Aeroplanes and hospitals
I have two points to bring to the attention of Chronicle readers. The first is the proposed 50% increase in flights at the City airport.
It would make our lives hell in Bexley. I have written to the Mayor, City Airport and Newham Council to protest.
If aircraft are a nuisance to readers in the mornings or late afternoons these are the people to direct your protest as apparently Bexley council have no say in what happens in the skies above us!
The second concerns Queen ary’s hospital. I heard there is an exhibition about plastic surgery during the First World War.
I wonder how many people are aware that this was pioneered at the original Queen Mary’s. Why aren’t the people concerned blowing the trumpet for this groundbreaking work in our local hospital, given to the troops by Queen Mary herself. There would be no face-lifts or nose jobs today if these surgeons hadn’t pioneered this work here in Sidcup. We should have a museum or exhibition, not be pulling it down.
Mrs D.Cole,
Sidcup
• Archive material from Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup demonstrating pioneering plastic surgery dating back to World War I is on display in The “Faces of Battle” exhibition at the National Army Museum in Chelsea - timed to coincide with Remembrance Day 2007. The exhibition opened to the public on November 10th and will run for six months. Opening hours 10.00am-5.30pm every day.
Dr Andrew Bamji FRCP, Consultant Rheumatologist and Curator of the Gillies Archives at Queen Mary’s says: “The focus of remembrance of the Great War ignores those who did not die and so had to suffer. This exhibition reminds us that many of those who survived had physical and mental problems to live with for decades. It places Queen Mary’s in its rightful position as the source of modern facial surgery techniques through the work of Harold Gillies and his fellow surgeons, anaesthetists, radiologists, dentists, technicians and artists here in Sidcup. Many people think that facial reconstruction began in the Second World War at East Grinstead, and we can at last set the record straight.” Ed
£2bn sat nav!
For those of us who love having the latest gadgets, sat-nav systems have stopped many of us getting lost. Based on America’s GPS satellites, the system is reliable and upgrades in the future will make even more services available. What’s more, the Americans let us use their satellites for free.
Why then does the European Commission want to spend £2,000,000,000 of our money on its own Galileo satellite-navigation system? Is it because vain European politicians want to set up a superstate in competition to America?
Ken Livingstone is planning his own space programme too, following approval of a £630 million satellite network he says will improve mobile phone communications, but which many believe will be used for his ever-expanding surveillance network.
We need to make the most of satellite technologies in London, but surely the demands should be driven by demand from consumers, not the ego of politicians? Let me know what you think at syed@syedkamall.com.
Syed Kamall MEP
Conservative Euro-MP for London
European Parliament, Brussels, 1047
• The Chronicle thinks Ken wants his own computer linked scanning system to collect more money from motorists! Ed
Carbuncle on the landscape
We all know that Marlowe House always been a carbuncle on the landscape. Could I nominate the second most hideous architectural monstronsity, which, in my opinion, is so out of keeping with the surrounding environment. The Elms, Chislehurst Road, Sidcup.
But of course if readers know of another given the go ahead by Bexley Council, perhaps they could inform the Chronicle.
Christine Portis,
Sidcup
Perhaps the Planning Department of the council don’t give the Conservative Planning Committee drawings when they give their permission to build such structures. Although it is a perfectly nice building it does seem out of place opposite the environmentally friendly Sidcup Place. What hope is there of retaining the Manor House register office when our councillors clearly prefer new modern buildings like this one. Ed
Aircraft noise
I have just perused the November Thamesmead Chronicle, of particular interest were readers letters.
The subject of low-flying aeroplanes continues. As stated in my e-mail of the 30th Septermber (I have read the letters of complaint about low flying aircraft in the October issue of the Thamesmead and Erith Chronicle. I live in Belvedere and visit West Thamesmead every day of the week, where aircraft fly lower than the riverside high rise apartments as they approach London City Airport. The noise level is quite tolerable and if the complainers in Bexleyheath/Blackfen check the airport website they will find that arrivals and departures do not start until just before 7a.m, and finish at 9.30p.m. We all experience aircraft noise before this time but relating to planes circling Greater London for Heathrow slots, so London City Airport cannot take the blame.)
Residents primarily south of the A2 seem convinced that London City Airport is 100% to blame. There are size limitations on aircraft and certainly not jumbo jets.
Again, my comments stand.
