Supported by our Twitter feed we have blogged on a wide range of subjects – politics, music, the arts, public services, crime, local talent; many issues that affect the people of Chislehurst.

The site has always remained unashamedly an amateur affair – run and written locally. But, unfortunately, the site has reached the end of the road… for now. While we have a loyal readers who log on and contribute to the various debates we host, the site has become increasingly time-consuming for just one person to manage and write, which is all done in his spare time.

For now, this will be the last post.

BUT, if you are a keen or aspiring local blogger, who would like to take on running and writing for the site on its principles as not-for-profit facility for the community, and inject new ideas and life into it, then we are keen to hear from you.

Please email us at: chislehurstnews@yahoo.co.uk

Thank you for reading.

This short video by local film maker John Cheetham captures the energy of the first Chislehurst Rocks music festival, held at the end of September.

This year's Chislehurst Festival will include Japanese and Korean culture

ChislehurstNews is taking a short break. We will be back posting articles and tweeting at the beginning of October, when this blog will approach its first birthday. We hope you’ve enjoyed the ride.

The Chislehurst Festival (17 September – 1 October) will run while we are off. We highly recommend it. For two weeks there will be over 40 separate events. It’ll include the Chislehurst Rocks music festival; classical music; jazz; cabaret; comedy; Japanese and Korean culture; theatre; the Big Draw, international food fare; a dog show; cricket; tennis; dance; running; karate, photography; fine art; children’s events; walks; wine tasting; a country fair, and more.

The second festival to be held in Chislehurst, it is a  visible sign that the community in BR7 is strong. Check out the festival website for a full listing of events.

Mr Burke has started rustling up refunds on customers' pre-paid vouchers

UPDATED 13/10/11: A Chislehurst cookery school run by a Michelin star chef has shut down.

Smashing Pans, at 1 Pond Path, was run by  Keith Burke and sold £145 vouchers through its website.

The Smashing Pans website has now closed and in a letter to customers Mr  Burke said that he was attempting to relocate in Borough Market.

Many customers were initially worried that they would not get their money back. But after contacting Mr Burke directly (see the comments section on this article), Mr Burke has sent out refund cheques.

11.53 as featured in the Kentish Times (l-r) Pete Chavasse, Tim Wates, Mags, Lee Berwick

Was this the last band to play live in Chislehrust Caves? Help us find out.

The Caves have a rich history as a venue for live  music, with The Who, Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin gracing  the caverns before they closed as a music venue.

It is widely reported that the last live gigs were in the late 1970s. But we’ve been contacted by ‘Mags’, the former member of  Bromley band 11.53, who played a gig in the Caves on 9 January 1981.

Also on the set for this gig were Five-O, Hepatitis Risk & Real Colmans.

Seven minutes to destruction

11.53 were formed in 1980 by Lee Berwick (vocals), Pete Chavasse (Guitar), Mags (drums) and Tim Wates (bass). Their name came from the nuclear clock during the height of the cold war when it was estimated that we could be only seven minutes away from annihilation.

Inspired by many bands from the punk era – The Pop Group, A Certain Ratio, Joy Division – the group did its first gig at Orpington College on 28 November 1980.

Okay, so the photo isn't going to win any awards, but this is 11.53 playing in the Caves on 9 January 1981

11.53 featured in an article on Bromley bands in The Kentish Times on 31 January 1981. Lee left later in 1981 and was replaced by Nikk Mayer on vocals. They went on to do a number of gigs in  Bromley and continued to play until 1982, when the band split. The last gig was at the Freemantle Hall, Bexley on 20 February 1982.

The band released no official recordings, but a large archive of recorded material still exists today.

Lee went on to form the Digi-Dub record label. Mags was an active member of SELMC (South East London Musicians Collective) and founder member of the Latin Jazz group Arriba (1988-1992). He joined the London School of Samba in 1990 and was the Musical Director of the group (2000-07).

.-.-.-.-.-.

If you saw a band play in the Caves then tell us about it in the comments section below.

* Updated, with London versus Kent poll *

The clue is in the name: ‘The London Borough of Bromley’. Despite this our council seems to believe that Chislehurst is in Kent rather than London, judging by the letters its has sent out to residents this week urging them to register to vote.

While some residents still like to think that they live in the Garden of England,  Chislehurst became part of Greater London in 1965. But tell us what you think. If you live in BR7 are you a Londoner or from Kent? Vote in our new poll.

