E List September/October 2018

ISSN 2058-2196

In & Around London’S NEW EAST

September/October 2018 No 63

Weaver extraordinaire Rezia Wahid April de Angelis • Pete Williamson

Fellowship is Life

COVER STAR Alec Doherty I know you grew up in a small village so how do you find living in London these days? I grew up in Darlington up in the North East. Feels like a village but its actually a fairly big town. Yeah, still in love with London, it’s a unique place. Coming from a town where everybody knows each other, I first loved the anonymity the city gives you, after living here a while you realise that London is a series of villages shoved up next to each other, and now I like that aspect of it best. It can be a lot of different places at once.

As an illustrator what sort of projects do you get involved in? I get bored pretty quickly and I’m less scared now of doing something ‘wrong’, so I like to take on a range of different projects: if I think it sounds interesting I’ll have a crack at it - sometimes that means varying degrees of success, but that’s part of the journey and you can write it up as something you’ve learnt. Most recently I’ve started making a few pieces of jewelry, just for a bit of fun but it’s been interesting to see how my style works in a different medium and how that translates back to my illustration work. In the past I’ve kind of pigeonholed myself as an illustrator and concentrated on creating drawings, although that’s still central to my practice I’m not so attached to the illustrator moniker anymore and it’s allowed me to be more varied, experiment more and generally enjoy my practice much more.

What do you love about your job?

Most of it really, I guess the thing that’s tricky about this job is how intimately involved you are with it, if you feel something’s not going right it can affect you in a more profound way than a regular 9 to 5, or at least from my perspective. But I love the different people I meet, the community and friendships I’ve made through my work and the flexibility it gives me in my life, and most of all not getting the Sunday night blues. I’ll stop now, I sound like a smug git.

I would describe your work as jaunty, free and easy, almost spontaneous? I realise that can be a difficult look to pull off.

How do you approach a new piece, and keep that freshness flowing freely? I think spontaneity is something I really enjoy seeing in other people’s work and I hope that’s something that comes through in my own, so cheers dude! I’ll often find myself coming back to the very first sketch I put down and using that to work up a final piece. There’s often an energy in those spontaneous first thoughts that’s appealing to people, I’m not really sure why, perhaps it’s because it’s unique and feels like a snapshot in time which can’t be replicated, who knows. Equally sometimes those first ideas are crap and you need to persevere to get the piece to work.

I’m not sure I’m ever consciously trying to make a piece feel ‘fresh’ and I certainly don’t manage to keep every piece feeling fresh, but if you allow in a little spontaneity I think you will keep the work flowing freely.

How long did it take you find your individual own style? Does it fluctuate?

And if so is there an element that remains core to your work? My style has changed over the years, but has maintained some commonality, I always attribute the core aspects of it (block colour, simple shape, contrast) to a love

of screenprinting when I was at college. I wanted to print stuff as often as possible so I developed a way of constructing images quickly to enable me to do that. I’m not so quick anymore but those themes have stayed with me and developed into an identity that to a large extent is fluent through all my work. Naturally as your interests change your style will change with them, it keeps life interesting.

What is your creative background?

I went to an technical college in Darlington for 6th form and studied art, and then went on to study Graphic Arts at what used to be Leeds Metro. I learnt a lot at both those places, about art and community, socialising and growing up.

But I’d attribute a lot of my learning about art and my sensibilities to it from my family, I’ve got four sisters and two brothers and we’re all involved in the arts in some way. Being the youngest I had a lot of influence and encouragement all around me, I feel very privileged to have had that experience growing up and they are a constant source of inspiration.

Lets talk beer. Tell us about working with the Partizan Brewery. Partizan is probably my favourite job, it’s also the longest project I’ve ever worked on by a country

This page: Top: Life models for Its Nice That. Bottom: Theatre for Its Nice That Cover: Snoggers Youth Club Wood built sculpture Page opposite: Dancers Youth Club Wood built sculpture

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mile, just over five years now. I got involved kind of accidentally Andy Smith the chap who set it up, is an old friend,. He’d had a brew kit bequeathed to him from Evin at the Kernel, so suddenly he was setting up a brewery. At the time I was working as a designer and he asked me for a little help with some branding (something which I’ve never been much good at but he was none the wiser at the time). The brief was to make a little logo and select some nice fonts he could go on to use as part of his brand, something clean and simple.

None of that really worked and I ended up trying my illustrations on a test label, It was something about Andy’s attitude to making beer and the illustrations that seemed to marry up well. Five years on and

I’ve produced something like 400 different labels. Why do I love it? I love working with those guys, they’re all super good people and I love beer. Enough said?

It’s brought you a fair amount of attention! Yeah absolutely, the brewery has been great in getting my work seen by a variety of different people. Beer is a fun thing and it’s enjoyed by most in those moments when they’re at ease and have a little time, which is a great time to get someone’s attention. The other benefit is that if they don’t like the art at first glance, they might like it better by the end of the bottle - which is helpful.

Aside from the brewery do you have any career highlights so far, maybe

where you thought “Hey this is really it?” However cheesy it sounds, the best bits of my career is all the people I’ve admired from a far, and who have inspired me, that I can now call friends: some really amazing people with extraordinary talents, that I find inspiring. The piece of work I’m most proud of right now is the taps I created for Partizans new tap room (see photo above top right). The rest of the tap room is a work in progress FYI!

www.alecdoherty.com @alecdoherty Questions by Paul Lindt

This page: Top: Work for the Partizan Brewery Left: Hoarding 2

Wanstead Fringe takes place each September and is now in its sixth year. Local resident Cate Jolley gets the lowdown on this year’s events from Giles Wilson, chair of the festival.

Hi Giles. What do we need to know about Wanstead Fringe? The sixth Wanstead Fringe will be held from 8-15 September 2018 in venues across Wanstead - and this year it really feels like the Fringe has grown up. What started as an impromptu pop-up week has turned into a major landmark in Wanstead’s cultural year.

The Fringe started as an idle whim on the Wansteadium website, which I run. The Chelsea Flower Show had started growing its own fringe, and we wondered why the Wanstead Festival - a big community event held each September on Christ Church Green - shouldn’t have its own fringe. With the gauntlet thrown down, we put together a handful of events and it’s grown every year since then. This year there will be more than 40 events taking place, organised by all sorts of people… some free, some ticketed… with all sorts of cultural aspects. The great thing about the Wanstead Fringe is that there’s no big money behind it, and though Redbridge Council is very helpful

and supportive, it’s not run by them. It’s all run by Wanstead people who want to help support and encourage cultural activities here. Though I should say that without the support of Petty Son and Prestwich, who backed us from the start, the fringe would never have happened. They have been joined by local solicitors Edwards Duthie and THP Accountants in being our sponsors.

What are the main events that usually take place? We do have several favourites which are now a fixed part of the Fringe. Central to these is the Kinema, an open air family film evening which takes place in the grounds of Christ Church on Wanstead High Street. The Kinema was the original name for the Wanstead cinema which used to stand where Marks and Spencer’s Foodhall is about to open. The cinema closed in the 1950s, but our hope in bringing films back to Wanstead in a way stands for the purpose of the whole fringe… though we love Wanstead we are not blessed with a rich cultural life.

We hope through the Fringe to stimulate it. Comedy has also been a key part of the week, and this year we have three comedy nights. Talks, the Duke pub’s street party, and live music will all be part of the mix again - the secret to the Fringe is that there’s something for nearly everyone. We spend a lot of time planning to get the feel of the week just right.

delighted to be welcoming a touring theatre company which is putting on a musical adaptation of the classic story The Secret Garden in the magnificent theatre at Forest School. And along with our acoustic night of local performers and also Wanstead High School pupils doing their bit, we’ve also got a night of opera classics from an Olivier award-winning company. This is why it feels like the Fringe is growing up.

What’s new this year? It’s really exciting this year that for the first time we have live professional theatre. That’s long been our ambition, but it’s no small feat to make this happen. That’s why we’re so

more info and tickets

What’s your favourite Fringe moment? I love the moment each year when the Kinema crowd hushes at the start of the film - that’s really exciting. But my biggest high comes on those weekday evenings when there are four or five events going on at the same time - a recital in a cafe, a talk in the library, a workshop, a gig - and I go from one event to the next seeing cultural events going on all over Wanstead. It’s only for one week a year, but we can dream.

wansteadfringe. wansteadium.com

Kinema on Christchurch Green. Image © Geoff Wilkinson

theelist.co.uk 3

Welcome to the September/october issue of E List and prepare to be surprised. I’ve found that just about every story in this issue has affected the way I see things, and hopefully you will too.

Each issue often has a unifying theme (though to be honest this is often accidental). For this one let’s call it ‘perception’.

Pete Williamson is an award-winning children’s illustrator most well known for his character Stitch Head, created with author Guy Bass. I interviewed him about his forthcoming show featuring his first outing of personal work. We talked about how he chose to still use a child’s perspective to understand his own recently discovered family history but also his concerns for the future as a father. Read his open and moving account of a very personal artistic journey on page 11.

April de Angelis is a respected playwright and dramatist who has recently adapted a 17th century play set in 14th century Spain to provide a striking perspective on the political landscape of modern day India. It will be playing at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East so read more on page 15.

Pete Williamson

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9

Weaver rezia Wahid

April de Angelis

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St John’s Musical hall

When anyone mentioned weaving to me I always thought of scarves and shawls. I am really embarrassed to say I didn’t think of art. But then I was introduced to work of Rezia Wahid. There’s an interview with Rezia on page 9 though sadly we only have space for a single photo of her work as it needed to be large, so we can really see the beauty and delicacy of it. One of her shows was called ‘Woven Air’ and never has a title been more apt.

Autism has affected my own family so it will be fascinating to spend an evening with Henry Normal (of Alan Partridge, Gavin & Stacey and Mighty Boosh fame) which promises to include his often comic take in verse and prose on life with his son Johnny. Pop along and by doing so raise money for a great local place for kids, the Limes. See page 13.

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Scott Brooker

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Birding at the Wetlands

Inside this issue…

Textile artist and weaver Rezia Wahid

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Award-winning children’s book illustrator, Pete Williamson and his new show of personal work

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A Normal Night Out with Henry Normal

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St John’s Musical Hall

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April de Angelis and her latest play adaptation, The Village

15

Walthamstow’s World War One Open Day

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Peculiar Times: Beyond the grave

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Paul Lindt, Editor editor@theelist.co.uk

The wierd and wonderful world of Scott Brooker

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The E List is available for FREE at approx 100 venues across E4, E7, E10, E11and E17.

E~DEN: The Home Directory including House Doctor – The Home office

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Tom Gaul’s A Spotter’s Guide to Local Streetlife

29

Exploring the birdlife of the Walthamstow Wetlands

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Local Heroes – HostNation

33

E-VOLVE: Health and Fitness Directory

35

Unexpected Contacts With Celebrities a poem by Peter Ebsworth

36

From Syria to Japan – Eid’s Olympic Dream

37

Listings

38

Missing – a poem by Barry Coidan

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Finally, and most importantly, refugees are often discussed purely en mass or dismissed as a ‘problem’ or ‘crisis’. In doing so we might forget that these are individuals, people like you and I sharing the same jokes, everyday worries and loves. It’s only circumstances that have put us in different places. We all need friends and family and we all have dreams a million miles from war and trauma. So please read pages 33-34 and 37.

E-LICIOUS – Sean’s Tipple Tips; A new chef at The Queens Arms 25

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.

Editor and design: Paul Lindt editor@theelist.co.uk Contributors: Karen Averby, Rupert Colley, Karen Dunn, Penny Fielding, Silvana Gambini, Tom Gaul, Simon Goodwin, Paul Lindt, Sean Pines, Mike Sims, Paula Smith, Paul Tucker, Adam Taylor. Listings: Danny Coope danny@theelist.co.uk.

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T H E

BR I CK R O

O M

17 September gallery 020 8520 9300 estates17.co.uk

Woodside Park Avenue E17 4 bed terraced house for sale Offers in excess of £750,000

Brettenham Road E17 2 bed flat for sale Offers in region of £435,000

Theydon Street E17 2 bed maisonette for sale Offers in excess of £400,000

Aveling Park Road E17 4 bed terraced house for sale Offers in excess of £700,000

Lettings

Sales

We’re estate agents, which basically means we talk for a living. As such, we’re rarely short of things to say, but every so often we come across a property that is so effortlessly charming and exquisitely stylish that we find ourselves (almost!) utterly bereft of words. This is one such property, and yet bereft is definitely not a word to associate with it. On the contrary, it’s jam packed with clever uses of colour and texture.

Kenilworth Avenue E17 3 bed end-terrace house to rent £2,300 pcm (let agreed) Ancient House, Church Lane E17 2 bed end-terrace house to rent £2,200 pcm

10 September gallery 020 8539 4213 estates10.co.uk

Norlington Road, Leyton E10 1 bed flat for sale Offers in Excess of £350,000

Francis Road, Leyton E10 2 bed flat for sale Offers in Excess of £435,000

Kettlebaston Road, Leyton E10 2 bed maisonette for sale Offers in Excess of £375,000

Park Grove Road, Leytonstone E11 3 bed terraced house for sale Offers in Excess of £600,000

Lettings

Sales

This is an elegant, charming, thoughtful (and well thought through) family home.

It pulls off the seemingly impossible trick of being at once grown up and chic (we love the use of a neutral colour palette throughout), yet at the same time clearly being a warm and uber practical family home. Put simply, it’s lovely, and anything else we say about it is just gilding the lily.

Buckland Road, Leyton E10 4 bed terraced house to rent £2,100 pcm Farmer Road, Leyton E10 2 bed flat to rent £1,400 pcm

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September gallery 020 3940 0555 estates7.co.uk

Lorne Road E7 3 bed terraced house for sale Guide price £700,000

Ridley Road E7 4 bed terraced house for sale £750,000 sold

Borthwick Road, Stratford E15 2 bed flat for sale Guide price £385,000

Maryland Street, Stratford E15 2 bed flat for sale £325,000 sstc

Lettings

Sales

A property absolutely flooded with light (the photos don’t lie people!), and with the doors thrown open onto the charming Mediterranean style garden, it would be easy to imagine yourself on holiday rather than in your own home. We could go on to describe in detail the layout etc of this house, but frankly, we would only be delaying you looking at the photos of this amazing property. We absolutely love it, and we’re convinced you will too…

Barking Road, Plaistow E13 2 bed flat to rent £1,350 pcm Vicarage Lane, Stratford E15 Commercial property to rent £1,400 pcm

WEAVING LIGHT Textile artist and weaver rezia Wahid opens up her home studio in Walthamstow to Karen Dunn and reveals how she’s made it her work to keep the centuries old craft alive while giving it a fine art twist… rezia photographed in her studio by Paula Smith.

Gift Photo © Bharat Choudhary

Weaving has emerged from the craft wilderness in the last few years, gaining popularity as more people learn their warp from their weft.

Rezia Wahid has been leading the way in weaving for 20 years, developing her intricate craft, creating hand woven textiles that allow light and air to flow through them making them breathe peace and tranquillity.

Her work has been exhibited across the UK and Japan and even earned her an MBE. Based in her home studio in Walthamstow, Rezia weaves on her loom using fine yarns and cottons, many of which she dyes herself with natural dyes like cochineal and indigo. The E List caught up with Rezia to

discover how her passion for textiles has crafted her life.

Hi Rezia, how did you become a weaver? While many of my peers were being directed into maths and science my parents were taking us to museums and art galleries. At first I didn’t think I could become a fine artist as we only learned about white European male artists. It was only when I went to the Bauhaus that I realised women could be fine artists too. I did my degree in textiles at Farnham Art College where I discovered weaving. It felt amazing and truly out of this world to me and I wanted to carry on and see where I could take weaving to.

How did you discover your style?

The English countryside of Farnham and dandelion seeds, were the first inspiration for my fine weaving, which was very much developed through researching and sampling yarns. But it wasn’t until I had my first solo show in 2007 when I was commissioned by The Arts Council on a project called The Shape Of Things, that I knew where my weaving voice came from. Through my research I realised I was bringing my identity together. I discovered that because of the techniques I use, I could have been a weaver 200 years ago in Bangladesh. The commission helped contextualise and link both the tactile, visual and maker within me in a contemporary British society.

How do you approach your design process? I used to carry a sketchbook then sit with everything I had collected and look at the yarns and start cutting the threads.

The hardest part was researching the silk threads and fine yarns to find the right balance to convey air and light. Once I had that, it became easier and now it can be simply from a photo or something I have collected and I am straight on to the loom. theelist.co.uk 9

Have you always worked from your home studio? After graduation I was lucky that my parents bought me a loom, so I needed a studio it would fit in. I started out at Cockpit Arts in Deptford, but when we moved to Walthamstow and I had children it was too far to travel and too expensive to keep up. I used all my savings to build the studio in my garden.

I knew if I put the loom in the loft it may never come down again.