M.Neal,
Belvedere
• Thank you for your comments. A reader in Bexleyheath told us that he and his family were regularly woken by the sound of jet engines being run up in the early hours and the noise was most definitey from City Airport. Ed
Blackwall Tunnel refurbishment
Major improvements are planned for the northbound bore of the Blackwall Tunnel to bring the tunnel up to modern standards and reduce the impact of future maintenance on motorists and local residents. The changes are intended to extend the life of the tunnel; reduce future maintenance and disruption-. improve emergency access and procedures to deal with emergencies and improve traffic management.
The work is due to commence in Spring 2008.
The necessary work wiII obviously cause disruption whilst it is taking place but, hopefully, will reduce problems for the future. The works will have an impact on roads in surrounding areas in Greenwich and Bexley. Transport for London (TtL) is currently discussing the issues with local councils and how traffic should be managed during periods that the tunnel is closed. TfL hopes to go out for public consultation in November.
The consultation will be widely advertised but if any Chronicle readers wish to be kept informed or would like to submit their views, they can write to me John Austin, House of Commons, London SWlA 0AA or e-mail austinj@parliament.uk
John Austin, MP
House of Commons
Conway told me to get real!
Bad news is unpopular is that why news is being trivialised increasingly? The media is playing its part in burying bad news or not airing news that concerns us all in the long term.
Queen Mary’s A&E is much needed in its current location. Failing hospitals, failing schools, free public transport for children the list of misfortune for our families and the whims of politicians is endless. What about failing governments and greedy politicians who do not need to toil and struggle when we pay their bills, living expenses, stationery and mortgage interest on their second homes.
Derek Conway did not show the slightest interest when we lobbied him for years to help our campaign to improve NHS local services, as well as public amenities and facilities. I recall he told me to get real, that the problems of the NHS were of long standing and more than we could take on. For me it was a slap in the face that the NHS was not worth fighting for at an early stage.
R Grootendorst
Sidcup
Freeze, what freeze?
The Mayor of London announced that he was freezing fares or either allowing them to rise by the rate of inflation. However, as with most things we hear from City Hall, the devil was in the detail and what a devil it is!
Firstly, the so called ‘freeze’ on single fares using Oyster or cash, although welcome, follows price increases since Livingstone was re-elected in 2004.
However, this freeze will only be felt by 30% of the travelling public. The other 70%, the vast majority of Londoners who use Travelcards, will see an increase in the cost of public transport.
The Mayor said Travelcard fares will go up by the rate of inflation. But what he doesn’t want you to realise is that the inflation rate he’s using to increase fares is double the cost of living - as officially measured by the Government!
His increase is 3.8% because he is using the Retail Price Index measure of inflation. But if he were using the official Government figure, called the Consumer Price Index, the increase would be only 1.8%.
This will hit people in Bexley especially hard, as a very large number of them use Travelcards to commute to work.
It’s cynical of The Mayor to say that Travelcard prices are increasing at the rate of inflation, when his Government dumped this way of measuring inflation 10 years ago. He should come clean and admit prices are going up in real terms and that Londoners, especially in Bexley are the ones who are going to pay.
Bob Neill AM MP
London Assembly Member for Bexley
Hands off our Register Office!
I am writing to say how appalled I am at the proposed plans to sell off the beautiful Manor House. I have just recently moved into a flat at Holmbury Manor, next door to the Manor House.One of the reasons I bought the flat was the beautiful views I have and the lovely picturesque Manor House with its beautiful grounds, since I have moved in I have learned of changes to the traffic flow which might affect The Green and now the proposed sell off of the Manor House, presumably for yet more flats, none of this came up in my search. There is not much I can do about the imposed changes to the traffic, I am furious as to the proposed sale of the Manor House, which is a lovely venue for a wedding, how much more can you do to change the lovely location to which I bought my flat and I am sure all the residents feel the sameÉ they have also had to put up with having a large Morrison’s built behind their flats, I bought the flat knowing Morrison’s was there!! We have already got lots of flats being built in the surrounding areas, so why or why must you use this beautiful building too!! The location is perfect for a Register Office, beautiful grounds for photos and the building too, plenty of parking facilities for all the guest, I have watched a number of weddings there; it will be such a shame to change it..
I am devastated having moved in only six months ago, to suddenly hear about all these changes! I am writing to Ian Clements with my views and anger at the proposed sell off and the changes to my environment, not to mention the wildlife that roams around the grounds, squirrels, birds etcÉ.
We must save the Manor House, leave Sidcup with something!
P Sparrow
Sidcup