Archive

  • Have a Gayle of a time reading with Mike

    If you are a fan, or one of 1,000 Bromley residents to have been handed a free copy of Mike Gayle's new novel Brand New Friend last month, you'll know his writing is accessible, true to life and very funny. A style which makes him the perfect candidate

  • Oklahoma at The Broadway, Catford ****

    WHEN a musical opens with its best-known number, you can't help but wonder if it's going to go downhill from there. Plus, for this production, the pre-show buzz in the foyer that "director Thom Southerland is going on to big things" added even more

  • Train Tracks

    These paintings echo the values also found in Dylan's music, writing and poetry.

  • Woman on a Bed

    Despite being a keen artist for more than 40 years, this is Dylan's first exhibited collection. They debuted in Germany last year.

  • Sunday Afternoon

    The paintings in the collection are based on sketches Dylan made while on the road from 1989 to 1992.

  • Bob Dylan

    Bob Dylan - as photographed by Mark Seliger - has a collection of limited edition prints coming to Bluewater's Castle Galleries

  • Salesman has full body wax for charity

    A SALESMAN fought through the pain barrier by having a full body wax for charity. Twenty-four-year-old Matt Santa of Mount Pleasant Road, Dartford, raised £1070 for Macmillan Cancer Support by having the free wax at Gems Health and Beauty Salon in Pickford

  • Bob Dylan - Tangled up in Hue

    AS ONE of the most famous and acclaimed singer/songwriters of all time, Bob Dylan's music is more than familiar. But his artwork? He's been creating visual art for more than 40 years, but only exhibited for the first time last year in Germany. Now

  • Caspian premiere fit for a prince

    IT IS not very often us mere mortals get the chance to attend movie premieres, so film buffs and celeb spotters alike will be excited by the prospect of the Prince Caspian public premiere at The O2. The Chronicles of Narnia follow-up to The Lion the

  • Pheasant, Northumberland Heath

    Drink 3/5 Decor 3/5 Price 3/5 Atmosphere 2/5 Staff 4/5 I HAVE not really talked about health and safety via my column before but I feel it is necessary after spotting a fire exit sign in The Pheasant's beer garden. As the first proper pub garden

  • Kite festival returns to Blackheath

    AFTER a decade-long hiatus, the Blackheath Kite Festival is making a welcome return to the heath this year but with a new, bike-shaped twist. For its comeback, the event has grown into Blackheath Bike and Kite Festival, to coincide with and celebrate

  • Don’t miss the farewell fanfare

    For the past four years, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) has been bringing the finest classical music to Catford audiences. But cutbacks will be bringing the RPO's residency at The Broadway to an end. Clearly not the sort of orchestra to

  • THIS BLOG IS FOR OUR FRIEND, SUNNY

    We heard the terrible news today that our blog friend, Sunny, has been attacked and injured by a maniac. We understand that Sunny is recovering at home at the moment and we all wish her well. Sunny is a valued Erastus Follower and has enlivened many

  • THIS BLOG IS FOR OUR FRIEND, SUNNY

    We heard the terrible news today that our blog friend, Sunny, has been attacked and injured by a maniac. We understand that Sunny is recovering at home at the moment and we all wish her well. Sunny is a valued Erastus Follower and has enlivened many

  • Spate of bin fires in Dartford

    FIREFIGHTERS have dealt with a spate of rubbish fires in Dartford in the past two nights. They were called to one incident where an industrial sized bin had been set alight on Sunday night (June 8) and three were on fire overnight. The overnight

  • First person charged under 1979 law

    A TRAIN driver has been the first person in Kent to be charged under a 29-year-old act. Mark Staples, of Herbert Road, Swanley, is accused of illegally digging at Thurnham Castle and Lympne Castle in Kent. The two charges have been brought under the

  • Once Upon A Time

    I grew up in a small village in the North of Wales where everybody knew everybody. All the kids in the village went to the same schools right through to the end of secondary school. I remember my parents always leaving the front door open when my sister

  • Once Upon A Time

    I grew up in a small village in the North of Wales where everybody knew everybody. All the kids in the village went to the same schools right through to the end of secondary school. I remember my parents always leaving the front door open when my sister

  • Concern for missing Polish teen

    POLICE are concerned about the welfare of a girl who has been missing for almost a week. Alwksandra Kulikowska, from Penge, has been missing since June 4 and police are appealing for any information about her whereabouts. The Bromley College student

