Latest news with #Blackheath
BBC News
17-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
'Rediscovered' mural to be restored and moved to primary school
A mural by a leading 20th Century London artist installed in a now-disused community centre in south London is to be moved to a local primary Mitchell, who was born in Maida Vale in 1925, has a body of work that ranges from a zoo in Qatar to the Egyptian escalator at who died in 2020 aged 94, was known for his public art in the UK, including Grade II listed works across London, as well as significant installations in the United a mural by the artist, "rediscovered" in Blackheath during preparatory work for the construction of new council homes, is to be restored. Greenwich Council said it worked with local residents, ward councillors and the Blackheath and Twentieth Century Societies to get funding from the Heritage of London Trust to pay for conservation and restoration of the the mural is thoroughly cleaned and restored it will be moved to Brooklands Primary School, close to the original council said pupils at the school will be taught about the techniques and technology used to restore artwork during the mural is currently in storage and will be installed at the school this Mitchell has more artworks listed on the National Heritage List for England than any other post-war include the fibreglass reliefs on the doors of Liverpool's Metropolitan Cathedral, a 1,000 ft (320m) long decorative cast concrete work on a wall at Kidderminster ring road and Clifton Cathedral's concrete Stations of the Cross.
The Sun
15-05-2025
- The Sun
Key tunnel used by thousands of commuters every week to close for 10 weeks for £10m upgrade after ‘repeated faults'
COMMUTERS are being warned to plan ahead as a major tunnel is set to close for 10 weeks due to repair works. Train journeys are expected to be disrupted from this Sunday May 18 until Sunday July 27, as work begins on the £10 million upgrade. The Blackheath tunnel's planned closure will affect passengers in south-east London travelling between Blackheath and Charlton. From Sunday, train services will be diverted via Greenwich and Bexleyheath for Network Rail to carry out their "essential repairs" on the 175-year-old Victorian structure. The closure comes on the same day as timetable changes are set for the Southeastern rail, so passengers are reminded to keep up to date with different services. Tunnel repair work will include replacing thousands of bricks and installing a new tunnel lining to stop water leaks, rebuilding the drainage systems, removal of 'wet beds' and waterlogged sections of the track. This work on the one-mile tunnel is said to mean less faults and delays for passengers in the long-term, as well as improve bumpy sections that passengers experience on the track. Around 1,000 minutes of delays are reported to have occurred for Southeastern passengers last year. Speaking for the Southeastern-Network Rail Alliance, Network Rail's Kent route director David Davidson said: "We know there's never a good time to close the railway, and that changes to services for a 10-week period is a long time. "These essential repairs will improve the safety and operation of the tunnel. 'We are carrying out the repairs over a series of 10-week closures because working in cramped and narrow tunnels is incredibly difficult." Extra routes will also run on the Woolwich line for connections to the Docklands Light Railway and Elizabeth line, as well as extra services on the Bexleyheath line. Around 3,500 passengers per week are estimated to travel between Lewisham and Abbey Wood through the Blackheath tunnel. This closure follows another 10-week shut down which occurred last year, where engineers cleaned soot from the tunnel lining, conducted detailed surveys, and replaced thousands of bricks. It also comes just days after a power outage struck London underground passengers in the south-west on Monday. Passengers on the Bakerloo, Waterloo and City lines were impacted as the lines were suspended, and no trains between London Bridge and Finchley Road on the Jubilee line were in operation. 1
Daily Mail
13-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Nick Ferrari falls victim to gang of 'keyless' car thieves as his brand new £60,000 Jeep Wrangler is stolen from his driveway
Nick Ferrari has had his brand new £60,000 Jeep stolen from outside his gated home in London. It is feared keyless car thieves may have used a device to unlock the LBC presenter's plush 4x4 before driving away without leaving a trace of evidence. Mr Ferrari, 66, told MailOnline it felt 'strangely personal' before praising Scotland Yard's response to the brazen theft. He said: 'While this in no way compares with being a victim of a personal or violent crime, and I'm not for a moment suggesting that, to open my gates, gain entry to the car without any smashing of glass or anything that left the slightest trace of evidence, is disturbing. 'The police have been hugely supportive and I've had both a phone call and an email. 