Plumstead Community Market

Are you :-

1. In the Plumstead area on Saturday 27th October 2012 between 10am - 2pm?
2. Looking for a gift?
3. Feeling the need for a gorgeous slice of cake?
4. Looking for a craft activity so your children don't smear Pritt Stick¹ all over your antimacassars at home?
5. Wanting to meet decent up-standing members of The Shire?

Well, why not pop up to St Mark's Hall on Plumstead Common and discover the newly (and perfectly formed), Plumstead Community Market?

This will be the second community market event and by jove, I'm sure there will be more, but why wait? "Come on down, the price is right", as Lesley Crowther used to say.

http://plumsteadcommunitymarket.wordpress.com

St Mark's Church is located in a picturesque corner of Old Mill Road. Look out for this building.

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footnotes

1 - Other adhesives are also available

Live entertainment

Down in the sleepy hamlet of Woolwich, there's an excitement buzzing around. Folk are chattering about the resurgence of the Woolwich Grand Theatre¹. I've not followed their developments too closely, but it seems they are aiming to bring cultural live entertainment to Woolwich once more, and what a great thing once this comes to fruition. Woolwich needs a place to focus the many creative minds and talents of this little settlement, especially so as it's perceived as a dour area. In years to come, Londinium will grow beyond Holborn and encompass rural communities like Woolwich and when that era cometh, art could easily be forgotten.

On the other hand, there is already a bubbling creative scene up the hill in Plumsteadshire. And what do such 'with-it' folk enjoy? Live comedy which is just as well because this Saturday is comedy night at The Pavilion. You'd be a fool to miss it.

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footnote
1 - or 'theater' as the dreaded spell checker prefers

hello again

Now, where did I get up to?

Things change when you've been away. Logging in to Blogger, the whole interface has changed and I can't tell if I'm blogging or looking at my Orange mobile phone bill. This would be lost on you if you don't use Blogger, or own an Orange mobile phone for that matter.

In the broadest possible way, I sort of feel like I've just walked out of prison and civilians are dressed in hip and 'with it' fashions, whilst I scurry in the shadows with my bell bottom Farah's and paisley shirt.

As part of the Blogger interface, I'm offered the option to add an adsense functionality to Plumsteadshire. Tempting to earn tuppence every month, but I do hate visiting a website and being bombarded by advertisements. Inadvertently, I've already advertised a phone provider, but for the sake of balance, there are other providers available.

Now, let's get straight to the point.

This Saturday (10th December 2011), is the great Comedy On The Common Christmas Special. Plumstead Common's very own live comedy night. Acts LIVE in The Shire are Frank Sanazi, Hattie Hayridge, Fredrik Andersson and Dave Whitney.

I don't have my finger on the pulse of popular culture, so I can't tell you a thing about them, but that's what the internet's for.

It's a hot ticket so book right now and remember, if you snooze, you lose.

Eat more veg.

I had a particularly brilliant Friday; I was introduced to a mobile grocer. He drives around The Shire selling organic fruit and vegetables from his van. I love to support local businesses, but the grocer was simply the most charming down to earth person you could meet. Quality of service was most notable. Now that's something we don't get enough of these days.

I don't actually know where his regular stops are, so it's a bit like pinning a tail on the donkey.

I bought quite a few bits and pieces including the most delicious juicy plums known to humankind. There is a downside. I bought a bottle of pear juice and the rest of the family quaffed it before I could get a taster. What's the World coming to? You slog your guts out to earn an honest penny etcetera....

I'd love to give more details, but this is as much as I know at the moment.

I'll have to tell you about another high quality van-based food seller, but it'll have to wait for another time. Have you heard of The German Baker?

I'd better write something

Zounds!!!! I almost forgot I had a blog.

I've polished the nib and cleaned out the ink well,
it's been too long already, I'm ready to tell,
of adventures and gossip, of miscreants local,
of gay happenings in the Shire, I hope to be vocal.

One thing which baffles me is a certain name.
Swaffered's the one, although rolls off the tongue,
I must turn to Google or a reference book,
you know those old fashioned things with things called pages,
with no USB cable that we've not read for ages.

Having just searched on the internet,
I'm none the wiser about Swaffered just yet.
I'll just have to accept this is a word I'll forget,
unless my nails are in need of some bling,
hmm, maybe not, it's just not my thing.

Speaking of books, like I just did,
I'm keen to know when the library will open.
You know the one, the one at The Slade.
It has colourful glass, it's a community centre.
When will it open, so when can we enter?

Lovely listener, do post a comment and give me a date,
This refurbishment looks good. No actually, it's great!
Grey window frames, of which I do approve;
it's powder coated so it's tough and yet smooth.

At the Manor School, the steels are going up.
Facing the Common, it's a brave new look,
maybe a brave new era for an area which some mistook,
for a nowhere place full of cads and crooks.

In this time of spending cuts we must applaud,
Greenwich Council for forging ahead,
with the building works here in little Plumstead.

cute name

One of my lovely listeners has said that Plumstead is a cute name and I tend to agree.


I've always like the name. It has a nice sound and comes across as friendly, almost as if it should be a little village in Norfolk..... what are the chances of that happening eh?