How did you feel when you were told you were getting an MBE? When I got the letter I thought it was going to be a commission, which would have been wonderful. I opened it on the DLR on the way back from my studio where I was preparing for an exhibition. It was an honour, although I do remember thinking, “Oh my goodness, now I have to do more!”

How does living in Waltham Forest inspire your work? I love the way people

really pull together when they have to.

They made the first Walthamstow Garden Party happen, created Blackhorse Studios, E17 Designers, The Art Trail – we fought to save the William Morris Gallery when it was about to close. Watching Walthamstow grow has been a pleasure.

What are you weaving right now?

At the moment I’m creating a collection of scarves and I’ve also been collaborating with an Arabic calligrapher on some pieces.

Weaving had fallen out of our vocabulary for so long, to see it having a revival is wonderful.

woven-air.com

Photos © www.paulasmith.co.uk

You’re a teacher as well, is that as important to you as your weaving?

Absolutely. A friend recently told me that I come alive when I am teaching. When I teach children I always explain that from

birth to death we are wrapped in cloth and that everything from their trainers to bandages are woven.

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You have an exhibition at Pictorem in Walthamstow coming up. What work are you showing?

The pieces are intended to look like children’s book illustrations that have drifted away from the books themselves, away from childhood and into the adult psyche. Although the style isn’t abstract, they’re avant garde in the way that the underlying structure of a children’s book has been discarded and replaced with a dream world of anxiety and absurdity. Uncanny and eerie, not quite right, where things are in the wrong place or at the wrong scale.

It was never how it used to be

THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY Award-winning children’s book illustrator Pete Williamson is best known for the Stitch Head series written by Guy Bass, and The Raven Mysteries and the Elf Girl and Raven Boy series by Marcus Sedgwick. Paul Lindt caught up with Pete to ask him about his new show featuring personal work and, firstly, the synergy between his style of work and the authors he works with.

Art editors are constantly on the lookout for new illustrators to match with writers to create the best book they can. Guy Bass’s writing for Stitch Head is hilarious but often slightly dark and moving, so my illustration style fitted it perfectly. The art is definitely influenced by the writing, and I think the writing is also influenced by the visual world I’m able to create - we’re able to tread the line between funny and unsettling really well at this point. When Guy writes in a steam-powered skull, a six-armed slug or a three-eyed brain spider, I can draw them.

The humour undercuts the weirdness and the weirdness gives the humour more edge and makes the books’ imaginative world unique.

Recently we’ve begun work on a new series that has a very dapper skeleton as its main character, and that will be out in 2019.

My work is largely monochrome.

I’m always fighting my tendency towards depressionfuelled irony and absurdity, which aren’t things that the picture book world is really looking for. I started bringing the dark corners and shadows into my work, making a feature of them, and something clicked. But I could never make it work with colour.

Children love odd characters and dark tales. That element of social transgression and being a bit contrary about what they read or see is really attractive. Odd characters and dark tales communicate an understanding that things aren’t necessarily nice, comfortable and safe, but in a way that helps children experience those feelings and ideas in a consoling and contained way. And funny. Most fairy tales are pretty dark at their core. It was a way of preparing children for a harsh, threatening world.

I think the picture book is a brilliant literary and artistic form. It’s strange that we only create them for young children. There is so much space between the words and the images where new ideas can exist and thrive. I wanted to explore that connection to childhood and tap into memories and feelings we all have of when we were more vulnerable in the world, or hadn’t realised what was impossible yet.

My work has got darker, larger, more spacious, more ambiguous. I love illustrating for children but the Pictorem work, having no commercial restraints, means this work doesn’t have to entertain or charm or relate to a specific narrative. They might not make any sense but they’re honest. I think they do make emotional sense though.

Has your background and upbringing influenced your work?

Absolutely. I was adopted, and the sense of displacement that comes with that is absolutely integral to how I am in the world. A sense of children wandering in a world where things aren’t how they should be just keeps emerging. The large expanses of black in theelist.co.uk 11

In the woods

Untitled

my work often overwhelm the figures within it. But I’m starting to think those expanses represent spaces that the characters in the pictures can escape to under cover of darkness.

When I looked into the circumstances of my adoption five years ago, I discovered I had roots in pre-war Krakow and that my grandfather had fled from there in 1939 with little more than his name and a violin. Unfortunately, that whole area of my life is completely closed off to me so my imagination starts to go a bit odd when it drifts over into these mysterious Polish shadows, and I begin to wonder what my distant lost relatives went through during those times, as small characters in a large, terrible canvas.

Before my daughter was born, the main character I drew in images like this was a small bewildered boy who was

just a wandering head with large black eyes - an absurd self-portrait. Now a young girl has taken his place. So there’s obviously a prosaic worried father aspect to the work too.

I’ve been discussing a collaboration with the avant garde electronic musician Ikue Mori whose work I think of as the absolute epitome of strange and beautiful, and which has soundtracked a lot of the creation of these pieces.

I sent her some work last year and she replied, describing it as ‘strange and beautiful’. At that moment I really felt I’d created successful work both on my own terms and in the cultural area where I’ve found most inspiration. That’s what I’ll always be trying to achieve though I’m sure what I consider strange and beautiful will evolve as I age.

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Where they will never find us

Pete Williamson Pictorem Gallery 4 – 29 September 2018 383 Hoe Street, Walthamstow E17 9AP Opens 9am – 5.30pm Tues-Sat

www.petewilliamson.co.uk

“This hit me hard. Your worst fear as a parent of an autistic child is what will happen to them when you and your partner die – ultimately you’re in the hands of others. So, the first poems I wrote, after twenty years of silence, were to try and explain who Johnny is and to communicate something of our lives. Poetry is particularly good for this – it gets to the undiluted truth.”

Normal has since published four collections of poems that tug the heart strings and thwack the funny bone. Johnny, now very much his own man and an artist, is at the heart of them. The Guardian described it as “poetry of proper substance” and The Scotsman called Normal “the Alan Bennett of poetry”. Johnny is also the subject of a series of Normal’s shows for BBC Radio 4 and A Normal Life, the book he wrote with his wife, screenwriter Angela Pell. It’s a frank, funny account of the difficulties and the privilege of living with someone with special needs.

A Normal Night Out Inspired by his autistic son Johnny, Henry Normal, (creator of the best TV of the past two decades), has returned to his first love, poetry. He brings poems, jokes and heart-string-tugging to Walthamstow on 8 November, raising funds for The Limes Community and Children’s Centre.

A Normal Night Out with Henry Normal

He once had to pick up John Cooper Clarke from his home “next to a graveyard.

I arrived about 3pm and he was in bed.

I always remember he had a custard tart for breakfast.”

Mirth, Marvel and Maud, 186 Hoe Street E17 4QH

You can also catch Henry Normal’s A Normal Imagination on BBC iPlayer.

It’s a long way from “performing poetic ditties in front of bands like Pulp,” he says.

Before his reroute into TV and film, Normal was a fixture of the 1980s’ performance poetry scene, wrangling space for poems while bands tuned up.

Two years ago, Normal retired from Baby Cow to begin his poetry career afresh – why? “There’s been lots I’d liked to have communicated over the years but I found it difficult to find the time or the outlet. My mum died when I was 11, which is when I first got interested in writing and poetry.

The deaths of my father and brother, both from cancer, also had an important effect on me.

Spike Milligan was an early inspiration. “I was sat next to Spike once and told him I was a fan,” says Normal. “Struggling to find something in common I remembered he lived in Rye. ‘You live in Rye,’ I said, ‘I live in Brighton, because I love the sea.’ He looked at me a moment, leant in and whispered, ‘Henry, you’re a fascinating man.’ My wife uses this if ever I say anything bland or boring, which I still do, occasionally.”

“But it was our son Johnny turning 16 that brought matters to a head. Johnny is severely autistic and just after his birthday, we had a visit from the council. We were informed that as Johnny was officially ‘Mentally Incapacitated’ at age 16 and as an adult he’d become a Ward of the State.

As the co-writer of Mrs Merton, The Royle Family and much of Steve Coogan’s early output, Henry Normal needs no introduction.

As one half with Coogan of Baby Cow Productions, he brought Gavin and Stacey, Nighty Night, Uncle and The Mighty Boosh to our screens. In 2017 he received a special BAFTA award for services to Television. And he’s had a beer named after him.

So join Henry at Mirth, Marvel and Maud this November. Details below and all proceeds will go to The Limes Community and Children’s Centre, for children and young people, with or without disabilities to play, learn, develop and achieve.

Buy tickets (£10) at ticketlab.co.uk/event/id/1801

Henry with son Johnny

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acclaimed Lake of Stars festival, that we look to for support.

Southern Italy’s Telamure

St John’s Church, Leytonstone

A World of Music in Leytonstone The team behind the enormously successful St Mary’s Music Hall, which regularly brings some of the world’s most celebrated artists to perform in a Walthamstow church, this month are opening a similar venue in Leytonstone’s St John’s Church. Paul Lindt talks to Fran Jameson.

For the past year you’ve been running the very successful Music Hall at St Mary’s church in Walthamstow Village. The reaction to St Mary’s Music Hall has been amazing. The local community have really embraced the idea and use the opportunity to discover music that they may not have been familiar with.

So far we’ve had performers from all over the world, from Romania to Syria, Cameroon, Indonesia and much more!

Stand out shows include legendary Irish fiddle player Martin Hayes and his longstanding US collaborator Dennis Cahill, whose note-perfect music enraptured a sell-out audience from all over London; and the London Syrian Ensemble prompted dozens of Syrians in the audience to dance in the aisles to songs that reminded them of home.

So you’re bringing this winning formula to Leytonstone? That’s right, St John’s Music Hall, in partnership with St John’s Church, will bring gigs to another beautiful venue, this time in the heart of

Leytonstone. It aims to add to the cultural scene in the borough by providing an inviting and inclusive home for world class acts in the historic setting of the Church. We hope it will become a central fixture for the local community, offering them the chance to engage with exciting and inspiring culture on their doorstep, attracting visitors from across London and surrounding areas.

Tell us about St John’s as a venue. It’s recently had a stateof-the-art sound-system installed which will bring clarity of sound to live music performances. The combination of the church’s naturally impressive acoustics plus the sound-system, set against the beautiful backdrop of the building, creates a very special environment for audiences. There’ll be street food and a temporary bar, and handily it’s only one minute from the tube and bus station!

project directors, George Bell, is a veteran of the live music scene, particularly the folk world, having previously been part of the Nest Collective and now part of On:Song Music.

Plus he’s a musician himself which always helps! Music Halls Project Founding Director Sam Jones is also behind the non-profit organisation Sound Thread whose worldwide projects have included establishing studio spaces in Sub-Saharan Africa. We’ve also got strong connections with other Waltham Forest-based arts organisations, such as the team behind the internationally

You bag some amazing acts from around the world.

What’s your background?

We’ve got a great team that bring different strengths and connections. One of the

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Danish duo Andreas and Rune

What have you got planned for St John’s? We want to make sure we’re programming shows that are of interest to the local community, particularly those groups who may not typically engage with cultural activities in the borough. We’ll start with monthly shows and, like St Mary’s, the emphasis will be on acts of the highest artistic quality from all over the world, mainly on the folk, jazz and roots tip. Some will be bigger, recognisable names and others will be lesser-known, but no less good! Our first show (Sept 28) is the fantastic Kora player, singer and multi-instrumentalist Diabel Cissokho, part of the great line of Cissokho griots from Senegal. That’s followed by Danish duo Andreas and Rune (October 20) and a folk doublebill (November 9) featuring Tarantella Roots band Telamure, who play beautiful music from southern Italy, and feted melodeon player Andy Cutting (also part of Blowzabella). This show will be part of the 2018 London Roots Festival which we’re really excited about.

For all the upcoming listings for St John’s (and St Mary’s)

musichalls.org

THE VILLAGE

(and not the Walthamstow one!)

Photo © www.paulasmith.co.uk

April de Angelis, playwright and Walthamstow resident, talks about her latest play adaptation, The Village, coming to the Theatre Royal Stratford East in September. Interview by Silvana Gambini. Photo by Paula Smith.

Nadia Fall, the new Artistic Director at Theatre Royal Stratford East - and the first Asian woman ever to run the theatre contacted me in February to ask if I could do a new contemporary version of Fuente Ovejuna (The Sheep Well), transposing it from 14th century Spain to modern day India.

The original play has a heroine at its centre, who is raped, revenges her rape and lives happily ever after when the whole village of Fuente Ovejuna stand firm

and refuse to reveal who perpetrated the murder, with each person saying “Fuente Ovejuna did it”– it’s a collective Spartacus moment. It was already a ‘history play’ when Lope de Vega wrote it in the 17th century about 14th century real life events. It was rediscovered and revived in the 1950s by Joan Littlewood when she was artistic director of the Theatre Royal, so it is fitting to have a modern version of this as Nadia Fall’s first play in that same role. Art

Malik is our ‘big name’ and we have an amazingly talented cast of both young and more experienced Asian actors – it’s all very exciting!

At the moment, India is having its own ‘Trump’ style experience with the rise of the far right, and Nadia wanted to do this play because its themes still resonate in the 21st century. It’s a political play and has a ‘zeitgeist’ feel - people standing up against oppression with communal action and resistance and not allowing

themselves to be manipulated by the ruling class. I had to learn very quickly about the politics of modern India and a lovely political journalist in Mumbai was hired to advise me and check everything I wrote to ensure I’d got that particular ‘world’ right.

We go into rehearsals in mid-August and, as with any new play or adaptation, I’ll need to be involved in the first couple of weeks, as the actors go through the play scene by scene, to ensure it hangs together properly, ironing out any problems, and then come back to watch the run-throughs to do any final adjustments.

When rehearsals go well, it’s such fun but, if they go badly, then nothing is as dire!

As a playwright, you have no control over how many good jobs might come your way, so you have to be an theelist.co.uk 15

effective multi-tasker. For instance, during the timeframe of adapting this play, I’ve also been writing two other stage plays, a radio play, a monologue, and a new libretto for an operatic version of the Merry Widow for the ENO. I’ve just come to the end of the writing for all these projects and feel I can finally take a breath – for the time being anyway…

Nothing beats your own play, if it’s good, because it is completely yours. It’s every playwright’s Holy Grail. That said, adaptations don’t take as much brain power, as you’re not inventing a story from scratch. The characters are already there, even if you have to lose some and invent new ones to make things work. A new play is a big undertaking with an average of two years from the first idea to the production itself. You simply can’t write four new plays a year, as they would end up as repetitive rubbish!

I want to put women and feminism centre stage. I loved adapting Elsa Ferrante’s Neapolitan novel cycle for the stage because there are two female lead protagonists, which is so rare, and the story of their shared friendship and conflict is so strong. It was daunting, but I condensed the four novels into five hours of stage time and it took nine months from beginning to write to the first performance. I love to write about women finding their power - in ‘The Village’, the simple peasant girl transforms to be almost ‘goddess-like’ by the end of the play.

It’s harder for women in all aspects of theatre. A recent Arts Council study showed that 80% of classical adaptations go to male playwrights, who also have more productions that run in bigger venues, while women playwrights have shorter runs in smaller spaces. Things are changing,

but inequality is still there. Also women’s subject matter is often not taken as seriously and seen as just ‘domestic’. That said, I’ve been lucky and I’ve had a strong relationship with the Royal Court Theatre: it’s a home to writers. It’s always been at the cutting edge and really packs its punch culturally.

Over the years I’ve done a lot with them – as well as plays I’ve written for them, I’ve done workshops all over the world.

I’d always wanted to act and was involved in many school productions. While doing English at university, I wrote a play which went to Edinburgh.

After graduating, I continued both acting and writing and was encouraged to enter a competition for women playwrights under 30. My play was one of the winners and my career as a playwright took off. It’s a fascinating world continually interesting, always on a learning curve - but also challenging for all the times you’re convinced you can’t do it. You have to feel it deeply; as someone wrote ‘your ideas come from your scars’.

I never want to retire unless my mind packs up: I can’t imagine stopping. Ibsen was writing great plays well into his 70s. My grandmother died at 97 and was still pretty sharp until just before the end. Writers don’t stop. We are an opinionated bunch, always having something to say. Nothing makes me happier than being offered a commission – that’s my kick.”

The Village Theatre Royal, Stratford East Fri 7 Sept – Sat 6 Oct 2018 Previews: Fri 7-Wed 12 Sept

stratfordeast.com

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• Buy second hand First World War books; • Meet local history groups and hear about their programmes; • And much more!

Refreshments will be available for a small donation, including from the Homefront Kitchen.

the Battle of the Ancre and the Advance of the tanks Film screening At 7.30 pm in St Mary’s church, there will be a screening of the 1917 film which was the official film of the British Army’s autumn campaign on the Somme, (September to November 1916). The film, which was a huge box office success at the time, contains haunting images of trench warfare, the mud that beset the battlefields, the waves of troops advancing into no man’s land, the use of horses and the first views of the ‘Tank’.

