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residents over the age of 18 years. Blind people are offered a
service of Braille and 'talking books' obtained from the National
Library for the Blind and allied organisations, and 'large print'
books are stocked for the particular use of the elderly and partially
sighted. A museum at Plumstead, an Art Gallery at the Tudor
Barn and a Local History Section are all the responsibility of the
Borough Librarian and Curator.
Social centres providing for all shades of cultural and
educational tastes have been established at Charlton House,
Kidbrooke House, and West Greenwich House under the auspices
of the Greenwich Community Council in conjunction with the
I.L.E.A. and, in this connection, it can be stated that there are
upwards of 178 clubs and societies affiliated to this Community
Council.
Besides Associations for rowing and barge sailing, the local
sports clubs include the famous Blackheath Football Club (the
oldest of all rugby football clubs) and the newer professional
Charlton Athletic Football Club. It is hard to believe that the area
supports 2 golf clubs, one of which is the Royal Blackheath, the
oldest golf club in the world. With royal sanction it was formed
nearly 360 years ago as the 'Society of Blackheath Goffers' at a
time when James 1 was wont to play with his friends when holding
court at Greenwich. It is reputed that the army title of 'Field
Marshal' which dates from 1736 was copied from the appellation
used by the Blackheath Club a century earlier. Andrew Lang, that
Scottish scholar and versatile writer of the late 1890s commented
'Blackheath was the mother of Bombay, Westward Ho, Wimbledon,
Hoylake. Thence sprang golf all over England'.
Fifty-five 'Old People's Clubs', each of which receives a little
financial assistance from the Council, cater for the elderly residents
of the Borough and, in seven instances. Council premises are made
available free of charge. In addition to the twelve luncheon clubs
and the supplying of meals to three other establishments, viz. two
for handicapped and one for elderly homebound, there is an
effective 'Meals-on-Wheels' service. Daily deliveries are made to
over 400 homebound persons and the number of meals provided
is at the rate of almost 90,000 annually. A Day Club for the homebound
and 4 Day Rooms have been founded to ameliorate still
further the lot of the retired person.
More recently, realizing the substantial benefits accruing to
the aged from a satisfying holiday, the Council purchased two first
class hotels at Westgate-on-Sea for the exclusive use of its elderly
residents and holidays have now been made available to them
throughout the year at nominal cost.