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Greenwich news and information

Greenwich Named As Swine Flu Hotspot

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Latest figures on Swine Flu show that Greenwich has become one of the country’s hotspots for the virus. Statistics produced by Nottingham University’s Division of Primary Care today say that the borough of Greenwich is currently third in the country when it comes to reported cases of swine flu per 100,000 people.

Greenwich has an infection rate of 441 suspected cases per 100,000 people. Neighbouring Lewisham has a rate of 423.8  and England’s most affected borough is just over the Thames in Tower Hamlets where the rate is 792.4 per 100,000 people.

The news comes on the same day that the NHS in England has launched a new Swine Flu website and telephone service which allows suspected sufferers to get hold of anti viral drugs without visiting their GP.

Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson told the BBC today: “There is no evidence to suggest it is becoming more virulent. Most people with no underlying conditions will get over the flu perfectly well.

Symptoms of Swine Flu

  • sudden fever (a high body temperature of 38C/100.4F or above), and
  • sudden cough

Other symptoms may include:

  • headache,
  • tiredness,
  • chills,
  • aching muscles,
  • limb or joint pain,
  • diarrhoea or stomach upset,
  • sore throat,
  • runny nose,
  • sneezing, and
  • loss of appetite.

Get more information about Swine Flu

Are you worried about Swine Flu? Do you feel like you’ve been given enough information? Post your comments below.

Council Promises 250 New Local Jobs

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Greenwich Council has announced that it will create 250 jobs exclusively for local people.

The 12 month initiative was agreed by the Council’s Cabinet against a backdrop of rising unemployment, and will see jobs created for street cleaners, environmental workers, enforcement officers and neighbourhood wardens.

The new positions are being financed by the the Government’s Working Neighbourhoods Fund, and will only be available to local residents. Applicants for the new positions are invited to attend one of three open days around the borough and will need to prove they are a resident of the borough of Greenwich.

Do you think the council is doing enough to help local people during the recession? What else would you like to see them do? Add your comments below.

Recruitment Open Days

Woolwich Public Hall (behind the Town Hall in Wellington Street)
Tuesday 28th July, 10am-4pm
 
Millennium Suite, Charlton Athletic FC
Thursday 30th July, 10am – 4pm
 
Eltham Green School
Tuesday 4th August, 10am-4pm
 
People who wish to attend must call 020 8921 5800 to book an appointment, or they can drop in. They must bring proof of their address, their national insurance number, PLUS a valid passport OR a UK birth certificate

Parks Recognised With Green Flag Awards

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Greenwich has again been well respresented in the annual Green Flag Awards that recognise and reward the nation’s best parks and green spaces.

Greenwich Park and East Greenwich Pleasaunce both received the prestigious award.  Elsewhere in the borough, Sutcliffe Park and Well Hall Pleasaunce also received the thumbs up from the Green Flag Award scheme.

What they said about Greenwich Park:

The Park forms a key part of the Greenwich Maritime World Heritage Site; it contains and is surrounded by numerous listed buildings and monuments, forming one of the most important architectural set pieces in the world.  The views from the Park are stunning and include a spectacular panorama of the City of London, Docklands, the Dome and the River Thames.

What they said about East Greenwich Pleasaunce:

East Greenwich Pleasuance is a delightful park in the centre of a residential area in East Greenwich. Surrounded by a high brick wall making it a true ‘secret garden’ in a tranquil setting.

Housing Minister Ian Austin said: “I want to congratulate everyone involved in the creation and upkeep of these award winning green spaces. It’s obvious from the number of winners we have this year that green spaces across England and Wales are continuing to improve at an impressive rate. I’d also like to thank all the volunteer judges who continue to make this scheme possible.”.

What are you favourite parks and green spaces in the area?


View Green Flag Awards in Greenwich borough in a larger map

Greenwich Pensioner Found Murdered At Home

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A 79 year old man from Greenwich was found dead at his home by police on Sunday.  The man, identified as Edward Highwood, died from head injuries.

Police entered the pensioner’s home in Hollymount Close on Sunday to find him already dead. A murder investigation has been launched by Greenwich Police.

Det Insp Steve Warrilow said: “We must retain an open mind regarding motive and are trying to establish whether anything was stolen from the house.” .

Mr Highwood was last seen alive on Friday. Anyone with any information regarding this should contact Greenwich Police.

Review: Pistachios in the Park

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Pistachios in the Park

After a knockabout on the tennis courts of Greenwich Park yesterday, myself and a chum decided to forego our “usual” – a Park Porker or a butter-less Bacon Butty from the Honest Sausage – and instead wandered over to the recently opened Pistachios in the Park in East Greenwich Pleasaunce.

Much care and thought has been put into the design of the building, with architects Jo Watkins and Alexander Sedgely aiming to deliver a building that is as environmentally friendly as possible. The green roof of the cafe has meadow plants growing on top of it, which apparently increases insulation and becomes a haven for butterflies and insects.

Solar energy is being harnessed to provide underfloor heating and also hot water in the cafe and toilets – yes, there are now toilets in the Pleasaunce. The green credentials seem to be something of an attraction because last time I was in the Pleasaunce, a couple stopped me in their car and asked me where the new “eco cafe” was – though one has to wonder if driving around in search of an eco cafe is a little contradictory.

