Molassine and the Aeriel Post

First UK Aeriel Post

Mollassine was an animal food factory near the Blackwall Tunnel - it was part of the Syriol site, currently under demolition. It had a somewhat chequered start - and was the source of as very major local smell
The animal food was based on molasses mixed with various other substances. A more detailed history can be found in back numbers of the Greenwich Industrial History newsletter.

Presumably this post card is some sort of pubicity stunt - did all companies get one?? We need to hear from aeriel historians! but the thought of Molassine's dog food by air ...............................

News and bits and pieces

Motorcycle exhibitions - Plumstead was a major centre of motor cycle manufacturing s0 -:
Greenwich Heritage Centre
July 3rd-September 18th AJS Motorcycle 100 - history of the works in Plumstead
and - 24th July at 2 pm Matchless Motorbikes. talk by Frances Ward.

GLIAS - Greater London Industrial Archaeology Society Newsletter notes the demolition of the Ferrier Estate, the narrow gauge railway track at Angerstein Wharf, and the closure of the Royal George in Blisset Street.

Woolwich Antiquarians Newsletter recorded the demise of one of the last Woolwich Borough Electricity Junction Box - knocked over by a car. It stood at the junction of Cleanthus and Eaglesfield Roads. It was cast iron and had on it the arms of the old Borough of Woolwich. They note however that another such junction box at the junction of Burrage Road and Burrage Place has now been locally listed.

Crossness Engines Record - sadly records the death of one of their long term volunteers - John Ridley, We should send belated condolences.

Francis, tin box makers

Recently, a comment was added asking for information about Francis and Co. who made tin boxes, etc. locally. By chance we have many photographs - but little information. Here are some pix - No captions, but plenty more pictures available

Avery Hill stables block - demolition

Friends of Avery Hill Park have contacted us as a matter of urgency because of their concern that Greenwich University are demolishing some of our agricultural architectural heritage.

The University have started to clear a Victorian wooden stable block ready for demolition. This demolition is scheduled to be completed by the end of next week. The Avery Hill Stud Stables are not registered on the Greenwich Borough listed buildings; neither are they on the English Heritage listed buildings register. The Greenwich Council officer concerned has already given the University permission to demolish this building. There are no other Victorian wooden agricultural buildings in our borough. Greenwich University have neglected to maintain this building gifted to them by the council.
Surely the Avery Hill Stud Stables should be listed?

Advice & help urgently needed.

The Friends are also concerned that demolition is underway with apparently no check that there are no hibernating bats present. Pippistrelle, Serotine & Noctule bats are known to be in the park but at present their hibernating and roosting places are not fully established. Emails to the university officer in charge of the project; requesting confirmation that a bat inspection has been carried, out have been non productive. Are they too late to save any hibernating group that may be present?

More about Greenwich gasworks

The Historic Gas Times - just through my letter box - has two items on two different Greenwich gas works.

First of all - they have picked up my article on the earliest Greenwich Gas Works from the British Library web site - which had originally described it as East Greenwich works (actually 60 years later). The Library had reproduced a print, on which the steeple of St.Alfege church in the background made a location in Norway Street obvious - leading to a small and short lived gas works from the mid-1820s. Historic Gas Times's Barry Wilkinson has also questioned the Library's attribution to the artist, and done some interesting research.

The Second Article is actually about the great East Greenwich works and is 'Misspent Youth on Gasworks' by Tony Coles. This relates adventures and events in the control room of the works in the 1960s - and while a touch technical for the layperson - describes various goings on by someone who was clearly working their way up.

Historic Gas Times is a subscription newsletter but back numbers can be got from 01937 584672. (no web site advertised - sorry).

While on the subject of gas - someone rang me a couple of weeks ago about a film of Croydon Gas Works - they said they would get back in touch - but they haven't. Please - we want to hear from you!

Strike at UGB Charlton 1960

Time was, thirty years ago, when you couldn't move for articles about labour unrest - but times change, so it was a real change to see an article about a strike. This one was in Charlton (now - who remembered that the biggest glass works in Europe was in Charlton in the 1960s????). The article is in the current edition of Labour Heritage - and the following is a brief precis of it.

The article, by Scott Reeve, describes how a Manager asked to meet members of the workforce. When they did not attend an arranged meeting the Shop Steward, Wally Morton, was sacked. By lunch time all work at the factory had stopped and Les Doust, AEU Steward and Communist was chairing the strike committee. At a mass meeting it was resolved to continue the strike until Wally had his job back. Next the boiler workers struck - meaning that the glass making furnaces would go out, and oil supplies to the site were blacked. Within another two days Co-op workers (whose used UG milk bottles) had blacked the site, as had Thames Lightermen - and workers at next door factory, Harveys, were organising collections. Meeting were taking place at the Ministry of Labour.
The strike was front page news on both Kentish Independent and the Mercury - although their stories of numbers on strike differed by 200! The Daily Worker covered the strike on a daily basis. Brian Behan (brother of playwright Brendan) came to the picket line, on behalf of the Socialist Labour League and covered it for their newsheet.
Inevitably a deal was negotiated by AEU District Officials - which reinstated Wally Morton whole allowing management to examine his fitness for his role as shop steward. After some argument a vote to end the strike was narrowly carried. Socialist Labour League described it as a 'shoddy little deal'.

'For more information about Labour Heritage and articles from previous editions of the bulletin, visit www.labourheritage.com. You can buy a copy of the latest bulletin at £2 (incl. postage) or join Labour Heritage (£10 pa or £4 concessions) by contacting: John Grigg: 020 8743 4189, griggshampan1@ukonline.co.uk

Plumstead Reservoir

We have a communication from Plumstead about the reservoir in Heavitree Road which it is thought is under some threat. They have included the following information and some pictures.

"A plaque above the access doorway indicates a possible date of construction of 1854. The date may refer to the year when the roof was added; it is possible that the reservoir was constructed before 1840.

We believe it to be one of the oldest covered reservoirs in the UK and the longest serving brick built Victorian reservoir in London.

There are two tanks separated by a common wall. The date of the original tanks is not known. The reservoir may have originally been constructed as an open tank. Visual evidence, such as different brickwork at the top of the sidewalls indicates that the reservoir may have been later enclosed with the addition of the arched roof structure. The two tanks may not be the same age.

The tanks are divided by a N-S aligned raised walkway along the central dividing wall and linked by arched openings in the upper part of the wall. The eastern chamber is c.15.66m wide, the western chamber is c.14.9m wide. Each chamber measures c.29.8m long. The roof rises to give a fall away from the common wall which runs North-South. Cast-iron beams, spanning East-West, support brick jack arches; thebeams are supported at midspan on 8” diameter cast-iron columns. The walls are of yellow brick masonry set in a lime mortar.

The corners are curved to eliminate dirt traps. The brick floors fall to a central North-South drain in each tank. Small bridges span the channels.

The tanks are in good condition, and we submit that the building, as a Victorian brick-built reservoir has intrinsic architectural and historic interest and rarity, in both national and local terms. The design, plan and materials make this building a valuable part of the nation’s industrial architectural heritage