by | May 2, 2025 | Front Page A note for Cray Wanderers supporters that the Wands U23s play the final game of SCEFL Development League West this evening vs SC Thamesmead This match was scheduled to be played at Bayliss Avenue yesterday but with agreement with SC Thamesmead and the SCEFL League was moved to Flamingo Park The league table makes interesting reading as Cray currently top the league with 56 points after finally receiving the award of six points for two matches called off by Glebe and Sutton Athletic on the night of the matches This moved Roy Brooke’s side ahead of Erith Town by one point who have 55 points but have two matches to play Cray’s last match was a 1-2 defeat at Tunbridge Wells on the 17th April which gave Erith a point lead but they too dropped points in a 3-3 draw at Stansfeld but did close the gap to a point after a 5-0 with at Sutton Athletic earlier this week Erith finish the season with two home games but against the teams in 4th and 3rd Stansfeld and Kent United so will be tested So imperative that Cray pick up the three points to put pressure on the Dockers for the final games Cray won 8-2 when the teams last met on 27th September with goals from Victor Damyanov (2) All four have appeared for the first team either this and last season All in all it has been a very satisfactory debut season for the U23s whatever the outcome of the season and another feather in the cap for Cray Wanderers to have this team of players and management with us New Stadium First Team Tickets Club News Contact Us Instagram YouTube Twitter Our club sponsor page is delighted to be expanding its presence in South London with the opening of two brand-new gyms this May PureGym Thamesmead will open at 12pm on Friday 23rd May and PureGym London Welling will open at 12pm on Friday 30th May enabling members to kickstart their fitness journeys this summer Following sustained demand for PureGym’s flexible the business is excited to continue expanding and to provide even more people with access to high quality fitness facilities through its flagship low-cost The two gyms are the latest addition to PureGym’s extensive reach across the capital PureGym Thamesmead is located on Cannon Retail Park ft gym will provide members with 24/7 access to everything they need to achieve their workout goals The new club will be a brilliant addition to the retail park and create c nine new jobs in the booming health and fitness sector For more information on PureGym Thamesmead PureGym London Welling is conveniently located on Bellegrove Road nearby Wetherspoons and McDonalds (3) and will be complete with everything members need to unlock their fitness potential gym will be a fantastic addition to the local community and will provide a boost to the economy with the creation of c For more information on PureGym London Welling A PureGym spokesperson said: “We opened our first gym in London in 2011 and ever since have maintained a commitment to provide as many people as possible across the capital with access to affordable There continues to be huge appetite for our offering and we are therefore delighted to be expanding our footprint further with the opening of two brand new clubs in South London We look forward to welcoming members through the doors of PureGym Thamesmead on 23rd May and PureGym London Welling on 30th May – look out for our opening offers!” An investigation has been launched after the death of a man and woman in Thamesmead on Tuesday (11 March) Police were called shortly after 3pm after concerns were raised for the welfare of the occupants of an address in Holstein Way When emergency services arrived they found a man and a woman with serious injuries who were both declared dead at the scene said: “I know many residents in the local area will be questioning why police are carrying out enquiries within Holstein Way We are currently investigating the death of two people we are working with officers and local authorities to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths We believe that the two were known to each other and at this time we are not seeking to speak with anyone else in connection with this.  “A crime scene will remain in place until we have conducted our enquiries Thank you to those in the local area for their patience.” Their next of kin has been informed and are being supported by specialist officers during this sad time We'll never send you spam or share your email address Find out more in our Privacy Policy Please enter your username or email address to reset your password School mornings have likely got a lot easier for many families in the constituency of Erith and Thamesmead this month as the Labour Government rolls out an initial 750 free breakfast clubs at primary schools across the country Two of the schools selected for this initial phase are Willow Bank Primary School and Jubilee Primary School both based in South East London’s Thamesmead community The breakfast clubs offer 30 minutes of free childcare a healthy start for kids and a little more breathing room before the school bell rings Parents will be supported with additional time at the start of the day to attend appointments this means parents may be able to save up to 95 additional hours and £450 per year if their child attends free breakfast clubs every day This amount rises to a saving of up to £8,000 every year when combining Labour’s free breakfast clubs with further support through the expansion of