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E17 ART TRAIL REVIEW
STRANGERS ON YOUR SOFA
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Issue One Summer 2014
ROCKETING HOUSE PRICES
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Welcome to ‘mini-Holland’ mess outer London boroughs like Waltham Forest are in. London traffic speeds are now averaging less than 20mph (central London speeds under 9mph). Yet over 80 percent of outer London car journeys are under 2km. Partly because of all the congestion, local GPs and hospitals are under increasing strain from asthma, other roads-related health issues and obesity. Increasing cycling not only cuts congestion, and offers quicker journey, it also makes people healthier and cuts pollution. Spending money on cycling for councils makes good sense – for every pound spent, the benefits back to residents are far higher than money spent on improving roads for drivers, for instance. An artist's impression of part of the 'mini-Holland' development plans
Simon Munk Transport for London announced in March 2014 that Waltham Forest was one of three London boroughs to win £30 million in funding for radical schemes to boost cycling. As a result, Walthamstow is set to become a “mini-Holland” with major roads and areas around the town centre transformed to improve conditions for cycling (and walking). Whether you currently cycle or not, this is big news for the area, and set to affect your life for at least the next five years – because, at the very least, so much change to the borough’s roads will mean roadworks. On the plus side, it should also mean, at the very least, more chances for your children to play out on the streets with their friends and neighbours. Here’s why Walthamstow mini-Holland matters to you, and what it means for everyone.
Cycle Super Highway Waltham Forest council put forward a series of proposals in its miniHolland bid. The main three are: a “Cycle Super Highway” along the length of Lea Bridge Road to the border with Hackney, including radically redesigning Whipps Cross Roundabout; key safer routes north-south and east-west through Walthamstow; and “villagisation” of three large residential areas surrounding central Walthamstow. As part of these schemes, major roads including Lea Bridge Road, Forest Road, Markhouse Road, Selbourne Road, Hoe Street and Palmerston Road will be redesigned to provide cycle lanes separated from cars and pedestrians and with traffic at 20mph. Meanwhile, the three “villagisation” areas will see planters, bollards and gates used to close residential streets in each area to through traffic, calming them so not
only can cyclists navigate through easily and confidently, but also children can play out more. “The first schemes [are] planned to start in the Autumn. These include Ruckholt Road, High Road Leyton to Hackney” said Councillor Clyde Loakes, Deputy Leader/Cabinet Member for Environment, London Borough of Waltham Forest.
30 million reasons for change “While the Council could only do a limited amount on its own, with up to £30 million funding we really can make some radical differences,” said Councillor Loakes. “I think [Cycling Commissioner for London] Andrew Gilligan was impressed by our vision for cycling in the borough and also saw huge potential here.” No doubt, it’s a huge political win for the borough’s councillors and officers. But the mini-Holland plans could well also offers a huge fix to a big
Getting on your bike “Survey after survey shows a majority of local residents want to cycle more, but won’t because they’re afraid of the traffic,” said Paul Gasson, Chair, Waltham Forest Cycling Campaign. “The mini-Holland plans, if done properly, will let anyone from eight to eighty ride in safety from their home in Walthamstow to most key local destinations and beyond.” The mini-Holland plans should make cycling feel a lot safer, opening up cycling to more than just the dedicated. On top of that, cycling is already cheap, healthy and safe. You can pick up an OK bike from £100 and you’ll soon start saving compared to driving or using the tube or bus. The council offers adult learner lessons on road for free if you haven’t cycled for a while, and the Waltham Forest Cycling Campaign runs regular social and family-friendly rides to help you get used to getting around on two wheels. Repeated studies, meanwhile, have shown cyclists live longer and
healthier lives, even taking into account crashes. Despite appearances, cycling in London, and across the UK remains statistically very safe and it’s not just for the fit. Trikes and other bikes are available for those who can’t ride standard bicycles. “We’re lucky in Waltham Forest to have the Lea Valley on one side, and Epping Forest on the other”, said Gasson. “We’re really close to great leisure cycling areas.” Beyond cycling for fun, Walthamstow already has good commuter links by bike to central London and Stratford.
Sounds great but will it work? The hugely complex plans will only work if every detail is well thoughtthrough. Anything short of a big boost to cycling numbers would mean failure – considering the sums involved. “We have a once in a lifetime opportunity to show what can be done with genuine council commitment to deliver” said Gasson. With that commitment, and assuming all of the details are carefully planned, it’ll mean far fewer cars on our roads; kids able to cycle to school as well as play out on their own streets more safely; far more people of all ages and abilities out on bikes and healthier, happier residents all round.
