Blackfen & Eltham Chronicle September 2008

The 3rd annual Coldharbour Tenants and Residents Association Fun Day helped mark the official unveiling of the newly revamped Queens Park in Altash Way, Eltham. The revamp was funded thanks to the Friends of Queen Park group who successfully applied for a £27,000 grant from Greenwich Council to help upgrade the leisure and sporting facilities in the park for local residents. In addition to the completely refurbished tennis courts, the park also now boasts newly-installed football goals as well as kissing gates which allow free access to the park, a feature which has already contributed to increased usage of the area. Activities included a free bouncy castle and free face painting, as well as impressive demonstrations from both the local Primary Care Trust Active for Health Tai Chi class and the local Karate club. A football coach from Charlton Athletic FC was also on hand to provide training tips and words of advice while Charity organisations including Dogs for the Blind, The Anthony Nolan Trust, The Mary Dolly Foundation and St Albans Church were in attendance to raise money for their respective causes. Deputy Mayor of Greenwich Allan McCarthy, who was joined by Ward members to officially declare the park open, said, “The new facilities are a great boost for the area and I’m sure many local residents will share that view. ” Chronicle Blackfen & Eltham September 2008 T h e Vo i c e o f B l a c k f e n & E l t h a m 40p Where Sold Your Local! NEWS • MOVIES • THEATRE • MOTORING • LIFESTYLE SEPTEMBERwww. bexleychronicle. com 26 Movies20 Motoring16 Competition W. UDEN & SONS LTD FUNERAL DIRECTORS The Family Business that still offers a personal service. Est 1881 ELTHAM 51-53 Passey Place, SE9 5DA 020 8850 2868 *24 Hour Service Branches also at: Petts Wood, Biggin Hill, Dulwich, Forest Hill, Sidcup, New Cross & Camberwell Unmissable! All empty offices must pay rates! Property consultant Peter Simons who owns Prospect House and Tudor Cottages in Foots Cray is furious with the government for changing the law so that all empty offices must now pay National Non-Domestic rates with no exceptions. He has written to Privy Councillor the Rt. Hon John Hutton who is the Secretary for State for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform asking him to explain how he is supposed to finance the payment of rates when there is at present no demand for small office space. Neither can he sell his property because there is no market for such premises! He is now questioning whether it is official government policy to completely destroy small businesses like his or have they not thought through the consequences of their actions? Call free 0800 163 186 53 The Oval, Sidcup, Kent, DA15 9ER 5 Lessness Ave. , Bexleyheath, Kent, DA7 5SH *Summer Specials* on Alternators, Batteries & Starter Motors Cutting the cost of Summer repairs Batteries for every make of car BRAKE DISCS AND DISC PADS AT LOW PRICES ELTHAM COUNTERFEIT ‘FACTORY’ CLOSEDThousands of counterfeit DVDs - including latest Hollywood blockbusters like ‘The Dark Knight’ and ‘Wall-E’, have been seized in the closure of a big pirate “factory” in Eltham. Police officers from Eltham West Safer Neighbourhoods team and the Borough Intelligence Unit - working with FACT (Federation Against Copyright Theft) and Greenwich Council - raided the factory in Crossmead Road. Over 200 DVD burning trays were confiscated together with other equipment and several thousand DVDs ready to be despatched. The counterfeit DVDs, sold for approximately £3 each, are known to generate substantial criminal profits for those involved in their production. Detective Inspector Chris Mayle said: “The police, together with FACT and Greenwich Council are being successful in eradicating a substantial number of DVD factories present in the borough. Those who produce and those who buy counterfeit DVDs are contributing to a wider criminal network. I would strongly advise members of the public buying counterfeit DVDs to think twice about doing so. ” To report the manufacture or sale of counterfeit DVDs, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or contact your local Safer Neighbourhood team. New look at Eltham’s Queens Park To Advertise call 01332 874731 WIN TICKETS TO LEGOLAND!