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Your cultural life in and around Walthamstow, Leytonstone, Leyton and Wanstead No.45 • January 2017
Fellowship is Life
COVER STAR Mark Halliley
Next month you have an exhibition at Walthamstow’s Pictorem Gallery featuring new work (previewed on the page opposite). What inspired the show? In Cambodia last summer I met some survivors from Pol Pot’s killing fields and they talked to me about their lives. They are inspiring people. I also visited some ancient temples. At a site called The Terrace of the Leper King, I came across walls of weathered, cracked sculptures. They are hundreds of years old but embody much of what I feel about modern Cambodia. I decided to try and convey that in oil paint. Much of your work seeks to explore some very dark and complex subjects. What do you think art can add to the debate about such issues? I’m just trying to register or awaken feelings about the world around us. For instance, the collages I made about suicide bombers are not journalistic or political – they’re just an attempt to portray what it might feel like to reduce yourself to being an explosive weapon on two legs. Men, women, even kids becoming... homemade bombs. The collages are homemade too, using lots of found objects, often damaged. What is your creative background? I used to make radio and TV documentaries. Now I narrate programmes like The Apprentice and try to be as creative as I can in the time that’s freed up. I never went to art school but I did some short courses and got a lot out of some of them. Locally, I attended some life classes run by Mick Martin. He said some things which it will take me years to try and apply to my figurative work. Good teachers do that. Mick loves art and it shines through in his teaching.
Even though your work may look diverse and often touches on the abstract, do you think there are common themes that recur? Probably. But I might think my work is about one thing, only to find later on it’s really about something else. I’d just like to say that meeting my wife and discovering what she’s been through has changed my view of life and art. All around us are people who manage to survive extreme trauma, battered but unbowed. Some of them even emerge generous and open-hearted. They bring some light because they know the dark. They are heroes. I met some heroes in Cambodia, especially at the Ponheary Ly Foundation in Siem Reap – bringers of hope to young people (theplf.org). I’m not into art about art, or art that tries to be cool. Are you always looking for something new? If you say you’re an artist, people often ask: ”So, what do you do?” As if you should do one thing and know exactly what it is. But if I know what I’m doing, I have to stop and do something else. Why be “a prisoner of one style”, as Matisse put it? So I’ve decided to follow through on ways of working that suit a particular time, subject or feeling. I’m new to it all. Maybe things will settle later on, but lots of artists I like aren’t easily branded. I have heard you talk about the importance of being part of the artistic community in Leytonstone. I work quite hard so I’m less sociable than I’d like. But Avtar and Surinder Bahra at Pictorem have always responded warmly to my work. I’ve also been encouraged a lot by CreativeBloc (@CreativeBloc E11) an artist collective and its co-founder Elliott Ashton who got me my
first ever show SURVIVORS, at The Stone Space in Leytonstone. I’ve also taken part in some of their group shows. Elliott’s brought a lot of people together who’d otherwise be much more isolated in their art-making. It’s good to know other people around trying to do something similar. Aside from your show at Pictorem in February what else have you got planned for this year? My plan for 2017: keep going. Make new stuff. I’d like to show some other work I’ve done and may get to do that through Benign Samuel (BENIGNSAMUEL.com). In the new year, he plans to curate a CreativeBloc group show called CURRENT AFFAIRS. Questions by Paul Lindt
markhallileyart.com Cambodia: The Land of the Leper King New paintings by Mark Halliley 1 – 25 February 2017 Private View 1 February 6.30-8.30pm Pictorem Gallery 383 Hoe Street, Walthamstow E17 9AP
Cover. SD76207. Facing page. Left: Reds. Right: Wired. This page. Top left: Grace. Top right: Night Protector. Above. Lord of Compassion.
Tues-Sat 9am - 5.30pm pictoremgallery.com
All artwork photographed Fussy Eggs except SD76207 by Marte Lundby Rekaa
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Years ago I remember hearing that there were more musicians in Waltham Forest than any other London borough. I then heard something similar about people working in theatre, then artists and then cake decorators. Might have made the last one up, but seriously this is and always has been a very creative corner of town. Last year saw the epic adaptation of War and Peace on the BBC, and knowing that director Tom Harper was a local resident gave me the idea of compiling a whole issue of the E List featuring creatives working in the TV and film world. As it has developed the whole film theme seems to be more and more pertinent to the area. Because Walthamstow was the location of so many film studios in the silent era a significant proportion of locals were engaged in some way with the industry, and it is terrific that Karen Averby is able to tell the story of local girl Tilly Day who started her career working at Wood Street Studios and went onto work on several cult classics for Hammer and Rank (p27). When Tilly was working here, Epping Forest was used to suggest many an exotic location. Her modern day equivalents now share tales of proper exotic locations. Daisy Lilley fending off hunstman spiders as she worked all night on I’m a Celebrity… (p6); Matt Bennett literally starving while trying to direct on Bear Gryll’s Island (p7) and the acting challenges of promoting ping pong to the people of Hull as performed by Pete o’Connor (p14). Finally a big thank you to Bill Hodgson, firstly for channelling a young Alfred Hitchcock for my interview on p39 and secondly for heading the campaign to save the old EMD cinema (now Mirth, Marvel and Maud) for so long and preventing it from going the way of all the other cinemas featured in the final part of Richard Ashman’s history on p9. A true local hero. Paul Lindt, Editor editor@theelist.co.uk
@TheEList_e17
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Mahalia Belo
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Matt Bennett
Walthamstow Amateur Cine and Video Club
16 The Debtonator
39 Alfred Hitchcock
52 Byrd Out
The E List
Inside this issue… This month at the Central Parade Creative Hub Filmwriter and director Mahalia Belo Yes, Daisy Lilley has met Ant and Dec Matt Bennett, an adventurer’s life in TV The Story of Waltham Forest’s Lost Picture Palaces Part Three Walthamstow Amateur Cine and Video Club Actor Peter o’Connor Pamela Hutchinson talks silent movies Debtonating debt with forthcoming film The Debtonator Steve Bergman and director Barry Bliss discuss Steve’s Film Tom Gaul’s A Spotter’s Guide to Local Streetlife E.A. Everall and The Face of Stuckism Two poems by Paul McGrane E~DEN: The Home Directory
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For the latest listings including a link to download the app, a digital version of the E List magazine and back issues
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House Doctor – Creating a home cinema Perculiar Times: ‘The Continuity Girl of Choice’ The Film Studios of Walthamstow Local Hero – Alfred Hitchcock E-VoLVE: Health and Fitness Directory Walthamstow Diary The Magpie seeking out the shiniest, funniest remarks from local social media The Wood Street Walls map of outdoor art and where to find it Wood Street Walls need help shaping their new studio Writer and performer Amy Mason Stephen Vitkovitch and Byrd out SCREEN Film news and DVD Review Listings
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The E List is available for FREE at approx 100 venues across E17, E11, E12, E10 and E4. See theelist.co.uk for your nearest venue. As copies disappear quickly we aim to restock the most popular venues during the month so please keep trying. If you would like your venue to be a distribution point email listings@theelist.co.uk
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Central Parade: Nzinga A veritable Aladdin’s cave of artistic delights, Nzinga, at Central Parade is the joint venture of artists Antonietta Torsiello and Fungai Marima. The talented duo has been offering workshops in addition to their impressive output of art and one would have to be impressed by their industry. Since Fungai moved to England 9 years ago, from Zimbabwe, the amount of support she has received she says ‘she would have never imagined’. Her focus has been on educating people through creative printmaking workshops. As a visual artist, she ‘has always tried to create a way to understand my surroundings, almost give commentary to my social standing and help people around me. I believe in the power of gaining knowledge in whatever means that may be’. Growing up in a cultural area of London with vibrant African and Asian
communities, Antonietta developed an appreciation of textiles and a melting pot of cultures which can be seen in her working style. Antonietta won the Oxford House Gallery People’s Choice award with her lithograph artwork titled ‘Miscommunication’ in 2011. Since then she has exhibited her art work with galleries, institutions including the OXO Tower, The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, The Prince’s Trust, University College London, Credit Suisse Bank, KPMG Bank and Transport for London. Nzinga’s workshops and retail unit
Keys & Hammers Piano Studio
Music lessons for kids (age 4+). Fun activities, games & play. By appointment only. 07770 306 434 E17ninapiano@gmail.com This month we welcome our next round of six month residencies in our incubator units! Pop in and meet our newest members, discuss their practice and take a look at their exciting work. We are also looking forward to the new program of workshops that they will be delivering in the coming months, which you can stay up to day with at centralparade.com/what-s-on 6-10 Central Parade, Walthamstow, E17 4RT
at Central Parade ‘have increased our confidence and helped our understanding of how a business is run’. As an incubator unit retailer Nzinga have to move on after their allotted 6-month period and they will ‘move our work and workshops on to our website where people can stay in touch and continue with the printmaking workshops. We will be looking for a space in the area if possible and will have all the relevant information on our websites’. They went onto describe their time in their incubator unit as ‘a humbling and fun experience being at Central Parade’. For more info, visit: torsiellolondon.com fungaimarima.co.uk
Preloved and new women’s, kids’ and maternity clothing shop. Stockist of selected local makers’ designs and gifts. New year, new stock! We have some exciting new local brands joining us in store including Scamp, Nics and Bees and Mamiluk on top of our ever changing preloved stock and local designer brands such as Hatonhatoff, Corby Tindersticks, Carly Dove, Etta Loves and Jules Etc. Coming soon...Tobias & the bear! The new season prints will drop in March and we can’t wait to get our hands on some amazing jumpers for the little ones.
Check out our resident startup Sn-ap.com when planning your next trip to Nottingham!
Opening hours: Tuesday-Friday - 10am to 5pm Saturdays - 10am to 4pm www.birchandstar.co.uk Instagram: @birchandstar
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A scene from Ellen
Incredible journey
Mahalia, known as May, is as bright and welcoming as the impressive gold skirt she’s wearing when I meet her at cosy cafe 56 St James. And she’s in a generous mood for our chat about her career in film, which is lucky for me because I soon discover she has a lot going on. May begins by telling me how she came to be living in the creative hub that is Walthamstow. “I grew up in West London,” says May, 33, “near Portobello Market and ran a stall there at the weekends as a teen. The market created this vibrant, creative atmosphere and had a real sense of community. Walthamstow has a similar energy, I love it.”
May at work on Ellen
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Mahalia made the conscious decision to be a film director when she was quite young.
“I was always interested in drama and I’d always taken photos – I had a 35mm SLR at the age of 7 that I processed the film for myself. So when I discovered there was a job that involved working both with performance and cameras I was set on it”. Both Mahalia’s parents are creative so setting her sights on a film career wasn’t a pipe dream. “I was very lucky in that respect. My dad became a storyboard artist when I was a kid, so I had some insight early into how to tell a story visually, it also meant the idea of working in the film industry wasn’t entirely alien to me. There were few female directors around to aspire to, so seeing the industry at work probably helped to make it feel less like a closed shop.” “I starting by making a lot of short films with whatever
Photo of Mahalia on the set of Ellen © Channel 4/ Huw John, Cardiff. huwjohn.com
Walthamstow writer/director Mahalia Belo gives us a peak inside the world of film by telling Jessica Mellor just how she went from making shorts with mates on a Super 8 camera to working with Film 4 and winning Best Short at the 2012 British Independent Film Awards.
camera I could get my hands on. I picked up a Super 8 camera on Portobello Road and made films with that. I have seen a few in the charity shops in the Stow, I’m always tempted to buy them.” She roped in friends to be cast and crew on her early shoots “It’s like ‘you’re good, you’re really organised, so you can be a producer’, ‘You like sound – put some headphones on!’ ‘Let’s make a movie!” May studied Fine Art 4D “a pretentious name!” at London’s Central Saint Martins and says she made a lot of animation. “I was quite daunted by the film department, although I used their 16mm cameras. “But I mainly made animated films, weird installations about the future and past. But actually I think one of the reasons I got into making films, rather than sticking with animation, was that I was longing to work with other people.” May says she was ‘flattered’ to get in to the National Film and Television School. “I didn’t apply to NFTS until much later than I probably
should have. It was definitely a confidence thing. Reading biographies of the directors coming out of there and what they seemed to have achieved prior to going to film school – it seemed like the moon to me. But then I applied and I didn’t think I’d get in. When I found out that I had, it was a massive deal, it was just amazing,” she grins. “And then being there was the best thing EVER, ever! Suddenly you are confronted with people who are passionate about making films and about their craft, whether that be design, producing, writing or cinematography, they just want to learn and make good work. It was brilliant and to top it off they told me that I was a director. That was it. I just needed someone to say it. It changed everything.” May continues that her searing, emotive graduation short film Volume ‘shifted the landscape’ for her. She tells me that the starting point for Volume was the image of a “wall of water”, a shot of a girl in a pool. “I used that as my entry point. What’s the gaze here, who’s looking at it, why are they
looking at it? And then the character of Sam was created.” Volume has a captivating, dreamlike quality to it but is steeped fiercely in reality as it offers up themes of obsession, betrayal, lust and how we interpret what we believe to be true. And May explained that the fact that Sam is deaf “is a device to push our character that little bit harder”. “We’re trying to get into the head of a teenage boy and the world he lives in is impotent, it’s a place where people can’t express themselves. So he’s constructing his own reality, his own truth.” May says Volume ‘travelled well’ to festivals around the world, including Sundance in America, and won her that British Independent Film Award, as well as bagging her an agent. She then went on to have her son Beau and when he was only four months old, was offered the directing role on Ellen, a critically acclaimed feature-length TV drama shown on C4 earlier this year and starring ‘the amazing’ Jessica Barden and newcomer Yasmin Monet Prince, who was a “revelation”.
“Ellen is a dark story but at the core of it there’s this female friendship, which had such humour. [Writer] Sarah Quintrell’s tone is so interesting – she’s got a real grasp of humour and darkness mushed together and she’s got this larger than life character at the centre - Ellen.” Mahalia is preparing to shoot her first series for the BBC, and is developing a feature film with Film4. May concludes that at the heart of these and future projects, she wants to “tell stories visually through characters. I think you can kind of make something very original by just really delving in to who your main characters are because everyone is so unique,” she says. “The character influences how you tell the story visually – the cinematography, the design, everything. And if everything is formed out of that, especially if you have cool things like secrets and hidden information as well, you can have a lot of fun.”
vimeo.com/mahaliabelo channel4.com/ programmes/ellen
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picking the best bits. So if Scarlett Moffatt or anyone else features more heavily in a show, you can bet that they were more entertaining to watch that day than anyone else. That’s it. And yes, working on TV shows is as tiring as it sounds. Which reminds me:
‘It sounds like easy work!’
Daisy in the jungle.
“But have you met Ant & Dec?” Although she’s currently snowed under working on her biggest production to date (raising two kids) until recently Daisy Lilley was a staff series producer at ITV Studios. Here are the top three myths she hears whenever she admits what she does: ‘It must be so glamorous’
‘It’s all a fix though!’
The truth is it’s probably more glamorous to do the ironing than work in telly, mainly because you can at least keep your hands warm with an iron. One of my coldest and least glamorous moments came when I made a documentary series about metal detecting for History. It involved spending many long days in muddy fields waiting for hairy men armed with metal detectors to unearth exciting, rare gems from antiquity. Interesting, yes! Glamorous, not so much. It was also stressful, mainly because the format had been sold with the blasé assumption that we would undoubtedly discover hoards of coins, which would in turn make fascinating telly. If those gems then fail to materialise the worry is your viewers will be left disappointed. This is known in Tellyland as ‘anticipointment’… Something to be avoided at all costs! Which leads me onto:
I’m sure shows probably have been – let’s say – overly ‘produced’ in the past but those days are well gone. Ever since the right royal cock up involving Her Maj being mis-edited to look as if she’d stalked out of a photo shoot in a huff, we are at great pains to never mislead the viewer. So if, after a full day of metal detecting, we hadn’t dug up anything of note, that’s the story we go with. Similarly I always cringe at the angry shouts of reality shows being ‘set up’. Late last year when Scarlett Moffatt won I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! the claims were that she got more air time and thus it was a ‘fix’ that she won. The truth is the producers have a matter of hours to whittle through a day’s worth of footage and shape it into a sharp and entertaining 90 minute show ready for transmission each morning. That’s like making a movie. Daily. You achieve that by
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My last trip down under to work on I’m a Celebrity… involved working 8pm – 8am, 7 days a week, for around a month. The pain and exhaustion of working through the night was compounded by being up the duff, feeling extremely queasy but not wanting to divulge the news as I was still in my first trimester. My office was a portacabin with a corrugated roof and huge huntsman spiders were prone to wandering across my computer screen with little warning. When viewing the eating trial (where the contestants have to consume such delicacies as kangaroo balls and fish eyes) I had to exit quickly stage left to throw up quietly behind an edit suite. Ah, I still look back on that time fondly! But it’s hard work. And often with little credit! For instance, on an iconic show like Come Dine With Me a producer will work their tush off managing the contestants, planning the filming schedule, directing shoots into the wee hours, then hotfooting it over to the edit to cut the show and write that iconic, funny commentary we all know and love, and what do they hear when they admit they work on the show? Oh that voice over guy is hilarious! Which brings me to my last point. You don’t work in TV to get recognition. Even after my long, illustrious(!) TV career, there is still one question I get above and beyond any other: Have you met Ant & Dec? Sigh. Maybe one day the questions will be about me (but yes, I have.)
Daisy in her office in the jungle
No Man is an Island From local documentaries to executive producer on Channel 4’s Hunted, Matt Bennett has had a varied career in television. Silvana Gambini finds out all about it, including what it’s like to be a castaway on a desert island… Portrait photo by Chris McAndrew, other photos by Matt Bennett. How did your career in TV begin? I started off in photography – I’ve a huge passion for landscape and documentary photography, particularly the social documentary photographers like Lewis Hine, Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans. After leaving Plymouth College of Art and Design, I joined Denham Productions, makers of programmes featuring Rick Stein and Keith Floyd. I spent five years there making documentaries about the life of the South West. It was a very nurturing place to serve my TV apprenticeship. So how did you come to live in London? I’d met my partner, Katja, at college and eventually followed her to London, then Walthamstow, and have lived here happily ever since. I went to work for Wall to Wall Television, directing programmes such as Who Do You Think You Are? and The Reclaimers for the BBC, and Salvage Squad for Channel 4, presented by Suggs.
I then had an offer I couldn’t refuse; to spend 6 months in Peterhead, Scotland, documenting the lives of the fishermen for the BBC. Jimmy Buchan, skipper of The Amity, generously took me aboard his trawler. At sea for 2 weeks at a time, they live a bloody hard life, lucky to get four hours sleep in 24. It was a great privilege to work with these tough men with their massively generous hearts. But I want to know what it’s like to work with Ross Kemp and Joanna Lumley! Joanna is the embodiment of charm and class; a wonderful woman and a joy to film with. Together we made Joanna Lumley’s Nile, which traced this great river from Alexandria to its modern day source in the mountains of Rwanda. We also made a film about looking for Noah’s Ark, which we didn’t find … The Amity.
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But it was with Ross I formed a long working relationship which lasted 8 years. We’ve made 50 programmes together highlighting issues around the world in Ross Kemp on Gangs to Extreme World, plus three series in Afghanistan, embedded with and documenting the lives of the British soldiers who had to carry out politicians’ wishes. It gave me the utmost respect for the uK military - highly professional, extremely well trained, very humane while doing a really tough, dangerous job. So how did you get stranded on a desert island? It was all about diversifying my CV so as not to get pigeon-holed professionally, plus paying off an unexpected and hefty tax bill! A friend of mine was making a new series called The Island with Bear Grylls. It was a social experiment for C4 looking at how a bunch of 21st century men would cope when cast away on a remote island in the Pacific. He was looking for a shooting director and suggested I interview to be one of 13 castaways. It was a groundbreaking piece of constructed reality TV. Together with a great fella called Danny Etheridge, plus three cameras for the cast to use, we filmed our new community surviving and thriving with no help from the outside world. It was truly unique and a dream job. I lost two stone in weight and the BAFTA we won was nice too… What was it like to be part of the experiment but also documenting it at the same time? It was a very liberating experience as I could turn the camera onto myself and talk about my own experiences. I was able to share what it was like to starve and eat winkle soup every day! Was there anything that didn’t make the final cut? Loads of stuff! I remember early on Danny
on patrol, Musa Qalah, Afghanistan 2008.
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“I was able to share what it was like to starve and eat winkle soup every day!”
