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JAMIE’S DEC JAZZING JAN UP GMT FEB See Page 3
INSIDE: OUR VERDICT ON ANDREW POLLARD’S 10TH GREENWICH PANTO
greenwich, Blackheath, eltham, charlton,Woolwich, LEE GREEN.
LISTINGS INSIDE
December 2015 Page 7
DECEMber 2015 No62
GIANT GREENWICH MAP IN THE FUTURE INSIDE See Page 10&15
centre pages
You can help fund epic charity feat
RIDING
HIGH!
I’m swimming from New York to Woolwich! IT’S 3,800 miles from New York to the Thames Barrier...and IT engineer Michael Ventre will swim every one to raise £5million for charity.
RED RIDING HOOD REVIEW - Page 8&9
1ST ELTHAM ARTS WINTER FESTIVAL Full Coverage – Pull-out inside
The 38-year-old is the first person ever to attempt the Atlantic crossing...and you can help him, writes CLIVE REFFELL. Michael is hoping to crowdfund £40,000 to help launch the attempt, which will help Oxfam. There are rewards for backers who pledge money online. “You can even choose to come out in the English Channel and swim alongside me,” he says. Full Story – P3
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December 2015 Page 2
NELSON’S COLUMN
BRANDED: Station sign
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reenwich is known the world over as the Home of Time...correction: It’s now The Home of Winkworth estate agents. Yes, the signs at Greenwich Station have been sponsored. And it’s not gone down well. “An insult to the history of Greenwich,” @IJR86, who posted this picture, told followers on Twitter. “Totally agree,” said @SELDNGirl.“Tacky and presumptuous” said @longitude. “Got to agree but money is King.” said @Westy68. @neilclasper branded it: “A bit
THE Greenwich Visitor is published once a month – on the first day of the month – and is distributed every day in supermarkets and by hand. Our usual print run is 30,000 copies every month. Of those three quarters are chosen, taken and read by RESIDENTS and a quaret by VISITORS. Every copy is taken by someone within easy reach of local businesses. Find your copy at: Waitrose, Greenwich: Dreadnought Wharf, Victoria Parade, 1 Thames St, SE10 9FR Sainsburys Riverside: Bugsby’S Way, Charlton SE10 0QJ. Co-Op Greenwich: 200 Trafalgar Road SE10 9ER Sainsburys Eltham: 1a Philipot Path SE9 5DL Sainsburys Lee Green: 14 Burnt Ash Road SE12 8PZ Asda Charlton: Bugsby Way, Charlton, SE7 7ST And at selected hotels, bars and restaurants. If you’d like to stock the Greenwich Visitor for your customers please call 07802 743324. Advertising & Editorial: Matt Clark Matt@TheGreenwichVisitor.com
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cheap and embarrassing.” Winkworth’s head office is in Berkeley Street, Mayfair, so we think @jrharlequin hits the nail on the head: ”It’s misleading and untrue.” Tell us what YOU think. ore than 120 venues were involved in the first Eltham Arts Winter Festival. And thousands of
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fter all the effort to return the Nelson statue to its correct place,” says Greenwich Visitor reader Tim Blostone, who sent us this picture (inset), “some degenerate has scrawled foul graffiti on it.” There really are some morons around, aren’t there?
There’s a lot of work going on at Elizabeth granted us Royal Status Greenwich Market...are they in February 2012. building the new hotel they were What should we do today? You’ve talking about? Not any more! picked up a Greenwich Visitor – Greenwich Hospital, which owns good start. Next visit the Tourist the site, is refurbishing the roof and Information Centre at Pepys House, cobbles – which is now done– and 2 Cutty Sark Gardens (just next to adding a new smaller market in a the Cutty Sark). Get advice, buy yard next door. There’s been a tickets for boats, tube, DLR, rail, market here since the 1300s. buses and coaches, book tours, buy tickets for Is the Foot Tunnel London attractions. working yet? After G r e e n w i c h Is anyone using Council’s botched the cable car £11.5million WANT TO ADVERTISE? yet? Cheek! The refurb, the Emirates Air HAVE A STORY? 113-year-old Line is little use Greenwich tunnel for getting about Call Matt on 07802 743324 reopened in 2012. – and shuts in Matt@TheGreenwich but problems high winds – but persisted. A friends i t ’s a f u t u r i s t i c Visitor.com group Fogwoft.com attraction we love. has pushed the Council We watched the for improvements. Lifts are Olympics in Greenwich. It’s a now working better and lift alerts lot different now. There was a and movement management system controversial 20,000-seater stadium start soon (See P9). Will it cool here in 2012. Most agree it helped competing demands of walkers and our global appeal. cyclists? Museums. Are they free? Yes – I read that Greenwich is a World except the Fan Museum, which has Heritage Site? Yes, it gained UN no public funding but a worldWorld Heritage Site status in the leading collection of fans. And the 90s. We’re UN-protected. Wernher Collection of art at And it’s a Royal Borough? Yes. We Ranger’s House, run by English have 1,000 years of Royal links. Heritage. There are some paid for Henry VIII and Elizabeth I were shows at the National Maritime born here and christened at St Alfege Museum. You pay to stand on the Church. In fact Queen Elizabeth Meridian Line inside the Royal played under the oak that bears her Observatory too. And it’s 20p to name in Greenwich Park. Queen use the loos in Greenwich Park!
We’re looking for new members... © redstarcreations.com
people got a taste of art they perhaps hadn’t discovered before – from paintings in shop windows to Roving Poets. Organisers of the three-week event did a great job. We were delighted to produce the official programme in our paper to spread the word. Pleasure working with you.
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The Greenwich Visitor’s admirable social diary, brought to you by the spirit of Horatio Nelson
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Greenwich Morris Men Dancing traditional Morris in South East London since 1976, we’re a friendly team with experienced members dancing a repertoire of Cotswold Morris. Thursday evenings from 8-10pm at Mycenae House, Mycenae Road, Blackheath SE3 7SE. No previous experience necessary, so come along and give it a go! Call 07730 925892 or visit our website:
www.greenwichmorrismen.com
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ow lucky we are to have had Andrew Pollard’s talents behind our Greenwich Panto for a decade. See our review on P8&9. If you’ve seen one of his panto’s in the past you’ll have booked already. If you haven’t you must. f you love the arts you’ll know that The Greenwich Visitor has the best coverage of any publication here. And that’s mostly down to our brilliant reviewer Miles Hedley. Miles has started his own arts blog – check it out now at hedintheclouds.wordpress.com ur best wishes go to St Alfege Church’s excellent administrator Jenny Bracey who has left the role for some well-deserved R&R.
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This is the place where groups and people tell us what they do, why, and how you can help. This month:
S London Electoral Reform
GreenwichVisitor
BRITAIN’S First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) electoral system delivered the most disproportionate election result in our history last May – 24.3% of votes cast were represented by 1.5% of elected MPs. People from across the political spectrum and those of no party-political affiliation, as well as parties as diverse as the UKIP and the Green Party have come together to organise change. We’re part of a big national trend, with electoral reform campaign groups emerging across Britain – in Bristol, Birmingham, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Lancaster, and more. And 477,000 people signed a petition calling for proportional representation. The Greenwich group’s inaugural took place last month. The group will meet monthly to organise activity her to explain and promote the benefits of a fair voting system. Immediate plans include lobbying local MPs and holding a public event on electoral reform early in next year. If you want to know more – and if you want to bring a fairer democracy – get in touch. Email me at JoeSousek@hotmail. co.uk or call me on 07402 965566.
WHY WE’RE HERE
Joe Sousek
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great textpectations? TWO Victorian women check pictures before...and an old pal their texts in Greenwich Park... decided we should finally see the who knew the Dickensians had man behind the lens. Lew Difford told us: “I am a very smartphones?
BOOKED: Roxette
80s legends Roxette in GMT rock set
Actually the picture was taken good friend of Michael ‘Celeb’ last month, as actors waited to Purdy, whose photos you often filmed scenes for a new BBC drama, f e a t u r e i n y o u r s p l e n d i d T h e S e c r e t A g e n t . K e e n publication. I was brought up in a prefab in King George Street, photographer Mike Purdy Greenwich, during the was witnessing filming of 50s and 60s and I am a new TV drama The the brother of Chris Secret Agent, a new D i f fo r d fo u n d e r , BBC adaptation of performer and Joseph Conrad’s lyricist of Squeeze. classic book “My Mum and about an 1886 Michael’s Mum anarchist plot to met in Greenwich blow up the Royal P ark when we Observatory . SNAPPER SNAPPED: were both in our It’s not the only Mike Purdy r e s p e c t i v e recent filming here – pushchairs in 1946/47 new Netflix series The and we’ve been friends Crown, a biography of the ever since. I was wondering if Royal Family – with former Dr Who star Matt Smith and Mad Men’s you could perhaps put a face to Jared Harris – has been at the Old the name for your readers – Royal Naval College, one of Michael would be made up and he the world’s most popular might become even more of a local ‘Celeb’ than he is already.” film locations. Lew, we’re happy to oblige. Regular readers will Email: h a v e s e e n M i k e ’ s Thanks both for your contributions!
CLASSIC 80s band Roxette and jazz legend Jamie Cullum are the first headliners announced for Greenwich Music Time 2016. The open air concert series will be back for the third time next July 6-10 against the backdrop of the Thames at the Old Royal Naval College. Swedish pop duo Roxette had huge hits with It Must Have Been Love and Listen To Yo u r H e a r t h e a d l i n e o n Thursday July 7. Grammy-winning pianist and singer Jamie Cullum – the most successful UK jazz artist of all time – brings the curtain down on the show on Sunday July 10. Final headline acts will be announced later. Stars here previously include Sir Tom Jones, Ray Davies, Goldfrapp and Jools Holland. Tickets go on sale on Friday December 4 from www. greenwichmusictime.co.uk or by calling 0844 499 9999.
NEW YORK...THAMES!
Beanstalk fun for families
HE will swim up to eight hours a day for seven boat, food, fuel, and specialist equipment he’ll need. Gregory becoming the youngest person to swim the months in the North Atlantic wearing just Backers will get goodies from branded T-shirts and English Channel in 1988 aged 11. Michael swam swimming caps to tickets for a post-event the Channel in 2011 and completed two other swimming cap, trunks, goggles and lard...
FA M I L I E S c a n e n j o y a travelling Jack and The Beanstalk show this month at the popular Forum at Greenwich. Chaplins Pantos present two special shows in one day at the community centre in Trafalgar Road on December 5. Tickets are £15 for adults and £10 for children, with a family ticket – 2 adults and 2 children – for £45. Book 0208 853 5212 or www.forumatgreenwich.org.
SEND US YOUR PICTURE OF A PERFECT DAY Send us a photo.
matt@TheGreenwichVisitor.com
You can help fund Michael’s 3,800mile charity swim
He must cope with sharks, orca whales and jellyfish as well as fatigue and cramp. On a good day, swimming in the Gulf Stream current, he could cover up to 40 miles, writes CLIVE REFFELL. When he climbs back aboard his support boat he’ll have medical checks, rest and food. The next day GPS readings will put him back in the North Atlantic at exactly the same point he got out. But you can help every stroke of the way as IT worker Michael Ventre swims from New York to the Thames Barrier in Woolwich. The charity swim in April 2017 is being crowdfunded online. You can help raise the £40,000 he needs to find a sponsor to help fund the support
Gala Dinner. You can even join him in extreme swims – the Molokai Channel in the Channel as he approaches the Hawaii and the Catalina Channel in Los Thames and the finishing line! Angeles. He has competed in the Winter The crowd-funding campaign World Championships in Latvia and at NewYorktoLondonSwim. Finland, where chainsaws cut hubbub.net runs until swimming lanes in frozen ice. December 10. After that you can Tim Hunter, Oxfam GB Director of pledge at Michael’s website Fundraising, said: “I was astonished www.newyorktolondonswim. NewYorktoLondonSwim. and hugely impressed when I heard com. If you have a business you hubbub.net about Michael’s plan to swim from New can also become a brand partner. York to London in aid of Oxfam. Michael – who aims to raise a “We are immensely grateful to him and his huge £5million for Oxfam – became team for the hard work they are putting in to making hooked on long-distance swimming as a nineyear-old when he watched TV footage of Thomas Michael’s dream a reality.”
WHERE TO HELP
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Miles Hedley’s pick of this month’s best events. Our unique 3-month listings begin on Page 19
RED RIDING HOOD Panto grand dame Andrew Pollard, who also wrote and directs the show, returns to Greenwich Theatre for the 10th year on the trot to front this festive farrago which is the envy of playhouses across the country thanks to its brilliant songs, jokes and performances. A family must. Till Jan 10
BATTLE OF WATERLOO Wellington’s defeat of Napoleon is re-enacted in a 19th century toy theatre at the Old Royal Naval College to mark the 200th anniversary of the clash of the titans. You’ll never look at history the same way after seeing this treat by Young Blood & His Esteemed Company of Strolling Players. Dec 2
THE BEAR Raymond Briggs’ enchanting story is brought to glorious life at the Albany with a magnificent - and massive - white-furred, black-tongued eminently huggable polar bear puppet which critics have rated as even more fabulous than War Horse. Unmissable Yuletide fare for all the family. Dec 7-Jan 3
10 TO DO DECEMBER
WHEN MOONLIGHT STRIKES Rip-roaring musical at Laban theatre tells the story in words, song and dance of a New York dinner party on New Year’s Eve 1999 which goes horribly wrong when a tale of marital infidelity unfolds. Expect dynamic turns from a cast made up of Trinity Laban musical theatre students. Dec 4&5
ROYAL OBSERVATORY LECTURE World-famous planetary scientist and meteorite expert Professor Monica Grady takes centre-stage at the planetarium to reveal what was found on the surface of an icy comet millions of miles from the Earth after a spacecraft she helped design defied the odds and landed on it last year. Dec 10
MARTIN CARTHY Legend is a much overused word but it absolutely describes this folksinger and master guitarist who is making his third visit to Charlton House for a Global Fusion Music and Arts’ concert, this one a pre-Christmas wassail night co-starring local musicians Morrigan and The Mock Tudor Band. Dec 11
CHRISTMAS CABARET Time once again for Greenwich Dance’s annual two-night bash at the Borough Hall with its seasonal melange of music, circus and (of course) dance acts. On the Saturday there’s a special family show with a disco so you can all strut your funky stuff in readiness for a visit from Santa. Dec 11&12
JOSH WIDDICOMBE The preternaturally youthful-looking comic brings his new show What Do I Do Now... to Blackheath Halls, although it’s hard to imagine how he fits in live work given the demands of his successful broadcasting career in shows such as Mock The Week and The Last Leg and own new sitcom. Dec 19
SMELLY CHRISTMAS The National Maritime Museum hosts seven days of family-friendly activities and workshops showing visitors of all ages how holiday decorations helped keep London’s appalling stink at bay in its grimy past before personal hygiene and mains drainage were the norm. Pooey! Dec 21-23&28-31
DISNEY ON ICE Characters from recent blockbusters Frozen, Cars, Toy Story and The Little Mermaid join Disney veterans like Mickey and Donald for this extravaganza of skating and special effects at the O2 arena which promises something for everyone - but especially for Christmas-crazy kids. Dec 22-Jan 3
MILES HEDLEY meets a percussionist What do you call a bloke who hangs around with musicians? The drummer. Like many old jokes, it has a basis in fact – but it couldn’t be farther from the truth in the case of Greenwich-based, award-winning percussionist Corrie Dick.
