossing, installing a new surface on the crossing itself, and is considering installing CCTV to watch the area.

“I am counting on cooperation of people who use the crossing and would be grateful for misuse and vandalism – anything that takes place that is unsafe – is challenged and reported,” Fiona Taylor, Network Rail’s route director for Kent, told a Zoom call for neighbours of the crossing on Wednesday evening.

The crossing would remain open so long as there were no incidents which called its safety into question, Taylor said.

Peninsula ward councillor Chris Lloyd, who also attended the meeting, backed Taylor’s call for help. “An interface between people in the railway isn’t what we would do today,” he said. “We don’t want to be here again should we find out that the crossing as been abused and it’s up for closure once again.”

Questions of rights of way around the land also needed to be sorted out with landowners and Greenwich Council, Taylor added.

The crossing was originally built for farm workers in the 1850s when the privately-built Angerstein Wharf line was built to link the new North Kent line to the Thames. It has grown in importance in recent years with the building of new housing on the former Thorn Lighting site off Victoria Way and Fairthorn Road, with 675 people recorded as using the crossing each day.

The meeting was told that rerouting the footpath under the railway line would cost £3 million, although these costs were challenged. Lloyd suggested that funding from developers could be used to help pay for any path under the line.