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Greenwich news and information

Sign of the times: two Greenwich shops announce closures

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A FLORIST in West Greenwich has shut its doors after ten years.

La Fleur on Royal Hill closed for good on September 1st. The florist-cum-tea shop was this week selling off its catering equipment and emptying the shop.

A notice in the window said:

“We would like to thank our most loyal and wonderful customers who have shared this decade with us – our own extended ‘family.’

“We will remember you with fondness and love.”

Another local independent business has also announced its impending closure.

A sign has gone up in the window of Stitches & Daughters telling customers that the “lifestyle boutique” is to close this “Autumn/Winter.” A sign in the shop window reads:

“It’s difficult to run a small independent business under the best of conditions, and the past couple of years have been challenging… the current economic conditions have prompted me to pursue my business ambitions in an alternative direction.”

A planning application has been submitted to Greenwich Council for permission to change the shop at 3 Greenwich South Street into an estate agents.

La Fleur closure notice

Stitches & Daughters

iPads and laptops stolen from John Roan School

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THOUSANDS of pounds worth of brand new IT equipment has been stolen from John Roan School.

With just days to go until the start of the new school year, thieves have made off with SIXTY-FIVE boxed Apple iPads.

The criminals also snatched sixty-five HP laptops and seven Samsung netbook computers.

Officer in the case Karl Buckwell said; “The items stolen amount to a significant value and are likely to be sold either via the Internet, pawn shops or to people who are unaware that they are buying stolen goods. If you saw or heard anything suspicious on the day of the burglary please contact us.

“Perhaps you may have come across someone who has recently been trying to sell a large number of electrical items at significantly reduced prices and have become suspicious. All items have a distinctive ‘capita’ tag which can not be removed”.

Anyone with information should ring DC Karl Buckwell, Plumstead Police Station, Burglary Squad on 0208 284 9449.

Paralympic flame to arrive in Greenwich

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LONDON 2012’s Paralympic flame will be carried through Greenwich tomorrow.

The torch will be taken along Creek Road tomorrow afternoon and is due to reach Cutty Sark Gardens by 4pm.

It will then be put aboard a boat and taken across the Thames to the Isle of Dogs. The vessel chosen to carry the flame is Havengore, famous for transporting the body of Churchill on the day of his funeral.

Councillor Chris Roberts, Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich said:

“It is absolutely fitting that the part of the Torch Relay which Royal Greenwich hosts will be so spectacular. It promises to be a wonderful sight and of course demonstrates our strong connections to maritime life on the river and our historic links to the monarchy – it will be a thrill to welcome the Havengore to Royal Greenwich for this important task.”

The torch will visit all of the host boroughs tomorrow before arriving at the Paralympics Opening Ceremony which has been co-directed by Bradley Hemmings from the Greenwich+Docklands International Festival.

Emergency services called to “unusual smell” in Greenwich Foot Tunnel

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Photo: Benb111

EMERGENCY services were called to an incident at Greenwich Foot Tunnel tonight.

Fire engines, ambulances and police response vehicles were in Cutty Sark Gardens as an “unusual smell” was reported in the tunnel.

Six fire engines were joined by a Scientific Support Unit outside the tunnel which is over a hundred years old and currently undergoing an extensive refurbishment.

Seven people were treated at the scene, reported the BBC, but none required hospital treatment.

A spokesperson for the London Fire Brigade confirmed they were called out at 19.09 to investigate an incident but it was later declared to be a “false alarm” by the Met’s Borough Commander.


Photo: Benb111

Mayor takes Schwarzenegger on Thames cable car

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THE Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has shown former Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger London’s newest river crossing.

The pair took to the skies on the Emirates Air Line cable car after first watching the USA’s Basketball team take Gold in the Basketball final at the North Greenwich Arena, as the Dome has been renamed for the duration of London 2012.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: “When Arnold said he would be back this summer, I had absolutely no reason to doubt him. Last year we took in the views around City Hall on two wheels, this year we’ve seen the entire skyline from what is without doubt a feat of Austro-British engineering.”

Austrian firm Doppelmayr was one of the companies that helped to construct London’s newest river crossing.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said: “Riding the Emirates Air Line, walking around the city with Boris, and seeing his dedication to creating great infrastructure to accommodate people from around the globe has been an unbelievable experience.”