world
The young Glaswegian is not merely one of the country’s finest drummers, as his growing workload attests, he is also a hugely talented composer, writes MILES HEDLEY. And he has just released a brilliant debut album called Impossible Things to prove it. Corrie has written all the tunes and most of the lyrics on the eight tracks, all of which are terrific and three of which are nothing less than magnificent. Soar is one of the best and sets o u t t h e a l b u m ’s m i s s i o n statement – a combination of haunting melodies, magical modulations, shifting timesignatures, delicate percussion and exquisite playing from BRILLIANT: Corrie, bassist Conor Chaplin, Debut album saxophonists Joe Wright and George Crowley, pianist Matt Robinson, Joe Webb on organ, percussionist Felix Higginbottom, vocalist/violinist Alice Zawadzki and trumpeter Laura Jurd. K i n g Wi l l i a m Wa l k i s a fascinating tune that namechecks Corrie’s piano teacher dad Willie and is a kind of bebop ceilidh. Tributes continue with the next track, Six Impossible Things, which is a nod to Lewis Carroll’s Alice story Through The Looking Glass. Annamarrakech is, for me, the album’s standout song, featuring a stunning drum line from Corrie, Alice singing scat in a way that reminded me of Norma Winstone at her best, north African rhythms and gracenotes, a wondrous trumpet solo above eerily gorgeous organ chords and perfectly nuanced sax and piano-playing. Farewell Modhachaidh is a m o v i n g e l e g y t o C o r r i e ’s grandad, who lived in a house of that name in Perthshire, Lock Your Heart Up is built around the astonishing purity of Alice’s voice and the You can buy Corrie whimsical What Has ’s album Impossible Dick Become Of Albert? gs online at Thin sees a driving brass corriedick.bandcamp. riff subsumed into a com/album/ mellifluous piano-led impossible-things finale. The album finishes with the fabulous thanks to our engineer Alex Don’t Cry, which ends with Killpatrick it does. a superb outro based on a one“As to the musicians, they are key, almost metronomically repeating incredible and there’s not a drop of ego piano phrase which Conor underpins among them – they were all committed with a striking bass motif and over to bringing their kaleidoscopic palette of which Laura plays one of the loveliest musical tones to the album.” trumpet melodies I can remember. It’s a Corrie – who cites minimalist great ending that echoes the album’s composer Arvo Pärt as a major influence opening and thus lends Impossible alongside his family – is one of Britain’s Things a deeply satisfying circularity busiest working drummers nowadays and symmetry. and regularly tours the UK and Europe. What an album! What musicians! On the day I spoke to him he had just Corrie, who began playing drums as a returned from dates in Belgium and the 15-year-old schoolboy in Glasgow and Netherlands and was just about to fly off l a t e r s t u d i e d a t Tr i n i t y L a b a n to Berlin. In between, he’d managed to Conservatoire of Music and Dance, said squeeze in a gig at Greenwich jazz bar he was trying to create an intimate sound Oliver’s – where he’s been a regular with the album, adding: “I wanted our headliner for years – backing bassist nine-piece band to sound like a trio and Chaplin, veteran pianist Huw Warren
BUY IT
‘Corrie’s album isn’t out of place between heroes Elvin Jones and Shelley Manne’ and prodigiously gifted guitarist Rob Luft. Despite his successes, though, he’s not planning to rest on his laurels and is always on the lookout for new challenges to help him continue to develop as a musician. He said: “I have a love of folk music which means I’m naturally drawn to acoustic sounds but I also want to marry acoustic and electronic music. “I want to find people I resonate with and music that really hits me – and I’d like to play farther afield.” It’s hard to imagine his dreams won’t be realised if this exceptional album is anything to go by. I love it so much it now has pride of place on my MP3 player between my drum hero, Elvin Jones, and one of Corrie’s, Shelley Manne. And it’s not out of place.
GreenwichVisitor THE
flying high with new album
beater
VERY HANDY: Corrie and cymbal
TAKING OFF: Corrie DIck on Blackheath
December 2015 Page 5
foot TUNNEL change New system for walkers & cyclists
THE new “movement management system” for our historic Foot Tunnels is about to go on trial. The interactive system aims to warn cyclists to dismount and walk when foot traffic is heavy – easing friction between the two groups. It will be tested in Woolwich Foot Tunnel this month, then extended to the busier Greenwich Foot Tunnel in the New Year if successful. Fogwoft – the users group formed to protect the tunnels – says it was briefed about the system last month. Chairman Ian Blore said: “The design appears simple and would appear not to overload users with too much information. It’s best to see the concept as traffic lights that will reinforce when cyclists must dismount and walk because of
heavy tunnel use.” He added: “We are certain that the system will not please everyone. But there will be a carefully-designed ‘satisfaction study’ after it goes live.” Fogwoft is a partner to the project – funded mainly by Transport for London – with Tower Hamlets and Newham boroughs. Greenwich Council was criticised for its management of an £11.5million scheme to refurbish the Victorian tunnels which started in April 2009. Although it reopened in 2012 in time for Olympics Games events here other work has dragged on and the lifts are still often out of order. Info: fogwoft.com
UNIQUE: Rutherford art
Museum buys nurse’s war art SEVENTEEN drawings by a nurse showing the effects of war are to go on show for the first time after being bought by Royal Museums Greenwich. Rosemary Rutherford – who trained at the Slade School of Art and later became a Red Cross nurse in 1940 – recorded her experiences after obtaining permission from the War Artists Advisory Committee. The pictures show “haunting and evocative drawings of nurses, hospital staff and convalescing sailors.” They will be conserved and digitized before going on display. They were bought by RMG with help from the Society for Nautical Research Macpherson Collection Endowment Fundand will be on display during its Art and the War at Sea exhibition this autumn, Dr Christine Riding, RMG Head of Art said: “We’re absolutely thrilled and honoured to have the war art of Rosemary Rutherford at Greenwich. Her sensitive and deeply spiritual observations on naval hospital life are unique in our collections.”
Blessing for choral website
Psychic Bella
MERIDIAN-greenwichvisitorJULY2015.indd 2
A NEW type of blessing took place in Greenwich – to launch a new website which lets people find their nearest evensong service. ChoralEvensong.org, is the brainchild of Dr Guy Hayward. Anyone can put in a postcode and discover free music close by. The website was blessed at churches all across Britain and Ireland, including St Alfege’s Church in Greenwich town centre. The historic church – which traces it’s history back 1,000 years – is a regular venue for free choral music. Info: www.st-alfege.org
26/07/2015 20:48
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runner & RIDER
up the prairie creek
Panto Horse Race No6
THE famous Greenwich Panto Horse is back for a sixth time with a Superhero theme and horses wearing capes...but honouring real heroes.
The NHS Choir – based at Lewisham Hospital – will perform their Christmas No1 contender A Bridge Over You before the race begins at Devenport House on Sunday December 13. TV comedian Steve Frost will host the event, where panto horses race from pub to pub raising money for Demelza House children’s hospice. Organiser Mark Biddiss says: Starts at Devonport “There’ll be special guest House, Greenwich appearances and a unique Panto Horse Dressage dance show called Strictly Neigh Dancing.” Sunday December 13 Pre-race entertainment will Procession: 11.30am feature a procession by nurses, Race: 1pm carers and firemen. ty: 3pm Par Mark says: “It’s an opportunity for the public to show them our IT’S a long way from Greenwich to Arkansas...and for actually,” she said. “We all loved it and we picked up gratitude and support for their tireless work.” reader Christine Piker we’re a lovely reminder of a the paper while visiting the Cutty Sark.” Next the caped contenders will trot by before the race happy homecoming here. Ex-pat Christine Back in Prairie Creek, Arkansas, Christine begins at 1pm. returned here for a holiday which snapped her family with our paper. Thanks Afterwards The Prince of Greenwich pub in Royal Hill included a trip to show her family the Christine! Send us your photo of the GV somewhere exotic. Pack a paper, press house she was brought up in on hosts a charity event with music from top Beatles tribute the shutter and send your picture to: Old Woolwich Road. “Greenwich band The Counterfelt Beatles. Entry is a £5 donation to Matt@TheGreenwichVisitor.com. was the best part of our trip Demelza at the door or by donating at www.justgiving. Send us a photo. Email: com/TheLondonPantomimeHorseRace2015 Find out more at pantohorserace.org and get updates on matt@TheGreenwichVisitor.com Greenwich Visitor 164 x 264mm December_Layout 1 26/11/2015 10:02 Page 1 Twitter @LondonPHRace
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GREAT GIFTS IN GREENWICH Greenwich Market open every day 1–24 December Visit Father Christmas and his funny elf in his Greenwich Grotto 19 – 24 December • Balloon magic and gift bag • £4 per visit 1
Lush Designs, large pottery jar with oiled oak lid, £130
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Vale P. London, handstitched leather bag, £109
2
Warwick Leadlay Gallery, The Great Eastern Steam-Ship, printed platter, £185
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Coco Barclay, thimble key rings hand made with vintage cloisonné thimbles and leather tassels, £20
3
Maree London, Daisy Flower Stacking Rings, from £89 to £170
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Annie May, handmade Rudolf the ‘Hobby Horse’, £20
4
Sophia & Matt, Blue Spot Clip Purse, £28
13
Nuts4Honey, jar of honey, £5
5
Grace & Firefly, handmade fused glass jewellery dish, £17
14
Johnny Rocket, bespoke deco ring, £300
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Alice & The Thimble, handmade Wooden Robin on Wheels, £14
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Handmade by Hodge, Dog Doorstop, £18
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Hannah Dowding, handmade leaf stem coffee table, from £395
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Cedarlia, Scandinavian style stoneware tea-light houses, £20
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Susan Taft, necklace, £47
17
Eyellusion Adventure, Wheels Kaleidoscope, from £30
9
Tip Accessories, bow tie, £9
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Beadoir, bead bracelet, £12.99
greenwichmarketlondon.com Supporting the Royal Navy since 1694
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Tunnel fight will carry on
OUR VERDICT ON 10th POLLARD GOOD CHIME GIRL: Andrew Pollard as Nanny Fanny Cuckoo .
FEATHER LUSTRE: Dawnita Smith as Silvana
Pictures: ROBERT DAY
CAMPAIGN NOT OVER The public consultation on a planned second road link under the Thames at Greenwich has ended. Opponents say it will bring pollution but fail to solve traffic problems. Darryl Chamberlain tells why his No To SIlvertown group’s campaign will go on... Ten-thousand leaflet deliveries, a public meeting, countless conversations and endless tweeting later, the last consultation on the Silvertown Tunnel is over. But it’s not too late to do your bit to stop TfL’s toxic tunnel – because the final say rests with London’s next mayor. We were delighted with the response to our campaign against TfL’s planned £1billion road tunnel between Greenwich Peninsula and the Royal Docks – a new road which is likely to increase congestion and pollution in neighbourhoods on both sides of the river. Lewisham Council unanimously passed a motion against the tunnel, with Blackheath councillor Kevin Bonavia branding it “poorly planned and poorly placed.” The London Cycling Campaign has also weighed in against the tunnel. More than 100 people came to our public meeting at the Forum on Trafalgar Road last month. We’ve found that the more people find out about the Silvertown Tunnel, the more they don’t want it. So what happens next? We expect TfL will announce it is going ahead with the tunnel next year – essentially so mayor Boris Johnson can sign it off before he leaves office. We expect it to apply for planning permission in the spring. But it’s not a done deal. There’ll be a new mayor after that, so May’s City Hall elections are crucial. We know Green candidate Sian Berry is against the tunnel. So is the Liberal Democrat contender Caroline Pidgeon. But Conservative Zac Goldsmith and Labour’s Sadiq Khan are yet to say what they’ll do. Both men are well aware of the problems with the tunnel scheme. But we don’t yet know what they’ll do. So we need as many people as we can to get in touch with them – Goldsmith at backzac2016.com and Khan at sadiq.london – and tell them they’ll lose votes if they continue with TfL’s toxic tunnel. The Silvertown Tunnel is a threat to a great swathe of London – not just Greenwich. If you can take a few minutes to email a mayoral candidate with your concerns, you’ll be doing thousands of people a huge favour. If you get canvassed, tell them you oppose the Silvertown Tunnel. And ask your MP, assembly member and councillor what they’re doing to influence the mayoral candidates – get in touch with them via writetothem.com. Finally, you can keep up to date on the campaign at silvertowntunnel.co.uk, on Twitter at @NoSilvertownTnl, and on Facebook at No to Silvertown Tunnel.
Market at Christmas
GREENWICH Market is opening every day until Christmas Eve at 4pm with up to 150 stalls daily offering “hand-crafted and designed gift ideas and stocking-fillers, jewellery, fashion and beauty treats plus festive street food and drinks.” Kids can meet Father Christmas in his grotto from Sunday 20 to Wednesday December 23 (12.30-5.50pm) and on Christmas Eve from 11-3pm. It costs £4 a visit and each child gets a present – after being entertained by his f u n n y e l f a s t h e y w a i t ! Info: www.greenwich marketlondon.com
Dance legend award CHOREOGRAPHER Rosemary Butcher has been awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance to recognise her life in dance. Conservatoire principal Professor Anthony Bowne presented the award for her “remarkable lifelong contribution to the development of contemporary dance, and her profile as one of our greatest living artists.” Rosemary has made more than 50 works performed in over 40 countries in theatres, galleries, museums, art houses and installation environments. Previous recipients include choreographers Matthew Bourne and musicians Ravi Shankar.