The best photographs are usually unplanned; fleeting moments recorded on camera. Cycling along Watt’s Lane in Chislehurst, local resident Alex Cooper did just this as he captured the beauty of the golden hour as the sun set. Send your photos to: chislehurstnews@yahoo.co.uk

On Wednesday we railed against ad agencies capitalising on the riots through social media. Today local resident and communications expert Karen Wisdom outlines genuine local social networks and dispels  myths

Over recent months, social media has come of age as an effective way to bring people and communities together, particularly in the face of the recent rioting and looting in our neighbouring communities. Social media has been widely used to break news ahead of the national media and link communities together and support each other.

But while some of us are active across these social media platforms, others have still to appreciate this fast-evolving means of communication, or haven’t a clue where to start with it all.

Taking Twitter as an example, among the BR7 businesses and organisations who have been most active to date are: The Bull’s Head (Twitter name: @BullChislehurst) and Heading Up the Aisle (@HUTAWeddings). Chislehurst Rocks, the September music festival, has its own Twitter site (@ChisRocks). There’s also the charity Chislehurst Society @ChislehurstSocy. And not forgetting our very own ChislehurstNews (@chislehurstnews).

So what are they all getting from social media that others aren’t?

Dispelling some myths

Isn’t it mainly for celebrities and young people?

Whilst the early adopters of social media were predominantly the young the fastest growing group signing up to Facebook is 55-64 year olds and the oldest age profile is to be found on LinkedIn (average user age of 44; the age range of users is much wider).

I don’t know anyone on social media…

You will be surprised who is on social media these days, and locally to you. You can use your email database or search facilities to find and to engage with people you know (e.g. friends, friends of friends, professional colleagues etc), or organisations, groups and individuals that you might find it useful to engage with. A good place to start with finding local connections is by typing your home town name into the search box on Facebook or Twitter.

Won’t it take up too much of my time?

It can take up as little or as much time as you choose. Yes, it can be a little addictive, but only in the same way that surfing the web can lead you to yet another site to explore. Setting sensible time limits for your social media activity will help to limit it.

If you are a business, you can also enlist help to manage your social media activity, in a similar way to outsourcing your marketing.

Won’t everyone know my private business if I sign up to social media?

On social media, people out there will only know what you choose to tell them. As a general rule, private individuals should avoid posting too much personal information, for security purposes (e.g. your birth year; a birth day/date alone is sufficient) or information about when you are on holiday or out of the house (you can post retrospectively about where you’ve been). You can choose not to complete certain information about yourself, and your privacy settings on the social media platforms you will be using should always be checked at the set up stage.

How to use social media, and which platforms to use

The main UK platforms currently are Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

Twitter: www.twitter.com

People use Twitterto ‘Tweet’ information, in less than 140 characters, about what they are doing, where they have been/recommend, what they are seeking or looking forward to. It is used to find out what’s on (globally, nationally and locally), to keep updated on news, reviews, travel information and causes and to share links to blogs, websites and promotions.

Businesses have been slower to use Twitter but are starting to use it much more to publicise their business offers, promotions and trading times. It is currently quite easy to make a big impact on Twitter as a local business.

Facebook: www.facebook.com

Individuals use Facebook to connect with friends, past and present, locally and across the globe and to share information, photos and videos.

Businesses can use Facebook to showcase their products and services to engage with customers and to build a following of people who have an affinity with their business. Did you know that for Facebook advertising purposes, there are currently almost 10,000 people on Facebook within a 10-mile radius of Chislehurst?

For businesses, an additional benefit of social media comes through integrating different platforms with each other, for example using Twitter to drive followers to their Facebook page or website, and to use website ‘plug-ins’ to encourage Twitter followers and Facebook likes.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com

For professionals, businesses, or anyone with career interests at heart, LinkedIn is the most powerful platform for connecting, networking and job seeking; increasing numbers of people are being headhunted using this mechanism, which also has numerous professional interest and local business networking groups.

YouTube: www.youtube.com

Originally for sharing music and film videos, this is also a fast growing platform for business use. Individuals use it to share music & film videos (both new and old), demonstrations and tips e.g. for cookery, DIY etc, business training information etc. Business can use it to great effect to show, demonstrate and promote their products and services.