I love the study of entomology. No, wrong one, I meant etymology. Of course, Plumstead is so-called because it was once home to many fruit orchards. Similarly, Hampstead is a derivation of homestead and Chipstead was home to the nation's favourite fish accompaniment¹. I just don't know what to make of Wetwang.

footnote
1 - may or may not be true

Love Clean London

This Love Clean London website looks like a good idea. Some of us have mobile telephones (personally I don't think the idea will catch on), and lots of these phones have cameras.

With Love Clean London, you use your mobile telephone camera to photograph filth and general environmental crime from your local area. Send the photograph to 07725 202020 and before you know it, a team of ghostbusters will swoop down and rid our streets of detritus.

For the vast majority of us who don't know what a mobile telephone is, use a computer to visit something called a website on something called an internet (another concept that has no future, I feel). The internet address can be found below.

http://www.lovecleanlondon.org/Reports/Home

With this super tool, we can make Plumsteadshire looking super clean.

Nearly New Sale

Forget the Harrod's January sale,

it's full of pricey tat,

Trinity Church is here and now,

it's simply where it's at.

Have a portrait photo taken,

or looking for a cheerful toy?

Oh it's nearly Mothering Sunday,

You'll find a present here. Oh joy.

Your playgroup needs YOU

Save the Maryon Wilson Animal Park - part the seconde

One lovely listener has sent me a link to the Friends of Maryon Wilson Park website.

http://www.friendsofmaryonparks.org/friends/what-we-do/save-the-animals

See what happened with us giving the Government a hard time about saving the woodlands? They got scared and saw sense (well, that's what I like to think). We can do it with MWP.

please save us

Click on the deer and sign the petition. What the hell, do it again and again with as many false names as you can think of. Turn it into a party game. Theresa Green? Aguerra Dos Latte?

Whatever you do, just don't sit on the fence and watch it disappear.

Save the Maryon Wilson Animal Park

I love the many green spaces around The Shire, and (as long as there's a Wi-Fi hotspot nearby¹), I love getting down with nature too.

The animal care centre in Maryon Wilson Park is under threat and it must be saved. I've taken Toddler Pangloss to meet and feed the animals many times and we loved it. We are really lucky to live in London and have the privilege of learning about animals. I know we also have Woodlands Farm on Shooters Hill, but that can be a drag to get to if you need to get on buses with a child and a perambulator and a bag of nappies et al.

If you've not been to the Maryon Wilson Animal Park, then go on a Wednesday at 1.30pm. You won't be disappointed.

There's an online petition for everyone to sign and make our virtual voices heard.

Don't make excuses like, I'll do it tomorrow, because you'll forget about it tomorrow. Sign the petition now!!!!

footnote
1- sort of joking

New local resource

Have heard about a new website called Best Of Plumstead. It's choc full of local goodness and all the staff of Plumsteadshire HQ wishes them online success.

Severndroog Castle

Here's some wonderful news to warm our cockles on this fine Spring day.

Severndroog Castle, which is nestled in amongst the trees atop Shooter's Hill, has been awarded a substantial amount of money from the Heritage Lottery Fund to help it down the long road of restoration. The money, £595,000 no less, will go towards the formation of a visitor centre, educational centre and this is the bit I am particularly keen on, a tea room. Well, I find history lessons are so much more palatable over a cup of earl grey and cream bun.

The Royal Borough of Greenwich

I just read this.

Meeting about The Ship

One of my lovely listeners has informed me of a meeting to talk about The Ship's proposals. This sounds like a very important meeting for members of The Shire who care about our little patch of London. I guess this is open to all, not just PCEG members. Read on....

There is a PCEG meeting this Sunday 13/9. Anyone concerned about this matter that wants to discuss should come to the meeting!!

Meeting details:
Sunday 13 Sept. 3pm
St Marks Church Hall on Old Mill Road.

Agenda on the website:
http://pceg.org.uk/notice.htm

Be there. Together we can protect our Common, our neighbourbood and our community.

Greenwich Council is far too late

I'm extremely disappointed that most of the events that I was interested in this weekend have already been sold out. I keep my eye out all the time for interesting days out and all that, but only came across the Open Weekend events through the Greenwich Council email alert, which I received this afternoon.

I was interested in a piece of theatre at Charlton House on Sunday. It's free. Bonus. When I phoned up, I was told it was sold out. A fat load of good alerting me to events I can't attend.

Ditto for the free Blow Up event in Maryon Park. No mention of requiring a ticket so I never booked it. Sold Out.

I'd like decent publicity for all these great events. Given that I work for a living, I don't have much spare time to stroll into my library or council office and browse the local events boards.

A busy weekend

The more observant of you will have noticed a countdown timer on Plumsteadshire. It is linked to atomic clocks on Easter Island, Jodrell Bank and Bryn Terfel's Barber Shop on Dallin Road.

We are counting down to 'Plumstead Live!', the premier cultural event on Plumsteadshire's calendar. Looking at the weather forecast, the weekend looks like it'll be nice and sunny for the concert. Keep yourselves free on Sunday 26th July between 3pm - 8pm and come to Winns Common. Spread the word, bring a friend. What the hell, even bring the family too.