  • Mayor supports alcohol clinics after personal battle

    THE Mayor of Swanley has spoken about his battle with alcoholism at a meeting to discuss the success of three alcohol clinics. Councillor Michael Mahy spoke about how he drank two and a half bottles of vodka every day for 20 years. He has now been

  • WHY I WILL BE HOLIDAYING AT PIGGOTT PLACE THIS YEAR

    Your Lord has decided to stay at home this summer and not bother with the usual stay in our beloved Eastbourne. After our last stay at The Pink Pillars turned out so disastrously, my wife and I have come to the conclusion that you can have more fun at

  • WHY I WILL BE HOLIDAYING AT PIGGOTT PLACE THIS YEAR

    Your Lord has decided to stay at home this summer and not bother with the usual stay in our beloved Eastbourne. After our last stay at The Pink Pillars turned out so disastrously, my wife and I have come to the conclusion that you can have more fun at

  • Learning to stay out of trouble

    Budo is a combination of judo, jujitsu and aiki jitsu. The sensai of Swanley's very own budo club tells reporter DAN KEEL how the Japanese martial art can help youngsters stay out of trouble. PETER Kingsland set up the Koyama Budo Club in 2004. He began

  • Tea party held for charity volunteers

    VOLUNTEERS for a youth charity have been commended for their hard work at a tea party. Dartford's mayor Councillor Ian Armitt held the reception at the Civic Centre for 12 volunteers from the Dartford branch of 121 Youth Befriending. They work on

  • Sentenced for shooting at group of poachers

    TWO gamekeepers who paralysed a teenager when they shot at a group of poachers were jailed last Friday. Jonathan Cannon, aged 56, from Tunbridge Wells, was jailed for three years and Paul Jeffrey, aged 38, from Aylesford, was jailed for two years at

  • Rewards for people who make a difference

    RESIDENTS in north Kent have until July 4 to nominate people who help make their community safer for an award. PCSOs, special constables, Neighbourhood Watch volunteers and wardens can be nominated for the north Kent category of the Kent Police Authority

  • Fire destroys building

    POLICE are investigating a fire at a derelict school building which they believe may have been an arson attack. Firefighters were called to the former site of St Gregory's School, Jubilee Crescent, Gravesend, at around 6.45pm on May 30. Four water jets

  • Breath tests for all collision drivers

    ALL drivers involved in a collision will be breath-tested by police in a campaign to crack down on drink and drug driving. From June 1, Kent police have been testing drivers involved in road traffic accidents throughout Dartford and Gravesham. This

  • Artistic skills on show at centre

    A DISABLED resource centre has been showcasing its range of arts and crafts. The Queen Elizabeth Foundation Resource Centre in Brent Way, Dartford, offers activities, advice and support for adults with physical and sensory disabilities in north Kent.

  • Learning about area’s cultures

    POLICE are taking part in workshops about different cultures so they can better understand the community they serve. More than 400 police officers and staff in north Kent have attended workshops in understanding Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism and Christianity

  • New businesses get support lifeline

    A START-UP pack has been made available to entrepreneurs in a bid to reduce the number of businesses which fail in the first 18 months. The Thames Gateway Chamber of Commerce has launched a pack based on feedback from north Kent businesses which have

  • Supermarket set to add extra floor

    ONE of Bexley's largest supermarkets is to increase its sales floor by nearly a third, by adding a mezzanine floor. With Tesco planning to move into Bexleyheath by building a megastore on the former Woolwich site, Asda, in Bexleyheath Broadway, has successfully

  • Having a shot at livening up one of borough’s golf courses

    SPECIALIST golf and leisure operators are being invited to submit their ideas to liven up one of Bexley's golf courses. Bexley Council has been reviewing Barnehurst Golf course in Mayplace Road East, Barnehurst and how it could be improved and made more

  • Tasty treats for helpers

    IT WAS strawberries and cream all round as Kent Association for the Blind (KAB) celebrated Volunteers' Week by hosting a cream tea for its Bexley volunteers. Held in Bowes Close residential home in Blackfen, 34 volunteers tucked into their thank-you

  • Reunited by pictures

    A SERIES of evocative black and white photographs taken by a teacher in the 1970s attracted more than 100 former pupils, staff and townspeople to an exhibition. Former Riverside School science teacher George Plemper took a series of photographs at the