We will remember them 2018 marks the centenary of the end of the First World War. The Western Front Association East London Branch, Vestry House Museum and Walthamstow’s St Mary’s Church have joined forces and are hosting a World War One Open Day. This will be the second WWI Day, following on from the highly successful inaugural event in May 2017. The event will act as a fitting tribute to the sacrifices made by the people of Walthamstow 100 years ago.

There’ll be numerous activities, displays and talks throughout the day. Then, come the evening, a showing of a classic World War One documentary, The Battle of the Ancre and the Advance of the Tanks.

All ages and all the family welcome!

• Meet First World War soldiers and ask them about their experiences; • Hear the music of the time played by a marching band; • Meet and listen to Great War experts; • Follow the children’s trails and win a prize; • Visit the 1918 Homefront Kitchen; • Visit the parish church with its war memorials and learn about casualties buried locally; • Learn about the Big Ideas Company First World War projects; • Hear about the RAF in Waltham Forest a century ago;

• Help make a wreath to commemorate The Unremembered (the men and women from the Empire and other countries who joined the Allied cause); • Discover the major contribution made to the war by Nigerian soldiers; • Hear about Waltham Forest’s silent film heritage; • Learn about Walthamstow’s war hero filmmaker, J. B. McDowell; • See (and touch!) First World War memorabilia; • Meet local authors who will be signing copies of their books; • Find out about the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the British Legion; • See why local schools still value the importance of visiting the Western Front; • Search for your First War ancestors online; • See whether a First World War Soldier lived in your house; • Read local newspapers from the war years;

The 65-minute film will be accompanied by the local Waltham Forest Youth Orchestra playing composer Laura Rossi’s specially commissioned score.

Laura’s music reflects the more poignant moments as well as echoing brighter scenes of the high-spirited soldiers. Laura will introduce the film alongside Dr Toby Haggith of the Imperial War Museum who led on the digital restoration of the film. tickets https://bit.ly/2N3enB5

First World War Open Day Saturday 15 September 11am-5pm. Vestry House Museum and St Mary’s Church Walthamstow.

The Western Front Association East London Branch londoneastwfa@gmail.com East London Western Front Association @WFAEastLondon

theelist.co.uk 17

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The property is offered to the market with No Ongoing Chain To the ground floor there is a Through Lounge, Dining Area and Kitchen all giving independent access to the gardens, to the first floor there are Four/ Five Bedrooms, a Shower room/wc and Separate Bathroom/wc with free standing bath. The property is accessible to Romford Town Centre, Elm Park, Romford and Hornchurch Stations and within walking distance of St Mary’s Catholic Primary School. This property would make an ideal family home.

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We are delighted to offer this stunning, unique Detached Victorian Coach House located on the ever popular ‘Aldersbrook Estate’. This attractive period home has been sympathetically improved and extended by the current vendor and is arranged oner three floors totaling 1722 sq. ft. Comprising a bespoke kitchen/ breakfast area built in solid wood with granite worktops and integrated appliances, generous open plan reception with feature three dimensional Stovax wood burner and solid wood flooring, stunning wrap around second reception/dining area with vaulted ceiling leading out to the beautifully maintained rear garden, ground floor wc, double glazed sash windows, new gas central heating system (March 2016) with 10 year guarantee, four double bedrooms, first floor family bathroom, en-suite shower room to master bedroom withing the loft conversion. Albury Mews was created by a bespoke builder in 1990, comprising 3 modern builds and a renovation project being the Coach House, originally built at the turn of the 20th Century.

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Being offered Chain Free this property would make an ideal home for any buyers looking to start a family, with its stripped floorboards to the hall and lounge and enjoying french doors which leading directly onto the 110ft rear garden, gas central heating, double glazing and modern bathroom this property is ready to move in to.

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141 Hoe Street, Walthamstow, London E17 3AL

2 Church Hill, Walthamstow, London E17 3AG

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

Cemeteries and graveyards may not be the most obvious places to seek out history and culture, but they are a rich source of social history by revealing stories about the lives and loves, and the health and wealth of individuals and families from all walks of life. The variety of memorials also reflect artistic and sculptural trends within a landscaped setting.

For centuries parish churchyards were the usual burial places, but as 19th century urbanisation rapidly took hold, they could no longer accommodate an ever-growing demand for consecrated burial space, as well as for a growing number of dissenters. As the situation reached crisis point, cemetery companies were created, land was acquired, and large, planned cemeteries were established. Waltham Forest has four cemeteries: St Patrick’s Catholic Cemetery, Leytonstone (1868), Queens Road, Walthamstow (1872), Chingford Mount (1884), and the more recent Waltham Forest Muslim Burial Trust Cemetery, Walthamstow.

The 11-acre Queens Road Cemetery was laid out on part of Markhouse Common on land acquired from the Pardoes of Leyton, after the 1866 Walthamstow cholera epidemic. Two chapels were built, including one for dissenters, as well as an entrance lodge and unusually, an Inquest Room. Amongst the variety of grave monuments, there is just one mausoleum, a fine marble structure built for Harriet Hooker of Highams Park, who had purchased the plot and made her will years before her death in 1913. She made explicit instructions for the mausoleum: a small house of solid white marble, Ionic columns, gates, gold leaf decoration, with railings all around.

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Chingford Mount Cemetery was established by the non-conformist Abney Park Cemetery Company in 1884, a vast site extending over 41 acres on land formerly occupied by the Mount Caroline Estate. Both Queens Road and Chingford Mount have densely-placed grave plots and the former is now closed to new burials, excepting existing family plots.

20 To advertise your business contact ads@theelist.co.uk

The chapels at Walthamstow’s Queens Road Cemetery.

The borough’s cemetery spaces need to be preserved and maintained for current and future use; as well as providing spaces for relaxation and contemplation, they are historically and architecturally significant. Sadly these spaces are vulnerable to damage and neglect; in 1975 the chapel and lodges at Chingford Mount were vandalised, and in the same year unused land was subject to housing proposals, which was successfully opposed, although the cemetery subsequently became neglected. The original Victorian chapel windows at Queens Road Cemetery were recently vandalised, and the grounds are in need of TLC. Fortunately there are individuals and groups who care about these cemetery spaces, seeing their potential for respectful recreational and community projects. Chingford Mount has been designated as one of the borough’s Sites of Importance to Nature Conservation, and Queen’s Road Cemetery has a Friends Group for all those interested in the past, present and future use of Queens Road Cemetery. @QRCFriends Friends Of Queens Road Cemetery, Walthamstow archangelheritage.co.uk

All Creatures great and cryptozoological A word of warning Scott Brooker’s work is unsettling but he swears he means no harm by it. Up to now Scott’s career has been positively 3-D, being a puppetmaker and operator on such things as Spitting Image, adland’s Pepperoni Monster and the soon to be cult Harry Hill The Movie. But things have been flattened out for his first 2D show at Walthamstow’s Pictorem. Paul Lindt asks the questions.

Hello Scott you originally sent me an email called ‘Fiery Poo’. Please explain.

Ah, that was probably just a cheap trick on my part to place an attention-grabbing Subject in your bulging editor’s inbox.

It referred to a recent painting of mine featuring some bonnacons cryptozoological animals that deployed fiery poo as their chosen method of defence.

As it happens, that painting is not actually going to be included in the Pictorem show, which is entitled ‘No Oil Painting’ as it’s simply more portrait based.

Some cannibals and a homicidal maniac will still be making an appearance though.

After many years working commercially (we’ll come back to that shortly) you will now be showing a personal body of work at Walthamstow’s Pictorem Gallery in October. What happened? An old friend and colleague bought one of my paintings earlier in the year and took it to Pictorem to get it framed.

Avtar the manager was intrigued - perhaps he’d never seen a picture of a dog-faced Spanish mayor before, I don’t know, but shortly after, I was introduced.

Perfect timing! I’d been looking for a suitable gallery to hopefully have an inaugural show of my new work so when Avtar and his wife Surinder offered me the chance of exhibiting there in October, I jumped at the chance.

It’s the perfect venue and they’re obviously very discerning.

With your own work what spurs you on? Why do you need to do it? Art. The Old Masters in particular, but then there are the likes of Avery, Bateman, Grandville, Rockwell, Wolverton, Thelwell, Harryhausen, Saunders, McGill, Pont, Deix and Gogos.

Lord Seymour

Carry On and Hammer films both seem to have left a lasting impression on me too, with the poster art of Chantrell.

Cabinet cards and cigarette cards are both inspiring, but best of all is that Bible of everyday faces - the Ugly Agency catalogue.

Why do it? Hmm - that’s a big one!

For 13 years you had what must have been a dream job at the sorely missed Spitting Image. How was it? Yes - it was obviously great to be involved in such a high-profile TV show, but the best bit was actually just being part of such an amazingly creative team. Lots of us are still very much in touch. theelist.co.uk 21

My job was as Head Puppet Maker, ‘fitting up’ the puppets from the various components - eye mechanism, skull, teeth, foam-latex skin and such, before handing it on to the paint shop for finishing.

Also, I made a large number of ‘cut foam’ generic characters for the show. That’s to say creating new faces from cutting up several reject foam skins. Remember PC Dimbleby? And things like Thatcher’s white cat. They were some of mine.

Aside from Spitting Image I believe I am talking to the man behind Pepperami, as voiced very angrily by Ade Edmondson.

Any other career highlights? Well there’s Rattus from Horrible Histories - I designed and made him, and always got to operate his arms.

And we played the Royal Albert Hall at the Proms one year. That was fun.

Working on The Harry Hill Movie designing and making hamsters and walking brains and things was a real treat too. Looking forward to it becoming a cult classic one day.

And then there’s my yearly gig designing and making giants and dragons and things for The Hackney Empire.

Again, all really great teams to work with.

is designed to bring famous people down a peg or two - and that’s not my job. I’d rather just celebrate the ordinary and the extraordinary. With big noses if it helps.

What’s your background creatively? I studied BA (Hons) in 3D Design (Wood, Metal & Plastics) at Wolverhampton Polytechnic, as it was in those far off grantgiven days. Couldn’t have been better.

Especially when they closed the college in our third year due to asbestos, and shipped off all the students to work experience placements. That’s how I got involved with Spitting Image, you see.

In the exhibition do you have favourite image that epitomises what creating your own work is all about.

A favourite? No.

With your characters, both commercially and for the exhibition, are they made with love or vengeance or a mixture of both? Well, the commercial stuff is often just, you know, a means to an end.

It’s a mixture of three different references (a bit like those cut-foams I mentioned earlier), it’s loosely handled, it works from across a room, and it’s got a stinky pun in its title.

But these new paintings? They’re definitely done with affection for the subject.

Even though they may just possibly have exaggerated features, they’re not caricatures as such. Remember, caricature

FLCs – Bunny Ears

Cinderella – Tony Whittle as Queeniqua 22 To advertise your business contact ads@theelist.co.uk

Forever Jean

That would be like singling out a favourite child. No no no. Good luck to ‘em all, I say.

‘Lord Seymour’ is perhaps the most representative of where I see myself going with these paintings though.

If it makes someone out there smile, I’ve done my job . . . scottbrooker_art

E~LICIOUS a Guide to Fine things to Eat, Drink and Savour

Sean’s Tipple Tips Sean Pines is pleased that Chardonnay is back and the days of the ‘ABCs’ are numbered as memories of that ‘Footballer’s Wife’ are fading.

Wine, just like pretty much everything else, is subject to changing fashions and trends. Sometimes though, things fall out of favour for the wrong reasons. For me, in wine, a perfect example is Chardonnay.

When I look back to when I began taking my wine drinking (sorry, wine appreciation) seriously, it was just following the time when Australian wine had come onto the scene, shaking up the establishment with their new exciting wines at really affordable prices. And they actually put the name of the grape variety on the label. Wow! Back then the average wine drinker didn’t know the names of the grape varieties. People liked Chianti, or Bordeaux etc. Thus consumers began buying wines based on the grape variety they preferred. The first two grape varieties that became the most memorable were Shiraz for red and Chardonnay for white.

The problem for Chardonnay was that bulk producers over ripened the grapes in the hot climate and overused oak to such a degree that you could almost take a saw to it. Consumers became fed up

with these wines and so when the Kiwis came along with their crisp unoaked Sauvignon Blancs they were smitten.

To make matters worse, one of the characters in the TV series ‘Footballers Wives’ (to those that don’t remember, it was bit like Love Island for intellectuals) was called Chardonnay. Well that finished it. Chardonnay became so ‘last year’.

The shame was that it (wrongly) became synonymous with this style of winemaking which in turn led to the rise of the ABC’s. People so called because when asked which white wine they would like would reply, ‘Anything But Chardonnay’.

Chardonnay is one of world’s greatest varieties. At its best few other varieties can achieve such complexity and with the correct use of oak, such great wine. I’m glad to see it’s as a varietal that consumers are returning to. It was always there on the lists, as the sole variety of Chablis, white Burgundies and as a major component of Champagne.

But not everybody knew that!

Enjoy!

Sean’s local tips for Chardonnay are: Les Classiques 2016, France (photo) £14.75 – In Vino Veritas 21 Orford Road E17 9NL Classic example of an unoaked Chardonnay from southern Burgundy.

Guillaume Chardonnay 2016 France £13.49 – Theatre of Wine 556 High Road Leytonstone E11 3DH Crisp citrus and tropical fruit with complex minerality.

Palmiet Chardonnay 2016 South Africa £19 Bottle Apostle 95 Lauriston Road E9 7HJ Natural Unfilterd Wine peachy citrus fruit with great balanced use of oak.

Sean Pines is a wine consultant and monthly wine and spirit tasting host. sean@pineswines.co.uk @pineswines

@seanswines theelist.co.uk 23

RAISING THE BAR It’s no secret that I love the Queens Arms - writes Silvana Gambini - but some recent innovations have made me love it even more, not least the hiring of new head chef, daniel Brooks. Photographs by Simon Goodwin.

Fate brought Daniel Brooks to the Queens Arms. Owner Laurance Younger just happened to be cycling by and stopped to chat as Daniel was outside his Walthamstow Village home of five years, hoovering out his car. When Laurance found out Daniel had just given three months’ notice to the Ivy St Johns Wood in order to look for new challenges, he suggested that Daniel might like to work locally. Given the strong culinary pedigree of Daniel’s CV (before the Ivy St Johns Wood, he’d also worked at the Victoria Stakes gastropub in Ally Pally, Soho House, Quaglino’s and the Bluebird, as well as West End private members’ clubs), Laurance felt he’d found the chef to boost the Queens Arms’ food offer and raise standards even higher. Daniel

realised that this opportunity gave him a lot of scope professionally and personally and, with a commute of just four minutes door to door, he now enjoys a lot more time with his family - Katy, his partner, and his two year old son, Alfie.

Since starting four months ago, Daniel has been putting his stamp on the menu, which he is passionate about keeping seasonal with British produce. He also uses local suppliers where possible e.g. sausages from Orford Road’s East London Sausage Shop and sourdough from Today Bread at Central Parade. He wants to ensure there are menu choices for everyone, including vegetarians, vegans and people with dairy and gluten intolerances, and balances the selection between lighter and more indulgent dishes.

24 To advertise your business contact ads@theelist.co.uk

The menu begins flexibly with a range of small plates for summery tapas-style sharing or as starters to precede mains.

Daniel served me a selection of his new dishes starting with three of the small plates – vodka and treacle cured salmon with fennel, orange and cucumber; heritage tomato salad with smoked mozzarella and a sorrel dressing; grilled aubergine with feta, lavender and honey. All three were delicious, but a particular shout out goes to the aubergine dish, as the balance between the saltiness, sweetness and perfume of the toppings was spot on.

Next I sampled some mains, starting with grilled courgette, small Sardinian fregola pasta, piquillo peppers all dressed with salsa verde made with preserved lemons and capers. This was really satisfying and packed so much punchy flavour I completely forgot that it was vegan!

A fish dish with a difference, the salmon fillet - with the crispiest of skins - tops off a salad of avocado, little gem lettuce and slivered crunchy radishes with a ‘goddess’ sauce made with avocado and mixed quinoa. I’m usually not a quinoa fan, but the texture it brings to the sauce is very moreish.

And of course there has to be a burger and this one is a work of art! A mix of three cuts of beef - rump, flank and chuck- plus marrowbone fat results in a very succulent and flavoursome burger. It’s served on a strikingly black, charcoal brioche bun with a generous topping of Monterey Jack cheese, tempura fried onions, tomato, pickle and Marie Rose sauce, with fries and slaw alongside. It’s inspired by the ‘Dirty Burger’ at Soho House where Daniel worked under the executive chef. Pete, my husband and a self-styled burger aficionado, has tried this and given it a double thumbs up!