Simon Munk is Council Liaison Officer for Waltham Forest Cycling Campaign. For more information on mini-Holland including a link to the bid see: http://wfcycling.wordpress.com /mini-holland
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Little Free Libraries land in E17
Waltham Forest Echo
Making headlines From the editor of Waltham Forest Echo
Hello and thank you for picking up a copy of issue one of Waltham Forest Echo. It’s been a few years since the members of WFWellComm, a social enterprise made up of charities and social enterprises based in the borough, first started talking about starting a newspaper.
We all had similar reasons for supporting the idea. We felt that while existing publications produced by commercial organisations and the local authority did some things well there was a gap for a borough-wide community publication. We wanted to create an independent source of information, produced by and for local people, giving local people and community organisations the opportunity to talk about what they’re doing, what they’d like to happen and ways they can help and support each other. Earlier this year, we secured a small
amount of grant funding to support the publication of four quarterly issues beginning with this one. Now the challenge is to make Waltham Forest Echo work, both as a community project and as a financially sustainable social enterprise. The example of successful publications in other areas, such as Hackney Citizen and Brixton Bugle, shows that it can be done. We’ve already had a huge amount of help from everyone who’s contributed to the first issue. Now that the newspaper’s up and running we’re looking for more writers for future issues and the website (see
page 15), and help with advertising and distribution. We want as many readers as possible to get involved but if you’re not able to get involved directly, you can still help by telling us what you think. There’s a survey on page 15 to give your feedback or the same survey is online at: www.surveymonkey.com/s/ WFEcho1 Thanks again for reading the first issue. We look forward to hearing what you think of it and working with you to create a community newspaper that Waltham Forest can be proud of. David Floyd, Social Spider
Staff Writer A new way to share books has arrived in London and Walthamstow is its birthplace. Little Free Libraries literally appeared on the streets of E17 overnight on 31 May 2014 when a new project was launched to coincide with the start of the E17 Art Trail. So, what is a Little Free Library (LFL)? It’s an artfully decorated house-shaped box offering people the opportunity to take a book for free. Very little in life is free these days, especially in London, so these mini book sharing venues have been welcomed with open arms by the local community. As well as taking a book, patrons are encouraged to return and donate books too. There are 12 LFLs in Walthamstow in total which were built and installed as part of a new national initiative by charity Little Free Library Project, whose aim is to increase access to free books and promote literacy and art in the UK. LFLs are located in residential front gardens, cafes, pubs and community spaces. LFL host Marita Keremezo said “I got involved to try and bring reading closer to people, particularly children.” You can see her beautiful book box on Garner Road, E17. It was decorated by local artist Gabriela Castellanos. “I find that people in Walthamstow genuinely want to enage and talk to each other, but there is often a barrier, which something like the LFL Project can overcome.” says Keremezo. UK Project Manager Nick Cheshire says he has been overwhelmed by the positive response from the Walthamstow community, “hosts, artists and the local community have all come together to help make this project a success.” said Cheshire. Find your nearest LFL here: www.littlefreelibraryproject.org.uk/ walthamstow.html
News
New “Grow Wild” play space to open in Lloyd Park in September Simon Munk The Lloyd Park Centre has announced the grand opening of its improved Grow Wild play space, Saturday 6 September. The space is the adventure playground that’s appeared next to the existing main Lloyd Park playground (with a gate through a tree between the two). The Lloyd Park Centre is a charity that runs two daycare nurseries, after school club, a training agency, and does outreach and drop-in sessions for the local community at its site in
the park as well as Higham Hill Children’s Centre, Chapel End Children’s Centre. The Grow Wild space opened in September 2011.