  • Festival promises to be bigger than ever

    THIS year's Danson Festival promises to be bigger and glitzier than ever - with music and fun to suit every taste and age. The annual free festival attracts thousands of people to enjoy two days of music and attractions from dragon boat racing and water

  • Bank staff’s bogus builders alert

    A SCHEME to stop bogus builders conning cash from residents has been hailed a success by trading standards. The council-run Banks Reward scheme pays bank cashiers for raising the alarm about potential scams and deliberately inflated quotes targeted at

  • Firefighters to go on bicycle patrol

    FIREFIGHTERS are set to use pedal power to help tackle fire risks this summer. London Fire Brigade will be launching its Community Safety Cycle Team in the borough as a result of a successful pilot in Hounslow. The scheme will see a cycle team operate

  • Family’s charity tribute to Paul

    THE family of a man who died after a violent confrontation have set up a charity in his memory. Paul Baker was knocked unconscious after he was involved in a fight with a group of men in the early hours of May 7 last year. He never recovered from the

  • Parties select candidates to stand in by-election

    THE two main political parties in Bexley have chosen their candidates to fight the Christchurch ward by-election for a seat on Bexley Council. Local businessman James Spencer is the Tories' choice to replace Ian Clement, who was council leader until

  • Musical acts set to play at festival

    A ROCKING good time will be on offer when a line-up of national and local talent takes to the stage at this year's Thamesmead Community Festival. The free event takes place in Birchmere Park, Thamesmead, from 10am until 8pm on July 12. Its musical line-up

  • Golfers club together for hospice

    VISITORS at a golf day clubbed together to raise around £14,000 for hospice charity Demelza. The event at Sundridge Park Golf Course, Garden Road, Bromley, was organised by former Charlton Athletic assistant manager Keith Peacock. It was held to support

  • Standing up against bullying

    PUPILS at Oakwood School were among children across Bexley who have been taking a stand against bullying. The Big Stand involved adults and children standing for two minutes as part of a national Beat Bullying campaign. Schools across Bexley, including

  • News In Brief

    SUPPORTING KIDS: National Childminding Week is taking place from this Saturday until June 21. This year it will focus on the role childminders and nannies play in supporting children's language, literacy and creativity. The theme ties in with the National

  • Adding splash of colour to funerals

    A FUNERAL car firm has turned heads by introducing a pink hearse. The funeral of Sheila Hunt, 69, from Brockley Grove, was the first time the hearse was used. Norman Green of Green's Carriage Masters, based in Fordmill Road, Catford, says the hearse

  • Bus drivers can take DNA with ‘spit kits’

    BUS drivers have been handed "spit kits" to help them combat bus crime. Staff working on the borough's bus networks can now use swabs provided by Transport for London to take samples of saliva from people who spit at them. DNA will be sent to a branch

  • Invaders down by the riverside

    A HOST of exciting and entertaining arena events and something to please every member of the family was a recipe for success at this year's Erith Riverside Festival. This was the 17th festival held next to the Thames riverfront and organised by a committee

  • Experts to talk at crime debate

    A DEBATE between a panel of experts and members of the public will be held to discuss the rising tide of violent crime. The News Of The World Save Our Streets debate will be held at community centre the Forum in Trafalgar Road, Greenwich, on June 25

  • New jet attraction at water park sure to make a splash

    JET stream fountains have been added to a water play area thanks to a £61,000 grant. Swanley Town Council has used cash from the Big Lottery Fund to add the new feature to the paddling pool at Swanley Park, in New Barn Road. Swanley mayor Councillor

  • Trust invests £2.3m to boost healthcare

    A HEALTH trust aims to improve life expectancy by injecting £2.3m over the next three years. Greenwich Teaching Primary Care Trust says life expectancy in the area is not improving as quickly as in the rest of the country. The average life expectancy

  • Players kick on to raise funds

    A CHARITY football match has raised £220 for good causes. Fridays FC, based at Meridian Sports and Social Club, Charlton Park Lane, Charlton, play in the Woolwich and Eltham Sunday Football Alliance. The game was played between the club's A and B teams

  • Angered by school demolition plans

    RESIDENTS are angry at plans to demolish and rebuild a school in a conservation area. Northbrook School, Taunton Road, Lee, will be demolished and rebuilt to accommodate 600 pupils, up from its current population of 520, if the design is approved by

