Fireworks on the Heath

A little short notice but you'd probably heard bonfire night (now without bonfires for health and safety reasons) was on its way.  Somewhat jumping the gun(powder), Lewisham will be hosting its annual firework display a couple of days early - Saturday night, 3 November.  There's a fair starting at 4pm, food from 5pm, and the fireworks will begin at 8pm.  More details HERE

Since Greenwich Council have stopped joint funding of the display, Lewisham is once again asking for donations (HERE) so that the royally deprived citizens of Greenwich Borrow Council can get a peek for free.  So, if you climb up the hill onto the heath via Greenwich, spare a thought for the needy scurrying out of their hovels in Hyde Vale, Crooms Hill and Point Hill to steal a glimpse of the spectacle.

In other loosely connected news, Edenbridge has chosen who to burn as their guy.  Not George Osborne - too boring; not Jimmy O'BEast Savile, whose name was removed from the candidate list.  Not even Abu Hamza managed to  get the role.  In recognition of his disservices to cycling, Lance Armstrong will be their effigy of the year.

Fireworks display – with a military twist

As we posted here a couple of weeks ago after a tip-off from a reader who keeps an eye on Port of London 'notices to mariners', there will be a fireworks display lasting about 10 minutes from barges positioned mid-stream in Greenwich Reach off the Old Royal Naval College tomorrow, Saturday 5th May at 9.45pm.

We've been wondering what celebration might be taking place. We may now have our answer. Can it have something to do with HMS Ocean coming to Greenwich? There are always a few crackers going off when the Navy are in town...

Here is the Navy's largest ship navigating down the Thames around midday today. Click here to see the BBC video.

The BBC reports: A large-scale exercise to test the military contribution to the Olympics security effort has been taking place. Tests of air defence missile systems at six sites across London using dummy armaments have begun. And Typhoon jets, based at RAF Northolt in west London, will take to the skies over south-east England with Lynx, Sea King and Puma helicopters.

Exercise Olympic Guardian, which goes on until 10 May, will also see HMS Ocean sail to Greenwich in the capital. Military chiefs have warned residents of an increase in loud air activity.

Er...no they haven't.

Meanwhile, the Blackheath Bugle has been keeping a wary eye on the Blackheath Missiles and has alerted us to this scary BBC video, filmed yesterday when the army demonstrated their weapons capability on our lovely heath.

Also see our March 20th post about the military build up in Greenwich.