Much is made of how football clubs should be role models, and take an active part in helping in their the community. Until a few years ago Charlton Athletic were nothing short of the champions of Premier League clubs, nationally reverred for their community work.

Despite two relegations, Charlton are still just as involved in their local community, if not more so.

Please watch this video, as it  showcases the Charlton Athletic Community Trust’s “Charlton Upbeats” community action programme. The Trust is seeking votes for the “Kickstart for Life Project” funded by The Peoples Millions programme to provide activities for children and young people with Downs syndrome.

Voting takes place on the 26th November on the ITV London Tonight programme. Click HERE for details.

Every so often I’ve updated the list of films that I have already seen with brief reviews.  Call it the complete-ist in me, but when I’m done with reviewing each of the films in the book, I’d like to have reviewed every single film in the book.

Anyhow, here’s another batch for you to read.

Enjoy!

Shichinin No Samurai AKA Seven Samurai (1954)

The Seven Samurai is the first movie that I had the pleasure of seeing from the master director Akira Kurosawa, and it is also one of his most praised works. Without a wasted frame, the story takes place over the course of almost 3 hours. Kurosawa, as he does in each of his movies, explores more than just the action and injustice featured in the plot. He is a humanist first and foremost, training his lens on the interpersonal relationships of the characters, tracking growth across this epic. As good as this film is, I would have to say that Kurosawa has numerous films that are even better, check out Stray Dog, Rashomon, Yojimbo, Sanjuro, and my personal favorite High and Low.

The Ladykillers (1955)

Existing as a special combination of dark humor, and slapstick farce, The Ladykillers is exceptionally funny and unsettling. Alec Guinness stars as the leader of a group of criminals staying at the home of a hardy, vivacious older lady under the guise of being musicians. The plan is simple, rob a bank, and utilizing the trusting nature of the kindly old lady, and the remoteness of her home to their advantage, get away with it. Easily my favorite of Alec Guinness’ films (thanks in part to the Star Wars prequels that is), The Ladykillers features a solid cast of great actors, including a very young Peter Sellers.

Bob Le Flambeur AKA Bob the Gambler (1955)

My introduction to the fantastic Jean-Pierre Melville, I was captivated immediately by the cool as ice gangster come gambler Bob. This film is filled with signature Melville-isms. Glorious post war street scenes in Paris. Trench-coats. Honor among thieves. And who could forget the caper. To talk too much about this film is to give too much away, and to do that is to ruin it for those who haven’t seen it. Other classics by Melville: Le Cercle Rouge, Le Samourai, and the recently released in the U.S. Army of Shadows. All are fantastic, and deserve to be in this book! Incidentally, Bob le Flambeur was recently re-made into The Good Thief starring Nick Nolte and directed by Neil Jordan, and while I’m not generally a fan of re-makes, I really, really liked this film. Not quite as good as the original, but it was one of my favorite films of 2002.

Kiss Me Deadly (1955)

The ultimate in hardboiled private eye crime stories, Kiss Me Deadly is a full on assault on decency. Kiss Me Deadly proudly presents itself as a grimy PI story, littered with bodies and intrigue. If you even have a passing interest in film noir, this should be your first stop. Violent, misogynist, brutish, and glorious, Kiss Me Deadly begs to be watched and dares you to look away. I myself, loved it!

The Ten Commandments (1956)

Apparently based on a book, The Ten Commandments is an epic in every sense of the word. Colored in bright explosive candy hues, and featuring huge sets, as well as a cast that number in the thousands, The Ten Commandments is more spectacle than great movie. Certainly not a waste of time, but not my first choice when choosing something light to throw in.

Det Sjunde Inseglet AKA The Seventh Seal (1957)

A classic, and well-loved film by Swedish auteur Ingmar Bergman, The Seventh Seal stars an extremely young Max von Sydow as a knight who faces Death at a game of chess to decide his fate. This film is filled with themes that find their way into each of Bergman’s works, ranging from courage in the face of death, religion, and humanity. The Seventh Seal still holds up to this day, with luminous black and white photography that, thanks to Criterion’s Blu-ray edition, has never looked better.

Note: Don’t be fooled by the similarly themed, but much worse, “Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey”

Kumonosu Jo AKA Throne of Blood (1957)

Kurosawa’s retelling of Macbeth set in feudal Japan. Shakespeare has never looked better as it does in the stark black and white, twisting shadows and swirling mists as seen through Kurosawa’s camera. Toshiro Mifune doesn’t disappoint in the lead role, but the real stand out is Isuzu Yamada in the as Mifune’s opportunistic, poisonous wife. The plotting and scheming starts right from the get go, all the way up till the frenzied end of the film.

Touch of Evil (1958)

One of the many trouble spots on Orson Welles’ resume due to studio interference, and financing issues, still Touch of Evil remains as possibly the best B-Movie ever made. Iconic (and sometimes hilarious) performances by Janet Leigh, Charlton Heston (as a Mexican) and Welles himself as the crooked cop willing to do almost anything to ensure justice prevails (just so long as it’s his justice). The movie is almost as famous for its long tracking shot opening as it is for any of the performances, featuring a nearly 4 minute shot done in one take which travels around cars, actors, and buildings. The film The Player, payed homage to it by mentioning it a few times during a similarly complex shot in that film.

Vertigo (1958)

Flopping on its initial release, Vertigo didn’t gain the acclaim it deserved until much later after it was released on video. Vertigo visits themes present in each of Hitchcock’s other works, including the obsession with blondes, innocence tainted with corruption, and the schlub who get in over his head. Jimmy Stewart plays the schlub, Kim Novak plays the blonde, and gloriously technicolored San Francisco plays the innocence and the corruption. Vertigo has a twisty convoluted story with elements of surrealism, an interesting watch.

Mon Oncle AKA My Uncle (1958)

My favorite of Jacques Tati’s Monsieur Hulot films, Mon Oncle was also the first of them that I had seen. Tati, playing Hulot, is a master of visual comedy, and not in the same way as the Three Stooges, or even Buster Keaton. Tati is an artist whose work is appreciated the longer you watch. The plot of the movie is not so much important to the film as it is simply a guide to get our characters into interesting situations so we can watch them get out. If you liked this film, check out other films featuring the bumbling Mr. Hulot, including Trafic, Playtime, and Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot.

Les Quatre Cents Coups AKA The 400 Blows (1959)

My personal favorite of the French new wave movement was this small-scale film, personal piece from Francois Truffaut. Featuring the director’s alter ego, Antoine Doinel, The 400 Blows is the first in a series of movies, each about a different stage of life and the challenges that go along with them. The period from childhood to young adult is covered heart-breakingly here, following Antoine through the rough waters of his home life and his interaction with the outside world. Later chapters deal with finding love, getting married, having children, and growing old, but Les Quatres Cent Coups remains the directors most personal and his best.

North by Northwest (1959)

One of Hitchcock’s best, North by Northwest features Cary Grant, suave as ever, being mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies. Just like in Hitchcock’s most famous works (of which this is one), the witty one-liners, suspense, and drama are heaped on generously. I can’t help but feel sad that a similarly themed, but better film featuring Cary Grant was left off this 1001 list. Charade, also featuring Audrey Hepburn, James Coburn, and Walter Matthau, is one of my favorite movies ever! Check out both Charade AND North by Northwest as a double feature! You won’t be sorry.