government-funded childcare and new school uniform cap on branded items welcomed the announcement by visiting Jubilee Primary School She joined their morning breakfast club and spoke with teachers and students about the positive impact these clubs will have on their lives Universal free breakfast clubs are central to the Labour Government’s Plan for Change removing barriers to opportunity by making sure every child starts the school day ready to learn – with research showing the clubs have a lasting impact on children’s behaviour The scheme also has an important role to play in Labour’s commitment remove the stain of child poverty Out of the 180,000 children who will benefit from the early adopter schools nationwide around 67,000 attend schools in deprived areas This will provide an essential meal to ensure every child starts the day ready to learn These clubs also sit alongside Labour’s action to tackle the cost of living with inflation falling for two months in a row wages growing faster than prices and fuel duty frozen the Labour Government believes this shows their Plan for Change is delivering for working families “The rollout of free breakfast clubs is a truly game-changing moment for families in this country They mean parents will no longer be hamstrung by rigid school hours and have the breathing space they need to beat the morning rush attend work meetings and doctors’ appointments we’re doing something that previous governments have never done We’re going further and faster to deliver the change working families deserve That’s the change this government was elected to deliver.” The Royal Borough of Greenwich will hold a by-election in West Thamesmead ward on Thursday 19 December 2024 following the resignation of Councillor Chris Lloyd.   Cllr Lloyd resigns after 10 years as a councillor initially representing Peninsula ward and more recently West Thamesmead.    please be sure to apply for a postal vote or proxy vote as soon as possible.  *You can vote if you are registered and are a British or qualifying EU or Commonwealth Citizen 18 or over on polling day.  Your guide to London's culture and transport news and events taking place across the city Published on 11th November 2024 by ianVisits in Transport News Plans for a rapid bus network linking Thamesmead in southeast London to its nearest railway stations are likely to be put out for public consultation early next year The proposed route would run between Woolwich town centre and Abbey Wood via Thamesmead offering quicker access for the public-transport poor area to the two local Elizabeth line stations and easier options to connect with the DLR and national rail services The specifics of the are to be ironed out, but an initial study into a bus link has previously suggested a “tram on rubber tyres” based service with segregated lanes in the road to prevent road congestion slowing the buses although on a smaller scale to the Greenwich Waterfront Transit that was cancelled in 2008 Last year, the previous government offered £23 million in funding for the scheme Although the route straddles both Royal Greenwich and Bexley councils, it has been confirmed in the agenda for a Bexley Council meeting that “TfL will undertake a public consultation on the proposed transit system early in the New Year” Based on an earlier transport report, the bus transit service would run along the A206, A2016 and A2041 between Woolwich and Abbey Wood, linking North Thamesmead to the Elizabeth line and other rail services. It would have fewer bus stops, providing passengers with quicker journeys – so not unlike the SuperLoop bus network the rapid bus transit link could open in 2026 It’s been previously estimated that the proposed bus transit scheme would support 8,000 new homes and 5,500 new jobs in the area. It has also been suggested that the bus link could bring forward other housing developments that are delayed due to the lack of decent public transport to get built while they wait for the DLR extension to be built adding the DLR extension doubles the potential housing development in Thamesmead and unlocks thousands of more homes in the Beckton area as well TfL aims to agree on an affordable solution for the DLR by spring 2025 to enable construction to begin as early as 2028 and open the DLR extension to customers in the early 2030s Bexley council is also pushing for the planned — if still unfunded — DLR extension to Thamesmead to include options to extend it to Belvedere as well TfL’s response to Bexley Council was: “Our focus is on delivering a DLR extension to Thamesmead If an extension beyond Thamesmead to Bexley becomes financially possible then this will be considered further Our designs will continue to take a potential further extension into account.” Although the housing uplift from a DLR extension to Belvedere isn’t expected to be significant, the extension cost has been previously put at such a small additional expense that it should be included now as it’ll cost so much more to add it on later 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 Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" and the latest news published on ianVisits You can unsubscribe at any time from my weekly emails © ianVisits This new proposed route will form part of Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan’s ‘Superloop 2’ network which is a new collection of express services promised in his re-election manifesto Another proposal