Matt and Danny Etheridge on The Island
and I decided we should make some alcohol using coconut juice, with lime peel to aid fermentation. We brewed it in washed up plastic bottles found on the beach - the amount of flotsam and jetsam is truly shocking in the Pacific. After four weeks, we’d succeeded in making weak, fizzy coconut wine – Island prosecco! Tell me about Hunted… The uK is the world’s third most surveilled state, after Russia and China, which inspired Shine Productions’ Tim Whitwell to make a series examining the surveillance state. Together we created hunted for Channel 4. Part factual-thriller, part constructed reality, participants are hunted down by professional investigators using replicated surveillance systems in common use. We don’t give any of the nation’s secrets away; all techniques are in the public domain and we have an independent adjudicator who lets us know if we are overstepping the mark. It’s a brilliant
Shepherd, Afghanistan
hybrid of genres - reality TV mixed with documentary, and seems to have really caught the zeitgeist as it is being made in seven countries, including uSA, and ironically, Russia and China. You’re Hunted’s executive producer. What exactly does that entail? For the past six years I’ve taken overall responsibility for projects I work on – metaphorically turning the lights on and switching them off at the end. This means liaising closely with the channel, discussing ideas, progress, budgets etc. and overseeing the production team, which in the case of hunted is 200 people. An ‘exec’ is also responsible for the editorial tone and direction of the programme. It’s a fun job – occasionally stressful, often with very long hours – but with amazing rewards. You’ve certainly done a real spread of programmes in your time! I’ve always worked in the independent sector. I love making the first series of something - creatively putting the show together, shaping the format, inventing the grammar. And I still pick up the camera whenever I can - it’s really important to keep your hand in. I’ve been incredibly lucky travelled all over the world and met so many different people and been able to witness and document aspects of their lives. Every single experience has enriched my life and I never take it for granted.
As the Beatles rocked the Granada on Hoe Street, Dickensian conditions prevailed at the Century, Leyton where ashes were swept from the coke-fed boiler each day. Changing the auditorium light bulbs required clambering onto the roof as did operating the neon signs at the Rialto in Leytonstone. Maintaining light and heat under such glamorous conditions was the responsibility of the projectionist. Nigel Mantell worked at both venues and after the Century closed in 1963 with Cliff Richard in Summer Holiday, he joined the team of eight projectionists at the Rialto. Films were still projected with carbon lamps powered by white hot rods burning away like nuclear sparklers. Forgetting to ‘carbon up’ in time would leave the screen in darkness so panicky mid-show misjudgements involved a pair of pliers and ability to withstand intense heat. Never mind the drama on the big screen – much of it took place in the little room at the back!
Ritz (ABC), Leyton 1938-1979. Leyton’s largest cinema. Architect: William Riddell Glen.
The Lost World In the final part of his three part series on Waltham Forest’s cinema history Richard Ashman charts the decline of these often beautiful cultural icons, and photographer Paul Tucker captures the surviving buildings as they stand today. However, even as two former cinemas are set to be replaced by flats this year, one of the borough’s grandest still survives and has started showing films again.
Photo © paultucker.co.uk
Carry On films and French and Swedish subtitled thrillers such as The She Wolves and The Red Inn (“banned for five years!”) were amongst the diverse offer at the Plaza on Hoe Street as the 1960s approached. This Edwardian cinema, like others of its vintage, was on borrowed time, unable to compete with the larger, relatively modern venues newly equipped for the latest Hollywood epics with huge CinemaScope screens and stereophonic sound.
The Entertainment Tax on cinema tickets introduced to help finance the First World War was blamed for putting many struggling cinemas out of business, including the Essoldo Leyton. When it was finally abolished in 1960 fourteen local cinemas remained. Within ten years just six were left. The UK lost some two thousand cinemas during this period largely due to the elephant in the (sitting) room: television.
Before new technology made the job easier but scarcer, two thousand foot reels of film alternated between two projectors. As one reel ended its twenty minute run, cue dots appeared on the film signalling the projectionist to start up then switch to the other projector where the next reel took over. Used reels needed rewinding before re-showing and the first run of each film was audience-free as it required checking for scratches and out-of-sync sound. Failure to report imperfections could leave the cinema being held liable for the damage. The Plaza and Empire became Cameo cinemas in 1961 as the nearby Dominion (which had briefly staged wrestling three years earlier) switched to bingo. Many other borough cinemas followed including both Cameos in 1963. However the Cameo at Bell corner also screened Bollywood films on Sundays, courtesy of Apnee Film Society. Sometimes bingo arrived prematurely such as at the Regal, Highams Park which returned swiftly to films until bingo reappeared permanently in 1971. Sixty years earlier the cinema opened as the Electric Theatre - an apt name, as electricity was absent from the neighbourhood in 1911 and it generated its own. In Chingford Mount, the Odeon was one of forty seven sold by Rank to Classic cinemas in 1967. On closure in 1972 the north of the borough was left without a cinema. 9
A short lease extended the Carlton’s life until 1964. Some time before, the classical exterior which had graced Walthamstow High Street since 1913 was simplified. After closure, the auditorium was converted into a supermarket and what survived of the original frontage was replaced with sheet metal cladding. It remained a cinema-indisguise until 1986. Unusually, in fifty one years of cinematic life its name remained constant.
They stand as a tribute to builders, designers and craftsmen from a lost world.
The Savoy, Lea Bridge Road on the other hand became a Gaumont, an Odeon, a Curzon, and then a Classic cinema upstairs with Vogue bingo in the stalls. In 1979 bingo took over completely; first Granada, later Gala. Now it is the Potters House, the latest chapter in the life of many former cinema buildings, saved first by bingo and now by religion. Only Walthamstow’s Granada was afforded the lifeline of subdivision. In 1973 one screen became three, increasing choice but reducing seating capacity and ending live shows. The following year the borough’s other Granada – the former Rialto – closed and was quickly demolished, ending a colourful life that began in 1909 as a roller skating rink. In 1977 EMI denied rumours they were planning to close the ABC (Ritz) Leyton, despite having obtained a bingo license. With similarities to the EMD in Walthamstow eleven years later, the huge cinema once seating 2,418 was taken over as an independent in 1978 and renamed the Crown. Losing over £500
Dominion (ABC), Walthamstow 1930-1961 Bingo hall until 1996. Architect: Frank Ernest Bromige.
a week and needing major repairs, the owner B.D. Kundra tried in vain to rent out the stalls as a disco while manager Syd Lloyd took desperate measures, making ten staff redundant. In December 1979 The Brute (a torrid tale of wife battering) and Holocaust 2000 were shown. After such cheery fare some Friday night Kung Fu films followed before this mighty single screen survivor from the golden age of cinema closed. It became a B&Q store.
Just two cinemas in the borough remained and both were on Hoe Street. From 1970 the former Cameo at Bell Corner became a Tatler cinema featuring adult films and live striptease until it became an amusements centre in 1981. The Granada was now the sole survivor, changing its name and ownership several times before closing in 2003 at the hands of an evangelical church. Over a century of entertainment at the Empire/Cameo/Tatler and later Rileys, ended in 2016 as the Hurricane Rooms, where elaborate auditorium plasterwork survived in the gloom above the heads of snooker players. In the brickwork of the Dominion, Buxton Road are coin marks made over sixty years ago by children as they queued. Both cinemas are earmarked for replacement with flats but Good Brothers who built the Empire, have as a memorial their Empress/Scala/Plaza/Cameo near the Bakers Arms; now a church and one of only two borough cinemas protected by listing. The other, also on Hoe Street, is to many the EMD, ABC or even Cannon. I prefer the Granada. Now called Mirth, Marvel and Maud and with much hope pinned on its future, films are back thanks to Nick Bertram’s Stow Film Lounge. He’s the obvious choice to run a pop-up cinema in a cinema, having shown films across the borough during the absence
St James Electric Picture Theatre / Super / Regent, Walthamstow 1911-1939.
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of a full-time venue. Things have come full circle. In 1896 the first film show was staged on the same site. Modern multiplexes like the Empire Walthamstow which opened in 2014 may have greater technical superiority and comfort over their predecessors but like the popularity of all things vintage, ‘Mirth’ embodies the desire for character, quality
and old-fashioned warmth that exudes from the walls of these wonderful old cinemas. They stand as a tribute to builders, designers and craftsmen from a lost world. Residents in the Victorian terrace on William Street in Leyton still look onto the brick expanse of ABC’s Ritz which rudely began growing at the back of their gardens eighty years ago. Around the corner on
Leyton High Road, a betting shop occupies the foyer behind which are offices and meeting spaces. Trapped above suspended ceilings and under partitions are the mutilated remains of the romantic, art deco auditorium where vast numbers shared the magic of celluloid together. It stands as a reminder of a time when the demand for cinemas seemed insatiable and endless.
All photos © paultucker.co.uk
This page. Top Row: (Left) Empress Electric Picture Theatre/Cameo, Walthamstow 1913-1981. Built by the Good Brothers. (Right) Queens, Walthamstow 1911-1940. Behind its builder Good Brothers former showrooms. Middle Row: (Left) Electric, Highams Park 1911-1971. Renamed Regal 1935 with new frontage. (Right) Savoy, Leyton 1928-1979. Architect: George Coles. Botton Row: (Left) Empire, Walthamstow 1913-1981. Bingo hall 1963-1970 then Tatler. (Right) Premier Electric, Leytonstone 1910-1961. Redesigned and renamed State 1938.
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Behind the green door Jonathan Elliott went to meet members of the Walthamstow Amateur Cine and Video Club some of whom have been making films at the club for well over 60 years. Photography by Paula Smith.
Not long ago, after I’d just moved into the area, I would pass the hall on my way home, and noticed that every night, the gates were locked and the hall door firmly closed. Every night that is, except one: on Thursday nights and only Thursday nights, the gate was open, and the door slightly ajar. Figures could be seen moving around inside, it was brightly lit. Finally, my curiosity got the better of me and one drizzling Thursday night I ventured in to find out what was going on. What I discovered was a sizeable film studio, complete with a permanent set representing a pub. The space was full of props and film equipment, light stands, tripods and a bewildering array of cameras, some film, some video, some digital. This was the property of the Walthamstow Amateur Cine and Video Club (WACVC). 12
I was warmly received into the hall - actually not the church hall but the permanent WACC Club Hut, asked to sign a visitors book and made a cup of tea. Founding members Ted Playle and Roy Garner befriended me and seemed bemused at the interest of a local resident “I never knew this place existed” I exclaimed “ How long has it been going?” I thought they might say 10 years. “We’ve been here since 1968,” explained Roy “But we started out in 1949” added Ted, munching a Rich Tea biscuit, “we’ve just finished a documentary for the Vestry House Museum, do you want to have a look?” What followed was an education in not just film making over six-and-a-half decades of evolving technology, but in the power of doing something just for the hell of it, because you love it and it’s fun. I quickly found out that my new friends were amateurs only in the very best sense of the word - one who does something for the love of it. And Ted, Roy, Vincent, Julia, Mike and Paul, along with the other members absolutely love film making. Today digital production is within reach of everyone, and costs nearly nothing. But it wasn’t always so, and the WACC producers are steeped in an era when making movies was not for the faint hearted. Mike Darwood - calling himself the youngster at 61 - chipped in “I do all the things the professionals do, have all the hassles and obstacles, the agonies and problems, but I do it because it’s my project and I love it”.
Photos © paulasmith.co.uk
Still from the WACC film Sweeney Todd
At the end of my street is an unassuming church hall, made seemingly of corrugated iron sheets and so many layers of green paint, they could be holding the entire building together.
Still from the award-winning WACC film Back Fire
Roy Garner (joined 1952) and Ted Playle (a founding member from 1949)
The club grew out of the area’s vibrant amateur photography scene of the 1940s and 50s. It initially called itself Circle 95 - after the 9.5mm film gauge popular at the time, and then changed its name when 8mm home movie and 16mm news film gauges came along. 16mm in particular was the smartphone video camera of its day. Most movie-making had, until the 1940s, been 35mm and involved a noisy, cumbersome camera that needed several people to carry it and could only be used with a big tripod. 16mm was light and comparatively cheap and you could take a clockwork Bolex camera anywhere. The club quickly made dramas with titles like Claire de Lune which used elaborate sets and costumes; then Paper Petals experimented with newly available colour film stock. Walthamstow’s amateur acting talent, especially if it was comic, found grateful producers always willing to give it a tryout. Roy was eager to get his hands on 16mm film too so he bought a few cans of army surplus stock and shot his movie but when it came to processing it, he had a problem. For the low budget film maker, 16mm film processing is fearsomely expensive. The only solution was for Roy to do it himself and, without lab or dark room, he processed his film in a greenhouse at night. It was negative film, and, again strapped for cash, he had to edit the negative footage, viewing his rushes in negative as he did so. Once cut, he spent the remaining budget on a positive print he could project - “it came out alright” he says with a grin.
Strangely for a 21st century film club, hardly any of their projects are on the internet. I ask Ted about YouTube, wouldn’t they like to have a global audience watching their films? “When you get a 1000 hits, its not the same as an auditorium when you have 100, 200 people watching and you can see their reactions, it’s incredible.” Maybe he has a point: a silent view count on YouTube, even a very large one, is quite a different thing from a hundred living, breathing people in front of you laughing at the comedy movie you slaved over. Through the 1970s and 1980s, the club thrived, often winning national and even international awards. But times are changing and it is facing a declining membership. “All amateur cine clubs are facing membership problems and are closing or merging,” Paul Reilly, the chairman, tells me. “We struggle to attract a younger demographic”. The club’s 11 remaining members, however, are determined to carry on, and I ask what production they are planning next. “Scott of the Antarctic” says Paul. He’s deadly serious. Something tells me that they’ll do a very good job of it and will enjoy the reactions when they screen it in a proper auditorium.
wacvc.weebly.com 13
He’s walked the red carpet with Gary oldman, thrown Benedict Cumberbatch around and cried with Dominic West, but life as an actor for Peter o’Connor mainly involves a lot of frustration, and generally....not acting. Peter 48 moved to Walthamstow in 2001 but grew up in Salford, “Sounds Dickensian, but we lived in a 2 up and 2 down with an outside toilet and one coal fire.” I honestly can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to be an actor,” says Peter. “on TV it was Burt Lancaster, John Wayne, Steve McQueen, but seeing the British actors changed things, it dawned on me that they weren’t that different to me, they’d had their accents ironed out at RADA but they were working class too. I loved Peter o’Toole, Anthony Hopkins, they made it all seem possible.” “My first public performance was as a shepherd in the school nativity. I was about 5 years old, but the teachers chose the other 2 shepherds to entertain the audience who were being rowdy. I remember watching from the wings, they were having a lot of fun but why not me? I think that’s why I’m working on a catering van a lot nowadays!” In the 1990s Peter auditioned for Trevor Suthers and joined The Real Life Theatre Company in Manchester. “We were doing lots of new writing, which was great, I really cut my teeth there. I got an agent 14
through that but I really wanted to train. I was accepted at East 15 Acting School, the final year that government grants were available.” He struggled, working, borrowing money, but mainly because of the cultural differences. “My mates back home took the piss, insisting on accompanying me to buy the things on the equipment list like ballet tights and tap shoes, they were supportive though. After the 1st year I was going to jack it all in and leave.” The middle class world was so alien. “I couldn’t hack it at all at first.” But he returned and went on to win the Lawrence olivier Bursary Award in his 2nd year. “It paid all my fees for the entirety of the course.” In his final year showcase he was taken on by agent Sue Grantley from JAA and had a few good years with her. Since she retired Peter is seeking new representation. “I would never stop acting because I love it, it’s who I am.” “You get some funny jobs, like patient role play in hospitals, medical students have to diagnose and suggest treatment. As yet, I haven’t had to dress up as a cheeseburger or a giant chicken but you know, never say never. I played a 1970s table tennis champion character, Paul
The octopus, promoting ping-pong to the people of Hull.” He has also had some very cool jobs, even though one involved him running through cold damp tunnels in the middle of the night. “I got to work with The Ruts, now Ruts DC, on their new single Psychic Attack. It was great fun to do a music video with people I admire.” Peter has a natural talent for improvisation. He met Dominic Savage, a director who requires his actors to improvise their scenes with a guiding plot line. “I loved working with Dominic, we really hit it off and understand each other. I had a few parts with him or helped him with the auditioning process for other actors.” That work led to casting director Jina Jay giving Peter parts in some great films. In just a couple of decades Peter has seen a real sea change. “There’s been a lot said about this already, but I took part in a survey looking into the ‘class ceiling’ and the fall in work for working class actors, the results were all over the press. It does seem that there are more white middle class actors playing all the parts these days, it sounds like sour grapes but it really isn’t, there are some great actors working now but it just seems really imbalanced.” Peter is currently working on a one man show.
See his showreel spotlight.com/2058-8943-6910
Photo from Ruts DC - Psychic Attack music video © Director, Graham Trott www.grahamtrott.com
An actor’s life for me
they would be interested in vintage films made on hand-cranked cameras too. The truth is that when sound films first came in at the end of the 1920s, people wanted to look forward and not back, so the silent films were neglected, destroyed, mocked. Gradually their reputation has grown, and although sadly many silent films were lost, more are being discovered every year. Archivists are taking care of these films, saving them from decomposition in many cases, and they are being shown now too, with beautiful music. Since the 1980s it has been much easier to see silent cinema – so it’s a great time to become a fan. You run a fantastic site called Silent London. In 2010 I realised that there were more silent movies showing in London than I could keep up with. So I set up a simple site to keep track of the listings. At some point I added reviews and features to the previews. Eventually I had to give up the listings (although another site took those on) but the site is still going strong.
Silent London
Photo © mburtonphoto.com
Whether it’s Star Wars or There Will Be Blood watching films on the big screen with a full live orchestra is very much in vogue. But it all started with the revival of some silent movie masterpieces backed by new scores. Pamela Hutchinson, the person behind the Silent London website and regular Guardian contributor talks to Paul Lindt about the continuing allure of silent films. Photograph by Mark Burton. In a world of 4K high-definition digital cinematography and Dolby Digital sound what is the appeal of old black-and-white films with no sound? For me the appeal of silent cinema is that it was a period of amazing innovation. The first filmmakers were figuring out what the cinema could be and what it was for. Imagine the excitement of working without rules, because they hadn’t been imposed yet.
People are often surprised to learn how many experiments with sound there were in the “silent era” – not only that, but special effects, colour, 3D, widescreen … Is this a revival? Perhaps part of the widespread rebirth of ‘old fashioned’ things like vinyl records, beards and gin? If people are nostalgic for old records and books and old methods, it follows that
London is a fantastic city for silent cinema – there are great venues such as the BFI Southbank, and the Barbican. I highly recommend a silent film night at the Cinema Museum in south London called the Kennington Bioscope. It’s not that hard to get to from Walthamstow, and they show a fantastic mix of classics and rarely seen movies. Many of the world’s best silent film musicians are based here too. The site is a serious timewaster. I found myself drawn to the top ten X-rated moments in silent cinema and the man being runover by a steam roller only to be reinflated by a passing cyclist and his bicycle pump. I loved the idea of wide-eyed audiences passing out at the mere thought of seeing such a thing. Do you have any personal favourite contributions to the site? I am not sure early film audiences were quite so delicate, and the silent era was a time when there were no rules about not hurting animals on set and before film censorship began in earnest, so there are some eyebrow-raising moments. I have had many great guest posts on the site, though – from the most haunting silents, to colour in early cinema. The most moving for me is a roundup of lost silent films – there is so much we might never see. I was very lucky recently to run an interview with the novelist Ali Smith, who writes so beautifully about silent cinema, and everything else. 15
What’s your background? I studied English literature at university, but I was already a bit of a film nut, and I was beginning to take an interest in silents. Then I did a Master’s in film history and that was that. I have been working as a journalist since I graduated, and now I am freelance I write almost exclusively about films, not just silent ones! Most people as kids have seen at least one comedy silent short; a Laurel and Hardy, Chaplin or Keaton. For those wanting to dip their toe into a full-length feature, what sure-fire hits would you recommend? For a full-length comedy you can’t beat Buster Keaton’s The General or Chaplin’s The Gold Rush or The Circus. A beautiful dramatic film that will also give you a scare is Nosferatu. I would also recommend Pandora’s Box, starring the very sexy Louise Brooks – a very modern and captivating movie. And if you are an old-fashioned romantic like me, try Sunrise: A Song of Two humans. Some of the silent classics are very, very long. The re-released Napoléon (1927) clocked in at five and a half hours, and was recently shown with three intervals. This requires a completely different mindset than modern films doesn’t it?
you think these films remain so alluring and influential to filmmakers in our digital age? Local lad Alfred Hitchcock started out in the silent era and he never forgot the lessons he learned then. You’ll see that even in his sound films, he tells the story visually – otherwise, he said, films would just be “photographs of people talking”. What we think of as cinematic is this visual element – effects that could only be achieved by moving pictures, not the spoken word.