Some Like it Hot (1959)

Now this is an example of a classic, well-loved film, with actors that I really love (Jack Lemmon I’m looking at you), a premise that is more than suitable, yet the finished product never really caught me. It’s sort of like Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief. I never really saw what all the hype was about. That being said, I didn’t hate it either. It never made fun of me when I had braces, or turned me down for a date, my affections and this film have just always been mutually exclusive. Perhaps it deserves another watch…then again maybe I should just watch The Last Boyscout again.

A Bout De Souffle AKA Breathless (1959)

Jean-Luc Godard is nothing if not a sacred cow of French cinema, and while I have loved some of his other films (Le Mepris, Bande A Part, and Masculin Femenine), Breathless or A Bout De Souffle never really did it for me. I can still rationalize why it was so revolutionary (use of jump cuts, editing, non-actors, and subscription to the aesthetic of the French new wave style), and see it’s importance, but I prefer other examples of New Wave cinema. If you are interested in seeing a Godard film, try Masculin Feminine, it is just as revolutionary and a bit more accessible.

Psycho (1960)

A prime example of Hitchcock in his prime. Psycho was so good, and so affecting that some of its actors were type cast just on the strength of this one film (Anthony Perkins, and Janet Leigh), so much so that without a little research it’s hard to think of what other films either of them has been in. Psycho may not be as visually shocking and gory as horror films of today, but it still manages to hold up over time and be just as unsettling as it was back in its day. Hitchcock has always excelled at making the comfortable un-comfortable (motels, birds, tea, dreams, the list goes on…), and the subtle touches in this film work perfectly. Consider for a moment that Perkin’s Bates is an amateur taxidermist of birds, and then that Janet Leigh’s name is Marion Crane a type of bird, or the fact before the crime Marion is wearing a white bra and a white purse, while after it she is wearing a black bra and purse. His attention to detail, and knack for foreshadowing is demonstrated in full force in Psycho and remains one of his best films. Despite all the uproar over the Gus Van Sant remake, I thought it actually did some justice to the original film and if nothing else brought it a little more deserved attention.

Note: This film also has the distinction of being the first American film to ever show a toilet flushing on-screen.

Peeping Tom (1960)

Released the same year as Psycho, and dealing with similar subject matter, Peeping Tom wasn’t received with the same acclaim and attention that the former was. On the contrary, Peeping Tom was seen as subversive, perverted, and generally too shocking. The story revolves more around the killer than the victim in this one, whereas Psycho is presented more from the victim’s point of view. Either way, Peeping Tom is a fine film, one worth watching, however it is so similar to Psycho that I’m not sure it needs to be on the list of 1001 films.

The Apartment (1960)

As far as light-hearted, touching movies about someone recovering from a bout of depression, this one is my favorite. Billy Wilder directs Shirley MacLaine and Jack Lemmon in a sweet touching comedy without losing any of his trademark cynicism or the pointedness of his dialogue. The Apartment is another chance for me to champion the somewhat maligned talents of Mr. Fred MacMurray as Lemmon’s boss. MacMurray plays a fantastic creep who really defines the term “heel”.

Spartacus (1960)

Containing almost none of the trademark elements that make up a Stanley Kubrick movie as we know it (Kubrick apparently dis-owned the film before it’s release), Spartacus remains an interesting movie that isn’t great. It is, however, another example of a film that enabled an up and coming filmmaker to gain his voice, and define himself later on in his career. If only for that reason, Spartacus is a great film, but luckily for the studio, it has some other things going for it. Kirk Douglas plays the title role of Spartacus, and despite all the lavish set production, and concentration on spectacle, brings some heart to the slave who defied Rome.

Jules Et Jim AKA Jules and Jim (1962)

One of director, Francois Truffaut’s most well thought of films, Jules and Jim may be the Lost In Translation, or Juno of its time. Viewed from a certain angle, the plot is a completely moving and emotional story that you believe, so much so, that you can see yourself and those around you in the roles that these characters embody. Viewed from another perspective, it can seem a little precious or purposefully manipulative. Depending on what is happening in your life (I’m mostly thinking about whether or not you are in a relationship, and if you are happy), this movie can preach the glory of love and the pain of rejection. On the flipside, if you have shaken free the angsty, teenager-esque feelings everyone has had in their youth, you may feel like you’re being talked down to.

Cleo De 5 A 7 AKA Cleo from 5 to 7

Taking place, as the title suggests, from 5 to 7, we get a slice of the life of Cleo played out before us. Sometimes we, along with Cleo herself, are a voyeurs into the lives of people around her, and other times we are focused on her as she roams around Paris. By and large Cleo lives a carefree, spoiled life, yet we still sympathize with her when times are hard, and cheer for her when they are good. This is a small film in a lot of ways, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t impacting and beautiful.

Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

I have to admit.  I didn’t like Lawrence of Arabia that much.  Perhaps I was too young to appreciate the aesthetic beauty of Lean’s desert panorama camerawork, or just maybe it was the epic length that decided it for me.  One way or another, I didn’t appreciate it as much as everyone else seems to think I should. 

The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

Overly reliant on gimmicks and quick editing techniques, The Manchurian Candidate doesn’t flesh out the story nearly…wait, no that was the terrible re-make that came out in 2004.  The original 1962 version, is just as taught, and well executed today as it was at its release.  While the story between the two versions remained virtually the same, the consistent building of tension and anxiety, combined with the pitch perfect acting of Lawrence Harvey, Frank Sinatra (yes…Frank Sinatra), and the devilish turn of Angela Lansbury as the Queen of Hearts, makes for a fantastic film.

Lolita (1962)

It took me forever to finally see Lolita.  I have known the basic story (older man, younger girl) but had just never gotten around to seeing it.  And while I’ve been told that the book is much better, I thought the film was pretty good.  Not great, mind you, but definitely solid.  The shocking and controversial nature of the relationship was toned down a bit for the screen, and maybe as a result doesn’t seem all that shocking in today’s day and age.  Memorable turns by Peter Sellers, and Shelley Winters, not to mention it’s an early film of Stanley Kubrick.

The Birds (1963)

Despite being one of Hitchcock’s most popular, I actually think that The Birds is one of his most over-rated.  I think I owe it to myself to give this one another look someday, but right now I feel that it was too heavily based on the gimmick that had to rely on special effects.  Though it is not necessarily the fault of the movie, but the special effects seemed particularly dated and old fashioned.  Worth a watch, but not my favorite by a long shot.

8 1/2 (1963)

Federico Fellini is, by most accounts, a master of cinema.  One, that I have always had a little trouble getting fired up over.  It’s not that I don’t like his films once I’ve seen them, the problem comes in when it comes to motivating myself to see them.  I couldn’t tell you why, but his films consistently get pushed off when they come up on my Netflix Queue or when I see the one or two I have on my shelf.  I shouldn’t feel this way, considering I really loved the moving poetry, and soul baring passion in 8 1/2, yet it still happens.  One very definite reason to watch this film is the man-crushable Marcello Mastroianni, swaggering through as the alter-ego of Fellini himself.  Dealing with all the reservations with women, making movies, childhood, and the future that the director very famously dealt with himself, Mastroianni embodies a certain cool, yet believable character that begs to be watched.  Combined with imagery that leaves the audience wanting more, 8 1/2 is a fantastic film.

Well, that’s it for this time.  Thanks for reading!

A new organisation, London’s Screen Archives, has started putting some wonderful old footage of the capital on YouTube. LSA is trying to bring together the various different film archives in London in one collection. Among them is this amazing 1927 colour travelogue, The Open Road, which includes some footage of the (then) Royal Observatory:

It also includes a couple of Greater London Council films with some local interest – including this from 1968 on the new Woolwich Ferry terminals…

There’s also a 1975 film about the construction of the Thames Barrier. The full collection is available here. After having seen some of the gems made on behalf of London Transport in the 1950s and 1960s at a London Film Festival even in Trafalgar Square a few weeks back, I hope this collection will grow as the months and years go on.