  • Taking First step following hospital

    Advocacy First, which provides a voice for vulnerable older people, is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Reporter CHARLOTTE McDONALD finds out more. ADVOCACY First was set up a decade ago to help older people coming out of hospital who needed support

  • Stroke rehab services get £300,000 boost

    A HEALTH authority has announced plans to spend more than £300,000 on facilities for stroke survivors following a charity's report on stroke rehabilitation services. The Stroke Association's Lost Without Words report was published on May 28. It revealed

  • Acts lining up to play at summer festival

    A ROCKING good time will be on offer when a line-up of national and local talent takes to the stage at this year's Thamesmead Community Festival. The free event takes place in Birchmere Park, Thamesmead, from 10am until 8pm on July 12. Its musical line-up

  • Students experiment with future in science

    PUPILS have enjoyed the appliance of science at a school event. Year 8 and Year 9 students from Bromley High School, Blackbrook Lane, Bickley, watched presentations and took part in themed activities during the day-long event. These included students

  • Palace visitors go back in time

    VISITORS to the boyhood home of Henry VIII were transported back to the 15th Century for a taste of courtly life. Eltham Palace, Court Road, Eltham, held a Tudor Times event featuring authentic music, food and dancing. People could try traditional

  • Ten crimes a week by kids

    DRUG trafficking, rape and physical assaults were just some of the crimes our young people were accused of committing last year. Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act reveal youngsters aged from 10 to 17 were charged with more than 500

  • Wheelie good way to learn bike safety

    SAFE cycling was top of the agenda when a champion BMX rider hit the playground. Former British BMX champ Ritchie Johnson chatted to youngsters about how to keep safe while in the saddle. His hour-long demonstrations also taught pupils at Alexandra

  • 75 years of club’s exhibition

    A CAMERA club's annual exhibition is to be held for the 75th year running. Bromley Camera Club is holding its annual display from June 25 to July 9 at the Central Library in Bromley High Street. Visitors will be able to look at more than 120 prints

  • Thousands break road’s speed limit

    A SURVEY commissioned by police reveals thousands of drivers speed along a fatal stretch of road. Towncourt Lane in Petts Wood was the scene of a fatal accident in April when a pedestrian was involved in a collision with a car outside the Crofton junior

  • Fined for refusing to pay penalty notices

    TWO people have been prosecuted after failing to pay fixed penalty notices. Penge residents Nadarajah Wesley and Gbeye Ayerite both pleaded guilty to littering offences when dealt with at Bromley Magistrates' Court. Each was fined £100 and ordered to

  • Running towards improvements

    PUPILS have laced up their running shoes to help improve facilities in their school. Children at Farnborough Primary School raised £2,000 by running laps around a course on the school field. Around 200 pupils took part in the annual sponsored fun run

  • Tributes to writer and 30-year beat bobby

    THE wife of former policeman, writer and News Shopper columnist Harry Cole has paid tribute to him following his death. Harry's Cole-den Oldies column, containing his weekly musings on events past and present, was a much-loved feature of News Shopper's

  • Woman’s final text inspires loved ones

    A TEXT message sent by a 24-year-old woman just hours before she died has inspired her friends and family to remain positive as they mourn for her. Swanley resident Lucy Clarke died from pulmonary hypertension on April 7 after a two-year battle with

  • Drug approval ‘is fantastic news’

    HEALTH trusts are now obliged to fund medication for patients with a severe form of spinal arthritis. Mother-of-two Gillian Eames, of Hillside Road, Shortlands, who has had ankylosing spondylitis for more than 20 years, says the announcement is a breakthrough

  • Alexandra gets to wear her prize-winning dress

    A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD is celebrating after winning a competition to design a party dress. Alexandra King beat around 4,000 other entries in the competition covering London and the south east, which was held to celebrate the 21st anniversary of the Rainbow

  • Leisurely way to promote cycling

    CYCLISTS have the chance to do an 11-mile ride being held during national Bike Week. Bromley Cyclists, a branch of the London Cycling Campaign, says the route of the Bromley Parks and Ride avoids busy main roads. It will begin at Priory Gardens Park

  • Centre struggling to house animals

    AN APPEAL to adopt a pet is being launched by Bromley RSPCA. The branch is struggling to support all the animals in its care and is asking people to give a pet a home. It is currently paying for 10 animals to be boarded because there is not enough room

  • Rotary Club Bromley

    MEMBERSHIP of The Rotary Club of Bromley has increased by 20 per cent over the past year. The club goes from strength to strength. Rotary membership includes a cross section of the community's business and professional men and women. Membership is