into a new Superloop express bus service has been announced – this time it links several neighbourhoods across south east London A six-week consultation is now open to discuss the proposed SL11 route which would run from the O2 in North Greenwich to Abbey Wood station with few stops along the way in Charlton According to the Transport for London (TfL) consultation launched on Monday the proposed SL11 would largely follow the existing 472 route with the exception of Woolwich town centre which would no longer operate—except at night when the N472 night service would continue The SL11 would run daily from 5 AM to midnight The new Superloop route is expected to support the early stages of Thamesmead’s regeneration improving connectivity in one of London’s most isolated areas which currently lacks Tube or railway services The plan is being considered alongside proposals to extend the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) from Gallions Reach introducing new stations at Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead The SL11 will feature double-decker buses equipped with USB charging points and will connect with the existing SL3 route, which runs from Thamesmead to Bromley. In late January, the Mayor also announced plans for the‘‘Bakerloop’ bus service which will follow the proposed Bakerloo line extension route from Elephant & Castle to Lewisham This proposal is currently open for consultation with public feedback welcomed until Friday An investigation has been launched by the Met following the death of a man and woman in Thamesmead Police were called shortly before 3pm on Tuesday after concerns were raised for the welfare of the occupants of an address in Holstein Way Emergency services attended and gained entry to the property Once inside they found a man and woman with serious injuries “We are currently investigating the death of two people “We believe that the two were known to each other and at this time we are not seeking to speak with anyone else in connection with this Their next of kin has been informed and are being supported by specialist officers Pictured top: The estate at Holstein Way in Erith (Picture: The Met) Two people were declared dead after emergency services were called to a Thamesmead property News | London The Metropolitan Police have launched an investigation following the “unexpected and unexplained” deaths of two people in Thamesmead Officers were called to a property on Holstein Way on Tuesday after concerns were raised for the occupants Emergency services arrived just after 3pm and forced entry into the home where they found two people with serious injuries The Met Police confirmed that a man and a woman were pronounced dead at the scene though their identities have not been publicly disclosed and an investigation is underway to determine the circumstances surrounding their deaths Chief Superintendent Trevor Lawry said officers and local authorities are working to understand what happened He described their deaths as “unexpected and unexplained” but confirmed the victims were known to each other Police are not currently seeking anyone else in connection with the incident said in a statement: “I know many residents in the local area will be questioning why police are carrying out enquiries within Holstein Way The Chief Superintendent also added that a crime scene will remain in place around the Holstein Way property as police officers continue to investigate the scene Investigation after ‘unexpected and unexplained’ deaths of man and woman Met officer who left man paralysed after Tasering him facing the sack Three girls face trial over death of pensioner in bus stop attack Satisfy your wanderlust with stellar travel ideas for the year ahead VE Day 2025 fashion: best looks from the day VE Day 2025 fashion: Princess of Wales to Lady Victoria Starmer Prince Louis steals the show at VE Day parade as he keeps dad William looking sharp and mimics brother George Prince Louis steals show with sweet antics at VE parade Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in major blow for Putin ahead of Victory Day celebrations Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in blow for Putin David Beckham extends olive branch to son Brooklyn amid 'family feud' New visa crackdown as Home Office plans to restrict applications from nationalities most likely to overstay New visa crackdown as Home Office plans to restrict applications Download PDF of interview here. With writer and director Rapman having exhibited his debut feature Blue Story at Film London’s Distributor Slate Days and lead star Calvin Demba (Rodney) being a Film London Lodestar in 2022 with his film BabyDolls we were excited to see what TV drama Supacell had in store for us the series follows a group of seemingly ordinary people as they unexpectedly develop super powers Film London’s Winona Navin-Holder went behind the scenes and spoke to Alexandra Healy Senior Filming Officer at FilmFixer,and Spencer Normington Supervising Location Manager about their experiences working on this latest Netflix hit Spoiler Alert: this article discusses plot lines from throughout the series how long did the production film with you at Thamesmead Was the area used for any particularly notable moments that audiences might recognise AH: “Supacell spent a lot of time filming at Thamesmead over a number of months in late 2022 and early 2023 In September 2022 they filmed some of the series most