Is it better to have lived your dream if only for a moment,
Than to spend your whole life dreaming in anguish and torment?
I know a man, who’s lived his dream,
Five whole years of limousines,
Elected there by friends and peers
To a thundering ovation and deafening cheers.

He wore a smile that engulfed his face,
Proud as a peacock in its majestic grace,
The chequered line crossed,
A dream comes true,
Tears of joy
The chase is through.

Brimming with confidence he remained understated,
A victory speech is orchestrated,
An underdog tale of Rocky proportions
And despite many years of histories distortion,
Our memories cherish the joy and elation
A champagne and fireworks celebration.

He stands on the stage savouring his glory,
Like Churchill or Cesar or Charlton before he.
From that day forth he became his own hero,
Living his dream and envying zero,
Devoting his live to a job and a goal,
Thriving on the pressure of his newly acquired role.

Then five years later,
Same scene,
Same occasion,
But the glory and joy and the thunderous ovation
Is savoured by others as he stands in dejection,
The political worm has turned another direction,
His tissue is soaked from the tears in his eyes,
His bubble has burst and his dream swiftly dies.

But is heart isn’t broken,
It’s not even cracked,
The odds were against him,
Unevenly stacked,
He won a battle and fought a great war,
His story retold in family lore
Regaled with great memories and smiles a mile wide,
Passed down through the ages with fondness and pride.

That night I asked him
“So why the smile dad?”
“Your dream has ended, shouldn’t you feel sad?”
“Why?” was his answer “my dream isn’t gone,
I’ve seen many things and righted some wrongs.
I’ve surpassed my dreams, more than I could have planned
One day my son, one day you’ll understand,
Sometimes your dreams are not quite what they seem
I’m happier now than I’ve ever been.”

So to answer my question
To dream or succeed?
A little of both in your life’s what you need
Never stop striving,
Dreaming,
Believing,
For in your darkest hour when all hope is leaving
You’ll look back in awe at all you have achieved
More than your heart could ever have believed,
The people you have touched,
The lives you have affected,
The dreams you’ve lost and the paths you’ve selected,
Dreams come and go like hours and minutes,
Maybe our goal is to live to our limits.

Happy 60th Birthday

And now, the end is near… well, not all that near, as it happened. There were still a good 10 miles to go on the Capital Ring as a I hopped off the 108 at Stratford High Street. All around, the changes to E15 as 2012 approaches were apparent, as builders worked on creating approaches to the Olympic Park and developers continued making the place look unrecognisable from what it was a decade ago. From here, the walkway follows the Greenway for a couple of miles – quite literally, walking on top of a sewer. Part of Joseph Bazalgette’s Victorian scheme to rid London of pongs and disease, the Northern Outfall Sewer runs from Hackney Wick to Beckton. The Capital Ring sticks with it for most of the way.

It’s not thrilling stuff, to be fair. The first section is surrounded by Olympic Park works, as work takes place to upgrade the walkway towards West Ham station in time for 2012. It passes the ornate former Abbey Mills Pumping Station – another part of Bazalgette’s grand plan. A clear view down to the Millennium Dome and Canary Wharf reminds you which side of London you’re in. Passing over the District Line and London, Tilbury and Southend rail line, by a park and a cemetery, the pathway becomes more peaceful. Neighbourhood cats prowl through the bushes, while all around, the Plaistow rooftops stretch out.

Finally, it’s off the Greenway, through some residential streets, over the A13, and into Beckton District Park, covered in autumn leaves. I’d expected a grim, modern, featureless open space, but in most parts it’s actually anything but that. The park’s older than it looks – dating back to 1903, a couple of decades after the creation of Beckton, named after the governor of the Gas Light and Coke Company, Simon Adams Beck, whose works dominated this area for decades. The park alternates between little bits of woodland, grassy mounds and formal gardens like the walk featuring examples of trees from aroud the world. The Capital Ring takes a twisting route through the park, with Tate & Lyle’s huge Silvertown plant coming into view.

But it’s the great roars which start to dominate again, from the dual carriageway running north of the Royal Docks, and from London City Airport, whose planes make this walk a noisy one. The business customers who use the flights from here don’t have to come home to the housing estates which are dotted around Beckton.

The Capital Ring passes by New Beckton Park – padlocked for reasons best known to Newham Council – through some housing, and to Cyprus Docklands Light Railway station. Built in 1881, the Cyprus estate was named after Britain’s capture of the Mediterranean island. Bit it’s more a more recent building project that snatches the attention if you take a short diversion through the DLR station – the student accommodation at the University of East London’s Docklands campus, a series of cylindrical buildings which face the Royal Albert Dock. They also overlook London City Airport’s runway – perfect for plane-spotters, but I hope those student halls have good soundproofing.

Then it’s the grimmest part of the walk yet – past a boarded-up pub, over a nightmare-to-cross roundabout, just at the point where the Capital Ring signs dry up. Thanks, Newham. The map in my 2001 guide to the walk indicated a walk towards the river, but here the route appears to cross the dramatic Sir Steve Redgrave Bridge over the Royal Albert Dock, past King George V Dock, past the old work site for the DLR’s extension to Woolwich, ending up in a dull housing development at Gallions Point – stubbornly titled Galleons Point. Here, though, the path finally reaches the river, with a view across to Thamesmead and Woolwich, the water lapping up on a grassy bank below.

The path continues in front of some flats, a couple of signs pointing out that this is private property and only Galleons Point residents are allowed on the adjacent grass. Nice. You have to press a button on a gate to be allowed out. From here, it’s along a narrow, dilapadated riverside park to Royal Victoria Gardens. Opened in 1851 as Woolwich Pleasure Gardens, its fairgrounds were initially popular, but it later fell into disrepair and became a haunt for prostitutes. It reopened in 1890 under its current name, but suffered from wartime damage and today looks, like most of North Woolwich, like it’s seen better days. This small area had been part of Kent since the Norman Conquest, and was part of the old borough of Woolwich until 1965, when it became part of Newham. As far as I know, no trace of it being run from south of the river remains nowadays.

North Woolwich was always run-down, but it looks more down-at-heel than ever now, with Pier Road eerily quiet. Its pride and joy, the old station museum, a terrific but underpromoted little gem, was opened by the Queen Mother in 1984, but quietly shut its doors in January 2009. It’s now boarded up and vandalised. This huge building was the first North Woolwich railway station – the second, which replaced it in the late 1970s, also lies derelict and boarded up next door; superseded in 2006 by the Docklands Light Railway extension to nearby King George V and across to Woolwich. A heritage railway group had wanted to take on the old stations and the rusting remains of this leg of the North London Line – part of which is earmarked for eventual reuse as part of Crossrail – but their plans appear to have come to nothing.

Perhaps the DLR’s extension to Woolwich, which opened in January, had contributed to North Woolwich looking like a ghost town – plenty of people had always travelled from south of the river to use the North London Line, and later the DLR. Now they can just travel direct without walking down these streets. After all, the railway had always been an important part of North Woolwich’s history. It first opened here in 1847, long before the arrival of the docks, with a ferry service to “South Woolwich”, which didn’t get its own trains for another couple of years. The ferry to the south bank was killed off by the Woolwich Free Ferry, but the north pier stayed in use for excursions until World War II. Its remains are still there, opposite the old station.