At last, dessert - the chocolate Oreo cookie brownie with a super-rich ganache-style topping served with homemade Baileys’ ice cream. Daniel insists on a half a bottle of liqueur going into every batch that’s made.

It’s a perfect dessert for sharing or just wolfing down on your own - if you have room!

Orford Road has lost its Chinese chippy and the Queens Arms has stepped into the breach with takeaway fish and chips now available for £10, Monday to Friday 5pm to 7pm (after 7pm there might be a 30-minute wait). White flaky haddock in a crunchy tempura-style batter with crisp chips and a coronation sauce - a nod to ‘traditional’ curry sauce, but so much more sophisticated! - are all presented in fully biodegradable, compostable packaging with a low carbon footprint (paper boxes and sauce containers made from a base of vegetable oil).

A Saturday Brunch menu is also served 11am to 12noon with full English, eggs benedict, Florentine, royale etc., and two for one bloody Marys. There’s a ‘kids eat for free’ section with five food and three drink options, so even the pickiest young diner can find something they like.

Photo © www.goodwinphotography.co.uk

The newly reinstated glass atrium over the back dining area lets the light flood in and, with the lovely beer garden with its raised flowerbed full of aromatic lavender and rosemary, there’s always a perfect location for eating and drinking at the Queens during the Indian summer this September.

queensarms-e17.co.uk 42 orford rd, Walthamstow E17 9NJ opening times: Mon-Thurs 4pm-11pm, Fri 12pm-12am, Sat 11am-12am Kitchen closes: 10pm Mon to Sat, 8pm Sun Queens Arms new chef, Daniel Brooks.

theelist.co.uk 25

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E~DEN a Directory of Useful Services & Beautiful Things for the Home Clive Meredeen Garden Design and Aftercare

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Autumn is the best time of year for planting shrubs and trees as the soil is warm and moist.

Plants have a chance to get established before winter so they can thrive next season. Now is also a great time to plant spring and summer bulbs for next year.

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House Doctor

Penny Fielding offers creative solutions to everyday niggles you may have with your home.

You might be doing it on the kitchen table or in the small room at the top of the house, but these days many of us are working from home at least some of the time.

The holidays are over and it’s back to work as usual, so now is a good time to review how you go about organising your home office. Here are some tips on creating a workplace that will be calm happy and productive for you.

Traditionally most home offices are located in the smallest (and usually the least interesting) room of the house. This is often cramped with the desk facing the wall. Don’t do this! (Use this room for a walk in wardrobe or utility room). Find yourself a place where there is lots of natural light and enough room for all your needs. If you are working from a laptop, the kitchen or dining table is often

M ARSH

the easiest. I generally don’t advise a fixed office in the bedroom, but if this works for you then put your laptop away a night. Use deep sided trays for all your kit so it can be easily cleared. This is a good tip for any location you choose.

If you are working on a big screen and do need a dedicated office, invest in some decent shelving for files and reference books and keep it simple. You could have a built in office area in your living room made from something like Vitsoe shelving (expensive), designed for your exact needs. This could add to the the style of the room. There are many well designed shelving systems on the market that are worth looking into.

If you’re having meetings at home get yourself some decent coffee and cups to go with. It makes for a sense of occasion. The most important thing to remember is that you should use and enjoy your home to the full and that includes the work that you do to pay for it!

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.

STREET

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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S

A SPOTTER’s Guide to LOCAL streetLIFE for East London’s people watchers.

From a series by Walthamstow resident, illustrator Tom Gaul. instagram tomgaul_doodles

www.tomgaul.com

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The Wetlands bird populations undulate according to season.

On our walk, we took in the stunning sight of 300 tufted ducks pootling about on Reservoir Five. There are currently up to 2000 of these punky characters across the site. You can also see the odd one on the Lloyd Park moat, but they don’t stay long. We even spied a single brood of 17 chasing their mum. Apparently a clear sign of ‘egg dumping’ whereby an errant mother lays in another nest. Daniel seemed optimistic they would be okay if they could get past the twoweek danger period. Mallard chicks regularly get ‘taken out’ by black-backed gulls.

Amongst these colonies are hundreds of pochards, greylagged geese, Egyptian geese, grebe, goldeneye, sandpipers, curlew, widgeon, and redshank to name but a few.

In all, 142 species of birds have been spotted ‘on the patch’ so far this year. And besides our feathered friends, there are over 100 moth species and six types of bat!

Stonechat, so named as their call is like two stones being knocked together

Rare tweets

Birds of prey

The Walthamstow Wetlands is a fine place to take a walk and hosts events such as wildlife drawing and meteor watching. More importantly, it’s an internationally significant site for birds with thousands of birds passing through during the spring and autumn migrating seasons and a vital breeding site. Keen birder Adam Taylor took a guided tour with Wild London’s Daniel Whitelegg. Photos Jamie Partridge.

My best Wetlands spots have been a woodpecker, a pair of bullfinches and some long-tailed tits (see photo). A humble thrush also caused excitement, being only the third I’ve seen locally in 18 years. Exotic enough, but the real draw for the birding community are wildfowl. The clue’s in the name; the Wetlands teem with water-based birds.

A prominent feature are the herons. When the original handbuilt reservoirs were constructed

in the 1860s, they were designed with islands – quickly named Heron Islands. By the 1930s the reservoirs had become the largest heronrys in the UK with a whopping 150 pairs.

Currently it’s 42 pairs and Daniel explained that the decline was down to the European cormorants that nest high up in trees on the islands. Take a look – there are a dizzying 160 pairs!

Their diet of rainbow and brown trout makes for impressive, but

30 To advertise your business contact ads@theelist.co.uk

limey supplies of guano down below. That’s what the white dusting is.

Another occupant is the ubiquitous Canada goose.

The Wetlands plays home to over 700. Or do they? Closer inspection recently revealed that many of those ringed geese hail from St James’s Park, Wimbledon and Richmond. We have more in common with our royal and south-west Londoners than we might think.

If, like me, you’re in awe of birds of prey, you’ll be delighted to learn that as well as kestrels, peregrines bred this year with two or three chicks. These striking creatures were watched sitting on a pylon through long lenses from the engine house balcony.

Meanwhile, hobbies are well-known for using the Lee Valley corridor to feast on dragonflies – their favourite snack. Meanwhile, look up and you may see buzzards and kites riding the thermals down from Epping Forest.

What the twitchers see When a ‘little bunting’ visited the Wetlands in January (the first sighting in London for five years and only the 11th on record), hardcore bird enthusiasts were enthused.

The bird was supposed to be in Siberia.

There is a community of experts who patrol the ‘patch’; taking notes, photographing or simply enjoying the birds. Over the years, I’ve stopped many of them for a chat. One such conversation led to seeing a kingfisher for the first time.

Through the year many rare birds have appeared. While a ‘serin’ or a ‘bluethroat’ would likely go unnoticed by all but the experts, a striking pink, long-beaked Hoopoe would get us all grasping for our phone cameras.

What you won’t see I was disappointed to learn that there aren’t any owls not that you would see them. While there were recent Facebook reports of a pair of tawny owls, twit-twooing in Lloyd Park, they don’t inhabit the Wetlands.

Similarly the long-eared owl,

once common, is absent. There was a sighting of a barn owl earlier in the year, which had most likely come across from Tottenham Marsh.

The swift hotel Residents of Walthamstow will have enjoyed the 2017 event celebrating these enigmatic guests, wheeling and screeching in our skies. The centrepiece of the Wetland’s visitor complex is the industrial chimney – the ‘swift tower’ – with nesting holes cut into the brick.

Long tailed tit, gregarious and normally seen in groups of 20

Wetlands as nature reserve

risk. The space received a record 7,000 visitors in one day this year. While the distant towers of the City, Docklands and the Olympic Park create a backdrop of dramatic cityscapes, there are new towers spiralling upwards in Tottenham Hale and Blackhorse Road.

Put bluntly, people and wildlife conflict. The opening up of the Wetlands to the general public puts this delicate eco-system at

From the off, the Wetlands project aimed to protect wildlife. Studies were done in the planning stage and

Recordings of a swift’s call have been played twice daily to attract them. Notoriously fussy, the holes did get some visitors and Daniel’s optimistic that next year they’ll move in.

the planting programme of reedbeds has already seen increases in reed warblers. As with any major project, it’s taken time to bed in. Initially signage was unclear: joggers (including myself) ran around all the paths and cyclists weren’t sticking to the main route. But now, the general public have learnt the rules.

There are other significant measures to protect the birds.

A Little bunting got pulses racing in January. Its 11th ever appearance in London

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At various times of the year, different paths are closed off by ‘seasonal gates’ enabling different reservoirs to be sectioned off during important migration or breeding times.

While Daniel conducts ‘disturbance monitoring’ to see if birds are unduly leaving the reservoirs.

Further improvements are seeing the replacement of dilapidated ‘hides’ and a whopping 80 bird boxes were built last year by the public, with a remarkable 50 being immediately occupied by blue tits, great tits and robins.

With several train lines bustling through the marshes (actually a vital water supply for 3.5million people), we can’t lose sight of the area’s function to service our city. But we need to be vigilant in managing this valuable wild space, ensuring that we don’t cook the golden goose.

education At a time when people are becoming more detached from nature, the Wetlands project offers opportunities for social benefit. In teaching people about the natural environment, visitors might be stirred by a sense of joy in discovering habitats beyond their doorsteps.

The Wetlands organises education days, events and guided walks and schools have flocked to the site. New initiatives include the creation of a Sensory Education Needs Development garden and outdoor classroom. A copse is being grown to teach people about woodland.

But you don’t need an education day. Simply wander through the marshes or the Wetlands. Stop a while to stare at what surrounds you – a dazzling array of birds.

Ring ousel, more normally found in northern or Scottish uplands

how to get into birding • Get the bug from foodstations in your garden • Find a local area with a bird habitat – a park, river or field • Take a pair of binoculars and concise field guide • Enjoy matching the features of the birds to those in the guide • Reasonable binoculars cost from £80

Walthamstowwetlands.com Volunteering: contact Nadia Ward at walthamstow@wildlondon.gov.uk Expert local blog: walthamstowbirders.blogspot.com Thanks to the expert knowledge of Graham Howie and Wild London’s Daniel Whitelegg.

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Miralam and Suzy

LOCAL HEROES

HostNation

Photo © www.paultucker.co.uk

As an asylum seeker or refugee arriving in a city where you know no-one can be a daunting experience. HostNation is a charity that brings together Londoners and newcomers in local communities. Paul Lindt talks to the charity’s Founder Anneke Elwes and local befriender Suzy Solley. Photo of Suzy and her recent befriendee Miralam by Paul Tucker.

First HostNation Founder and Director Anneke Elwes on how the original idea came about and how it all works.

Hi Anneke, you had been a befriender yourself before setting up HostNation. What effect did it have on you? I’ve been working with refugees since

the 1980s when I first volunteered to help Vietnamese boat people in SE Asia. More recently I’ve been a volunteer member of staff at Freedom from Torture where I befriended a young unaccompanied asylum seeker.

I was introduced to Abu just short of his 18th birthday. He came to England as a child from Darfur in Sudan where armed

militias burned his village, shot him and killed his father. He travelled a long way – across the Sahara in a truck and the sea in a container and by clinging to the underside of a coach – to arrive in Bromley. He spoke no English when he first arrived and had to negotiate London life and Home Office paperwork.

With my sons (of similar age) we

were able to be Abu’s UK family.

He didn’t live with us but we met regularly, chatted, laughed, showed him the mummies in the British museum, went swimming in the Hampstead ponds, lent him a bike and introduced him to British culture.

He spent Christmas with us one year and won the annual egg and spoon race in our street.

My time with Abu was very rewarding but it made me realise how few asylum seekers or refugees have any British friends or offers of friendship and how most are very alone but also how there are many ordinary people, like me, who want to help and offer friendship, but don’t know how.

So the idea for HostNation came about. It was set up at the start of 2017 to provide a simple mechanism for bringing Londoners together with asylum seekers and refugees in local communities through small acts of kindness, hospitality and companionship.

Let’s talk about how it works at HostNation. How do you find the asylum seekers and refugees you match with Londoners? We call them befriendees and they are referred to us through established refugee charities.

They identify clients who would benefit from having a local London friend to meet, chat and explore the city with.

And Londoners who can be a friend to them (the befrienders)? They are people who have friendship to offer and can spare 3-4 hours at least once a fortnight over 3 months to get to know and share London experiences with a lonely refugee or asylum seeker. We have about 250 London befrienders signed up on our site – which shows plenty of Londoners share our mission – but we always need more in East London (especially men) as that’s where the need is greatest. To sign up simply register at hostnation.org.uk. (continues next page) theelist.co.uk 33

continues from previous page Why is having a friend so important to people recently arrived here. We’ve made over 100 matches since opening for referrals just under a year ago – and many firm friendships are emerging from these encounters. Each week more people are referred. These are individuals whose lives have been disrupted by civil war and forced migration. They’ve left family, good jobs and social networks behind and only meet lawyers, immigration officers, social workers, therapists or other migrants here. They rarely, if ever, meet British people informally or anyone who treats them as an equal or as a friend.

Seeking asylum is a laborious, de-humanising process. For many it has been a long time since they have been able to have some fun, relax or enjoy simple pleasures.

One of our befriendees recently said that having a befriender in her life – checking in on her, making plans, showing someone cared – made her feel human again.

What are your aspirations for the HostNation? We want to carry on making matches that have such a transformative effect and put the ‘human’ back into humanitarianism in London – such a great city - that we all share.

Suzy Solley has become a befriender for HostNation.

She lives in Leytonstone and works as a researcher for a charity.

Hi Suzy. How did you originally discover HostNation? I saw it on Twitter. My friend Annabelle does research on migration and is always retweeting brilliant initiatives like this.

Why did you decide to become a befriender? At work, we did a project about the use of green space and parks

amongst migrant, refugee and asylum seeker communities and through this, I learnt about the difficulties asylum seekers and refugees face. For example: only having £37.75 a week to live off; dealing with a hostile immigration system; not being able to work and having to wait years and years in limbo to see if their right to remain has been granted or not. I wanted to support asylum seekers and refugees in some way and I felt this was a small, easy and enjoyable thing I could do to help. I also love exploring London and having fun trips out.

How did you find the process of becoming a befriender with HostNation? The charity has a great system of vetting befrienders before being matched. You fill out a form online, giving information about yourself, why you want to befriend, and you’re asked to provide two references. Then there’s a short conversation with the team so they can understand your reasons for wanting to sign up and to see if they are aware of some of the difficulties you may encounter when befriending and how you might deal with them. These include disclosure of torture; PTSD; befriendees not having the disposable income to contribute to outings or sometimes even the phone credit to stay in touch whilst trying to meet. Once HostNation feel satisfied that the befriender understands some of these difficulties, (although there’s not always a straight forward solution), then the matching happens.

Befrienders and befriendees are matched based on where they live, their interests, hobbies and languages spoken. We are both asked if we would prefer to be matched with someone of the same gender or a similar age.

Tell us about meeting your first befriendee for the first time? I was introduced to Plamerdie by her ESOL teacher, who is also on the board of

34 To advertise your business contact ads@theelist.co.uk

Camden City of Sanctuary.

It was a cold October day in East Finchley and we went to a migrant centre drop-in to pick up some supplies and then went for tea and chat to get to know each other. Plamerdie was super friendly with a huge smile so it was really easy to talk to her.

What was her story? Plamerdie is from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where there’s currently a violent dictatorship.

Plamerdie, like many others, protested against this regime.

One day she was arrested at one of these protests, and even though her Uncle paid and organised for her release, she knew it wasn’t safe for her to stay. She had to flee the country that night, not even able to say goodbye to her children.

She travelled to Angola and obtained a fake passport there and flew to the UK. She has been now waiting for 3 years to hear if she has the right to remain. Her Uncle was later killed for aiding her release. She is terrified of what will happen to her if she goes back.

How often do you meet up now? Plamerdie is often busy with volunteering at the Salvation Army, attending choir, political meetings, going to ESOL classes and meeting her solicitor about her case, so we meet about every two weeks.

We have enjoyed a lot of fun trips together and my favourite ones have included going to see a pantomime, laughing at the naked pictures in the portrait gallery and making Congolese food together. We also recently enjoyed a delicious free dinner at the fabulous Mike’s Table (mikes-table.org).

Has she told you how she feels about having a friendly face in London? She hasn’t mentioned it directly but we are often laughing and joking, so I think, and I hope, she thinks it is fun.

You have now befriended a second person, tell us about Miralam. Miralam is a really

fun, polite and kind person. I recently discovered he has a natural talent for ping pong!

He is 19 and comes from Afghanistan. He travelled to the UK overland, spent a month in Calais on his own when he was only 16. Then he risked his life jumping and hiding in a lorry in the Eurotunnel to seek asylum in the UK. Miralam and his family have had such a horrific time at the hands of the Taliban.

