United Glass Charlton

We are reproducing below this fabulous picture of the United Glass factory in Charlton.
The owners are keen to know more about the picture - the artist, the scene, anything

then three came along at once

Three newsletters through my door ...

GLIAS October.  Newsletter
(Greater London Industrial Archaeology Society)
This edition is remarkably, in fact, totally bereft of any mention of Greenwich and Woolwich.
This is not good.

Woolwich Antiquarians October Newsletter
Although, of course, this has lots about Woolwich in it - there is little which could be described as industrial.   Pity about that too.

Lewisham Local History Society Autumn Newsletter
Strictly speaking of course we should only note items which are about the bit of Lewisham which used to be Greenwich - however, it does include an account of one of our members, Tom Sheppard, who has sadly died and to whom a memorial 'happy occasion' was held in September. 

Greenwich Industrial History Society - next meeting.
Tuesday 16th October    at The Old Bakehouse, Bennett Park, SE3 (rear of Age Exchange shop)

at 7.30

is PETER KENT - local artist and commentator - with his Riverwatch. 

and  - to go with this - we have also had news of  -

UNLOCKING THE HERITAGE OF GREENWICH RIVERSIDE with Thames Trail

 an  interactive photo walk and phone app

The Viewfinder Photography Gallery announces that they are creating the  Thames Trail that will encourage the local community and visitors to  explore the industrial, shipbuilding and trading heritage of Greenwich, from its 19th century heyday to the present.
Work has already started –  the photo walk will launch in June 2013, available online until at least  2018. It is being funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
It will begin at  the Cutty Sark and follow the riverside path past the O2 Arena to the  Thames Barriers. Many wharves, jetties and other signs of the  industrial past remain, often unknown and unnoticed, yet they tell an  important story about the river and Greenwich itself.
Archive material   from Greenwich Heritage Centre, including paintings, photographs, maps  and industrial documents, as well as specially commissioned interviews  with local historians and residents, will enable participants to  imagine what the area was once like, to see how it has changed and how  it continues to evolve.
The Trail will document the evolving nature of  the riverside. Regeneration and development are rapidly changing  Greenwich's waterfront and shifting it from an industrial to  residential and commercial area. Whilst on the photo walk, participants  will be encouraged to take their own photographs of the riverscape as  it is today – these photos will be published on the Viewfinder’s  website.
There will be many opportunities for members of the public to  volunteer (lunch and travel expenses provided), gaining new hands-on  research skills and experiences.
Louise Downham, the Viewfinder  Photography Gallery’s Chair (louise@viewfinder.org.uk), says: “We are  keen to hear from anyone interested – please do get in touch to discuss  how you might be involved in developing this exciting project.”  Opportunities in October 2012 include testing the photowalk route,  contributing to interviews (either as interviewer or interviewee) with  local residents and historians, learning to use research archives or  conducting independent research, selecting archive material for use in  the Thames Trail app and contributing to the Thames Trail blog. In February and March 2013, volunteers will test the accompanying app and assist in promoting the project.

Greenwjch all round London

The LAMAS Newsletter has just turned up.  That's the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society - and it lists out and reports on local history societies all round London.
So - what is this issue reporting on that might be of interest to Greenwich industrial historians??

- well - they are advertising a Conference on 'London Heritage' (28th Sept. 2013 - details to follow)  the afternoon is advertised with a picture of what could be the giant ship shed at Deptford with the caption 'A Royal Dockyard'  -  as one of  'three enigmatic buildings'.  What do they mean - enigmatic??? Can't wait for the details.

Perhaps more to the Greenwich point is a Conference run by the Society for Clay Pipe Research (15-16th Sept. 2012 Sevenoaks http://scpr.co. )  The first item is - 'The Deptford and Greenwich Clay Tobacco Pipe Industry. The Archaeological Evidence'   and the second item is 'The 19th Century Clay Pipe Makers of Dartford and Plumstead'   - I wonder if the speakers would reprise that for GIHS??

and - so - what else -

Andy Brockman is speaking to Orpington and District Archaeological Society on 'Digging up Dad's Army' (5th September. The Priory, Church Hill, 8 pm) - and I guess that's about Shooters Hill!

David Rogers is speaking to Rotherhithe and Bermondsey Local History Society on the Massey Shaw, fireboat (28th November The Old Mortuary St.Marychurch Street. 7.30)

The Thorney Island Society list rather strangely 'Old Royal Naval College - 11.30 am" on 9th October - but I guess that must be a visit.