After all this thought – and stopping to chat to a man who was waiting to photograph a bus – it was down into the Woolwich Foot Tunnel. The lifts were out of service, and chicanes have been placed inside the tunnel by Greenwich Council in a vain, aggravating attempt to deter cyclists from riding through the long, damp passageway. At Woolwich itself – the official start/end of the Capital Ring – the path runs through the car park of an ambulance station, through the traffic jam at the Woolwich Ferry (which has been operating a one boat service for some time), and then onto the Thames Path, past the smart flats at Mast Quay – built on stilts in case of flooding – and alongside Woolwich Dockyard Estate, where the path looked sad and neglected. The long-closed aquatic centre still looked as gloomy as ever.

The riverside path stops abruptly short of the Thames Barrier, denying Capital Ring users the chance to see London’s best-known flood defence close up. Instead, it’s through isolated housing at King Henry’s Wharf – a housing development built in anticipation of the Greenwich Waterfront Transit, axed by Boris earlier this year – and past some industrial units, and into Charlton. Where it started to rain. I’d gone 77 dry miles on the Capital Ring. The final one wouldn’t be so lucky.

But Maryon Park and Maryon Wilson Park – the former best-known for its starring role in Blow-Up, the latter much loved for its wonderful childrens’ zoo – seemed at their best in the gloomy conditions. Once part of a highwaymens’ hideout called Hanging Wood, both parks feature steep hills and huge trees. Clambering up a sharp incline in Maryon Park, leaves flying down from the trees, I was pleased I’d saved one of the Capital Ring’s best-kept secrets until last. The stands at The Valley come into view at Maryon Wilson Park, where – for the final time – I gazed back at the London Eye and the City. It’d been a long way…

Finally, it was out of Maryon Wilson Park, across the road, and into Charlton Park, where the football pitches and semis on Canberra Road came into view again.

A squirrel formed the welcoming committee as I reached the back of Charlton House, turned around to see if anyone was looking, and touched the sign post to mark the completion of my walk. Eleven separate walks and 78 miles later, my Capital Ring journey was all over. Ahead of me stretched the path back around to Shooters Hill, Eltham, Grove Park, Beckenham, Streatham, Wimbledon, Richmond, Isleworth… and the rest. Behind me stretched another path. With aching feet and fading light, it was time to go home.

Here’s all my Capital Ring posts on one page.

Thanks to the London Reconnections blog (and to Boris Watch for pointing it out), here’s some details on what to expect when Oyster pay-as-you-go comes to south-east London’s mainline railways. It’s scheduled to begin from 2 January, to coincide with the 2010 fare changes, although this has still to be confirmed. Here is a document from the Greater London Authority asking the mayor to approve those fare changes, which includes some of the details of how it will work, and the proposed fares.

Basically, there’ll be four sets of fares. At the moment, there’s two sets of fares in operation – one for the Tube and DLR, and one for TFL Rail (London Overground). From January, there’ll be two more – Train Company fares, and Train/TfL fares.

The Train Company fares will affect most SE London travellers – so here’s what you can expect to pay:

Zones 7, 8, 9, W and G don’t apply to us here in south-east London for these journeys – it’s just the 1-6 we need to worry about here.

So if you’re travelling from Charlton, Blackheath, Westcombe Park, Maze Hill, or any other zone 3 station to central London, that’s £2.60 to you in the rush hour, and £2 at other times. That compares with £2.70 or £2.40 for the same three-zone journey by London Underground. It also means that travelling by train will be cheaper than taking the bus to North Greenwich and taking the Tube (which will cost £3.50 or £3 for a single bus ride and a two-zone Tube ride).

From Greenwich or Lewisham, in zone 2, taking the train will also be cheaper than getting the DLR (£2.10 vs £2.30 in the rush hour, £1.70 vs £1.80 off-peak).

From Woolwich Arsenal, stuck in zone 4, the rush-hour train fare will be the same as that on the DLR – £3.10. At all other times, it’ll be slightly cheaper – £2.30 against £2.40 for the DLR equivalent.

If you’re going to use the Tube/DLR on your travels – say, my old commute from Charlton to White City, then this table will apply to you – the train/TfL fares.

If you travel through Zone 1, you’ll be charged an extra £1.10 on your fare. But if you don’t, then your fare will stay the same. So Charlton to West India Quay DLR, via Greenwich, will cost the same as Charlton to Deptford by train. (It’s unclear whether these fares will apply for journeys which use the new East London Line, due to open in May and which will have a Zone 1 stop at Shoreditch High Street – I would assume they will, though, since despite being part of the National Rail network, it’ll be a TfL Rail line. Worth watching if you plan to travel up to Hoxton or Highbury.)

Oyster cards currently have a daily cap on them – set at 50p below the day travelcard rate. From January, this cap will be the same as the day travelcard. Here’s next year’s day travelcard prices – the steep jump between zone 2 and zone 3 stays in place, sadly.

So travellers from Lewisham, Deptford, Greenwich and North Greenwich travelling into central London will pay a maximum of £7.20/day (£5.60 off peak), while us zone 3 passengers will pay £8.60 at most (£6.30 off peak from both zones 3 and 4). Using the overloaded bus service to North Greenwich Tube to get a cheaper fare isn’t going to go out of fashion just yet, especially for rush hour passengers from Woolwich Arsenal and beyond who’ll want to avoid a hefty £10 daily charge from zone 4.

There’s more details in the GLA document, which includes child fares and Travelcard prices, and the TfL Rail fares that’ll apply on the new East London line from Brockley and New Cross Gate. Some health warnings apply here – these haven’t been officially confirmed yet, and there could be errors in the information, so these figures are subject to change. There’s also been talk of a daft-looking idea of Travelcard users having to load an “Oyster extension permit” onto their cards before using mainline services outside their zones, but that’s not been confirmed either. But hopefully this gives you an early idea of how the scheme will work.

One final point of interest is in those extra zones. 7, 8 and 9 go out into Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire; while Zone W is Watford Junction, where Oyster cards can also be used at a different rate.

But Zone G is the area around Grays, Essex – where c2c trains will be accepting Oyster cards to Chafford Hundred, the nearest station to Lakeside Shopping Centre. A smart idea to tempt Londoners onto trains and out of their cars.

But south of the river, though, there’s no sign of any such concession from Southeastern, which is grudgingly accepting Oyster as it is, on its trains to Greenhithe, the nearest stop to Bluewater. A terrible shame, and an indication of where Southeastern’s priorities really lie.

(LATER: Boris Watch has some comment and some graphs to show how, if you live in outer London and have no Tube, this may not be a good thing.)

(MUCH LATER: London Reconnections explains the nonsense of Oyster Extension Permits.)

Too depressed, will put something up in the cold light of the morning.

Anyway, for all Charlton lifers, here’s a grainy photo of Large and Golfie. They passed us in the car on the way home and didn’t look happy! Don’t blame them.

So lucky to be level here. Two clear cut chances to score, Victoria will be kicking themselves that they are not in the lead.

Charlton look disorganised and have no punch up front.

Things can only get better?

Noisy lot! Poor old Andy Townsend.

Lovely pitch it has to be said, flat as a billiard table. Outside behind the goal and it’s a very basic terrace, just a step!

No news on the teams yet. very tinny tannoy with an interesting selection of music.

3Blokes reckons the pitch will help us as it’s so good.

Wave if you see us on the TV!

We’ve arrived and so have the team. Few Charlton here already, clubhouse packed so will try and get a beer.

Been made welcome already. Let’s hope we’re smiling at 3.30.