It is clear that social media is here to stay

Don’t be left behind. If you are not already on social media, there’s never been a better time to get involved with it (Facebook and Twitter are good places to start), or to expand your existing portfolio of platforms (check out Google + and Foursquare).

The most important aspect is that it’s all about connecting with people and having conversations, not just talking at people… the real beauty of social media is about actively engaging with others in conversations, especially those in your locality or with a shared interest. Whatever your interests, hobbies, business or profession, you can be sure to find others out there with a similar passion.

Now what’s happening in BR7 this autumn…?

::||::

Karen Wisdom

Karen is a social media, branding and communications expert. You can contact Karen through a variety of social networks: Twitter (@karenwisdom), Facebook (Wisdom Research & Marketing), LinkedIn (Karen Wisdom) or through her website.

The arrival of the advertising industry, capitalising on the London riots, is unwelcome and unsavory

The strength of a community can be measured by how quickly it gets back to normal after a major shock. One week after the civil unrest that gripped parts of London, normal day-to-day life has largely returned: shops are open, people are travelling about and the politicians are back on holiday after their brief visit to Westminster.

The daily rhythm of city is restored; the London community has showed its strength. This has been driven in part by business. Retailers have worked to re-stock and open, hoping to maintain their crucial turnover and margin targets. And the building trade has worked overtime – and made a good profit – to repair London’s scarred streetscape. Capitalism has cashed-in and helped to get the capital back on its feet.

But as the builders leave a new trade has moved in: the advertising industry.

A West End advertising agency called Engine – whose clients include Coca Cola, Nike, BMW and Santander – has launched a subtle marketing campaign on the back of the riots. Through one of its subsidiaries called Jam it has created some snazzy infographics that attempt to depict the unrest, or “riot buzz” as it describes it. The graphics and data behind them, which have been criticised by many bloggers for their lack of substance, have been sent to some community websites (including this one) in the hope of coverage.

The ad men have also launched a campaign on Twitter, which includes a downloadable ‘Twibbon’ that users can add to their profile pics. The purpose of the campaign? In the words of Jam: “Let’s show support for trying to spread a message of change and positivity across the UK after the riots and try to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

The agency would like us to believe that this all part of the zeitgeist of using social media to engender community spirit and cohesion. But one click on its webpage reveals a more telling story: “Jam understands how content, ideas, recommendations and opinions spread and how brands can be built or eroded in a connected world – but crucially, how simple conversations can lead to sales.” You read it correctly: sales.

As ‘Jim’ a blogger who posted a comment on the Jam website put it: “Possibly the most heinous example of an agency trying to promote itself through the ruse of good will I’ve seen in a while.” Jam defends the campaign saying that, “as a London based company we all felt the impact of the riots and wanted to show our support… Surely this is better than doing nothing at all”.

As the extraordinary clean-up campaign that was organised last week on Twitter demonstrates, online and social media has an important role to play in London, post-riots. But this is best organised by communities not marketeers.

ChislehurstNews, a not-for-profit community website, had a record number of visits last week on the back of our raw riot coverage. Across London many similar community websites like this one provided excellent on-the-ground reporting and information at a level that the mainstream national and local media could not get to. In South London, for example, Inside Croydon, Charlton Champion, Beckenham Town and 853 stand out as pioneers.

Business, trade, capitalism, community spirit; they have all played their part in getting London up and running again. What people don’t need at the moment is advertising flimflam on the back of the riots; people will only suspect an ulterior motive.

Chislehurst ablaze... with flowering geraniums

“Chislehurst High Street was just hit about half an hour ago by rioters and looters.”

“Chislehurst riots! They’ve taken down Pizza Express!”

“Trouble in Chislehurst High Street… really scary.”

If you were to believe everything you read on social networking sites today you’d think that Chislehurst was under siege, gripped by rioting and looting like neighbouring towns such as Lewisham.

But as this picture taken earlier evening proves, Chislehurst is anything but.

There’s the smell of burning in the air – from a gardener’s bonfire. Youths are congregating – with their mums and dads by the pond. And there’s rubbish in the street – from a recycling bin overturned in the wind. More anchovy than anarchy in Chislehurst.

Some of the comments posted on social networking sites may be misunderstood attempts at humour. Others are out of control Chinese whispers. But some posted comments appear to be an attempt to will unrest in Chislehurst. Ignore them.