- and I am forced to believe that Camden History Society's 'Unearthing Redpath' (15th November Camden Local Studies Centre 7.30) is going to be about something people in Camden know about and not about the Greenwich Peninsula based structural steel works.

all good stuff

Sad News. Paul

 SAD NEWS

I am not sure that it is even appropriate to put this dreadful news here. News has reached us from several sources of the death of Paul Calvocoressi.  Many people in Greenwich will have known him as the English Heritage Officer who covered Greenwich - and worked with him on conservation and listing issues.
Paul was also enthusiastic and knowledgable on industrial history - always supported Greenwich Industrial History Society, joined at the very start and came to talk to us on several occasions (he always said he would tell us 'the truth about the Arsenal' when he retired - but, sadly, never did).   Outside of Greenwich he attended many industrial history events and was a regular at conferences.  Personally I knew him when I worked on regeneration issues in Docklands - we commissioned a booklet from him 'Conservation in Docklands' - and I remember only too well at national events being part of a small group of east London industrial historians trying to get through to provincials the true horror of destruction of London's industry with no sign of any recording - they never did listen, but Paul was a great advocate and the only only one of us they really took seriously. 
Paul's father was Peter Calvocoressi who died - ironically - only a couple of years ago - and who had had an amazing career in, among many other things, in publishing and at Bletchley Park. He had a whole page obituary in the Guardian - and I hope someone is writing something similar for Paul.
He was a lovely man, who I can think of nothing bad to say about.

Underground stuff and above ground stuff

The August 2012 edition of Subterranea has just come through the door - and it must be said that Nick Catford is doing a really great job as editor - piles and piles of interesting articles about underground stuff from here to China - but however - there are a couple of mini items about here - Greenwich and Woolwich.

"Massive Cold War era foundations (but no bunker) at Woolwich

This is an item about the demolition of Peggy Middleton House.

"an apparently unremarkable four storey civic building .... built in the 1960s, proved to have astonishingly massive heavily reinforced concrete foundations. But the former students' hall of residence" (that was next door, up the hill a bit) "did not conceal a secret bunker, as might have been suspected, It was a case of 'overbuild' to withstand extremely heavy loads, 'designed at the height of the Cold War paranoia' ".

"The demolition of this structure, to make way for the new Woolwich Central residential and retail development, called for the use of some of the world's most powerful demolition and excavation equipment. Excavators with capacities of 45 to 75 tonnes were used. With structural spans of up to 16 or 17 metres (rather than the six metres common at the time), the building called for an astonishingly massive foundation slab, and support columns up to one metre square.

(their source was New Civil Engineer September 2011)

 

And also ...................

 

"Yet another tunnel under the Thames, Silvertown, east London?

Yet another road tunnel under the river is now actively being proposed. A new Silvertown road tunnel, close to the two existing Blackwall tunnels, could give extra traffic capacity. This would run from Greenwich to Silvertown. With a capacity of 6,000 vehicles per hour such a tunnel would relieve pressure on the Blackwall and Rotherhithe road tunnels.

And also ................


"The Silvertown railway tunnel to have a new lease of life as a part of Crossrail, east London

A disused railway tunnel dating from 1878 at Silvertown, east London, is to be brought back into railway use. Two single-track tunnels in the central part of the abandoned tunnel are to be replaced by a concrete box double-track tunnel for the Crossrail branch to Woolwich Arsenal and Abbey Wood.

 

Moving on to Woolwich Antiquarians Newsletter who report

"Granada Cinema/Gala Bingo Hall, Grade Il* listed, in Powis Street. They report that the building has been bought by the Christ Faith Tabernacle (CFT Cathedral) who await a decision on their planning application to change its use to a place of worship. They propose removing some furniture but no major alterations are planned. CFT have already spent £6m+ on the building. Various activities are planned, open to the public. For the duration of the Olympics, the building is open to the public, Mondays-Fridays, 12noon - 4.00pm: just walk in and someone will show you round.

and they say - re. the Olympics

The Shooting events, as heard from Shooters Hill, brought back memories of the small arms proof firing at the Arsenal in 1940s & 50s.

and TV reviews

Royal Greenwich on ITV - John Sergeant hosted a show on 27th July - entertaining but with minimal, and poor, history. Clive Aslet, who has written an unreliable history of Greenwich, was interviewed, but added little. Woolwich did get a look in, but the view of the RA Barracks through the shooting screen was less than impressive. A stall holder in Woolwich Market was featured. 

(and hooray to that!!  - they ignored what I told their researcher about 'Greenwich, the home of Communications) 

London Bridge Station roof

Industrial Archaeology News is published quarterly as the newsletter of the Association for Industrial Archaeology.
Inevitably, as all us London industrial historians, know - London gets a bit left out in most of such circles. Few people outside of the lower Thames or the Lea Valley actually believe there ever was any industry in London. 
The current issue however has an article, by Dr. Robert Carr, on the situation at London Bridge Station -  there is always a time delay in such things getting written and into print, so perhaps someone will  update us on the situation.

Robert Carr says@

London Bridge railway station is one of the oldest in the world, the first part opening in 1836. Following numerous stages of rebuilding the station now occupies a large area on two levels immediately south-east of London Bridge. At least the fourth-busiest rail terminal in London, it is to be completely rebuilt as part of a masterplan.           

Currently the planned rebuilding will involve the  demolition of the large LBSCR (London Brighton and South Coast Railway) train shed covering  platforms 9 -16 to the southeast of the site. Built during 1864 - 67, the engineer for this Brighton terminus was F D Banister (1823-1897) with C H Driver (1832-1900) as architect. Although listed grade 11, English Heritage and the Victorian Society have decided not to oppose demolition.  