130 miles to go, enjoying a coffee. Traffic is clear at the moment. No sign of the coaches.

Keep on passing a Result Scenic with a Charlton badge in the back, how does he keep getting in front of me. Johnny Mc (3Blokes to you Lifers) will try and take a picture of them.

Right back to the coffee!

Northwich vs Charlton

The 1st Round of the FA Cup threw up some surprises yesterday and while I don’t expect this to be another there could still be a route to profit.

Northwich are the form team in the Conference North. They started the season with a 10 point deduction so a quick look at the tables can be misleading. Another look at the tables and it’s clear Northwich score goals. 15 in their last 6 including 3 in each of their last two home games, in fact 23 in 14 league games means they are not likely to sit back and let Charlton dictate today.

Charlton were one of the big draws in the first round and we saw how Norwich responded to that pressure yesterday, putting 7 past Paulton Rovers.

Charlton should win, and there’s a case for saying 4-9 represents a bit of value, the overs/unders market looks better value with both sides scoring freely though.

1pt Over 4.5 goals@4.6 (betfair)

Good Luck

Thought it was about time I updated my blog.

Gone for WordPress rather than Blogger and a subtle change of name.

Will be updating the site as soon as I work out how the bloody hell I add things, i.e. music, video’s etc.

So, a lot’s happened in the last year, since my last post on the old blog. We’ve had Zabeel, relegation, death of a radio station. I’ve discovered Twitter and tweet far too much for my own good (@bigdl if you’re interested). Given up on the old Cattlewagons and speed up to town on the Javelin. So here’s hoping that it’s not a year before I update again!

I’ve gone over to the dark side and discovered Apple. Swore that I would never buy an Ipod, but got hooked by the Touch. It is a thing of wonder and keeps my journeys pretty sane. Managed to get hold of an old Powermac G4 and have fun in trying to work out how to use OS X. It is better than Vista, but that’s not hard.

Musically I’ve fallen back in love with Marillion. For some reason I just couldn’t get into the last album of theirs that I bought way back in the 90’s. Don’t know why but I rippd it into the Ipod and have never looked back since.

My kids have got older and wiser, wiser in the fact that Dad has money, not a lot it must be said, and money buys things and they like that.

We’re (Mrs. Big Dave  and myself) having the fun of changing schools at the moment, making the choice for our son. One that will dictate his future. It has to be said that there isn’t much choice in this part of the world if you fail your 11+. So it was a good job that Big Dl Jnr passed with flying colours, well done Son We’re both very proud of you.

Pity the poor kids who have to go to the other schools. Nice new buildings maybe. But that doesn’t make up for decent education. Blimey I’m almost going political, that’ll never do.

So there you go, a brief summary of what I’ve been up to in the last year. Really really exciting, yes I know!

Who knows what the next 12 months will bring? One thing we all hope is that it brings Promotion in May (or Earlier, we’d like that!)

Reports over the weekend linked former Boro favourite and now Peterborough forward George Boyd with a £6m move to Tottenham. Boyd has been arguably the Posh’s best player in their first season in the Championship so far and his recent form is thought to have alerted Premier League clubs to making an offer. Peterborough’s director of football, Barry Fry has since cooled the rumours by stating he has received no offers for either Boyd or Craig Mackail-Smith, but it’s unlikely that will be enough to stop the rumours if Boyd continues his superb form.

“I have had no contact from Harry Redknapp about Boyd or Gordon Strachan about Mackail-Smith so there is nothing in those reports.” Fry on reports linking Boyd with Tottenham

Of course if Boyd does go onto make a multi-million pound move to the top flight then it’s thought that Stevenage are entitled to 40% of whatever the fee is. With the money that is being suggested at the moment, it could mean Boro receiving a seven figure sum for a player they got for nothing after he was released as a youngster from Charlton Athletic. Boyd moved to the EFCO scheme at Broadhall Way and was given his chance in the first team by Graham Westley.

Although Boyd was an emerging talent back then, it wasn’t really until the 2006/2007 season when his career started to gather pace. Mark Stimson saw his potential and moved him from the left wing to an attacking midfield position partnering Steve Morison in Boro’s attack and Boyd excelled in the more central role.  He was involved in all of Boro’s attacks, linking well with Dobson, Morison and the experienced Steve Guppy. His superb form that season earned him a move into League 2 with Peterborough who paid a record £260,000 for his services plus the well known 40% sell-on clause if he ever got his ‘big’ move into the Premier League.

However, there are now some questionmarks over whether Boro will actually receive the windfall they’re expecting to. Rumours are gathering that if a Premier League club do end up making an offer for Boyd, then it’s likely that Fry will negotiate an increased ‘loan’ fee and sell off Boyd for a smaller sum, allowing Posh to keep the ‘increased’ loan fee and just give Stevenage 40% of the lower transfer fee. It sounds like a typical Barry Fry business deal to me.

Hopefully Phil Wallace and Boro thought of this when they agreed to sell him to Peterborough back in 2007 because it will be gutting if Boro lose out on £2m +. In some ways it shouldn’t be allowed to happen. There should be something in the rules that protects the smaller clubs when it comes to transfer deals like this. Fry will go down in my estimations if this ends up being the case as it wasn’t that long ago that his club nearly went out of business and were begging for money to stay afloat. Sky’s ‘You’re the Manager’ comes to mind!

Whatever happens, January could be an interesting month if the ‘White Pele’ carries on the way he’s playing and earns himself a big move to the top flight.

It’s time for the bookies to run for cover as Palmerstonblue delivers his tips for the weekend.

FAB FIVE : EVERTON-QOS-CHARLTON-SCUNTHORPE-MILLWALL

RIGHT RESULT :   STOCKPORT   1-3  NORWICH

Jazzy’s- deli-ish restaurant

Manhattan Mini Storage

Jerome L Greene Performance Space/ WNYC Radio (check out)

Back when I first started in the world of press photography I was working for a lovely little weekly paper the Coventry Observer. The paper was really a training ground for me and allowed me to get my feet wet in all sorts of different situations and events.

One of the highlights of working in Coventry was the local team Coventry City FC. It is a fairly large team in Uk football, but one that suffered a few poor seasons while I was there.

Taking pictures at an average sport job is a fairly simple affair, you generally turn up, mention who you are (if there is a gate) and stand somewhere along the side of the pitch and hope it’s not too cold.

Taking pictures of Coventry City was a different matter altogether. First issue is where to park as parking generally costs a small fortune. One option was the local retail park, which was perfect for those days where I had shopping to do, or I was only attending for one half of the game due to other jobs on the day. The other options was to park miles away and walk in or pay for the parking. After a while I got to know the owner of a local pub who gave me parking almost a stones throw from the ground in return for a few shots from the game.

Once arriving at the ground you then travel to the main entrance to the Ricoh Arena (conveniently located as far as possible from you) to pick up your pass from the media reception, and then travel back round to the other side of the ground to get inside the ground proper. This is sometimes more tricky than others, as on occasion I was forced to arrive for only the second half, and by this time there was no one manning the gates forcing me to hammer away in the hope that people will hear.

Once you are inside the ground, you are on the floor faced with the pitch in front of you and thousands of fans taking their seats around you. You move into a maze of passages below the stands where you find the photographer’s room (not an easy task first time). The photographer’s room is a tiny little box of a room where you find a bib, programme, team sheet and several other photographers from local and national newspapers agencies and me who hasnt got a clue what is going on.