When I turned up at Pistachios, I was really just looking for an apres-tennis snack and didn’t have my reviewer’s hat on, or indeed have a proper camera with me. I’m no Michael Winner at the best of times, but I had a tuna, mayo and salad baguette that was delicious. My friend had a similar filling but in a white bread sandwich. Those, together with two teas came in at just over £8 which seemed more than reasonable. If I was looking for something to be critical about, I would say that both mine and my friend’s teas weren’t very hot.

Service was great and very friendly – the owner of the cafe, Lizzie, came out and was chatting to us about how things have gone since she opened. Apparently they’ve seen a brisk trade since opening, which is good to hear because it’s a new business that deserves to do well. If you’re passing the Pleasaunce, I’d certainly recommend you go check out Pistachios for a decent snack in peaceful surroundings. Oh, and if you have a Wifi phone or laptop with you, there’s free wireless internet available – the password is written on the menu board at the back of the cafe.

Have you been to Pistachios in the Park yet? Share you thoughts in the comments section.

Greenwich Boy Causes Social Media Stir on Work Experience

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A 15 year old boy from Greenwich has become the buzz of the business world after a work experience stint at Morgan Stanley, based in Canary Wharf.

Matthew Robson, a pupil at Kidbrooke School, wrote a research paper titled “How Teenagers Consume Media” in which he wrote that teengers aren’t interested in Twitter (they would sooner use Facebook), prefer streaming music sites to the radio (and are reluctant to pay for music) and apparently rate Sony Ericsson mobile phones as the best within a teenager’s budget.

The briefing note, which owes to more to anecdotal evidence amongst Matthew’s circle of friends than detailed statistical analysis, has apparently been a smash hit with analysts and investors keen to know what teenagers think. Matthew’s research has been reported upon by news organisations around the world, including Australia’s News.com.au and the San Francisco Chronicle.

According to the Times, the work experience came about after Matthew’s family dog became friendly with the dog of a Senior Analyst at Morgan Stanley in Greenwich Park. Matthew is now considering a career in investment banking.

Park Protesters Meet To Discuss Next Steps

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Opponents of plans for the 2012 Equestrian events to be held in Greenwich Park held a meeting at the Forum@Greenwich in Trafalgar Road last week to discuss the next steps in their campaign.

Issues discussed at the NOGOE (No to Greenwich Olympic Equestrian Events) meeting included advertising restrictions on local traders near to the venue, enforceable under the Olympics Act 2006, and also a possible partial closure of the park again the year after the Olympics to allow for re-seeding where the temporary 23,000 seater stadium will have been erected.

The protest group also put forward the idea that if the events were not held in Greenwich Park, it could still form part of the games by being a location for large TV screens for viewing all of the events from an iconic location.

NOGOE have so far collected 6,000 signatures against the plans, and appealed to supporters to assist with further signature collections and even a possibly rally which might include a human ring around the park.

Sev D’Souza from NOGOE tells Greenwich.co.uk that they do not yet consider this to be a done deal, and they believe that LOCOG has a “plan B” which they could be forced to adopt if there are enough protests.

Meanwhile, Greenwich Council has called on LOCOG to ensure that they consult local people over possible road closures.  The Government has published the Olympic Route Network (ORN) – roads that could be closed whilst the games take place – which includes 44 roads in the borough of Greenwich.

Cllr Roberts, said, “”It’s crucial that the Olympic agencies take into account the views of local residents and businesses – who are after all the ones who will be most affected – before finalising their transport plans. Local people should be reassured that the Council will not support any proposals that fail to reflect local concerns.”

HCA Gives Cash Boost To Greenwich Developments

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The London board of the Homes and Communities Agency has announced a cash injection worth £32 million to kickstart stalled developments projects in the borough of Greenwich.

The HCA has allocated just over £30 million to the first phase of the Kidbrooke Regeneration project where 456 new homes will be provided by Berkeley Homes and Southern Housing Group.

£2 million will be used for the first phase of new housing delivered by Bellway Homes and London & Quadrant Housing Trust at Greenwich Peninsula. Greenwich Council is working closely with the HCA and its partners on both sites.

The Mayor of London, and Chair of the HCA’s London Board, Boris Johnson, said: “This further funding from London’s housing budget will deliver more urgently needed affordable homes, create jobs to support the capital’s economy during the downturn and transform the quality of life for thousands of Londoners.

Councillor Says Sorry Over Weeds

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You may have noticed that the streets of Greenwich have been far from weed-free. Darryl over at 853 certainly noticed it, and a debate sprung up (a bit like the weeds) over whose responsibility it is to keep the streets clean.

Councillor Mary Mills – the emailing, blogging and even tweeting Councillor – sent out a statement this week from Cllr Maureen O’Mara – the cabinet member for Neighbourhood Services.

“Weed growth and its control has proved to be a real problem this year. We are doing our best to deal with this issue and can only apologise to residents for this happening. I could blame the EU for new regulations that stipulate we have to use a new weed removal spray, meaning it takes longer to get rid of weeds, but I do not intend to do that. We have not cleared weeds as quickly as we should have this year and I apologise to residents for that. We are putting more resources into weed control to ensure that the remaining weeds are dealt with swiftly and that we tackle any regrowth very quickly. I will do my best to make sure that this.”