Christmas 2017.

The photos above were taken last Sunday afternoon at the private, invitation only screening of "Star Wars - The Last Jedi" at the CineWorld cinema in Bexleyheath. The annual event was organised by Nav, who you can see wearing the Rebel Alliance X-Wing fighter pilot's uniform in the photo above - click on the photo for a larger view. Some of the invited guests came from as far away as Wales to attend the screening, and several members of The 501st Legion were also in attendance. It was an amazing afternoon, and great fun. Thanks to the ReV for supplying the photos. 

Monday proved to be a rather event filled day for me, and also really proved to me that in a crisis, most people really do want to help, and to do the right thing; we hear so much about local criminal and anti social behaviour, that it is really good to see the better side of people when something happens. I was on the 99 bus in Erith town centre, only a couple of stops from home. It was about 2.30pm or thereabouts; I was sat on the lower deck on one of the seats opposite the staircase to the upper deck. A lady of Indian descent who was I suppose in her early sixties got on the bus and went to sit down on the seat in front of me; she was almost seated when the bus driver pulled away from the bus stop. The lady overbalanced and fell onto the deck, cracking her head on the aluminium plate on the bottom stair edge. I and two women tried to grab the lady as she fell, but it just happened too quickly. The Indian lady was knocked out cold for around ten seconds, and very confused when she came around. The bus driver immediately stopped the bus and radioed in a "Code Red" alert to his controller, whilst another passenger rang 999 for an ambulance. The lady was bleeding quite heavily from a nasty cut on  the back of her head, and there was blood coming out of her right ear; I always carry at least one pack of pocket tissues, and luckily on this occasion I had two packs on my person. Between one of the other two female passengers and myself, we made an improvised compression bandage for the Indian lady's head, and I managed to get her sitting up right in the seat. The bus driver and I asked the other passengers to leave the bus, as it was going nowhere until the ambulance arrived. Surprisingly nobody complained - I think most of the other passengers had seen the accident and the blood on the deck, and realised that it could be a potentially very serious incident. The bus driver, the two ladies (one of whom was a first aider) and I stayed with the Indian lady for around half an hour, reassuring her, and occasionally changing the improvised wound dressing until the ambulance and paramedics arrived to take over. The Indian lady was very grateful, and thanked the four of us who had helped her; I hope she was OK after what was a nasty fall. I suspect that the wound looked worse than it actually was - as is often the case with head wounds; nevertheless she certainly needed to go to hospital to get checked out - you cannot afford to take any chances after a nasty bang on the head, especially as she had temporarily lost consciousness. I thought that would have been enough drama for one day, but I was sadly mistaken. My day had just begun. 

Can you identify the figure in the orange sweatshirt and dirty jeans in the upper of the two photos above? If so, Bexley Police would like to know, as the individual is wanted in connection with a number of vehicle related crimes. Shortly after the incident on the bus, I became involved in the aftermath of a vehicle crime. A number of males were in a dark coloured Vauxhall Astra, which they were using to tow an old VW Polo along Manor Road in the direction of Slade Green. A woman was parking her white Mini when the Astra tow car / Polo clipped her mini, and the towed Polo subsequently got stuck on one of the pedestrian crossing islands in the road, as you can see in the photo above - click on it for a larger version. The lady got out of her Mini to speak to the males, when one got out of the Astra, unhooked the tow line from the Polo, then jumped into the hatchback boot of the Astra and made off - you can see him in the upper of the two photos - unfortunately the quality is not good, due to the low light and the suddenness of the unexpected situation. The dumped Polo caused a partial blockage of Manor Road, which at one point caused and ambulance on "Blues and Twos" to have to mount the pavement to get past the vehicular obstruction. The Police were called, and an area patrol car soon arrived on the scene. The Police officers checked out the illegally dumped vehicle, and determined the actual ownership details. It was unclear whether the owner was part of the gang that had the vehicle under tow, or if they were actually a victim of vehicle theft. I am aware that spares for older VW models, including Polo and Golf models are currently selling at a premium. I would not at all be surprised if the blue Polo in the photo above was stolen to be broken for spares. A slightly older Polo was stolen in Lower Belvedere a few months ago in very similar circumstances. I would not be at all surprised if the same people were involved. The Police called for a contractor to come and tow the Polo away, but nobody turned up with a tow truck. After a couple of hours with the patrol car sitting, lights flashing. behind the dumped Polo, acting as a warning for oncoming motorists, the officers obviously got fed up of waiting and called a second area patrol car equipped with a tow hitch. The Police then towed the Polo away. I am told that their investigations continue.