There is a very exciting event this Saturday. It's called The Great 'Blow Up' Party In The Park. It's in Maryon Park and forms part of the Greenwich Film Festival. There are tours of the locations used in the film. Shaky bush number 1. Shaky bush number 2 etcetera as well as other goings-on culminating in an outdoor showing of the famous '60s film.

Before you get too excited, do check with the organiser's of the Greenwich Film Festival as the Greenwich Council website has noted that this event has been SOLD OUT. The promotional leaflet I have has no mention of it being a ticketed event, so do double check and if anyone has confirmation of this, please do let us know by posting a comment at the bottom of this blog post.

On Friday (tomorrow), evening there is a similar event at the Well Hall Pleasaunce in Eltham. This time it's the The Railway Children. I don't think there will be tours of famous herbaceous borders, but there definitely will be an outdoor showing of said film.

Catch That Train

My post bag has been bulging this week with requests for information about a train I recently mentioned. That being the one near Falconwood.

Well, it sounds like a bit of an unknown gem in these here parts o' the shire.

The train is run by the Welling & District M.E.S. (model engineering society to us common folk), and it sounds like they'll be evicted from the Falconwood site next year. Boo. Here are the open days:-

14th & 28th June 2009

12th & 26th July 2009

9th & 23rd August 2009

6th & 20th September 2009

4th October 2009

They aren't open the public apart from these dates, so do go along sooner rather than later as you know you'll just keep saying 'ah, I'll go next fortnight', and so on and so on until it's 5th October and that's it. Gone forever.

On these days, they open between 2pm - 5pm. Last orders at 4.30pm.

Here's a funny new-fangled map to locate the train.

View Welling & District M.E.S. in a larger map

A vibrant part of suburbia

I had a really pleasant and eventful weekend. Normally, we'd be day-tripping to far off lands in deepest Kent and Sussex but this weekend was purely Plumsteadshire. Of course, Saturday was the Make Merry, an event which I feel should be more reminiscent of maypoles, sheep driving and smocks rather than a parade of unmuzzled dogs. However, I really like the utterly terrifying clowns which look like they hail from an Edwardian side-show.

Being a key part of the local social calendar, I bumped into alot of friends at the Make Merry and it was this feeling of a community hub that makes the Make Merry special and essential.

In the evening, I went to the comedy night at The Pavilion (AKA the rugby club), and it was an utterly brilliant night out. The comedians were top notch and the audience were very receptive. I really do love the Pavilion space as it's intimate and you're engaged with the performers. I can see it working as a film club venue. I'll try and look into the viability of this idea. My idea is not for another outlet for mainstream Hollywood tosh, but to screen classics, Saturday morning Laurel and Hardy children's club, Woody Allen Wednesdays, David Lean Sundays. Might be cost prohibitive, but you get the idea.

Today, I went to the model railway exhibition at the Firepower Museum. I've never been into trains but I think I might be coming out of the locomotive closet. I thought the model railways were incredible and with immense attention to detail, the scenery told many stories beyond just a train circling a village. Best of all though, I'd discovered a small scale railway which you can actually ride on. It's round the back of an electricity sub-station in Falconwood and not many people know about it. They have a few open days coming up so we can go for a ride, but we'll have to be quick as it looks like they're going to be moved on from this site. I'll have to blog more on this later.

As if I'd not endured enough excitement for one weekend, my trusted source confirmed that the Plumstead Live! music event is for real. This is the icing on the local cultural cake and promises to be a major date in Plumsteadshire's social diary. Hey, it might not be Glyndebourne, but it's here on our doorstep so let's spread the word.

Plumstead Live!

Apparently, there's a live event coming our way in the guise of Plumstead Live! Music Festival. I've held back from mentioning this so far as I'm seeking confirmation that this is a genuine event.

If it's kosher then we should all get really excited about it. There's mention of :-

Plumstead Sinfonia - never knew there was one

Plumstead Manor Musicians - these are real human beings and they definitely exist

The Bill Mudge Quintet - Google (and other well known search engines), confirm that BMQ are real, but I couldn't find Plumstead Live! on their tour schedule.

So, is this a red herring? Maybe Greenwich Council smoke and mirrors to 'bury bad news'?

Is such an event too good to be true? Gadzooks!!!! I hope not.

La Plumsteadshire Biennale

Lorks a lordy. The Shire is slowly becoming the hub of entertainment.

Tonight is the latest One Day Café event. Die Plumsteadshire Festspielhaus (better known as The Pavilion, better known as the rugby club building opposite The Old Mill pub), is hosting a free evening of music and stuff. Doors open at 7pm on the dot.

This Saturday night is the next Comedy On The Common event. As I've reported on many occasions, the Comedy On The Common nights make for a brilliant evening out and it's right here (wouldn't mean much to my lovely listeners in Caracas though).

And to close the 09 Plumsteadshire Biennale we have another Comedy On The Common event. It's the evening of Sunday 26th April at Die Plumsteadshire Festspielhaus.

Phew.