'In this instance they couldn't be doing more. I just wish the bloody criminals were doing considerably less.' Mr Ferrari had left his home in Blackheath at 5pm on May 12 but to his horror found his black Jeep Wrangler Overland was gone from the driveway when he returned the next day. Has YOUR keyless car been stolen? Email 'As someone once sang, I love driving in my car… I really did. I'd be immensely grateful if anyone who has information could help,' he said. A spokesperson for the Met told MailOnline: 'On Tuesday, 13 May we received a report that a car had been stolen from outside a residential property in Blackheath. 'We are carrying out CCTV checks and house-to-house enquiries in the area. The investigation is ongoing.' Car thefts have spiralled to a 15-year high with experts blaming 'smart keys' that allow keyless access to a wide range of high-end vehicles. Armed with iPad-sized devices to emulate electronic fobs, thieves can open newer vehicles and drive away within seconds. New laws are set to ban electronic devices used to steal cars - with the people who make or sell signal jammers facing as much as five years in prison or an unlimited fine. Close to 130,000 car thefts were reported to the police in 2023/24, official statistics show, while more than 700,000 vehicles were broken into. This marked the highest toll since 2008/09, when criminals were more likely to pick locks or smash windows before hotwiring cars and speeding off. Although not all will have been by thieves using 'emulators', insurers say the trend is increasing. Official data shows an offender manipulates a signal from a remote locking device in 40 per cent of vehicles thefts. Admiral, the UK's largest motor insurer, said around two-thirds of cars stolen in 2023 were keyless. Terrifying CCTV footage has shown masked crooks, hidden by the cover of darkness, 'hacking' cars sat on their own driveway. Earlier this year, a man had his £25,000 Ford Ranger stolen after two keyless car thieves made off with it in the dead of night. Footage of the culprits revealed how they managed to steal the vehicle from the family driveway in less than 60 seconds. One thief swiftly made his way towards the car door while the other runs over to the front of the house, holding what appears to be a signal-scanning device. More shocking CCTV footage from March last year showed how thugs unlocked a Bentley Bentayga, which was parked in a gated driveway, using a 'master device' to copy the signals of the vehicle's keys and transmit them to a second device to open the car. After successfully gaining access to the vehicle, worth £169,000, one of the criminals then reverses the motor through two sets of fences in order to escape off the property. Perry Lovejoy, 29, Luke Jackson, 28, Billy Harrison, 30, and Harry Sales, 28, all admitted charges of conspiracy to steal and conspiracy to acquire criminal property. They were sentenced collectively to 12-and-a-half years behind bars. In December an organised crime gang which plundered luxury vehicles worth more than £215,000 were jailed for a total of more than 27 years. The gang targeted high value cars parked at luxury homes in multiple burglaries across Surrey. In 2023, police identified a series of residential burglaries which could be linked via a distinctive Audi A8 car, which was one of just 15 in the country. The gang would scope out a target vehicle and either commit a burglary to steal the keys or use illegal devices to gain keyless entry. Minister for Policing, Crime and Fire Prevention, Dame Diana Johnson said in March: 'These thefts have a devastating effect on victims, who need their vehicles to go about their everyday lives. 'We are aware of the real concerns people feel with the use of these electronic devices being so prolific. 'This is why we are introducing new laws focused on tackling this issue at source, which is what our Safer Streets mission and Plan for Change are all about. 'These new laws will prevent these devices from getting into the hands of thieves and organised crime groups. 'We will also continue to work closely with the National Police Chiefs' Council, which includes supporting their National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership, which brings together the police and manufacturers to clamp down on vehicle crime.'
BBC News
26-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Pirates bring in lock Etete until end of season
Cornish Pirates have bolstered their forward pack after signing 27-year-old lock Michael 6ft 7in forward moves to Pirates from National One side Blackheath on a deal until the end of the featured for Pirates in their friendly win over the Royal Navy earlier this month where he scored a try for the Championship has previously had time at Premiership side Bath, where he played played four Premiership Rugby Cup games in the 2022-23 season, and the Miami Sharks in Major League Rugby."Signing Mike gives us the opportunity to bolster the squad with his physical presence," Cornish Pirates coach Joe Walsh told the club website."His involvement in the Navy game was very positive. He looked good when the game opened up a bit, and he was very comfortable on the ball and running into space."As we look forward, we hope he can also impose himself, show more of what he has got, and push for a place in the matchday 23."