CRACKEGraR!nny:
Scarlett to I’ve got bad news. Granny: Don’t tell me Charlton’s been relegated again? STARLET: Kirsty Marie Ayers as Scarlet
HOW DO TWO DO: Anthony Spargo as Count Fracula and Martin Johnston as Herr Brush
as hood as GREENWICH’s Great Dame Andrew Pollard is presenting his TENTH Panto at Greenwich Theatre...is it the best yet? Maureen Stapleton gives her verdict on Red Riding Hood and the Wolf
Greenwich show is
don’t forget to include great music, showstopping costumes and lots of jokes. This year at Greenwich Theatre, they IT’S not often you go to a pantomime that includes an take the story of Red Riding Hood, add in the story of the Three Little Pigs explanatory slide on how for good measure, and then fracking works, but this include topical references year ’s pantomime at to fracking and arts Greenwich Theatre funding under threat does exactly that. added to the traditional e atr Greenwich The It’s one of the many formula. special surprises in store Crooms Hill Over the years, in Red Riding Hood, Pollard has proven to be which marks the 10th a safe pair of hands – anniversary of Andrew not to mention an 10 y uar Till Jan Pollard writing, directing impressive set of legs – at and starring in Greenwich the Greenwich panto. This Theatre’s festive favourite. year is no different. As Nanny The formula for a good pantomime Fanny Cuckoo, Red Riding Hood’s is tried and true. Find a well-known grandmother, he’s quick with the quips, story, be sure to include singing, he belts out the songs and he’s also a dancing, a love story and a villain, and quick-change artist, with 10 extraordinary
WHERE WHEN
costumes in the show. You could say he is the Swiss army knife of theatre artists, and in one memorable costume, he literally is. Greenwich Panto has a tradition of having actors return year after year and that’s true this year as well. The always hilarious Alim Jayda is in the show for the third year, this year as Piggie Smalls, having previously played the lead role in Puss in Boots and the villain in last year ’s Jack and the Beanstalk. Martin Johnston returns for the second year, playing Herr Brush, who sings a energetic version of the current hit, Bills. Anthony Spargo – who plays Count Fracula and really makes the most of his villainous ways – returns for a second time after having been in Robin Hood. Energetic newcomers balance out the rest of the cast. Kirsty Marie Ayers plays Scarlett, otherwise known as Red Riding Hood, and sings a stirring rendition of
GreenwichVisitor THE
PANTO IN GREENWICH
Street with built-in art
December 2015 Page 9
A NEW street has been unveiled here – celebrating a brewery that once dominated Greenwich town centre. Lovibond Lane, part of The Movement development near Greenwich DLR station, also has new street art. Shipping Good – a bespoke poem by official Olympic Games poet Lemn Sissay – has been etched into the street by artist Morag Myerscough. Developers U+I say The Movement, built on a 2.2 acre derelict industrial site, has brought shared ownership and student housing – with 358 student apartments, and 181 residential units – as well as a hotel, gym and nursery, retail and business unites and a state of the art on-site energy centre.
Music helps rape charity R! CRACKE cula tries
Count Fra to scare Piggie Smalls: I’ve got one thing to say to you: David Cameron!
it gets!
another hit
channels Mick Jagger in his version of Jumping Jack Flash. There’s Taylor Swift, and Staus Quo too. The set and costume design by Cleo Pettitt amazes from the start, when you are transported to the snowy mountains of Switzerland. Fight Song. Alex Spinney plays her love The use of black light and glow-in-theinterest Arden the woodcutter (actually a dark costumes in one scene, and at one prince in disguise, natch). Spinney trained point 3-D glasses, gives this panto a unique as an opera singer and he uses this talent in flair. one memorable scene. Costumes impress too. You’ll never look The jokes come fast and furiously. With at a cuckoo clock the same way ever again three little pigs in the play, a reference to after one quick change! David Cameron was inevitable. With Granny battling to keep her But there’s also humor for the little theatre in business and safe locals, with references to a t h r o u g h o u t t h e s h o w, t h e C h a r l t o n ’s p o s s i b l e r e l e g a t i o n , G r e e n w i c h Fracula bribes Nanny: message is clear. As Herr Brush tells her: “Your little theatre is Market and the cost of the ink of all the clothes a s m u c h a p a r t o f t h e new flats along the Thames. Th you could buy! community as these woods Musical director Steve rk ma Pri A y: are.” nn Gra Markwick also marks his Wise words in difficult days. Gold Card! tenth year at Greenwich, and again employs a combination Red Riding Hood is at Greenwich of current hit songs and old Theatre on Crooms Hill until Sunday favorites so that the music caters to the J a n u a r y 1 0 . I n fo & t i c k e t s : w w w . multi-generational audience. greenwichtheatre.org.uk or 020 8858 7755. In one memorable number, Count Fracula
CRACKER!
AN open-mic night raised £650 for Rape Crisis. Greenwich music teacher Jo Honey organised 30 local musicians and poets to take part in the show at the Morden Arms. Women performed their own work and male musicians and poets performed work written by women, writes CLIVE REFFELL. It was a fitting way to mark St. Cecilia’s Day, the patron saint of music. Pub owner David Longhurst said: “I am very proud Jo chose us as the venue for the event.” Donate to Rape Crisis at www. justgiving.com/Jo-Honey1/
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Sustainable art on show AN open air exhibition Whole Earth? is here – showing how “students and universities can can help lead society towards a more sustainable future.” Co-created by writers Mark Edwards and Lloyd Timberlake, the exhibition is a sequel to the Hard Rain Project in 2006 – involving Bob Dylan and viewed by 15million people across the world. Chantal Beaudoin, of Greenwich Sustainability Hub, said: “Whatever the area of study there is a place for everyone to contribute to the debate and bring about solutions and action.” Whole Earth is at the University of Greenwich’s Av e r y H i l l c a m p u s u n t i l December 15. To arrange a guided tour email C.Beaudoin@ gre.ac.uk.
Shop Discover Greenwich
Painted Hall
Chapel
GreenwichVisitor December 2015 Page 10 THE
Peter kent’s greenwich future map
FUTURE: Developers’ image of future towers on Greenwich Peninsula
GreenwichVisitor December 2015 Page 15 THE
Artist’s graphic illustration of changing times
9 CHRONICLER: Greenwich artist Peter Kent
MAJOR new works by topographical artist Tony Othen said: “The end result is an Peter Kent – including this fabulous map – extraordinary and unique rendering of what is showing the huge changes that lie ahead for currently happening on his London doorstep, Greenwich are unveiled this month. our historical legacy and our future.” He has spent the last year “It will be of great interest to all charting development on the t hose involved in current North Greenwich Peninsula – developments in Greenwich and the biggest new development Docklands – from international lery Gal ich in London for generations. Greenw investors to construction The result is three huge Peyton Place companies, estate agents and end coloured pen and colourwash drawings users.” focusing on Greenwich, The show – sponsored by John Weds Dec 4 till Docklands and the Peninsula Payne agents – is from Weds Dec 23 Decemberestate – showing current and future 4 to 23 (M-F 9-5 S-S 12work and each drawn from a 4) and Peter will be there between different compass point. 2-4pm each weekend. All the work is The original prints are A1 size but will be on show even larger at 7ft by 5ft on the walls available to buy...just in time for Christmas! Info: of The Greenwich Gallery on Royal Hill. www.peterkentgreenwich.co.uk Peter has also written an accompanying piece www.thegreenwichgallery.com about the history of each area. Gallery owner
WHERE WHEN
Mary’s Peninsula story PETER Kent’s striking work is used as the front cover of an excellent new book about the Peninsula – its past, present and, crucially, it’s future.
CHRONICLED: Historian
Historian and former Greenwich Mary Mills’ councillor Mary Mills has produced new book Innovation, Enterprise and Change on The Greenwich Peninsula. The A4 publication has 48 pages p a c k e d w i t h M a r y ’s d e t a i l e d examination of this historic manufacturing hub – everything here – is just as all-pervading, if from gunpowder to gas; undersea not so obvious.) Mary – one of cables to linoleum; ships and a group fighting to safeguard ovation, Enterprise and Inn barges to molasses has been ich historic Enderby House by Change on The Greenw ry made or processed here. the River Thames – writes: Peninsula signed by Ma Today the old warehouses, “This has been a place of Mills is available yards and factories are being constant change since at least for £8 plus £2P&P. from y. replaced by ever-larger blocks of 1800 and, quite honestly, it’s greenwichpeninsulahistor riverside apartments. wordpress.com/book diffcult to keep up.” Locals will (not so fondly) recall I’m sure this won’t be the last the smells from the food processing book Mary Mills writes. This area plant by the mouth of the Blackwall will have changed much more in the next Tunnel. (It’s intriguing to think that the decade. And no-one will be a better chronicler pollution from cars and lorries – which may of those changes than her. increase if a new Silvertown Tunnel is built SIMON CLARK
BUY a copy
HIGH RISE: Peter’s image of Canary Wharf
Artwork, ceramics, jewellery, glass, textiles and cards.
Between Inside and Outside until January 3
SANTA WILL BE AT AGE EXCHANGE Visit his Grotto Sat 5 Dec: 10am to 12.30pm & 1 to 3.30pm Sun 6 Dec: 10am to 2pm For children up to 8 years: £5 includes a gift and photo opportunity
324 Creek Road, Greenwich, SE10 9SW
opposite DLR Cutty Sark madeingreenwich.co.uk
(accompanying adult goes FREE) www.friends-of-age-exchange.org.uk
GreenwichVisitor December 2015 Page 10 THE
OLD ROYA;L NAVAL COLLEGE
Swing Bridge
GREENWICH MARKET
GODDARDS PIES
MADE IN GREENWICH THOMAS TALLIS SOCIETY
Trinity Laban
Vintage Market
New Haddo Community Centre
GREENWICH THEATRE
RIVINGTON GRILL THE FAN MUSEUM
ArtHub
GREENWICH GALLERY
Creekside Discovery Centre ARCHERY FIT
Advertisers not on map
PETER KENT ARTIST
KNIGHTS MINICABS
PSYCHIC BELLA
BOB HOPE THEATRE
CHELSEA XMAS FAIR
WHITE HART ELTHAM OPERA RITA
GreenwichVisitor December 2015 Page 15 THE
FORUM AT GREENWICH
Greenwich Centre
RAVENSBOURNE
GREENWICH YACHT CLUB
MERIDIAN DENTAL PRACTICE
MYCENAE HOUSE
GREENWICH MORRIS MEN
FRIENDS OF AGE EXCHANGE
TRINITY LABAN CONCERTS
GreenwichVisitor December 2015 Page 14 THE
OVER THE M Hulviz Wiz Oz cast s openin
LIFE IN
ELTHAM
with GAYNOR WINGHAM
SONG FOLK: Little Beach on launch day
elthamarts@aol.co.uk @ElthamArts
T
he Eltham Arts Winter Festival is over...but there’s still lots going on in Eltham over the Winter months. Call into the pubs to find out what they have to offer – it could be real ale, a quiz, an open mic or a great Sunday lunch. Eltham library groups made spectacular Festive trees during the Festival – they have free creative groups for all ages to enjoy over the year. So drop in, be creative and make friends. here are a range of choirs in Eltham, from the Rock Choir to Eltham Choral. The Greenwich Community Choir meets Mondays in term time in Eltham. If you like to sing – no expertise required – we have a call for carollers! Come along to the White Hart in Eltham High St at 8pm on Wednesday December 16 for a Festive Sing-along. It was great fun last year. There will also be an Eltham Arts Festive Sing-along on Friday December 18 at 11am at the Eltham Centre. Song sheets are provided and we will have a charity collection, so come along and help us sing out loudly. rt exhibitions continue in Eltham at both the SE9 Container Gallery and Gerald Moore Gallery. Check the exhibitions they have term time which are open to the public on a Saturday. The Capital Art Gallery in Well Hall is open daily and has a range of art, ceramic and glass works on display. It’s a great place to look for a last minute Christmas present t’s panto time again, folks! There is quite a choice – The Snow Queen at the Bob Hope Theatre, Old Mother Hubbard at the Progress Hall by the Priory Players and Cinderella in New Eltham by New Eltham Community Players. You can book now for January! I’d love to hear if you go to all three! e had literary, artistic and foraging walks during the Festival. Greenwich Get Active organise all sorts of Winter walks in Eltham, so get dressed up warmly and get out in the fresh air. Take a camera or just enjoy our lovely parks and woods. We can look out for those trees that we learnt about on our Edible Trees Walk in November. ave a Happy and Peaceful Christmas...and gt a good rest if you can. Then you can make a New Year resolution to get involved and get creative in 2016!
T
A
I W H
This column is your chance to share your passion for the arts in Eltham. Call me with yours news & views on 07976 355398 or email elthamarts@aol.co.uk
The White Hart Pub Carvery & Steakhouse 2 Eltham High Street SE9 1DA
0208 850 1562
Now taking bookings for Christmas meals throughout December.
FREE BOTTLE OF WINE
for every table of 4 booked from now until Christmas (excluding Sundays and Christmas Day). Offer can be withdrawn at any time.