As predicted last week, Radio Caroline did start full transmissions on 648 kHz Medium Wave sooner rather than later. Official programmes commenced on Friday morning at 7am. The initial test transmissions have been received all over Europe and beyond, greatly exceeding their target audience in Suffolk and Norfolk. Now that they are onto regular transmission and programming, it will be interesting to see how they go about building their audience over the next few months. You can read more about them by clicking here.

Following my recent coverage of Bexley Council's move to no longer collect plastic and drinks cartons at the borough's recycling centres, an about face may well be on the cards. Whilst the council may have chosen the policy of no longer collecting these items for recycling, it is looking increasingly likely that they will be over - ruled by national government. In a radical four-point plan, the Environment Secretary wants to tie councils to common guidelines that will make recycling less confusing for millions. At present, town halls are free to decide what they recycle. A recent BBC investigation found that there is a huge disparity on recycling plastic waste, with some local authorities collecting every type – and some taking none at all. Michael Gove has revealed he is considering nationwide standards to ensure that – as far as possible – councils collect the same items. The strategy to address the crisis aims to:- Reduce the number of plastics that are in use to make it easier for recycling firms; Cut single-use plastics such as drinking straws and coffee cups; Improve the recycling rate, which has been slipping; Make it easier for families to tell what can be recycled and what has to go in the general rubbish bin. A centralised standard on which types of recycling councils have to collect would help achieve at least two of these aims. Environmental campaigners blame the postcode lottery for Britain's woeful recycling rates – recently ranked 18th in the world, behind countries including Italy and Germany. Almost eight million families cannot recycle everyday plastics because councils refuse to pick them up. Another issue that many people are unaware of, especially at this time of year is the issue with wrapping paper for Christmas presents; due to the treatment the paper receives during production, it cannot be recycled, and is especially bad for the environment, as the only way to get rid of it is to put it in landfill, or to burn it. What I have chosen to do is rather than wrapping Christmas presents, I will be giving them in sparkly gift bags, which can be reused, year after year. As I have previously written, this is also the reason that I don't send Christmas cards, as I believe them to be ruinously bad for the environment - wood and rags are pulped to make the cards, energy is used to print them, fossil fuels are used to transport them to the shops, electricity and gas are burned to light and heat the shops, then once they are purchased, more fossil fuels are used to deliver the cards around the planet, then after a few days they are discarded, and many cannot be recycled. I can understand the practice in the past, when an annual card sent to friends and loved ones would be a form of annual communication when you might otherwise not hear from them, but nowadays this is far from the case; instant worldwide online communications mean that from my perspective, Christmas cards are consigned to the past. What do you think? Leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

If you use Windows 10, and employ the facial recognition system to log into your computer or tablet, you may find the following information somewhat worrying. German IT security experts have uncovered a serious weakness in the Windows 10 facial recognition system; All you need to do to log into the locked Windows 10 computer is a basic photo of the face that is already registered on the computer. If you hold up the facial print in front of the computer's camera, it will log you in - even if you have the enhanced security for facial recognition option activated. This means if you leave your Windows 10 PC or tablet somewhere public, even if it is locked, it is possible for a third party to access your Windows 10 machine, and your account, purely by holding up a photo of you to the machine. I think this howler of a security hole will be fixed pretty soon, but it is a worry nevertheless. You can read the full technical details of the exploit by clicking here.

