Latest news and stuff in the post

TALL SHIPS THIS WEEKEND

~ Events include:

BALLAST QUAY GARDEN. 
(This is on the riverside in Greenwich, SE10 - at the riverside end of Pelton Road/Lassell Street - where the Cutty Sark pub is (www.ballastquay.com).

Residents of Ballast Quay tell us "We will open Ballast Quay garden on Saturday 29th/Sunday 30th August only, from 10-5pm.  From the information we have been able to glean, the 13 designated Tall Ships will be passing at intervals in both directions, taking fee-paying tour passengers throughout the day, starting late morning and going on into the early evening. As a street, a group of us will man a tea-and-cakes stall and take contributions, which we will split between two local 'charities'. We will not be charging admission.  Diane Greenwood leases and maintains the garden with  Hilary, her friend, who started the whole thing and it is with their kind permission that we are there at all. For this occasion Hilary has mounted a small but sweet exhibition of tall ships pix, memorabilia and maps and she will be sitting drawing her signature 'botanical' greetings cards, for sale.   

 

Enderby Group - who are working on the telecoms and other heritage of the area and the future of Enderby House - will have a stall, and members will be able to give the latest information we have on progress.

 

BUILD THE LENOX

The crew of the Lenox Project is looking forward to meeting you all at the Tall Ships Festival in Woolwich this Saturday 29th August. We will have our restored Saker cannon on show, and we'll also be selling new t-shirts carrying a fabulous design showing the Lenox in Deptford Dockyard, created by Lush Designs specially for us! Our cannon and stall will be in Woolwich Arsenal from midday till 8pm, so come along to say hello and find out what we are up to! 

The Lenox Project CIC aims to build a replica 17th century ship in the former Royal Dockyard at Deptford

OTHER THINGS

Amalgamated Society of Engineers.  We have been told that when the Amalgamated Society of Engineers was set up in the mid 19th century that some of the prime movers worked here in Greenwich for the early telecommunications industry - at Morden Wharf for Glass Elliott and for Kupers.  Please let us know if you have any knowledge of this, or any knowledge of someone who might know, or where archives are kept.

Bandstand in Greenwich Park. We have a request - which has been all round England already and which appears to originate from the Royal Parks. This is about the park bandstand and if we know why the name 'Deane and Co.' appear on the columns.  It was always said to have been made by the Coalbrookedale Company - but there were also a small number of specialist bandstand makers. Any ideas?? Happy to pass info on??

1 Hyde Vale.  We have the following news from Paul "This afternoon I received very welcome news. The building is now Listed at Grade II. Historic England accepted all of our key points about the history of the building, stating:  “1 Hyde Vale was purpose-built as a builder's workshop and yard, part of a composition with the adjacent builder's house (63 Royal Hill) which is also listed at Grade II. As the only listed Georgian purpose-built builder's workshops in Greater London, and possibly in the country, the building is notable for its rarity. It has also been identified as significant for its architectural interest, surviving structure, and the group value it lends to 63 Royal Hill. It is clear that the building also contributes to the significance of the West Greenwich Conservation Area. The area's authenticity is enhanced through the presence of this historic building. As the only building providing evidence of industry in the Hyde Vale area it helps to further our understanding of how people lived and worked in this part of West Greenwich.”. This means the existing planning application will be rejected, and the developers will have to come back with a conversion, rather than a demolition. This keeps an important, rare building and should also greatly diminish the disruption that neighbours would have suffered.  

POLLUTION AND SMELLS.  People will have read about the objections to the cruise liner terminal at Enderbys on the grounds of pollution.  An old Greenwich resident has written to us - from a retirement home outside of London - 'yes it would pollute the atmosphere... as you know many factories, especially the Dog Biscuit works and Tunnel Refineries gave off strong smells at times - and yes, the river was filthy too'.     So - perhaps we should be researching the history of local smells and pollutants.  There used to be a lot of very detailed works on Tunnel Refineries and their strong smell. 

William Parry Jackson.  We have a request "I have for a while been studying the life of WT Vincent and I thought it was time I included a few paragraphs about his uncle ,  William Parry Jackson.   I know at some time he was chairman of the Equitable gas company and also the Woolwich steam packet company ..  I was wondering if you may have some info"

Mudlarks - as I write this something very interesting seems to have been turned up by Mudlark, Nicola White  .... waiting for more details

LABOUR HERITAGE - The latest Labour Heritage Bulletin has just turned up with article son: Alfred Linnell, Labour Prime Ministers, Labour and the Government of Ireland Act, Staines NUR and Elections in Acton.   None of this is about Greenwich or even South London - perhaps someone should write something!  Happy to pass on contacts to anyone interested.

Highcombe site - this is about use by locals of the derelict playing field in Highcombe Road. Meeting  7th September 19.30 Blackheath Rugby Club.

Thames and Medway Canal Association. This is based in Gravesend but they produce a great little newsletter about this canal - which has been unused, and unusable since the railway took over the tunnel between Higham and Strood in 1845.  They report they are being extensively mucked about by the railway (what's new!) - but would recommend them www.thamesmedway.co.uk

The Naval Dockyards Society is asking people who want to have their new 20th Century Naval Dockyards publication to join a subscription list.  Happy to pass on names and details of anyone interested.   www.navaldockyards.org

 

AND..

found this little gem on sales literature for Greenwich Millennium Village:

"Until around 100 years ago, the main claim to fame of Greenwich Peninsula was its wildlife and fisheries but in 1897, the Blackwall Tunnel was built under the River Thames to link the peninsula with the North bank, and with the tunnel came development"

Have emailed them pointing out that they don't know what they are talking about. Anyone want to bet that - they don't reply t...o my email - and they leave it as it is anyway.

Somewhere there is an implication that 'development' (developer style development) only began when ideas from north London began trickling through the tunnel.