Loiuse Brookes in Pandora’s Box
It’s true that no film can ever be too long, just not good enough to justify its length. What helps is that silent films are more immersive than modern ones – there is a special connection between the audience and the action on screen. So sit back, relax and take it all in. Films like Napoléon, and those of DW Griffith and Eisenstein are still seen as being wildly experimental by modern masters like Scorsese and often contain jaw-dropping visual sequences. Why do
Silent films are regularly re-released with screenings accompanied by live music. Do you have any recommendations for films we should look out for in 2017? A Soviet film called The New Babylon is showing at St Luke’s in old Street, in March with a performance of its original piano score by Shostakovich. So that will be incredible. Because it is the hundredth anniversary of the Russian Revolution, the Barbican and the Regent Street Cinema are showing more fantastic Soviet silents all year. Keep an eye on the BFI listings. and take a trip to the Kennington Bioscope too.
silentlondon.co.uk www.theguardian.com/profile/ pamelahutchinson
Debtonating debt Deborah Talbot talks to local filmmaker Dan Edelstyn and artist Hilary Powell about their forthcoming film The Debtonator which confronts one of the pressing issues of our times. Debt is something that weaves through all our lives. From that eye-watering large mortgage we take on to buy a London shoebox, the new loan to cover the bills our wages won’t stretch to, or our government’s mythological rhetoric on ‘cutting the deficit’ while expanding it ever outwards; debt is everywhere. But what is debt? And why can’t we ever seem to get rid 16
of it? Filmmaker Dan Edelstyn and artist Hilary Powell aim to bust through the confusion by showing us how debt works in us, and against us, in their forthcoming film, The Debtonator. Deborah Talbot talked to Dan about what they have planned. What made you both want to focus on debt as the issue for our times? I’d never been interested in debt before. I had Artist hilary Powell at Curwen Studio, London.
Photo © Tim Brocklehurst
Photo © Hilary Powell
a mortgage, student debt, personal and business debt, for sure, but it all seemed very simple, so long as the work flows in, and your house price is rising. I was on the right side of citizenship. All that changed when I tried to set up a vodka brand to help the Ukrainian village my grandmother had come from, a project I documented in my first feature film How to Re-Establish a Vodka Empire. The factory was forcibly taken over by the Donetsk mafia and my investors, and I lost a lot of money. I felt guilt and shame for my investor, and abject terror for me, even if the film itself had reached an audience and touched people. Money and debt were no longer an abstract thing but bound up in a personal and financial crisis. How did you deal with that? I started reading. Three books made me re-evaluate what I was doing - Tolstoy’s essay A Confession, George Orwell’s Why I Write and William Morris’s Useful Work vs. Useless Toil. A friend of mine then told me about a group called Strike Debt (US) who had bought up millions of dollars of student and medical debt to ‘abolish’ it. I ordered their literature, read David Graeber’s book Debt: The First 5,000 Years and Andrew Ross’s book Creditocracy, and what I read blew my mind. To these writers, debt had become a means of social control and a concentration of power in the hands of a narrow class who, through credit, control access to food, clothes, housing, healthcare and education. So began the journey towards the making of Debtonator: Confessions of a 39½ Year Old Revolutionary. What’s the project about? The story of how the Bank of England was created in 1694 was our inspiration. A group of
Artist Hilary Powell’s Pop Up book production line, Stratford 2014- an experiment soon to repeated when the currency is upscaled.
bankers decided to help King William III in his ongoing fight against arch nemesis King Louis XIV of France, by loaning him £1,200,000. In return, they created and circulated paper notes representing this debt. Through these means, they got to charge interest on the loan to the king, and they built an empire on loans that, if they were ever repaid, would collapse the finance system. Just as they are doing today - UK banks are holding 492% more assets than our entire GDP, and the Bank of England believes that by 2050 the ratio will be closer to 900%. The only way the economy is kept alive is by creating more and more debt. Democracy is a very strange word to describe what’s really in place here, and we seem to be focusing our attention in all the wrong places.
how it affects our society in many different ways. But people can buy the currency, for example at one of our ‘People’s Supper Club’ events, and some of the proceeds will go to Eat or Heat, our local food bank. The rest will go towards making the film. Our lenders can exchange their currency back into pounds once we’ve finished the film and people have been paid. They get a credit in the film and on the website, and can also write a paragraph on why they wanted to help. What events do you have planned, and into the future? We had our launch event in December, but
we’ll be continuing with the People’s Supper Club, and we aim to travel to different locations, from an NHS hospital to UCL’s Cut the Rent, to highlight the widespread impact of debt on our institutions. We hope to inspire anti-debt campaigners everywhere.
You can find out more about the Debtonator at debtonatorthemovie.com and Eat or Heat at eatorheat.org Deborah Talbot (deborahtalbot.com) is an ethnographer and journalist specialising in culture, society and all things urban.
So we’re printing unregulated currency in the shed in our back garden in St James Street, an edition totalling £50,000, to ‘purchase’ £10 million of student debt and payday loans. It’s a symbolic protest, then? It’s a means of showing people how debt works and The Debtonator standing on the roof of his Walthamstow home, ready for action against the “creditocrats”.
17
Water (1983), Notes from the Underground (2012), Art is.... (2013), this is his first factual documentary film and, for Steve, a trained actor, well... it began as a cathartic project to record the process he was embarking on; dealing with the shock, fear, despair and physical pain of treatment and, of course, everything that accompanies that.
Barry Bliss (left) and Steve Bergman (right) in The Queens Arms, Walthamstow Village.
You couldn’t make it up Kirsty McNeil-O’Connor speaks to Barry Bliss and Steve Bergman about the movie they are making with cinematographer Paul Reilly. Steve’s film is a movie where the protagonist lives through every agonising moment, for real. Photo by Chris McAndrew. To meet them you could believe that it’s a buddy movie, a Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid or Midnight Run, maybe. So, how long have these two bantering 18
gentlemen been friends? “We’re not friends, we hate each other.” In fact, Barry and Steve only met around 6 months before the inciting incident of Steve’s stage 4
throat cancer diagnosis led to their combined project. But, like the diagnosis, the film had an uncertain ending, pure drama. For Barry Bliss, writer/director of Fords on
“It started with Barry and cinematographer Paul visiting every Friday afternoon with ‘how’ve you been this week?’ Talking heads style. Then we started moving out of the room, my wife Jackie and my daughter Sophie were interviewed. We put together a taster, which I put out to cancer charities and one asked us to create a 5 minute film, so we did. By this point we already had masses of material to work with. Now, I have a HPV advocacy role. A rare male voice.” Steve
Photos © www.mcandrewphoto.co.uk
“May 7th, 2015. It was election day. The night before, we (Steve and his wife Jackie) looked at my symptoms and self-diagnosed glandular fever.” But it was throat cancer. “At the point of diagnosis it was stage 4.” Extremely advanced with not a good prognosis. “I was just weeks away from collapse, and I was pretty fit, cycling around 20 to 25 miles per day to go to work. The tumour that was almost completely covering my airways was caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV). I was in hospital for 3 weeks, for major surgery. So, there I was, pondering life and death and I wanted to record the experience, so I approached Barry to film it. Our heads have a fantastic ability to edit out the worst bits of everything, but I didn’t want to forget it. I wanted to walk with it, all the way through.” And so it began.
has been giving talks for the Throat Cancer Foundation to support a campaign to roll out the vaccination to boys. Incredibly it is only available for 12-13 year old girls on the NHS, “So only 50% of the UK population are being vaccinated against HPV.” “There are basically two strands to the film; the particular and the universal,” says Barry. “Yes, it’s like a diary, with photography, writing and film, but we wanted to broaden it out from there. I’m not a documentary maker, I write and direct my own work. It took time to find a peg to hang this on. Obviously we discussed the broader implications of it. On TV nowadays we see all sorts of medical dramas including the likes of 24 hours in A&E. We decided that this wasn’t going to be like that.” It was when Barry started filming empty hospital corridors using hospital trolleys to carry the camera creating atmospheric shots, that he knew he was making a film and not just helping his friend. “I was always clear, whether I survived or not, that I wanted to show the physical impact of having cancer. Then, there’s the emotional impact. This has been absolutely the most traumatic period of my life. The physical stuff, for me that’s universal. You’re taken on an individual journey but there is plenty for others to relate to.” “Steve is in the middle of this Maelstrom looking out,” says Barry “and I’m on the outside looking in. We have different perspectives. I think viewers will have the same duality those personally effected by cancer and those who will be in the future. I wanted to document the minutiae and the parallels. I asked Steve to write a journal, this has some of his darker moments. This
is a eulogy, but of survival... of life, the ultimate journey. A poetic narrative coupled with a very visceral story.” The NHS has been supportive, once they accepted Barry and Paul weren’t out to expose some dark NHS secret. Steve interviewed the surgeon who performed his life-saving operation and they filmed someone having the same medical procedure. “It was really sci-fi, he was covered with a mask to hold him still and stop any unnecessary damage.” Steve’s own mask is now an objet d’art in his home. They are still shooting footage, then the editing begins. And there’s a lot of emotional recovery left for Steve. Incredibly, in a relatively short time since diagnosis, he is fit and well and his voice has recovered completely. He has work with the cancer charities, he is also developing a one-man show to tell his story, “and I’ve been doing voice over work again” he smiles.
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Barry Bliss has done what many directors would never do - embark on a film without knowing what on earth is going to happen to his central character. “I can’t remember who, but someone did say that the problem with our film (dramatically) is that Steve doesn’t die.” “Yeah, I’ve ruined the film now,” laughs Steve. www.youtube.com/watch?v= f0IYFJETr28&sns=tw
From a series by Walthamstow resident, illustrator Tom Gaul. instagram account tomgaul_doodles Steve during his treatment
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Left: Billy Childish. Right: Portrait of a Stuckist. Both by E.A. Everall
The faces of Stuckism As one of the founder members of the anti-conceptual Stuckism art movement E.A. Everall has recently embarked on a project to paint each of the key artists of the group. Here he gives the background to his new show of the first of these portraits at the Stone Space. All of the paintings in this exhibition are painted from life, drawings and occasionally photographs taken by myself, and portray friends and colleagues from the Stuckist Art Movement. Stuckism; which commenced in 1999, as a riposte to the then dominance of ‘conceptualism’ and non-painting in general. Stuckism for all its ambiguities and paradoxes is most definitely committed to the act of fine-art representational painting. The Stuckists are probably more familiar to the general public as the colourful crowd who regularly demonstrate outside the Tate in response to the meanderings of the Turner Prize. Behind this light-hearted façade, however, there lies a group of people with serious intent; witness the scores of exhibitions we have undertaken, often at prestigious locations (The Walker, Liverpool, Mayfair and Kent University). As one of the original twelve foundermembers of Stuckism, it has been my pleasure to participate in all of the major exhibitions, often as a ‘featured artist’ as well as curating several shows.
Although essentially a painter of semiabstract still-lifes and interiors I have an on-going interest in portraiture and have offered courses in the subject over the past few decades. It is mainly thanks to a fairly recent study I made of the portrait procedures of the great John Singer Sargent that I have, at last, been able to speed up my own output. So far as portraiture is concerned, my ultimate goal is to paint a truly abstract yet recognisable portrait, perhaps a ‘forlorn hope’. The recent exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery of abstract portraits of musicians by my old tutor, the late Jack Smith, went a fair way towards this end The paintings in my show represent the first few years of, what I envisage to be a long-term project. The aim is to provide an archive of portraits of all the key Stuckists and one, furthermore, which paints them in a mildly heroic light while providing a real sense of the sitters presence. Several of the works include biographical notes and as poems by the sitter, for Stuckism sprang, in part, out
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of the then very active ‘Medway Poets’. Wherever possible the portraits are hung in such a way as to give an indication of the subject’s stature whether standing or sitting. Very like David Hockney’s view of his recent body of portraits on show at that the RA last year, I see these paintings as a single piece of artwork – ‘The Face of Stuckism’. Please note: The paintings on display are not for sale; however, I am able to accept commissions for portraits. A part of the fee, which is very reasonable, will be donated towards the work of the very worthwhile Stone Space gallery.
The Face of Stuckism Paintings by E A Everall 12 January – 5 February 2017 The Stone Space 6 Church Lane, Leytonstone E11 1HQ Thurs-Fri 2-6pm, Sat 12-5pm, Sun 12-4pm
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Mortgage advice that’s right up your street Marsh Street provides comprehensive mortgage advice for everyone. We source from a wide range of lenders and have access to a number of different products. We pride ourselves on offering a friendly and high quality bespoke service that ensures that you are treated fairly at all times. We have the experience and ability to identify your needs, to cut through the fine print and explain the pros and cons of each product to make life easier for our customers.
Marsh Street was the original name of Walthamstow High Street where a number of large manor houses were used as weekend or summer retreats. Samuel Pepys’ bosses had houses here, and after visiting one of them Pepys described how they had drunk wine from a local vineyard and “the whole company said they never drank better foreign wine [than this one] in their lives”.
Not only will we help you find the right mortgage, but we will use our knowledge and expertise to ensure your mortgage transaction is completed swiftly and effectively, so you can concentrate on the other parts of buying your dream home.
Traditional values and good advice
M ARSH enquiries@marshstreetmortgages.co.uk 0208 509 8626 40 Orford Road, Walthamstow, London E17 9NJ
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. There will be a fee for the advice given, the exact amount will depend upon your circumstances but we estimate it will be £495 or 1%.
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House Doctor Penny Fielding offers creative solutions to everyday niggles you may have with your home.
Whether you do it with friends and family or indulge alone, there’s nothing quite like watching a movie from your own armchair. As this month’s E List celebrates the film and TV talent of E17, here are some tips on how you can get the best viewing arrangements from the comfort of your own fireside. Most of us have a TV in the lounge with the furniture arranged around it for the best possible results and thus it has been since the 1950s when families watched together and shared the experience. In the last few years this arrangement is changing as more of us watch TV on catch up from our computers and tablets. With our iPads we can enjoy the liberation of being able to view wherever we are in the house. If you’re lucky enough to have a large home and you love film, why not set up one room with a huge tv and lots of comfortable sofas. Invite your mates over for a film night and turn them on to your fave directors. For an easy to install home cinema that can be used as and when, simply attach a projector to your laptop like this: Put a projector on a high shelf, and connect it to your laptop’s display port (the one you would plug an external monitor into). Connect the laptop to an amp (from the port you’d put your headphones into) then you get a bigger sound than the laptop could produce on its own - big picture, big sound, which feels more balanced and really brings that cinema experience to life if you have surround sound speakers. Most projectors have a remote control so you don’t have to climb up to switch it on and off. Using this set up, project onto a blank wall or pull down screen. View in low lighting for best results. You are now set up to watch DVDs, film/TV subscriptions like Netflix, YouTube, you name it! This arrangement can be used outside on summer nights too. Then all you need is popcorn!
What niggles you about your home? Email penfielding@ gmail.com with your thoughts. To book a session with the House Doctor please email: penfielding@gmail.com or call 07725 645 359. To advertise your business contact ads@theelist.co.uk 23
T.J.Ball & Co.
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Buying a property is one of the biggest transactions of your life. It is essential to feel confident that you are making the right decisions as a result of the advice you receive. Established in 1987, T.J. Ball & Co believe that when selling or buying your home you should receive quality independent advice from a qualified and experienced licensed conveyancer.
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Contact Antony Smith for a no obligation consultation today! Call 0333 456 0468 or email hello@providusfinancial.co.uk Address 20 The Avenue, Highams Park, London E4 9LD Providus Financial Limited is Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority
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Seeking consent The number of people asking the courts for financial orders after their divorces have been finalised has increased significantly over the past two years. Rising asset values, such as property, business or shares, may have partly motivated more divorced people to seek a better deal from their former spouse. The high-profile case in which the Supreme Court ruled that Kathleen Wyatt had the right to seek money from her ex-husband Dale Vince, founder of green energy company Ecotricity, 30 years after their divorce, has also encouraged more people to return to the courts in pursuit of financial settlements. The Supreme Court’s ruling should stand as a stark warning to anyone who is thinking about completing a divorce without also putting in place a court-approved financial agreement. It is vital that you seek legal advice about the financial aspects of your separation at the time you divorce. Deciding not to do this because the assets you have are limited is no longer an option for anyone who wants to protect their potential future wealth. The financial agreement (known as a Consent order) addresses the claims a married couple has against each other and sets out how and when these claims should be brought to an end. What most divorcing people want is a clean break between them, and a Consent order is normally the best way to achieve this.
For advice on Divorce or any other legal issues, please contact Wiseman Lee on 020 8215 1000.
020 8215 1000 wiseman.co.uk 24 To advertise your business contact ads@theelist.co.uk
17 Jan gallery
Parkstone Road E17 2 bed terraced house for sale Offers in excess of £575,000 Eden Road E17 2 bed cottage for sale Guide price £650,000
... in an ideal location to take advantage of everything Walthamstow has to offer. It has tremendous character, has been tastefully modernised and has all the space a young family or professional couple could need. You will be spoiled for choice for things to do as you can head off to Lloyd park for fresh air, open space and the William Morris Museum ...
Clarendon Road E17 3 bed terrace house for sale Offers in region of £850,000 Bridge Court, Leyton E10 2 bed flat for sale Offers in region of £189,950
10 Jan gallery
Forest Drive West E11 1 bed flat for sale Offers in region of £325,000 Leyton Green Road E10 2 bed flat for sale Offers in excess of £375,000
... a fresh light atmosphere throughout, each room has both its own personality and sense of privacy. Combine this with a well planned layout and it ensures that the comforts of home are all very modern. The expansive lounge/diner has an original cast iron fireplace and is filled with light from the bay window and door onto the garden, the adjacent kitchen means that you will never be shut off from the conversation when entertaining friends ...
Villiers Close E10 2 bed flat for sale Offers in excess of £325,000 High Road Leyton E10 2 bed flat for sale Offers in excess of £440,000
Despite what people may tell you, Walthamstow Village was not invented by estate agents. It’s called Walthamstow Village because it was once exactly that, a village. Once the administrative heart of Walthamstow, the Village is now content to simply be the neon capital of Europe. An unlikely claim you might think, but visit God’s Own Junkyard on Ravenswood industrial estate and you’ll see what I mean. When your mind has been blown by the neon, pop in to Mother’s Ruin Gin Palace and Wildcard Brewery. All three businesses are based on Ravenswood, making it the most exciting industrial estate on the planet. The Village is full of quiet residential streets that all have easy access to bucket loads of pubs and restaurants. Take in the Jazz at the Nags Head on Sunday afternoon, enjoy the excellent food and beer at the Queen’s Arms, and sample the legendary chicken and bacon jam burger at Eat17. To walk off all the food you’ve eaten, wander to the 15th century Ancient House, check out St Mary’s Church and its ivy clad church yard, have a pint in the garden at the Castle Pub, then admire the art in the windows of the old iron mongers.
The Vilage by Walthamstow Diary
Be sure to step outside into the garden with its patio for alfresco dining, lawn and well tended beds ready for you to exercise your green fingers.
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Add Valuable Square Foot Without Lifting a Hammer! Want more space without the hassle of building work? Sell your property for it’s maximum value by adding planning permission on the perfect extension and then move!
Buyers often want to add their own stamp on a property, and equally decide to rip everything out of a newly renovated property to suit their own style. Take the risk out of your potential sale and design a large extension with planning permission. The buyer will be able to see the potential, avoid the risk of not achieving planning permission as well as the expense of applying for it! Your top sale price will be achieved and you never have to deal with the dust. Top Tip: plan the largest extension possible under planning guidelines. he profit between siblings. The planning permission on the extension added 72 square metres
info@evarchitects.com 020 8531 4441
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Supporting our local community since 2014 Tel: 0203 397 9797 / Web: stowbrothers.com Email: hello@stowbrothers.com / Twitter: @stowbrothers 236 Hoe Street, Walthamstow E17 3AY
Selling your property doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. We’re putting you back in control.
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Happy New Year Copermills supports local schools and charities
“Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.” Helen Keller
‘If you wish to manage your own sale, you could sell a flat with Coppermills for as little as £1,000’*
To find out more, phone Coppermills or just pop in for coffee and a chat. 020 8509 9170 63 St James Street E17 7PJ
2 Bedroom Flat to let – Claymore Court £1,300 pcm
Three Bedroom House, comprising of large reception room, kitchen, family bathroom, three good sized bedrooms and a rear garden.
