News items part 1.

TALK OF THE THAMES – Winter 2012

Talk of the Thames is produced by the Thames Estuary Partnership – but although most of what it has in it is about the Thames below Gravesend, there are still some items of interest to Greenwich and Greenwich historians

-          Germaine Greer (yes, really) on about Bug Life and Thames Mud. Lots and lots of detail about little things that live in the water – and – she says that the famous Greenwich whitebait thrived on all the sewage in the river, and that now that the river is cleaner there is too little food for the fish!!!

-          An article about the 1953 North Sea Storm – the terrible floods.   This is all about Canvey Island – but it is such an important subject and, as the article reminds us, the Thames Barrier is saving us and ‘it is entirely due to this system that London is viable as a capital city’.  There are a number of commemorative events - a service in Chelmsford Cathedral on 31^stJanuary; lighting of beacons along the coast on 31^st January and 1^stFebruary, and Canvey Island Memorial Day on the 1^st February. Please remember that 58 people died on Canvey 60 years ago.

-          River crossings in East London – an article analysing the current suggestions including the proposed Silvertown Tunnel, a vehicle ferry at Gallions and junking the Woolwich Ferry. Or there again a bridge at Gallions.

-          The Super Sewer – Sustainable drainage – an article about the need for the Thames Tideway tunnel,

There is much much more in this edition of Talk of the Thames but I wanted to highlight one particular article which is about the project on ‘The Lenox – the first ship to be built in Deptford Dockyard for 150 years.     The article – which gives a lot of interesting detail on Deptford dockyard, is about the project running in Deptford to build a full side reproduction warship.    We would love the Lennox team to come and talk to Greenwich Industrial History Society about what they’re doing- so if one of them is reading this, please get in touch. www.buildthelenox.org

and www.thamesweb.com

LAMAS NEWSLETTER      - January 2013

This little news booklet describes London wide history meetings and carries some archaeological articles.  So – of Greenwich interest in this edition –
Enfield Archaeology Society meeting 18^th January. The New Look Cutty Sark by Jessica Lewis.  Jubilee Hall, Chase Side/Parsonage lane. 8 pm £1 each for visitors.

and – LAMAS Annual Conference of London Archaeologists. 16^thMarch at the Museum of London.   This includes an item on Recent Excavations at Convoys Wharf by Anthony Francis of MOLA.  Tickets £15 Jon Cotton, c/o Depot Archaeological Collections, Museum of London, 150 London Wall, EC2 5HN

and advert for ‘London Heritage Conference’  which will include an item on Convoys Wharf by Jon Wright of the Council for British Archaeology.  This will be on 28^th September, will cost £30 and booking forms will be available in May

 

HISTORY AND SOCIAL ACTION DIARY

This is a Croydon based E newsletter which manages to merge local history and local politics in a very satisfactory manner.

it refers to the blog http://historyandsocialaction.blogspot.com(which includes articles about Croydon Tories and Croydon Libraries with talks on Samuel Coleridge Taylor  ‘No wonder the Tories in Croydon kept the local studies and archives out of the tender process’ . it also includes items from all over – Lambeth (of course) but about ‘Save Newcastle Libraries’ and so on.  There are links to all sorts of campaigns and newssheets and blogs and meetings (i.e. School for Revolutionaries in Chesterfield).  There is so much there I hardly know where to start – best thing is to get it and read it!
(Thanks for the copy, Sean)

DOCKLANDS HISTORY GROUP           
The group have produced their programme. They meet at the Museum of London Docklands, West India Quay, Hertsmere Road, E14 t 5.30 for 6.  If you haven’t been – they are a great and really friendly and knowledgeable group – and the room, in the depth of a Docks Warehouse is amazing.

Their programme includes

6^th February – talk by Gus Milne and Eliott Wragg on the Thames Discovery Programme – don’t know what they will say, but this programme has included work in Greenwich.
3 April = talk on ‘behind the jubilee flotilla’ by Martin Garside
7^th August – Greenwich walk led by – er – Mary Mills
6^th November – Society of East India Commanders by Tony Fuller
 

MYCENAE HOUSE LOCAL HISTORY GROUP

This is a group which grew out of an evening class and they operate as a class with a set programme of morning meetings and payment for meetings and so on.  http://mhlhg.blogspot.com/
They do have some very distinguished speakers – but also apparently a waiting list!!

 CROSSNESS ENGINES RECORD

I am always a bit nergvous about putting brief details from the Crossness newsletter – I mean – ALL of it is relevant.  But Winter 2012

-          article on the Fitting Shop tank and the duct under the garden
-          Nature watch  - butterflies and moths
-          News on progress - work on engine Victoria – work on the garden - Visitor numbers !!
-          News on loco Woolwich. she is now in  bits and those bits are being cleaned and she will be put together soon

Most interestingly they have some plans for a new rail pedestrian link – this would go from Plumstead Station down the Southern Outfall (which has probably been renamed by now).  Hope they have a look at the amazing Victorian Plumstead waste destructor on the way.

www.crossness.org.uk