MUSEUM APPEALS FOR INFORMATION ON WARTIME PLANE CRASH

The Library and Archives Team at Firepower, The Royal Artillery Museum are looking for witnesses to an historic event that took place almost seven decades ago. On 31 July 1940 an RAF Spitfire piloted by Flying Officer Robin Waterston was shot down in combat over London and crashed near the Royal Artillery Barracks and Repository Road Woolwich Common near, Woolwich. The Museum wants to pinpoint the exact location of the crash site and would like to hear from anyone who remembers the incident.

Anyone with information about the crash or crash site can contact Mark Smith, Curator, Firepower, The Royal Artillery Museum, Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, London SE18 6ST, call 0208 312 7120 or email marks@firepower.org.uk

Firepower The Royal Artillery Museum is based at the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich, the birthplace of the Royal Artillery which was founded there in 1716. The history of artillery is illustrated by Firepower’s world-class display of artillery from catapults to rockets, from the medieval battlefield to modern peacekeeping missions, the collections including uniforms, drawings, diaries and medals bring together 700 years of artillery and human history.

Experiences at Firepower include the ground-shaking Field of Fire audio-visual show where visitors are put in the midst of battle as shells and aircraft fly overhead and guns roar, giving an insight into the experiences of an artillery gunner.

For more information about Firepower visit www.firepower.org.uk , call 020 8855 7755 or email info@firepower.org.uk . Firepower is located in the historic Royal Arsenal in Woolwich, London, between the A206 and the Thames.

Pizza Hut is proud to sponsor National Family Week - the biggest official celebration of families

From 25th – 31st May 2009, family life in the UK will be celebrated through a jam-packed schedule of events, activities and competitions run across the country, as part of the inaugural National Family Week. The Week is aimed at bringing as many families together as possible and Pizza Hut is proud to be a gold sponsor of such an exciting new initiative backed by the largest coalition on family in the UK'

Alongside fantastic National Family Week events, which include a Guinness World Record attempt for the largest-ever simultaneous picnic, Pizza Hut is joining in the celebration with some activities of its own. Including a special family meal take away deal on Monday 25th May, which includes 2 pizzas (or combination of pizza and pasta), garlic bread or potato wedges, salad and 1.5L Pepsi all for £19.99.

National Family Week will also be searching for the all time Favourite Family Recipe, so any families who have a dish that holds a special place in their hearts and on their tables, could be in with a chance of winning a sizzling selection of prizes. Pizza Hut will then also select their favourite pasta dish from the entries, offering a once in a lifetime opportunity for it to be featured on their menus!

After taking part in all of these fun activities, there are bound to be lots of hungry children and families across the country. Pizza Hut will therefore be offering kids the chance to eat free with a full paying adult: choosing a bigger persons meal from the children’s menu on Sunday 31st May. This special offer will be celebrated at 2.30pm with balloon releases at Pizza Hut restaurants. Budding artists will have the chance to show off their skills and win a Pizza Hut voucher worth £30, by entering the chef’s hat colouring competitions in their Pizza Hut restaurant. The best entries will even be displayed for all to see.

So National Family Week will not only be the perfect chance to enjoy some quality time with your loved ones but also a selection of fantastic value, delicious food. All offers can be redeemed with a voucher, which can be downloaded at www.pizzahut.co.uk/nationalfamilyweek.

Laura Wise Restaurant Manager Pizza Hut Eltham comments: “The average family has changed a lot over the past decade and so has Pizza Hut in its 50-year history. We welcome all families and work hard to make sure both adults and kids have a great time together at Pizza Hut. We want this to be especially evident during National Family Week.”

As the UK's leading family restaurant, Pizza Hut welcomes half a million families through its doors each month and understands the importance of spending quality time together. Pizza Hut offers families a relaxed and informal setting in which to dine, as well as providing kid’s fun-and-games booklets, tailored children’s menus (some made with hidden vegetables in order to help children get their 5-a-day) and, as of August, look out for the exciting new Pizza Hut birthday parties.

For further details on National Family Week including a full list of all events and activities taking place during the week, log on to www.nationalfamilyweek.co.uk

Please contact your local Pizza Hut to find out further information on activities.
Pizza Hut Eltham 020 8850 9977
Pizza Hut Sidcup 020 8308 1880
Pizza Hut Bexleyheath 020 8298 0088

ROYAL ARSENAL TO HOST MAJOR COMMUNITY HISTORY EVENT

The Community History Day will show how the Royal Artillery have shaped family history in the area of Woolwich

Firepower’s experts will explain how medals can help you add to your family history.