This is the work involved in getting onto the pitch, once their life gets much easier. You find a spot along the touch-line you are happy with, where the team you are shooting will be attacking, set up a little camp stool (no chairs for photographers and no standing either) and settle in for the game.

As far as taking the shots go, im no expert but it involves predicting the plays, keeping focus as best you can and a little bit of luck that events go your way. I was always a little short on kit at these games, as most photographers carried at least two camera bodies, one with a really long lens, another for close in action and possibly a third on a remote behind the goal. I had one body with an 80-200mm lens attached meaning that I could shoot about a quarter of the pitch, as a result I was often seen on Sky Sports looking a little bored when the action was out of my range.

The following shots were taken at an away game visiting Manchester United at Old Trafford. This was a very different experience, not just because the ground was so much larger seating over 76,000 people but also in the media rooms. The photographers room for example was not just a cupboard but a large room with internet access, power points, plus free food and drink. Also we had benches on the pitch! nothing fancy just a piece of wood with photographer printed on, but this was luxury. The final score? Coventry won 2-0!

There are lots more photos form my time at the Coventry Observer and more sport here Images of news.

                     Steve Morison hustles for the ball for Millwall 

So we’re pretty much a quarter of the way through the football season here in the UK and that seems as good a time as any to have a look at how things progressing across the divisions.

Following a thumping 5-0 win over a lacklustre Tranmere Rovers on Saturday, Millwall are heading back in the right direction.

Our inconsisent form has seen us yo-yo around mid table but hopefully we can push on from here and aim for the top six.

Sadly for Tranmere, tipped for the playoffs preseason, things aren’t improving and they remain in the bottom four.

At the top of League One it’s no surprise to see Leeds and Charlton filling the top two spots. I expect Leeds to take the title but Charlton will need to keep their star players fit otherwise they may struggle to maintain the pace.

The main surprise has been Swindon’s impressive start and it will be interesting to see if they can keep on track throughout the season.

      Southampton goal machine Ricky Lambert – 7 goals for the season

At the bottom Southampton have taken a lot longer than we all thought to get out of minus points and along with Tranmere and Wycombe look to be falling away. I suspect the superb signing of Ricky Lambert will see the Saints march up the table though as the season goes on.

The Premier League has been up to it’s usual tricks – the top two look to remain unchanged but as strong as Man Utd have been, I still think Chelsea will take it this year. Their defence seems stronger and less likely to implode.

Tottenham and Man City currently occupy the other Champions League spots – I cannot see Spurs mantaining that however there is a real chance for Man City to break into the top four. Next season may see even more from City, as their defensive partnerships bond – Mark Hughes has made some very shrewd signings.

             Joleon Lescott: Will come good for City when settled in

It will be interesting to see what Liverpool and Arsenal can do in response to all this. I suspect Arsenal may take third place but they are often so inconsisent that you can never tell.

There is a real battle at the wrong end of the table and with Portsmouth getting a (first) win at the weekend even they are in with a shout of staying up. If I’m gonna stick my neck out and say one team I think will drop that would be Hull, who seem to have lost all confidence in manager Phil Brown.

In the Championship it’s again as you would expect with the ‘big three’ of Newcastle, West Brom and Middlesbrough filling the top three spots. All three of these teams will be up there at the end of the season. Newcastle’s super start will see them, in my opinion, take the title but second place is up for grabs.

     Middlesbrough’s Adam Johnson is in great form so far this season 

Lots of great individual performances in this first quarter – Kevin Nolan seems to be on fire for Newcastle, likewise Adam Johnson for Middlesbrough and the standard of the Championship this year is very high.

With lots of teams including Preston, Cardiff and Sheffield Utd also looking strong it makes for an interesting promotion race.

At the other end Reading are a big shock to see so close to the drop zone but it’s early days and they still have time to turn it around. Likewise with bottom of the lot Ipswich. Roy Keane is obviously under pressure but performances have improved and it’s only a matter of time before the positive results come – but will it be enough?

Down in League Two the season was almost overshadowed by the whole Sol Campbell affair at big spending Notts County. In my opinion, disillusioned or not, Campbell’s behaviour has been unacceptable.

County seem to still be going well but have stuttered of late – probably as all their new signings gel together.

            AFC Bournemouth have raced to the top of League Two

No shock to me to see Bournemouth top – after all their recent point deductions I fancied them to have a good run on a level playing field – and Rotherham have also been strong so far.

Another of my tips, Dagenham and Redbridge have been flying and it’s nice to see Aldershot up and around the playoffs, hopefully both of them can maintain that form.

Barnet are also doing well and while Bradford have struggled here and there they will be around the playoffs come the end of the season.

At the bottom it’s as you would’ve thought really, with Grimsby putting up more of a fight than I expected so fair play to them. Darlington really are a long way (8pts) from safety and lots of other clubs could be dragged into the relegation battle.

There is still a long way to go and only a few teams are in a position that requires any sort of panic but a lot of people always say you can tell what kind of season you are going to have by where you are after 10 games.

From a personal point of view after the injuries we’ve had I’m happy to see Millwall in 10th – with a bit of luck and some more consistency we can hopefully push on and make the playoffs again this season.

Crystal Palace midfielder Darren Ambrose has been selected in the Football League’s Team of the Week, as chosen by the Press Association.

Ambrose has proven to be a revelation since signing for Palace from Charlton Athletic during the summer.

Darren Ambrose signed for Palace on a free transfer.

The former Ipswich trainee had struggled with fitness and form at The Valley, but both he and manager Neil Warnock will be delighted with his recent form, which has seen a return of six goals in eleven starts for the club.

Warnock had suggested that the player would thrive in Palace’s line-up, and his words have proven correct.

Upon signing the midfielder in early June, Warnock told the South London Press: “He’s still young and it will be great for him to come to us and play with the freedom I’ll give him.

“I’m expecting a lot from him and I’ve told him he will love playing for me – he has been in a struggling team for the last couple of years and I want to put a smile back on his face and he needs to play with a bit of fun”

We here at FYP are delighted that the player has had such a significant impact on Palace.

It feels like the last knockings of summer this weekend, so it looks like the organisers of Sunday’s Run to the Beat half-marathon have struck it lucky with the weather. However, their handling of publicity for the event, which is going to disrupt travel around Greenwich, Charlton, Blackheath and Woolwich for much of the day, hasn’t been so good. Some 27,000 letters were meant to have thumped onto doormats last month to warn us about it – for many people, that doesn’t seem to have happened, though. Other publicity’s been carried out via council propaganda weekly Greenwich Time, but that depends on whether you recieve it. Which at the moment for me, is intermittently.

The route has apparently been redesigned to allow car drivers access to all roads. Part of the result is the strange dog-leg via tiny Craigerne Road and Banchory Road in Blackheath pictured in this post. If you’re intending to get a bus on Sunday, forget it. Unless you want to get a 177 for a scenic trip to the top of Shooters Hill, that is. Oh, and there’s no Docklands Light Railway between Canary Wharf and Lewisham this weekend, either. Good planning, lads. Rail and Tube services will run normally.

Other things you might need to know:

* The race starts at the Dome at 9.45am.
* The organisers have a contact number for residents: 020 8233 5900
* The council can also deal with queries on 020 8854 8888
* The event is being filmed for television, due to be aired on Channel 4 in two weeks
* Greenwich Council is keen to hear residents’ feedback on the event – the senior officer in charge is Matthew Norwell (firstname.surname@greenwich.gov.uk).

The residents’ leaflet (572K, PDF)
Where the music stages are (493K, PDF)
Road closures map (881K, PDF)
Letter for residents (91K, Word doc)

Come back on Sunday for photos and… oh, perhaps not.