VALID ONLY WITH THIS VOUCHER
www.whiteharteltham.co.uk
Eltham entertained in style for three exhilarating weeks in a unique Winter Arts Festival which saw poets on the street, art in shop windows, music open mics and much, much more. The Festival was a first-ever platform for local creative talent – existing, emerging and new – to showcase the rich artistic and cultural life here. There was a giddy range of over 120 events – from art exhibitions, music competitions, crafting, literary and historical tours to beer festivals and theatre, writes REEVA CHARLES. The diversity of venues reflected our community, with events in community halls, local pubs and retailers as well as established arts and historical venues. Offerings also included a first-time Art Trail with over 18 different venues around the SE9 area involved. There were large scale showstoppers at the Bob Hope Theatre – its fabulous Liola and endearing Wizard of Oz – as well as quieter heroes of the community – from the Eltham and New Eltham Libraries with its talks, children’s crafts and exhibitions, to the Eltham Park Baptist church holding an Armistice Tea Dance and The Long Pond micro-brewery hosting local musicians, a beer festival, a vintage piano night and quiz. The varied programme also featured a tour of the Avery Hill Mansion House as well as various healthy walks with Greenwich Get Walking. The Festival – from October 31 to November 22 – was organised by Eltham Arts, a voluntary community organisation, after a suggestion by its network of individual artists and artistic groups. The result was a stimulating breadth of events with something for everyone. Many were free which, following the ideals of the Victorian arts advocate and almost-local William Morris, emphasised the idea of the arts being for everyone – not just a privileged few. Recognising difficult economic and political times, the Festival helped lift the spirits. Through art, music, nature and performance, people expressed what mattered to them, what
TEAMWORK: Eltham Arts Winter Festival organisers line up they had experienced or simply what was beautiful. An opening event in Passey Place, on one of the warmest Halloweens on record, set the tone with playful poetry, mellow music and children’s crafty fun in conjunction with nearby Eltham GPO pub. The costumed cast of Hulviz Theatre Group’s Wizard of Oz, a regal town crier and friendly local police added to the fun. “What a blast!” said Eltham Arts Chair Gaynor Wingham. “We tried to be as inclusive as possible and have been bowled over by the sense of community spirit and co-operation shown by everyone.” People at the Festival Finale party at the White Hart pub agreed. The celebrtains included a music open mic and Winter song challenge organised by Zahira Al Zahira of musical duo Pytchwood,
along with Dave whom also evenings throu The now Roving Poets and included Efford, who r from Alice in Bob Hope Jennifer Sims Eltham town an David and Robson – for the regular – were the fabu Clive Festiv don’t r which commu the Elth Festival ha in this. Not o wider appreciation venues such as the B it has highlighted the pubs, a longstandin British life.” Arts groups loved t Smith, of the Hulviz “The cast were overc Saturday Night wh standing ovation from – it’s something we w “It was great to h theatre discussin characters and a lad pay to come and se again. We couldn’t ha What’s next? M already asking for an knows? After a wel might just happen. Meanwhile as th Festival closes for t and cultural life of E plenty of ongoing art Find out more ab future events – an future – at www.elth
ROUND-UP
STEPPING OUT: Tea dance at Eltham Baptist Church
Visitor plays its part
Watch the highlights
The Greenwich Visitor played its part by including the Festival’s official programme for free in its October and November issue. It included listings of every event, previews of shows and a map of every arts venue. The publicity helped bring in packed houses. Clare Smith, of the Hulviz Theatre Group said: “We had a wonderful show week with a very happy cast, sell out shows and absolutely brilliant feedback from our audiences..”
EVEN if you missed the Festival you can see h o w i t u n f o l d e d o n l i n e – u s e Tw i t t e r @ElthamArts and check for hashtag #ElthamWinFest. Visit the ElthamArts website www.elthamarts.org or follow the group on Facebook www.facebook.com /ElthamArt to see evocative photos and videos of the threeweek festival. There are also two short videos on YouTube. Maybe it’s time for the Eltham Baftas!
GreenwichVisitor December 2015 Page 11 THE
VISIT OF OZ: Cast members with our Eltham Arts edition
MOON: zard of sing on ng day
ROVE REVIEWS: Roving Poets held recitations in venues all across Eltham
e Kennington both of hosted Folkmob ughout the Festival. legendary Eltham s were also on the bill d Eltham MP Clive recited Jabberwocky Wonderland. Theatre Director also aptly eulogised d White Hart owners d Simon Hinchley– prolific fundraisers community through r charity quiz nights e thanked for hosting bulous finale event. e Efford said of the val: “Too often we recognise the talent h exists in our unity and events like h a m A r t s Wi n t e r ave an important role only has it led to a of existing artistic Bob Hope Theatre but e contribution of local ng fine tradition in
taking part too. Clare z Theatre Group said: come with emotion on hen we received a m the whole audience won’t forget. hear kids leaving the ng their favourite dy saying she would ee it over and over ave asked for more.” Many entusiasts are nother Festival! Who ll-earned breather it
he umbrella of the this year, the artistic Eltham continues with tistic happenings. bout the group and d how to join us in hamarts.org
Winter Festival was a Winner Festival! 1,000s ENJOY 120 events Storytelling in Hope Where stories come to life
Warm Tales for Dark Nights
Stories to warm the heart, in the heart of winter
Sat 12th Dec 7.30 pm, Bakehouse Theatre, Blackheath SE3 9LA, 12 yrs + £7 Story Sharing Circle, Tues Weekly 8-10 pm St Mary’s Community Centre, Eltham SE9 1BJ www.storytellinginhope.com 020 8699 0675
The Club at Well Hall, Kidbrooke Lane, Eltham SE9 6TE. Every Wednesday 8.30pm – 11pm. All sessions £1 inc free raffle ticket. Open mic session first Wednesday of the month. Singaround session other Wednesdays. Theme nights held on some Singaround sessions. All welcome – come along and perform or just listen. Visit our website to find out more:
www.folkmobonline.co.uk
GreenwichVisitor December 2015 Page 16 THE
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GreenwichVisitor December 2015 Page 17 THE
A
Where to go when you want to eat meat-free IT’S Friday evening. I’m at a noisy gathering in the pub and the main topic of conversation of this large chattering corroboree of locals is...Fooood.
VARIETY: Normally, I would be right in Street food stall at there voicing my opinion but a Greenwich Market passing remark stopped me in my tracks. “There is a distinct lack of vegetarian restaurants in the area,” says one. Could this be true? Let’s backtrack a little. Remember Heathers? The Vegetarian/ vegan eat-as-much-as-you-like establishment in the backstreets of Deptford was way ahead of its time. And then of course there was the Escape on Greenwich High Road. Both are long gone – though not forgotten. Last time, I went out with a vegetarian friend, we chose to eat in a pub and just managed to find a dish we liked. But there wasn’t much choice. So if you want real vegetarian food here are some good options: The Blue Nile: A humble Eritrean cafe in what was once a butcher’s shop. There are neither knives nor forks. So vegetable stews are an experience! Vegetables infused with cardamom and cinnamon, cooked CLASSIC: in “tesmi” – a warm The Blue Nile in Woolwich and comforting spiced compared in a national butter, served on an injera, an Ethiopian d magazine to high tea at o o f r o f the Savoy and Ritz without flatbread prepared by We payreview we the price tag. Royal Teas. fermenting batter made Royal Hill, Greenwich SE10. from teff flour and cooked on a griddle and that is not it. Eritrea royalteascafe.co.uk was once an Italian colony, so the The Waiting Room: When it comes menu has Italian classics too including to veggie options, my personal pasta and ice-creams. The Blue Nile. favourite is in Deptford. And I’m not Woolwich New Road, Woolwich SE18 alone. The Waiting Room has just 6ED. bluenilecafe.co.uk been voted winner of Time Out Love Royal Teas Cafe: A pescatarian cafe, London Awards in the Deptford area. Royal Teas Cafe is popular with its It offers juicy tofu burgers drenched regular clientele and it should be a with Deptford Death Sauce, Hot Dog, mandatory stop for visitors! Proprietor Buffalo Hot Wings and one which is a Ray Voce recommends the American constant pull whenever I am in the area Breakfast including spicy bean-filled – the Spicy Maiden Bagel containing tortillas topped with melted cheese. veggie sausage, Polish pickles, cheese There is also a selection of baguettes, and onions. At the opposite end of the salads, wraps and of course cakes. Bo-ho chic spectrum, the cafe decor Royal Tea’s cream tea was favourably and music makes no concession...it
vegetarian options
REAL T S HONEW REVIE S
AUTHENTIC: The Blue Nile in Woolwich
rocks! The Waiting Room, Deptford High Street, SE8 3PQ Greenwich Market: The food court in the historic – and recently refurbished – Market in Greenwich town centre has a cornucopia of street food options from all around the world. Fusion (dare I say the word!) is the word here – flavours and styles that have moved on from the strict scene of the 90’s. And the area definitely offers many vegan and vegetarian options. Greenwich Market, London SE10 9HZ. greenwichmarketlondon.com Back at the pub, by the time I had finished mulling the question over, the conversation had moved on to the rugby. You’ll be very relieved that I know next to nothing about sport.
come dine with
POPULAR: Eggs benedict at Royal Teas
ll change on the The Big Red Bus... Pizza and pasta aboard the double decker bus in Deptford Church Street has made way for Wunderlust, with woodoven cooked meat and fish on the menu. Fleish Mob – hot dog purveyor at the Brockley Market – are behind this pop-up. eserved congratulations for Goddards, voted Best Loved Restaurant by readers in the Time Out Love London Awards. The Vanbrugh was Best Loved Pub and the Plumtree Cafe won the Best Cafe category. All were mentioned and reviewed recently in your best loved paper...not that that’s actually a category :-(. n the subject of awards, Sticks ‘n Sushi won the London Restaurant Festival’s award Menu Under £25 category. Well deserved. njoy festive food and music at a Christmas concert and supper in the fabulous surroundings of the Old Royal Naval College on December 11 at 7pm. raft and the Greenwich Peninsula will be offering a festive Film & Christmas Dinner for £30 per person from December 10-12. Movies include The Nightmare before Christmas, It’s a Wonderful Life and Love Acutally. Popcorn and cocktails guaranteed. More information from christmas@ greenwichpeninsula.co.uk hank you very much for your Readers’ Recommendation emails. Last month your mentioned a great caterer: the Greenwich Pantry – info: greenwichpantry. com – and Kitcho, offering authentic Japanese cuisine in Greenwich High Road. ou may recall I enjoyed dining on the Thames with City Cruises earlier this year. They have a Christmas Rock ‘n’ Roll Cruise with Elvis tribute act Ben Thompson rock-a-hula-ing round the Christmas Tree on December 8 and 15. Threehour cruises cost £49pp and start at Greenwich Pier from £49 per person. Book at www.citycruises.com ots to look forward to on the food scene In the New Year. I hope you’ll join me then. Merry Christmas, and thank you for reading and supporting us through the year.
D
O E C T Y L
edited by
solange berchEmin Solange Berchemin, writer and blogger, is from Lyon, French capital of food, and has lived in London since 1993. Tell her food news at: pebblesoup@gmail. com. Read her blog at www. pebblesoup.co.uk (Scan the QR code left).
Christmas at Rivington Be it an intimate family dinner, a cocktail party with friends or a private event with colleagues, Rivington is the perfect place to celebrate the year end. Choose from a range of festive delicious four course Choose from amenus rangeincluding of festiveamenus including our set menu or our show-stopping suckling pig feast. For more information or to make a reservation email greenwich@rivingtongrill.co.uk or call 020 8293 9270
178 Greenwich High Road, London SE10 8NN 020 8293 9270 www.rivingtongreenwich.co.uk
Rivi G Greenwich VIsitor Xmas Ad.indd 1
22/10/2015 14:14
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December 2015 Page 18
miles hedley: arts REVIEWS beast/us then
Daring Dan miraculous & mesmeric S ometimes a n experience can be so e m o t i o n a l l y overwhelming that explanations become meaningless. I felt this w a t c h i n g D a n D a w ’s astonishing performance in Beast in the first of a new season of commissions by the Greenwich Dance and Trinity Laban Partnership. The audience at the Borough Hall was as mesmerised as I was as Daw, one of the world’s leading disabled dancers, bared his body and soul in this extraordinary work by choreographer Martin Forsberg. For the first half Daw, bedaubed with white powder, was naked save for black leggings and a belt as he swayed, crawled and staggered lit only by a single ice-white spot and accompanied by a pulsating electronic beat. In the second half he emerged wearing a frock and ended up being lit only by the torch on his mobile phone. The bumf described Beast as a hyper-theatrical attempt to balance on the neurological paths between sexual vertigo, expectation, intention and effect. All that may be so – I don’t know. What I do know is that I, like my fellow watchers, was overwhelmed by the intensity of the performance in an almost visceral way. It was truly miraculous. T h e s e c o n d commission, Us Then, followed a fortnight later at Laban Theatre. It was created and performed by Sarah Dowling and Kath Duggan who, using Waiting For Godot as their inspiration, launched into an exploration of symbiosis. It was an extraordinary piece and, much like life, was full of sadness, repetition, torment and banality. It also had a good line in clever fourth-wall jokes – and there was a brilliant demonstration of how to lace and tie a pair of Doc Martens’ boots using only one hand. If Beast and Us Then are typical of what’s to come in this season of commissions, dancelovers at Laban Theatre and the Borough Hall are in for a real treat.
BLOWN AWAY! EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL It was easy to see why Red Priest are described as the rock gods of the early music world – their performance in the chapel of the Old Royal Naval College was sensational thanks to their wit, showmanship and dazzling virtuosity.
arrangements of compositions by Bevin, Tomkins, Byrd and Gibbons - all contemporaries of Shakespeare. Back at the ORNC, Trinity Laban’s Early Music Vocalists & Ensemble used sackbuts, strings, organs and fanfares to illuminate works by Gabrieli, The quartet gave us a brilliant guided tour of Monteverdi, Bach, Grandi and, best of all, Frescobaldi. The following day, a selection of pieces for baroque Handel’s greatest hits, including Zadok The Priest and The Messiah – even though there wasn’t a singer, let guitar was brought to life by Trinity students Don Adam Perera, Toby Carr, Jonathan Parkin, Peter alone a 100-strong chorus, anywhere in sight. Instead they did it with Piers Adams’ extraordinary Bennett and Stefan Melovski. It was sublime – and especially when Melovski was joined by the Isbilia collection of recorders, ocarina and harmonica, Quartet for a Boccherini fandango. David Wright’s harpsichord, Angela East’s Day Two ended with early music pulsating cello and Adam Summerhayes’ superstar soprano Dame Emma Kirkby and violin, mandolin and electronic acclaimed lutenist Jacob Heringman at melodica. St Alfege leading the ensemble Dowland They finished the concert with the Works in a programme of 16th century rousing Hallelujah chorus. And by s ley’ Read Miles Hed pieces by Dowland and the Italian father using an arrangement embracing on blog arts and son composers Ferrabosco, who had Hungarian gipsy music and 20th hedintheclouds. close links to Greenwich. century swing as well as the baroque, wordpress.com And there was one last treat when BBC they blew away the sell-out audience Young Musician finalists Charlotte and even made the recorder seem cool. Barbour-Condini and Sophie Westbrooke Simply incredible – and a fitting finale to this joined Evelyn Nallen and Barbara Law for a recorder year’s Royal Greenwich International Early Music concert featuring the Zero Gravity band – which Festival. The celebration had started three days earlier with includes three man-sized bass recorders. Helped by soprano and dancer Chiara Vinci, masterclasses, workshops and an exhibition of ancient instruments from wonderfully mad hurdy-gurdies to percussionist Jez Wiles, bassist Malcolm Creese and harpsichordist David Gordon, they entertained a the simple grace of medieval lutes. Concert highlights began with Duo Realia at St packed house at St Alfege with a programme covering Alfege. Their performance of Telemann’s Gulliver’s the whole baroque period. My favourite was their four-recorder version of the Travels Suite, which features melodies fizzling out and deliberately cack-handed playing, was magical. largo from Telemann’s Concerto IV and a fabulous And who knew a German composer could be funny? flamenco-like fandango finale by Antonio Soler. I Also at St Alfege, Grammy-winning viol trio couldn’t see how it could be topped – but then Red P h a n t a s m p l a y e d w o n d e r f u l a n d c o m p l e x Priest stepped into the limelight...
