Blackheath & Greenwich Park Walk 2025

 

Off message but this photo college is from an amended 5 mile walk, Gill and I did on Sunday 30 November 25. 

It was a walk we have sort of done before but we started in the Isle of Dogs, then took the free foot tunnel to Greenwich (always an interesting experience) then walked up past the Cutty Sark and the old Royal Observatory, through the park and out of Blackheath Gate (see plaque to Cornish rebels defeated by Henry VII forces in 1497) and came back to do circuit of the park. 

Past the deer park (see plaque to former slave and the first black man known to vote in a British election, Ignatius Sancho) and returned to Greenwich by the Royal Naval College buildings for lunch. Afterward back to Island Gardens via the tunnel.

The weather was glorious. Cold but blue skies and plenty of sunshine. When the weather is so good, I don't believe you can have a better walk inside London. 

Cycling to Cutty Sark

 

Off message. I decided to try and ditch my "fair weather only" cycling reputation by biking in the winter gloom and cold to the Cutty Sark in Greenwich. My favourite route to the south of the borough is via West Ham Park and the Greenway. Across the A13 footbridge into Beckton Park, then Royal Albert Quay then past the Tate and Lyle factory. 

I took the Woolwich Ferry from Pier Road in Newham to Woolwich. I like using the ferry whenever I have the time. You get a free boat trip (okay - only 10 minutes or so) and some great views of the Thames. 

Next a 20 minute bike ride to Greenwich. The Cutty Sark is obviously closed due to Covid restrictions but it was good to see her again. I was meeting an old friend who I hadn't seen in months for a takeaway coffee and walk in the fresh air. 

To our surprise the "Trafalgar Pub" was still open and serving drinks. You had to text or email your order and they brought outside the beer in plastic cups (with lids). It would have been rude not too. 

After a short stroll and gossip (aka putting the world to rights) I cycled back via the Greenwich foot tunnel (entrance right next to Cutty Sark). Luckily both lifts, south and north, were working. The tunnel comes out in Island Gardens, Tower Hamlets. 

From there I went through the Isle of Dogs and then along the Thames path and the Grand Union canal towpath until Victoria Park. Then through the park and along towpath towards Hackney wick, through Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and finally back home via side streets. 

My phone battery died on route so I am not sure how how long or how far I cycled but I think over 10 miles. But it is pretty flat and if pushed for time you could do a more direct route by main road cycle lanes. 

From London UNISON Regional Secretary to London Labour Councillor

Last week I went to a packed out retirement function for UNISON Regional Secretary, Linda Perks. This is her leaving message to staff and members.

“I write to advise that I will be retiring from UNISON on 30 September after working for the union for over 34 years and being a member since 1979. As many of you know, I came to the Greater London as a Regional Organiser in 1990 and, following working in the South East, Head Office and East Midlands, returned as Regional Secretary in 2004. 

 I have very much enjoyed my time in the region, and greatly appreciate the support given to me by so many of our activists, branch officers, senior lay members and staff. Together we have worked hard to build and sustain strong trade union organisation in London’s public services, and I believe we have been successful in building a union to be proud of. 

I will remain a retired member and intend to continue being active in the Labour Party, so hopefully our paths may cross in the future. Steps are being taken to fill my post, in the meantime Stephanie Thomas will continue in the role of Acting Regional Secretary. Any queries should be sent via Nick Turnbull.

 With very best wishes, 

 Yours Sincerely 
 Linda Perks” 

 Our UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis was there and spoke about the debt that UNISON owed Linda for her dedication and service to the union. He tweeted “Absolutely packed house to thank Linda Perks, one of our longest serving regional secretaries. We will all miss her”

I read out a message of thanks from Yvonne Green, the UNISON London Regional convenor (who was aboard on holiday), to Linda and I also told a little known tale of her cleansing the route of trade union marches in London from unnecessary litter.

 We will miss Linda but wish her well in her retirement and having been recently selected as a Labour Councillor candidate in Greenwich, wish her well in the 2018 elections and we will watch this space.

West Ham Ward Cable Car Beano

Off message a little but just to prove that not all Labour Party events take place in dusty meeting rooms or involve knocking on doors with clip boards. 

We normally hold our Party ward (or branch) meetings the first Thursday of the month. This month we decided to hold a summer social event instead and take the Emirates Cable Car which goes across the river Thames to Greenwich. 