Two bedroom flat to let. A two bedroom property with double glazing, gas central heating and good size double bedrooms.
3 Bedroom house for sale – Markhouse Road £450,000
2 Bedroom Flat to let – Sylvan Road £1,350 pcm Let agreed
A three double bedroom end of terrace house with some original Victorian features. A house that would benefit from some upgrading.
Ground floor two bedroom flat, with its own garden located in Walthamstow Central. A two bedroom property with double glazing, gas central heating and good size double bedrooms.
3 Bedroom House for sale – Markmanor Avenue £525,000
3 Bedroom House to let – Aveling Park Road £1,650 pcm Let agreed
Three Bedroom House, located in a quiet no-through road, comprising of large reception room, kitchen, first floor family bathroom, three good sized bedrooms and a rear garden.
Three bedroom house set within a quiet residential area, near to Lloyd’s Park. The property has a fitted kitchen, first floor bathroom, large through lounge, three good sized bedrooms.
2 Bedroom House for sale – Browns Road £600,000 sstc
Meet the Coppermills team; Arona, Erkan, Vidya and Richard
Located in Poets Corner this two bedroom Victorian house has a through lounge that leads onto a fitted kitchen. Upstairs are two good size double bedrooms and family bathroom.
To arrange a viewing or FREE market appraisal, please contact us. Coppermills is committed to helping those from disadvantaged backgrounds and supports local projects based in charismatic East London. © 2015 Boston UK Ltd T/A Coppermills and is regulated by the property services ombudsman
info@coppermills.co.uk 020 8509 9170 www.coppermills.co.uk 63 St James Street, London E17 7PJ
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3 Bedroom House for sale – Lynmouth Road £525,000
Voted best Estate Agent in Walthamstow* We’ve got it spot on. central-estates.co.uk
Central 179 Hoe Street London E17 3AP Sales, lettings and management
020 8520 0033 enquiries@ central-estates.co.uk
* E17 Housing Awards 2016
Residential developments and the role of private developers With the continuing growth of cities, the need to meet housing targets puts pressure upon the government and local authorities to facilitate the construction of more housing. Whilst a good portion of new housing is built by Housing Associations in conjunction with local authorities, much of the remainder is built by private developers. With a shortage of available “greenfield” sites (new land not previously used for building) within cities and urban areas, more development is taking place on “brownfield sites” (sites previously built on or used for commercial purposes). By nature, Brownfield sites in urban areas can be challenging. They tend to be smaller and so the proximity of adjacent buildings and the relationship of any proposal to them is a consideration. There may be issues of land contamination, archaeology, trees, structures etc. to be dealt with. When looking at new developments there are many areas for consideration before the architecture of the buildings. At an early stage, it is important to understand the planning constraints, allowable density of development, amenity space requirements etc. to assess the number of units possible and hence the viability of the site.
Who can help? Architects with experience in residential developments are an asset to a developer. Their knowledge of relevant planning legislation enables them to assess the capacity of the site and hence the viability, at a very early stage. Experience in the design of residential developments will result in proposals which are in tune with the aspirations of the Local Plan whilst maximising the development potential of a site.
Why not visit our website mattheweylesarchitects.com for more information and to see how we can help you with your project? Matthew Eyles is an Architect and partner in Matthew Eyles Architects. He has over 30 years’ experience in the Architectural profession.
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Definition: things that are strange; queer; odd; uncommon; unusual; distinctive in nature or character from others; characteristic of; belonging exclusively to an area. Architectural historian, Karen Averby seeks out such things from this corner of London’s rich and varied past
‘The Continuity Girl of Choice’ Waltham Forest’s fascinating cinematic past is made up of many components, whether long-since vanished studios or countless interesting individuals who played their parts behind the scenes or in front of the camera. 2017 marks a hundred years since one Walthamstow resident entered the film industry, and went on to enjoy a successful 58 year career having worked on over 300 films. Hers isn’t a household name as such, but she worked for several renowned studios as a continuity girl, or script supervisor, and became highly respected and sought-after by many top directors. Lilian Georgina Day, known as Tilly, was born on 31 August 1903 in Walthamstow, the second child of tea warehouseman George and his wife Louisa Ellen. George was originally from Bethnal Green and had lived at several addresses before marrying Lilian’s mother Louisa Ellen Weir in 1897. For a short while they lived on Oxford Road in Islington where Lilian’s elder sister Louise Marion Jane was born in 1898. Soon afterwards the family decided to move to Walthamstow, where Lilian was born. By 1911 the family were living at 75 Kenilworth Avenue, and the girls attended nearby schools, which Lilian disliked intensely. In 1917 Wood Street Studios placed a job advertisement in a newspaper seeking a ‘well-educated expert short-hand typist’ and Lilian responded. Despite initial opposition from her parents, they allowed her to attend the interview, and she started work at the studio the very next day. She initially undertook general duties as well as typing, such as making the tea and tidying the set, but one day the regular continuity girl didn’t turn up and Lilian was asked to step in, and so her career in film began.
Hammer which produced many cult classics. Tilly was ‘the continuity girl of choice among experienced directors’ and was well liked and respected amongst actors and crew alike. Her many films include Gaslight (1940), Brides of Dracula (1960), Phantom of the Opera (1962), Up Pompei (1971), Kidnapped (1972) and her last film, One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing (1975).
Tilly on the set of the Hammer production The Pirates of Blood River 1962 with director John Gilling.
The earlier films were silent movies, which were more difficult to work with than the later ‘talkies,’ as the script had no words and so was much more difficult to follow, whereas with talkies, the words immediately identified where everyone was. Also Tilly was often asked to play the second lead or other parts as the studio couldn’t always afford one. Filming often took place in Epping Forest, especially when horses and wild animals were being used.
Tilly died in 1994, but in her later years she was interviewed for the BECTU Oral History Project (1988). Transcripts of her interviews are available through the University of East Anglia’s British Cinema History Project. Search for ‘Tilly Day’ at www.uea.ac.uk archangelheritage.co.uk
In time Tilly left Walthamstow and went on to work for other companies; amongst them Stoll, Rank and
House Histories Have you ever wondered who used to live in your house, or how it has changed over time?
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emigrate to Hollywood and go on to win an Oscar for the John Ford film The Informer and Bombardier Billy Wells who became “the man who hit the gong” at the beginning of the Rank Films.
The Film Studios of Walthamstow When we think of film studios clustered around a single location we naturally think of Hollywood or at a pinch the Home Counties with Elstree and Pinewood Studios. We’d never think of Walthamstow in the same terms. But as film director Barry Bliss reveals, we’d be wrong.
Walthamstow was home to some of the most important UK film studios in the silent era and over a gloriously short-lived period between 1910 and 1926 Walthamstow became arguably the most important centre for film production these isles have ever known. The first of these studios, and more importantly, the first ever purpose-built film studio in the UK was situated at the junction of Wood Street and the Lea Bridge Road on a site now occupied by Beuleigh Court. The Precision Film Studios were erected in early 1910 by the Gobbett Brothers. This two storied structure was standard brickwork on the ground floor (for stores, dressing rooms, offices etc.) 38
and the first floor was a glass and steel structure, rather like a giant greenhouse, as early film makers preferred to use natural light as much as possible as artificial lighting was expensive and unreliable. This revolutionary design would become something of a template for later studios. Although this one only lasted until 1915 (by 1919 it had become a tool factory) the Precision Film Company did produce many films (from comedies Stop the Fight to costume dramas East Lynne to dramas Anarchy in England etc) most, if not all of which, have now been lost apart from fragmented remains. Next came British and Colonial Kinematograph Company who in 1913 took
over a former roller skating rink on the corner of Grove Road and Hoe street and created a studio that would go on to create the most successful British film ever made with their 1916 Battle of the Somme. 20 million people (half the UK population) watched Battle of the Somme in just 6 weeks. Also in 1913 a ‘Dark Stage Studio’ was set up at 588 Lea Bridge Road by the I.B. Davidson Company. This studio seemed to specialise in genre films involving boxing champions or exploitation films where anarchists ran amok with bombs (the bogeymen of the age). Notable names associated with the studio were the actor Victor McLaglan who would
By the mid 1920s Hollywood’s domination was complete and this ‘English Hollywood’ came to an fitful end. Few relics or clues remain to illustrate this wonderful moment in local history, with no known photographs of the British and Colonial and I.B. Davidson studio buildings at all and only a very poor quality illustration of Precision. Only Broadwest seemed worth recording. Maybe it’s about time we thought of commemorating these lost studios. If anyone has any photographic evidence of the studios we would be very interested in seeing them. e barrybliss@live.com
Photo © National Film Archive
Broadway Studio’s Walter West filming on a Walthamstow street.
The last of the big four The Cunard Film Company opened their studio in October 1914 further down Wood Street from Precision at number 245 (now the site of Rumble in the Jungle). Obviously inspired by Precision this building was of a very similar design to theirs with laboratories, carpentry workshops, set decorators and costume makers (as well as dressing rooms and offices) all housed on the ground floor, allowing the first floor to be taken over completely as studio space. Cunard Films fared little better than Precision, and were soon taken over by Broadwest Films. Broadwest themselves created many notable productions becoming a leading UK studio and gave the likes of Ronald Coleman and Anna Neagle their start in film.
LOCAL HERO
Alfred Hitchcock Many readers will know Mr Hitchcock of Leytonstone’s thrilling motion pictures. Paul Lindt talks to the young man just as he leaves London for Hollywood to work for legendary producer David O. Selznick. With thanks to McGuffin Film Society founder Bill Hodgson.
Photo colourisation and montage © Paul Lindt www.paullindt.co.uk
How do you feel to be leaving London in 1939? Are you excited by Hollywood and what plans do you have? Mr. Selznick is the only American producer I have ever considered working with and I now have a contract to make one motion picture for him while he has an option for me to do four more if things work out. So we shall have to see. I am excited about Hollywood in the sense that I am attracted to the scale, the ambition, the facilities and the budgets of the American studios. Mr. Selznick is keen to make a film about the Titanic and I agree there is potential there for a big Hollywood success although it may take some time to realise. I am also developing a treatment of the J.M. Barrie play Mary Rose which I first saw here in London at the Haymarket Theatre some years ago. Both my wife Alma and I want to make that a priority project. In addition, there are discussions regarding a Daphne du Maurier adaptation although I have only recently finished filming her Jamaica Inn for Charles Laughton’s Mayflower Company. This has evidently pleased her not one bit so it remains to be seen whether I shall be inclined or indeed allowed to adapt any more of her stories. I may concentrate on the others if the choice is mine. You have made over 20 films in London. Do you have a favourite? Oh, Young and Innocent. The public evidently preferred The Thirty Nine Steps and The Lady Vanishes but I would choose Young and Innocent and I understand Mr. Selznick agrees which I consider a good omen. My leading lady on the film was a very talented young actress by the name of Nova Pilbeam and I believe she could have a very bright future
in Hollywood if handled correctly. I will be discussing this with Mr. Selznick in the months ahead. For the record, and to save you the trouble of asking, my least favourite picture was Champagne as neither myself nor the audience could detect any evidence of a plot. Taking you back, you were born here in Leytonstone. What was Leytonstone like then? Well, I was born on August 13 1899 above my father’s grocery store at 517 Leytonstone High Road. In those days Leytonstone was commonly referred to as ‘England’s fastest growing town’ as it had blossomed from a small semi-rural village into a thriving London suburb in just a few short years. This was largely due to the extension of the railway from central London which brought with it the usual array of speculators, developers, publicans and other assorted opportunists. Oh, and shopkeepers. As a matter of fact, the railways were my chief fascination as a boy but that’s another story. My sister Nellie and I attended Mayville Road School together which was a short walk away. Later I was sent - rather unwillingly, I might add - to St. Ignatius College in Hackney although by that time I was living at my father’s next shop on Salmon Lane Market in Limehouse.
Any early memories? No clear memories whatsoever. However, if you ever watch my 1936 picture Sabotage you will see an amalgamation of the neighbourhoods where I lived as a boy. Although I think it is only fair to confess that the actual neighbourhood you will see on the screen was built to my precise design on film sets in Northolt and Shepherd’s Bush! I’ve always preferred to work in managed environments rather than on real locations. For example, on Sabotage I had planned a complex action sequence on a London tram. I intended to build a tram and lay tracks in the studio so it could be achieved with maximum efficiency and control. Regrettably, it was vetoed by my producer on the predictable grounds of cost. Actually this reminds me, I do have one peculiarly vivid childhood memory and that also concerns a tram. When I was about six years old I witnessed one of Britain’s first electric trams making its maiden journey down the High Road. It caused quite a sensation. Around that time I was also involved in an incident at the local police station but I never discuss that one… As you are sitting here on a rare return visit to Hollow Ponds, what memories of the forest do you have and how was it when you were a boy? No, not really. We 39
Your father died when you were 15 and you started working at WH Henley’s Telegraph Works. Tell us about your time there. At Henley’s I was a specialist in electrical cables and trained as a technical estimator. I also studied Art at the University of London during the same period which led to my being transferred to Henley’s advertising department where I would design and draw adverts for cables. It was there that I found myself in the company of real writers and artists for the first time. There was a trend for city firms to have their own in-house magazines in those days and so I harnessed all this talent around me to help launch a periodical called The Henley Telegraph in 1919 as an outlet for their creative energies. Coincidentally The Henley Telegraph also published a number of my own early short stories. When space allowed, of course. It was around this time you started visiting London cinemas and theatres I believe. Oh no, I was visiting cinemas and theatres from a very early age. I’m told my parents would take me to the Theatre Royal in Stratford to see the popular stage melodramas of the time as well as the Victoria Hall in Walthamstow which would sometimes show the motion pictures alongside more traditional entertainments. Curiously, my very good friend Sidney Bernstein opened one of his Granada supercinemas on the site of the old Victoria Hall a few years ago. I believe it is doing very well. On Leytonstone High Road there was an enormous cinema called the Rink Picture Palace as well as the more modest Premier Electric Theatre that was part of a small 40
on as part of a skeletal staff working much longer hours for much less pay. During this period of near limbo, I found myself engaged as a sort of junior assistant director on a short comedy called Always Tell Your Wife. It wasn’t my film but it somehow brought me to the attention of the producer Michael Balcon who was in the process of forming a new company called Gainsborough Pictures and negotiating to become the permanent tenant of the Islington studios.
London chain which employed their own orchestras to perform alongside the silent films. There was also the Gaiety Cinema on Church Lane but my favourite was the Academy at 362 Leytonstone High Road which opened in 1913 and where I spent a great many hours. By the time I was working at Henley’s I was mostly a customer of the West End theatres and picturehouses. In 1920 you got a job at a newly opened film studio in Islington. What sort of work did you do? An opportunity first arose when Famous Players-Lasky arrived from America and built their film studios at Islington. The company came here as they had a grand idea to adapt the great novels of English literature and film them in the land of their origin. The company advertised widely for English personnel as they were desperate for staff. My design experience at Henley’s enabled me to submit work and I was taken on in a junior position. Initially they employed me to write and draw the caption cards which appeared in silent films. Scene setting things like “and the next morning…” and various pieces of dialogue. I worked on a variety of pictures which are largely now forgotten like Dangerous Lies, The Mystery Road and Three Live Ghosts. Eventually I became head of the title department. On rare occasions I was also permitted to shoot footage so I began to gain some limited filming experience. Famous Players-Lasky was an invaluable training ground which gave a lot of opportunities and experience to British filmmakers and technicians. Unfortunately they also seriously overextended themselves and by 1922 production ceased. However, they left behind the best equipped film studio in the country which was then leased out for various short-term projects. I agreed to stay
Meeting producer Michael Balcon was rather fortuitous for your career wasn’t it? With Mr. Balcon I progressed very quickly to working on scripts and handling art direction for a number of his pictures. Eventually he asked if I wanted to direct my own film. It was a step I hadn’t seriously considered beforehand but I agreed and was promptly dispatched to Germany to work on some co-productions with the Emelka Studio in Munich. My first feature was an interesting romantic drama called The Pleasure Garden and this was followed by a somewhat disappointing effort called The Mountain Eagle. Nonetheless I learned a great deal from the German filmmakers who seemed immensely more sophisticated to me than their British or American counterparts. In 1926 I finally got to make my first film on London soil and that was The Lodger. For the few readers who haven’t seen it talk about The Lodger, why do you think it was such a hit? I always refer to The Lodger as ‘the first true Hitchcock movie’. It was inspired by a play I saw in the West End called Who Is He? which in turn had been inspired by a novel called The Lodger by Mrs. Belloc Lowndes. The story in essence concerns the landlady of a lodging house who suspects that her new boarder may
Blackmail poster courtesy McGuffins
called it Leyton Flats in those days. When I was very young I used to see filmmakers all over the forest shooting material for the studios which existed nearby before the war. Some people believe this is where I began in the film industry but I am afraid they are mistaken. Although I was passionate about the pictures I could not have envisaged a future in them at that age. I used to visit the travelling circuses and fairgrounds which would arrive apparently from nowhere down at Wanstead Flats with their clowns, prize fighters, contortionists, fortune tellers, tightrope walkers, exotic animals and even more exotic ladies. It was a very lively scene indeed and one I recalled much later in my 1927 picture The Ring. If that one is ever shown again, you will get an impression of how it all was. Actually I do now remember coming along this way with my father on his horse and cart, delivering groceries along Whipps Cross Road. He used to deliver all around this area. A very long time ago.
be Jack the Ripper. One of the real Ripper’s victims had been buried in an unmarked grave near my old home in Leytonstone, very close to my own father’s grave actually. So I was aware of the Ripper mystery and recognised it as rich source material for a picture. My leading man was Ivor Novello who was a very big matinee idol at that time so the studio forbade his use as a villain. Therefore at the end of the picture I had to spell out that he wasn’t Jack the Ripper after all! Indeed I almost made him a Christlike figure by the conclusion. I would have preferred to be more ambiguous but I was a relatively new director and needed to make the best picture I could within the limitations I was given. Nonetheless when the publicity department and the distributors sat down to view The Lodger on its completion they declared it a disaster and cancelled its release despite the involvement of Novello. I was devastated and believed my career as a director was over. Ultimately a few minor changes were agreed and it was grudgingly scheduled for a limited release whereupon The Bioscope trade paper described it as “the finest British production ever made” and I was immediately hailed as the saviour of our film industry.
Why do you think you are attracted to such dark subject matter? With your recent films like The Man Who Knew Too Much and Secret Agent you seem to be returning to the supense thriller genre again and again. I don’t believe I am attracted to dark subject matter at all. I am attracted to interesting projects. It is true that I have made thrillers and suspenses but I have also tackled comedies, historicals and a musical. I am not a director who intends to be pigeon-holed. Finally before we bid you goodbye Mr Hitchcock, do you have any particular aspirations for your career in Hollywood? And do you think you will ever return to London to make pictures again? At the moment I am mainly concerned with practicalities. I am looking for a tenant for my flat on Gloucester Road in Kensington and arranging tutors for my daughter Patricia over in the States. Then hopefully we’ll be sailing together as a family on the Queen Mary in March. For everything else, time will tell. Thank you Mr Hitchcock and good luck. The DVD documentary ‘Alfred Hitchcock In East London’ is available from www.mcguffin.co.uk
Young Alfred on a horse outside his father’s shop in Leytonstone ©BFI
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E~VOLVE a Directory for a Healthy Mind & Body Sport Mon-Thurs Boxing Classes East London Boxing Club, 25A St James Street E17 7PJ The gym provides daily boxing sessions for beginners and amateurs. The emphasis is on a friendly atmosphere concentrating on fitness. Sparring is optional for more experienced boxers. Lunchtime classes also available. 121.30pm and 7.30-9pm. Non-members £9, first time trial £7.50, juniors £5 Sedat Sag 07947 426099 info@eastlondonboxing.co.uk eastlondonboxing.co.uk Fridays Racketball for Beginners Walthamstow Cricket, Tennis & Squash Club, 48a Greenway Avenue E17 3QN Weekly coaching sessions to get fit and make friends. Large racket and ball, easy on the joints. Perfect if you have never held a racket before! Please wear non-marking gym shoes. Equipment provided. Wear loose clothing. Individual taster sessions available. 9.30-10.30am. Non-members £8 each or £30 for 4 sessions. Members £7/£20. Gail Farrow 07815 168410 walthamstowsportsclub.co.uk
Dance Mondays Clare’s Dance Class: Learn Iconic Dance Routines United Reformed Church Hall, 58 Orford Road E17 9QL Unleash your inner dancer and keep fit with this fun dance class. Learn different dance styles and iconic routines from musicals and pop videos such as the charleston, Fame! and Thriller. Beginners welcome. 8.309.45pm. £9.50 per class or £7 if paid termly. Clare Farow 07939 125014 clarefarrow2@gmail.com Facebook.com/ClaresDanceClass Fridays Ballet Class The Welcome Centre, St Mary’s Church, 8 Church End E17 9RJ A new ballet class for reception/year 1 children with an ex-English National ballet dancer. 3.45-4.30pm. £5.50, discount if paid termly. Lyndsey Ward 07933 314415 vestryschoolofdance.co.uk
Wednesdays Beginners 50s Jive classes Sinbin at The Plough & Harrow, 419 High Road, Leytonstone E11 4JU Due to popular demand The Chicken Shack will be hosting 50s Jive dance lessons. Our classes are for beginners, so no dance background or experience is needed. 7.30-9pm. £5 per class, just drop-in. ploughe11.co.uk Wednesdays movE17: Walthamstow’s Community Dance Group Gnome House, 7 Blackhorse Lane E17 6DS MovE17 is a fun class for locals who want to learn contemporary dance routines by famous choreographers such as Akram Khan. We also create and perform our own dance works based on local themes. Classes are booked on a 6-week term basis. Contact for a sample class. 7.30-9pm. £8 per class. Clare Farow 07939 125014 clarefarrow2@gmail.com Facebook.com/MoveE17 Fridays Vestry Tots Peterhouse Centre, 122 Forest Rise/Upper Walthamstow Road E17 3PW Fun interactive dance classes. Develop your child’s confidence, self expression, spatial awareness, balance and rhythm. 1.15-2pm. £5.50, discount if paid termly. Lyndsey Ward 07886 800639 vestryschoolofdance.co.uk
Believe Begin Become
Fed up of feeling overwhelmed?