important opening scenes with us Including shots of Tazer’s (Josh Tedeku) home life with his grandmother and the pivotal moment where Michael’s (Tosin Cole) superpowers are activated for the first time “The production returned the following month to capture a few particularly high-intensity scenes Including the shots of Michael being threatened and chased through the estate by the Sixer’s Gang and later the moment where a gun is fired at Michael and he discovers he is able to freeze time stop the bullet and vanish into thin air.” Thamesmead is home to one of the main characters in the show (Tazer) Could you tell us a little about why this location was chosen SN: “The specific estate used was one of Rapman’s favourite locations With the invaluable assistance of FilmFixer we were able to use several resident’s flats as filming sites even spending an evening with the local residents to share his impressive journey and aspirations for the film industry played a crucial role by coordinating with the local intelligence units.Ensuring a safe shoot with minimal disruption to residents.” Thamesmead has a long history of supporting film production – why do you think it’s such a good location for filming AH: “Thamesmead has been architecturally renowned ever since it was built in the 1960s Filmmakers have always been drawn to how it looks on camera and the fact it really encapsulates South London “Peabody (Housing Association) have been incredibly helpful in supporting Film and TV production ever since they took over management of Thamesmead there was some mistrust towards the industry from residents which dated all the way back to the filming of A Clockwork Orange in 1971 Peabody were pivotal to working alongside us (FilmFixer) to change the perception residents have towards Film and TV showing the huge benefits production can have on a local community “Peabody have ensured that local residents benefit from filming which helps to support and fund hugely beneficial projects for those living in the Thamesmead area Over the years Peabody have worked closely with us to help support some brilliant films including Bulletproof in 2018 and Black Mirror in 2024.” SN: “Thamesmead is such an iconic location that unmistakeably captures the essence of South London It was a key spot for Rapman from the beginning of shooting and provides the central hangout for the Tower Boys the gang headed up by lead character Tazer Rapman felt the steps next to the basketball court were particularly essential in capturing the Tower Boys life on their estate We explored numerous locations across London but none matched the unique appeal of Thamesmead.” There’s a really striking scene at the beginning of episode 2 where Tazer and the Tower Boys ride bikes along Rye Lane in Peckham SN: “Achieving this required 12 weeks of dedicated consultations with local businesses “We had just once chance to make it happen managing a very limited stop/go window on Rye Lane Thanks to seamless coordination with Main Unit Location Services and FilmFixer we successfully executed three perfectly timed three-minute holds.” achieving this was very much a team effort with considerable planning and consultation throughout the 12 week period We worked closely with Supacell’s location team and various stakeholders within Southwark Council including the brilliant highways department employing dedicated consultants for local businesses and was very responsive to any queries from the highways department about shooting on a very busy road in Rye Lane “We were extremely happy with how they managed the shoot and it’s been amazing to see the sequence play out on TV.” The series is predominantly shot in South London Did Supacell film any other scenes with you AH: “The production did a lot of work in Southwark and our partners within the council were very supportive of our work there Supacell shot extensively in Peckham and Camberwell As well as numerous travelling scooter shots of Tazer and the Tower Boys going through Peckham Square (next to Peckham Library) We also supported filming at Daphanie’s Taste of the Caribbean on Peckham High Street for a number of scenes.The production did a wonderful job with getting residents on board during their filming in Southwark and we really commend the hard work done by the locations team.” could you tell us a little bit more about the location research and recceing process for Supacell SN: “It was always destined to be in South London We did explore other boroughs due to some curfews and were able to recreate the authentic South London vibe in Ealing with the wonderful support of the West London Film Office this is unmistakably a South London production!” How important do you feel it is in creating a sense of place and atmosphere to use real locations as opposed to green screen or set builds brings a real sense of realism and authenticity.” AH: “I think what sets this series apart from other shows is the research and specificity of the different locations the production chose to represent South London It really captures the vibe and brings everything to life so vividly – in a way I do not think is possible with a set build or green screen.” that for the large-scale stunts we needed to execute using a back lot with Lifting Cranes was essential This allowed us to carry out the stunts in a controlled and safe manner how was your overall experience working with the production Were there any particular challenges within