His father was murdered and his sister and mother fled. He doesn’t know where they are (he thinks they are somewhere in Pakistan) and has no way of contacting them. He now lives with his Uncle and Aunt, but misses his family terribly.

It must be great to be part of his life and to be a friend.

What benefits do you think you have got from the experience? I think befrienders can get as much out of this as befriendees: I learn about different cultures and have fun and experience new things. I have the nice feeling that even if its only for a few hours I can hopefully take Plamerdie and Miralams’ mind off the stresses and trauma they experienced (and are still experiencing). Also I feel by doing this I can, in a very small way oppose the hostility our Government and the right wing press have shown towards asylum seekers and refugees.

Would you recommend it to other people? And if so why?

Absolutely! It’s a wonderful thing to do and great to be able to support someone in this way.

Finally how would you sum up the experience?

Uplifting and fun.

To sign up and be a friend to someone simply register at hostnation.org.uk

E~VOLVE a Directory for a Healthy Mind & Body dance Mondays from 10 Sept NeW Beginners: clare’s Dance class The CentrE17, 1 Church Hill E17 3AB Learn simple fun routines from movies and musicals. Led by MovE17 choreographer Clare Farrow. 7-8pm. £8 paid termly, drop-in £10.

Clare Farrow 07939 125014 facebook.com/ClaresDanceClass Tuesdays NeW 50s Jive for Beginners Sinbin at The Plough & Harrow, 419 High Road, Leytonstone E11 4JU A fun way to exercise, enjoy yourself and give you the confidence to get up and dance the next time you are out!

Drop-in any time, no partner needed.

7.45-10pm. £5, club FREE after 9pm. facebook.com/TheChickenShackRnR Wednesdays (term time only) NeW Women’s Morris Dancing for Beginners St Gabriel’s Family Centre (back hall), Havant Road, Walthamstow E17 3JF Blackhorse and Standard are a friendly women’s Morris side welcoming you to have a go at Morris dancing. We are also looking for enthusiastic traditional musicians (any gender) to play for us regularly. 8-10pm. £30 per term, first term FREE. Wendy 020 8527 2926 blackhorseandstandard.org.uk Wednesdays NeW DANceaBeAt Forest YMCA, 643 Forest Road E17 3EF A fusion of Afrobeat, Bashment, Soca and commercial. A dance cardio class for all, in a fun, vibrant and carnival atmosphere! Bringing the community together through dance music and fitness. 6.15-7.15pm. FREE, donations welcome.

Edgar Austrie 07864 907372 Thursdays NeW circle Dance St Michael and All Angels Church Hall, Northcote Road E17 6PQ Dancing in a circle to world music.

No partner needed and beginners welcome. 2-4pm. £4.

Jean Duggleby 020 8556 3508

Thursdays NeW Salsa classes & Salsa club Sinbin at The Plough & Harrow, 419 High Road, Leytonstone E11 4JU Salsa classes for every level of experience and Salsa Club. 8.3011.30pm. £6, club only £3.

Steevo 07504 852841

Fitness & Sport Sundays this Mum runs Walthamstow Meet in Lloyd Park, Forest Rd E17 4PP Free women’s group run! An award-winning community inspiring thousands of women to run together every week. Join us for a 30min run at the speed of chat. Your time. Your space. Your pace. 8-9am. FREE. thismumruns.co.uk or on Facebook Wednesdays this Mum runs leytonstone / Wanstead Meet on Wanstead Green, Wanstead E11 2NT As above but different day, time and venue. 7.30-8pm. FREE. Mondays Box & core Walthamstow School for Girls, Church Hill E17 9RZ Combining technique drills and core strengthening exercises to appeal to both the novice looking for fun and a release of tension and the amateur boxer wanting to improve their skills and stamina. Gloves provided but you’re welcome to bring your own. No need to book. 7-8pm. £7 or 10 for £60.

Chloe 07903 629636 thebodypeople.co.uk Thursdays Women-Only Boxercise class St Andrews Church, St Andrews Road E17 6AR Boxercise is a non-contact boxing class. Newbies will be taught the basics and still have fun. Please bring a mat and arrive ten minutes early to fill in a physical health questionnaire.

7.30-8.30pm. £8, students/OAP/ unemployed £4.

Jackie 07717 330993 wegrantfitnessandhealth.co.uk

Tuesdays Sazzercise: Dance Aerobics & Body conditioning Leyton Youth Centre, Crawley Road E10 6PY Energizing exercise classes in Leyton.

Aerobics, body conditioning and dance.

7-8pm. £8, 5 classes for £30.

Sarah Robertson 07710 834240 sazzercise.co.uk Thursdays hIIt e17 Gnome House, 7 Blackhorse Lane E17 6DS High Intensity Interval Training.

7.30-8.20pm. £8, discounts for block bookings. hiite17.co.uk

Saturdays Walthamstow Park run Peter May Sports Ground, Wadham Road, Walthamstow E17 4HR Wanstead Park run Wanstead Flats Playing Fields, Harrow Road E11 3QD Weekly 5km run at your own pace, with your time recorded for you, and with a friendly crowd of runners. Families and everyone welcome. 9am. FREE, but first-timers please register to get your barcode. parkrun.org.uk/wansteadflats parkrun.org.uk/walthamstow

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finding it

?

hard to cope

Career

Psychotherapy can help you overcome difficult situations and improve the quality of your life.

StuCk in a rut?

Contact Julie Greaves, Career Coach, for a free consultation.

Valeria Bonfiglio Psychologist MBPsS

Tel 07912 887588 www.valeriabonfiglio.co.uk Offering a sliding scale of fees English and Spanish

Yoga, Meditation & Tai Chi Wednesdays Yoga in South Chingford St Edmund’s Church, Larkswood Road E4 7EN Slow paced all levels asana practice with focus on breath, safe alignment and body awareness. Mats, blocks and straps are provided, but feel free to bring your own. 7.30-8.30pm. First class FREE then £7 or £20 for 3. kate@findtheom.com Saturdays NEW Vinyasa Flow Yoga with Sarah Kenway This Time Next Year, 80 Ruckholt Road E10 5FA Vinyasa Flow links poses with movement and places an emphasis on the breath. Expect a calm and gentle session with adaptations for those that are ready for a bit of a challenge. 1011am. £10. Book your mat by email. booking@thistimenextyear.co.uk thistimenextyear.co.uk Wednesdays Tai Chi for Health and Balance Leytonstone United Free Church, 55 Wallwood Road E11 1AY Learn Tai Chi in a fun, comfortable environment. Suitable for all, beginners and all fitness levels welcome. Please wear loose, comfortable clothing.

12.30-1.30pm. £8.

Gemma 07916 334670 facebook.com/mdaforestgateleytonstone Mondays Baby Massage and Yoga Quaker Meeting House Walthamstow, 1a Jewel Road E17 4QU Calling all yogimamas, yogipapas and yogibabies. Fun and frolics on the yogamats. Mums get a stretch, baby gets in the groove with yoga moves, then blissful relaxation with massage.

They sleep like logs afterwards. 12.451.30pm. £10.

07587 638154 thehealthworks.co.uk Tuesdays Tuesday Night Flow Yoga Orford House Social Club, 73 Orford Road E17 9QR As above except different venue and time. 7-8pm. £7.

07841 158540 info@carrot-coaching.co.uk

carrot-coaching.co.uk Wednesdays Pre-natal Pilates Quaker Meeting House, 1a Jewel Road E17 4QU Pilates is the ideal way to keep fit and strong through your pregnancy. This class supports postural changes and helps prepare you for birth, including relaxation and breathing techniques.

7-8pm. £12. Block booking or drop in available - booking essential.

Lily Dettmer 07941 862972 lilydpilates.com Wednesdays Beginner/Improver Pilates Quaker Meeting House, 1a Jewel Rd E17 4QU This class will guide you through the fundamentals of Pilates, helping you to build core strength, improve flexibility and move well. 8-9pm. £12. Block booking or drop in available - booking essential.

Lily Dettmer 07941 862972 lilydpilates.com Fridays Friday Night Yoga Class Gnome House, 7 Blackhorse Lane E17 6DS Postures are linked with continuous movement & rhythmic breathing, maintaining heat in the body warming muscles. We breathe better, oxygenate the body, calm the mind.

Ending with restorative postures, so you feel zen! 7-7.45pm. £7. yogaannie.org/schedule Fridays (term-time only) Dru Yoga Class Chingford Masonic Centre, Forest Approach E4 7AZ Mixed ability yoga class incorporating postures, sequences, breath work and meditation with deep relaxation. 9.3010.45am. £12, book 6 get 1 FREE. Moira 0208 529 4413 eyespyyoga.co.uk Tuesdays Low Cost Gentle Yoga Leyton Yoga, 691 High Road Leyton E10 6RA Our gentle, therapeutic classes encourage better breathing, better mental and physical health and deeper awareness, along with an evolving sense of stability, inner strength and calm. Open to everyone. Perfect for absolute beginners. 11am-12pm. £6. leytonyoga.com/schedule

36 To advertise your business contact ads@theelist.co.uk

Unexpected Contacts With Celebrities

by Peter Ebsworth At the height of the banana skin smoking hoax during the summer of love in 1967, with friends, I’d gone to see The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown stoke up ‘Fire’ at UFO on the Tottenham Court Road.

He, was in the audience with Pete Townshend; as they toyed with plates of crappy macrobiotic rice, I trod, quite hard, on John Lennon’s foot. Earlier I’d noticed how stocky he was; as I looked floor-wards and made full eye contact, immediately clocked his anger, put my hands up and mouthed sorry man.

He nodded acceptance and gave up on the rice.

*After an anti-Vietnam war demonstration in 1968 outside the American Embassy at Grosvenor Square, I ended up in Green Park and approached a small group of people on the grass by a tree; two of them chanted the Hare Krishna stuff, the tall one more than the other.

He then read his poems. I knew little of poetry and wasn’t impressed. Clearly they all had an arm’s length relationship with shampoo, soap and deodorant. The one who read his poems had especially greasy hair. In the next issue of International Times I recognised him as Allen Ginsberg.

*On a Saturday in April 1982 I had a seat in the front row of the stalls at the Queen’s in the West End. As I waited for curtain up on Another Country - with Kenneth Branagh, Rupert Everett and Colin Firth - I glanced behind to see if there was anyone I could meet in the interval, and suddenly realised I was looking directly at David Bowie, a few rows away, smart in a grey suit and white shirt but he didn’t stand out.

I instinctively smiled and gave him a small nod. He smiled, and as he simultaneously nodded and moved his head back, I saw him gently chuckle to himself as I turned around.

Peter Ebsworth is a member of the Forest Poets who meet regularly in Walthamstow. He co-edits South Bank Poetry magazine. A collection of his poems ‘ Krapp’s Last Tape -The Musical ‘ is published by flipped eye.

FroM SYrIA To JAPAN

EID’S OLYMPIC DREAM After fleeing Syria, Eid Aljazairli discovered a love of swimming, which he hopes will lead him to Tokyo 2020. Karen dunn found out how we can all help him achieve his olympic dreams.

Eid Aljazairli’s enthusiasm for life is infectious and when he starts talking about his dream to swim at the 2020 Tokyo olympics you can’t help but feel if anyone can get there, he can.

After fleeing his home in Syria, he arrived in the uK in 2016 and in January moved to the YMCA hostel in Walthamstow. His swimming ambitions came about by sheer fluke, after late night scrolling on YouTube led him to a video of uS olympic swimmer Michael Phelps. despite never having swum in a pool before, he took himself down to the Feel Good Centre to see if he could cut through the water with the same speed and skill. “I was watching Michael Phelps and he was really flying inside the water. He really inspired me,” explains Eid, 24.

“I couldn’t even swim three metres at first. I’d try and try and it just wouldn’t work. I was so angry, but at the same time I wanted to do it.”

Perseverance paid off and swimming teacher Trish Brennan can’t believe how far he’s come from their first meeting. “Eid came to the pool when I was teaching. He sounded so enthusiastic I said I’d give him a free lesson to see what he could do,” she explains.

“Since then he has been practicing so, so much. His work ethic is exemplary.”

While the olympics may seem like a far-fetched fantasy to some, thanks to his steely determination, unrelenting positivity and the help from teachers at the Feel Good Centre, Eid’s progress has been incredible. He has now been taken on by respected race coach dan Bullock of Swim for Tri. Eid has a quote from his hero Michael Phelps stuck to his wall. “You can’t put a limit on anything.

The more you dream the farther you get.”

But getting to the olympics doesn’t come cheap. As well as coaching, gym membership, competing and travel expenses, as an athlete, Eid needs to have a healthy diet, but as a refugee he only receives just £5 a day to live on.

Wanting to urge their friend on, a group of supporters including local resident debbie Bliss decided to create a crowdfunder to give Eid an extra push. “The crowdfunder will mean we can get coaches for him, have him assessed and he can do trials,” explains debbie.

“It would mean the world to him not to just be seen as a refugee.

He has been through a lot and he’s only 24, but the main thing is he’s just a lovely young man.”

To help Eid achieve his olympic dream gofundme.com/send-eid-to-the-olympics

theelist.co.uk 37

ART

BOOKS

CRAFTS

This month in town

Sept/Oct

Exhibitions & weekly events Arts, Crafts & Film Until 2 Sept Summer Photography Exhibition Winns Gallery, Lloyd Park E17 5JW Exhibition of over 100 photos by Walthamstow & District Photographic Society. 11am-5pm. FREE. wdps.org Until 2 Sept The In-Between: An Ode to Epping Forest Vestry House Museum, Vestry Road E17 9NH Artist Rachel Lillie’s exhibition revealing the history of Epping Forest and the hidden stories that have shaped its landscape. Weds-Sun 10am-5pm. FREE. vestryhousemuseum.org.uk/visit Until 30 Oct NEW Flight / Nisha Duggal Walthamstow Wetlands, entrance opposite Ferry Boat Inn, Ferry Lane N17 9NH Evolving from experimental sound and ceramics workshops with the Wetlands community, our first artist-in-residence Nisha Duggal presents Flight, a moving image installation on migration and the primal. 9.30am-5pm. FREE. walthamstowwetlands.com Until 4 Oct NEW Morris and Me The Mill, 7-11 Coppermill Lane E17 7HA An exhibition of mixed media celebrating the life of William Morris and the effect he has had on us. 10am2pm. FREE. 0208 521 3211 natasha@themille17.org 14 Sept-7 Oct NEW Stage by Tamara Dubnyckyj The Stone Space, 6 Church Lane, Leytonstone E11 1HG An exhibition of paintings inspired by performance spaces. Thurs by appt, Fri 2-6pm, Sat 12-5pm, Sun 12-4pm. FREE. stonespace.enquiries@gmail.com stonespace.gallery Until 23 September Weaving New Worlds William Morris Gallery, Forest Road E17 4PP 15 women artists from the UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand and Japan use traditional techniques to weave tapestries telling the stories of our time: the possibilities, the hopes and lost chances. Weds-Sun 10am-5pm. FREE. wmgallery.org.uk

Until 16 Sept Walthamstow Village Window Gallery’s Summer Show 47 Orford Road E17 9NJ An eye-wateringly eclectic and contentious selection of top quality art, photography, prints and 3D from dozens of talented artists. Something for everyone. Street-facing gallery, 7 days a week, visible daylight hours, lit until midnight. FREE. wvwg.co.uk Until 23 September Tatsuo Miyajima William Morris Gallery, Forest Road E17 4PP Tatsuo Miyajima is one of Japan’s foremost contemporary artists. For his latest work, he has collaborated with William Morris, using his iconic Bird fabric from 1878 to create a new work in the series. Weds-Sun 10am-5pm. FREE. wmgallery.org.uk 11 Oct-4 Nov NEW Nobody Really Cares if You Don’t Go to the Office Party

by Poppy Whatmore The Stone Space, 6 Church Lane, Leytonstone E11 1HG An installation which takes a new look at the archetypal organised space of the office by subverting and deconstructing the conventional use of selected bureaucratic items. Thurs by appt, Fri 2-6pm, Sat 12-5pm, Sun 12-4pm. FREE. stonespace.enquiries@gmail.com stonespace.gallery

Music, Theatre & Singing Saturdays NEW UkulelE17 Jam The Bell, 617 Forest Road/Chingford Road E17 4NE Walthamstow’s free ukulele jam night.

All abilities welcome. Check UkulelE17 on Facebook or Twitter for details of where to download songbooks.

8-11pm. FREE. facebook.com/ukulele17 belle17.com Mondays NEW Traditional Irish Music Session The Plough & Harrow, 419 High Road, Leytonstone E11 4JU Debbie Fink & Friends perform Irish ballads, popular standards and tunes with voices, flute, whistle, banjo, mandolin, piano-accordion and bodrhan. All performers and spectators welcome! 6.30-10pm. FREE.

