The Royal Borough of Greenwich has successfully fined an Eltham business £17,258 for selling illegal vapes director of Repairs 4 Mobile on Eltham High Street pled guilty at Bromley Magistrates Court for selling mislabelled vapes some which featured unauthorised trademarks of sweet brands and cartoon-style images of fruit-based characters the business had been visited multiple times by the council and guidance on legal selling practises was provided 603 illegal vapes were still found to be on sale at the premises and seized Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Enforcement said: “This fine is a great outcome and sends a message of the council’s no-tolerance approach to the sale of illegal vapes These vapes were clearly marketed towards minors which is completely unacceptable and dangerous so the fine reflects the seriousness of the offence “We will continue to take the necessary steps to ensure our residents are safe and feel safer especially when it comes to prosecuting traders that market dangerous products so deliberately to children and young people We hope this substantial fine sends a message to anyone seeking to trade harmful goods in our borough.” Mr Zia and the company were each fined £2,500 with victim compensation charges of £1,000 and costs of £5,129 totalling £17,258 to be paid between the company and director Mr Zia said that he had been experiencing medical problems and his staff had been selling these vapes without his permission To report the illegal sale of vapes or tobacco products, please contact tradingstandards@royalgreenwich.gov.uk or you can report it anonymously on the London Trading Standards website Greenwich Conservatives have announced their candidates for Eltham Town & Avery Hill ward ahead of the 2026 local elections Sitting Councillors Charlie Davis and Pat Greenwell have been reselected and will be joined by local community champion, Rob Sayers Councillor Pat Greenwell brings a wealth of experience She was joined by Councillor Charlie Davis in October 2024 following his by-election victory which saw the Conservatives take the seat from Labour with a swing of over 10% a well-known and active figure in the local community Rob is a trustee of Safer Greenwich and Chair of one of New Eltham’s Safer Neighbourhood Panels He also chairs the Friends of Southwood Park and plays a leading role in C.A.N.E (Community Association of New Eltham) and the wider New Eltham community Rob is the founder of the New Eltham Village community group on Facebook Speaking on the selection, Councillor Charlie Davis "Rob is a fantastic candidate with a track record of delivering for his community I’m delighted he’s joining Pat and me as part of the team in Eltham Town & Avery Hill All three of us live locally and are focused on the issues that matter—supporting our local businesses who previously represented Eltham South before boundary changes "Representing this ward has been a real privilege and I couldn’t think of a better person to stand alongside us than Rob I’ve known him for many years and know he will make an excellent councillor for our community." Conservative candidate for Eltham Town & Avery Hill "I’ve spent years working with local groups to improve our area particularly in New Eltham where I’ve lived for the last 13 years I’m excited to take that commitment further as part of a team that puts residents first and delivers real results." Help us take action on local issues and build a better Britain With the local branch of the Royal British Legion followed by wreath laying and two-minute silence at Eltham war memorial Eltham Centre Library has been been highly commended in the ‘Library of the Year’ awards – acknowledging the part it has played in helping Ukrainians fleeing the war with Russia The venue was  recently shortlisted in the annual competition which is organised by The Bookseller magazine in partnership with publisher Dorling Kindersley and charity The Reading Agency In the regional results – which were announced this week – Eltham along with the Roehampton Children’s Library both achieved the coveted ‘highly-commended’ status for their creativity and community engagement is a popular community hub which provides many activities throughout the week The library is twinned with the Central Library in Kyiv thanks to an innovative project run by the charity Libraries Connected The project connects British and Ukrainian culture and literature Eltham has become home to a large community of Ukrainian refugees displaced by their country’s ongoing conflict with Russia GLL’s Greenwich Libraries partnership manager Paul Drumm said: “We are very proud that Eltham Centre Library came ‘Highly Commended’ by the Bookseller at the Library of the Year Awards 2025 we have developed a welcoming approach to engaging readers from all walks of life Our ethos for what a library is and could be is inspired by the community we have worked with the large Ukrainian community in Eltham We partnered with the Ukrainian Arts Hub to provide space for an exhibition of paintings by young people living in Ukraine and Eltham “The library is a true community hub We’re particularly proud of the role we play in supporting young people and elderly residents who sometimes struggle with loneliness while Chatty Tuesday has become a heart-warming space for older people to connect and socialise.” has recently undergone a complete renovation via the ‘Revive Roehampton’ project Children’s Librarian and the driving force behind the scheme “I was gobsmacked to hear we’d been commended – I almost didn’t submit the application because I didn’t think it was ‘big’ enough The community are so deserving of a modern library service that caters to their needs and celebrates their creativity