Progress Estate’s Celebrations Start With A Bang

PRESS RELEASE no: 2015/06 

23 March 2015

Cllr Mick Hayes

The starting gun for the Progress Estate’s centenary celebrations was fired on Saturday, 21st March when its inaugural event, a Garden Talk and Plant Sale, was held in the Progress Hall. The afternoon was opened by Mayor of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, Councillor Mick Hayes. He is one of the Estate’s Councillors and shares his birthplace, Stepney, with Frank Baines, Chief Architect at HM Ministry of Works in 1915 when the Ministry was appointed as architects for the Estate. He was pleased to read out a letter of Loyal Greetings HM the Queen had sent to the Estate and its Residents to mark the centenary.

Jim Buttress

Russell Bowes, the local Garden Historian, proceeded to entertain a packed Hall with his 45-minute talk centred on the Second World War’s Land Girls. During the ensuing interval tea or coffee, together with cakes provided by residents, was served at £1 a head. Afterwards Jim Buttress, the former Royal Gardener and growing expert from BBC2’s Big Allotment Challenge, entertained everyone with anecdotes from a lifetime in horticulture (‘a 50-year holiday’). He gave those who asked extensive lists of plants that would grow in the ‘difficult’ parts of their gardens.

The afternoon was rounded off with a garden-themed raffle whose prizes were donated by local residents.

The Residents Association would also like to record its thanks to the local residents and the owner of the flower stall opposite Argos in Passey Place, Eltham for donating plants for sale on the afternoon’s Plant Stall.

Note for Editors:

Originally named the Well Hall Estate, The Progress Estate was built in 1915 to provide housing for the many additional workers the Woolwich Arsenal needed to manufacture the armaments required by the services during the First World War.   Conservation Area status was granted in 1975, in recognition of its unique architectural character.

For additional information, please contact:

Keith Billinghurst

Progress Residents Association committee member

56 Arsenal Road

Eltham

London  SE9 1JY

tel: 020 8856 5593 or 07962 877389

email:               TheProgressEstate@Gmail.com

Twitter:             @ProgressEstate

Website:           www.progressestate.co.uk