Some very good news for musicians and music enthusiasts. Vox amplifiers are once again going to be manufactured in the UK. Vox originally had factories in both West Street, Erith, and in Dartford Road, Dartford. In recent years the Vox brand has been owned by the giant Japanese music instrument manufacturing company Korg. In a recent announcement The 60-year-old engineering group is looking to onshore a small number of highly skilled jobs from Vietnam after a successful test run building high end handcrafted amplifiers in the UK. Current Vox boss Ian Doggett said in an interview in the London Evening Standard:- “The UK is a very desirable option as a manufacturing centre and the skills of smaller manufacturers here mean they can make our products to the high-quality standard we need, and in smaller and more flexible production quantities.” Vox / Korg originally moved production outside the UK in 2002 to China and then Vietnam. Vox is yet to decide what functions to move onshore, but it is likely to involve small bespoke production rather than mass production units. A limited edition run of 600 hand wired amplifiers made in Britain retailing for around £3500 each saw a huge surge in demand from fans this year. It is somewhat doubtful that manufacturing of the very high end amplifiers will return to the local area, but nothing is impossible. Founder Thomas Walter Jennings started the business, then called JMI (Jennings Musical Instruments) in Dartford in 1958, when he took a prototype guitar amplifier which had been demonstrated to him by big band guitarist and Belvedere resident Dick Denney two years earlier, and turned it into a working, commercial product – the Vox AC-15. The AC-15 was almost immediately purchased by Hank Marvin, and the unique sound of the Shadows was down primarily to the use of Vox amplification. Soon after, the “British Invasion” of the early 60’s was under way, powered almost exclusively by Vox amplifiers. Keeping it local, Dartford’s own Rolling Stones used Vox, as did The Kinks, The Yardbirds, and in what was one of the very earliest pieces of celebrity product placement, Vox amplifiers were promoted and exclusively used by The Beatles, after manager Brian Epstein negotiated a deal – one which greatly benefitted JMI, who were pretty much called Vox by this point. As the audiences for gig got bigger, and the venue sizes increased, the need for more powerful amplification became evident – the 15 Watt AC-15 was not powerful enough; JMI effectively nailed two AC-15 amps together to create their all time classic Vox AC-30 amplifier – a model still in production to this day. Contemporary musicians who employ the AC-30 include Brian May of Queen, who was the first person to create a “wall” of AC-30’s to create his unique and totally distinctive sound; Tom Petty, Rory Gallagher, Pete Townshend, Ritchie Blackmore, Mark Knopfler, Paul Weller, and the Edge of U2 – pretty much all of rock royalty use or have used Vox amplification. JMI also manufactured guitars, many of which were technically ground breaking – including active pickups, and built in sound effects – the down side of this was that they tended to be heavy and ugly, and did not pick up many celebrity users. JMI / Vox also invented the Wah Wah pedal – most famously used by Jimi Hendrix, and the fuzztone distortion pedal used by Jimmy Page, then of the Yardbirds, and soon to be of Led Zeppelin. Vox / JMI also created the very first wireless microphone system, early models of which gained a reputation from picking up interference from nearby mini cab radios. Another very successful and influential product made by JMI / Vox at Erith was the Vox Continental electronic organ, which most famously featured on “The House of the Rising Sun” by the Animals, and “Riders on the Storm” by the Doors (actually, pretty much any Doors track heavily features the Vox Continental – it was integral to their sound).

