BID.

I have written to a quite large degree about PLEV’s in the past – Personal Light Electric Vehicles. One issue that I was not aware of until quite recently was how many electric scooters and bikes have been modified to drastically increase their performance. Police in the City of London have seized more illegal e-bikes than any other force – with one capable of 70 mph. The number of modified e-bikes on the capital’s roads is soaring with some used by criminal gangs mugging Londoners for their mobile phones so they can get a quick getaway. They are also a threat to pedestrians who cannot hear them coming sometimes at high speeds which make it difficult for the rider to brake before a collision. Under UK law, e-bike motors must cut out when a speed of 15.5 mph is reached. Forces across the UK confiscated 937 e-bikes in the year to August 11, according to Freedom of Information (FoI) figures. That is compared with 511 during the previous 12 months. City of London Police confiscated 295 in the year to August 11, more than any other force. One of the bikes was capable of reaching 70 mph, the motorway speed limit, and featured an electronic display indicating it had covered more than 6,000 miles. Conversion kits are available online for as little as £300 and the bikes do not look much different to normal e-bikes, making it easy for riders to avoid detection. It is also common for officers to find e-bikes that can be powered without the pedals being turned, effectively making them electric mopeds or motorbikes which must be registered and taxed. In an article in The Standard, acting Sergeant Chris Hook, who is part of the leadership team within the force’s cycle unit established in July 2023, explained that a “broad spectrum” of people ride illegally modified e-bikes, such as commuters, food delivery workers and criminals snatching phones. He said: “The high speed and power of these vehicles means they’re ideal for riders to come in, take the phone and get away before the victim knows what’s happened.” The speed and weight of illegally modified e-bikes also “massively” heightens the danger for pedestrians involved in collisions, Acting Sgt Hook said. “The heaviest one I’ve seen was in excess of 50 kg. That bike (could reach over) 60 mph“. Acting Sgt Hook said people caught riding an illegally adapted e-bikes could face prosecution for a variety of offences such as not having insurance and number plates. But on most occasions, the only action taken is to destroy their vehicle.

As you may know, in my youth, I worked for what was then the largest stockist and distributor of Atari products in Europe, the Sidcup based, now long defunct Silica Shop. In fact, this week I have been interviewed by a popular retro computer magazine about my experiences working for what is now considered a ground breaking early computer organisation, who for some years were at the forefront of the UK’s 1980’s computing revolution. More on this later. My first foray into the world of “serious” computers was back in the early 1980’s, when I had a Saturday job, and later a full time job as an assistant in Silica Shop in Hatherley Road, Sidcup. During the 1980’s, Silica Shop were the largest privately owned, independent computer retailers in the UK, which at its peak had an annual turnover in excess of £45 million – a huge amount back then, and pretty impressive even now. You can see an example of a typical Silica Shop advertising flyer above – notice the large amount of detailed text – this was a Silica Shop trait – they lumped huge amounts of technical detail into all of their advertising; something that would put off a lot of potential shoppers today.  They specialised in the early 8, and later 16 bit home computers, especially the range made by Atari – for whom they were the European dealers. Silica Shop had its’ HQ in Hatherley Road, Sidcup, where there was a large retail unit on the lower floor of the two storey building, and on the upstairs was a warehouse, an office, and an air conditioned computer room, which housed a large DEC PDP 11- 44 mini  computer. As well as working in the shop on Saturdays, I was also able to work during school holidays; during this time I would sometimes be called out of the shop to help the computer system administrator, who for a while made me his unofficial assistant. I learned lots about working with large scale business computers, and all of the basics of system administration – adding and removing users, changing security settings, creating files, running batch processes and the like.  Even back then, the PDP 11-44 was quite an elderly piece of kit – the company having purchased the machine second hand, as new they were well over two hundred thousand pounds, depending on the specification and peripherals required. One quirk of the PDP 11-44 operating system was that you could not reformat the large 8 inch floppy disks it used (earlier versions of the machine used reels of magnetic tape). In order to re – use the expensive floppy disks, you first had to manually wipe them of data using a degaussing machine – which was basically a large electromagnet. I think everyone was scared of the degausser – it hummed and buzzed, occasionally emitting a crackle of electricity, accompanied by a faint smell of ozone. I think even by the lax health and safety standards of the time, the machine should have been condemned! What I did to avoid the dreaded machine was looking back, pretty imaginative. The computer room had several old – style telephones with rotary dials. I would place a small pile of disks underneath a phone, then ring it from another extension. The bell ringer built into the phone was an electromagnet, and in ringing it would wipe the disks! Silica Shop wrote their own customer database; what would nowadays be called a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system. Whenever someone came into the shop and bought something, a sales docket would be completed by the shop assistant. It included the buyers’ name, address and what they bought, along with an itemised total. Each item of stock was allocated a unique part number, which staff could look up on VT100 computer terminals in the shop, which would also record how many of that particular item were left in stock; the real old hands would know most, if not all of the popular stock item codes off the top of their heads. When the stock level got down to a certain point, the system would automatically place a re – order, and debit the company account accordingly. The system would also target postal advertising at customers according to what they had already purchased – there was no point in sending a leaflet on Atari 800XL software to a customer who had bought a Commodore 64 for example. Personally I had a couple of celebrity customers, including the musician and record producer Trevor Horn, and TV magician the late Paul Daniels. He would always ask for me in person – for what reason I really don’t know. He came into the shop maybe once every six Saturdays, and would always spend around £800 – which was a lot of money back in those days. He had several Atari 8 bit computers, and he was one of the first people in the UK to have an Atari 520ST – a pioneering sixteen bit pseudo clone of the first Apple Macintosh at a quarter of the price, and with colour graphics. To be honest, Paul Daniels was a challenging customer. He knew his stuff, and would try and trip you up – but my product knowledge was pretty sound back then, and it was very rare that he managed to get one over on me. Looking back, it was obvious that he must have liked my service – as there were other staff who whom he could have asked for, but he would always ask to be served by me. I recall him getting somewhat spiky when he asked me what I had thought of his TV show the Saturday before, and I responded that I had missed it (I had been down the pub with my mates – what did he expect – not that I mentioned this to him). If I had been earning commission on sales, I would have made a small fortune from him alone. You can see an example of a typical Silica Shop advertising flyer above – notice the large amount of detailed text – this was a Silica Shop trait – they lumped huge amounts of technical detail into all of their advertising; something that would put off a lot of potential shoppers today. All this is targetted advertising is routine nowadays, but back in 1983 / 84 it was unique, and debatably the most sophisticated customer database used anywhere in the United Kingdom. My own thoughts are that if Silica Shop had taken this ground breaking business software and ported it onto the then new IBM PC, they would have had a huge business in selling and supporting enterprise level CRM (Customer Relationship Management) applications now. Instead they continued to shift boxes of home computers, and eventually went out of business in the mid 1990’s. If the company management had employed a more creative vision, Silica could have been a global software name like Oracle Corporation now. I have to say that I learned more about computing in my few years working at Silica Shop than I have learned anywhere else. My entire career in IT has been built on stuff I picked up in a quiet side street in Sidcup. Comments to me at [email protected].