  • Raising awareness and funds

    A KEEN walker who lost her unborn baby to an ectopic pregnancy has reached her £10,000 fundraising target in just five months. Lavinia Burch, from Bromley, completed a 268-mile, 21-day trek along the Pennine Way to raise cash for the Ectopic Pregnancy

  • Orpington Historical Society

    SOCIETY members visited The Sands Film Studios in Rotherhithe, which are housed in a 19th-century warehouse resplendent with ships' timbers. Following coffee and an introductory talk in the vast picture research library, which is available to anyone,

  • Chislehurst Women’s Institute

    IN THE past few months members have had some interesting speakers. In March, Cyril Baldwin explained the inner workings of auction rooms in a talk entitled Going, Going, Gone. In April, members took part in exercises in which they didn't have to leave

  • Orpington Historical Society

    SOCIETY members visited The Sands Film Studios in Rotherhithe, which are housed in a 19th-century warehouse resplendent with ships' timbers. Following coffee and an introductory talk in the vast picture research library, which is available to anyone,

  • Farnborough Women’s Institute

    AT THE last meeting members were asked to consider and vote on two resolutions: a ban on bottom sea trawling and the inappropriate imprisonment of the severely mentally ill. A final vote as to whether representations should be made to the Government

  • Beckenham and Bromley National Trust

    BRIAN Bloice gave an illustrated talk in the Great Hall of the Civic Centre last month called After the Great Exhibition. The international exhibition held in Hyde Park was intended to cover the "works and industry of all nations" but in reality symbolised

  • Chemists open on Sunday, June 15

    BROMLEY Boots, The Glades. 11am to 5pm. ORPINGTON Sainsbury's, Locksbottom, Farnborough. 10am to 4pm. PETTS WOOD Petts Wood Pharmacy, 83 Queensway. 8am to 11pm. PENGE Boots, 5 Colman House, Penge. Noon to 5pm. SIDCUP Tesco, Edgington Way, Sidcup.

  • Chemists open on Sunday, June 15

    BLACKHEATH, CHARLTON & GREENWICH Sainsbury's, Horn Link Lane, Greenwich. 11am to 5pm. Sainsbury's, 55 Bugsby Way, Greenwich. 11am to 5pm. ELTHAM, KIDBROOKE, MOTTINGHAM, LEE GREEN & NEW ELTHAM Boots, 96-104 High Street, Eltham. 10am to 4pm. Dickinson's

  • On This Day

    On this day in... 1752 - Benjamin Franklin conducted his famous lightning experiment during a thunder storm. 1943 - The ballpoint pen was patented by Hungarian, Lazlo Biro. 1986 - Jerry Garcia of The Grateful Dead lapsed into a five day diabetic coma

  • Chemists open on Sunday, June 15

    BEXLEY AREA 7 Day Chemist, 175a Bellegrove Road, Welling. 9am to 11pm. Safeway, 2 Twin Tumps Way, Thamesmead. 10am to 4pm. NCC Chemist, CWS Store, 71-79 High Street, Welling. 10am to 4pm. Boots, 31 The Mall, Bexleyheath. 10am to 4pm. Lloyds Pharmacy

  • Chemists open on Sunday, June 15

    DARTFORD & GREENHITHE Asda, Station Road, Greenhithe. 10am to 4pm. Boots, South Mall, Bluewater Park. 11am to 5pm. Sainsbury's, Priory Centre, Dartford. 10am to 4pm. The Brent Pharmacy, 15 The Brent, Dartford. 10.30am to 1pm. Superdrug, Lower Rose

  • Fire crews return to scene of substation blaze

    FIREFIGHTERS have been called back to a Forest Hill substation which caught fire on Sunday and caused power problems for thousands of people. The crews are at the substation at the junction of Sydenham Park Road and Sydenham Park working to cool down

  • B&B bid for promotion in National Leagues

    BLACKHEATH & Bromley's Senior Women started their UK Womens League season with a fine win in the opening Division Three match of the season at Stevenage. They led virtually throughout the fixture and enjoyed a 34 point victory with 204 points with

  • Update: Armed man in Bexley 'siege'

    A 'SIEGE' is taking place in Bexley where an armed man is refusing to come down from a rooftop. Police are at the scene in Wansunt Road trying to get the man to get off the roof because it is believed they want him to help them with their enquiries.