Newsletters - Crossness - GLIAS - AIA - Naval Dockyards

Some Newsletters

The Crossness Engines Record.
Of course nearly everything our local industrial museum has to say in its newsletter is of interest. The Summer 2010 issue is no exception. It starts with an item about a group of volunteers from Ford’s Dagenham Plant who came and did a lot of cleaning up. Then there is an item of the use of the site as a film set for ‘Bel Ami’. Next –testing has shown that their old cooling pond is ‘very healthy’. Then a long article about their Lancashire boilers – I wonder if they would mind if we reproduced this here sometime. Most important is news of their new access road – and then a reproduced item from the Metropolitan Drainage Minutes of 1874 (lots of self congratulation!). Next is ‘Trouble from the Hotwell’ - and then an item about a toilet facility on Crete. Nature Watch – fungus on their cedar tree - and a mini biography of one of their volunteers. The back page explains that the site is closed because of building work but that there will be two open days - on 3rd October and 28th December. See www.crossness.org.uk (where of course you will find all sorts of info, and be able to access more of the above)

GLIAS – August 2010
As a London wide organisation GLIAS spreads its net far beyond Greenwich. Dave Perrott has however submitted a short note about development at Convoys (Deptford Dockyard site) and this is followed by a more detailed item from site resident Chris Mazeika. Chris asks for help with contacting people with knowledge/interest in engineers John Rennie, Sir Samuel Bentham and George Ledwell-Taylor. He points to stuff found in a recent archaeological dig on site (GIHS is due to have a speaker on this next year). Expressions of c oncern on heritage items should go to Julian Heath at English Heritage. (and, Chris, if you are reading this –please we would like to hear from you and happy to publish anything else here).
GLIAS advertises its own events as
4th September - A walk round Clerkenwell
3rd October – GLIAS Treasure Hunt with Chris and Fiona

INDUSTRIAL ACCHAELOGY NEWS
As the AIA is a national organisation, Greenwich doesn’t get much of a look in! (If I say none of them believe there was any industry in London I will get into trouble, so ignore me!) However there is a rather indignant letter from the archaeologists on the Deptford Dockyard site (read it! I am not going to get involved). Under Regional News Bob Carr has noted our latest tide mill (the 11th century one) with some detail – perhaps I could reproduce that too in time. He also notes the demolition of what is now the Syrol site (again, I could reproduce, with permission). In book reviews is noted ‘Ferries of the Lower Thames” (Amberley Publishing) and I think this is something we need to know more about! Perhaps we should get a copy – according to the review Woolwich Ferry is the star item ‘the best known of all Thames Ferries’.

Dockyards – the Naval Dockyards Society Newsletter
This starts with a real Greenwich feature – a picture of the Launch of Third Rate Lennox in 1678 (painting by Richard Endsor. Elsewhere in the newsletter is a note about ongoing concerns about the Deptford site – and they recommend reading:
http://shipwrightspalace.blogspot.com
http://londonslostgarden.wordpress.com
http://deptforddame.blogspot,com
They also note the possible sale of the Shipwright’s Palace (does anyone know what is going on there??)