We met at the new Abbey Road Docklands Light Railway station which is just outside our ward.  While waiting for others to join us, we had a quick tour of the nearby magnificent Abbey Gardens. 

By 7pm 10 of us had turned up (including comrades from Plaistow North ward). I was stopped on the station platform by 2 tourists who asked me where "The Beatles" Zebra crossing was? I had to tell them that they were at the wrong Abbey Road and the one they want is near St Johns Wood station. This is quite a common mistake here. I was also once stopped by an American tourist at Stratford station who asked which way was it to "Shakespeare house"?

The nearest station for the cable car was Royal Victoria. The Dock and the Cable station was extremely impressive. Only £3.20 one way. Cabins normally took 10 people but it was a bit windy so we were restricted to 6. There was no queue and you just walked onto the cabin. 

I have never been on this ride before. Our oldest ward member 84 year old Gerry had never been in a cable car before in his life! The view during the journey over Newham and East London was superb. Visibility was excellent. At Greenwich we had a few drinks, missed the last Cable Car back (9pm) then took a train on the Jubilee line to Stratford, then off to the Jamie Oliver Restaurant at Westfield shopping centre for a late meal and lots of hot air putting the world to rights. It was a good evening.  

Cornish Rebellion 1497 and the Battle of Blackheath

A few weeks ago I went on a Sunday walk from the Isle of Dogs, under the Greenwich tunnel and then around Greenwich. To my surprise I came across this slate memorial plaque in Blackheath.

It remembers the leaders of the Cornish Rebellion of 1497.   Michael Joseph, a blacksmith  (An Gof) and a lawyer, Thomas Flaman.

Astonishingly there was a battle near this spot between a rebel army from Cornwall and the army of King Henry V11. The rebellion was sparked off by taxes being levied in breach of traditional rights and a 10,000 strong army marched all the way from Cornwall to demand the King changes his mind.

He didn't and his 25,000 army with heavy artillery routed the rebels.

The leaders were executed at Tyburn (now site of Marble Arch).

Is this a precursor to the "No taxation without Representation" of the American Revolution?

It is amazing what history you just happen to stumble across.

London Marathon 2012: Never, Ever Again!

This is a picture of me this morning in Greenwich Park just before the London Marathon 2012. The calm before the storm. I did the London marathon in 2002 and swore afterwards never to do it ever again. But last year I thought "it wasn't that bad? surely its time to do another one". So I stupidly applied for a place via my employer with the Homeless Charity helping young people called "Alone in London".

The London Marathon is a great event. I would encourage everyone to take part (once) but 26.2 miles is a long, long way. Today it went okay for the first 13 miles then my legs went on industrial action and a "go slow". They refused to do what I wanted them to do. The only way I could get any speed up was by waving my arms like a cross country skier. Which didn't get
me that far.

I ran the London marathon in 2002 in 4 hours 24 minutes and the same thing happened then at the 20 mile mark. So I knew what to expect. I kept "running" (aka slow shuffle) and eventually finished 5 hours 37 minutes. Which was really slow but such is life as this is the last time I will ever run a marathon again ever! If in 2022 I say "hmmm...surely it wasn't that bad"... everyone has permission to shoot me or enrol me in the Young Conservatives ...since it was, it was :)

I simply didn't train enough long distance and I think I should have done more road running rather than footpaths.

On the plus side the weather was warm and sunny nearly all the way. The crowds of Londoner's lining the route were fantastic and they were really supportive. At Surrey Quays there was a UNISON support station where I got a free Fruit pastille from Cadet Swing. In the Isle of Dogs I met one of my fellow School Governors and her family.

Sometimes people were a little harsh on those who at the time were walking  rather than "running" but I think it was meant well.  Mind you I would have been faster if I ran/walked instead of shuffled.

It was I admit a bit embarrassing to be "speared" and then overtaken by runners dressed in Rhino costumes!  Also at the end I was running alongside someone dressed in a heavy (and must have been hot) Womble Costume. I thought that I must beat him to the finish. But he kept increasing his speed. However, he was distracted by a group of excited young female spectators and stopped to say hello to them giving me the chance to steam (slowly) past and cross the finishing line. Result!

You can still donate to "Alone in London" by clicking below or you can send me an email with a pledge. I will keep this open for the next couple of weeks.