the shoot that you had to overcome AH: “The locations team were brilliant to work with across all of our locations in South London – special mentions should go to Spencer “The production had quite a lot of night shoots which are notoriously difficult to achieve in highly residential areas such as Thamesmead However the locations team did an amazing job of engaging the locals and getting everyone on side They were able to achieve the scenes with minimal disruption which was a challenge given the action-packed nature of the content training was made available to local residents via Peabody & FilmFixer’s Set Ready Programme which gave residents the opportunity to work on the production The Set Ready Programme helps to support the next generation of film and TV talent as they take their first steps into production and on to set and it was great to see it utilised so successfully here.” “Supacell were incredibly hands on with offering opportunities to residents Set Ready and Peabody also worked with the production to help organise a talk Rapman did in Thamesmead and offering insights into routes into the industry how did you find working with Rapman as a director SN: “Rapman was one of the best directors I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with His clear vision and determination to achieve his goals were truly inspiring ensuring the highest production value possible What was your overall filming experience like at Thamesmead SN: “Thamesmead is a vast estate and Rapman is such a renowned figure that it was occasionally challenging to keep the fans at bay Rapman’s willingness to engage with the local residents and it was fantastic to have aspiring filmmakers from the community assisting us as location marshalls Thank you to both Alex and Spencer for chatting with us Watch the trailer here. 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London There are all sorts of plans in the works to get Thamesmead – one of London’s most poorly connected areas – up to scratch with the rest of the city.  the estate was supposed to be a post-war housing solution for London but its isolation from the rest of the city caused many problems to arise in the area and it eventual fell into disrepair. Now there’s a huge regeneration project run by the British housing association Peabody to make Thamesmead a more appealing place to live.  More than 500 new homes have already been built in South Thamesmead which is closest to the Abbey Wood Elizabeth line station In 2022 Bexley Council gave Peabody planning permission to demolish and redevelop the Lesnes Estate which was where Stanley Kubrick filmed A Clockwork Orange of which Peabody said a minimum of 35 percent would be affordable Construction is also under way to build more than 1,900 homes in West Thamesmead on a 6.8 hectare site that was once the home of Arsenal Football Club It’s hoped that 40 percent of these homes will be affordable.  Plans have been revealed for London’s next Superloop bus route.  Soho’s new ‘full nudity’ strip club has been approved to open.  Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews to events and trends. Just follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! tiktokfacebooktwitteryoutubeAbout us Contact us The Council is happy to see the overwhelming positive public support for the extension of the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) to Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead launched in partnership with Transport for London (TfL) and the London Borough of Newham earlier this year received over 1,254 responses.    The consultation revealed that 58% of respondents believe the DLR extension would make their journeys quicker and 75% agree it would make journeys to wider east and southeast London easier.  A majority of respondents expressed their support for the plans This was further reinforced by TfL's sample polling in Beckton which found that 85% of residents supported or strongly supported the proposals.  The overwhelming support for the DLR extension is no surprise Residents in Thamesmead deserve better connectivity and the jobs and housing this could bring. This is a significant and positive step forward and we will work closely with TfL and our partners to develop detailed plans for the project and discuss the funding options to keep this momentum going We are committed to making the borough easier we and the other partners have funded the work to date directly but securing financing is a key priority exploring opportunities across the public and private sectors Our goal is to agree an affordable funding package by 2025 allowing construction to start as early as 2028 and deliver the DLR extension to passengers in the early 2030s.  Extending the DLR to Thamesmead would support the creation of thousands of jobs and unlock significant housing potential encouraging the construction of new homes in Thamesmead and Beckton Riverside.   The proposed DLR extension is a key part of the Council’s ‘Our Greenwich’ vision which aims to deliver positive change for both existing and new residents The consultation results clearly demonstrate the desire for improved connectivity in the area.  we are exploring options for a bus transit scheme from Woolwich to Abbey Wood via Thamesmead A public consultation on this will be launched in the future.  