It is intended to integrate London Bridge as a whole so that at long last it will serve as a single station rather than being two awkward parts as now. As well as the LBSCR terminus there are the  former South Eastern Railway through platforms  for services from Charing Cross, Waterloo East,  Blackfriars and Cannon Street to south east  England. These three island platforms are to the north of the train shed at a higher level and very intensely used. The through platforms have just simple canopies of recent date to keep the rain off. The spacious and quieter Brighton terminus with an overall roof is to the south. As at St Pancras the train shed, and the rest of the station, is elevated well above the original ground level on brick vaults. It is said that the 1860s roof of the LBSCR terminus must go as the new tracks to be laid through it have to run at a different angle - not along the old alignment. At Victoria station for example, the old South Eastern Railway train shed did not impede the present day operation of the station and there it has been possible to retain it.  

Over the years a considerable amount of repair and renewal has taken place at London Bridge as would be expected for a railway station of this age. At one time the Brighton station had 10-11 platforms; there now are eight. Part of the LBSCR train shed roof to the east was rebuilt
following World War 2 bomb damage. The 1860s part of this roof which is listed grade II is essentially at the west end. This is considered to be structurally weak as there are insufficient wrought-iron tie rods and the roof presently functions as an arch rather than a truss. The least altered part of the original roof is at the widest part of the station where as part of the planned redevelopment it is essential to insert escalators.

 Banister's design for the London Bridge  LBSCR train shed roof was based on a 'nave and  aisles' plan, with a large barrelled roof running  longitudinally and two aisles, originally flat  roofed, flanking this central structure. The nave was based on a 'crescent roof' design and is the last of its kind in London. There were once similar roofs at Cannon Street, Blackfriars, Charing Cross, Birmingham New Street and Liverpool Lime Street. The roof in Liverpool is the only other example to survive. The train shed at London Bridge Station is of national importance.  

However since there is no officially  recognised opposition or even coordinated  protest the removal of this great Victorian train  shed now seems inevitable and the question  arises as to whether it might be relocated.  Rail world at Peterborough have put in an offer but could railway enthusiasts raise the huge sum of money that would be needed? It is unlikely. In any case could they maintain it subsequently, and isn’t a train shed at least eight platforms wide too big for Peterborough anyway? A more sensible suggestion is that it might be re-erected as a grand market hall, perhaps as part of some big urban development. Following closure of the 1850s Les Halles market in central Paris about forty years ago, some of the massive iron and glass building by Victor Baltard was moved to Nugent-sur-Marne. Have any readers visited Nogent recently and is the Pavilion Baltard there a success?  

There is also the issue of the South Eastern Railway offices. Formerly in competition, the South Eastern Railway (SER) and the London Chatham and Dover Railway (LC&DR) came to a mutual agreement at the end of the nineteenth century and formed a Joint Management Committee in January 1899. To avoid the financial cost and risks of a formal merger the two companies remained officially separate until the Grouping in 1923, with the receipts split 59% to SER and 41 % to LC&DR.  Joint offices were built at 64 - 84 Tooley Street close to London Bridge station to the northeast. The building work occupied 1897- 1900 and the architect is believed to have been Charles Barry junior (1823-1900). If so, this is his only surviving commercial building, a distinctive polychrome edifice, listed locally, still in use and in good condition. The exterior has recently been  refurbished. These offices are likely to be demolished as part of the London Bridge redevelopment and this IS a matter of contention.  

One reason for the demolition is that a brick building close to the road is seen as a potential danger should a terrorist bomb be detonated in a road vehicle parked at the kerbside. It is recommended that for small cars there should be a clear distance of 30 metres from the kerb to the nearest building.  

A number of documents articulate the importance of security in design, including the RIBA Guidance on Designing for Counterterrorism (2010) and the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure's, Integrated Security, a     Public Realm Design Guide for Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (2010). An outcome is the following  statement:-  'The identification and mitigation of terrorist  threats is not an exact science but one which  requires all those involved in the planning  process to make reasonable efforts to manage  risk. We believe the reduction in blast stand-off which would necessarily result from the retention of 64-84 Tooley Street would result in a materially different environment, such that the public benefit of a secure station would not be delivered to a similar extent through an alternative design proposal. ‘Dr lan Dungavell, Director of the Victorian Society, said that 'to knock this attractive historic building down to create a wider pavement is unnecessary and wasteful.'

 It was reported in February that the Mayor of London Mr Boris Johnson told local activists he would like to prevent the demolition of the South Eastern Railway office building in Tooley Street.  We await developments.

Robert Carr
Industrial Archaeology News  162 Autumn 2012

More info - should you want to find out more about AIA and perhaps teach them more about London industry aia-enquiries@contactds.bham.ac.uk   www.industrial-archaeology.org  - they are anxious to gain more members and to spread the news of their work.

Information about the News and the Annual Review from Liaison Officer, AIA Liaison Office, The Ironbridge Institute, Ironbridge Gorge Museum, Coalbrookedale, Telford TF8 7DX  01325 359846

Hope that's all ok