Lunchtime visit to Greenwich LG UNISON office

Recently I went on a visit to the UNISON office in Greenwich Council Headquarters with Gloria Hanson. Gloria is of course the longstanding elected UNISON Regional Convenor for London while I am part of her Regional Council Officer team as the elected Finance Convenor. Both of us are lay activists and by co-incidence have worked in local government in East London for many years.

The Greenwich Local Government branch was a few weeks ago put into what is called “supervision” by the UNISON National Executive Committee. This followed in part the finding of a UNISON NEC discipline panel that the Greenwich branch secretary (and 3 others in separate London branches) should be suspended from office for two years due to misconduct. These charges had been investigated beforehand by lay UNISON NEC members who had recommended that there was a case to answer. After the exhaustive disciplinary hearing elected lay NEC members decided that the case was proven and that the members should be suspended from holding any UNISON office for 3-4 years. There was an appeal which was heard by elected UNISON lay members from Service Group Executives who upheld the decision but reduced the suspension from 3- to 2 years.

The former Greenwich branch secretary had taken part in an Employment tribunal case against UNISON with the others and claimed that the union had discriminated against him over this matter due only to his “Marxist/Trotskyite beliefs”. After two separate exhaustive hearings and thousands of pages of evidence and witnesses the tribunal unanimously found against the Greenwich branch secretary and the 3 others. The tribunal completely dismissed all their allegations against the union. Not only that but the tribunal found that the applicants politics beliefs to be fundamentally (section 130) “undemocratic” and to hold authoritarian views which were (section 131) “incompatible with human dignity”. They also held (section 133) “extreme or repugnant views” and (section 135) these views were “not worthy of respect” in any democratic society.

At the Greenwich office Gloria and I were briefed by local UNISON area and regional officers who are supporting the branch during its supervision. There has been some weird and wonderful misinformation put about this supervision. Therefore we carefully checked all the desks in the UNSION office but could not find any Greenwich HR directors hiding underneath listening to all conversations. All the PC's and their hard discs seemed in place. Dawn in Greenwich took place this week at 6.04am (GMT) not 7.50am or 1.30pm

I also had the opportunity to speak to members about the supervision and any concerns they may have. To be quite frank none of the members I spoke to were even aware that the branch was in supervision and were just concerned about the employment issues they were facing and making sure they got good advice and representation. Other members I met were really pleased to meet their elected regional Council officers and asked why hadn’t Gloria and I hadn’t been and visited them before?

I told them that in the past any invite to us must have been eaten by the dog.

Strangely enough neither of us have a dog?

BROMLEY LG, GREENWICH LG & TENANT SERVICES AUTHORITY BRANCHES

"...the above branches were placed under regional supervision on Friday 5 March 2010.

Regional staff attended the offices of these branches following the NEC decision to place them under regional supervision due to the fact that they are not functioning effectively under UNISON rules.

The decision is taken under the following rules.

Rule D2.1. "The general management and control of the Union between National Delegate Conferences shall be vested in the National Executive Council… It shall have full power and authority to act on behalf of the Union in every respect and for every purpose falling within the objects of the Union. …"

Rule G8.3.3. "An employed official is also entitled to visit a branch where it appears to the General Secretary or the Regional Secretary that a branch may no longer be functioning effectively."

The objectives of supervision are to:

• ensure members obtain effective support and representation

• ensure the branch functions within the unions rules and the union is protected from legal challenge

• work with members, stewards and branch officers to review and establish effective branch and workplace organisation

The practical arrangements in place are as follows:

• the Regional Organiser has become the Branch Secretary on a pro temp basis

• existing branch officers remain in post working under the direction of the Regional Organiser

• decision making functions of the branch required under rule will be taken by branch stewards working under the direction of the region.

• the Regional Organiser will be required to make quarterly reports to the D&O Committee

• supervision will be lifted once the D&O Committee is satisfied that the branch is functioning effectively again under rule

I understand that some reports have been circulated alleging these branches were subject to ‘dawn raids’, seizure of computer hard drives and case files. This is not the case. Regional Staff attended all three branches to provide support and assistance, to secure the assets of the union and ensure that support and services to members are maintained.

Members in the branches concerned are being kept fully informed of developments".

(In the light of the deliberately inaccurate and blatant untruths being put out about these branches who have been put into supervision - this is the truth about the matter. No "dawn raids" no "seizures" and all within union rules.  This advice was sent out to all regional branch secretaries and Committee Chairs. Check out this about the ET judgement JG)