Want to feel confident and good about yourself? Book a 30 minutes complimentary consultation to find out how you can get your life on track quickly.
Ainara Leunda
Life Coach NLP Master Practitioner Psy-Tap Practitioner TFT Therapist Counsellor
www.ainaraleunda.com 07986851626
42 To advertise your business contact ads@theelist.co.uk
Thursdays Beginners Salsa Class Walthamstow Trades Hall, 61-63 Tower Hamlets Road E17 4RQ Make new friends, learn new moves, have fun and improve your mood. These friendly classes will give you the confidence to step onto the dance floor. Join the happy feet club! No partner required. 7-8pm. £5, first class FREE. Alberto 07429 440428 alberto.salsa@yahoo.com www.alberto.dance Thursdays Beginners Salsa Class Ye Olde Rose & Crown Theatre Pub, 53 Hoe Street E17 4SA As above except different venue and time. 8.15-9.45pm. £5, first class FREE.
Yoga & Tai Chi Wednesdays Tai Chi and Qi Gong St Mary’s Welcome Centre, 8 Church Path off Vestry Road / Orford Road E17 9RJ Discover Tai Chi and Qi Gong! Beginners classes suitable for all students, in a relaxed and friendly environment. Courses start throughout the year, check taichinews.com for start dates. 7.15-8.45pm. £9. Emiel 07909 856490 emiel@meiquan.co.uk taichinews.com
Wednesdays NEW Kids Yoga Age 4-9 East of Eden, Studio 1, The Tramworks, Hatherley Mews E17 4QP A fun way to learn about yoga and mindfulness as a way of improving focus and coordination. Parents will be expected to stay in the building. 4.305.15pm. £7. Reception 020 3583 7530 info@edeneast.co.uk edeneast.co.uk Saturdays for 4 weeks NEW Pregnancy Yoga Health Works, 111a Hoe Street (entrance on Cairo Road) E17 4RX Brand new classes for a new you in the New Year. A delicious blend of pilates and yoga to strengthen your core while stretching and relaxing you at the same time. 4 people per class. 2-3pm. £11, £66 per block of 6. 0208 503 7794 healthworks@clara.co.uk thehealthworks.co.uk Thursdays Postnatal Yoga & Baby Yoga Quaker Meeting House Wanstead, Bush Road E11 3AU A great, fun, happy class for both you and your baby to enjoy. The first half focusing on yoga for new mums and then the babies get involved. For babies from 6 weeks-12 months. Please bring a yoga mat if you have one. 10.45am-12pm. £10 drop-in or £8 per class for block bookings. 07956 807675 helenyoga.co.uk helen.georghiou@mac.com
WALTHAMSTOW OSTEOPATHY AND NATURAL HEALTH CENTRE Osteopathy - Cranial Osteopathy Osteopathy for Children Sports Injuries - Pregnancy Osteopathy Private medical insurance accepted Evening and weekend appointments Free 15 minute initial consultation
72, St Mary Road, Walthamstow, E.17 - 020 8 521 7888 150 metres from Walthamstow Central Station (Tube/BR) www.walthamstowosteopaths.co.uk
Best intentions
Fitness. Nutrition. Mindset.
It’s this time of year that many head to the gym and start a diet with good intentions and then give up if they make a slight slip up because they feel like they have blown it.
We give you the skills & knowledge about your food & fitness to maintain your new results.
1-2-1 & group personal training in E10 & E11.
Real success comes from building new habits rather than relying on willpower, becoming more knowledgeable about your food rather than fad diets and training efficiently rather than spending hours on the treadmill. Here at Stripped Fitness I take time to discuss your goals and set clear actions to reach them. By taking time to find out about you and your motivations we accelerate the process and create a tailored solution for you. My approach is simple, effective and most importantly educational. By growing your knowledge about exercise, nutrition and the mindset to make it all happen, you achieve your goals and have the ability to sustain them as well.
Do you have a goal? Then let’s make it happen. I offer 1-2-1 and small group Personal Training that looks at the whole picture: Fitness, Nutrition & Mindset in E10 & E11. If you have any questions or would like to book a free consultation session feel free to get in touch. I also run a Bootcamp Wednesday evenings at Leyton Cricket Ground 7-8PM.
Wednesdays Low Cost Beginners Vinyasa Yoga Leyton Yoga, First Floor (above USSR), 691 High Road, Leyton E10 6RA A slow-flowing yoga class which links movement to breath to strengthen and stretch the body and leads to deep relaxation. All classes are drop in; no need to pre-book. 11am-12pm. £6. leytonyoga.com
Mondays E11 Yoga: Monday Morning The Pastures Youth Centre, 15 Davies Lane, Leytonstone E11 3DR Take time for yourself and start the week using yoga to move, strengthen and nourish your body, mind and soul. Classes held in the Good Shepherd building. 10-11am. £5. 07904 517465 jessicagreen.net/love
Fridays Vinyasa Yoga Class Gnome House, 7 Blackhorse Lane E17 6DS Move the body, still the mind. A flowing class with asana linked to the breath. An energising class which will leave you feeling blissful. Drop in/no booking necessary. 10.30-11.30am. £8. 07989 384341 nikkiwilkins@mac.com
Mondays Flow, Pranayama & Meditation Leyton Yoga, First Floor (above USSR), 691 High Road, Leyton E10 6RA Increase your vitality and explore the more subtle aspects of your practice in this all-levels class focused on yogic breathwork and meditation techniques. No pre-booking required. All welcome. 9.30-10.30am. £10, or ten classes £90. leytonyoga.com
Tuesdays Restorative Yoga for Stress & Anxiety Leyton Yoga, First Floor (above USSR), 691 High Road, Leyton E10 6RA Release tension and balance the emotions in this class focused on healing and self-care. Bolsters, blankets and other props support you in luxurious, gentle yoga postures as you explore your ability to truly let go. Dropin only; no need to pre-book. 8-9pm. £10, or ten classes £90. leytonyoga.com
Thursdays Vinyasa Yoga (Intermediate/ Advanced) Leyton Yoga, First Floor (above USSR), 691 High Road, Leyton E10 6RA Join Naomi Constantino for 75mins of disciplined and joyous strong flow, pranayama and meditation. No prebooking, drop-ins only. All welcome. 11am-12.15pm. £11, or ten classes £90. leytonyoga.com
• Bespoke Programmes tailored to your goals • Educational approach so that you can sustain • Eat smarter, train efficient, think different, get results Weight Loss – Toning – Strength - Back to fitness
Ready to start your journey?
Get in touch & book your Free session with us now. 07967965168 Ed@strippedfitness.co.uk www.strippedfitness.co.uk
Tuesdays E11 Yoga: Tuesday Evening The Pastures Youth Centre, 15 Davies Lane, Leytonstone E11 3DR Stretch, strengthen and relax into the evening in a slow, flowing yoga class. Focus your mind, comfort your body and settle your soul. 7.30-9m. £8. 07904 517465 jessicagreen.net/love Mondays Pregnancy Yoga Quaker Meeting House Wanstead, Bush Road E11 3AU A weekly yoga class for pregnant ladies to connect to their bodies and their babies. Learn how to breathe and focus the mind for your upcoming labour. A chance to meet other pregnant ladies and beginners welcome. 6.45-8pm. £12, or £60 for 6 weeks. Helen 07956 807675 helen.georghiou@mac.com helenyoga.co.uk
Fitness Saturdays NEW Zumba Fitness Forest YMCA, 642 Forest Road E17 3EF Wear low tread, supportive trainers and bring a bottle of water to enjoy this exhilarating dance fitness class in a low pressure atmosphere! 10-11am. £6. 07903 629 636 dancechloe.com chloe@dancechloe.com
@strippedfitness @mystrippedfitness
Tuesdays Zumba Fitness Walthamstow School for Girls, Church Hill E17 9RZ As above except different venue and time 7-8pm. £6. Saturdays NEW Legs, Bums & Tums Forest YMCA, 642 Forest Road E17 3EF A fantastic way to tone your entire body focussing on your legs, glutes and abdominal muscles. Combining conditioning and aerobic exercises to reduce fat whilst shaping and lifting your legs, bum and tum! Bring a bottle of water and wear clothes you’re comfortable to move in. 11.15am12.15pm. £6. 07903 629 636 dancechloe.com chloe@dancechloe.com Tuesdays Sazzercise Leyton Youth Centre, Crawley Road E10 6PY Sazzercise is suitable for anyone looking to improve their fitness whilst having a good time. We cover traditional aerobics, dance as well as body conditioning. Come along and give it a go! 7-8pm. £8, bring a friend and pay just £4 each Sarah at sazzercise@hotmail.com sazzercise.co.uk
For more dance and fitness classes please visit theelist.co.uk
To advertise your business contact ads@theelist.co.uk 43
WOULD YOU LIKE TO TEACH MEDITATION? The British School of Meditation has been established to train teachers in meditation techniques to meet the growing demand for highly trained and accredited meditation teachers throughout the UK. This exciting 5 day course has been developed with you in mind, providing you with expert training accredited by Ascentis and recognized nationally by the Government agency, OFQUAL.
Contact Mary Neilson London and South East Regional Trainer
01227 637129 07874848531 maryneilson@teaching-meditation.co.uk
www.teaching-meditation.co.uk
How to have a Great Massage You, yes you, need a massage today. Although often seen as a luxury, massage is actually a great way to maintain good health. Choose a well trained, experienced therapist Not all massage therapists are the same! Find a therapist with a massage diploma from a recognised college. They should also be registered with a professional body such as the FHT, MTI or CNHC. Have a light meal and water before your appointment Make sure you’re well hydrated and fed before your appointment. This will help your treatment feel more comfortable and will make your recovery much quicker and easier. Wear loose clothing and comfortable underwear For most massage treatments you will need to undress down to your underwear. Your therapist will leave the room or hold up a screen while you undress, and will cover you with towels during the treatment. Only the area being massaged will be exposed. We recommend that you wear loose, comfortable clothes that make it easy to dress and undress. Changing time is included in your session, so if you are wearing lots of layers or fiddly clothes it will eat into your massage time. Tell your therapist what you want! Are you looking for help with an injury, relief from aching muscles or general relaxation? It’s important to communicate clearly with your therapist so they can arrange the best treatment for you.
Save £10 on your first treatment at Ashlins Natural Health using the coupon opposite. Their trained and insured massage therapists are available 7 days a week. Call 020 8520 5268 to book. 44 To advertise your business contact ads@theelist.co.uk
£10 off your first treatment at Ashlins Natural Health. Enjoy a massage or one of our other natural therapies. Feel better today - we can help you with your aches & pains, low back pain, sporting injuries and general wellbeing. Our dedicated team of therapists practice in a friendly and relaxed environment. They will treat you holistically rather than just alleviating the symptoms.
020 8520 5268 www.ashlins.co.uk 181 Hoe Street, Walthamstow, E17 3AP Monday-Friday 10am-9pm Saturday 10am-5pm Sunday 11am-5pm Mention ‘The E List’ when booking. Offer valid until 28/2/2017 for your first treatment at Ashlins Natural Health. Not valid in conjunction with any other offer. This offer has no cash value.
ďŹ nding it
?
hard to cope
Psychotherapy can help you overcome difficult situations and improve the quality of your life. Valeria Bonfiglio Psychologist MBPsS
Tel 07912 887588 www.valeriabonfiglio.co.uk Offering a sliding scale of fees English and Spanish
PT studio, 5 minutes from Lloyd Park
To advertise your business contact ads@theelist.co.uk 45
Walthamstow Diary Between forest and marsh lies the glorious Stow. These are the tales and meanderings of a proud resident of E17 I don’t know about you, but I almost needed a crane to lift me off the sofa and get me back to work. I ate so much over Christmas, I am astonished that my legs can still carry me. Excess, that’s kind of how Christmas works isn’t it? We eat too much food, drink too much booze, watch too much terrible TV, and pretty much forget how to function as a human being in the outside world. We all know we shouldn’t over-indulge, we all say we won’t, no, not this year, but we end up doing anyway. There is another side to this festive excess, a side that I like to call the ‘Good Will To All’ factor. That thing that happens to many of us just before and during Christmas, when we decide it might be nice to do something nice for someone else. You know the kind of thing, buying charity Christmas Cards or donating to a good cause. I volunteer at the Emergency Night Shelter, and we always see an up-swelling of kindness in the run up to Christmas, which of course is all kinds of fantastic, and very much appreciated. The downside to the ‘Goodwill To All’ factor, is that by January, it has pretty much dried up. The months after Christmas can be difficult for charities, interest can wane, but they still need us. I’m not suggesting we should all spring up from our seat and start making gallons of soup for the homeless, or that we should donate the entire contents of our kitchen cupboards to the food bank. But I am suggesting we don’t forget. Don’t forget that those good causes we helped before Christmas are still there, and their need will still be great. The Soup Kitchen, Branches Hostel, the Food Bank, Emergency Night Shelter and many more, are still trying to make life better for those in Walthamstow who rely on them. We should enjoy the new year, enjoy the new start, but lets try and bring some of that festive good will with us. walthamstowdiary.com
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Cosy cottage, in the attractive coastal town of Southwold, Suffolk available for mini-breaks. Sleeps 4. In easy reach of E17 (2 hrs by car, 2½ hrs by train). 07768 381 807 jenniebean114@gmail.com
Creative Business Coaching
www.ayamacoaching.co.uk nat@ayamacoaching.co.uk 020 8257 8475
GET YOUR KICKS IN UNIT 36 Vinyl records for sale - jazz, rock, pop, reggae, soul, R&B, hip hop, electronica, blues, folk, country, stage and screen, world music, classical, avant-garde. Also music CDs, books and paintings VINYL VANGUARD Unit 36, Wood Street Indoor Market, Wood Street, Walthamstow, E17 3HX. 07495 030018 Tues to Saturday 10.30am to 5.00pm (and the first Sunday of each month, open 10.30am to 4.00pm)
The Magpie’s beady eyes are on the look-out for the shiniest, funniest remarks, witty retorts and bizarre sightings to share and retweet from the borough’s social media channels. Thanks this month to Greater Leyton Tourism Board; Twitter; Walthamstow Life and Walthamstow Sell or Swap
Cannabis factory goes up in smoke in #Walthamstow?!?! #Awesomeblow @UncalmItalian
Photographs: © @teninchwheels (Table) Bill Foster (Thieves); Paul Marriage (Teddy) * these figures from the office for National Statistics exclude pubs and clubs
Cafe culture finally arrives at North Birkbeck Rd. #leyton #leytonstone @teninch wheels We are the nation’s booze capital! (The Daily Mirror has reported that Waltham Forest... has an astonishing 543 off-licences* covering a population of 271,170. That works out as one ‘offie’ for every 499 people - more than twice the national average”) VV: And real estate offices capital, pizza capital, chicken shop capital ML: So proud! *hic* JB: We are the winners! Number one! We should have a drink to celebrate. LB: WAHEYYYYYYYYYYY NR: Cover ups for drug rings. DA: Down the (Chingford) Hatch! LG: No bother for the Stow-hics! HS: Probably the best BOROUGH in the world Walthamstow Life Booze problem in the Stow. AP: Looks like he has a drug problem as well! MD: I thought that was Chingford with the most Off Licences per person?! NH: They give these bears out at Whipps. My daughter has one Walthamstow Life Apparently it’s international mountain day & I’m stuck in London. The Walthamstow Alp Must Be Built! @owenbooth
In search of rubber dicks please JL: Used or unused? AM: With or without batteries?? EC: Hahahahahahaha. Maybe Ann Summers? KW: I think I’ve got a couple lying around. I’ll have a look and let you know. LD: Whaaaaaaa......it’s always the quiet ones.... GS: We all thought she was such a good girl :-) EW: Re read!!!! # TYPO !!!!!! JH: OH MY GOOD GOD!!! I’m so sorry everyone! I meant DUCKS! (Buries head in hands) I certainly do not need any rubber dicks! In search of rubber ducks for my daughter as her old ones have gone all mouldy! RA: HA! You mean ducks? I’ve got both, hehe! SR: I have neither but it’s made me laugh so much I might have to send you a Duck in return for making my day x EW: Maybe it’s not a typo... Nothing in the rules to say not... HC: Apparently you can get a rubber duck with a rubber dick! Who knew?! :) MM: that’s... disturbing! NS: I can recommend The Last Leg Friday C4; they have a feature of Don’t Be a Dick CQ: Swap for... bananas? LOL JH: Aaah you just had to go there!! AZ: Lol Not ready to part with mine just yet JF: How big does it need to be?? MM: The longer the better? WH: Calm down, it’s a family site, this! JF: ducks come in many sizes!! JB: I like big ducks, and I cannot lie :-) CW: *CRYING HERE!* LD: Those rubber ducks often do bring a smile to your face.... KL: (Dil) Doh! Walthamstow Sell or Swap Today on Orford Rd, busker sat on pavement playing ukelele, using bicycle stand as back rest. Walthamstow Village reaches ‘Peak Hipster’ @UncalmItalian Good to see that the public are thinking of the needy this winter by donating their mattresses to the street Greater Leyton Tourism Board
They say charity begins at home. In Walthamstow, charity will also break your legs #getoffmyland @Stow Diary The MP for Walthamstow West in 1922 was called Valentine la Touche McEntee. Shotgun this for a drag queen name. @ellielowe So the ‘Our House Retail’ that replaced BHS is itself closing down. What would YOU like to see replace it?
MA: Ned Flander’s Emporium for Lefties IC: A penny farthing service centre and moustache wax emporium... AZ: I’d suggest an enormous open plan room with padded walls where all people stuck in traffic because of MH can come and scream their heads off LT: But where would they all park? AZ: They could just leave their cars on the main roads and go back to them once the screaming activity is over lol WW: Harry Potter land or a mini Walthamstow built using Lego bricks RB: Woolworths. No, Comet. Blockbusters? City Link? Walthamstow Life 47
The Wood Street Walls map of art
48 To advertise your business contact ads@theelist.co.uk
in the open and where to find it
To advertise your business contact ads@theelist.co.uk 49
Painting a picture of the future Wood Street Walls are seeking community feedback to help shape their new studio space set to open next year, at the former Manual instruction Centre on Barrett Road.
Wood Street Walls has made a name for itself by keeping the community at the heart of everything they do. Since forming in 2014, the group of local residents and artists have painted over 40 murals across Waltham Forest and Hackney, engaging with schools, colleges, residents and local businesses. Their proudest achievement however is the 40k crowdfunding they raised to establish a new creative hub in Wood Street. After many months of work the team has secured agreement from Waltham Forest Council to make the Manual Instruction
Centre on Barrett Road, their home. once again they are asking the local community and residents to help shape the offering of Wood Street Studios. Mark Clack, co-founder said “ We hope we’ve demonstrated through all our work that we try to reach as many different people within the community through our work. It’s crucial to us that Wood Street Studios doesn’t just offer events, workspace or activities that will appeal to a niche audience. We hope that this becomes a new central community space for residents across the borough, not just Wood Street.
