The Mindsweeper
The Mindsweeper is a project to renovate, equip and maintain a 110 foot wooden vessel moored in Greenwich as a floating and potentially mobile community creative space. The ethos of the project is to provide facilitate and promote cultural, creative and ecological events and projects in the Deptford and Greenwich area with the broadest possible community inclusion. The vessel is owned and run by Friends of the Creek LLP, a limited liability, non-profit partnership.

History
HMS Ledsham was built in Poole for the Royal Navy after World War II (completed in 1954) and did service on the Suez Canal. It is entirely wooden and is an excellent and rare surviving example of triple-carvel construction shipbuilding.

She was subsequently decommissioned, passed around; lost its bridge and upper structure in a storm; was stripped of most of its remaining fittings - wiring, plumbing and copper sheath - and abandoned on the Greenwich Reach of the Thames, where it suffered considerable rain damage (rain in cities is acidic and very bad for wood.)

History of the Project
The vessel was salvaged in 1998 by a group of friends who saw it had possibilities as a venue, and got together to invest their time and money in it. The vessel was renamed The Mindsweeper, and moved to its present location on Deptford Creek

The front deck was plied over - to prevent further rain damage - and the main upper-deck/venue-space was constructed of steel and glass and roofed over.

The rear deck was temporarily roofed over, but suffered further damage during a fire in September 2007. In 2008, The Mindsweeper was accepted onto the Registry of Historic Ships as a vessel of historical significance to the nation.

Location
For the past ten years The Mindsweeper has been allowed to moor on the Greenwich side of Deptford Creek on a council warf leased by Brookmarsh Industrial Estate (workshops, car repair and M.O.T. garages,) and opposite the Laban Dance Centre. This has made an ideal location for the rebuilding project.

The Community
The Local community is very diverse. Although Deptford and Greenwich are port towns and have a long maritime history, there are very few community resources on the waterways. There’s the yacht club on the river and the Creekside Centre on Deptford Creek and that’s about all. The need for a community resource in the area has become very clear from the enthusiasm for the small-scale events we have organised so far.

Progress So Far
In 2005 two members of the project were awarded grants of £2000 each by Unltd. These enabled: 1) The development of the venue space – the purchase of lighting and sound equipment, a wind generator and batteries to power them, a piano, and a programme of events to promote the venue’s possibilities; 2) The preservation of the stern deck, and a start on its restoration with ply and new decking. Some basic plumbing.

Events
So far events have been on a small scale, due to access restrictions and public safety concerns, but they have been well attended and lots of fun!

  • Gun Club – Air rifles and pistols on the quarterdeck for kids and their parents.
  • Live Music:
  • Cwm Festival: In conjunction with Utrophia – three day festival of live music.
  • Flamenco Night – renowned guitarist Ramon Ruiz, and upcoming singer from Granada, Jabbi Marquez, performed traditional flamenco.
  • Ampersand – Free improvised soundscapes with unusual and atmospheric instrumentation.

Film Screenings

  • Georgie Girl – 60’s classic shot around Greenwich with post-screening discussion with Director Silvio Narizzano.
  • I Know Where I’m Going – Powel & Pressberger classic in conjuction with “making of” documentary on Resonance FM.
  • Carnival of Souls – Halloween spooker!
  • IGNATIUS STUDY FOR THE MURDER OF AN ALTER EGO - LONDON PREMIER‏ of a film by Michael Mantas
  • Deptford TV - Peer-2-Peer - Screenings of short films and documentaries.
  • Premier of documentary Flixation – Exploding Underground cinema collective go mad at sea!

Art Projects

  • Local printmaker Paul Haydock-Wilson’s very Creek-based project with ongoing exhibition on the upper deck.

Rebuilding
Application is being made to the Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic Ships Registry and Deptford Community Chest.

Environment
Check out our wind generator from the Ha’penny Bridge! We also have a cunning plan to harness tidal power using old bicycles!