MILES HEDLEY
HOW TO BE A HERO
THE CAPERED CRUSADERS That well-worn adage about the road to hell being paved with good intentions could have served as the motto of a new vigilante drama, How To Be A Hero, which had its world premiere at the Albany. The vigilantes in question were not, however, coldeyed avenging angels in the mould of Charles Bronson in the Death Wish films but do-gooding comic strip crimefighters such as Wonder Woman and Captain America. Their misalliance, glorying in the name the Gamma Guild, was created when three nondescript and slightly overweight citizens bent of cleaning up their 21st century UK metropolis answered a YouTube ad placed by a charismatic former tycoon who styled himself Nirvana Creme. The trio, of course, gave themselves ridiculous monikers – Global, Potassium and Dark Swarm. But none of them was as daft as Global’s costume, which
was topped off by a dazzling orange mask with ludicrously long ears. At first there were lots of excellent jokes and sight gags as the farcical foursome set out on their crusade. But soon a darker mood prevailed as our heroes increasingly disregarded the law and descended into vengeance, violence, hubris and finally, in Global’s case, psychopathy. The play was written and performed – brilliantly – by Gareth Brierley and Bernadette Russell of the White Rabbit company. They cleverly made the transition from comedy to tragedy appear almost seamless, which in turn made what could have been nothing more than a jolly jaunt into a deadly serious inquiry into the arguments for and against vigilante justice. How To Be A Hero was a triumph – and a suitably marvellous start to the Albany’s adventurous autumn season.
SHAPESHIFTER/ RUBYTHROAT
A melange of musical Might Trinity Laban have spawned two new ensembles, a 43-piece orchestra known as Shapeshifter and a vocal octet called Rubythroat. Both names are apposite – and judging by their brilliant debut at Blackheath Halls, both collectives will be around for a long time to come. Shapeshifter, conducted by J o n a t h a n Ti l b r o o k , p l a y e d a programme of startling contrasts. They began and ended with mainstream works by Ravel (Le Tombeau De Couperin) and Mozart (Symphony No31), both rendered flawlessly. But the climax of the evening was what came in the middle – a challenging madrigal sequence spanning almost four centuries. The orchestra played five movements of a work by contemporary composer Bernard Rands inspired by the Renaissance genius Monteverdi whilst the singers, led by mezzo-soprano Linda Hirst, interspersed each movemen t with an a cap ella madrigal by the Italian master. It was magnificently effective and hauntingly beautiful. Then Rubythroat, named after a songbird whose Latin name references the “beautiful voiced” muse Calliope, performed A-Nonne, a complex but exquisite 20th century take on the madrigal form by Luciano Berio who has created a mesmerising melange of melody, harmony, shouts, whistles, moans, spoken word and cries. It was a real showstopper – and made this concert one of the cultural highlights of the year.
budapest cafe orchestra
Budapest of british! The Budapest Cafe Orchestra might sound like they comes from Hungary with their gipsy music and breathtaking virtuosity but, as a packed house at Blackheath Halls found out, they are actually from Harringay. But there was no hint of British repressed emotions as the quartet took on the character of a whirlwind to play a programme of tunes from Russia, Romania, Macedonia, Greece, Hungary, the US and Scotland. Acclaimed accordionist Eddie Hession, guitarist Adrian Zolotuhin, bassist Kelly Cantlon and fiddle maestro Chris Garrick left us openmouthed with awe and teary-eyed with laughter as they gave us a guided tour of their unique world. Highlights included the gorgeous Hebridean elegy Aignish, an extraordinary version of the surfguitar anthem Miserlou (immortalised in Pulp Fiction), a fantastic and funny arrangement of the theme from The Archers and a version of Summertime which opened with Garrick playing the melody by pulling a single bowhair raspingly across his violin strings. Magnificent!
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Tuesday December 1 PANTO Red Riding Hood Greenwich Theatre 10am, 2 MUSIC Trinity Laban Strings Dept Staff ORNC chapel 1.05 PANTO Aladdin Churchill Theatre 1.30 MUSIC Turning Of The Year Blackheath Halls 7 MUSIC Madonna O2 JAZZ Beats In The Bar Blackheath Halls 7.30 MUSIC English folk Lord Hood JAZZ Beats In The Bar Oliver’s
Wednesday 2
PANTO Red Riding Hood Greenwich Theatre 10am, 2 PANTO Aladdin Churchill Theatre 10.30, 2.30 TOY THEATRE Battle of Waterloo Old Royal Naval Coll 6.30 MUSIC Turning Of The Year Blackheath Halls 7 MUSIC Madonna O2 JAZZ Beats In The Bar Blackheath Halls 7.30 WOOLLIES Knitting club Pelton JAZZ Beats In The Bar Oliver’s
Thursday 3
WHAT’S ON
PANTO Red Riding Hood Greenwich Theatre 10am, 2 TALK Pepys: Plague, Fire, Revolution Nat Maritime Mus 11 MUSIC Trinity Laban Saxophone Choir St Alfege 1.05 PANTO Aladdin Churchill Theatre 1.30, 5.30 MUSIC Deep Purple O2 FILM The Thing Royal Obs 7 MUSIC Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band IndigO2 POETRY Blake Morrison Made In Greenwich FILM/LIGHT OPERA The Mikado Picturehouse 7.30 JAZZ Beats In The Bar Oliver’s MUSIC Trinity Laban Sinfonia Blackheath Halls 7.30 MUSIC Icarus Club Pelton
Friday 4
MUSIC Vassil Nachev Piano recital. Charlton House 1 MUSIC Trinity Laban Wind Quintet ORNC chapel 1.05 PANTO Aladdin Churchill Theatre 1.30, 7 MUSIC THEATRE When Midnight Strikes Laban 2.30, 7.30 PANTO Red Riding Hood Greenwich Theatre 7 MUSIC Go West, T’Pau, Nik Kershaw IndigO2 POETRY Blake Morrison, Helen Eastman Made In Greenwich MUSIC Grandmaster Flash Brooklyn Bowl DANCE Silent Disco Cutty Sark 8.30 COMEDY Imran Yusuf, Adam Bloom, Alistair Barrie, Rob Deering Up The Creek JAZZ Ofer Landsberg Oliver’s
Smith Blackheath Halls 8 COMEDY Imran Yusuf, Adam Bloom, Alistair Barrie, Rob Deering Up The Creek JAZZ Andrew McKay Oliver’s
Sunday 6
XMAS Santa’s Grotto Age Exchange 10-2. £5 per child FAMILY Dragons At The Castle Severndroog Castle 10.30 FAMILY Ahoy, Captain! Cutty Sark 11, 12, 1.30, 2.30 FAMILY Christmas Fair The Woodlands Farm Trust 11-3 FAMILY A Cutty Sark Christmas Cutty Sark 11.30, 2 MUSIC Friends of Greenwich Park Christmas Concert. Greenwich Steel Band and Choir. Greenwich Park Bandstand 12-1 Free. FAMILY Meet James Thornhill Old Royal Naval College. Noon PANTO Aladdin Churchill Theatre 1, 5 FILM/BALLET The Lady Of The Camellias Link to Bolshoi Picturehouse 3 PANTO Red Riding Hood Greenwich Theatre 5 MUSIC Kill Hannah Brooklyn Bowl MUSIC Handel’s Messiah by Candlelight Thomas Tallis Soc 7 at St Alfege £18/£12 ticketsource.co.uk/50years TALENT Something for Sunday The Vanbrugh 7
Monday 7
FAMILY The Bear Albany 10.30, 1 FILM/PLAY The Winter’s Tale Picturehouse. Noon XMAS Blackheath Centre for Singing Carol Concert Mycenae House 7.30 Free MUSIC Supertramp O2 MUSIC Cabaret Playroom Albany 8 PUB QUIZ The Vanbrugh 8.30 JAZZ Ladies Night Oliver’s
Tuesday 8
PANTO Red Riding Hood Greenwich Theatre 10 FAMILY The Bear Albany 10.30, 1 MUSIC Trinity Laban Guitars Old Royal Naval College 1.05 PANTO Aladdin
December
WASSAIL: Martin Carthy performs at Charlton House on Friday December 11
Churchill Theatre 1.30, 5.30 MUSIC Postgrad Opera Scenes Blackheath Halls 5, 7.30 MUSIC Duran Duran O2 FILM/PLAY Jane Eyre Link to NT Picturehouse 7 CRUISE Rock ’n’ Roll Christmas. Elvis tribute. Leaves N Greenwich Pier 8 (ends at Westminster Pier 11) £49 www.citycruises.com MUSIC English folk Lord Hood JAZZ Corrie Dick Oliver’s
Wednesday 9
ART Exhibition of Knitted Wire Sculpture by Judith Jeffrey. Stephen Lawrence Centre, Brook mill Road, Deptford. M-F 9-5. Till Jan 28 (not Dec 24 or Jan 3) PANTO Red Riding Hood Greenwich Theatre 10am, 2 FAMILY The Bear Albany 10.30, 1 PANTO Aladdin Churchill Theatre 1.30, 7 MUSIC Ryan Leslie IndigO2 MUSIC Mumford & Sons O2 MUSIC Contemporary Jazz Ens Blackheath Halls 7.30 WOOLLIES Knitting club Pelton JAZZ Jam session Oliver’s
Thursday 10
PANTO Red Riding Hood Greenwich Theatre 10am, 2 FAMILY The Bear Albany 10.30, 1 MUSIC Trinity Laban Chamber Musicians St Alfege 1.05
PANTO Aladdin Churchill Theatre 1.30, 5.30 MUSIC Trinity Laban Symphony Orchestra Blackheath Halls 6 BOXING Xmas Cracker IndigO2 FILM/OPERA Pagliacci, Cavalleria Rusticana Link to Covent Gdn Picturehouse 7.15 MUSIC Mumford & Sons O2 LECTURE Dr Monica Grady Royal Observatory 7 MUSIC Icarus Club Pelton JAZZ Fran Trio Oliver’s
Friday 11
FAMILY The Bear Albany 10.30, 1 MUSIC Royal Greenwich Brass Band Charlton House 1 PANTO Red Riding Hood Greenwich Theatre 1.30, 7 PANTO Aladdin Churchill Theatre 1.30, 7 MUSIC The LOX/D-Block Jadakiss IndigO2 MUSIC Xmas Concert & Supper Old Royal Naval College 7.30 MUSIC Martin Carthy & Wassail Night Global Fusion event Charlton House 7.30 DANCE Christmas Cabaret Borough Hall 8 MUSIC The Blues Band Blackheath Halls 8 MUSIC Jazz Nights with Festive curry Mycenae House 8.30 £10 COMEDY Barry Castagnola, Carey Marx, Gavin Webster,
December 2015 Page 19 Andrew Maxwell Up The Creek JAZZ Marco Marconi Oliver’s
Saturday 12
FAMILY Meet Jock Willis Cutty Sark 11, 12, 1.30, 2.30 FAMILY Meet Samuel Pepys Old Royal Naval College. Noon PANTO Red Riding Hood Greenwich Theatre 2, 7 PANTO Aladdin Churchill Theatre 2.30, 7 FOOTBALL Charlton Athletic v Leeds. The Valley 3 DANCE Christmas Cabaret Borough Hall 3.30, 8 BOXING Bad Intentions O2 MUSIC The Dualers IndigO2 PLAY A Christmas Carol Shrewsbury House Community Centre, Bushmoor Cres SE18 3EG Info: front-room-theatre.co.uk MUSIC Eltham Choral Society Christmas Concert 7.30 Holy Trinity, Southend Cres SE9 2SD Tickets: elthamchoral.org.uk DISCO Haven’t Stopped Dancing Yet Blackheath Halls 7.30 MUSIC Mariachi El Bronx Brooklyn Bowl MUSIC Something’s Gonna Happen Albany 7.30 COMEDY Barry Castagnola, John Hastings, Gavin Webster, Andrew Maxwell Up The Creek JAZZ Arnaud Guichard Oliver’s
Sunday 13
FAMILY The Bear Albany 11, 1, 3 CHARITY Panto Horse Race Devenport House 11.30. Race 1. Party 3. XMAS Father Christmas visits East Greenwich Pleasaunce PANTO Red Riding Hood Greenwich Theatre 1, 5 PANTO Aladdin Churchill Theatre 1, 5 KIDS’ BALLET The Nutcracker Blackheath Halls 1.30, 4 FAMILY Xmas At The ORNC 2 FILM/BALLET The Nutcracker