Events marked

DANCE/FITNESS Mondays 10 Sept-15 Oct NEW West African Drumming Circle Gnome House, 7 Blackhorse Lane E17 6DS A friendly group that meets weekly to learn new djembe drum rhythms and jam together. Led by Gambian drummer Seneke Sillah with support from Nadia Al Faghih Hassan. Drop in session - all levels welcome. 7.30-9pm. £5, drum hire £3. mbillaarts.co.uk/weekly-class-timetable Thursdays from 6 Sept The Singing Room St Gabriel’s Family Centre, Side Hall, Havant Road E17 3JF Develop and learn a capella (unaccompanied) singing and singing by ear. Lively, fun supportive workshops. Opportunities to sing and perform in the choir. First session free!

7.30-9.15pm. £10, or 10 for £80.

Anna Williams 07931 372996 thesingingroom.org Wednesdays from 26 Sept Sing17 Day Choir St Gabriel’s Family Centre, Side Hall, Havant Road E17 3JF Raise your voice and lift your spirits!

Join Sing17 day choir. Make new friends, have some fun. Boost your morale. Sing away your stress. All comers and all abilities welcome.

You’ll leave a happier person. 2-3pm. £5, FREE and concessions available.

Laura 07813 686980 sing17.com Mondays (term time only) Waltham Forest Community Choir St Mary’s Church, Church End Walthamstow E17 9RJ We are a friendly choir with a wideranging repertoire. Open to adults living or working in Waltham Forest.

Join us as we welcome our new Musical Director Jamie Naylor. No audition required. 7.30-9.30pm. First session FREE; but termly subscription. singwithus.net Tuesdays from 4 Sept The CommUnity Gospel Choir Wesleyan Christian Centre, 1 Harrow Green, Leytonstone E11 3HP The Choir’s new term starts Tuesday 4 September. All welcome to join, no experience needed, just come along and sing great gospel music. 7.159pm. £5, £3 conc, first session FREE. Beverly Collins 07984 398271 Facebook: TheCommUnityGospelChoir Fortnightly on Mondays from 17 Sept HarmonyE4 Winchester Road Methodist Church, Winchester Road, Highams Park E4 9JP A community choir for Highams Park.

Open to singers of all ages, genders and abilities. No auditions, just come and sing! First session free. 7.459.30pm. £5, first session FREE. highamsparkchoir@gmail.com

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FILM

Outdoors Wednesdays Chingford Conservation Volunteers’ Green Gym Ridgeway Park, The Ridgeway, Old Church Road Chingford E4 6XU Get physically active and meet new people through conservation of the natural environment, creating new habitats, planting new trees and plants and looking after the local green spaces.

All tools and refreshments provided.

10am-1pm. FREE. Gareth 07731 450839 tcv.org.uk

Games & Social Wednesdays Lloyd Park Sharing Heritage Lloyd Park, Community Bowls Pavilion, Forest Road E17 4PP A friendly daytime group for the over 50s meeting weekly to explore the nature and cultural heritage of Lloyd Park. Currently working on a ‘Listening Project, Memories of Lloyd Park’.

10am-12pm. FREE. Vicky Peet 07870 678571 v.peet@tcv.org.uk Tuesdays until 25 Sept Games Night Brü Coffee & Gelato, 223 Hoe Street E17 9PP Bringing the fun back with retro board games. Play with friends or other customers while enjoying our delicious offerings. 7-10pm. FREE, with 20% off food and drink for players. brucoffee.co.uk

Food, Markets & Shopping Saturdays E17 Village Market Community Hub, 18A Orford Road E17 9LN Saturday market run by locals to provide a fab and friendly place for the community (but all welcome!) for street food, food for home, and coffee.

Regular and guest stalls. New stalls welcome. 10.30am-3.30pm. FREE. Kostas 07984 964198 e17villagemarket.co.uk Saturdays Leyton Jubilee Park Outdoor Market KukooLaLa, 3 Marsh Lane, Leyton E10 7BL Weekly Saturday market selling brica-brac, pre-loved clothes, handmade items, crafts, artisan goods. Free entry to the public and first table hire free to vendors. 10am-2pm. FREE. Nina 07714 762753 kukoolala.com/market

kid friendly

38 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

OUTDOORS

HISTORY

MUSIC

SHOPPING

BLITHE SPIRIT

Thursdays Spanish for Kids The Mill, 7-11 Coppermill Lane E17 7HA As above, except different day.

10 Thursdays from 20 Sept NEW Storymakers 8-11yrs/Youth Theatre 11-15yrs Gnome House, 7 Blackhorse Lane E17 6DS Play drama games, create characters and make your very own show from scratch in just 10 weeks. Then perform with costumes, props and music!

4-5.30pm & 5.30-7pm. £85 or £70 conc per term. Try your first class for £5.

Sarah at Grow Your Own Theatre 07740 343240 sarah@gyot.org.uk bookwhen.com/growyourowntheatre Events marked

AT THE DOOR £10.00

18a Orford road, Walthamstow, E17 9LN

Adults : £8.00 Cons : £6.00 Contact : 07391595792 07885099468

www.starlighterstheatre.wix.com/home

Wednesdays French for Kids The Mill, 7-11 Coppermill Lane E17 7HA We offer children the opportunity to enjoy a fun and positive approach to language learning through our award winning programmes. Classes are based on stories, role plays, games, crafts and songs. 4-5pm. £5.50, taster class FREE. Arno Meyong 07846 018215 lajolieronde.co.uk

7:30PM

Tickets

starlighterstheatrecompany@gmail.com

Saturdays 15 Sept-13 Oct Girls’ Club Gnome House, 7 Blackhorse Lane E17 6DS Drop in club for girls age 8+ with activities, art, games, trips, snacks, cooking, chat and chillout. 11am-1pm.

FREE, but donations welcome.

Chantelle Michaux 07535 326157 wfaen.org.uk

27/28TH OCT 2018

VENUE

W.F Community Hub

Weekly Classes for Children & Young People

COMEDY/THEATRE

missing a poem by Barry Coidan

Wednesdays NEW Tots’ Creative Dance CentrE17, 1 Church Hill E17 3AB Movement classes that are designed to build confidence, communication and social skills and at this stage in their development children are encouraged to explore their own independent learning in a fun and stimulating environment. 2-2.45pm. £7. vestryschoolofofdance.co.uk

reading what was on the page i didn’t sense disappointment. should i have done?

Thursdays 13 Sept-11 Oct NEW Kids’ Art Cub The Mill, 7-11 Coppermill Lane E17 7HA New term of 5 fun sessions with David, Jane and Mo. Themes will include forest, trees and animals - explored through print work and other media.

Can be messy! For ages 6+, under 8s must be accompanied. 4-5pm. £2.

Places limited, please book ahead. themill-coppermill.org

two missing volumes one I gave you the other you handed me tokens of unquenchable love

there in your neat script was a simple list of the books we shared argued and cried over. i read no other meaning - now as the light gives out your hurt flames

Barry’s a member of the Poetry Society and Forest Poets. He lived in Walthamstow’s “Poets’ Corner” for 21 years unsuccessfully trying to write two or three novels.

kid friendly

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ART

Weekly Classes for Children & Young People continued Mondays NEW Mini Musicians for Children aged 4-6 Waltham Forest Music Service, 12 Church Hill E17 3AG Children will experience and enjoy music as listeners, creators and performers, whilst laying the foundation for future instrumental and vocal training. 4-4.45pm. £59.50 for 10 week course, £30.50 for low income families.

020 8496 1584 walthamforest.gov.uk/music-service Tuesdays NEW Mini Musicians for Babies & Children Community Hub, 18A Orford Road E17 9LN Music making classes taught by Early Years Music specialists and include singing, dancing and playing with an exciting range of instruments. 10.1511am. £67.50 for 10 week course.

020 8496 1584 walthamforest.gov.uk/music-service Tuesdays & Thursdays Magic Box: Interactive Storytelling Sessions for 2-ish to 5-year Olds Mothers’ Hub, 133 Wood Street E17 3LX What’s inside the Magic Box today?

Join a host of different characters on an exciting and interactive storytelling adventure. Coffee and cake included.

10-11am. £5 per child, or £8 for two. magicboxstories.com Tues, Weds & Thurs Bongalong Music Movement & Make Believe St Gabriel’s Church Family Centre, Havant Road E17 3JF Fun, creative music sessions for children under 5 and their carers with singing, dancing, let’s pretend and instruments. Book 1, 2 or all 3 sessions.

10-10.45am, repeated 11-11.45am. £6.50. Tickets via Ticketlab. bongalong.co.uk Thursdays Bongalong for Under 1s St Gabriel’s Church Family Centre, Havant Road E17 3JF As above except 1.30-2.15pm, repeated 2.30-3.15pm.

Weekly Classes for Adults Tuesdays from 18 Sept NEW WEA Class: Plays by Ben Jonson Greenleaf Centre, 67-69 Greenleaf Road E17 6QP 11 week course studying three plays

by Ben Jonson and theatre techniques with tutor Thomas Crowe. 10am-12pm. £8.60 (complete course £94.60) or FREE if on income-related benefits. london.wea.org.uk

BOOKS

CRAFTS

Tuesdays from 18 Sept NEW WEA Evening Class: Archaeology Shern Hall Methodist Church Hall, Shernhall Street E17 9HX Archaeology course exploring prehistoric civilisations and cultures.

Tutor Jill Jummerstone. 7.30-9.30pm. £8.60 (complete course £94.60) or FREE if on income-related benefits. london.wea.org.uk.

Tuesdays from 23 October NEW Beginner’s Bridge Tuition 22 Horsley Road, Chingford E4 7HX New beginner’s course. Learn and improve your play with this interesting, rewarding and challenging card game.

Learn in a comfortable house with easy parking. 7.30-9.30pm. £10, with first 5 lessons only £25 if paid in advance.

Ray Green 020 8281 8376 eastlondonbridge.co.uk Fortnightly on Sundays from 2 Sept Get Drawing! The Mill, 7-11 Coppermill Lane E17 7HA An opportunity to work on still-life.

A relaxing, fortnightly two hours of drawing for adults - sorry no children.

All abilities welcome, some tuition available or do your own thing. Basic materials provided. 11am-1pm. £4. themille17.org Mondays Untutored Life Drawing Session Sinbin at The Plough & Harrow, 419 High Road, Leytonstone E11 4JU Inspirational, relaxed and friendly class.

5 to 55min poses with professional models. Spacious venue with easels and art materials provided including paper, charcoal, pencils, rubbers FREE of charge. Plus music, biscuits and drinks.

Drop-in anytime, no pre-booking. 7.309.30pm. £10, £5 members.

Six Mondays 15 Oct-19 Nov NEW Songwriting Workshops Quaker Meeting House, 1a Jewel Rd E17 4QU Everyone has songs inside them! Come and let yours out in our supportive and friendly sessions. Experienced songwriter/tutor Neil Bob Herd (The Coal Porters) leads this six-session course. All welcome, any level of (in) experience! Special E List rate £15. songs@cattlecallmusic.com neilbobherd.com Tuesdays & Thursdays Strung Out: Violin Group for Adults Quaker Meeting House, 1a Jewel Road E17 4QU A fun violin group for adult enthusiasts of all levels. All styles of music welcomed from classical to traditional. £13, conc available.

Alison Jones 07740 622 428 shapeshifter-productions.com

Events marked

kid friendly

DANCE/FITNESS Wednesdays Ukulele Classes Quaker Meeting House, 1a Jewel Rd E17 4QU A ukulele class of mixed ability focussing on ensemble playing with varying parts to suit your experience with the hope for some small performances. Fully accessible building.

7.30-8.30pm. £12.50 per class, paid termly in advance. banjosmith.co.uk Wednesdays 5-String Banjo Classes Quaker Meeting House, 1a Jewel Rd E17 4QU Banjo classes for different levels, including complete beginners. Check website for times. Sorry, banjos not supplied! Fully accessible building. £15 per class, paid termly in advance. banjosmith.co.uk Tuesdays Patchwork & Quilting class in Leytonstone WFDRC Centre, 90 Crownfield Rd (use entrance in Amethyst Road) E15 2BG Our friendly tutored needlecraft sessions welcome people aged 60+, disabled people and people with health conditions such as diabetes, asthma, heart conditions. For beginners, improvers or more advanced. 11am-1pm. £5.

Reception 020 8534 1589 p.stanley@wfdrc.org.uk

Calendar of events Saturday 1 September Saturday Stitching Club WFDRC Centre, 90 Crownfield Rd (use entrance in Amethyst Road) E15 2BG Our friendly club meets on the first Saturday each month and welcomes beginners, disabled and experienced sewers. Just come along. Tea and biscuits provided. 11am-3pm. £6.

Peri 020 8534 1589 Cheney Row Bat Night Cheney Row Open Space, Cheney Row, Higham Hill E17 5ED We’ll make bat boxes to be hung in Cheney Row and have bat inspired crafts and games on offer. Followed by a walk in the dark using bat detectors to locate and identify bats. No booking required. 6-10pm. FREE. Walthamstow Village Food and Drink Fest Walthamstow Village, Orford Road E17 9NJ A wonderful community day with food from local businesses, music and other activities. 12-5pm. FREE. villagefestival.wordpress.com Mixtape The Chequers, 145 High Street/Storey Road E17 7BX Monthly session of 70s and 80s yacht rock, quiet storm, power pop, FM rock and power ballads on original vinyl from DJs the Power Couple. 8pmmidnight. FREE. londonrockcity@hotmail.com

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FILM

East Lonesome Drifters: Live Bar-room Honky-Tonk & Country The Plough & Harrow, 419 High Road, Leytonstone E11 4JU East London’s purveyors of classic honkytonk bar-room classics. Expect two long sets of classic country dance numbers and an equal portion of tearin-your-beer weepers, complete with pedal steel, telecasters and three part harmonies. 8-11pm. FREE. eastlonesomedrifters.com Kissinger Effect The Coppermill Pub, 205 Coppermill Lane E17 7HF Punk pop with a dash of refreshing thrash and a political axe to grind.

Entertaining stuff. 8.30-11pm. FREE. coppermillpub.wordpress.com Rob Corcoran & The Necessary Evils What’s Cookin’, Leytonstone Ex-servicemen’s Club, 2 Harvey Road E11 3DB Celtic folk and soul from Dublin’s highly-acclaimed Rob Corcoran.

Heartbreak juxtaposed with mystical musical solace. 8.30-11pm. FREE with collection. whatscookin.co.uk

Sunday 2 September Cheese Street E17 Walthamstow Town Square, High Street E17 Love cheese? Then this is for you.

Cheese makers, hot cheese-based streetfood, beer, our cheese angels, butter making, competitions and cheese tasting tours at 10am and 11.15am. Come early to avoid queues, and shop at the farmers market too!

10am-3pm. FREE. info@lfm.org.uk facebook.com/CheeseStreetE17 Leytonstone Market at StreetFest Church Lane E11, Church Lane E11 1HG Over 30 stalls of locally produced designer goods, art, crafts and food, part of Leytonstone Streetfest with free live music, touring art show and workshops. 12-6pm. FREE. leytonandstonedesigners.co.uk

Wednesday 5 Sept Under 5s, Lloyd Park Nature Explorers: Wonderful Worms Aveling Centre, Lloyd Park, Forest Road E17 4PP We’ll begin inside with a simple craft related to our monthly theme with books and toys available followed by a ramble in the park before going back inside for stories and a healthy snack.

10am-12pm. FREE, but donations welcome.

Eran’s Open Mic Ye Olde Rose & Crown Theatre Pub, 53 Hoe Street E17 4SA Monthly open mic night. Pop your name down and embrace the crowd. Or just come and listen. 8-11pm. FREE.

40 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

OUTDOORS

La Leche League Waltham Forest: Coffee Morning Lloyd Park Children’s Centre, Lloyd Park (Winns Avenue entrance) E17 5JW Monthly, relaxed coffee morning-style breastfeeding meeting for mothers and babies offering support for individuals with or without current breastfeeding challenges. 10am-12pm. FREE but £1 donation welcome. lllwf.elizabeth@gmail.com Anny Celsi & Nelson Bragg (USA) / Duncan Maitland / Tony Poole What’s Cookin’, Leytonstone Exservicemen’s Club, 2 Harvey Road E11 3DB Beatnik cool, rainy day sunshine pop with Brill Building hooks, Byrds-esque harmonies and Beatles-esque psychedelia. 8.30-11pm. FREE with collection. whatscookin.co.uk

Thursday 6 September St Mary’s Music Hall presents Kasai Masai St Mary’s Music Hall, Church Hill, Walthamstow E17 9RL Congo’s Kasai Masai bring us their vibrant soukous and rumba sounds.

Galloping rhythms, strong melodies and passionate beats combine to create an infectious form of music guaranteed to get you dancing! 6.30-10.30pm. £9-£12. stmarysmusichall.co.uk Mars By 1980: The Story of Electronic Music The Victoria, 186 Hoe Street E17 4QHL Journalist and author David Stubb discusses his latest book, a personal history of electronic music with former Cabaret Voltaire pioneer. 7pm. £7.