There was a wall of awkwardness that lay between them. Invisible but firm.

Thames Barrier, Charlton, Greenwich, SE18

Whenever either of them got to close to the other, the wall intervened, rising up between them and deflecting any sign of affection.

Thames Barrier, Charlton, Greenwich, SE18

It made their relationship distant, which, in a way that relieved both of them, was extremely suitable.

*If you live in Victoria Way, keep on reading below the photo because there’s some news you might be interested in…*

Local police should be taking more action against flytipping in Charlton, the chairman of a local residents’ association said last night.

Dave Picton spoke after the Charlton Central Residents’ Association’s annual general meeting heard allegations of organised flytipping in Elliscombe Road and Wellington Gardens.

He said an incident when flytipped matresses were set alight in Wellington Gardens, causing damage to a nearby home, had helped inspire the founding of the two-year-old association, which covers a block of streets immediately south of Charlton station.

“I’d like to see someone in the police take this on and make it their top priority,” he told Greenwich Borough Commander Richard Wood, another of the evening’s speakers.

“That’s the sort of issue that’s of real importance to the community. These are really serious matters. There must be a way of pinning these people down and taking action.

“When you have a clean-up day, it’s demoralising to have something dumped there the next week.”

There was a call from the floor for mobile CCTV to be used to catch flytippers in the act.

Recalling to the original incident, he said: “We were told by the police and the fire brigade that it must have been kids – but there’s no way kids could have set those on fire.”

The meeting also heard claims of tyres being dumped in Combe Lodge, off Elliscombe Road, and a “spate of lorries” dumping goods in the area.

Commander Wood said he wanted to make his officers more visible,saying he was “the biggest fan of safer neighbourhood teams out there” and asked for more feedback from local residents, adding that otherwise “everything looks lovely from my office in Plumstead”.

Charlton Ward Sergeant Adrian Musgrave said he and his team of two constables and three support officers “walked their feet off every day”, and at all times of day and night.

Ward councillor Janet Gillman said she and fellow Charlton councillors Gary Parker and Allan MacCarthy were pressing for a review of Greenwich Council’s policy of charging £12 to remove bulk waste, fearing that it encouraged flytipping, and that the revenue brought into the council would be outweighed by the cost of clearing dumped items up.

Other things from the Charlton Central Residents Association annual general meeting…

* Firstly – Victoria Way residents could be brought in from the cold and be represented by the association. The CCRA is open to expanding its boundaries slightly if there’s enough interest. So, if you want to join, contact me (details on about 853) or the association direct, and we’ll see what can be done.

* Incredibly, and this is the first I’d heard of this – planning permission has been given to build a two-storey extension on top of the post office in Charlton Church Lane, the only branch left in SE7 following the recent cutbacks. Local councillor Janet Gillman said she and her ward colleagues had pressed for planning officers to visit the site before a decision was made… but it was ignored. CCRA chair Dave Picton said he doubted the building, the front of which contains a large wooden frame containing a huge plate glass window, could stand the extra weight without extensive works – so what would happen to the post office?

* The association now has 190 members, and has plenty of sub-groups, and is looking to start gardening and local history groups. Over 50 people took part in July’s clean-up day – not all of them members, and the group is hoping to hold a similar exercise next year.

* Police commander Richard Wood said the force was holding “presence days” to make itself known in communities – he took part in one “and got two Australian tourists lost in Greenwich town centre”. He said he was trying to make sure police were seen in areas such as town centres and railway stations, and neighbourhood teams were door-knocking to introduce themselves. All Greenwich borough officers will soon be based in a central patrol unit in Warspite Road, Woolwich – a move he said “worked really well” in his previous borough, Haringey.

* Greenwich Council’s planning chair, Alex Grant, was also there, talking about how the borough has to plan for an extra 25,000 households by 2030, and the pressures of trying to cram those in alongside the need for bigger households. There was a call from the floor for action to be taking on the building site in Floyd Road, which has been a mess ever since subsidence hit, taking out a cafe, launderette, flats and a furniture yard. Some people talked about not being informed about planning applications near them, while permission has been given for flats on the site of the Valley pub, Elliscombe Road.

* The deal to turn Charlton Lido into a diving centre (while keeping it as a lido) has finally been signed by Greenwich Council and private firm Open Waters. The lido was closed for the duration of the summer holidays while negotiations took place. “They took longer than everyone thought,” Alex Grant said. The council retains the freehold of the site.

* Finally, I should thank the association for making me feel welcome – more than they’ve probably got any right to bearing in mind I’ve had a few digs in the past. But one of the over-riding themes of this blog is that it pays to belong in Greenwich borough – and if you’re one of my neighbours in Victoria Way, then we’ve got the chance to come under the CCRA’s umbrella in trying to get this area sorted out. So if you’re up for joining me in pushing for inclusion, please get in touch.

Did you know yesterday (Tuesday) was World Car Free Day? Bet you didn’t. The idiot over the road whose car alarm has just gone off certainly didn’t. If you live in or near Greenwich, though, you’ll have probably noticed one offshoot from it, Greenwich Car Free Day:

Every year, Greenwich celebrates a Car Free Day, where residents leave their cars at home and enjoy a day of fun activities and entertainment. (more)

Except it doesn’t seem to be happening this year, and what really happened was that cars were simply diverted away from a couple of streets in the centre of SE10 for a few hours on a Sunday. Still, it was a good thing for Greenwich Council to do, and it’s disappointing to see it’s apparently been canned this year – I imagine Run to the Beat (which necessitates another closure) and seemingly endless and unpredictable roadworks have seen to that.

But now the car-free movement has inspired a new group – London Carfree. I went up to Islington last week to hear more. It wants to wants to create London’s first car-free community, partly inspired by a new district of Freiburg, southern Germany, called Vauban.

Cars aren’t actually banned from Vauban, it’s stellplatzfrei – “free from parking spaces”. If you drive, you have to go at walking pace, and you can only stop to pick up or drop off, parking is officially banned. If you do own a car, you’re obliged to use a parking space which costs €17,500 to rent – thought to be the subsidy that car owners get from their use of public roads. Car club vehicles are in plentiful supply, though.

The result, Vauban’s backers say, is a more pleasant place to live, where children can play in the streets and people take up cycling as a means to get around. Other forms of car-free community are possible – some ban cars altogether, others bar through journeys.

There was an interesting discussion afterwards – one gentleman voiced fears about losing the “passive surveillance” supposedly provided by motorists, another asked how people without cars did their weekly shop. You can probably imagine the reponse the second question got.

But how could this work in London? Developers have always wrestled with cars here – from the great motorway schemes of the 1960s (of which the Blackwall Tunnel approach is a result) to the disastrous seperation of cars from people in Thamesmead’s earlier phases. The 1980s pedestrianisation of Woolwich town centre made it a scary place to be at night, more recent developments such as Greenwich Shopping Park just made congestion worse. Other schemes have just paid lip-service to the ideal – the Greenwich Millennium Village is touted as being “low-car”, but why has it got a great big traffic jam through its centre each morning?

Carfree London’s response to that is to develop homes with the huge number of Londoners who do not own a car in mind – at least 1.5 million, and a majority of residents in most inner London boroughs. (At least 40% of Greenwich and Lewisham residents do not own a vehicle.) So where could such a community be? I thought locally – most of the Greenwich Peninsula is pretty much answered for now, as are spots in Woolwich, Lewisham and Deptford, and the Kidbrooke regeneration (which could have been an ideal site) is now under way. And, to be frank, with the contempt London’s politicians have for it, a carfree Thamesmead sounds like a punishment than an opportunity.