The London Borough of Bexley has long grappled with an unsightly and persistent problem: bubble gum stubbornly stuck to its pavements. However, a concerted effort is now underway to rid the borough of this sticky nuisance, restoring the pavements to their pristine condition. The initiative involves a combination of innovative cleaning methods and public awareness campaigns aimed at discouraging the littering of gum. High-pressure steam cleaners – as seen in the photo above – click on it to see a larger version –  and specialised gum removal solutions are being deployed to effectively dissolve and lift the gum from the pavements without causing damage. Public awareness campaigns are also playing a crucial role in tackling the issue. These campaigns emphasise the environmental impact of discarded gum, which can take years to decompose and can harm wildlife if ingested. They also highlight the financial burden of gum removal, which costs local authorities millions of pounds each year. The efforts to remove bubble gum from the borough’s pavements are already yielding positive results. Many areas that were once plagued by unsightly gum stains are now noticeably cleaner, one example being the pedestrianised area of Bexleyheath Broadway The initiative has also received widespread public support, with many residents and visitors applauding the efforts to improve the area’s appearance.

Talking of Bexleyheath, it has a very large Primark store. Primark celebrated their 50th anniversary last Thursday. In 1973, a small clothing store named Penneys opened its doors in Dublin, Ireland, marking the beginning of what would become a global fashion phenomenon. Today, known as Primark in the UK, the brand is celebrating its 50th anniversary, a testament to its enduring popularity and commitment to providing affordable fashion. From its modest beginnings, Primark has grown to become a high street staple, with over 450 stores in 17 countries. Its success is rooted in its simple yet effective business model: offering fashionable clothing and accessories at remarkably low prices. This approach has resonated with consumers, particularly during economic downturns when budget-friendly options are in high demand. In recent years, Primark has taken significant steps to improve its ethical and sustainable practices. The company is committed to ensuring that its products are made in safe and fair working conditions. It has also launched several initiatives to reduce its environmental impact, including using more sustainable materials and reducing waste. 

You may recall that I have on several occasions in the past written at some length about Hiram Maxim, and the Maxim machine gun which was built in the Maxim gun works in Fraser Road, Erith. The end video this week is a documentary about Maxim and his revolutionary gun, which is still in use 130 years after it was invented.  Comments and feedback to me at [email protected].