West Ealing Neighbours Blog

Volunteers needed for stall at Queens’ Jubilee event 15th May

Diane — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 09:44:20 +0000

Volunteers needed for stall at Queen’s Jubilee event

The London Orchard Project has been invited to have a stall at a big event forming part of the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations in Richmond Park on Tues 15th May.The event is likely to attract 20,000 plus people and is to showcase some of London’s environmental projects. They really need some help on the day with their stall – juicing apples, children’s activities, apple bobbing and showcasing our pedal powered apple crusher.If you are interested in going along, please drop an email to kath@thelondonorchardproject.orgKath needs to let the organisers know everyone’s names and details in advance due to the heightened security. Should be a fun day and the Queen herself will be visiting their stall.

Can’t miss an opportunity to see her madge bobbing for apples!

Musicians wanted to play at West Ealing monthly craft market

David — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 07:29:55 +0000

Having got the monthly craft market up and running last month it would be great if we could add some music to create an atmosphere and a sense of occasion. We may not be able to pay but we can offer local musicians a venue to play and a chance to perform somewhere a bit different. The market is the first Saturday of every month in St James Avenue from 10am-3pm. It’s suitable for acoustic music rather than amplified as there is no power available. If you are interested in playing for an hour sometime on that Saturday please email us at westealingeighbours@gmail.com

Follow the West Ealing Monthly Craft Market on Facebook

David — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 14:52:00 +0000

You can find out more about our monthly craft market in St James Ave on its just-launched Facebook page -

http://www.facebook.com/pages/West-Ealing-Craft-Market/387521781287733

Stalls for our market on 5th May include The Buttoneer with her jewellery made from buttons to Nick Lazarow’s locally made wood-turned products including candle holders and bowls. The full list is:

Cosmetics & toiletries
Candles
Hand-knitted clothing
Greetings Cards
Notelets
Soft toys
Ethnic clothing & accessories
Leather goods
Woodturning
Cakes
Swarovski crystal jewellery
Button jewellery

The Bees have finally arrived at Walmer Gardens!

Diane — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 20:56:35 +0000

For those of you who have been keeping up to date with WEN Abundance activities you will know that we have taken the renovation of on a small orchard in Walmer Gardens W13. We cleared it and pruned the trees over January/February (ably managed by The London Orchard Project) Ealing Transition have the rear part of the orchard where the pond is for their first bee hive and on Saturday around 15,000 bees finally arrived in their new home. The crew donned suitable clothes before opening the box to let them into their new home. Needless to say once I had taken a picture of this I scarpered! Pictures of the event below.

Look out for more news when the Elderflower season starts towards June!

Uncertain future for Waterman’s arts centre in Brentford

David — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 07:23:25 +0000

There are concerns that the Waterman’s arts centre in Brentford may be relocated as part of a major redevelopment plan for the area. We received this email about these concerns:

‘I would like to alert your members to the uncertain future of Waterman’s in Brentford. I think several of your members travel to this wonderful, if somewhat austere, cinema, theatre, bar & restaurant to meet friends and enjoy the films. Mothers and babies also have special showings as well as other events. It is a much loved venue amongst people from Ealing, Acton, Brentford, Chiswick, Kew & Richmond and would be a great loss should it move away or be closed down.

The London Borough of Hounslow own the valuable Waterman’s site which they wish to sell off to deveopers. Watermans would be moved to another site – the council are not being very clear about their exact plans – some think they want to move it to Hounslow which would spell its death knell.

Watermans Brentford development plans on view to public for 3 days this week, 19th 20th & 21st at St Peter’s (behind Morrisons)

See the latest information on the developer’s site:-http://www.mybrentford.com/brentford2.0/latest#page-top

David Highton

Lido Junction work now to start on Monday April 23rd

David — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 08:57:25 +0000

From Ealing Council ‘Following 11th hour discussions with TfL the Lido junction works have been rescheduled to commence on 23 April 2012 with the total duration of the construction program reduced to 8 weeks. Hopefully, these changes will minimise further the impact on local traffic conditions.’

Poetry evening at Waterstones in Ealing with Michael Horovitz and Pitshanger Poets on Wednesday from 7.30pm

David — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 16:02:25 +0000

OPEN Ealing in conjunction with Waterstones in Ealing Broadway Centre present an evening of poetry with ‘beat’ poet Michael Horovitz, word artist Ursula Troche and guest appearances from the members of the Pitshanger Poets.