On the day and evening of Saturday 16 May, the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich, south-east London, will host the first Royal Arsenal Community History Day. Visitors will be able to experience a full day and night’s activity in and around Firepower The Royal Artillery Museum and the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich.

Firepower’s Living History Team will be bringing the past to life with their historic characters while fans of family history can get advice about researching their own family tree from Firepower’s own genealogy experts. Local author and Royal Artillery expert Brigadier Ken Timbers will be giving talks on the history of the Royal Arsenal and the unique architectural gem within the Royal Arsenal - the Old Royal Military Academy. Local Scouts will also be performing Gang Show routines.

Local residents (those with an SE18 or SE28 postcode) will enjoy free entry to the Museum with proof of identity. The event will go on until 10pm as part of the Europe-wide Museums at Night programme. There will be a display of previously unseen historic photographs of the Royal Arsenal complex and its workers so local residents can look for their relatives and ancestors. The fun continues into the evening with expert guided tours of the Royal Arsenal while lectures by Firepower’s Curator will tell the gripping and moving stories behind some of the Museum’s collection of medals awarded for bravery. The Museum’s refurbished Café (fully licensed, 3 course menu) will also remain open until 10pm.

“This is the first community history event to take place in the Royal Arsenal” says Firepower’s Eileen Noon “We want to showcase the heritage of this fascinating part of south-east London and highlight how people’s own history may be entwined with the history of the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich and perhaps the Royal Artillery. We are delighted to offer free admission to local residents for this event to encourage them to find out that history can be fascinating and fun.”

Firepower is located in the historic Royal Arsenal in Woolwich, London, between the A206 and the Thames.

Admission costs: Local residents with an SE18 or SE28 postcode will enjoy free entry to the Museum with proof of identity. Other visitors - adults £5.00, children £2.50, concessions £4.50. Discounted family tickets are also available.For more information about Firepower visit http://www.firepower.org.uk/, call 020 8855 7755 or email info@firepower.org.uk.

READY, STEADY, ESCARGOT: Café Rouge marks National Escargot Day with a Blackheath snail hunt

Limited-edition “snail menu” available from Café Rouge in Blackheath

Café Rouge will be marking this year’s National Escargot Day with a snail-themed treasure hunt in Blackheath on Saturday 23 May.

The restaurant is paying homage to the humble snail by teaming up with Eurostar, Bonne Maman and other partners to give away prizes in celebration of France’s famous delicacy.

As Café Rouge celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, restaurant staff at Café Rogue Blackheath are celebrating on a big scale by hiding a total of 20 oversized cut-out snails around the city which can be redeemed for special prizes including:

Return tickets to Paris with Eurostar - the high-speed rail service between London and Continental Europe (www.eurostar.com).
A shopping bag containing biscuits, cakes and a ceramic cookie jar from Bonne Maman, the UK's favourite French food brand.
Goodies from Président® Cheese, one of the world's premiere cheesemakers (www.president.uk.com) Bottles of French wine and champagne Café Rouge vouchers And lots more French-themed prizes!

Each snail will be labelled with instructions on how people can claim their prizes. True to form, they will reside in those damp and dark shaded places rarely looked in – so those moving at a snail’s space could miss out.

The snail hunt will be taking place on Saturday 23 May from 11am in and around Montpelier Vale, Blackheath. Log onto www.caferouge.co.uk/ned for more details.

Café Rouge’s snail supremo, Caroline Réveillon, said: “Love them or hate them, we are expecting lots of prize-hungry Londoners to come out of their shells for the snail hunt. Snails are served in the finest restaurants France has to offer. We want Brits to take a lead from our friends over the Channel and finally embrace the snail as a tasty treat and give it a try for themselves.”

Last year, Café Rouge sold record numbers of the slippery critters, introducing thousands of people to the mighty mollusc. This May, the restaurant is continuing its trail to transform the nation’s taste buds with a brand new “Escargot Day” menu and is shipping 34,000 snails for the occasion.

Café Rouge’s limited-edition 20th anniversary snail menu will include two new dishes - Terrine d'Escargot aux Lardons - snail and bacon terrine served with rustic brown bread, and Cassolette d'Escargots Jurassienne – casserole of snails, white wine, cream and Paris mushroom.

The restaurant’s signature snail dishes will also feature on the menu – snails cooked in rich garlic butter, snails covered in melted goat’s cheese and a mouth-watering combo of snails served with spinach and mushroom.

Caroline Réveillon said that snails could well be the next super food, “Snails are low in fat and high in magnesium and protein, so they are highly nutritious. They also have a very gentle, buttery texture, which will remind many of lobster or sushi - probably not at all what you might expect!”

The menu is available at Café Rouge Blackheath from 18th - 31st May, with dishes priced from £4.95