The original Grow Wild featured tunnels through bushes, insect habitats and a pebble “beach” for water play among other features. The
space was designed to encourage outdoors play and play in nature, with elements of managed risk. Now, APEs at play (Adventure Playground Engineers Ltd), who have previously worked on Skelton’s Lane in Leytonstone, the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and even London Zoo’s new Tiger Territory, using money raised by the Centre, have added an extra storey to the space. Above the existing tunnels and beach are now climbing structures and walkways that lead to a story den, music-making space, slides and more. Much of the upper level is accessible to children of all abilities – and the new features have extended the age range of the space with children from babies to 12 year olds now able to use Grow Wild. Grow Wild’s Grand Opening is 6 September. 2–3pm for invitees to the opening ceremony; 3–5pm for public access (children wearing appropriate shoes, parents needed to supervise). “We are looking forward to welcoming everyone to experience this great adventure!” said Pauline Thomas, Chief Executive, The Lloyd Park Centre. “Come along to join in with risky play in a naturalistic environment!” After the grand opening, Grow Wild will be open to The Lloyd Park Centre users – daycare, after school etc. – as well as holding regular drop-in weekday sessions for under 5s and anyone coming to the centre’s Saturday morning Dad’s Club. The Centre is also seeking funding for more public access sessions – including evenings and weekends. The funding is needed because the space has to be staff supervised to be open. See www.thelloydparkcentre.co.uk for more details and timetable for Grow Wild etc. Simon Munk, Outdoors Area committee, Lloyd Park Centre
Issue One – Summer 2014
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Festival brings street arts to Town Square Amina Ahmed Street17 will host a free arts festival for the second time this summer. After a turnout of more than 2000 people last year, the festival will return to Walthamstow Town Square on Sunday 17th August from noon to 5pm hoping to build on that success. Festival curator, Mike Bowles, said: “Thousands of people had a wonderful day enjoying hands-on art activities, performances and film in Walthamstow Town Square last year. “We are planning an even bigger bash this summer, offering something for all ages, backgrounds and tastes.” The event is aimed at young people and will feature contemporary artists and exciting performers, providing a family-friendly environment for making, experiencing and participating in visual arts, music, film, dance, drama and physical performances. Chairman, Adam Taylor, said: “We hope to create a different type of community arts event and motivate people to do something themselves. “It’s all about celebrating creativeness. Young people’s creativity should be showcased more and that’s what we are trying to do.” There will be a centrepiece public sculpture. Other activities that will feature at the event include face painting, ceramics decorating, drumming, BMX and skateboarding displays, locally-produced archive and contemporary films on the Big Screen, art-in-progress demonstrations, workshops and popup galleries and stalls for arts and crafts. Refreshments from around the world will also be sold at the event. Street17 aims to support local artists, involve diverse communities and celebrate Walthamstow as a centre of tolerance and cultural production. Last summer local artists and performers including Youth and street dance groups X7eaven, Youth & Project 13 and KNI Foundation, showed their work and served up hands-on arts activities and displays. Street17 is backed by a London Borough of Waltham Forest Arts Development grant and local sponsors including Churchill Estates and The Mall shopping centre. Street17 takes place in Walthamstow Town Square 12noon to 5pm on 17th August. For more information – Facebook: Street 17 Art, Twitter: @Street17art, www.street17.co.uk
An artist at work at last year's Street17 festival
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Waltham Forest Echo
Arts in the right place Alice Spawls on 10 years of the E17 Arts Trail
Noor Ul Islam Trust is on the move! Aslam Hansa
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hen the E17 Arts Trail first took place in place in 2005, it was a one day event with 50 exhibitions. A lot has changed since then and this year saw the Arts Trail, which was set up by Laura Kerry and her partner Chris out of frustration at the lack of opportunities to exhibit in the area, celebrated its 10th anniversary in June with a 16-day festival showcasing work by 4,000 artists for an audience of more than 15,000. The massively positive spirit that everyone loves about the festival was evident from the opening party at Vestry House and continued to grow and grow over the two weeks. For the first time the Art Trail was broken down into more manageable minitrails, focusing on different areas. These mini-trails enabled people to explore new parts of the borough or discover all the amazing things happening on the streets around
where they live. The introduction of the Blackhorse Arts Trek drew crowds to the Blackhorse Lane area, welcomed newcomers Made by Ore and Blackhorse Workshop and brought together a community of makers, artists, designers – as well as everyone else who fancied joining in. The range of exhibitions was absolutely amazing: you could see everything from painting, sculpture, music, and dance to madrigals, shadow plays, knitting, performances, furniture and jewellery. As well as the exhibitions there were lots of fantastic events – walks through Epping Forest, bus tours, talks, live painting, buntingmaking, story-telling, dance classes and poetry readings. And alongside all of this ran the Appetite food festival – fuelling and delighting hungry trailers – and the Walthamstow Film Festival. The creativity and exuberance led to all sort of mad and wonderful happenings: rainforests in cafes, golden pineapples, little free libraries, art growing on trees and much more.
One of the really special aspects of the Trail is being able to see artworks in the studio where they were created or in the artist’s house (one work was painted on the house!). It gives such a great insight into the creative process and it’s fantastic to be able to discuss the work with the artist. The Trail also gives artists the opportunity to meet and share ideas with other local practitioners and visitors will have been inspired to produce their own artworks, learn a craft or think about how they might get involved in next year’s trail. However, even beyond this building of appreciation, the Art Trail is also very effective at developing
that, which is very difficult to measure, but clear when you see it – a sense of community.