and we are ecstatic at the recognition from such a prestigious award.” souped-up timetable which includes creative writing a schools’ programme and family events where parents are given tips on reading to their kids said: “This year’s applications for Library of the Year have been exceptional showcasing the ingenuity and innovation that libraries harness every day to reach new audiences the regional and country winners stood out for their creativity and impact Eltham and Roehampton Libraries are run by charitable social enterprise GLL under the ‘Better’ brand Supporting the wellbeing of local communities is an important part of the organisations’ ethos Pictured top: Eltham Centre Library (Picture: GLL) Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Your guide to London's culture and transport news and events taking place across the city Published on 24th February 2025 by ianVisits in Museums once owned by millionaire Virginia Courtauld have gone on display in the Courtauld’s former home at south London’s Eltham Palace Once a favoured medieval palace and then a Tudor royal residence Eltham Palace was in a state of neglect when it was leased in 1933 to eccentric millionaires Stephen and Virginia Courtauld the couple transformed it into a lavish home combining Art Deco architecture and state of the art technology while retaining and restoring the magnificent surviving great hall built for Edward IV in the 1470s Perhaps to celebrate the completion of their new home Stephen commissioned and presented Virginia with two brooches in 1937 which depicted the cyphers of Edward IV; the White Rose of York upon the starburst of Richard II The falcon is set with single cut diamonds and the background of the brooch is half set with cross-hatched pink tourmaline gems and half with striking blue sapphires while the rose is within a sunburst surround set with single cut diamonds and a yellow citrine centre its background is similarly half set with pink tourmaline and blue sapphires The brooches also mimic stained glass windows in the great hall which the Courtaulds commissioned to include Edward IV’s same cyphers – possibly to reflect Eltham as one of the monarch’s favourite royal residences The brooches, recently acquired by English Heritage with a grant from Art Fund, and a contribution from the Wolfson Foundation, are now on public display at Eltham Palace for the first time This website has been running now for over a decade, and while advertising revenue contributes to funding the website, it doesn't cover the costs. That is why I have set up a facility with DonorBox where you can contribute to the costs of the website and time invested in writing and research for the news articles It's very similar to the way The Guardian and many smaller websites are now seeking to generate an income in the face of rising costs and declining advertising Whether it's a one-off donation or a regular giver every additional support goes a long way to covering the running costs of this website and keeping you regularly topped up doses of Londony news and facts If you like what you read on here, then please support the website here and website in this browser for the next time I comment and the latest news published on ianVisits You can unsubscribe at any time from my weekly emails © ianVisits Businesses and residents in Eltham are set to benefit from ultrafast broadband thanks to Digital Greenwich Connect – an innovative joint venture between DG Cities the Royal Borough of Greenwich’s Innovation Company Digital Greenwich Connect launched the initial 21km phase of the network across Woolwich This second phase delivers an additional 7km across Eltham town centre The full fibre network now passes 2,000 businesses Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich said: "It’s Our Greenwich mission to ensure that town centres high streets and shopping parades are vibrant places that are prosperous and meet the needs of local people “Digital Greenwich Connect is one of the innovative ways that we are ensuring residents and businesses have access to fast and reliable digital connectivity This will not only support our plans to modernise the delivery of council services but also support economic growth and digital inclusion; helping Royal Greenwich to play an active role in delivering positive changes in the most efficient and effective ways possible.”   The extension of the network into Eltham means that residents and businesses who live work and learn in the area will be able to benefit from gigabit capable services that are flexible and can grow with their needs which are offered by Internet Service Providers (ISP) who use the network CEO of ITS said: “Our partnership with DG Cities has grown in strength to deliver ahead of plan We have ensured that end-users not only have access to high-quality business-grade services but can also choose their own service provider to buy the services from to meet their own needs “The expansion of this transformational full fibre network from Woolwich to Eltham town centre signals a key milestone and underpins the forward-thinking approach of the council in its strategic goals to support the digital transformation of the area future-proofing it for generations to come.” DG Cities said: "The launch of this second phase of Digital Greenwich Connect is testament to the impact of the initial rollout in Woolwich and the success of the partnership between DG Cities and ITS facilitated by the Royal Borough of Greenwich “Digital Greenwich Connect is ensuring that Royal Greenwich has the digital infrastructure in place that is essential to deliver modern public services and support a modern mixed economy.” For more information visit the Digital Greenwich Connect website.