Then I realised a solution could be on my doorstep (almost literally), in an area that’s clogged with traffic. Let me introduce you to what’s technically called Land To The Rear Of 40 Victoria Way, otherwise known as “the old Thorn Lighting plant” – which is actually right at the back of the site. It’s a long, long story, and as far as I know it’s not merited any local coverage before.

These days based in Borehamwood and Spennymoor, County Durham, Thorn was (and still is) one of the country’s leading specialist lamp manufacturers, and maintained its London operation at what was the Victoria Trading Estate from 1961, advertising its Atlas and Mazda brands on the side facing the Blackwall Tunnel approach. But the Charlton branch was wound up in the mid-1980s, and the site never found a permanent occupier in the years after – its side entrance on Dupree Road bricked up, the back gates on Fairthorn Road left rusting to this day.

The front of the old trading estate, on Victoria Way, remains in use – it’s currently used by Squirrel Storage, while another occupier, Kerry Logistics, recently moved to Dartford. Some of the land has been used as a car park when Charlton Athletic play at The Valley, 10 minutes’ walk away. The Squirrel site is the last bit of “industry” left on Victoria Way, the lower stretches of which used to be dominated by the Johnson and Phillips/ Delta cable works.

History lesson over. In 2005, Galliard Homes applied to build homes and offices on the Thorn site, outraging neighbours in Dupree Road, Gurdon Road and Fairthorn Road, who understandably didn’t want a huge development looming over their neat terraces. Another bone of contention was Galliard’s plan to use tiny Fairthorn Road as an access point for the development – not the brightest of ideas when the road’s been a sleepy backwater since the day it was built (traffic used to enter Thorn via Victoria Way). Greenwich Council refused planning permission, after advice from then-mayor Ken Livingstone, and finally, so did the government (291KB PDF) after a planning inspector was brought in on appeal.

In 2007, Galliard came back with a modified scheme. They’ve already pre-sold properties under the name “The Constellation”, without actually obtaining permission to do anything – apparently early publicity for the proposal didn’t actually mention the word “Charlton”, with its website currently implying the site is on the Greenwich Peninsula. And that’s where the trail goes cold. Two years on, the application has not been progressed any further.

A whole swathe of local addresses, in Blackheath, Charlton and Greenwich, are listed as being involved in a consultation in October 2008. My address is on there, and I hadn’t heard anything, although Greenwich Council’s planning department says I should have done. I certainly hadn’t seen any notices on lamp posts, the usual sign something’s happening. It’s not the first time I’ve not heard anything about a big planning application on my doorstep, and I don’t think it’ll be the last. (While this is probably a Royal Mail issue, it does highlight once again how poor communication is between the council and the people who pay for it.)

Anyhow, here’s what’s proposed, according to Greenwich planning:

Demolition of existing warehouse building (9,625 sq.m.) and the erection of a part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5 and part 6 storey building comprising 209 flats (99 x 1-beds; 63 x 2-beds; 44 x 3-beds and 3 x 4-beds), three live/work units (299.3 sq.m.) together with offices (469.1 sq.m.) and associated basement car-parking for 169 vehicles and the provision of external landscaping.

That’s parking for 169 vehicles, all meant to use Fairthorn Road. Which, I repeat, is tiny. Because the Thorn site will be separated from the Victoria Way side of the old trading estate, there’ll be no access there. A ramp would be built to link Fairthorn Road with the new development, risking the character of this quiet corner of Charlton. All in all it’s a very closed-off corner of the world, surrounded by an industrial estate, two railway lines, the Blackwall Tunnel approach and the backs of houses, with only one way in or out. On its own, it’s hard to see the Thorn site looking like a desirable place to live.

The present economic climate means it may be a while before we see movement on this land. It’s likely, however, that sooner or later, this old industrial land will fall to redevelopment. So perhaps we should be a little more proactive with this? Can’t this site become London’s first car-free community? If the whole Victoria Trading Estate becomes available – and that would involve moving Squirrel Storage to somewhere suitable – this could become a serious option.

The full site is fantastically located for public transport – midway between Charlton and Westcombe Park rail stations and with a whole heap of bus services nearby. Opening up the whole site for redevelopment also means Victoria Way can also be used for access, taking pressure off Fairthorn Road. It’d double the number of homes that could be built – but would also mean the site would be big enough for a proper community where people took precedence over cars, giving them – and their neighbours – a more peaceful lifestyle.

What do you think? Clearly it’s only an initial thought, and one that’s partly borne out of bafflement with what’s going on at the old Thorn site. If you know any more about the comings and goings there, I’d be grateful to hear it. One day, though, that land is likely to see homes built on it – and it’s time we seriously thought about the kind of thing we want to see there, and how we’re going to achieve it, instead of leaving it to developers with their eyes on making a quick killing.

If you want further details of Galliard Homes’ proposals for the Thorn site in Charlton, use use the Greenwich planning department’s search page and look for reference 07/1725/F.

PERHAPS the most important result outside the top two divisions so far was at Elland Road, when Charlton took just a point from Leeds.

Perhaps it’s too soon to be billing that game as a title decider but, to my way of thinking, that’s exactly what it was.

Leeds are by far and away the strongest side in the division and the Addicks might well regret their failure to rein in Leeds’ early lead, even just a little, more than they might currently suppose.

League 1 seems to become more competitive with every passing week, particularly in terms of the resurgence of the three former Premier League sides relegated last season.

Charlton have already caught the eye this season, pressing Leeds at the top of the table, but Norwich and Southampton increasingly look like they might have a say on what happens at the top of the table, even if they might not be making their own claims for promotion.

The Outlook Index and our forecasted final table show the position nicely, with Leeds a country mile ahead at the moment.

They are currently also the most in-form side with an impressive +11 Trend figure, the highest in the division.

Taken with their 24-point advantage on the  Index ratings, Leeds, as I’ve already said at least twice this season, are as close to nailed on for the League 1 title as any side in England at the moment – even if, as we discovered this week, we don’t actually know who owns the fallen Yorkshire giants.

The notional battle for second place also has its fair share of fallen big boys with Leeds and Norwich both seeking an immediate return to the Championship.

Southampton are the exception, given that they have had to clear the ten-point deduction they received for going into administration.

On the plus side, like fellow south coasters Portsmouth, in the short term at least, they seem to have staved off the threat of closure.

Looking at the Index ratings at the end of last season, it’s interesting to see how each has fared since dropping down, without the distortion of the league table to mess with our perspective of current affairs.

Given the state these sides were in at the end of last season, they must all be fairly pleased with the first part of their seasons.

Norwich might have lost a manager along the way but the worry for all three clubs must have been that after dropping into the mire, they would have kept on falling, a scenario that does not currently appear likely.

However, that form has largely been a continuation of what we saw at the end of last season when Charlton, despite relegation, actually ended the campaign with a +6 Trend figure.

For the other two sides the picture was more cloudy.

Even now, Southampton are labouring with a negative Trend figure which will probably prevent them recovering from the points deficit fast enough to reach the play-offs.

But, while they remain anchored to the bottom of the table, the conversation among less evolved types is always going to be about whether they can avoid a second successive relegation.

My points forecast is quite conclusive in its finding that the Saints will not start next year in League 2 which makes me wonder if there’s a chance to lay them to go down.

Liquidity is low in this markets but there has been plenty of short money matched on them dropping and I can still see the opportunity to oppose Saints for the drop at around 6.