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wide range of goods. However, this situation is changing, possibly
contrary to the interests of many sections of the public. Town
planning is demanding the concentration of traders into 'shopping
centres' which tend to become dominated by big combines and which
often lead to burdensome and sometimes costly journeys for the
elderly and women with large families. Of the existing shops, a large
percentage are food establishments to which supplies of meat and
poultry come mainly from Smithfield Market and sometimes directly
from Kent and Surrey. Fruit and vegetables, for the most part,
arrive from Kent or from the Covent Garden, Borough, Greenwich,
or Spitalfields Markets. The rights of a flourishing daily open-air
market in Beresford Square mainly for the sale of meat, fish and
poultry, are vested in the Council and date from the reign of James
I. A 'new market', under cover, in Plumstead Road, is also a popular
centre for the daily and week-end shoppers of south-east London.
Full time supervision is afforded by the Borough's Food
Inspectors to the private slaughterhouse at Woodlands Farm,
Garland Road, one of the most up-to-date and busiest abattoirs in
the Metropolitan area.
Both the previous local councils, now united in the London
Borough of Greenwich, had always been in the forefront of progressive
health authorities and, within the new area, this forward looking
attitude persists and all aspects of health and welfare, both personal
and environmental, continue to be amply covered. These range from
the normal maternity, child welfare and school health services, to the
usual general practitioner and hospital services, and from the useful
municipally-run chiropody clinics to the special maternity, paediatric,
geriatric, thoracic and neuro-surgical units based at local hospitals
of which there are twelve.
Comprehensive Borough welfare services include 4 modern,
purpose-built 'Old People's Homes' and future plans provide for
further 'small home' accommodation. To overcome urgent and unexpected
crises, a Reception Centre gives shelter to homeless families
and a Main Unit caters for the more intractable cases.
At 2 Centres and several voluntarily supported clubs, social
rehabilitation of persons with differing physical handicaps is promoted
by tuition, training and the introduction of pastime activities.
Sheltered employment for blind people is provided at the Greenwich
Workshops for the Blind where mattresses, baskets and 'fend-offs'
are manufactured. Substantial assistance is given to the severely
mentally handicapped child by the Borough's modern, specially
designed 'Junior Centre' and older persons in this category are
encouraged to become self-supporting at the Council's 2 Industrial
Training Centres.