Now for the weekly security and safety updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. First, some general advice for local residents:- "Throughout December there is traditionally an increase in burglary. Last year on Christmas Eve alone there were 189 burglaries across London. Keep gifts and valuables out of view – placing gifts in plain view of windows will draw attention to your house and its contents. Be cautious when using social media – do not advertise your home is empty by showing you are somewhere else or having a countdown to your winter holiday. Consider using a timer to turn on your lights, your radio or TV to ensure you house appears to be occupied. Ask a family member or neighbour to pop in and open and close your curtains at various times and ask them to turn on lights if there isn’t a timer – so a potential thief does not spot a pattern. Dispose of boxes and rubbish discreetly. Leaving boxes outside will give away the fact that you have new and valuable items in the house. Consider property marking your valuables so that in the unfortunate event of a burglary it will help police to have a better chance of recovering your belongings. Protect yourself from distraction burglary, also known as ‘artifice burglary’ - a crime where a person tricks an occupant into allowing them into their property. Always ask for identification and never open the door to a stranger until you are fully satisfied they are who they say they are. Please keep an eye out for vulnerable people within your community to help keep them safe. Officers will be deployed to track down burglary suspects using various techniques including Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) operations. They will also conduct high visibility patrols in burglary hotspot areas". Now for the weekly news from the wards around the local area, starting with Barnehurst ward:- "Sadly we have had another burglary on the ward. On the 16th December 2017 between 4.30pm and 5.10pm Suspects have targeted an address in Bourne Road. Access was gained to the garden of the property via an adjacent open space by suspects cutting through a chain linked fence. They have then smashed the glass in a UPVC door, entered the house, making their way upstairs and taking a safe which contained a large quantity of cash and a large amount as Gold from a wardrobe. The safe was extremely heavy and it would have taken at least 3 plus peoples to carry it. Suspects have then forced open the main front door and took the safe down the driveway we believe to a waiting vehicle. If you do have a safe please make sure that it is bolted to something substantial, consider putting it in a less obvious place like a loft if you have one. We have also had a theft of vehicle from the rear of a property in Tower Road, Bexleyheath. Overnight from the 16th December between 10pm and 7am suspects have stolen a grey Yamaha MT125 motor cycle, registration number HY15 OBF. On Friday 20th December the team with the assistance of other ward officers from across the borough and colleagues from the Metropolitan police special constabulary executed a drugs warrant in Halcot Avenue. Drugs, cash and several mobile phones were seized from the address, Enquires continue. We are pleased to announce a new neighbourhood watch covering part of Watling Street. A big thank you to the coordinator making an effort to keep our community safe. We now have our Facebook page up and running, please search for Barnehurst Police and give us a follow, as always you can find out what the team have been up to via twitter @MPSBarnehurst. Finally a very merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our residents, please stay safe over the festive period and look out for each other". Belvedere ward:- "This week the team have spent time conducting anti-burglary patrols within Belvedere, Lesnes Abbey and Erith wards after offences committed in Abbey Road, Glenview and Bullbanks Road. PC Holmes and PCSO Worrall also dealt with two vehicle incidents in Nuxley Road, the second of which involved a broken down car causing obstruction to other road users. A thank you from the team to those drivers who remained patient whilst we were able to arrange for the vehicle to be recovered, we hope that there were minimal delays! We have also continued to carry out regular patrols of the Upper Belvedere areas in and around Brook Street and Nuxley Road after recent robberies having being committed, and have assisted with CCTV enquiries from businesses in Nuxley Road. PC Green and PC Holmes will be taking part in mobile patrols with officers from neighboring wards over the coming days to combat burglary in the north of the borough". Brampton ward:- "Very mixed week for the ward although we have had: 1 x Residential Burglary in Long Lane suspects got in through a front bay window , victim had stolen a safe with jewellery and foreign currency; 2 x Criminal Damage to motor vehicle tyres slashed in Birchington Close street briefing conducted on Wednesday 20th December with residents and wing mirror and window smashed on a vehicle in Haslemere Road; 1 x Interference with a motor vehicle in Oakhurst avenue locks had been tampered with but nothing stolen; and 1 x Theft of motor vehicle in Holmesdale road , 2 vehicles taken overnight/early hours of the morning investigation ongoing including the possibility of the vehicles being repossessed". Christchurch ward:- "Good news - we have no reported burglaries across Christchurch ward, please continue to lock and secure your property. Christmas presents out of sight, once the presents are open and you are left with packaging for the bin men to collect. Crime prevention advise destroy the labels on packages or boxes, don’t advertise your items for example electronical items Theives can see what items you have; Oaklands Road – Garden shed – cultivator taken. Secure your shed alarm it. Consider a battery-operated shed alarm. They look low key but they respond to movement or door contact with an extremely loud siren. ; Near Oaklands Road - Theft of Motor bike found burnt out prior to reporting. 