The visit by Schwarzenegger, who features in new movie The Expendables 2, and the mayor of London came a day after the cable car recorded its busiest day since opening with 31,964 journeys. The £60 million cable car, which links North Greenwich with the Royal Docks,opened to the public in June.

Apartments proposed for old Westcombe Park police station

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WESTCOMBE Park’s former police station could be about to be turned into new homes.

A planning application has been submitted to Greenwich Council for permission to turn the old station in to flats.

Dulwich-based developer Burmbak Ltd has applied to create nine new 2-bedroom apartments at the red-brick building on the corner of Combedale Road and Westcombe Hill.

The station closed as a front counter over a decade ago but was used until last year as a base for the Peninsula Safer Neighbourhood Team, now located at Greenwich police station on Royal Hill.

The former police station had been costing the Met almost £72k per year to keep open prior to its sale.

View planning application

Metro Drag Race 2012

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Metro’s charity Drag Race returns to the streets of Greenwich on August 18th and will be started by the mayor and ward councillor, David Grant.

Participants must wear drag and Drag Queens are required to wear a heel of at least 2 inches. Drag Kings must sport facial hair. Prizes will be awarded for the winning Drag King and Drag Queen of the race as well as the best drag ensembles and most money raised.

The Race will start from the Prince of Greenwich pub on Royal Hill and will take in Royal Hill, Hyde Vale, King George Street and Point Hill with live entertainment, barbecue, raffle and stalls taking participants and supporters through the evening.

Hugh Wright, Head of Fundraising said:

In this important year for London, we want to make METRO Drag Race 2012 the best ever and we are encouraging everyone across the capital to get involved by registering to take part, sponsoring participants and promoting the event to others via Twitter, Facebook and any other way you can. Please feel free to use our hashtag #MetroDragRace2012 and get on board to support our work providing health, community and youth services.

To register to take part contact Hugh by emailing hugh@metrocentreonline.org or by calling 020 8305 5000 x.148

Greenwich Park hosts Olympic cross country event

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AFTER years of argument and planning, Greenwich Park today witnessed the cross country stage of London 2012 Equestrian Eventing.

On the only day of the Olympics that the entire park was closed, 50,000 spectators watched on from busy vantage points along the course and from inside the temporary arena.

With millions watching on television, the sunny weather played its part to ensure that the venue looked stunning as cable cameras tracked high above Greenwich Park, first enclosed nearly 600 years ago.

It was a good day for Team GB, with three riders – including the Queen’s granddaughter, Zara Phillips – completing the ride within the course time of 10m 3s.

The cross country stage follows two days of dressage in the temporary stadium where swathes of empty seats, in common with other venues, were witnessed on TV.

The venue was also hit by a lack of food supplies early within the sessions on Saturday and Sunday with many spectators taking to Twitter complaining they had nothing to eat and couldn’t leave the venue and return.

A spokesperson for London 2012 told Greenwich.co.uk that “measures have been taken” in response to the food shortages.

Greenwich Park almost completely closed for a month

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WITH THE start of London 2012 just weeks away, Greenwich Park is now almost completely closed.

The park is inaccessible to the public, with the exception of the children’s playground area and the majority of the Flower Garden, until August 4th.

It will be closed in its entirety on July 30th – the day of the cross country event which will see 50,000 spectators in the park.

The park’s tennis courts have been closed until September 8th.

Parts of the park will start to reopen from early August and by the second week of September, the park would have fully reopened apart from the area where the main arena has been built and either side of the Avenue near to St Mary’s Gate.

The Avenue through the park will reopen to traffic from October 2nd.

Waitrose confirmed for Greenwich Reach development

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A NEW branch of Waitrose is set to open in Greenwich next year.

The long-rumoured opening has been confirmed by Legal & General’s property division who are funding the development of the new supermarket.

The supermarket will be built at Galliard Homes’ New Capital Quay development and has been pre-let to Waitrose in a 25-year deal.

The new branch of Waitrose, voted the country’s favourite supermarket by Which? readers in 2010 and 2011, will measure up at 31,000 sq ft. Sainsbury’s Local in Greenwich is 2,700 sq ft and Sainsbury’s on the Peninsula is 56,000 sq ft.

There will be spaces for 150 cars at the development which is expected to be completed next Spring.

A planning application was recently submitted to Greenwich Council for a footbridge spanning Deptford Creek linking New Capital Quay with Millennium Quay