Noor Ul Islam Trust is moving to temporary accommodation adjacent to its permanent home on the High Road in Leyton. This move will allow demolition of the mosque and community centre and for a new complex (pictured) to be built in the comings months. This £8million project will provide improved facilities for the whole community, not just Muslims. Following years of planning for this new project, the work is about to start. Many of the Trust’s existing services will now take place in temporary accommodation at 717–723 High Road, Leyton, however during the work, facilities will be restricted. The Trust has been based on the High Road since its inception, 25 years ago, but its venue is now too small and in need of major repairs to house the ever expanding number of services. The Trust is a registered charity first set up in 1990. It looks after social, welfare and educational needs of the local community. It not only works within the Muslim community but seeks to work with others. It is the founding member of the all faiths community forum and often fund raises for various groups, including Age UK, Children with Leukaemia, NSPCC and the maternity section of Whipps Cross University Hospital. Some of the activities run by the Trust include pre-school, full time primary school, an active youth group, football sessions with Leyton Orient Football Club and swimming activities at Waltham Forest College.
Information on future Arts Trails can be found at: www.artillery.org.uk
More information on the Trust can be found at www.noorulislam.org.uk or tel 020 8558 0786
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Issue One – Summer 2014
The World in Walthamstow Staff Writer
Photo © Mark Burton, 2014
Canon Steven Saxby with Stella Creasy MP and some of the people from over 50 different nationalities present at the World in Walthamstow party.
Walthamstow means “welcome place” and has a long history of being a place of hospitality for incomers and a positive example of multi-culturalism. This inspired local Vicar, Canon Steven Saxby, to put together the World in Walthamstow photo exhibition for the E17 Art Trail at St Barnabas Church. This exhibition, which was on display in June 2014, celebrated multiculturalism in particular, by demonstrating the huge diversity of nationalities which dwell, study or visit E17. The project was a personal journey for Canon Saxby. Every one of the 130 photos displayed around the church were taken in Walthamstow and were either taken by or featured him. Each one includes someone of a different nationality. “Many are members of the beautiful multi-cultural congregation of St Barnabas Church”, he said, “and all people with whom I have at least had a conversation here in E17.” The on-going project celebrates
migration and has been embraced by the Walthamstow Migrants’ Action Group (www.walthamstowmigrantsaction.or g.uk). Group chair Dr Shaukat Khan said, “the wonderful project features some of our work, including our Love Migrants Party and our Welcome to Walthamstow action which sought to counter the negativity of the Government’s Stop and Search activity at Walthamstow Central and the abominable ‘Go Home’ vans.” During the E17 Art Trail, the church held a World in Walthamstow party which was attended by people from over fifty nationalities and special guests Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy, Waltham Forest Mayor Nadeem Ali and an imam from Lea Bridge Road mosque. At the party Stella Creasy said, “great things happen because of people like Steven making Walthamstow God’s own country.” The on-going project is hoping to find people in Walthamstow from the 75 countries not yet represented in the exhibition. To get involved contact stevensaxby@btinternet.com
Music in the afternoon Hannah Lamdin on a new monthly event for families in Walthamstow I love going out. I really love live music, concerts, parties & hanging out with friends, dancing and drinking cocktails. When I just had one baby I still went to a lot of things at night with him snug in his wrap, but once there were two it was increasingly hard to take them to things in the evening. I really missed going to my husband’s gigs and hearing live music. Quite a few of our music friends now have kids and they rarely got to see what mummy & daddy do either. It seemed sad that our son knows “Daddy makes music with Ellie’s mum & dad” but that this was always “at work” not seen. So I thought why can’t we have a gig in the daytime? BeBop Baby, a monthly daytime dance party at Walthamstow Trades Hall, has grown from that idea.