16/12/2017 at 1711hrs. Call 101 if you saw anything or anyone acting suspicious; Standard Road, junction with Upland Road – Theft of motor vehicle 13/12/ - 14/12/2017 between 1730 – 0830hrs; 2X dips – Pickpockets on the Broadway. Please keep bags zipped and in front of you. Gentlemen keep your wallets in the front pockets not the back pockets, pickpockets like crowds in shops and the streets; Iris Avenue brought to our attention youths on push bikes making a nuisance obstructing traffic and being a nuisance; Christ Church Safer Neighbourhoods Team are aware and will stop youths cycling in an anti - social behaviour manner putting themselves at risk and other road users. Youths will be stopped by Police given strong words of advice, names taken and parental letters sent home. A resident in Church Road was disturbed by noises at approx. 1am on 20/12/17. When they investigated they found that the cable of the Christmas lights on the front of their house had been cut and that someone had drilled a hole close to the lock in the rear door of their van in an attempt to steal tools which was parked on the driveway. Colyers ward:- "There was one reported burglary on Colyers Ward between 13/12/17 and 20/12/17. There was also one reported theft of motor vehicle and one motor vehicle interference during the same period. A residential burglary occurred at Heath Way Erith on Monday 18th December 2017 between 0800 hours - 0300 hours. On Monday 18thDecember 2017 the victim left home at 8am for work. The victim returned at 3am on Tuesday 19th December 2017 and went directly upstairs to bed and the victim awoke for work at 0600hrs on Tuesday 19th December 2017, he noticed that the bottom part of his rear UPVC door had been put through and the door itself was wide open The victim states a yellow safe containing cash and documents was missing from the bottom of the wardrobe from a bedroom. The victim had £100 in cash also taken from the bedroom. The bottom panel of the UPVC door at the rear of the property was laying inside on the kitchen floor. It appeared that the suspects have unlocked the rear door to gain entry There was one theft of a motor vehicle in Downbank Avenue a silver Yamaha index LD07BFY but the vehicle was later found abandoned and recovered. There was one motor vehicle interference in LARNER ROAD ERITH on 15th December 2017 at 9:15am. The vehicle was broken into and the rear quarter window of the drivers side had been smashed. Nothing was taken from the vehicle. On Thursday 14/12/2017 a male suspect wearing a dark woolly hat, grey black jacket, dark trousers, grey trainers and riding a bicycle with a fluorescent yellow handle bars was seen trying car doors at Thanet Road /Larner Road area at 6am".  Crayford ward:- "The lull last week was too good to be true! In the early hours of Tuesday morning 19/12/2017 someone entered a locked porch via an insecure window and removed several coats and other items, placing them on the driveway at the address. On Monday 18/12/2017 at 19.32 hours a Robbery of Business Property occurred at GAME at Tower Retail Park. Four Males stole a large quantity of mobile phones, thankfully no members of staff or customers came to any physical harm. A number plate was stolen from a vehicle parked in Ridge Avenue on 14/12/2017 between 12.15 and 21.05. A lady had her purse stolen from her shopping bag which was in a shopping trolley at Aldi in Crayford. A moped was stolen from outside KFC whilst parked and locked at 17.15-17.20 on 16/12/2017. A bicycle was stolen overnight between 15/12/2017 at 22.00 and 12.20 on 16.12/2017 in Crayford Way. A parking permit was stolen from a motor vehicle parked at Perry Street on 13/12/2017 at 19.00. Brass and Copper were stolen from a locked container in Thames Road overnight between 18.00 on 11/12/2017 and 06.00 on 12/12/2017. Please keep your bags with you, wear them across your body if possible. Also be aware that thieves are placing devices on ATM machines that trap cards and PIN numbers to obtain cash. If you have any doubts about a machine please do not use it". Erith Ward:- "During the winter months ensure your car is ready for the season change in weather - are tyres, brakes, windscreens, wiper blades and windows free from defects and clean? Be aware of changing road conditions, don't put yourself and others at risk. Drink driving – don’t risk it, if you are out partying be aware of your alcohol consumption, our advice will always be if you are going to be the driver – Don’t have any alcohol at all. Personal safety is paramount. If you are going out, make sure you have your keys, money, phone and plans to get home. Make sure someone knows what time you will be back. If you are Christmas shopping, make sure you park in a well-lit car park and lock your car. Never leave any valuables in your car, such as mobiles or satellite navigation systems".  