Friday 7 September Walthamstow Gay Meetup Contact for this month’s venue On the first Friday of the month. 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. Email jf@gpn.one On Facebook as GayWalthamstow Sgt Pepper’s Open Mic at Wildcard Brewery Wild Card Brewery, Unit 7, Ravenswood Industrial Estate, Shernhall Street E17 9HQ Monthly entertainment from local talent, or a performance opportunity, hosted by Jon Scott-Durrant and friends.

Acoustic performers, musicians, poets, comedians, dancers - all welcome.

8-11.30pm. FREE. personalbest11@googlemail.com wildcardbrewery.co.uk

Events marked

HISTORY

Hanoi Ca Phe Mother’s Ruin Gin Palace, Unit 18 Ravenswood Industrial Estate, Shernhall Street E17 9HQ The wonderful Hanoi Ca Phe are back serving up their fresh and spicy homecooked Vietnamese gorgeousness with refreshing cocktails to match. Veggie options and takeaway available.

Repeated Sat 8 Sept. 6.30-9pm. mothersruin.net Last Frame Club: Land of the Free (UK Premiere) The CentrE17, 1 Church Hill E17 3AB Land of the Free follows three exconvicts and their loved ones, in the two years after their release from prison, as they strive to find a new place in society. 7.15-10pm. £7, £5 in advance for Waltham Forest residents, £4 conc. lastframeclub.com Red Imp presents: Sara Pascoe Tour Warm Up Ye Olde Rose & Crown Theatre Pub, 53 Hoe Street E17 4SA Sorry, SOLD OUT. Join the Red Imp mailing list via the website to be amongst the first to hear about upcoming gigs. 7.30-9.30pm. £14. redimpcomedy.com You Should Be (Ba De Ya) Dancing! Walthamstow Trades Hall, 61-63 Tower Hamlets Road E17 4RQ dolores rocket presents a club night for people who cut their dancing teeth in the 70s and 80s. Younger friends welcome! Expect soul, synthpop, ska, funk and disco from the era. There’s bingo too! 8pm-midnight. £5 in advance, £7 on the door. doloresrocket.com/ysbd.html Horsemeat Sandwich Sinbin at The Plough & Harrow, 419 High Road, Leytonstone E11 4JU Horsemeat Sandwich is BACK after a summer break with The Violent Lights, Black Orkhid, Green Dolphin and Mark Hex. Think alt-indie-stoner-rock-popnewwave-nowave-postpunk-punk.

8-11pm. FREE. facebook.com/SinbinE11

Saturday 8 September Stow Film Lounge & Friends of Stoneydown Park present BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985, Cert PG) Stoneydown Park, Pretoria Avenue, E17 6JY (Outdoor screening) Marty McFly, a typical American teenager of the Eighties, is accidentally sent back to 1955 in a plutoniumpowered DeLorean ‘time machine’ invented by a slightly mad scientist.

During his often hysterical, always amazing trip back in time, Marty must make certain his teenage parents-to-be meet and fall in love - so he can get back to the future. Gates 7.30pm, film FREE, just turn up. Bring blankets and warm clothing. Refreshments available. stowfilmlounge.com

MUSIC

SHOPPING

Family Storytime Harrow Green Community Library,The Epicentre, 41 West Street, Leytonstone E11 4LJ Talking Fish, Hedgehog Boys and Other Such Wonders. Stories, songs and rhymes with Sarah Deco. For children from 3 to 103. Healthy refreshments in the interval. 2-3.30pm. FREE. milenedziuk@outlook.com Hanoi Ca Phe Mother’s Ruin Gin Palace, Unit 18 Ravenswood Industrial Estate, Shernhall Street E17 9HQ As Friday 7 Sept. 6.30-9pm. mothersruin.net I Ain’t F***ing Doing That: Working With People Noone Wants to Work With The Epicentre, 41 West Street, Leytonstone E11 4LJ News From Nowhere Talk: The personable director of Safe Ground charity describes their award-winning work with prisoners using arts. Includes a buffet, please bring veggie item if you can. 7.30-10.30pm. FREE. newsfromnowhereweb.wordpress.com Sonic Rebellion Sinbin at The Plough & Harrow, 419 High Road, Leytonstone E11 4JU Metal Warriors present a night of top metal acts; live and DJs play hard rock and heavymetal air-guitar anthems.

FREE. facebook.com/sonicrebellionsinbin Sandmoon: A WMAG Fundraiser The Hornbeam Cafe, 458 Hoe Street E17 9AH Award-winning Lebanese Indie poprock formation. A rare chance to catch them in the UK. 50% of the takings support the work of Walthamstow Migrants’ Action Group. Supported by Tom Lynch. 8-10pm. £7, £6 in adv. ticketlab.co.uk/event/id/1793 The Spangles Gang The Coppermill Pub, 205 Coppermill Lane E17 7HF Excellent country/bluegrass from The Spangles Gang with support. 8.3011pm. FREE. coppermillpub.wordpress.com

Sunday 9 September Afternoon Chicken Shack Record Hop: In Support of Local Food Bank Sinbin at The Plough & Harrow, 419 High Road, Leytonstone E11 4JU Every couple of months we’ll be hosting an afternoon record hop to raise money for local charities. 2-8pm.

FREE, but donations to local food bank. facebook.com/SinbinE11

COMEDY/THEATRE

Rory McLeod at Walthamstow Folk Ye Olde Rose & Crown, 53 Hoe Street E17 4SA Rory Mcleod - ex-circus clown and fire eater. A one man soulband, poet and storyteller, singing his own unique upbeat dance stories. A modern travelling troubadour! 7.30-10.30pm. £10, unwaged £8. walthamstowfolk.co.uk

Monday 10 September Afternoon Tea Dance Walthamstow Trades Hall, 61-63 Tower Hamlets Road E17 4RQ Get your dancing shoes on for an afternoon of classic Tea Dances.

1.30-4pm. £4.

Jacqueline Lawrence 07932 681699 facebook.com/walthamstowtradeshall

Tuesday 11 September Storytelling Club Orford House Social Club, 73 Orford Road E17 9QR Come and listen to stories told orally, folk tales, myths, legends, personal, anecdotal, sung as ballads etc. New tellers always welcome at this monthly club. 7.30-9.30pm. £5, £4 conc. mike21forbes@gmail.com

Wednesday 12 Sept La Leche League Waltham Forest: Beyond Babyhood Walthamstow Children and Family Centre, 313 Billet Road E17 5PX Details as 5 Sept except different venue The Embers / The Portland Brothers What’s Cookin’, Leytonstone Exservicemen’s Club, 2 Harvey Road E11 3DB Tending towards Americana and bluegrass, with some traditional and modern British folk influences too.

Playing a mix of interpretations of traditional tunes and their own original compositions. 8.30-11pm. FREE with collection. whatscookin.co.uk

Thursday 13 September Creative Kids: Rhythm, Melody & Rhyme William Morris Gallery, Forest Road E17 4PP In partnership with the Waltham Forest Music Hub service, come and try different instruments and sing along. Two sessions: 10-11.30am and 1-2.30pm. FREE 020 8496 4390 wmgallery.org.uk Shirley Manson in Conversation Mirth, Marvel and Maud, 186 Hoe Street E17 4QH Walthamstow Rock‘n’Roll Book Club present the multi-million album-selling lead singer of Garbage in discussion with NME’s Andrew Trendell. 7-11pm. £11. mirthmarvelandmaud.com

kid friendly

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ART

BOOKS

Thursday 13 September continued General Echo / The Horrors DJ set The Victoria, 186 Hoe Street E17 4QH Monthly dub reggae night, this month with a guest DJ set from Rhys Webb of The Horrors. 8pm-midnight. £6.

Search eventbrite.co.uk for tickets Red Imp presents Barry Cryer & Ronnie Golden Ye Olde Rose & Crown Theatre Pub, 53 Hoe Street E17 4SA Our plucky pension-grabbers take you on a hilarious journey to comedy’s distant past. Barry curates his earliest parrot jokes from the Jurassic period while Ronnie discusses the origin of igneous rock (and metamorphic roll).

8.30-10.30pm. £15. redimpcomedy.com

Saturday 15 September Inspiration Sales St Andrew’s Church, 153 Colworth Road, Leytonstone E11 1JD Stalls of bric-a-brac, gardening and a Fair Trade Stall. 10am-2pm. Have stuff to sell? Table hire just £6.

Val Vivier 020 8558 3976 standrewsleytonstone.org World War One Day Vestry House Museum, Vestry Road E17 9NH WFA East London presents: Living History Soldiers, Leyton Orient Marching Band, illustrated talks, wreath making, local history groups, school displays, book stalls, Home Front Kitchen, trace your WWI family and more. Also in St Mary’s Church. 11am-5pm. FREE. Autumn Bounty Herb Walk Meet Walthamstow Marshes (behind Lee Valley Ice Rink) E10 7QL Guided medicinal plant walk with community herbalist Rasheeqa, exploring the marshes for their seasonal diversity of berries and seeds and their health-supporting uses. All proceeds to Herbalists without Borders London.

11am-1pm. Suggested donation £10. rasheeqa@hedgeherbs.org.uk Stow Film Lounge presents PADDINGTON 2 (2017, Cert PG) Grounds of Christ Church, Wanstead Place, London E11 2SW (Outdoor screening) In the grounds of Christ Church this year’s treat is Paddington 2, starring Hugh Grant and Ben Whishaw, described by Mark Kermode as “a thing of joy”. A great family night out, with food and drink (and marmalade sandwiches) available. Gates 6.30pm.

Tickets £7.50, £3 kids (under 16s must be accompanied by an adult). Bring blankets and warm clothing. stowfilmlounge.com

Events marked

kid friendly

CRAFTS

Mozart’s Requiem St John’s Church Hall, High Road Leytonstone E11 1HH The last masterpiece by the world’s greatest composer performed by the London Gala Orchestra and Leytonstone Chorale conducted by Stephen Ellery.

7.30pm. £8 in advance, £10. stephenelleryconductor.co.uk Battle of the Ancre: Advance of the Tanks St Mary’s Church Walthamstow, Church End (top of Church Hill) E17 9RL Western Front East London’s WW1 Day continues with a rare screening of the 1917 classic with live accompaniment by Waltham Forest Youth Orchestra. Introduced by Laura Rossi, composer of the soundtrack and Toby Haggith of the Imperial War Museum. 7.30-9.30pm. £10 or £5 restricted view, plus booking fee. eve@astraeducation.com facebook.com/WFAEastLondon

Sunday 16 September Summer Sundays at The Magistrates The Magistrates, 1 Farnan Avenue E17 4NG A community celebration at Perky Blenders’ new cafe in the former magistrates court. Expect street food, performances, live music, kids activities and games. 12-5pm. FREE. perkyblenders.com/magistrates Jumble Trail: St James Street Big Local St James Street area (map of exact locations will be made available) E17 7HA Residents will be selling a variety of items including clothes, toys, furniture, crafts and food. 10am-4pm. FREE. stjamesbiglocal.co.uk She17 presents #Shefest 5 Wild Card Brewery, Unit 7, Ravenswood Industrial Estate, Shernhall Street E17 9HQ An all day celebration of 5 years of She17. Live women’s music featuring 15 great local acts, all in aid of Walthamstow Migrants’ Action. 128pm. FREE. she17.com Jez Lowe at Walthamstow Folk Ye Olde Rose & Crown, 53 Hoe Street E17 4SA A double nomination in the 2015 BBC Folk Awards - for best singer and best new song - was a timely reminder of Jez Lowe’s standing in the UK folk and acoustic music scene. 7.30-10.30pm. £8, unwaged £6. walthamstowfolk.co.uk Samaritans of Waltham Forest Jumble Sale Orford House Social Club, 73 Orford Road E17 9QZ A plethora of bargains, bric-a-brac and other desirable items. Refreshments served. All profits to help fund the local branch of the Samaritans. 2.304pm. 50p entry.

DANCE/FITNESS Stow Film Lounge presents THE HAPPY PRINCE (2018, Cert 15) Mirth, Marvel & Maud,186 Hoe Street, Walthamstow E17 4QH Directed by and starring Rupert Everett, this poignant dramatisation of Oscar Wilde’s final years in exile is a powerful parable of passion and redemption.

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian, 4*/5*.

Doors 2.15pm, film 2.30pm, close 4.45pm. Tickets £8.32, £6.16 children/ conc online or on the door £7/£5 conc. stowfilmlounge.com Evening Tea Dance Walthamstow Trades Hall, 61-63 Tower Hamlets Road E17 4RQ With Barry’s Magical Sounds get your glad rags on for an evening of classic dances and socialising. 8-10.30pm. £4.

Jacqueline Lawrence 07932 681699 facebook.com/walthamstowtradeshall

Weds 19 September La Leche League Waltham Forest: Coffee Morning Lloyd Park Children’s Centre, Lloyd Park (Winns Avenue entrance) E17 5JW Details as Weds 5 Sept Competitive Buildings, the Anglican Church St John’s Church, Chingford Road/Brookscroft Road E17 4LH A talk given by Neil Houghton of the Leyton and Leytonstone Historical Society. Doors 7.15pm for tea or coffee.

7.45-9.45pm. £2, FREE to members. leytonhistorysociety.org Leytonstone Branch of the Royal British Legion Leytonstone Fire Station, 466 High Road E11 3HN Everyone’s welcome to join us, the UK’s leading Armed Forces charity, on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. Our aim is to keep Remembrance alive, and to help and support those who have served and their families. 8-9.30pm. FREE. branches.britishlegion.org.uk/ branches/leytonstone John Craigie (USA) / George St Clair What’s Cookin’, Leytonstone Ex-servicemen’s Club, 2 Harvey Road E11 3DB Renowned for his eloquent Americana style, engaging live shows, and off-thecuff clever observations, Californian John Craigie carries on the legacy of classic singer-songwriters. 8.30-11pm.

FREE with collection. whatscookin.co.uk

Thursday 20 September The Poozies St Mary’s Music Hall, Church Hill/Church End E17 9RL The legendary all-female Gaelic band have been mainstays of the folk scene for over 20 years, winning fans with their eclectic choice of material, unusual and exciting arrangements, and heart-tugging vocal harmonies. 6.3010.30pm. £8-£12. stmarysmusichall.co.uk

FAMILY

FILM

Calling all Artists & Community Groups! WF Community Hub, 18a Orford Road E17 9LN We intend to open our space for creative projects and are holding an Ideas Space Workshop for ideas/ projects that can be delivered as part of the Borough of Culture 2019. Please come and contribute. 2-5pm. FREE. Sandra Jerome 020 8223 0707 wfchub.org The Cook’s Social, Cookbook Club Pantry & Co, 7 Winchester Rd E4 9LH A fun and inclusive monthly cookbook club for enthusiastic foodies. Every month, a cuisine, chef or foodie occasion is chosen as the theme and members cook-up a delicious dish to share communally with the group.

Glass of fizz and nibbles included.

8-10pm. £10, first meeting FREE. Peichin 020 8013 0535 pantryandcolondon@gmail.com pantryand.co.uk

Friday 21 September Big Coffee Morning in aid of MacMillan Nurses Gnome House, 7 Blackhorse Lane E17 6DS Join us for the big coffee morning, don’t be shy, come and help us to raise much need funds for this wonderful organisation. 10am-1pm. FREE with donations.

Martin Adams 07984 654350 martin.adams@stolen-image.com Stow Film Lounge presents SING (2016, Cert U) Rear garden of the Friary, St. Thomas of Canterbury Church, Woodford Green IG8 0RB (Outdoor screening) A koala realises he will soon lose his theatre if he cannot turn his luck around. He comes up with a plan to host a singing competition, where the winner will receive $1,000. Will this be enough to return his theatre to glory?

Gates 6pm. Bring blankets and warm clothing. BBQ, drinks and popcorn available. Tickets £6 on the door, £4 from the Parish Office by 18 Sept. stowfilmlounge.com Disco Rani: Gender Fluid Bollywood & Bhangra Night Sinbin at The Plough & Harrow, 419 High Road, Leytonstone E11 4JU Celebrate Asifa Lahore’s birthday at this month’s LGBT club night with the hottest exotic Bollywood, Bhangra, Mujra and R’n’B tunes for Gaysians, their lovers and everyone in between.

10pm-1am. £10. facebook.com/discoraniclub

42 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

OUTDOORS

Saturday 22 September Pop Up Vintage Fairs London Walthamstow Assembly Hall, Forest Road E17 4JD Over 50 stalls selling original vintage fashion, menswear, jewellery, accessories, homewares, small furniture, posters, collectables and more! Plus live music, tea room and licensed bar. 12-5pm. £2, £1 NUS. popupvintagefairs.co.uk Waltham Forest Bilingual Group The Limes Community and Children’s Centre, 6 Somers Road E17 6RX Workshop with tips for parents raising their children with several languages (no creche available, sorry).