We’re asking everyone to contribute to our survey at www.woodstreetstudios.co.uk. We hope projects like ours shine a light on the lack of much needed affordable artist workspace across London.” This summer, in partnership with HEET & William Morris Big Local they successfully erected a mural of William Morris on the side of a house next to the gallery, asking the community to vote on which of Morris’ iconic patterns should form the backdrop, receiving over 1000 votes. Just this month they completed work on the Flower Pot pub on Wood Street. The work was funded by a Cafe & Pub grant scheme, where Wood Street walls’ founding artists Static painted their trademark “Flower Girl” mural along with installing new lights, signage and new paint work for the entire building. If that wasn’t enough, the team are taking on another huge project over the coming months to help brighten up the Adult Day learning Centre on Markhouse Road. Research has already been carried out with the centre clients as well as hosting a drop-in session and the results have developed two designs which can now be voted on at markhousemurals.co.uk
For information on their current projects, please head to markhousemurals. co.uk and woodstreetstudios.co.uk to contribute to their ongoing projects. 50
The Rebellious Artist Like many good artists Amy Mason draws much of her inspiration from her unruly and often humorous past. She’s an award-winning author and the writer and star of the acclaimed production mass at Walthamstow’s Maud Theatre this month. Here she talks to Franki Black.
Amy, a Walthamstow-based writer and actor, is a self-proclaimed former rebel. “I grew up in the south of England where I eventually became a very rebellious teenager,” explains Amy during a recent interview with the E List. “When I turned 16, I left home and moved in with my boyfriend-of-the-time,” she says. It took many years of flightily jumping between jobs and cities for Amy to find her true calling: writing and theatre. Her inspiration comes largely from her past experiences and confusions. “A lot of my work is autobiographical and I like to delve into life’s big questions,” explains Amy. She is a self-professed feminist and her challenging views on gender roles often create controversy. It is the lively mix of controversial views, rebellion and humour that makes her work so enticing. “Ida is a wild, exubera nt ride. It’s inventive, warm and deeply singular, affecting.”
Beatrice Hitchman
Photo © Roxanne Butler
Almost 30 and entirely irrespons returns home for her mother’s ible, Ida Irons funeral. It’s the first time she’s been back, or seen her younger sister Alice, in many years.
Her career in the arts was kick-started in her midtwenties when she wrote her first novel, The Other Ida. She entered the Dundee International Book Prize Competition (aimed at new
authors) and, to her own astonishment, won. This earned her a publishing deal and a lot of confidence. Since then Amy has followed in the footsteps of her late grandfather, actor-director Lionel Jeffries, who starred in films like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and directed The Railway Children. Amy’s first musical theatre production was The Islanders, which tells the tale of her leaving school and meeting her first love. Intriguingly Amy called up that very ex-boyfriend (Eddie Argos) who agreed to
Their mother was the caustic and secretive writer Bridie Adair, who named Ida after her infamous play. While Ida has been struggling to escape its shadow, Alice has been dealing with problems of her own. Forced to confront their fractured relationship, the sisters question their own troubling memories and the story behind the strange, violent play that bears Ida’s name. Who really was the other Ida?
“Funny, bright, bold and exciting. Sparkles with originality and insight.”
Viv Groskop
Ida_FINAL.indd All Pages
star and perform in the show beside her. The Islanders was so well received that they went on to perform at the 2013 Edinburgh Festival. “It all felt a bit like therapy,” Amy says of the production. “We were acting out shared memories and raw emotions and for our month in Edinburgh we even had to share a flat,” she explains. The most terrifying part for Amy - who sees herself as a writer rather than an actor - was actually taking the leap of being on stage. “We had to perform The Islanders for 30 days straight at the fest – it was harder than childbirth!” Her latest project, mass, is a one-woman show that humorously portrays Amy’s
23/09/2014 1:59 pm
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relationship with religion, particularly Catholicism. After performing the show around the UK for the last two years, Amy’s final performance is scheduled for 12 January at the Mirth, Marvel and Maud Theatre in Walthamstow. “Growing up, my mother and grandmother would drag me to mass every week,” says Amy. “I didn’t buy into religion and I felt that I was actually an Atheist,” she says. As time passed Amy’s appreciation for the structural relevance and importance of religion grew. A major turning point for Amy was a few years ago when she was on a bus that knocked over two people. “I unexpectedly started praying and I was shocked to see that some people were taking photographs of the two casualties,” she explains. This experience affected Amy deeply and made her appreciate the formality and rituals that religion dictates. It didn’t turn her into a religious devotee, but it did make her think about the role that religion plays in society. And it importantly led to the development of Mass. The show takes the form of a Roman Catholic Mass with Amy acting as a priest (a somewhat controversial starting point). “Roman Catholic Mass is intrinsically
theatrical with its ornate costumes and decorations,” says Amy who in the show dresses herself up in an elaborate headdress adorned with different kinds of fruit. There’s an element of audience participation during the show (as there would be during Mass) and a healthy dose of soul music, a genre that allows Amy to feel the euphoria many people feel through religion. Mass is ultimately an amalgamation of personal anecdotes, questions about the potential structural importance of religion lightened by her special brand of humour. When asked about the role of religion in an increasingly secular and fragmented world, Amy says that the sense of community found through church and the regularity of sitting for an hour every week ‘thinking about things’ are positive aspects of religion. Amy has performed for everyone from atheists to Catholic Priests and for the most part the feedback has been positive. Far removed from her turbulent youth, Amy is now happily settled in Walthamstow with her fiancé and sixmonth-old baby. “I love the diversity of Walthamstow and the friendly people
Byrd Out Stephen Vitkovitch is a bit of an enigma. Jessica Mellor sets out to discover how he goes from his day job as a civil servant transforming into a music event promoter at night, luring the likes of Evan Parker and The Herbaliser to his home town of Walthamstow. At just 29 years of age, Stephen is managing to juggle a full-time career doing “data exchange” work at the Home Office, with running Byrd Out - a small music events business and record label, specialising in vinyl. Before settling in Walthamstow in 2011, Stephen moved around a fair bit. Born just outside Manchester in Ashton-Under-Lyne, he grew up in Norwich, went to school in Wiltshire, studied French and International Business in Birmingham at Aston University, then came to London in 2009, first to Brixton before arriving in Walthamstow.
“I feel like Walthamstow is home,” he smiles. “My wife Sarah and I are very settled. “It’s hard to pin down your one Walthamstow person, there are people from all over. I like that it’s ‘selfcontained’ and people don’t need to go out of the borough to experience culture. “You can take risks on putting [events] on here because people are happy just going out and trying stuff.” Stephen says that after dabbling with being in bands at school and uni he was getting “progressively drunker’ with a pal, Tom Hare, in Christmas in 2010 when he suggested they set up a record label.
52 To advertise your business contact ads@theelist.co.uk
on my street,” she says. “There’s always something new and exciting happening in the neighbourhood and I enjoy exploring all the trendy cafes and restaurants popping up”. Her biggest challenge is finding the time and space to pursue her creative endeavors, but undaunted she already has plenty of exciting projects up her sleeve. She’s working on a new novel and a show, which will be centered on a female magician and her male assistant.
Mass 8pm 12 January 2017 £10 Entry: 18+ Maud Theatre 186 Hoe St, Walthamstow, E17 4QH Tickets from musicglue.com/maude17/events
amymason.co.uk
The label was formed initially with a view to putting out recordings of Tom who is “very good” at singing, having performed in places like the Albert Hall with Ronnie Wood and Bobby Womack. But Stephen soon discovered that while his pal was talented, when it came to getting stuff on record he “goes at his own pace”.
Photo © Ed Aldridge
That label disbanded but it had given Stephen a taste of working in music so he set up another company with two other pals called Janus Sounds and started by promoting a Klezmer “sort of Jewish wedding music” band in Walthamstow. “Sarah and I saw this Klezmer band at the Hornbeam on Hoe Street and they were unbelievably good, so we put them on at The Mill on Coppermill Lane.” From that, Janus Sounds went on to put on events with singer/guitarist Thurston Moore from Sonic Youth and jazz legend Evan Parker. Stephen says he manages to attract big names through “connections” and through “energy and persistence” and hopefully by not being “irritating” as he’s offering financially less others would offer for bigger more formal gigs. Stephen, who’s expecting his first baby with Sarah at the end of April, admitted there’s a “nervous build-up” when putting on nights. ”When it goes very well, it’s great but it is usually very nerve wracking in the run up to it. “Even when you’ve sold sufficient tickets to be breaking even will the band definitely turn up? Will the DJ definitely turn up? Will they be good? Will the support go down well? But when the main act is on and it’s going well then you can relax. “I think the most satisfying one I’ve had in Walthamstow is when we had The Herbaliser do a DJ set with visuals and in the middle of the set they dropped Killing in the Name by Rage Against The Machine and everyone went mental. That was like ‘yeah this is working well’!” Stephen then formed Byrd Out (which he basically runs with a lot of help from Sarah) and put on two music events in Walthamstow this year to raise money for Médecins Sans Frontières and Mind, raising over £4,000. The Thurston Moore gig was at Wild Card brewery and he says the owners are very “accommodating in general and up for trying new things” and that’s why he
Stephen (right) at Mind Fundraier Summer 2016.
approached them about his upcoming charity event for Eat or Heat on Saturday 21 January 2017.
So just how does the man who seemingly must never sleep juggle all this with his day job in the civil service?
“It will be a one day mini-festival centred at Wild Card, but spread across four venues on Ravenswood Industrial Estate - with Mother’s Ruin gin palace, Pillar’s Brewery, and God’s Own Junkyard neon sign gallery also hosting music and things.
”Luckily there’s not a conflict of interest in terms of what I am doing. So it’s a matter of just burning the candle at both ends and doing it in the mornings and the evenings.”
“I’ll be looking for the event to run from about 2pm to 2am, with a few big names to draw in the punters spaced out through the day. I’ve got some big names signed up: Fabio (drum and bass legend), DJ Food, Alex Paterson (The Orb), Tom Furse (The Horrors), Shitmat - with one or two more I’m hoping to confirm, as well as some great local acts like Eastern Front and MNFN.” Byrd Out is also segueing in to vinyl with limited run editions of recordings made by artists like rave master Mark Archer from Altern-8. “Mark has delved into the Altern-8 vaults for us and has found an unreleased track from 1992 of his and made a new track too so its kind of a double A side thing that will coming out in early 2017. We are pressing it now. “Then on November 23 we completed a recording with Evan Parker, which we did at Mirth Marvel and Maud. “It was almost 55 years to the day since John Coltrane played there and Evan Parker was at that gig so it’s quite a nice story around that one.”
And do his colleagues ever come and check out his events? “I’ve had some come along to smaller events, not the bigger ones. I think they are pretty pleased. I think they are fairly impressed! “It’s always hard getting people from outside your obvious circle to come. We had a guy move in next door, a doctor a bit younger than me, who hadn’t heard of any of the music I was putting on he was like ‘it’s much better than I expected!’”
Eat or Heat Fundraiser See ad on pg 53 for line-up
Ravenswood Estate 21 January facebook.com/events/ 1870127033222430 Thanks to Sodo Pizza, Wynwood Art District, Perky Blenders, and The Vinyl Lab for their support for the Eat or Heat fundraiser, and particular thanks to Stow Brothers.
byrdout.com @ByrdOut
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SCREEN
Movie interviews and reviews with Jessie Mellor
Doing it my way The Weekend director/producer Sheridan De Myers, 33, has made short films since his teens and now produces music videos and commercial work through his company Running Films. Here he talks to Jessie Mellor about guerilla filmmaking and getting his first feature in to cinemas.
How did you get into making films and videos? It goes all the way back to about 2007 when I worked on E4 comedy Mayhem Makers written and produced by my friend Mona Yusefi. We were shooting crazy stuff: surfing trains, running in between Tubes, pretending to be police officers, trying to get into clubs, winding up ‘celebrities’ like Andi Peters. From there I was doing bits and pieces like fake adverts and music videos for my friends and I was always into skating and graffiti. I made little films about anything that interested me. How did this collaboration with comedian Kojo Amin, who came up with the story for The Weekend, come about? When I met Kojo he was just starting to write the screenplay and he was like ‘I’ve got this idea would you be up for it?’ I said ‘that’s what me and my mates used to get up to’. And it’s not about being a gangster or selling drugs. I thought I can add my quirkiness to it. Did you go to production companies initially to get it made? We had meetings
at the time with a company called Revolver that does a lot of urban films like Shank and Kidulthood and I really liked the way they promoted youth culture. Did you have any development money? Revolver pushed us to the side a bit because they were working on some other big films. Then we got approached by a couple of producers who said they had ‘funding’. I was like ‘you can tell me you got funding but you ain’t got funding’ – these promises never come to anything. But I’ve always been that DIY type of filmmaker. I haven’t ever approached any government institution because they don’t understand diverse content. How did you finally get it made? I sat down with Kojo and said this private investor’s got a 100 grand he wants to make a film shall we just do it? We got into preproduction, I started it on a promise. We were lucky to have a really strong crew and we cast well. But even in preproduction I was spending my own money,
54 To advertise your business contact ads@theelist.co.uk
then the guy fell out. So we are in the middle of production and we’ve got no money. What was the shoot like? We were literally begging for places to shoot. ‘Can we shoot there, can we take over your whole location, can we rebuild everything, paint stuff?’ We had aunties’ bringing us jerk chicken. You’ve got to feed your cast and crew! What did you go for in terms of style? I wanted it to feel aspirational but I also wanted a quirky feel. I didn’t want it to look like a kitchen sink drama, something that’s grey and depressing. I wanted it to be colourful. I grew up on a council estate that is probably one of the roughest in Europe (North Peckham Estate). Even though you have things going on, you also had BBQs, people chirpsing girls, you had the artists there, young aspiring footballers and you had banter. I wanted to show the other side of the street. What have you taken from your experience of making The Weekend? Unless you are in that circle you are not going to get green lit. And unless you are someone’s son or daughter or family friend, they take you with a pinch of salt. So, alright cool, I’ll just go and do it my way. And I never forget my people! When you were a kid was there something that sparked this interest in film? When I was young, my grandma’s friend ran the Coronet Theatre (New Kent Road) and I must have watched every film there, films from 1901 onwards! So I sort of fell into it - it was fate. That sparked me and I got into making mad films.
Trailer: vimeo.com/189947244 www.theweekendmovie.co.uk
DVD Review The Weekend
cert 15
A fresh comedy drama from first time feature director Sheridan De Myers. Brit films these days tend to fall into the following categories: costume period dramas, socially conscious treats from directors like Mike Leigh, impossibly posh tales spun by director/producers such as Richard Curtis or gang/gangster flicks like Adulthood. This fresh comedy drama from first time feature director Sheridan De Myers has gangsters in it but they’re secondary characters there to push this story about three mates trying to fit in.
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This month in town
January
Jovian Wade plays Derrick who arrives back in his manor for the summer after a term studying economics at Uni to find that even though he’s moved on, his school friends Tyler (Dee Kaate) and Malcolm (Percelle Ascott) are up to the same old stuff – which mostly involves trying to get in to cool parties and get with girls. But they’re more ‘waste man’ than ‘big man’ so their reality is a little more pathetic than they’d like. So when Derrick inadvertently swaps bags with a man being chased by a pair of hapless gangsters, they suddenly come into a lot of money. So begins the debauchery as they aim to have a weekend that beats all weekends. And if they garner some respect from their peers in the process, even better.
Made on a shoestring by De Myers and writer, the comedian Kojo, this is a fresh comedy that has fun with its characters, particularly the OTT drug boss, without eschewing its street roots. Wade, Kaate and Ascott gel well and that’s because younger readers will probably recognise them as internet comedy trio Mandem On The Wall, who have a decent following on You Tube. Wade is also of EastEnders fame so this unsurprisingly found an audience during its cinema release, selling out 15 screens. It’s shot well and doesn’t look like it was made just with friends and a lot of love and even though those 20 years younger than me will probably get more out of it, I laughed a lot. It’s also refreshing to hear colloquial inner London lingo in a British film that shows the sociable side of urban life and not just the bad stuff.
Exhibitions & weekly events Arts & Crafts 11 Jan-5 March NEW Red Saunders: Hidden William Morris Gallery, Forest Road E17 4PP Red Saunders’ epic photographs reimagine decisive but overlooked events in Britain’s struggle for democracy and equality. In an entrance display at the William Morris Gallery, rediscover their extraordinary stories, and the contribution they made to bring about change. Weds-Sun 10am5pm. FREE. wmgallery.org.uk
JJJJH
Entertainment/travel writer Jessica Mellor has contributed to Empire Magazine and Radio Times online and was DVD Critic at the Daily Mirror for 11 years.