Lesnes Abbey ward:- " When the nights get longer keep the burglars guessing. Make your home look occupied by using Timer Lights. Motor vehicle crime - A Motor Vehicle had rear number plate taken in Langridge Road. Have you locked your doors and windows? Did you know that your vehicle is like a shop window ? If you can see any property left on view then so can a thief. Take it with you. Out Shopping - Beware of pickpockets. Stay alert and keep your bags close to you. At home - Note frame numbers of bicycles/colour/make. Note serial numbers/make and model of electrical goods. North End Ward:- "We have unfortunately had a burglary in Eversley Avenue in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Entry was gained through a small open window and a purse was among the items taken leaving the victim very shaken. A reassurance visit was carried out on our behalf as this happened on our rest days but we will be ensuring that all follow up care will be taken. Six vehicle crimes have been reported in the last week. Vehicles have been stolen from Canada Road, Lincoln Road, Slade Green Road and Boundary Street as well as an attempted theft on Friday evening in Rainbow Road (Amethyst Court) and theft from a vehicle on the 14th of December in Reddy Road. Our vehicle crime numbers are still very high and we had a Street Briefing on Wednesday in Reddy Road giving Crime Prevention advice to all attendees. We attended the Erith Christmas tree festival last weekend. Although not part of our ward it was good to engage with members of the wider community and saw several residents in attendance from our ward with PC Brookes-Smith enjoying the Rock Choir concert on the Saturday evening. PC Brookes-Smith and PC Telfer stopped a male near Boundary Street last week. It turned out he was in possession of 45 bags of cannabis and was duly arrested. He was then charged with Possession with intent to supply drugs and pleaded guilty in court after being kept in overnight. Great result. A further 4 stop and searches were made close to the same location the next day with one male caught in possession of cannabis. He is due in on Friday for an interview. A known male is also due in for an interview this Friday after several breaches of his CBO. Some good news - The team found a stolen motorbike in Lincoln Close on Wednesday and the bike was recovered to be reunited with its owner. We would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a safe and Merry Christmas and we are at work at various times over the festive period so please feel free to contact us if needs be". Northumberland Heath ward:- "Another fairly quiet week on the ward with just one attempted burglary to a garage in Winchelsea Avenue between 10.30pm on Tuesday December 12th and 08.00 on Wednesday December 13th. Please refer to the following link for crime prevention advice www.met.police.uk/burglary Two reports of vehicle crime this week where number plates were stolen from the vehicles in Walsingham walk and Bexley Road. Crime prevention advice can also be found on the Met Police Website. On a happier note, a stolen vehicle was recovered from Swanton Road on Thursday this week. The high value car had been stolen from a burglary on the Colyers ward earlier this month. The car and the owner will be reunited for Christmas! Following recent anti-social behaviour in and around Dickens Close the council have now installed a CCTV camera in the area. With the end of the school term, the team are continuing to focus on uniform and plain clothes patrols in our hotspot areas. Our surgeries and coffee with cops events will continue after the Christmas break". Thamesmead East ward:- "No Burglaries to report this week. PC Pruden and PC Nana have been working with officers from neighbouring wards to combat burglary in the lead up to the Christmas period. This work involves targeting known offenders throughout the North of the borough with regular patrols at possible vulnerable locations. You can get crime prevention advice from www.met.police.uk/burglary. PC Nana – Arrested a female for fraud and a male on recall to prison. Crime prevention advice – Remove any personal belongings from your motor vehicle. If you lock your car using a remote key fob please try at least one of the door handles to confirm it's locked before you walk away. Always lock your car when unattended, even for a few moments. Never leave items in view in your car or home. Keep your purse or wallet secure. Protect your important property, register at: https://www.immobilise.com. Always report anything suspicious. Remember when leaving your property check windows and doors are locked. Tell your neighbours if you are going away and ask them to keep an eye on your house. 

The end video this week features a location that many local people are virtually unaware of, yet it is internationally reknown as being one of the very best campsites in the whole of the UK. The Abbey Wood Camping and Motor Home site can be seen in a short video report below. I have to say that it looks very nice indeed - leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.