Alternatively, just join us for a play session and share experiences with other parents over coffee while the children play. 3.30-5.30pm. FREE. wfbilingual.org.uk

Sunday 23 September Harvest Stomp 2018 By Timber Lodge Café, north side of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park E20 A main stage with live music and dance; a sensory area with BSL interpreted performances; arts and craft stalls and activities; an interactive mobile farm with sheep, kune kune pig, ducks, chickens, goats and more.

Plus workshops, demonstrations and entertainment; traditional garden games; micro-brewery demonstrations and a variety of world food on offer.

12noon-6pm. FREE entry. queenelizabetholympicpark.co.uk/ whats-on Ewan McLennan at Walthamstow Folk Ye Olde Rose & Crown, 53 Hoe Street E17 4SA Ewan is a guitarist at the forefront of his generation; a troubadour, balladeer and storyteller; a singer and songwriter for whom social justice is still a burning issue. 7.30-10.30pm. £10, unwaged £8. walthamstowfolk.co.uk

Monday 24 September East London Humanists Wanstead Library, Spratt Hall Road E11 2RQ Thought-provoking monthly talks and discussions. See website for details.

7.30-9pm. FREE. eastlondon.humanist.org.uk

Wednesday 26 Sept The California Calendar Girls: Burlesque Performance Sinbin at The Plough & Harrow, 419 High Road, Leytonstone E11 4JU A burlesque play about the adventures of a female living in San Francisco in the sixties, played by a cast of burlesque performers from California. £15. facebook.com/SinbinE11 Events marked

HISTORY

MacMillan Coffee Morning St Gabriel’s Church Family Centre, Havant Road E17 3JF A friendly morning of cakes and coffee whilst donating to Cancer Research, Ploughman’s Lunch provided £3.

11am-2pm.

Joyce Maragh 07767 096914 Hive Collective: The Next Level Coaching and Workspaces The Magistrates, 1 Farnan Ave E17 4NX Join local freelancers and creatives for some very friendly, informal networking and find out how to take your business to the next level with coaching and a great workplace. 6.45-9.30pm. £10. ticketlab.co.uk/event/id/1676 hivecollectivelondon.com Jason McNiff / Pete Gow What’s Cookin’, Leytonstone Ex-servicemen’s Club, 2 Harvey Road E11 3DB “One of the UK’s best kept secrets” MOJO “A triumph” TIME OUT “One of the best songwriters we have in this country” MORNING STAR. 8.30-11pm.

FREE with collection. whatscookin.co.uk

Thursday 27 September Fresh Prince of Bel Air Quiz Red Lion Pub Ballroom, 640 High Road Leytonstone E11 3AA Join us as we celebrate The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. We’ll test your knowledge on one of the greatest sitcoms, with some amazing prizes for those who are fresher than the rest! 7-11pm. £10. bit.ly/FRESHQUIZ Last Frame Club: Radio Kobani The CentrE17, 1 Church Hill E17 3AB Dilovan, a young Kurdish woman, took it upon herself to document the final days of ISIS control in the city of Kobani and the stories of refugees returning to their flattened homes. Booking in advance is highly recommended. 7.1510pm. £7, £5 in advance for Waltham Forest residents, £4 conc. lastframeclub.com Highams Park Live The County Arms, 420 Hale End Road, Highams Park E4 9PB Highams Park Live presents an acoustic evening of live music performance with an eclectic programme of local songwriters, poets and storytellers. Want to perform?

Email in advance. 7.30-11pm. FREE. info@highamsparklive.co.uk highamsparklive.co.uk

Friday 28 September Sgt Pepper’s Open Mic Pepper’s Ghost Pub, 777 High Road, Leyton E10 5AB Friendly Open Mic on the last Friday of the month with Jon Scott-Durrant and friends. All acoustic performers welcome. Or just come along to be entertained. 8-11pm. FREE. personalbest11@googlemail.com

MUSIC

SHOPPING

Launch of St John’s Music Hall with Diabel Cissokho St John’s Music Hall, St John’s Church, High Road, Leytonstone E11 1HH Debut St John’s Music Hall gig, featuring Senegalese musician Diabel Cissokoh, hailing from the great line of Cissokho griots, whose resonant voice and rocking kora style has graced many of the UK’s biggest stages.

6.30-10.30pm. £9 earlybirds, £14 in advance, £12 conc. musichalls.org We Shall Overcome Fundraiser Ye Olde Rose & Crown, 53 Hoe Street E17 4SA Raising money for those worst affected by austerity - by having a birthday party! Bands include Chrome Mountain, A Close Watch and Steve White & The Protest Family. 8pmmidnight. Suggested donation £5. weshallovercomeweekend.com

Saturday 29 September Monthly Tabletop Sale & Macmillan Coffee Morning Waltham Forest Community Hub, 18a Orford Road E17 9LN Come and shop from a variety of stalls selling bric a brac; homemade cakes; clothes; books and lots more. And help us raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. 11am-3pm. FREE. Visit wfchub.org/home or follow at twitter.com/wfchub Stow Film Lounge presents ISLE OF DOGS (2018, Cert PG) CentrE17, No 1 Church Hill E17 3AB Wes Anderson’s latest animation is set in a dystopian near-future Japan, where a virus spreads throughout the canine population, with a risk of crossing to humans. The authoritarian mayor signs a decree banishing all dogs to Trash Island. Doors 10.30am, crafts, film 11am, close 1pm. Food and drinks available. Tickets on the door, child £5.50 (inc crafts)/£4 acc adult, under 2s FREE. Booking fees apply online. stowfilmlounge.com Family Day: Book Making William Morris Gallery, Forest Road E17 4PP William Morris loved to create beautiful books and started his own book company Kelmscott Press. Have a go at creating your own book and papermarbling for the cover. 1-4pm. FREE. wmgallery.org.uk From Monoux and Morris to Beer and Bacon Jam Meet at William Morris Gallery, Forest Road E17 4PP Guided walk exploring E17’s fascinating history. Stories include the Dickens’ plagiarist, the hidden Greek theatre and what Pepys thought of Walthamstow wine. 2-4pm. £12, £9 conc, with £1 from each ticket to Prostate Cancer UK bit.ly/E17MoncrieffWalk

COMEDY/THEATRE

Apple Day The Mill, 7-11 Coppermill Lane E17 7HA Take a turn on the apple press, participate in apple-related activities and enjoy apple pastries and cakes made by The Mill Bakers. 2-5pm. FREE but small donations for juice, activities and cakes appreciated.

Sunday 30 September Car Boot: Whatever the Weather Lower Ground Car Park, The Mall Walthamstow, 45 Selborne Walk E17 7JR Everyone loves a good car bootsale, especially those that aren’t affected by the Great British weather! This one’s on the last Sunday of the month. Book your pitch at the Mall’s Ask Me Point. Cars £5, vans £8. 11am4pm. FREE. You’ve Been Tangoed!

St Barnabas Church, St Barnabas Road E17 8JZ Music, dance and poetry in this concert featuring the flavours of South America. Tangos by Piazzolla, poems of Pablo Neruda and songs from Chile and Argentina, with singers Gillian Keith and Tom Randle. Reception follows. All welcome. 4-5pm. FREE but suggested £5-£10 donations to charity gratefully received. facebook.com/StBarnabasSunday Concerts Chris Foster at Walthamstow Folk Ye Olde Rose & Crown, 53 Hoe Street E17 4SA A master of his trade, alongside Nic Jones, Dick Gaughan and June Tabor, Chris established himself in the 1970s as one of the finest interpreters of traditional British ballads. 7.3010.30pm. £8, unwaged £6. walthamstowfolk.co.uk

Wednesday 3 October Under 5s Lloyd Park Nature Explorers: Meet the Park Keeper and Park Safety Meet in Community Room, Aveling Centre, Lloyd Park, Forest Rd E17 4PP Beginning inside with a simple craft on our monthly theme followed by a ramble in the park before going back inside for stories and a healthy snack.

10am-12.30pm. FREE but donations welcome.

Thursday 4 October Madrigal, Dance and Fantasy St Mary’s Church, Church End/Church Hill E17 9RLP Music in the Village presents London Viols with alto William Purefoy. Music

by Jenkins, Lawes, Purcell, Byrd and Orlando Gibbons. Tickets on the door.

7.30-9.30pm. £13,50, £7 conc. petermccarthy-violone.co.uk

kid friendly

Got an event? Tell us about it! Simply submit online at theelist.co.uk 43

ART

BOOKS

CRAFTS

DANCE/FITNESS

FAMILY

FILM

OUTDOORS

HISTORY

MUSIC

FOOD

SHOPPING

THEATRE/COMEDY

Saturday 6 October

Saturday 13 October

E17 Designers’ Autumn Market Mirth, Marvel and Maud, 186 Hoe St E17 4QH Makers, cocktails and cakes in the Art Deco surroundings of the old Granada cinema: jewellery, prints, dresses, hand and machine knit scarves and more, new makers getting ready for the festive season. 12-4pm. FREE entry. e17designers.co.uk

Paupers, Priests And Progressives: A Personal History Of The Salvation Army The Epicentre, 41 West Street, Leytonstone E11 4LJ News From Nowhere Talk: Josh Selfe, Captain of the Salvation Army in Leytonstone, gives his own history and his vision of how his Army can contribute to the south of our borough.

Includes a buffet, please bring veggie item if you can. 7.30-10.30pm. FREE. newsfromnowhereweb.wordpress.com

Greg Wyard The Coppermill Pub, 205 Coppermill Lane E17 7HF Delighted and privileged to have this fabulous Canadian loop artist add The Coppermill to his British tour.

Loads of great covers done in his own inimitable style. 8.30-11pm. FREE. coppermillpub.wordpress.com

Sunday 7 October Forest Philharmonic plays Ravel, Berlioz, Debussy Walthamstow Assembly Hall, Forest Road E17 4JD The new season starts with French music including Pavane and Shéhérazade by Ravel, Les nuits d’été

by Berlioz and Debussy’s sea-inspired symphonic sketches. Free pre-concert talk at 5.30pm. 6.30-9pm. £12, conc £10, under 25s £5. forestoct18.eventbrite.co.uk Delta Ladies at Walthamstow Folk Ye Olde Rose & Crown, 53 Hoe Street E17 4SA A renowned multi-instrumental roots and world music duo – Vi Martin and Dee Stone. 7.30-10.30pm. £8, unwaged £6. walthamstowfolk.co.uk

Wednesday 10 October We Have A Song To Sing-O Salway Evangelical Church, 3 Forest Approach, Woodford Green IG8 9EW As part of Woodford Festival, Chapel End Savoy Players present works by Gilbert, Sullivan and other lyricists.

7.30-10pm. FREE. CESP.org.uk

Friday 12 October Dial M for Music Sir Alfred Hitchcock Hotel, 147 Whipps Cross Road E11 1NP A monthly music club hosted by the Persecuted and featuring talented musical guests. Visuals, vintage items and our world famous free raffle! 7.4511pm. FREE, with collection. thehitchcockhotel.com

Events marked

Cheney Row Tree Planting Cheney Row Open Space, Cheney Row, Higham Hill E17 5ED We’ll be planting native British trees at Cheney Row Open Space with a tree trail, tips on tree ID and arts and crafts on offer too. No booking required.

10am-1pm. FREE, donations welcome.

Sunday 14 October Chris Foster at Walthamstow Folk Ye Olde Rose & Crown, 53 Hoe Street E17 4SA Award-winning veteran bluesman Dave Peabody and classically trained violinist Regina Mudrich. 7.3010.30pm. £8, unwaged £6. walthamstowfolk.co.uk

Saturday 20 October Black History Celebration St Gabriel’s Church Family Centre, Havant Road E17 3JF Talent and achievement. Evening of entertainment with music, songs, film and a raffle. Refreshments provided.

Enjoy a tasty Caribbean meal, £8 a plate. Hot and cold drinks with cake or biscuit just £1. 6-10pm. FREE. Joyce Maragh 07767 096914 Andreas Tophøj & Rune Barslund / Bad Honey St John’s Music Hall, St John’s Church, High Road, Leytonstone E11 1HH The duo are among the leading Danish traditional musicians of their generation. Their hauntingly beautiful music marries their Danish roots with modern interpretations of folk. 6.3010.30pm. £9 earlybirds, £14 in adv, £12 conc. musichalls.org

Sunday 21 October Hoe St Market Walthamstow Trades Hall, 61-63 Tower Hamlets Road E17 4RQ Find unique art, cards, plants, ceramics, clothes, gifts, jewellery, cakes and more from local designers and makers, as well as freshly-made street food and a very cheap bar. 12-5pm. FREE entry.

Follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @hoestmarket

Rob Murch and Michelle Holding at Walthamstow Folk Ye Olde Rose & Crown, 53 Hoe Street E17 4SA Rob Murch is a leading figure in the playing of English fingerstyle banjo.

He met Michelle Holding at a banjo workshop that he was leading and she began learning classic fingerstyle banjo under his guidance. 7.3010.30pm. £8, unwaged £6. walthamstowfolk.co.uk

Monday 22 October East London Humanists Wanstead Library, Spratt Hall Road E11 2RQ Thought-provoking monthly talks and discussions. See website for details.

7.30-9pm. FREE. eastlondon.humanist.org.uk

Tuesday 23 October Clay Diyas for Diwali Meet by Stables Building, Lloyd Park, Forest Road E17 4PP Get creative with clay! We’ll be experimenting with different clays and creating tea light Diyas for Diwali. We’ll also make seed balls to throw and sow!

10am-1pm. FREE, donations welcome.

Thursday 25 October Hallowe’en Pumpkin Carving Meet in Community Room next to cafe, Aveling Centre, Lloyd Park, Forest Road E17 4PP Get ready for Halloween at Lloyd Park by carving your own pumpkin and get tips on what to do with left overs! 10-1pm.

FREE, donations welcome.

Mokoomba & Bamako Overground St Mary’s Music Hall, Church Hill/Church End E17 9RL Zimbabwe’s internationally acclaimed, award-winning Mokoomba bring their signature Afro-Fusion sound to Walthamstow, blending indigenous elements with international influences ranging from soukous and ska to South African vocal polyphony. Expect an energetic and joyful live performance.

6.30-10.30pm. £12-£15. stmarysmusichall.co.uk

Friday 26 October You Should Be Dancing! At Halloween Walthamstow Trades Hall, 61-63 Tower Hamlets Road E17 4RQ It’s the YSBD! Halloween Party for people who cut their dancing teeth in the 70s and 80s. Younger friends welcome! Dress ‘frightfully’! Scary sounds from the era guaranteed. And bingo of course. 8pm-midnight. £5 in advance, £7 on the door. doloresrocket.com/ysbd.html

Sunday 28 October Samaritans of Waltham Forest Fundraiser: Weird Walthamstow Walk Walthamstow Central Station, Station Approach E17 9QF Walthamstow means Place of Welcome but have all our visitors throughout history been human, alive, or benign.

Our guide, Simon, will lead you around old, strange Walthamstow. 6-7.30pm. £12, children £9, with proceeds to Samaritans of Waltham Forest.

Green Diesel at Walthamstow Folk Ye Olde Rose & Crown, 53 Hoe Street E17 4SA Green Diesel are a proper folk-rock band of the old school. Performing original compositions, steeped in folklore, alongside inventive reworkings they have a reputation as a fearsome live act. 7.30-10.30pm. £8, unwaged £6. walthamstowfolk.co.uk

Tuesday 30 October General Knowledge Quiz Ye Olde Rose & Crown, 53 Hoe Street E17 4SA Walthamstow and District Photographic Society are hosting a quiz night. Various prizes and a raffle. Prompt 8pm start.

8-10pm. £5 per person, maximum 6 people per team. naomifurnacewdps@hotmail.com

Thursday 1 November Breabach St Mary’s Music Hall, Church Hill/Church End E17 9RL Leading Scottish Folk band Breabach bring us their award-winning sound and unique musicianship, combining twin bagpipes, fiddle, mandolin, bass and guitar with Gaelic vocals and step dance. Part of the London Roots Festival. 6.30-10.30pm. £15. stmarysmusichall.co.uk

Thursday 8 November A Normal Night Out with Henry Normal Mirth, Marvel and Maud, 186 Hoe St E17 4QH Poetry, jokes, story-telling, philosophy and heart-string-tugging with Henry Normal (Mrs Merton, Gavin & Stacey, The Mighty Boosh, etc). All proceeds in aid of The Limes Community and Children’s Centre, E17. Over 18s only.

7.30-9.30pm. £10.70 online. ticketlab.co.uk/event/id/1801

For the latest up-to-date listings please visit theelist.co.uk

kid friendly

44 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.

PGS_2018_0131_E17_ILAN_UYARLAMA_190X126mm.pdf

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