Continued on Page 20
Saturday 5
XMAS Santa’s Grotto Age Exchange 10-3.30. £5 per child FAMILY Meet James Robson Cutty Sark 11, 12, 1.30, 2.30 FAMILY A Cutty Sark Christmas Cutty Sark 11.30, 2 DANCE Choreography In Museums Ages 13-18. NMM. 12. PANTO Aladdin Churchill Theatre 1.30, 5.30 FAMILY UKPW Xmas Wrestling Show Myceane House 2.30 PANTO Red Riding Hood Greenwich Theatre 2, 7 FAMILY Xmas At The ORNC 2 MUSIC THEATRE When Midnight Strikes Laban 2.30, 7.30 KIDS Santa In Love Blackheath Halls 3 MUSIC Motown Magic IndigO2 MUSIC Danko Jones Brooklyn Bowl VARIETY House Of Fun/Arthur
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GreenwichVisitor THE
December 2015 Page 20
Venues
Albany, Deptford Lounge: Douglas Way SE8 4AG. 020 8692 4446 thealbany.org.uk Bakehouse Theatre: Age Exchange, Blackheath Village SE3 9LA. 020 8318 9105 Blackheath Conservatoire: 19-21 Lee Rd SE3 9RQ. 020 8852 0234 conservatoire.org.uk Blackheath Halls: 23 Lee Road SE3 9RQ. 020 8463 0100. blackheathhalls.com Bob Hope Theatre: Wythfield Rd SE9 5TG. 020 8850 3702. bobhopetheatre.co.uk The Centre: New Eltham Methodist Ch, Footscray Rd. newelthammethodist.org.uk Charlton House: Charlton Rd SE7 8RP. 020 8856 3951 Churchill Theatre: High St, Bromley BR1 1HA. 0844 871 7620 Clarendon Hotel: Montpelier Row SE3 0RW. 020 8318 4321. clarendonhotel.com The Duke: 125 Creek Rd SE8 3BU. 020 8469 8260 The Eltham Centre: 2 Archery Road SE9 1HA. 020 8921 4344 Eltham Palace: Court Yard SE9 5QE. 020 8294 2548. english-heritage.org.uk The Forum: Trafalgar Rd SE10 9EQ. 0208 853 5212. office@forumatgreenwich.org The Green Pea: 92 Trafalgar Rd SE10 9UW. 020 8858 9319 Greenwich Communications Centre: 164 Trafalgar Rd SE10 9TZ. 020 8269 2103 Greenwich Dance: Borough Hall SE10 8RE. 020 8293 9741 greenwichdance.org.uk Greenwich Heritage Centre: Artillery Square, Royal Arsenal, Woolwich SE18 4DX Greenwich Theatre: Crooms Hill SE10 8ES. 020 8858 7755. greenwichtheatre.org.uk Greenwich West Community Centre: 141 Greenwich High Rd SE10 8JA Laban Theatre: Creekside SE8 3DZ. 020 8463 0100 www.trinitylaban.ac.uk London Th: 443 New Cross Rd SE14 6TA. 020 8694 1888. thelondontheatre.com The Lord Hood: 300 Creek Rd SE10 9SW. 020 8858 1836 Made In Greenwich: 324 Creek Rd SE10 9SW madeingreenwich.co.uk Morden College: 19 St Germans Place SE3 0PD Mycenae House: 90 Mycenae Rd SE3 7SE 020 8858 1749 mycenaehouse.co.uk National Maritime Museum: Romney Rd, SE10 9BJ 020 8858 0045 www.nmm.ac.uk 02, Indig02, Building 6, Brooklyn Bowl: 0844 8560202 www.theo2.co.uk Old Royal Naval Coll, Discover: SE10 9LW. 020 8269 4799 oldroyalnavalcollege.org Oliver’s: 9 Nevada St SE10 9JL. 020 8858 3693 www.oliversjazzbar.co.uk Pelton: 23-5 Pelton Street SE10 9PQ 020 8858 0572. peltonarms.com St Alfege: Greenwich Church St. 020 8853 0687. st-alfege.org Severndroog Castle: Off Shooters Hill SE18 3RT. severndroogcastle.org.uk The Star And Garter: 60 Old Woolwich Rd SE10 9NY. 020 8305 1144 Steinberg Studio: 137 Vanbrugh Hill SE10 9HP. steinbergduo.com Trinity Laban: King Charles Court SE10 9JF. 020 8463 0100. trinitylaban.ac.uk Up The Creek (UTC): 302 Creek Rd SE10 9SW. 020 8858 4581. up-the-creek.com Woodlands Farm Trust: 331 Shooters Hill Rd, Welling DA16 3RP 020 8319 8900 thewoodlandsfarmtrust.org.uk
Long-term
MARKETS Greenwich Market: 10-5.30. Sat and Sun: Arts & crafts, food, fresh produce. Tues, Wed: Food, fresh produce, homewares. Thurs: food, antiques & collectables, crafts. Fri: Food, arts & crafts, antiques & collectibles Clocktower Market: 166 Greenwich High Rd. Sat, Sun 10-4. 50 quirky stalls specialising in vintage, retro and antiques. 07940 914204 Blackheath Farmers’ Market: Blackheath Station, 10-2 every Sun. lfm.org EXHIBITIONS/CRAFTS/COMMUNITY Royal Observatory: Astronomy Photographer Of The Year. rmg.co.uk Fan Museum: Made In China till Dec 31. 12 Crooms Hill. 020 8305 1441 fan-museum.org.uk Old Royal Naval College: Discover Centre. ornc.org Blackheath Halls: Michele Franklin, Brian Taylor. Art exhibition in the cafe/bar Dec 2-23. blackheathhalls.com Age Exchange: Carers’ group Mon, knitters Thurs, preschool rhyme-time Fri. Old Bakehouse, Bennett Pk SE3 9LA. age-exchange.org.uk. Nat Maritime Museum: Guiding Lights. Till Jan 2016. rmg.co.uk Made In Greenwich: Art exhibition: Between Inside & Outside. Till Jan 3 324 Creek Rd SE10 9SW madeingreenwich.co.uk 020 8293 9823 Greenwich Gallery/The Cave: Linear House, Peyton Place SE10 8RS Paul McPherson Gallery: 77 Lassell St SE10 9PJ Ben Oakley Gallery: 9 Turnpin La SE10 9JA Blackheath Bowling Club: Practice every Thus 2.30 nr Ranger’s House The Forum: Disabled drop-ins, mums’ groups, kids’ classes, advice. Trafalgar Rd SE10 9EQ. 020 8853 5212 Jazz Open Mic Nights: Mondays (exc Bank Hols) Mycenae House SE3, 8.30 Greenwich Heritage Centre: Artillery Square SE18 4DX. 020 8854 2452 WALKS Greenwich Guided Walks: Local experts. Walks daily at 12.15 and 2.15 from the Greenwich Tourist Information Centre. £8, £7 cons. Greenwich Tour Guides Association 07575772298 guides@greenwichtours.co.uk Rich Sylvester: Guide, historian, storyteller. 07833 538143. richs@onetel.com Dotmaker: Alternative guided walks. dotmakertours.co.uk FAMILY ACTIVITIES National Maritime Museum: Explore Saturdays. Free. Performance and storytelling for over-5s from noon. Discover Sundays. Free. Activities for families from 11.30am. Play Tuesdays. Free. For under-5s from 10.30
Link to Bolshoi. Picturehouse 3 MUSIC Steinberg Duo Steinberg Studio 6 DANCE Youth Programme Platform Laban 7 MUSIC Status Quo O2 TALENT Something for Sunday The Vanbrugh 7
Monday 14
FAMILY The Bear Albany 10.30, 1 MUSIC Royal Baroque Blackheath Halls 1.10 MUSIC Abraham’s Children Blackheath Halls 7.30 PUB QUIZ The Vanbrugh 8.30 JAZZ Ladies Night Oliver’s
Tuesday 15
FAMILY The Bear Albany 10.30, 1 PANTO Aladdin Churchill Theatre 1.30, 5.30 PANTO Red Riding Hood Greenwich Theatre 2, 7 FOOTBALL Charlton Athletic v Bolton. The Valley 7.45 MUSIC English folk Lord Hood CRUISE Rock ’n’ Roll Christmas. Elvis tribute. Leaves N Greenwich Pier 8 (ends at Westminster Pier 11) £49 www.citycruises.com PLAY Club Class London Th 8 JAZZ Corrie Dick Oliver’s
Wednesday 16
FAMILY The Bear Albany 10.30, 1 PANTO Aladdin Churchill Theatre 1.30, 7 PANTO Red Riding Hood Greenwich Theatre 2, 7 TEA DANCE Blackheath Halls 2 WOOLLIES Knitting club Pelton MUSIC The Osmonds IndigO2 MUSIC Handel’s Messiah Old Royal Naval Coll chapel 7 FILM/BALLET The Nutcracker Link to Covent Garden. Picturehouse 7.15 MUSIC Stereophonics O2 MUSIC Jette Parker Young Artists Blackheath Halls 7.30 PLAY Club Class London Th 8 XMAS Christmassy Christmas Show of Christmassy Christmasness Mycenae House 4. 6.30 JAZZ Jam session Oliver’s
Thursday 17
FAMILY The Bear Albany 10.30, 1 MUSIC Royal Greenwich Brass Band St Alfege 1.05 PANTO Aladdin Churchill Theatre 1.30, 5.30 PANTO Red Riding Hood Greenwich Theatre 2, 7 XMAS Christmassy Christmas Show of Christmassy Christmasness Mycenae House 4. 6.30 MUSIC Simple Minds O2 DANCE Ballroom With Michael Vos Borough Hall 7.30 PLAY Club Class London Th 8 HUMOUR Laughing Boy Comedy Club Blackheath Halls 8 SPOKEN WORD Chill Pill Albany 8 MUSIC Icarus Club Pelton JAZZ French Caribbean Oliver’s
Friday 18
PANTO Aladdin Churchill Theatre 1.30, 7 PANTO Red Riding Hood Greenwich Theatre 2, 7 XMAS Christmassy Christmas Show of Christmassy Christmasness Mycenae House 4. 6.30 TALK Working in Sierra Leone & Liberia with Street Children Ophaned by Ebola Elizabeth Lake. Bakehouse Theatre 1. £5 (Friends Free) SCIENCE An Evening With The Stars Royal Observatory 5.25 MUSIC Simple Minds O2 MUSIC Alexander O’Neal IndigO2 MUSIC Christmas Concert Blackheath Halls 7.30 PLAY Club Class London Th 8 MUSIC Icarus Club Secret Santa Songsmiths Mycenae House 8 COMEDY Up The Creek JAZZ Peter Jones Oliver’s
Saturday 19
FAMILY Xmas Fun Day ORNC 10 FAMILY Greenwich Circus Festival Harrington Way,
Woolwich 020 8317 8401 FAMILY The Bear Albany 11, 1, 3 PANTO Red Riding Hood Greenwich Theatre 2, 7 FAMILY Xmas At The ORNC 2 PANTO Aladdin Churchill Theatre 2.30, 7 RUGBY Blackheath RUFC v Esher. Rectory Field 3 SCIENCE An Evening With The Stars Royal Observatory 5.25 MUSIC Cheryl Lynn, Evelyn Champagne King IndigO2 PLAY A Christmas Carol Shrewsbury House Community Centre, Bushmoor Cres SE18 3EG front-room-theatre.co.uk MUSIC Simple Minds O2 PLAY Club Class London Th 8 COMEDY Josh Widdicombe Blackheath Halls 8 COMEDY Ninia Benjamin, Dave Fulton Up The Creek JAZZ John Martin Oliver’s
Sunday 20
FAMILY Pre-Christmas Walk The Woodlands Farm Trust 10am FAMILY Greenwich Circus Festival Harrington Way, Woolwich 020 8317 8401 FAMILY The Bear Albany 11, 1, 3 FAMILY Ahoy, Captain! Cutty Sark 11, 12, 1.30, 2.30 FAMILY Meet Joe Brown Old Royal Naval College. Noon PANTO Red Riding Hood Greenwich Theatre 1, 5 PANTO Aladdin Churchill Th 1, 5 PLAY Club Class London Th 5 MUSIC The Overtones IndigO2 TALENT Something for Sunday The Vanbrugh 7
Monday 21
FAMILY The Bear Albany 11, 2 KIDS Smelly Christmas National Maritime Museum 11.30, 1.30 FAMILY Let’s Go Wassailing! Nat Maritime Museum 11.30, 2 MUSIC Queen tribute IndigO2 MUSIC Brio Symphony Orch Blackheath Halls 7.30 PUB QUIZ The Vanbrugh 8.30
JAZZ Ladies Night Oliver’s
Tuesday 22
FAMILY The Bear Albany 11, 2 KIDS Smelly Christmas National Maritime Museum 11.30, 1.30 FAMILY Let’s Go Wassailing! Nat Maritime Museum 11.30, 2 PANTO Red Riding Hood Greenwich Theatre 1, 5 PANTO Aladdin Churchill Theatre 1.30, 5.30 FAMILY Disney On Ice O2 MUSIC Brio Symphony Orch Blackheath Halls 7.30 MUSIC English folk Lord Hood JAZZ Corrie Dick Oliver’s
Wednesday 23
FAMILY The Bear Albany 11, 2 KIDS Smelly Christmas National Maritime Museum 11.30, 1.30 FAMILY Let’s Go Wassailing! Nat Maritime Museum 11.30, 2 PANTO Red Riding Hood Greenwich Theatre 1, 5 PANTO Aladdin Churchill Theatre 1.30, 5.30 FAMILY Disney On Ice O2 WOOLLIES Knitting club Pelton JAZZ Jam session Oliver’s
Thursday 24
FAMILY The Bear Albany 11, 2 PANTO Red Riding Hood Greenwich Theatre 1, 5 PANTO Aladdin Churchill Theatre 1.30, 5.30 FILM/PLAY A Winter’s Tale From the Garrick Theatre Picturehouse 2.30 FAMILY Disney On Ice O2 MUSIC Icarus Club Pelton BLUES Steve Morrison’s Alternative Xmas Oliver’s
Friday 25
HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!