We missed baby friendly activities that were on when dad was around too so we decided to put one on ourselves. 9 times out of 10 it is mothers who are off with the kids. Mums miss sharing their kids’ reactions and experiences with dads, dads miss some great activities and their kids’ responses and when there are social things with everyone the dads don’t know each other. So we thought it would be great to have something on a weekend that everyone can enjoy together. There are loads of really talented parents doing interesting things in all sorts of fields living in Walthamstow, you can connect online but if you’re not on Twitter or don’t happen to cross paths at the swings you might
not know about them. I had come across this great online children’s wear shop, Yellow Lolly, but had no idea they were actually based in Walthamstow until a chance meeting in Greenleaf Park. Now, knowing that local mums Ellie & Claire are behind it definitely makes me want to shop there even more. So part of the motivation for BeBop Baby was to have an opportunity for people to socialise and find out about what great
things people are doing, a real world platform to connect, put faces to names. What’s there? Live music every month from a professional band & DJs playing a broad range of music, the kind of playlists you’ll hear on Cerys Matthews show or Jamie Cullum. A soft play area for babies (courtesy of the Toy Library), a dressing up box and art table for bigger ones and a bar for that all
important Sunday afternoon drink! We also have a small, curated showcase of family life focused local businesses, usually run by fantastic Walthamstow mamas. For more information on BeBop Baby go to: www.bebop-baby.co.uk
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Features
Waltham Forest Echo
Strangers on your sofa Ed Swan on couchsurfing in Waltham Forest
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ould you open up your home and allow strangers from around the world to stay in it for free? A growing band of people in Waltham Forest and around the world are doing just that every day, and many of them have found that in doing so they have gained a sense of community, made new friends, and even met their life partners. ‘Couchsurfing’ or ‘CS’ as it’s widely known, is the main website that connects these people, although there are other similar sites. CS was
founded in 2004, and now counts more than 117,000 listed members in London, of which several thousand live in Waltham Forest. CS emphasises inclusivity, and has members from every age and background. CS members have an online profile, and when they travel to another place, they can search for local CS members, send them a ‘couch request’, and if accepted, the ‘surfer’ can stay over with the host for an agreed time... the rules state that no payment is allowed! So why do they do it?
Gul Akayya is a 26-year-old IT company owner living in Leyton. She’s been a member of CS since 2006: “I have met hundreds of people on CS, I joined because I wanted to have friends in the UK, and it has really helped me to find a place anywhere in the world. CS has filled up my social life, I even met my partner at a CS event, this is very common in the CS community” Andrew Brown is 39, he has lived in Walthamstow for 30 years and works in finance. Incredibly, he has hosted more than 370 people in his home since he joined CS three years
ago. “Overall it’s been an amazing journey and an amazing experience, out of 370 plus experiences, I could probably name about five that didn’t go to plan, that’s a phenomenal ratio”. For many people, the first thing that comes to mind when they hear about CS is potential safety concerns, but other couchsurfers in Waltham Forest are, like Andrew, overwhelmingly positive about their experiences. “I have never met any negative person on CS”, said Gul. Twenty-nine-year-old couchsurfer Aleksandra Czernecka (pictured, right), a software developer from
Leytonstone, agreed: “Some people who don’t know CS, they’re a bit scared, they say: ‘strangers in your house, they can kill you!’, well I say: ‘strangers on the street can kill you!’”. CS is not completely without controversy though, there have been a small number of reported cases of sexual violence committed by hosts against their surfers, although CS does have security verification features and urges users to pay close attention to the references which appear on every profile. In 2011, CS became a forprofit ‘B Corporation’, a move which some users felt devalued the anti-
Features 77
Issue One – Summer 2014 capitalist spirit of CS and the hard work of volunteers to build the site. Couchsurfers in Waltham Forest do not seem fazed by the changes, though, and the site continues to grow in numbers. CS is not only used by those who need a place to stay. 26-year-old couchsurfer Mehdi Chenoufi (pictured, left), who lives in Walthamstow and works as a boating lake assistant, has used the website to organise successful group events. “In the beginning I didn’t host� says Mehdi, “but I started by creating events, I did a Banksy tour, where I had 88 attending, and I even met my girlfriend there. I also organised a trip to Thorpe Park and had about 13 attending� Couchsurfers in Waltham Forest also make the most of showing the local area to their visitors, who might not otherwise get to see parts of London away from the usual tourist hotspots. “Everyone has their own style of hosting� says Andrew, “I prefer to do stuff outside the home, people don’t come all the way to London just to sit in someone’s house. I’ll take the guys to a local
“I think that to be a couchsurfer you have to be open... Maybe online communities have replaced local communities for some people.�
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pub, like the Hare and Hound, We’ll have a beer or play a game of pool.� Aleksandra feels the same: “I really enjoy hosting people in Leytonstone, taking them to the pub or taking them for a walk, down to Wanstead Flats or Hollow Pond, they really appreciate the green spaces in the area�. But is CS really a community? And how does being a part of CS compare to being a part of the real local community? “I would say that I’m part of the local community�, says Andrew, “I always try to use local facilities, also I prefer to spend money locally in local business, keep up to date with things that are happening but I also definitely feel that I’m part of a CS community.� Gul feels a bit differently about her place in the local community, but agrees about CS: “I don’t really feel that I am part of the local community here, although I would like to get more involved. But CS is a community that shares a lot in common with each other, especially stories about travel. I think that online communities are the most common and most important communities for young
people today, it’s much easier to meet someone online, when you can see their profile, than to go up to someone in the street and introduce yourself �. Aleksandra agrees: “I think that to be a couchsurfer you have to be open, if you’re not open to other people, can’t accept that they can be different, have different lifestyles, you will not be successful on CS. Maybe online communities have replaced local communities for some people. In Leytonstone, I’m not sure what I would do to be a bigger part of the community. It’s easier to organise an event online, whereas to organise something without using the internet, it’s harder to advertise and harder to reach people.� Helping visitors to London to get off the tourist beaten track and discover new places can only be positive for them and for the local area. While nothing beats the importance of a strong local community, the clear message that comes from everyone involved in CS is that the relationships that are start off from an online project can be as real and meaningful as those that we make with our neighbours.