There are all sorts of plans to get Thamesmead, one of the worst connected parts of the city, much better transport links. As well as plans to extend the DLR to the southeast London area, and the introduction of the Superloop bus now more plans for transport in Thamesmead have been announced.  Plans for a rapid bus network linking Thamesmead to its nearest railway stations are likely to go into public consultation in early 2025. If created, the super speedy route would run between Woolwich town centre and Abbey Wood via Thamesmead making it easier for residents to get on the Elizabeth line and DLR.  The proposed plans involve building a segregated lane for the rapid bus so it wouldn’t get stuck in traffic. Bexley Council said it anticipates that ‘TfL will undertake a public consultation on the proposed transit system early in the New Year’. This bus will act as a stop-gap for DLR services coming to Thamesmead TfL hopes to find an affordable solution for the DLR by spring 2025 with the aim of starting construction by 2028 and opening the DLR extension to customers in the early 2030s What the 2024 Budget means for the future of London’s transport, including new trains for the Bakerloo, Elizabeth and Piccadilly lines. Plus: Why is the Elizabeth line getting new trains TfL says investing in London can create jobs for the rest of the UK News | Transport Transport for London has drawn up a “wish list” of new schemes that it hopes will win Government funding, including new trains for the Bakerloo line and an extension of the DLR to Thamesmead Officials say that billions of pounds are desperately needed to tackle an “historic backlog” in repairs such as the problems that brought months of chaos to the Central line last year and which has forced roads around Brent Cross to be closed TfL has submitted the “wish list” to the Treasury ahead of the Chancellor’s summer spending review. It hopes that Rachel Reeves will offer a multi-year deal offering it – and its supply chain across the UK – certainty about funding until the end of the decade TfL has not made public how much it is seeking but it previously sought £500m a year including £24m for 10 new Elizabeth line trains However the decision not to publish a figure may be viewed with suspicion by the political rivals of Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan who claim he is not demanding as much from the Labour government as he did from the previous Tory government TfL commissioner Andy Lord said a series of options had been presented to Ministers These included the signalling upgrade of the Piccadilly line new trains for the Bakerloo line – to replace a 52-year-old fleet – and “growth schemes” such as the Bakerloo line extension and the DLR extension to Thamesmead TfL’s group finance director Patrick Doig said that it was seeking Government help to “address this historic backlog” in repairs and major projects Mr Lord said the backlog had primarily been caused by the pandemic when TfL’s dire lack of cash forced the suspension of upgrades such as the £500m Central line investment programme to keep the line’s fleet of trains running for another decade or more TfL is projected to make a £50m “operating surplus” in 2024/25 – well below expectations and the previous year’s £138m surplus Mr Lord told the TfL board that achieving a surplus for two successive years had been “blood hard – and next year looks even harder” This is because the lack of economic growth across the UK has meant there have been 100m fewer journeys than hoped on TfL services since last April though the total number of journeys is up 1.6 per cent on the previous year Mr Lord said there was a “really strong case” for Government investment in TfL as it tied in with the wider “growth” agenda TfL wants to be able to place an order for a new fleet of Bakerloo trains by the end of 2026 so that they can be built by Siemens in Goole as soon as the factory finishes making the new fleet of Piccadilly line trains Mr Lord said a “great outcome” from the spending review would be getting the green light for “at least one” of the two hoped-for extensions namely to the Bakerloo line or the DLR network Only two trains have been modernised and re-entered service from the Central line improvement programme Many more trains will be “pumped out” in 2026 An independent report commissioned by TfL found that in 2022/23 and 2023/24 more than £12bn was spent by TfL with more than 3,000 UK suppliers This included £520m on the Bank station capacity upgrade – money that was spread across 661 suppliers of which more than half were outside London The London Overground extension to Barking Riverside cost £195m which was spent on 327 different suppliers of which 65 per cent were outside the capital Major roads affected by a lack of funding include the A41 flyover at Brent Cross and the A40 Westway flyover in west London Sir Sadiq said: “Piccadilly line trains are being produced in Goole “I look forward to working constructively to secure a long-term multi-year funding deal for TfL which is essential to retain London’s status as a global city that supports inward investment for the UK economy.” Rachel Reeves not 'petty' enough to punish TfL because I've spoken out over Heathrow New fundraising powers for Sadiq Khan could unlock billions for Tube extensions Bakerloop route revealed as Sadiq Khan pledges express bus will be 'precursor' to £10bn Bakerloo line Tube extension Why the mayor of London deserves a knighthood Central Line chaos and trains that break down show Sadiq Khan has spent our cash unwisely Police