Saturday 26
PANTO Aladdin Churchill Theatre 1.30, 5.30 PANTO Red Riding Hood Greenwich Theatre 2, 7 FAMILY Disney On Ice O2
Sunday 27
FAMILY The Bear Albany 11, 2 FAMILY Ahoy, Captain! Cutty Sark 11, 12, 1.30, 2.30 FAMILY Meet Grace O’Malley Old Royal Naval College. Noon PANTO Red Riding Hood Greenwich Theatre 1, 5 PANTO Aladdin Churchill Th 1, 5 FAMILY Disney On Ice O2 MUSIC Hans Raj Hans IndigO2 TALENT Something for Sunday The Vanbrugh 7
Monday 28
FAMILY The Bear Albany 11, 2 KIDS Smelly Christmas National Maritime Museum 11.30, 1.30 FAMILY Let’s Go Wassailing! Nat Maritime Mus 11.30, 2 PANTO Red Riding Hood Greenwich Theatre 1, 5 PANTO Aladdin Churchill Theatre 2.30, 7 FAMILY The Snow Queen Bob Hope Theatre 5 TALK David Hatcher on The work of the Shelterbox. Civil Service Retirement Fellowship, Eltham. Phone 02082650810 FAMILY Disney On Ice O2 FOOTBALL Charlton Athletic v Wolves. The Valley 3 PUB QUIZ The Vanbrugh 8.30 JAZZ Ladies Night Oliver’s
Tuesday 29
FAMILY The Bear Albany 11, 2 FAMILY Meet James Robson Cutty Sark 11, 12, 1.30, 2.30 KIDS Smelly Christmas National Maritime Museum 11.30, 1.30 FAMILY Let’s Go Wassailing! Nat Maritime Museum 11.30, 2 KIDS Precious Cargoes Cutty Sark 11.30, 2 PANTO Red Riding Hood Greenwich Theatre 1, 5 PANTO Aladdin Churchill Theatre 2.30, 7 FAMILY Disney On Ice O2 MUSIC English folk Lord Hood JAZZ Corrie Dick Oliver’s
Wednesday 30
GreenwichVisitor THE
January
Bob Hope Theatre 2, 5 PANTO Cinderella The Centre, New Eltham Methodist Church Tickets: 020 8851 9881 RUGBY Blackheath RUFC v Henley. Rectory Field 3 FILM Renaissance (2006) Royal Observatory 6 MUSIC A Vision Of Elvis Churchill Theatre 7.30 PLAY Polskie Lalki (in Polish) London Th 8
Sunday 10
Will Self is at NMM for a Book Slam on Friday January 29
FAMILY The Bear Albany 11, 2 FAMILY Meet James Robson Cutty Sark 11, 12, 1.30, 2.30 KIDS Smelly Christmas National Maritime Museum 11.30, 1.30 FAMILY Let’s Go Wassailing! Nat Maritime Museum 11.30, 2 KIDS Precious Cargoes Cutty Sark 11.30, 2 PANTO Red Riding Hood Greenwich Theatre 1, 5 PANTO Aladdin Churchill Theatre 1.30, 5.30 FAMILY Disney On Ice O2 WOOLLIES Knitting club Pelton JAZZ Jam session Oliver’s
Thursday 31
PANTO Red Riding Hood Greenwich Theatre 11, 3 KIDS Smelly Christmas National Maritime Museum 11.30, 1.30 FAMILY Disney On Ice O2 FAMILY Let’s Go Wassailing! Nat Maritime Museum 11.30, 2 PANTO Aladdin Churchill Theatre 1.30, 5.30 MUSIC Icarus Club Pelton MUSIC Trevor Nelson’s RnB New Year’s Eve IndigO2 JAZZ New Year party Oliver’s MUSIC Kisstory New Year’s Eve Building Six
Friday January 1
FILM/PLAY A Winter’s Tale From the Garrick Theatre Picturehouse. Noon FAMILY The Snow Queen Bob Hope Theatre 7.30
Saturday 2
FAMILY The Bear Albany 11, 2 KIDS Weekend Space Cadets Royal Observatory 12, 12.30, 2, 2.30, 3, 3.30 PANTO Aladdin Churchill Theatre 1.30, 5.30 FAMILY The Snow Queen Bob Hope Theatre 2, 5 PANTO Red Riding Hood Greenwich Theatre 2, 7 FOOTBALL Charlton Athletic v Forest. The Valley 3 FAMILY Disney On Ice O2
Sunday 3
FAMILY The Bear Albany 11, 2 KIDS Weekend Space Cadets Royal Observatory 12, 12.30, 2, 2.30, 3, 3.30 PANTO Red Riding Hood Greenwich Theatre 1, 5 PANTO Aladdin Churchill Theatre 1, 5 FAMILY The Snow Queen Bob Hope Theatre 2 FAMILY Disney On Ice O2 TALENT Something for Sunday The Vanbrugh 7
Monday 4
FAMILY Disney On Ice O2 PUB QUIZ The Vanbrugh 8.30 JAZZ Ladies Night Oliver’s
Tuesday 5
PANTO Red Riding Hood Greenwich Theatre 2 MUSIC English folk Lord Hood JAZZ Corrie Dick Oliver’s
Wednesday 6
PANTO Red Riding Hood
Greenwich Theatre 2 WOOLLIES Knitting club Pelton JAZZ Jam session Oliver’s
Thursday 7
MUSIC Trinity Laban recital St Alfege 1.05 PANTO Red Riding Hood Greenwich Theatre 2 PLAY Polskie Lalki (in Polish) London Theatre 8 MUSIC Icarus Club Pelton
Friday 8
PANTO Red Riding Hood Greenwich Theatre 2 FAMILY The Snow Queen Bob Hope Theatre 7.30 MUSIC Abba Mania Churchill Theatre 7.30 CRUISE Rock ’n’ Roll Christmas. Elvis tribute. Leaves N Greenwich Pier 8 (ends at Westminster Pier 11) £49 www.citycruises.com PLAY Polskie Lalki (in Polish) London Th 8
Saturday 9
BOOK SALE Bakehouse Bookshop Blackheath 10-4 KIDS Weekend Space Cadets Royal Observatory 12, 12.30, 2, 2.30, 3, 3.30 MUSIC James Kirby Piano recital. St Alfege 1.05 PANTO Red Riding Hood Greenwich Theatre 2, 7 FAMILY The Snow Queen
KIDS Weekend Space Cadets Royal Observatory 12, 12.30, 2, 2.30, 3, 3.30 PANTO Red Riding Hood Greenwich Theatre 1, 5 FAMILY The Snow Queen Bob Hope Theatre 2 TALENT Something for Sunday The Vanbrugh 7
Monday 11
JOIN IN Haydn’s Creation With Eltham Choral Society Blackheath Halls 7.30 BALLET Giselle Churchill Theatre 7.30 PUB QUIZ The Vanbrugh 8.30 JAZZ Ladies Night Oliver’s
Tuesday 12
LECTURE Think Space Royal Observatory 5.15 BALLET Sleeping Beauty Churchill Theatre 7.30 MUSIC English folk Lord Hood JAZZ Corrie Dick Oliver’s
Wednesday 13
BALLET The Snow Maiden Churchill Theatre 7.30 WOOLLIES Knitting club Pelton JAZZ Jam session Oliver’s
Thursday 14
PANTO Red Riding Hood Greenwich Theatre 11, 3 MUSIC Trinity Laban recital St Alfege 1.05 PANTO Aladdin Churchill Theatre 1.30, 5.30 BASKETBALL Global Games O2 MUSIC Icarus Club Pelton
Friday 15
FRIENDS FRIDAY Age Exchange Blackheath 1. £5 (Friends free) PANTO Cinderella The Centre,
PETER KENT He lives on the river and writes about the river. His blog is free for all to see take a dip riverwatchreturns.com
www.peterkentgreenwich.co.uk
New Eltham Methodist Church Tickets: 020 8851 9881 SCIENCE An Evening With The Stars Royal Observatory 5.25 MUSIC Like The Beatles Brooklyn Bowl FAMILY The Snow Queen Bob Hope Theatre 7.30 MUSIC Soul Legends Churchill Theatre 7.30 TALK Crossness Nature Reserve Kate Sutton Blackheath Scientific Society. Mycenae House 7.45
Saturday 16
KIDS Weekend Space Cadets Royal Observatory 12, 12.30, 2, 2.30, 3, 3.30 MUSIC Olga Jørgensen Piano recital. St Alfege 1.05 PANTO Cinderella The Centre, New Eltham Methodist Church Tickets: 020 8851 9881 FAMILY The Snow Queen Bob Hope Theatre 2, 5 SCIENCE An Evening With The Stars Royal Observatory 5.25 FILM/OPERA The Pearl Fishers Link to NY Met. Picturehouse 5.55 WRESTLING Superslam Churchill Theatre 6 MUSIC Tortured Soul Brooklyn Bowl PERFORMANCE Kapusnic (in Russian) London Th 7.30
Sunday 17
KIDS Weekend Space Cadets Royal Observatory 12, 12.30, 2, 2.30, 3, 3.30 FAMILY The Snow Queen Bob Hope Theatre 2 TALENT Something for Sunday The Vanbrugh 7 COMEDY Kevin Hart O2 PERFORMANCE Kapusnic (in Russian) London Th 7.30
Monday 18
REHEARSAL Haydn’s Creation With Eltham Choral Society Blackheath Halls 7.30 PUB QUIZ The Vanbrugh 8.30 JAZZ Ladies Night Oliver’s
Tuesday 19
MUSIC English folk Lord Hood JAZZ Corrie Dick Oliver’s
Wednesday 20
GONGS National TV Awards O2 MUSIC Jette Parker Young Artists Blackheath Halls 7.30 WOOLLIES Knitting club Pelton JAZZ Jam session Oliver’s
Thursday 21
MUSIC Trinity Laban recital St Alfege 1.05 MUSIC Icarus Club Pelton
Friday 22
MUSIC Lucinda Williams Brooklyn Bowl
Saturday 23
KIDS Weekend Space Cadets Royal Observatory 12, 12.30, 2, 2.30, 3, 3.30 FAMILY The Snow Queen Bob Hope Theatre 2, 5 FOOTBALL Charlton Athletic v Blackburn. The Valley 3 RUGBY Blackheath RUFC v Rosslyn Park. Rectory Field 3 ARROWS Legends of Darts Masters IndigO2 CHRISTMAS A New Life 10th Annual Charity Ball 2nd Floor, Royal Sovereign House, Beresford Street, Woolwich. 6. www.showyourgift.org MUSIC The Corrs O2 MUSIC Lucinda Williams Brooklyn Bowl MUSIC One Night Of Rock Churchill Theatre 7.30
Sunday 24
KIDS Weekend Space Cadets Royal Observatory 12, 12.30, 2, 2.30, 3, 3.30 FAMILY The Snow Queen Bob Hope Theatre 2 FILM/BALLET The Taming Of The Shrew Link to Bolshoi Picturehouse 3 COMEDY Kevin Hart O2 TALENT Something for Sunday
December 2015 Page 21
February Eduard Garcia Carles Piano recital at St Alfege Church on Feb 13
The Vanbrugh 7
Monday 25
REHEARSAL Haydn’s Creation With Eltham Choral Society Blackheath Halls 7.30 MUSICAL Let It Be 2016 Churchill Theatre 7.30 ARCHITECTURE Clementine Cecil Blackheath Halls 8 PUB QUIZ The Vanbrugh 8.30 JAZZ Ladies Night Oliver’s
Tuesday 26
FILM/BALLET Two Pigeons Link to Covent Garden Picturehouse 5.55 MUSICAL Let It Be 2016 Churchill Theatre 7.30 PLAY Shopped London Th 8 MUSIC English folk Lord Hood JAZZ Corrie Dick Oliver’s
Wednesday 27
MUSICAL Let It Be 2016 Churchill Theatre 7.30 WOOLLIES Knitting club Pelton PLAY Shopped London Th 8 JAZZ Jam session Oliver’s
Thursday 28
MUSIC Trinity Laban recital St Alfege 1.05 LECTURE History of Western Art in 10 Masterpieces Blackheath Decorative and Fine Arts Society, St Mary’s Church Hall, Cresswell Park SE3. 2 for 2.30 MUSICAL Let It Be 2016 Churchill Theatre 2.30, 7.30 FILM/PLAY Les Liaisons Dangereuses Link to Donmar. Picturehouse 7 PLAY Shopped London Th 8 MUSIC Icarus Club Pelton
Monday February 1
PUB QUIZ The Vanbrugh 8.30 JAZZ Ladies Night Oliver’s
Tuesday 2
FILM/OPERA Turandot From NY Met. Picturehouse. Noon MUSIC English folk Lord Hood JAZZ Corrie Dick Oliver’s
Wednesday 3
WOOLLIES Knitting club Pelton JAZZ Jam session Oliver’s
Thursday 4
MUSIC Trinity Laban recital St Alfege 1.05 FILM/OPERA La Traviata From Covent Garden. Picturehouse 6.45 MUSIC Icarus Club Pelton
Friday 5
TRIBUTE Bob Marley 71st party Brooklyn Bowl MUSIC Jason Derulo O2
Saturday 6
MUSIC Christian Dawson Piano recital. St Alfege 1.05 FOOTBALL Charlton Athletic v Bristol City. The Valley 3 FAMILY Nitro Circus O2
Sunday 7
TALENT Something for Sunday The Vanbrugh 7 MUSIC The Dublin Legends Churchill Theatre 7.30
Monday 8
PLAY The Perfect Murder Churchill Theatre 7.30 PUB QUIZ The Vanbrugh 8.30 JAZZ Ladies Night Oliver’s
Tuesday 9
LECTURE Think Space Royal Observatory 5.15 PLAY The Perfect Murder VOLUNTEER Dig In Wildlife Churchill Theatre 7.30 Centre, Greenwich Park 9.30 MUSIC English folk Lord Hood MUSIC Trinty Laban Students free concert Age Exchange 12-1 JAZZ Corrie Dick Oliver’s LITERATURE Book Slam with Will Wednesday 10 Self Nat Maritime Museum 6.30 PLAY The Perfect Murder MUSICAL Let It Be 2016 Churchill Theatre 7.30 Churchill Theatre 7.30 WOOLLIES Knitting club Pelton PLAY Shopped London Th 8 PLAY Stench London Th 8 JAZZ Jam session Oliver’s Saturday 30 FAMILY Drop In Wildlife Centre, Thursday 11 Greenwich Park 1-3 MUSIC Trinity Laban recital KIDS Weekend Space Cadets St Alfege 1.05 Royal Observatory 12, 12.30, 2, PLAY The Perfect Murder 2.30, 3, 3.30 Churchill Theatre 2.30, 7.30 MUSICAL Let It Be 2016 PLAY Stench London Th 8 Churchill Theatre 2.30, 7.30 MUSIC Icarus Club Pelton RUGBY Blackheath RUFC Friday 12 v Ampthill. Rectory Field 3 MUSIC Patrizio Buanne IndigO2 FAMILY Hansel, Gretel & You... MUSIC Slum Village Who? Blackheath Halls 3 Brooklyn Bowl FILM/OPERA Turandot NY Met. PLAY The Perfect Murder Picturehouse 5.55 Churchill Theatre 7.30 MUSIC The Libertines O2 COMEDY Romesh Ranganathan PLAY Shopped London Th 8 Blackheath Halls 8
Friday 29
Sunday 31
WORKSHOP Jonathan Barnes Writing Alternate History Nat Maritime Museum 10-5 KIDS Weekend Space Cadets Royal Observatory 12, 12.30, 2, 2.30, 3, 3.30 MUSIC Steinberg Duo Steinberg Studio 6 PLAY Shopped London Th 5 TALENT Something for Sunday The Vanbrugh 7
PLAY Stench London Th 8
Saturday 13
BOOK SALE Age Exchange Blackheath 10-4 MUSIC Eduard Garcia Carles Piano recital. St Alfege 1.05
Continued on Page 22
GreenwichVisitor THE
December 2015 Page 22
Advent Windows light up the town ADVENT calendars come in all School will kick off the 2015 project by shapes and sizes these days. There’s creating the first window on December 1. Other participants include the Al chocolate, of course, but also biscuits Pancino’s for the first time on December or nail polish or even whiskey.