Computer lessons for the over 50s
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Waltham Forest Echo
The only way is up Waltham Forest house prices are the “fastest rising in London” reports James Cracknell
W
altham Forest is now officially the most soughtafter borough in London. House prices rose a staggering 26 percent in the 2013/14 financial year, and there are no signs yet of that trend slowing. This is well above the average London rise over the same period of 17 percent, with Waltham Forest’s good transport links, thriving arts scene and relatively low prices compared to other parts of London cited as fuelling the demand. An average home here will now set you back £323,000, compared to £256,000 a year ago, according to the Land Registry. Despite the huge rise there are still 20 other boroughs with higher prices
than Waltham Forest, and the London average is £435,000. So when might price rises slow? Waltham Forest Echo spoke to a local first-time buyer, an estate agent and local council to get their views. Caroline Daniels pictured and her partner Ronnie Suleiman have been looking for a one-bed flat since January, and recently had an offer of £265,000 accepted for a property near Bakers Arms. Caroline, 27, told the Echo: “Places like Hackney are unaffordable now so I think people are coming here instead. “It’s one of the few places left in London where you can afford to buy and still get on the tube to work without it taking two hours. There’s a lot to do here.
“We were trying to get a one-bed for under £250,000 in Walthamstow, because that’s when stamp duty kicks in, but unless you want to live in a high-rise block it doesn’t seem to be possible now.
“We had been renting in Walthamstow and realised we had to buy now because in a year’s time we probably won’t be able to. “When we moved here to rent it was purely because it was cheap, but now we’re buying because we like it here and we want to stay.” Caroline spoke of some of the increasingly fraught bidding wars for homes and “dodgy tactics” by estate agents to generate interest. “They kick up a fuss about certain places,” she said. “They’ll have an open day on a Saturday and when you get there people are queuing up outside. “They do it to make you feel under pressure to make an offer. Then they’ll give you until 5pm on Monday.” The London Evening Standard reported earlier this year that Hoe
Features 99
Issue One – Summer 2014
The old Arcade site now being transformed into 'The Scene'
Street in Walthamstow was “the most estate-agent infested street in the country” with a third of its shops taken up by them. Residents might also be familiar with estate agents’ junk mail, which arrives on an almost daily basis to demand new properties in the area, while lauding how much nearby homes have been sold for. And many homeowners are taking the bait. Philip Waterfield pictured, director of Strettons in Hoe Street, said people who had lived in the area a long time were now deciding to “cash in” on the local housing boom and make a sizeable profit on what they bought several years, or even decades, ago. He told the Echo: “I bought my first house here for £34,000, now it’s worth £300,000. The way the market is going it’s rather frightening for young people. “There are people who are cashing in.”
