The world amateur premiere was performed at the Erith Playhouse in Erith, Kent, in June 1977, and was attended by members of the London production team.

Erith was one of these villages, and has a Saxon name, thought to have been derived from a word meaning ` muddy harbour ' or ` gravelly landing place '.

The early settlement was based around this church, meaning that the centre of Erith was once west of its current location.

In 1315, a Royal Charter was granted for a market to be held in Erith every Thursday.

Erith owes its existence to the Thames and was, until the 1850s, essentially a small riverside port, given prominence by King Henry VIII's decision to open a naval dockyard in the town.

At that time, and until the 19th Century, Erith was a popular anchorage.

In 1965, under the London Government Act 1963, the Erith Municipal Borough was abolished and its area transferred to Greater London to form part of the present-day London Borough of Bexley.

Erith Iron Works was established in 1864 in Anchor Bay by William Anderson.

From 1881 Erith was home to a large cable works founded by William Callender.

During the First World War Erith was an extremely important area for the manufacture of guns and ammunition, largely due to the presence of the large Vickers works in the Fraser Road area.

A new swimming pool was recently built adjoining the sports centre and the David Ives Stadium, which is home to Bexley Athletic Club and Erith Town F. C.

The Erith Symphony Orchestra ceased to exist in 1972 and it was almost 30 years before another orchestra was heard in the town, when the Dartford-based, Orchestra of the Thames Gateway gave a concert there in 2004 and in subsequent years.

It was then cut in two by the building of the A2016 a 4 lane dual carriageway by-pass of the Woolwich to Erith section of the A206 though on leaving Woolwich only got as far as the industrial part of lower Belvedere ( the extension to Erith was opened in 1999 ).

Erith was a port on the River Thames until the 17th century ; the opening of the sewage works at nearby Crossness in the late 19th century turned it into an industrial town.

The London Borough of Bexley was formed in 1965, under the London Government Act 1963 from the Municipal Boroughs of Bexley and Erith ; Crayford Urban District: and part of Chislehurst and Sidcup Urban District.

After the 2005 General Election, Erith and Thamesmead is represented by a Labour Party MP while the remaining two seats were held by the Conservative Party ; although on 29 January 2008 the Conservative Party whip was withdrawn from Old Bexley and Sidcup's MP Derek Conway following alleged misuse of funds, leaving him as an Independent MP.

Thamesmead, the " new town " built on what was the Erith Marshes, extends into the Borough: both Thamesmead North and South are located here.

In 1961, plans were put forward by local planners to redevelop Erith into a modern, sleek shopping and working environment.

Three walking routes pass Hall Place, the local council-sponsored Shuttle River Way and Cray River Way and the Mayor of London's " London LOOP " walk, which, shortly after its start at Erith, follows the Cray River Way from Crayford to Foots Cray.

In 1381 Abel Ker of Erith led a local uprising linked to the famous Peasants ' Revolt.

Insofar as central government is concerned, the borough is divided among the constituencies of Old Bexley and Sidcup ; Erith and Thamesmead ( shared with the Royal Borough of Greenwich ); and Bexleyheath and Crayford.

Erith is a district of southeast London on the River Thames.

The district ran its own tram services as Erith Urban District Council Tramways until they became the responsibility of the London Passenger Transport Board in 1933.

The land falls away to the north of the high ground, across the Erith Marshes to the River Thames, which here makes a loop to the north at Crossness.

The scheme involved major pumping stations at Deptford ( 1864 ) and at Crossness ( 1865 ) on the Erith marshes, both on the south side of the Thames, and at Abbey Mills ( in the River Lea valley, 1868 ) and on the Chelsea Embankment ( close to Grosvenor Bridge ; 1875 ), north of the river.

Following World War I Crayford Urban District Council erected further housing estates to the north, eventually merging with estates spreading southwards from Erith.

The most northerly is the North Kent Line: stations from west to east within the Borough are at Belvedere, Erith and Slade Green.

It is situated in the London Borough of Bexley, close to the southern bank of the River Thames, to the east of Thamesmead, west of Belvedere and north-west of Erith.

The cross-border constituency of Erith and Thamesmead currently stretches from Plumstead, and Abbey Wood in the west, to Lesnes Heath, and Erith in the east.

Easton's firm, inherited by his son James ( 1796 – 1871 ), grew during the nineteenth century to become one of the more important engineering manufacturers in the United Kingdom, with a large works at Erith, Kent.

The armored cables were manufactured in southeast London at a factory in Erith, Kent, owned by Submarine Cables Ltd. ( owned jointly by Siemens Brothers & Company, Ltd, and The Telegraph Construction & Maintenance Company, Ltd ).

Therefore Erith ( along with the majority of Bexley Borough ) does not come under the SE postcode area and continues to be serviced from Dartford, Kent, with DA postal codes.

The initial broadcasts of pirate radio station West and North Kent Radio ( WNKR ) took place at Norvic House, Larner Road, Erith, during the bank holiday weekend in August 1987, on a frequency of 91. 8FM.

* Erith railway station-North Kent line

Afterwards they came south settling in Erith, Kent.

Production took place at Erith in Kent and some models were fitted to early biplanes also fabricated there.

Smith was born in Erith in Kent in 1958 and was educated at Erith College ( now Bexley College ) and at the University of Sheffield where she graduated in English and Drama.

He died at Erith, Kent, on 4 Nov. 1872.

To the south there was a short boundary with Erith in the Lessness hundred of Kent, formed by the River Thames.

Anthony William Brise ( 28 March 1952 in Erith, Kent – 29 November 1975 in Arkley, London ) was a British racing driver from England.

2008 – 09 culminated with success in the Kent League Cup after a penalty shootout win over Erith Town.

Philip Absolon was born in Erith, Kent, and is the great-great-grandson of the Victorian watercolourist John Absolon ( 1815 – 1895 ).

The constituency covers the areas of Erith and Thamesmead near the border of South East London and Kent.

Kevin Horlock ( born November 1, 1972 in Erith, Kent ) is an English born Northern Irish football player, currently player / Reserve Team manager of Needham Market.

His company also designed a range of anti-torpedoboat guns in calibres from 37 to 57 mm, that were produced in Erith, Kent, Stockholm and Spain.

He then moved to the Erith Observer newspaper in Kent and at the same time appeared briefly on BBC Radio Medway, before joining the staff of BBC Radio Solent in October 1971 as a presenter of music programmes ( including the weekly pop show Beat ' n Track ) and news reader.