Here in Greenwich, we’re lucky 4th the Cutty Sark on the 8th, perennial enough to have the best one of all: a live favourite Pickwick Papers on the 11th, Advent calendar dotted around our the Ben Oakley Gallery on the 12th. and local pub Richard the First on the 22nd. streets, writes MAUREEN S t . A l f e g e ’s C h u r c h , t h e STAPLETON. organisers of the project, Every day in Advent – complete the calendar on the from December 1 to 24 – 24th with the unveiling of a different location its nativity scene outside Greenwich creates a window to the church and the become that day’s live Town Centre Christmas Eve services in Advent window the evening. offering. Schools, Windows will stay up homes, shops and pubs Every day till Dec 24 until January 2. Many local create windows using , @adventwindows f a m i l i e s n o w h a v e a including paper art, tradition of walking around paintings, models, the windows – a great way to photographs and sculptures. walk off all the Christmas The project is in its ninth year. The theme for 2015 is Keep Me indulgences. For a map of this year’s locations or Travelling With You – a nod to the holy family travelling to Bethlehem where for more information about the project, Jesus was born and the refugees go to www.adventwindows.com. Follow the project on Twitter via travelling to Europe today in the hope of @adventwindows or on Instagram finding a better life. @adventwindows. The children of Meridian Primary
WHERE WHEN
readers right here choose to take And read the greenwich visitor every day - not just once a week or month. to advertise IN a paper people really read call matt clark on 07802 743324
February PLAY Stench London Th 2, 8 PLAY The Perfect Murder Churchill Theatre 2.30, 7.30 FOOTBALL Charlton Athletic v Cardiff. The Valley 3 RUGBY Blackheath RUFC v Loughborough Students Rectory Field 3 SCIENCE An Evening With The Stars Royal Observatory 5.25 DANCE Strictly Live O2
Blackheath 1. £5 (Friends Free) MUSIC The King Is Back IndigO2 COMEDY Tim Fitzhigham: The Gambler Greenwich Th 7.30 TALK Prof Maria-Magdalena Titirici Blackheath Scientific Society, Mycenae House 7.45 PLAY No Exit London Th 8
Saturday 20
MUSIC Corinne Morris Cello recital. St Alfege 1.05 Sunday 14 COMEDY Tim Fitzhigham: The SCIENCE A Valentine’s Evening Gambler Greenwich Th 2.30, 7.30 With The Stars Royal Obs 5.25 KIDS The Ugly Duckling DANCE Strictly Live O2 Blackheath Halls 3 TALENT Something for MUSIC Simply The Best Divas Sunday The Vanbrugh 7 Churchill Theatre 7.30 DANCE Brendan Cole PLAY Pygmalion London Th 8 Churchill Theatre 7.30 Sunday 21 Monday 15 PLAY Pygmalion London Th 5 PUB QUIZ The Vanbrugh 8.30 TALENT Something for JAZZ Ladies Night Oliver’s Sunday The Vanbrugh 7
Tuesday 16
MUSIC Ennio Morricone O2 MUSIC English folk Lord Hood PLAY No Exit London Th 8 JAZZ Corrie Dick Oliver’s
Wednesday 17
COMEDY Tim Fitzhigham: The Gambler Greenwich Th 1.30, 7.30 WOOLLIES Knitting Pelton PLAY No Exit London Th 8 JAZZ Jam session Oliver’s
Thursday 18
MUSIC Trinity Laban recital St Alfege 1.05 COMEDY Tim Fitzhigham: The Gambler Greenwich Th 7.30 PLAY No Exit London Th 8 MUSIC Icarus Club Pelton
Friday 19
FRIENDS FRIDAY Age Exchange
Monday 22
MUSICAL Blood Brothers Churchill Theatre 7.30 PUB QUIZ The Vanbrugh 8.30 JAZZ Ladies Night Oliver’s
Tuesday 23
MUSICAL Blood Brothers Churchill Theatre 7.30 PLAY Pygmalion London Th 8 MUSIC English folk Lord Hood JAZZ Corrie Dick Oliver’s
Wednesday 24
GONGS Brit awards O2 MUSICAL Blood Brothers Churchill Theatre 7.30 WOOLLIES Knitting Pelton PLAY Pygmalion London Th 8 JAZZ Jam session Oliver’s
Thursday 25
MUSIC Trinity Laban recital
St Alfege 1.05 LECTURE Stories in Stained Glass Blackheath Decorative and Fine Arts Society. St Mary’s Church Hall, Cresswell Park, SE3. 2 for 2.30 MUSICAL Blood Brothers Churchill Theatre 2.30, 7.30 AGM Civil Service Retirement Fellowship. Eltham. 02082650810 FILM/PLAY As You Like It From the National Theatre Picturehouse 7 PLAY Pygmalion London Th 8 MUSIC Icarus Club Pelton
Friday 26
VOLUNTEER Dig In Wildlife Centre, Greenwich Park 9.30 MUSIC Trinity Laban Free concert Age Exchange 12-1 MUSICAL Blood Brothers Churchill Theatre 7.30 PLAY Pygmalion London Th 8
Saturday 27
FAMILY Drop In Wildlife Centre, Greenwich Park 1-3 MUSICAL Blood Brothers Churchill Theatre 2.30, 7.30 FOOTBALL Charlton Athletic v Reading. The Valley 3 SPORT UFC Fight Night O2 PLAY Pygmalion London Th 8
Sunday 28
PLAY Pygmalion London Th 5 MUSIC Steinberg Duo Steinberg Studio 6 TALENT Something for Sunday The Vanbrugh 7
Monday 29
PUB QUIZ The Vanbrugh 8.30 JAZZ Ladies Night Oliver’s
GLOBAL :Should RADIANT: spaceman replace Fox-tail Lilly General Wolfe?
ParkLife By Greenwich Park manager Graham Dear
D
ecember always makes me think of bulbs. Not the fairy light kind on the Christmas tree but the ones you plant in the ground and that burst into life in Spring. I always do some pots of bulbs for Christmas presents – my mum gets a bowl of Hyacinths and sisters crocus or dwarf iris. It’s a family tradition. tradition in Greenwich Park is to plant bulbs for the spring bedding. This year we majored on Tulip to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Queen’s House next year with its famous tulip staircase. But we didn’t stop there. This year we’ve gone bulb mad. any of our favourite spring flowers are bulbs or corms. Bluebells are bulbs. These woodland flowers make great ground cover for a shady spot under trees and we have just planted a thousand of the white spring onion-sized bulbs at the back of the rockery. Drifting above the bluebells are 1,500 amenone blanda of two varieties – the brilliant white Anemone blanda White Splendour and the powder blue Anemome blanda Atrocaerulea. The anemones are also flowers of the woodland floor but these grow from a wrinkled, black tuber that looks like a large raisin or a giant pepper corn. They’re rock hard and it’s difficult to believe that they are alive and will soon be beautiful woodland flowers. n the Flower Garden, near Blackheath Lodge, the gardeners are planting up the two herbaceous beds with more exotic bulbous plants. There are the spectacular Crown Imperials, Fritillaria imperialis, in its red, orange and yellow forms. From a large onion-sized bulb grows a single stem of bright green spiky foliage which terminates in a cluster of large bell-shaped flowers, hanging down and topped with a tuft of green leaves. Not only are they stylish and eye catching but the flowers last for weeks in April and May. As these go over they will be followed by the exotic Fox-tailed Lilies, Eremurus, in shades of orange, yellow and mauve. Fox-tail Lilies are very fashionable right now. Although they originate from the steppes of Russia and the Near East to China they are perfectly hardy and not hard to grow. If the flower spike looks spectacular, the tuber is definitely bizarre. The short squat tuber has a beaked yellow shoot in the centre and radiates spongy roots like a star fish. It wouldn’t look out of place on the set of Dr Who. t’s a great treat being in Greenwich Park and getting to work with these amazing plants but one word of warning, if you do get a delivery of 100 Crown Imperial bulbs, make sure no-one leaves them in your office over the weekend. They stink like rotten onions.
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RADIATING: Fox-tail Lilly’s root
Want the inside guide to what’s best in Greenwich and Blackheath? Ask a local...
MyLife Mike Curry Photographer
M G
oving to London in 1982 was meant to be a temporary measure before going back to University to study Film, Radio and Television. But a temporary job as an Assistant Photographer in Selfridges portrait studio had me hooked and put paid to my university career. reenwich was a favourite haunt even then. There were two markets, including a really big one where the new Greenwich University building is in Stockwell Street. It was a fun place to spend a Sunday. Back then I never thought I’d live here, it was just a day out and so much has changed now. The Naval College and all the buildings in the World Heritage Site are all so much more accessible. orking in Selfridges was very demanding – we were thrown in the deep end and I had to photograph Saudi and Nigerian Princes and their large families. It was testing job but my colleagues were great fun to work with. Over 15 years, I changed from employee to contractor running the studio, and portrait photography is still part of my business today. eeting my wife Justine, who lived here already, prompted my move to Greenwich. I didn’t take much persuading. Greenwich always appealed to me with its beautiful Park, lots of pubs and restaurants and a great cinema. It’s very appealing that everything is within walking distance and we often go weeks without using the car. It’s the only place I have lived where people seem to stay, and relatives who visit are always surprised when we bump into people we know. Who could fail to love a place like Royal Hill with its shops, the Greenwich Union and Richard the First pubs and The Greenwich Gallery? ne of my largest photos I have had printed, – a 3m long panoramic night shot of the view from Greenwich Park – is on display at The Brasserie at the National Maritime Museum. You can see it on my website too: www. mikecurryphotography.com. Greenwich is also the perfect place to run my photography tuition courses with the Thames, Naval College and Canary Wharf all providing interesting locations for my students, whatever their ability. ne of the highlights of living here so far has been seeing one of my photographs of the Northern Lights projected onto the screen of the Royal Observatory’s Planetarium as part of the Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2013. Raising money for charity through print sales is something I like to do also and local residents have always been very generous and supportive in this with money raised recently for Children in Need and The Stroke Association. Winning a prize in the Landscape Photographer of the Year 2015 competition in October was amazing, with the winning shot taken locally in Canary Wharf. The photo is displayed in the exhibition at Waterloo Station until the February 7. Last year was special too, as I celebrated 30 years of being selfemployed, which I still can’t quite believe!
W M O O
Tell us your life stories and favourite local places. email Matt@TheGreenwichVisitor.com
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flash fireworks photography BLACKHEATH Fireworks was another wonderful community event last month – and the perfect way to welcome winter. It’s the time when all of us ooh, aah and click away to capture the moment. This youngster got a lift on an adults shoulders to get close to the Send us a photo. Email: action. Bet his photo ws great! Have you matt@TheGreenwichVisitor.com taken a great picture of Greenwich,
COME on then cleverclogs. Think of a team name and test yourelf against our legendary quizmaster Deke. Still not authentic enough?
HERE’S a stylish abode, tucked away in a green space right in the centre of Greenwich. True, it’s not cheap – £1,450,000 will buy you this 4-bed semi in St Alfege
Get off the sofa and catch his legendary quizzes at The Vanbrugh Tavern every Monday night. 8.30.
Passage. You get more bang for your buck elsewhere – Blackheath Standard for example.But this really is stylish. Call John Payne on 020 8012 4156.
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1 How many rounds are there in an Olympic boxing match? 2 What was the nickname given to the famous boxing match between Mohammad Ali and Joe Frazier in 1975? 3 Which Marquis of Queensbury formulated the rules of boxing? The 1st, 4th or 8th? 4 How many rounds are there in an amateur boxing match? 5 Which of these is the lighest weight category in boxing? Bantamweight, Featherweight, Lightweight or Welterweight? 6 In the boxing film Rocky, what was Rocky’s surname? 7 Which day of the year was the song Jingle Bells originally written for? New Years Day, Boxing Day or Thanksgiving? 8 What is the heaviest weight category in boxing? 9 In boxing what is the maximum allowed weight to enter the flyweight category? 8st, 9st 6lbs or 11st? 10 By what name is St. Stephens Day better known?
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Blackheath or the surrounding areas? We love to see your pictures. Email Matt@TheGreenwichVisitor.com with your photo – we’ll print our favourites. We hope you’ve enjoyed The Greenwich Visitor. We’re the only publication aimed at – and read by – residents AND visitors every day, from supermarkets and from our street team. Call 07802 743324 if you’d like to advertise. See you next month!
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The Blog of Samuel Pepys he Lords Day. Today did decide to go to Church, there coming upon me a desire both to pray and to look for inspiration for a new waistcoat. T Also knowing that my wife would spend the morning watching Jeremy
Kyle. A great crowd walking about outside, was much mazed to see them going into a large shop, comforting myself that it must be to buy bibles. Did then find a church. Inside were five people: the priest, a woman putting out flowers, two men and a man clutching a bottle who woke, asked the lady for the bus to Crouch End and tottered out. was soon dissatisfied, the people singing with the enthusiasm of a boy forced to read out his Latin homework, there were no Lords in sight nor watchable women, the flower lady being genteel and with a most high neckline and I doubt haunted the pleasure gardens. So left I to seek another church. Saw people going into a yard, perhaps to see some evangelist, so followed them, but it was full of engine-chariots, their backs full of lamps, plates, books and other gewgaws which they bought with fervour. Maybe these were relics, and they were Catholics, most brave to gather so openly. Asked one man for his religion, he saying West Ham, I
I
leaving in a maze. Too early to go home, so did find a second church which, too, was half empty. Maybe the congregation were forming a squad to arrest the papists. Near me sat a most fine woman so in a pretence to pick up my prayer-book did go to the floor to inspect her legs. o appreciate them more properly I moved closer but I saw a knife being held over my hand which then did realise was her heel. I moved back along the pew as the priest was beginning his sermon so set myself to doze for three hours. But the man only spoke for twenty minutes. It is small wonder that people today are so thin and tired when they have not Sunday services to sleep off their Saturday nights. The hymn began so I rose and sang at my lustiest, the others being most timid, as if afraid they would give away their positions to the French. After the service the vicar told me he would be pleased to see me next week. Though did think that the church needed more Dukes, women with a good embonpoint and more scandalous gossip, I told him I may attend. For as long, I felt, as my wife sticks with Jeremy Kyle.
T
Imagined BY TONY KIRWOOD: tonykirwood@gmail.com Visit Samuel Pepys’ website at www.blogofpepys.com Follow on Twitter @periwigman
GreenwichVisitor December 2015 Page 24 THE