Philip said the reopening of the William Morris Gallery in 2012, and its subsequent award for “Museum of the Year” in 2013, might have marked a turning point. “I have heard of people moving from Brixton to Walthamstow, all the way up the Victoria Line, because they
realise this is also a trendy place to live, and it’s cheaper. “It isn’t a bubble, it’s a ripple effect. When the artists start moving somewhere because it’s cheap it becomes a catalyst for other people to move here, and then prices go up.” But when will it end? “I think it will get to a certain point where it levels out, probably when interest rates rise next year.” For those still saving to get on the property ladder in Waltham Forest, it’s cold comfort. Prices may only stabilise after mortgages have become more expensive. How else might house prices be controlled? It is clear that demand is outstripping supply, which is why the Mayor of London has given the borough a target to build 10,320 new homes by 2026. And it is the job of the local authority to encourage the right
homes to be built in the right places. In the council’s local plan for the next 15-20 years, four specific areas are earmarked for “change”. Three of them are in and around Walthamstow – Blackhorse Lane, Wood Street and the town centre itself. These are where more than half of the target for new homes is expected to be met. A council spokesperson said: “It will not have gone unnoticed to anyone who knows the borough that the number of regeneration schemes that have come to fruition over the past couple of years is unprecedented. “Much of this has been residential, with old industrial areas like Blackhorse Lane being transformed by new housing developments. “Where commercial ventures crop up there is also housing that goes with it. The transformation of the old Arcade Site [now called “The Scene”] in Walthamstow may centre around the
multiplex cinema, restaurants and shops, but will also see 121 homes built. “Likewise the new Morrison’s supermarket at South Grove will include 245 new homes, and the Travelodge Hotel by Walthamstow Central Station has been built alongside two blocks of flats.” Such schemes, despite providing the new homes the borough desperately needs, often attract opposition from those already living here. The eight-storey South Grove supermarket development – set to be built around the corner from Sainsbury’s and Asda in Walthamstow High Street – was strongly opposed by locals who objected to its height and density. But Councillor Chris Robbins, the council leader, said such large developments were “exactly what we want to help bring about real change.” There’s likely to be a few more of these battles in the borough to come.
10 Features
Waltham Forest Echo Photo: Catherine West, Significant Seams
Happy 10th birthday to The Limes! Amy Croome The Limes opened its doors for services for disabled children and young people aged 0–25 10 years ago in June 2004. A Barnardo’s conference ‘Where can I play?’ gave the impetus to set up a local organisation to meet the need for a ‘Safe Space to Play’. Originally services were centred around younger children, but gradually specific programmes for teenagers and young adults were provided as well and have grown continuously to meet the demand. The work with young people is underpinned by notions of equality and self-empowerment. The young adults group in particular, is encouraged to gain the skills and experience required to lead independent lives and find employment. The Limes works closely with local organisations such as Organic Lea to create work experience opportunities. In autumn a coffee, teas and muffin service, called Zest, will open in the Limes and is to be run by the young adults. This will offer further work experience and eventually employment opportunities in baking, money handling, stock taking and ordering, coffee barista training and retail focussed customer care and service training. “They are so excited as it was their idea and they will finally see it come to fruition!” says Liz Fraser, Director of The Limes. Inclusion is a very important organisational value to The Limes and has been embedded from the start as it was created by children, young people, local providers and parents working together. “It’s a fabulous space where inclusion is our passion and creativity our driving force for change” says Fraser. Even the building (The William Morris Hall in Somers Road) – was built in much the same spirit as The Limes – by the community. Local skilled labour and contributions of 2p a brick by the local residents made this possible. Staff say it is “no wonder when people visit the space they are overwhelmed by a sense of community
and ownership of the space by the children and young people”. The Limes celebrated its 10th Birthday with a great big summer party 28th June 2014. “We spread out into the street and welcomed all our neighbours to join in the party with our members” Fraser reports. To access the new café or any other service become a member for £5 per family annually. More information at: www.thelimes.org.uk
School’s (almost) out of places Geoff Ellis on the growing demand for education in the borough School is the last thing on our minds at this time of year but there are growing fears that there may simply not be enough places in London schools in the next few years. London Councils warn of a shortfall of almost 120,000 places in two years’ time. How are Waltham Forest schools coping with the borough’s booming population and changes in the education system? Well, it’s a case of so far, so good. This coming September more than 3,800 children will join reception classes in one of Waltham Forest’s primary schools. Since 2009, an
additional 690 primary school places have been created. The Council estimates that almost 300 more places will be needed in reception classes alone over the next six years. Waltham Forest has absorbed the surge in school-age kids better than many London boroughs with an impressive programme of building. Dozens of schools have had extensive improvements and expansion work but many school sites, especially in the south of the borough, are now full to bursting. One solution to expanding numbers of pupils has been former
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Education Secretary Michael Gove’s controversial programme to encourage free schools, which are outside central and local government control. Walthamstow Primary Academy free school is due to open this coming September with two reception classes. But that won’t be enough to absorb all the extra school-age children in the next few years. The council is now considering creating a new primary school in Leyton or Leytonstone from 2015. It is not in favour of free schools, which do not always create more school places in the areas where they are actually most needed. And, say campaigners, free schools are not just outside the control of local councils, but also of local people. The picture is similar for the borough’s secondary schools. But here, two new free schools are coming on line just as numbers threaten to exceed capacity. Waltham Forest Leadership Academy in Blackhorse Lane will enrol its first year 7 pupils in September while DV8 Academy will provide places for 16–18 year-olds in nearby Blackhorse Road. But, by the start of the school year in 2017, the council’s projected figures show a deficit of 209 secondary places – even with the new free schools operating as planned. The council does not anticipate the need for a new secondary school until September 2017. We wait to hear what its plans are. Waltham Forest has risen to the challenges of growth and development so far, but it’s getting tougher. More cash has been made available but, alongside encouraging free schools, central government has made it more difficult for councils to take the lead in creating new schools of their own. Crucially, creating inclusive, local schools also depends on the support of parents. Schools bring children and their families together and play a big part in building a strong community. The pressure is building and we need to work together to find the right solution for Waltham Forest.
