Come and consult with the missiles

As currently being reported on the Blackheath Society’s site, the MoD will be holding a touchy-feely “come and look at our missiles day” on May 4th.

As part of a National exercise for Olympic security from May 2nd – May 10th, a Ground Based Air Defence Unit will operate on Blackheath from 2nd May.    Residents are invited to meet the team on 4th May from 16.00 – 19.000.   These timings are subject to change.

See their very exciting website called Operation Olympics Defence Support to London 2012.  Not Operation Appease The US with a Frankly Unworkable Security Plan.  Yay for the Olympics.  What utter nonsense.

See other missile-madness related stories from this blog.

PS – Liked Ed’s comment on the Big Screen story:

Will the big screen show the missile launches too?

The Big Screen – more info

UPDATE: There’s a newer post about this event here.

The timetable for the Olympics “big screen” on Blackheath has been released:

27 July 7.30pm-12.30am
London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony

The Lewisham Big Screen will show live coverage of the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
27 July – 12 August
Live coverage of the London 2012 Olympic Games

Watch live coverage of the London 2012 Olympic Games on a big screen on Blackheath
28 July 12 noon-7pm
Lewisham Live

Music, dance and song from Lewisham’s talented young people
29 July 12 noon-10.30pm
Sing Out!

A day of song and music from choirs around the borough – and the BBC Singers
30 July 6-11pm
Blackheath Halls presents The Icarus Club

The Icarus Club – promoting and encouraging singer/songwriters and instrumentalists
31 July 2-4pm
21st Century Tea Dance

Positive Ageing Council and the Young Mayor present the 21st Century Tea Dance
1 August 1-5pm
PING! workshops

Music and sport – a London 2012 combination
2 August
Mayor’s Quiz Night

Quiz night in aid of the Mayor’s chosen charity – The Lavender Trust
4 August 12 noon-10.30pm
Super Saturday

Super Saturday – stalls, performers, entertainment galore
7 August
Big Dance

8 August 7-9.30pm
The Big Conversation

Join the Big Conversation – and find out what’s important to you
9 August 1-5pm
Southern Exposure PG Fim Marathon

26 films from 26 young directors
10 August 12 noon-10.30pm
Speakeasy

A day of stories, performance poets, readings and verse
11 August From 12 noon
Showtime

A day of street performances
12 August 7.30-10.30pm
London 2012 Closing Ceremony

See also: https://blackheathbugle.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/the-greatest-hyperbole-on-earth/

The Pagoda and The Guide

The Guide Magazine has a front cover splash this week about the Blackheath Pagoda.  It goes over many aspects of the Pagoda, except how much it is on the market for.

Terrible flash-driven magazine website here (it’s on page 24)

Kershaws estate agents are selling it, but on their website it’s only listed as £POA.

If anyone finds out what the actual price is, do let us know. I tried, but failed…

Massive ASDA next to Lee Sainsbury’s?

Brockley Central has a great post, pointing out that a new ASDA is being planned to replace the dilapidated LeeGate shopping centre (the burnt-out-looking post-nuclear-apocolypse shopping square over the road from Sainsbury’s).

From their post:

St Modwen claim that a supermarket is needed to create the footfall that will make the rest of the retail offer (25,000 sq ft of new shops and restaurants along Burnt Ash Road) work. They must know this is hogwash. If one large supermarket has done nothing for the site (arguably, it accelerated the decline), how would another help? Lee Green has been a dysfunctional town centre for decades and something much more imaginative would be needed to reverse its decline. This proposal plans to keep the ugliest bits (including Leegate tower, which is a strong candidate for the borough’s worst building) and allow the site to be dominated by a supermarket shed, none of which is likely to turn this in to a leisure destination.

This looks like a cynical ploy to get permission to develop another large supermarket in the borough, rather than a considered attempt to regenerate Lee. None of the other projects featured on the developer’s website give any kind of reassurance that they know how to handle a site like this.

They haven’t handed any official plans over to Lewisham Council yet, but they have a weasel-worded “have your say survey” on their site.

Q: Do you support in principle the preliminary proposals for the regeneration of the Leegate Shopping Centre?
No, it looks like you’re just trying to crowbar another massive supermarket next to an existing one, further killing local shops.
Q: Are there any aspects of the scheme that you are particularly impressed with?
No.
Q: Are there any aspects of the scheme on which you have particular comments or suggestions?
How about building some affordable housing on the site, without holding the council to ransom with the threat of a supermarket?
Q: Do you feel that a mixed-use scheme as proposed is the right way forward for the regeneration of Leegate Shopping Centre and Lee Green?
I’d love to live on top of a supermarket. Wouldn’t you?
Q: Do you welcome the opportunity for greater choice in your supermarket shopping?
Do you still beat your wife?

Feel free to add your thoughts on their feedback form.

One day…

I want the Big Issue seller, and the City A.M. seller to swap outfits, patter, and newspapers, and see how many people notice.

Blackheath Book Club

Blackheath Book Club. Nice idea. I frequently get emails asking whether I know of any book clubs in the area.
They’re on Evil Facebook, and also Twitter @BlackheathBooks

They’re planning to meet on the last Tuesday of every month, and there’s a vote on their facebook page to choose between the following three books before the next meeting:

Before I Go To Sleep
by S J Watson

Pigeon English
by Stephen Kelman

Pure
by Andrew Miller

No trains to London Bridge for two years?

UPDATE: My headline is excessive… There will be trains, but fewer. Please read the comments to get a better picture of the situation. Please remember at all times that I know very little about anything, and I rely on readers for most of my info!

It looks as though Blackheath trains to Charing Cross might not be stopping at London Bridge in 2015-2016.

Andrew writes:

Just writing to bring to your attention what I found on the Network Rail website:
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/12179.aspx
It looks like they have planned a severe deterioration in the train service planned in 2015/6 during the rebuilding of London Bridge railway station and if we want to fight this we need to do something now. Basically for two years our trains won’t stop at London Bridge which will make it a nightmare for me to get to work and represent a big deterioration in an already very poor train service.

More on Brockley Central last week:

When the work is completed, the services will come back on line, but we’re still looking at as much as three years of disruption, when London Bridge effectively becomes a terminus, forcing everyone travelling to the West End in to a tube station that is already a severe pinch point to complete their journey or persuading even more people to use the East London Line, which is already nearing maximum capacity.

Based on a spot from from SouthEastCentral.

Hiphop Heron

Filmed by dustygedge on the pond next to the Hare & Billet pub.

Ho ho

Never mind that we’re dismantling the NHS. Look at Go Travel. Such Fun.