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12 Jan-5 Feb NEW The Face of Stuckism by Eamon Everall The Stone Space, 6 Church Lane, Leytonstone E11 1HG See feature on page 20. An exhibition of portraits of founder-members of The Stuckist Movement, founded in 1999 to promote figurative painting as opposed to conceptual art. Thurs-Fri 2-6pm, Sat 12-5pm, Sun 12-4pm. FREE. thestonespace.wordpress.com Until 28 January Junior Photographers Down Coppermill Lane The Mill, 7-11 Coppermill Lane E17 7HA A group of youngsters aged 6-8 years armed with disposable cameras record their distinctive view of E17 from Ricco’s Cafe to Walthamstow Marshes. Suitable for families. Open during normal Mill hours: Tues-Fri 9.30am6pm, Sat-Sun 10am-2pm. FREE. themill-coppermill.org
kid friendly
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BOOKS
Until 29 January NEW Sharon Drew: Flat-Out - Four Weeks of Fast Painting Walthamstow Village Window Gallery, 47 Orford Road E17 9NJ The result of Sharon’s residency at Trinity Buoy Wharf; Docklands exciting arts quarter. Her dynamic paintings, influenced by the improvised techniques and attitudes of Abstract Expressionist artists, pay homage to the recent Royal Academy exhibition. Open daylight hours, lit until midnight. FREE. wvwg.co.uk Until 12 January Dark Light Wynwood Art District Cafe, 2A Chingford Road E17 4PJ Curated group show from local artists exploring the theme of ‘Dark Light’. Open cafe hours 7am-6pm daily. FREE. wynwoodartdistrict.co.uk 13 Jan-16 Feb NEW The Show Wynwood Art District Cafe, 2A Chingford Road E17 4PJ Solo photographic exhibition by acclaimed photographer Hannah Shillito. Beautiful burlesque and vintage style performance photographs. Open cafe hours 7am-6pm daily. FREE. wynwoodartdistrict.co.uk Until 15 January A World to Win: Posters of Protest and Revolution William Morris Gallery, Forest Road E17 4PP A look at the defining features of protest graphics. With powerful images and punchy slogans, these empowering posters present alternative realities and call for radical change. Exhibition organised by the Victoria & Albert Museum. Weds-Sun 10am-5pm. FREE. wmgallery.org.uk Until 29 January Think! The Poster Collective Discovery Lounge William Morris Gallery, Forest Road E17 4PP Young people aged 16-22 will exhibit original artwork created at the William Morris Gallery inspired by the exhibition A World to Win. Curated by the gallery’s Young Curators Group. Weds-Sun 10am-5pm. FREE. wmgallery.org.uk Until 29 January Coralie Bickford-Smith: The Fox and the Star William Morris Gallery, Forest Road E17 4PP Taking inspiration from William Morris’s Kelmscott Press The Fox and the Star is a beautifully crafted tale of loss, friendship and discovery from awardwinning illustrator and author Coralie Bickford-Smith. This exhibition explores how the book was created, with original illustrations and rarely seen proofs. Kindly supported by Fullers Builders of Walthamstow. Weds-Sun 10am-5pm. FREE. wmgallery.org.uk Events marked
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Mondays Walthamstow & District Photographic Society Greenleaf Road Baptist Church, 4 Greenleaf Road E17 6QQ Enthusiastic mixed group meeting for lively talks and discussions about photography. 8-10pm. FREE for first 3 visits. Andy Charles 020 8521 6958 info@wdps.org wdps.org Until 19 February WE: The Ex-Warner Estate in Waltham Forest Vestry House Museum, Vestry Road E17 9NH Exploring the history of Warner Estate houses and the memories of people who lived in them. Artists Lucy Harrison and Katherine Green capture the stories of these unique homes through original photography, interviews and artefacts. Supported by Arts Council England and the Heritage Lottery Fund. Weds-Sun 10am-5pm. FREE. exwarnerproject.co.uk
Quizzes & Games Sundays The Micro-Pub Quiz Wild Card Brewery, Unit 7, Ravenswood Industrial Estate, Shernhall Street E17 9HQ Every single Sunday join us in our micro-brewery for a micro-pub quiz. Cash prizes, free drinks and a packet of crisps are up for grabs! 5-7pm. £1 per person. Tash 07815 413942 tash.chambers@wildcardbrewery.co.uk Sundays Friendly Pub Quiz Coppermill Pub, 205 Coppermill Lane E17 7HF Free and friendly pub quiz with a top prize of £50! 8.30-11pm. FREE. Nic 020 8520 3709 Sundays General Knowledge Quiz Night The Victoria, 188 Hoe Street E17 4QH General knowledge questions and specialist rounds including an interval round. Cash Jackpot £50+. 8.30-11pm. £1.50 per person. neilsbigquiz@gmail.com Thursdays Neil’s Music Quiz The Flowerpot, 128 Wood Street E17 3HX Hosted by Neil’s Big Quiz this weekly music quiz includes picture and table rounds. How many bonus points will you get for the connection? Cash jackpot! 9-11pm. £1 per person. neilsbigquiz@gmail.com flowerpotlivemusic.com Tuesdays Quiz Night The Royal Oak Pub & Kitchen, 320 Hale End Road IG8 9LN A very enjoyable, fun-filled quiz night with prizes and more prizes. Quiz starts 7.30pm sharp. royaloakhighamspark.co.uk
DANCE/FITNESS Mondays Pub Quiz The Nags Head, 9 Orford Road E17 9LP Roger’s quizzing at the Nags, with cash and wine prizes to win. Clucking food available courtesy of The Koop. Quiz starts 8pm. £2 per person, max 8 per team. quizmastertrivia.co.uk Twitter @thekoopldn Tuesdays General Knowledge Quiz The Village Pub, 31 Orford Road E17 9NL Can you beat the cards? Will you be lucky 7 or will you be taking home the spoon? Quiz night with cash and wine to be won with Neil’s Big Quiz. 8.30-11pm. £1.50 per person. neilsbigquiz@gmail.com village-walthamstow.com Wednesdays Leyton Technical Quiz Night 265b High Road Leyton E10 5QN £50 cash prize for the winners, bottle of house wine for the runners up plus a cumulative bonus round rollover prize and spot prizes too. 8pm start. £2 per person. leytontechnical.com
Gardening & Environment Fridays Lloyd Park Green Gym Meet outside the Stables, Lloyd Park, Forest Road E17 4PP A fun and productive way to keep fit in body and mind while looking after Lloyd Park; carrying out volunteer conservation tasks. Wear comfortable clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty! 10.45am2pm. FREE. Gareth Chalmers 0208 533 8022 gg-waltham-forest@tcv.org.uk
Family Saturdays 14 Jan-25 March Gnome House Youth Club Gnome House, 7 Blackhorse Lane E17 6DS A weekly drop in youth club for 10-14 year olds. Games, sports, arts, trips and more. Parental consent forms need to be completed. 11.30am-2.30pm. FREE drop in, but donations welcome. 07535 326157 chantelle@mbillaarts.co.uk Mon-Fri exc Tues (term-time only) Bongalong for under 5s St Gabriel’s Family Centre, Side Hall, Havant Road E17 3JF Fun, creative music, movement and make believe - a lively mix of singing, dancing, let’s pretend and fab percussion instruments. Mondays, Thursdays & Fridays 10am and 11am sessions plus 1.30pm on Mondays and 11am only on Wednesdays. £5.25 booked termly. 07811 460282 bongalong.co.uk fiona.bongalong@gmail.com
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Tuesdays Bongalong for under 5s Greenleaf Road Baptist Church, 4 Greenleaf Road E17 6QQ As above except different venue. 1.30pm. Mon, Weds & Thurs Bongalong for under 1s St Gabriel’s Family Centre, Side Hall, Havant Road E17 3JF As above. Mondays 2.30pm, Wednesdays 10am and Thursdays 1.30 and 2.30pm. Fridays Bongalong for under 5s The Mill, 7-11 Coppermill Lane E17 7HA As above. 2.15-3pm.
Social & Networking Mondays Community Monday The Hornbeam Centre, 458 Hoe Street E17 9AH Weekly drop-in opportunity for volunteers to help out or skill-up at the Hornbeam. Free lunch too! Check website for weekly theme. 10am-1pm. volunteering@hornbeam.org.uk hornbeam.org.uk
LGBT Tuesdays ELOP LGBT Dramatherapy ELOP/ LGBT Centre, 56-60 Grove Rd E17 9BN Dramatherapy is a form of psychotherapy that utilises creative play, movement, voice and dramatization within the therapeutic process. Individual and group sessions require a pre-service appointment. Book now. 6.30-8pm. £10. 020 8509 3898 info@elop.org elop. org Thursdays LGBT Mindfulness Group ELOP/ LGBT Centre, 56-60 Grove Rd E17 9BN A new group offering the opportunity to learn about Mindfulness and practice meditation together. You don’t need to know anything about mindfulness to attend. An hour long session. Prompt 6.30pm start, until 8pm. £2. 020 8509 3898 info@elop.org elop.org
Shopping Fridays Night Feast Walthamstow Town Square, High Street E17 4HU A night market offering street food, drinks, produce, arts & crafts, kids area and entertainment, showcasing local traders and offering a great night out for the family. 5-10pm. nightfeast17@gmail.com facebook.com/nightfeast17
kid friendly
56 The E List makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information it publishes, but cannot be held responsible for any consequences arising from errors or omissions. Please confirm with the venue before setting out.
FOOD & DRINK
GARDENING
Food Markets Saturdays E17 Village Market Waltham Forest Community Hub, 18a Orford Road E17 9LN Indoor and outdoor food market with local traders offering high quality products including: award-winning coffee, soda bread, Greek pastries, beautiful Blomst flowers, Elderflower cakes, Clean cakes and Cyprus kitchen and such more! 10.30am-3pm. e17villagemarket@gmail.com Saturdays OrganicLea Market Stall The Hornbeam Centre, 458 Hoe Street E17 9AH Organic and local sustainably grown fruit, vegetables, homemade bread, jams and preserves. Healthy Start vouchers can be used. 10am-3pm. organiclea.org.uk/we-sell-food/ our-market-stall Saturdays Community Local Produce Market Stall with OrganicLea & Transition Leytonstone St John’s Church, Church Lane, Leytonstone E11 1HG As above. 10am-3pm. transitionleytonstone.org.uk Sundays Farmers’ Market Town Square, Walthamstow E17 4HU Stalls offering a changing, seasonal selection of meat, game and poultry, cheese, eggs, fruit, vegetables, cider, baked goods, honey, plants and herbs, seafood, pies, quiches and cakes. Please note, some stalls may take a week off without notice. 10am-2pm. lfm.org.uk/markets/walthamstow
Music, theatre & singing Thursdays The Singing Room Choir E17 St Gabriel’s Family Centre, Side Hall, Havant Road E17 3JF Help us celebrate our first 10 years by joining Walthamstow’s longest running community choir. We welcome everyone; no audition and lots of fab songs to learn and perform. 7.309.15pm. £9 or 10 sessions for £70, first session free. Anna Williams 07931 372996 annamusicmakers@gmail.com thesingingroom.org Tuesdays Weekly Singer/Songwriter Night Luna Lounge, 7 Church Lane, Leytonstone E11 1HG Every week various different singers and songwriters join our stage for your entertainment. Includes resident and guest performers. 8-11pm. FREE. lunalounge.info
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Fridays Karaoke Night with CNN Karaoke The Victoria, 188 Hoe Street E17 4QH Old songs, new songs, rock n’ roll and blues songs... something for everyone. Join us as you take the mic and become the star. 8.30pm-midnight. FREE entry. cnnkaraoke@gmail.com Saturdays Live & Unplugged Music Night The Royal Oak Pub & Kitchen, 320 Hale End Road IG8 9LN See the Facebook page for more updates on who’s going to be playing. 8.30pm. FREE. facebook.com/royaloakhighamspark Tuesdays North East London Voices Waltham Forest Music Service, 12 Church Hill E17 3AG The NELV collective is seeking new singers, songwriters and performers aged 11-18yrs. We sing a variety of songs from Emile Sande to Michael Jackson as well as writing our own. Join us! 6.30-7.30pm. £2.80 per session, £28 per 10 week term. 020 8496 1582 music.service@walthamforest.gov.uk walthamforest.gov.uk/music-service Sundays (term time only) Natural Voices: Youth Choirs (Juniors & Seniors) The Games Room, Orford House Social Club, 73 Orford Road E17 9QR Taking the stuffiness out of choirs! It’s singing with a twist of fun. Beginners welcome, no auditions and no sight-reading. We do glorious covers of pop, soul, rock, jazz and comedy songs. 10am-11am (ages 5-9) and 11am-12pm (ages 10-21). £5 paid termly or £6 pay as you go, free taster. naturalvoices.co.uk/book Wednesdays Open Mic Night Luna Lounge, 7 Church Lane, Leytonstone E11 1HG You have the talent - we have the stage! Weekly open mic night hosted by musicians. No need to sign up in advance. 8-11pm. FREE. lunalounge.info
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Calendar of events
Saturday 7
Friday 6
Monthly Village Gardening Day Meet at Village Square, corner of Orford/Eden Roads E17 9NJ We need your help, so join us for seasonal gardening. The work we do is suitable for all ages and abilities, it’s a lot of fun and you get to meet your neighbours. 10.30am-12.30pm. FREE. 07814 042499 helen@walthamstowvillage.net walthamstowvillage.net
Walthamstow Gay Meetup Email for venue details, E17 This is a friendly, convivial evening of like-minded people having a great time around a drink or two with good conversations, fun and lots of laughter. A no attitude, friendly meeting please bring your good humour and smile and laugh. 6.30-10pm. FREE, but membership £5 per year. Jean-Francois Dor jf@gpn.one meetup.com/Walthamstow-GayMeetup From the Back of The Stack Luna Lounge, 7 Church Lane, Leytonstone E11 1HG Northern Soul, Motown, Ska, Funk and Jazz and tunes between the 60s and 70s on vinyl; played by the Walls of Heartache DJs Shaun, Dave and Richard plus guests. 9pm-midnight. FREE. lunalounge.info The Alternative Book Club The Coppermill Pub, 205 Coppermill Lane E17 7HF Kicking off the new year in style with Danny and Pete’s superb Mississippi delta blues. Support act to be confirmed. 8.30-11pm. FREE.
Electronic 17 Residency Launch Party Pepper’s Ghost Pub, 777 High Road, Leyton E10 5AB Our local DJ community are launching their monthly residency with Kat Richmond, Future Unit, Joel Harrison and special guest Adrian Spurdon (Musica Noche). 8pm-midnight. FREE. facebook.com/electronic17 peppersghostleyton.co.uk Big Joe Louis & His Blues Kings What’s Cookin’, Leytonstone Ex-servicemen’s Club, 2 Harvey Rd, Leytonstone E11 3DB One of the best down-home blues bands in the UK, with former Big Town Playboys frontman Big Joe Louis. 8.3011.30pm. FREE with collection. whatscookin.co.uk
kid friendly
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BOOKS
Sunday 8 Musical Aquarium Ye Olde Rose & Crown Theatre Pub, 53 Hoe Street E17 4SA Come and join Jerome and Lindsay who will be diving into the tank, and playing their own eclectic brand of music for your Sunday lunchtime listening pleasure! 1.30-4.30pm. FREE. jeromesworld.co.uk Walthamstow Wassail Vestry House Museum, Vestry Road E17 9NH Welcome the New Year with a making/ singing workshop and parade along Orford Road (1.30pm); Adults learn Wassail songs in parts and perform in pubs (1.45-8pm). This year’s theme is Guardians of the Orchard. 1.30-4pm. £1. walthamstowwassail@gmail.com walthamstowwassail.wordpress.com Sue Holliday – Sunday Afternoon jazz Luna Lounge, 7 Church Lane, Leytonstone E11 1HG Talented Sue and her quartet will be playing the best all time jazz numbers accompanied by Sue’s smooth voice. 4-6.30pm. FREE. lunalounge.info The Delta Ladies at Walthamstow Folk Ye Olde Rose & Crown Theatre Pub, 53 Hoe Street E17 4SA The Delta Ladies are regular favourites downstairs at the Rose & Crown, and put in a great turn at our street party last summer. 7.30-10.30pm. £8, £6 conc. walthamstowfolk.co.uk
Monday 9 E17 Art Trail: Idea Sparks Talks Gnome House, 7 Blackhorse Lane E17 6DS A series of talks to spark ideas leading up to the E17 Art Trail. Featuring artists and experts on STEAM topics (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics). Join us for lively panel discussions and drinks. 7.30-9pm. FREE, booking recommended. Laura Kerry 07947 275774 events@artillery.org.uk artillery.eventbrite.co.uk
Tuesday 10 E17 Jazz: Sirkis/Bialas International Quartet Mirth, Marvel & Maud, 186 Hoe Street E17 4QH Joyful playing that celebrates new music from both collaborators, influenced by contemporary classical, Polish folk, South Indian and Middle Eastern music. From delicate ballads to high-energy electric virtuosity. Full colour electro-acoustic jazz with an ethnic touch and some uncommonly used instruments and sound effects. 8.30-11pm. £10, £8 conc. wegottickets.com/event/384712 e17jazz.com/category/whats-on
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Family History Quiz Spruce Hill Baptist Church Hall, Brookscroft Road E17 4JP Join us for a light-hearted quiz on family, local and social history. Wheelchair accessible. 8-9.30pm. FREE. Mark Carroll 020 8530 4755 wffhs.org.uk
Wednesday 11 Launch of Red Saunders: Hidden William Morris Gallery, Forest Road E17 4PP Join us to celebrate the launch of Hidden, an external photographic installation by Red Saunders who will introduce the works at 7.30pm. 7-9pm. FREE, but booking essential. Search Red Saunders on eventbrite.co.uk King David’s Trio Royal What’s Cookin’, Leytonstone Ex-servicemen’s Club, 2 Harvey Rd, Leytonstone E11 3DB Playing downhome blues, served with a dash of twangy surf and entertaining eccentricity, this three-piece are led by King David, proud owner of a snazzy tiger-print guitar. 8.30-11pm. FREE with collection. whatscookin.co.uk
Thursday 12 Creative Kids: Peacock and Dragon William Morris Gallery, Forest Road E17 4PP Play, make and get hands on with Creative Kids, a regular session for under 5s to enjoy with their parents and carers. Have a go at weaving and explore Morris’s iconic woven textile, Peacock and Dragon. 10-11.30am and repeated 1-2.30pm. FREE, but booking essential. 020 8496 4390 wmg.bookings@walthamforest.gov.uk wmgallery.org.uk Mass: Amy Mason Maud Theatre, 186 Hoe Street E17 4QH Leading the audience through her own hilarious and thought-provoking version of a Roman Catholic mass, award-winning writer/performer Amy explores her Catholic upbringing, her relationship with faith, and asks questions about religious experience and the value of religious ritual. 8-10pm. £10. 18+ Bookings: musicglue.com/maude17/ events/12-jan-17-mass-maud mirthmarvelandmaud.com/maud Red Imp presents Hal Cruttenden Ye Olde Rose & Crown Theatre Pub, 53 Hoe Street E17 4SA Star of the Live at the Apollo, Have I Got News for You and the Royal Variety heads a bill with the only gay autistic musical comedian Robert White and Hattie Hayridge, star of Red Dwarf. 8.30-10.30pm. £10. Book via redimpcomedy.com 020 8509 3880 redimpcomedy@gmail.com
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Jazz Jam Night Luna Lounge, 7 Church Lane, Leytonstone E11 1HG Bring your horn, sticks, voice or whatever to this twice-monthly jam showcasing some of London’s finest up and coming talent plus special guests. 8.3011.30pm. FREE. lunalounge.info
Sonic Rebellion with Redwire Live Sinbin at The Plough & Harrow, 419 High Road, Leytonstone E11 4JU More classic rock and metal anthems than you can shake an air guitar at. 8pm-midnight. FREE entry before 9, £3 after. ploughe11.co.uk
Friday 13
Indie Night with The Sw!tches and The Usuals Luna Lounge, 7 Church Lane, Leytonstone E11 1HG Indie bands plus covers band Sexy Rumours. 8pm-midnight. FREE. lunalounge.info
Gingo! Mother’s Ruin Gin Palace, Unit 18 Ravenswood Industrial Estate, Shernhall St E17 9HQ Friday 13th; unlucky for some, but not for Gingo! fans. Back from their xmas break to take 2017 by storm. Expect filth and hilarity in equal measure. Eyes down - look in. 7-11pm. FREE. mothersruin.net Caffe Collective / Gypsy Dynamite Luna Lounge, 7 Church Lane, Leytonstone E11 1HG Gypsy Dynamite play a wide repertoire of jazz, gypsy jazz, Spanish and Italian music. Caffe Collective play “soulful funky rock with a shot of caffeine thrown in for good measure”. 8pm-12. FREE. lunalounge.info Jack and the Beanstalk Pantomime Welsh Church Hall, 881 High Road Leytonstone E11 1HR Chaos breaks loose in this madcap pantomime, where the set doesn’t work, the hero has an allergy to custard pies and some of the actors seem to think they’re in a different show altogether. 8-10pm. Tickets £5-£9. 020 8504 3872 philbraithwaite@hotmail.com woodhouseplayers.co.uk
Saturday 14 Jack and the Beanstalk Pantomime Welsh Church Hall, 881 High Road Leytonstone E11 1HR As Friday 13 except performances at 2.30pm and 7.30pm. Tickets £5-£9. Drama & Making 3-6yrs The Mill, 7-11 Coppermill Lane E17 7HA Make your own creation then use it to inspire adventures and stories. With Sarah from Grow Your Own Theatre. 1011am & repeated 11-12pm. £6. 07740 343240 sarah@gyot.org.uk gyot.org.uk Research Your Warner Home Vestry House Museum, Vestry Road E17 9NH As part of the ‘WE’ exhibition we are offering a free workshop run by Karen Averby, for people wanting to research the history/past residents of a Warner house or flat. 2-4.30pm. FREE but spaces are limited so booking essential and please let us know if you are unable to come once booked. Bring an address you would like to research. exwarnerproject.co.uk
Lord Algae The Coppermill Pub, 205 Coppermill Lane E17 7HF No, I don’t know what the name means either, but I do know this 3-piece rocks! Classic rock from ‘Mad’ Max Edwards and his gang. 8.30-11pm. FREE.
Sunday 15 Held at Hucks #009 Hucks, 81 Grove Road E17 9BU A monthly event that showcases singersongwriters and bands. This month it’s Trevor Kaneswaran bringing his soulful Sam Cooke inspired music alongside the gritty tones of local singer songwriter MIRI. Hosted by Marc Oliver. 8pmmidnight. FREE. lunalounge.info Sam Carter at Walthamstow Folk Ye Olde Rose & Crown, 53 Hoe Street E17 4SA Described as ‘the finest English-style finger-picking guitarist of his generation’ by Bellowhead’s Jon Boden, Sam has established himself as one of the most admired singer and songwriters around. 7.30-10.30pm. £10, £8 conc. walthamstowfolk.co.uk
Tuesday 17 Intro to Sewing Machine Basics Significant Seams, 131 Wood Street, London E17 3LX Do you have a sewing machine gathering dust? We can teach you how to use and enjoy it! This class is taught on our simple machines. Spaces are limited so please book early. No experience necessary! 6.30-9.30pm. Early bird rate £15 plus booking fee. Fran Reeves 0208 521 4244 outreach@significantseams.org.uk significantseams.org.uk Natural Voices: Just For Fun Choir O’Neills, Leytonstone, 762 High Road, Leytonstone, London E11 3AW No stress, no audition, no shows just fun, friends and sing your heart out once a month. Contact Liz to book a place. 7.30-9pm. £8, first session FREE. Lizzy Renihan 07950 204338 naturalvoices@hotmail.co.uk naturalvoices.co.uk/book
kid friendly
58 The E List makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information it publishes, but cannot be held responsible for any consequences arising from errors or omissions. Please confirm with the venue before setting out.