say they are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths of a brother and sister in Thamesmead – but have assured the public they are not seeking anyone else in connection to the case Police were called shortly before 3pm on Tuesday after concerns were raised for the welfare of the occupants of an address in Holstein Way They were sadly declared dead at the scene Both of their next of kin have been informed and continue to be supported by specially trained officers The woman who died was 51-year-old Michelle Mileham and the man who died was 53-year-old Gordon Mileham – they were siblings A post-mortem examination gave cause of death for both parties as stab injuries Michelle’s death is being treated as murder Gordon’s death is not being treated as suspicious and police are not looking for anyone else in connection with this incident An inquest will open on April 10 at Croydon Coroner’s Court Pictured top: The Thamesmead estate where the pair were found dead (Picture: Google Street View) the charitable Housing Association set up in the mid-Victorian era by the banker George Peabody as a means of escaping hellfire took over the Greater London Council’s abortive new town at Thamesmead As former chief executive of Sheffield City Council and director of the Homes and Communities Agency Kerslake had overseen the demolition of thousands of council homes As Peabody assumed control of Thamesmead in 2016 Kerslake told the Architects Journal that ‘what is most striking about Thamesmead is that when you drive through there is no building or area that has decent quality’ It could therefore be assumed that not much of the GLC’s buildings in the area would survive Peabody’s trusteeship The area is designated to receive much of the new housing that London is assumed to need and a lot of it will stand where council housing used to be Thamesmead is a habitually romanticised or demonised place – a vast extension plan for the south-east of London designed by the Greater London Council and its in-house architects of which only around a third was ever completed Conceived in the sixties and built until its abandonment in the mid-1980s Thamesmead is best known to non-residents as a future-pastoral movie set with sundry films and music videos set among its grey towers and ziggurats flanking artificial lakes and canals Those who know Thamesmead know that it is not a place where you should expect to see anything much if you drive through it Built at the height of the private car’s dominance in planning ideology Thamesmead largely consists of several long spines of buildings screened by trees and walls from a motorway that was ploughed through the site – old Ministry of Defence land part of the sprawling Woolwich Royal Arsenal You can’t see any buildings except tower blocks in the distance and supermarkets up close concrete skyways and canal walks that were designed to link the place together so that you’d never have to cross traffic – the sort of network that is now usually considered to be a utopian bungle though it works just fine in central London at the Barbican One of the buildings Kerslake wouldn’t have been able to see in his car was the Moorings Social Club if dilapidated brick public building next to steps down to one of the canals the GLC built for reasons of aesthetics and water engineering Most of Thamesmead’s heavily photographed first phase has been demolished went 20 years ago; the nearby Coraline Walk and Binsey Walk were demolished by Peabody more recently mostly private housing (the replacements for Tavy Bridge are particularly appalling) and become the subject of a restoration project by the artist Verity-Jane Keefe The Moorings Social Club was part of ‘Thamesmead Phase 3’ strongly Brutalist concrete mid-rise blocks with lower-rise and less megalomaniacal brick terraces below The blocks are named after famous liberals from Tawney to Keynes; one – rather unnervingly – is named after Malthus The Social Club is linked to the red brick mid-rise Harold Wilson House – according to the club’s architect at the GLC this was a means of ensuring it would be hard to demolish ‘Phase 3’ is usually referred to as The Moorings referring to the boat moorings that have existed more in the mind of the GLC’s planners than in reality along the canals that weave through Thamesmead but they lack the romantic lakeside vistas of the more famous parts of the new town In one of the interviews in From Social to Sociable Keefe tells her interlocutor – Peabody’s head of landscaping and placemaking for Thamesmead Kate Batchelor – that the fact internet photographers social tourists and urbex types were not going anywhere near The Moorings was part of the appeal ‘was the most exciting and potentially urgent part of Thamesmead because it was the only part that nothing was being done to all these residents were going to be living through huge change as bystanders’ Keefe’s work has often focused on the sort of places that civil servants usually just drive through an exhibition and archive in a van that she drove around the looping lanes of the London County Council’s immense once the largest public housing estate in the world There is an unusual warmth and humour in how residents’ ‘voices’ and perspectives are brought into her projects combined with a lack of preservationist sentimentality about the original buildings the changes that have happened over time are not wished away in order to create an analogue