Tickets £5 (£3 standing) from OPEN and Waterstones. Starts 7.30pm. Call OPEN on 0208 579 5558 or visit Waterstones.

Michael Horovitz is an internationalist polymath, who has edited and published New Departures and coordinated the Poetry Olymics festivals for 50 years (http://www.poetryolympics.com). his magnum opus, A New Waste Land: Timeship Earth at Nillennium, was selected as Book of the year by D.J. Taylor in the Independent as “A deeply felt clarion call from the radical underground”. His artworks and picture-poems continue to be exhibited internationally, and he currently performs in a jazz poetry duo with Stan Tracey, as well as fronting the ebullient William Blake Klezmatrix band.

Paul McCartney has remarked that, “in addition to producing many notable poetic and musical works of his own, Michael Horovitz has worked tirelessly and selflessly over the past five decades to ensure an audience for his contemporaries. He’s lively, he keeps poetry accessible, and more than that… He’s a good laff!” And Margaret Drabble, that “Michael is an original poet, with an original voice. he’s always been an innovator, and is honoured as a free spirit and a creative force throughout the literary world. He also has persistence and stamina. Those of us who heard him upholding the standards of poetry and the praise of of Byron on the BBC ‘Today’ programme were delighted to witness that the hardened ‘Today’ interviewers had met their match. Horowitz is neither diplomat nor politician. He speaks from the heart. He has left an indelible mark on the course of British literature.”

Ursula ‘Equinox’ Troche: Word Artist with a motto: From Identity to Liberation poetry. Has performed at various venues eg. Greenwich Jazz festival, Arts for Human Rights Festival, the Colour of London Festival, Happy Soul Festival. Part of collectives like WAPPY, Theatre for Mankind, The Change Collective, Ibeji, etc. Poetry collections: Embraceable – Notes from Different Places called Home; origins and Other Issues. Performs for International Women’s Day 2012 at Charlton House.

Guest poets: From Pitshanger Poets in Ealing: James Priestman, Daphne Gloag, Nick Barth.

Work starts at Lido Junction on Monday

David — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 13:47:03 +0000

Ealing Council will start work next Monday (16th April) on putting in pedestrian crossings and other changes at the Lido Junction. This is great news and will make an enormous difference to pedestrian safety for many residents. Nevertheless, please be aware of delays at this junction over the next 10 weeks.

Every effort is being made by the Council and their contractors to plan and progress the works in an efficient and timely manner in order to minimise the impacts on pedestrians, residents and motorists. Signs advising alternative routes for traffic are due to be installed in the coming days and wherever possible work will be scheduled to avoid peak hour traffic flows.

Your patience will be much appreciated whilst the work is being carried out and the end result will be a much, much safer crossing.

CCTV cameras being installed in Dean Gardens

David — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 22:40:30 +0000

I walk through Dean Gardens to OPEN Ealing most days and have watched the gradual installation of three CCTV cameras. The cameras are part of the response to the anti-social behaviour problems that have affected Dean Gardens over the last few years: street drinkers in daylight hours and an eclectic mix of people from across the borough at night. It’s particularly been the night time occupants who have been a major problem. I’m told the CCTV cameras are good enough to ’see’ at night and, indeed, have spotlights that can be shined on people if necessary.

Before the decision was made to install CCTV cameras there were discussions about other options including additional streetlighting style lights, pieces of public art using light features and closing the park at night. In the end, CCTV was chosen and I hope it proves effective. It does, however, tackle the symptoms and not the causes. Dealing with the drink and drug problems and housing must surely be part of any long-term solution but that costs serious money and that is not likely to be found at times of severe cutbacks.

West Ealing monthly craft market off to a successful start

David — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 18:15:35 +0000

After two years of planning and discussion West Ealing Neighbours launched its monthly craft market today with its bright red gazebos signalling its presence in St James Avenue. West Ealing was fairly quiet to day but the craft market got off to an encouraging start. The general feeling was a good first day and we now need to build on this and start to establish the first Saturday of the month as a regular date for the diary.

Our thanks to the Council, St James Church and everyone else who contributed to helping get the market up and running.

Watch out for our next market on Saturday 5th May.