FOOD & DRINK
GARDENING
East of England Burlesque Festival Rising Stars Sinbin at The Plough and Harrow, 419 High Road, Leytonstone E11 4JU Showcasing over 20 of the best rising stars of UK burlesque, to choose cast members for the EEBF SuperStars show in July. Food available. Wheelchair access. Strictly 18+. Sorry no dogs. 8pm-12. £15. spoon@soundeventsolutions.co.uk behindburlesque.co.uk
Wednesday 18 The Local Archaeologist Leyton Sixth Form College, Essex Road E10 6EQ Always a pleasure to hear Les Capon look back on his previous year’s trowelling, which includes Upminster windmill site. 7.45-9.15pm. £2. leytonhistorysociety.org.uk General Echo’s Reggae Disco The Victoria, 188 Hoe Street E17 4QH Monthly reggae disco playing dub, dancehall, roots and other bass transmissions on two turntables and a space echo. 8pm-midnight. FREE. generalechoes.tumblr.com The Alan Tyler Show What’s Cookin’, Leytonstone Ex-servicemen’s Club, 2 Harvey Road, Leytonstone E11 3DB Rockingbirds frontman Alan Tyler presents an evening of country folk music and song. “Tyler is one of the best songwriters of his genre and era” The Independent. 8.30-11pm. FREE with collection. whatscookin.co.uk
Thursday 19 Los Otros The Victoria, 188 Hoe Street E17 4QH All your favourite jazz standards with a bit of Latin and swing. Be prepared for surprises - guest vocalists, upbeat dance rhythms and music for mellow moods. 7-11pm. FREE, food contributions welcome. losotros.co.uk The Great War: Battle of Arras Walthamstow Cricket, Tennis & Squash Club, 48a Greenway Avenue E17 3QN A talk by Jeremy Banning, battlefield historian, author and a founder member of the La Boiselle Study Group investigating an area of preserved Somme battlefield. 7.45-10pm. FREE, but donation of £3 welcome. Western Front Association London East Branch: Neil Pearce 07956 541897
Events marked
kid friendly
HISTORY
MUSIC
SHOPPING
COMEDY/THEATRE
The Other North London Line St Gabriel’s Family Centre, Large Hall, Havant Road E17 3JF Lyn Brooks shares his research on the Tottenham & Forest Gate Railway which links Barking and Gospel Oak and which was initiated by T.C.T. Warner of Warner Estates fame. 7.45-9pm, refreshments served from 7.15pm. £2, FREE to WHS members. walthamstowhistoricalsociety.org.uk
Friday 20 Kingdom / Howlin’ Mojo Bones Luna Lounge, 7 Church Lane, Leytonstone E11 1HG Blues-rock band Kingdom based in Deptford plus Howlin’ Mojo Bones’ good old blues 4 piece. 8pm-midnight. FREE. lunalounge.info Jack and the Beanstalk Pantomime Welsh Church Hall, 881 High Road Leytonstone E11 1HR As Friday 13 except performance at 8pm. Tickets £5-£9. Dial M for Music Alfred Hitchcock Hotel, 147 Whipps Cross Rd E11 1NP The iconic Alfred Hitchcock Hotel hosts this monthly music club and more featuring the finest local talent hosted by The Persecuted. Also vintage items for sale and visual presentations during the music. 7.30-11pm. FREE, with collection for the bands. Brad 07946 591224 bradwry@yahoo.co.uk Rush Job The Coppermill Pub, 205 Coppermill Lane E17 7HF Steve Rushton (Sh!ver) and John Garner (Higham Flyers) team up again for another evening of fun and musical frolics. 8.30-11pm. FREE.
Saturday 21 Kids’ Kitchen The Hornbeam Cafe, 458 Hoe Street E17 9AH Monthly session: preparing and eating fresh healthy food with under 5s while singing songs, playing and washing up. 10am-12pm. £3, FREE for low income families. Booking essential. rebecca@hornbeam.org.uk kidskitchen.org.uk CreativiTEA 9: Reminiscence ‘The Wandering and Still Mind’ Hale End Library, Castle Avenue, Highams Park E4 9QD This series of visual arts workshops for adults includes time for making, refreshments and group reflection. 11am-2pm. FREE, but as places are limited booking essential wfculture.eventbrite.com
Grove Green Gourmet: Open Kitchen Day 170 Grove Green Road E11 4EL Grove Green Gourmet sells delicious home-cooked meals to take away. Have you seen my menus and want to know more? Come along, explore the kitchen, sample some food, have a chat. 12-5pm. FREE. Ger Sweeney 07891 476883 gerard0sweeney@gmail.com facebook.com/grovegreengourmet Ravenswood for Eat Or Heat feat. DJ Food, Alex Paterson [The Orb], Fabio, Aisling Fahey + more Ravenswood Industrial Estate, Shernhall Street E17 9HQ See feature on page 52. A stellar roster of DJs will be raising money for E17 food bank Eat or Heat, bringing the party to the Wild Card Brewery, Mother’s Ruin Gin Palace, God’s Own Junkyard, and the Pillars Brewery. 2-11pm. FREE. byrdout@gmail.com eatorheat.org Young People: Letterpress Printmaking Workshop William Morris Gallery, Forest Road E17 4PP With the help of local letterpress workshop Paekakariki Press you’ll explore William Morris’s interest in the art of printing, learn the process of setting the type, inking up and using the press. For young people aged 1625. 2-5pm. FREE, but booking essential. 020 8496 4390 wmg.bookings@walthamforest.gov.uk wmgallery.org.uk Goody Two Shoes: The Panto Harmony Hall, 10 Truro Road E17 7BY When Sceptica the sorceress’ magic shoes go missing and are found by sweet Goody Coddle, Sceptica is not a happy bunny and seeks her revenge! 7.30-10pm. £10, £8 in advance, £6 u16s/senior citizens. Kath Wood 020 8923 5416 starlighterstheatrecompany@gmail. com starlighterstheatre.wix.com
Burlesque: Open Stage Sinbin at The Plough and Harrow, 419 High Road, Leytonstone E11 4JU A night for burlesque debutantes making their first steps. With a sprinkling of professionals to lift the mix. To take part visit www.behindburlesque. co.uk/apply. 8pm-12. £10. spoon@soundeventsolutions.co.uk behindburlesque.co.uk 335 Experience The Coppermill Pub, 205 Coppermill Lane E17 7HF Blues-rock 3-piece with a hard-edged rythmn and blues attitude, making their debut in The Coppermill (and indeed Walthamstow). 8.30-11pm. FREE. Music Filled Evening with Cat Burns & guests Luna Lounge, 7 Church Lane, Leytonstone E11 1HG BRIT school alumni Jacklyn Pandolfo and Eloise Lawrence have extremely soulful jazzy voices. These young professional singers will steal your hearts and introduce you to a different type of jazz. 8-10.30pm. FREE. lunalounge.info
Sunday 22 Goody Two Shoes: The Panto Harmony Hall, 10 Truro Road E17 7BY As Sat 21,e xcept 6.30-9pm. Mary Humphreys and Anahata at Walthamstow Folk Ye Olde Rose & Crown, 53 Hoe Street E17 4SA Proper stalwarts of the folk scene Mary and Anahata play music from the English tradition the way it should be played. 7.30-10.30pm. £8, £6 conc. walthamstowfolk.co.uk
Wednesday 25 Miranda Mulholland What’s Cookin’, Leytonstone Ex-servicemen’s Club, 2 Harvey Rd, Leytonstone E11 3DB Great Lake Swimmers’ Miranda Mulholland is classically trained on violin and in voice, a versatile performer and in high demand as a fiddler and singer. 8.30-11pm. FREE with collection. whatscookin.co.uk
To advertise your business contact ads@theelist.co.uk 59
ART
BOOKS
CRAFTS
DANCE/FITNESS
Wednesday 25 continued
Saturday 28
More News From Nowhere feat. Left Hand Cuts Off The Right The Victoria, 188 Hoe Street E17 4QH Interesting experimental and abstract music from Left Hand Cuts Off The Right, Mark Dicker (ex-Trencher / Bruxa Maria) and support. 8-11.30pm. £5, £4 in advance via wegottickets.com. Tim 07904 273331 tim@timcowlishaw.co.uk morenewsfromnowhere.co.uk
Drama & Making 3-6yrs The Mill, 7-11 Coppermill Lane E17 7HA Make your own creation then use it to inspire adventures and stories. With Sarah from Grow Your Own Theatre. 1011am & repeated 11-12pm. £6. 07740 343240 sarah@gyot.org.uk gyot.org.uk
E17 Cook Book Club The Bell, 617 Forest Road/Chingford Road E17 4NE A foodie social evening. Everyone brings a dish to share and their cook book inspiration. Theme this month: ‘Indian’. Bring a dish to share with approx 10-15 people. All welcome, newbies, couples and singles. 8.3010.30pm. £3. walthamstowfooodies@hotmail.co.uk walthamstowfoodies.com
Thursday 26 Hornbeam Monthly Film Night The Hornbeam Cafe, 458 Hoe Street E17 9AH On the last Thursday of the month The Hornbeam shows a film on any subject that helps us think about the way we build communities or live sustainably. Check website and for the focus of the month’s film. 6-9.30pm. FREE. info@hornbeam.org.uk hornbeam.org.uk Coralie Bickford-Smith in Conversation William Morris Gallery, Forest Road E17 4PP An evening at the William Morris Gallery with the author of The Fox and the Star and Penguin book cover designer, as she relates her “life in a bookshelf” and explains why the printed page still matters. 7-9pm. £8, £5 conc. Includes free glass of wine 020 8496 4390 wmg.bookings@walthamforest.gov.uk wmgallery.org.uk Dowland Works with Dame Emma Kirkby St Mary’s Church, Church End E17 9RJ Music in the Village presents a celebration of the lute song: well known lutenists joined by a team of Dame Emma’s young singers. 7.30-9pm. On the door only £13, £6.50 conc 020 8223 0772 VillageMusic@WalthamSoft.com Jazz Jam Night Luna Lounge, 7 Church Lane, Leytonstone E11 1HG Details as January 12
Friday 27 Black*Scarr The Coppermill Pub, 205 Coppermill Lane E17 7HF Dry, self-deprecating humour, brilliant lyrics, fabulous songs – the ever-popular duo make a very welcome return. 8.30-11pm. FREE. Events marked
Family Day: Artist in Residence William Morris Gallery, Forest Road E17 4PP The artist in residence at the William Morris Gallery is creating new work inspired by Morris and the Gallery’s collection. Explore the themes and techniques of the residency. 1-4pm. FREE, drop-in event for families with children of all ages. wmgallery.org.uk Divestival Forest YMCA, 642 Forest Road E17 3EF A celebration of Council pension fund’s recent decision to divest from fossil fuels, hosted by Friends of the Earth Waltham Forest. Entertainment, short speeches, cake and refreshments, all welcome. 3-6pm. FREE. Stow Kids’ Film Lounge presents KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS (2016, Cert PG) Gnome House, 7 Blackhorse Lane E17 6DS An epic action-adventure set in a fantastical Japan. Clever, kind-hearted Kubo ekes out a humble living, telling stories to the people of his seaside town. But his relatively quiet existence is shattered when he accidentally summons a spirit from his past which storms down from the heavens to enforce an age-old vendetta. Doors 4pm, film 4.30pm, close 6.30pm. £5.50 child (inc pre-film activity)/£4 accompanying adults. £12 party package. Buy on the door or online at stowfilmlounge.com Sham’s Kitchen at the Palace Mother’s Ruin Gin Palace, Unit 18 Ravenswood Industrial Estate, Shernhall Street E17 9HQ The now legendary Shams is back with her incomparable Pakistani street food gorgeousness to match Mother’s spice driven martinis. Veggie options and takeaway available. From 6pm. Dish prices vary. mothersruin.net Chicken Shack Sinbin at The Plough & Harrow, 419 High Road, Leytonstone E11 4JU If you enjoy the sounds of the 50s then come along to a friendly evening where you can bop, jive or stroll the night away. 8pm-midnight. FREE. ploughe11.co.uk
FAMILY
FILM
The Big Ten Inch Mirth, Marvel and Maud, 186 Hoe Street E17 4QH Sister Cookie – live / Greg Butler DJ / Count Skylarkin DJ. Sister Cookie has wowed audiences with her unique jazz and blues sound and charisma at a plethora of venues and festivals across Europe. 9pm-midnight. £6. musicglue.com/maude17/events/28jan-17-sister-cookie---live--greg-butlerdj--count-skylarkin-dj-maud/ Stow Film Lounge presents JULIETA (2016, Cert 15) Gnome House, 7 Blackhorse Lane E17 6DS From director Pedro Almodovar: After a chance meeting, middle-aged Julieta learns that her long-lost daughter has resurfaced in Madrid. This begins a painful reflection into her chequered past, flashing back to the moments of pain that defined her current life. Doors 7.45pm, film 8.30pm, close 11pm. £8/£6 conc. Also ticket & pizza prebooking deal £13.50. Buy on the door or online at stowfilmlounge.com The Outbursts The Coppermill Pub, 205 Coppermill Lane E17 7HF The Outbursts make their debut at The Coppermill with their own unique brand of punk-rock mayhem. 8.30-11pm. FREE.
Sunday 29 BeBop Baby The Trades Hall, 61-63 Tower Hamlets Road E17 4RQ A funk and soul-fuelled family social with a friendly, welcoming atmosphere, live music, DJs, buggy parking, baby changing, face painting and an all important bar! Come dance and have fun with family and friends. 1-4pm. £5, £4 in advance. Babes in arms FREE. 07813 156140 bebopbabydance@gmail.com bebop-baby.co.uk Stow Film Lounge presents BRIEF ENCOUNTER (1945, Cert PG) Mirth, Marvel and Maud, 186 Hoe St E17 4QH A heartbreaking classic. A man and a woman meet by chance in a railway station cafe. They are married to other people but continue to meet and fall in love. Sadly they know their love is impossible. Doors 2pm, film 2.30pm, close 4.30pm. £6/£4 conc. Buy at the bar, on the door or online at stowfilmlounge.com Sunday Afternoon Jazz: Paul Kaufman Quartet The William Morris Bar, 807-811 Forest Rd E17 4JD Cool Blue Note era jazz from the Paul Kaufman quartet plus guest vocalist Rachel O’Reilly. 1.30-4.30pm. FREE. Paul 07801 429782 thewilliammorris.co.uk
FOOD
GARDENING
Women Over Fifty Film Festival Mother’s Ruin Gin Palace, Unit 18 Ravenswood Industrial Estate, Shernhall St E17 9HQ Hot from their screening in Brighton the prizewinning shorts from the Festival whose films have a woman over 50 at their centre OR have a woman over 50 in the core creative team. 4-8pm. FREE, donations appreciated. wofff.co.uk Steve Tilston at Walthamstow Folk Ye Olde Rose & Crown, 53 Hoe Street E17 4SA One of the best songwriters in the country, and an understated master of the guitar. 7.30-10.30pm. £10, £8 conc. walthamstowfolk.co.uk
Tuesday 31 Infinitease Sinbin at The Plough and Harrow, 419 High Road, Leytonstone E11 4JU Returning for its fourth fantastic season, bringing the UK’s best new burlesque performers together in the quest to find new stars. Food available. Wheelchair access. Strictly 18+. Sorry no dogs. 8-11pm. £15, early bird tickets £10 until 17 Jan. 07982 636522 neil@behindburlesque.co.uk behindburlesque.co.uk
Classes/Courses Art & Crafts Thursdays 12 Jan-9 Feb NEW Junior Art at The Mill The Mill, 7-11 Coppermill Lane E17 7HA 5 sessions with David for kids 6 years and up. Bugs and Butterflies! Each week a new approach. Best to make all sessions but we can accommodate kids who drop in. Under 8s must be accompanied. Can be messy! 4-5.30pm. £2 donation per child per session. David Hughes 020 8521 3211 info@themill-coppermill.org themill-coppermill.org Mondays from 9 January Walthamstow Life Drawing The Nag’s Head, 9 Orford Road E17 9LP Want to brush up your drawing skills? People of all drawing abilities are welcome, just bring your drawing materials and join in. 7.30-10pm. £8.50, discount for advanced booking. Harriet at walthamstowlifedrawing@ googlemail.com facebook.com/walthamstow.lifedrawing
kid friendly
60 The E List makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information it publishes, but cannot be held responsible for any consequences arising from errors or omissions. Please confirm with the venue before setting out.
HISTORY
MUSIC
SHOPPING
mondays Untutored Life Drawing Sinbin at The Plough & harrow, 419 high Road, Leytonstone E11 4JU An unconventional drop-in untutored life drawing class. Poses vary from 5min, 10min, 25min and 45min. Different professional models each week, sociable and friendly. Art materials provided free of charge, tea and snacks available. 7.30-9.30pm. £6. spoon@soundeventsolutions.co.uk ploughe11.co.uk/events.htm Wednesdays Sewing Workshop Cornerstone Church, 149 Canterbury Road (corner of Essex Road), Leyton E10 6Eh FREE event for all abilities; make a bag, apron, dress and learn how to use a sewing machine in a fun and friendly environment. 12-3pm. FREE. Sabbir 0203 826 9600 sabbir.ahmed@lifeline.org.uk
Music & Singing Tuesdays Mini Musicians (from birth to 4 yrs) Waltham Forest music Service, 12 Church hill E17 3AG 10 week term of music-making sessions for babies and toddlers, taught by Early Years Music specialists and include singing, dancing and playing with an exciting range of instruments. 10.4511.30am. £6.20 per session. 020 8496 1584 music.service@walthamforest.gov.uk walthamforest.gov.uk/music-service Wednesdays Learn to Sing with WAVE: New Community Choir harmony hall, 10 Truro Road E17 7BY Enjoy singing but lack confidence? We’re friendly and welcoming. Each session includes warm-ups, well-known songs and a tea break. This term we’ll be enjoying folk, gospel, classical and jazz plus music reading and musicianship skills. 7.30-9.30pm. £10, £8 conc. First rehearsal FREE. 07813 16505 wavyline.org virginia.firnberg@zoho.com Saturdays until 18 march String Groups for Children Waltham Forest music Service, 12 Church hill E17 3AG Take your violin, cello or double bass playing onto the next level by playing in a group with other string musicians. Whether beginner, intermediate or advanced we have a group for you. 9.15-10.15am, £28 for 10 wks, £14 conc. music.service@walthamforest.gov.uk walthamforest.gov.uk/music-service
Events marked
THEATRE/COMEDY
Dance Saturdays until 25 march Kathak Kids: Storytelling and Indian Classical Dance Bhakti Yoga Centre, 631 Forest Road E17 4NE Creative, interactive, entertaining session combining storytelling and Kathak dance basics for children aged 4 to 9. Ankle bells enhance expressiveness and rhythmic play. Please supply a bottle of water for your child. 10.3011.15am, £9.50 drop-in, £7.50 in advance. 07958 523431 info@khyalarts.org.uk khyalarts.org.uk/k4a
Miscellaneous Tuesdays, 10 Jan-28 march NEW What Makes us Human? Shern hall methodist Church hall, Shernhall Street E17 9hX How can we make sense of our social selves, our culture, our customs, our rituals, our being human? Join us on a gentle voyage of self-discovery and learn how anthropology gets to grips with these major questions. £90.20 in advance for 11 week course (equivalent to £8.20 per class). FREE for those on income-related benefits. Beatrice WEA 0800 328 1060 walthamstow.branch@wea.org.uk london.wea.org.uk
Theatre Weds 11 Jan-22 march NEW Youth Theatre 14-18yrs Gnome house, 7 Blackhorse Lane E17 6DS Love drama and making stories? Create characters, play games and devise a brand new show from scratch from your ideas. 5.30-7pm. £80 for 10 weeks, £70 conc. Grow Your Own Theatre 07740 343240 sarah@gyot.org.uk gyot.org.uk Tuesdays 10 Jan-28 march NEW Moscow Arts Theatre The Greenleaf Centre, 67-69 Greenleaf Road E17 6QP A WEA Class introduction to the Moscow Arts Theatre (1897-1938) 10am-12pm. £90.20 in advance for 11 week course (equivalent to £8.20 per class). FREE for those on incomerelated benefits. Beatrice WEA 0800 328 1060 walthamstow.branch@wea.org.uk london.wea.org.uk
Looking for back issues of the E List? For online editions visit www.theelist.co.uk/back-issues Want lovely printed copies, no problem we still have a few back issues available going back over 3 years. They cost £4 each including postage with discounts for 4 issues or more. Stocks are limited so email paul@theelist.co.uk to check availability and to order. DICK SMITH 5-STRING BANJO
Classes in E17 for adults
w Ne
ers inn beg
ary anu J s rt sta ss cla
07903 419 691
www.banjosmith.co.uk dickbanjosmith@gmail.com
Music Lessons in WaLthaMstoW Adult Beginners Welcome Free Intro chat
PIANO – All styles GUITAR – Classical, Folk, Blues, Jazz, Acoustic Tony 0208 521 4340 www.tonymusicteach.co.uk tonyteach@fsmail.net
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