in real space of some Brutalist Boy’s monochrome Instagram account which was used as a community centre mostly by the very young or very old decorative touches were brought in: lime-green flooring interspersed with the original brown parquet ornamental trellises were erected where grim spikes had once been and a photographic mural of the club’s diverse users was affixed to the bare brick façade – a simple gesture but meaningful in a city where developers’ hoardings are full of computer-rendered usually white peopleoids drinking coffee next to shiny new buildings that nobody in that mural will be able to afford in the tradition of giving a post-war building a drastic makeover The redesigns emphasise the quality of the original building with some input from Stephen Mooring himself Partitions have been removed inside and the original fully glazed windows and walkways bringing back all the light that the architects envisaged a mix of Moorings’ Aaltoesque wood fittings and new furniture create a space which is obviously modernist This isn’t Brutalism as something Cronenberg-film moody as its architects intended and as its working-class users want joining the recent repair job on Preston Bus Station as one of the astoundingly few Brutalist buildings to have been restored as a social project that’s the case within The Moorings itself around half of Thamesmead as it existed in 2016 has either been demolished or is scheduled for demolition Peabody have brought artists’ studios to the area and built a new – rather boring – library if inoffensive new blocks in the current ‘New London Vernacular’ begun slowly to gentrify (I am told that there is now a place in Thamesmead that sells ‘skin-contact wine’) So it is easy – perhaps too easy – to criticise Keefe’s project as being morally compromised for its link-up with Peabody be resisted: it is so rare today for a working-class space in the capital to be properly invested in celebrated and made better for its users that it stands as a counter-example to ‘estate regeneration’ more generally Rather than there being no alternative to clearance and demolition community-driven rebuilding and repair (something more common in other countries as for instance in the housing work of Lacaton and Vassal in France – though Keefe’s pop art approach is at variance with their grayscale chic) The Moorings Sociable Club suggests the practical options are not destruction versus dereliction versus museumification hundreds of similar projects that work with the grain of proletarian spaces But since any break with Thatcher-Blair-Cameron-Johnson-Sunak housing policies remains unlikely it is most plausible that they will emerge in the way the Moorings Sociable Club has – as small salvage interventions within wider projects of social cleansing It isn’t necessary to subscribe to the alarmist claims that have been made about the place over the years – from the simple-minded notion that A Clockwork Orange was an accurate representation to the BBC’s more recent suggestion that the area is a centre for Nigerian online fraudsters – to see that Thamesmead couldn’t have been left wholly as it was in the 2000s and 2010s with a density of boarded-up shops more common in stricken mining communities than in the capital Thamesmead is a somewhat different proposition to other large estates that have been forcibly privatised and socially cleansed through ‘estate regeneration’ Unlike alleged ‘sink estates’ surrounded by public transport and places of employment and easy walking distance from city centres such as Sheffield’s Park Hill or the Heygate or Robin Hood Gardens estates in London The southernmost areas of Thamesmead are close to the new Crossrail station at Abbey Wood you’d still have to take a bus to The Moorings what helped save its buildings and people from destruction and dispersal This is how such drastic changes have usually proceeded – a place is starved of investment to the point where its residents will accept anything as an alternative to endless decline the privatisation of Park Hill proceeded with remarkably little public resistance; similarly it took years for opposition to coalesce at the Heygate and the nearby Aylesbury estates in London The reason it eventually did emerge – to the extent that the Greater London Authority now officially discourages ‘estate regeneration’ schemes that include widespread demolition – is the intensity of the housing crisis and the evidence in front of many people’s eyes that the estates that have been rebuilt and renovated in the past couple of decades have been largely denuded of working-class people protests in the last couple of years have centred on the Lesnes Estate It’s a strip of low-rise housing blocks similar to those Camden Council were constructing in the late 1960s along an elevated park leading to the ruins of Lesnes Abbey it is the only architecturally intact part of the original plan Lesnes is right next to the Elizabeth Line station Protesters have pointed out that the Mayor of London’s own report argues that Peabody’s plans to raze it to the ground and more than double the density will involve a loss of social housing on a unit-by-unit basis not to mention a ruinously carbon-intensive waste of completely sound a campaign group of residents organised a sit-in demanding refurbishment rather than demolition point to what Peabody funded up the road at the Moorings as an example Read on: Owen Hatherley, ‘Crossed Rails’