Comment 11 11
Issue One – Summer 2014
Making Waltham Forest Home Amy Croome on learning to love her local area
I never wanted to end up in Waltham Forest. Boring suburbia, located just that a few miles too far from central London and cut off from all the action through the marshes. My house full of friends was the only island in the vast deserts of social and aesthetic nothingness of Walthamstow and Leytonstone. With nowhere to go, nothing to
discover and no one interesting to meet, I desperately wanted to leave but, like many 20-somethings, I found myself underemployed and priced out of more central London locations. Maybe I tired of my attitude and lack of enthusiasm or maybe I just realised that my dislike of Waltham Forest probably said more about me than that it did about the area. Either way, I started to try to give my new location a shot. At first, I discovered parks and swimming pools and pretty little streets I hadn’t walked down before: then came cafés, pubs, shops, galleries and markets. I started getting involved in local community projects – initially as a favour to a friend – and then for myself: one project and group leading to the next
one. Earlier this year, I interviewed 15 individuals from local community groups – all of these ‘community people’ forming a close network and offering inspiration. I got a local job. Slowly a whole world of things to do, people to meet and projects to get involved in – invisible for so long – began to reveal itself. I made amazing new friends. For the first time since moving from my small childhood village, I would bump into people I knew on the streets and on nights out. I was falling for Waltham Forest. I was finding a home. I urge everyone to get involved in local community projects. If you need any pointers, contact me at amy@socialspider.com or drop in to the Hornbeam, Voluntary Action Waltham Forest or the Mill for advice.
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Jumping ship? Tim BennettGoodman on leaving the voluntary sector to become a local councillor Last year I decided to put myself forward as a candidate in the 2014 local elections. Having worked for many years in the voluntary sector and chaired, pro bono, two major VCS organisations in Waltham Forest between 2005-14, I’d come to the conclusion that, with the voluntary sector being so closely allied to local government, my decision was something of a natural progression. Of course, I joked about being poacher turned gamekeeper, but friends pointed out that the two sectors can often be just flip sides of the same coin and I think there’s some truth in that. In recent years particularly, the sector has come to rely increasingly on local government for its funding and contracts, and taking public money necessarily entails negotiating complex contractual agreements complete with Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and rigorous monitoring processes. Whether this invariably leads to a healthy relationship is open to debate and it’s interesting to note a recent pragmatic return to grant-aiding, which places less onerous obligations on both sides. While chairing local arts council, Apex Arts (2005-8), I had councillors on my management committee and meetings were held in the Town Hall so it felt rather like a de facto council committee. Voluntary Action Waltham Forest (VAWF), on the other hand, had no councillors on its Board and the position felt more genuinely independent as a result. Nevertheless, VAWF received significantly larger sums of council funding than Apex Arts so the monitoring processes were more intensive and, latterly, fraught - especially so when painful staffing decisions hinged on the outcome. A mutual agreement regulating the relationship between the voluntary and public sectors exists in the shape of the Local Compact, which VAWF helped refresh in 2013 after ten years. This document is intended to ameliorate a relationship which can, in practice, sometimes be stressful and even acutely uncomfortable. So when, as a longstanding Labour Party member, the opportunity arose for me to stand for selection as a candidate in the local elections I reckoned my experience of dealing with the council, in good times and bad, coupled with having been a senior local government officer throughout the ‘90s, made this the ideal moment to look to a career move – albeit arguably a sideways one. Last autumn I was duly selected to stand as a Labour candidate for Higham Hill Ward in Walthamstow. Then the hard work really began. After months of pounding the pavements and knocking on doors throughout the dark winter evenings, the approach of polling day on 22 May came almost as a relief. Now, as a councillor, it seems to me that the voluntary and public sectors (especially when, as now, working against an overtly hostile central government - for all its pious, but essentially empty, words about Localism and the Big Society) are, and must remain, firm partners in the same enlightened enterprise – that of building a fairer, kinder and more equal society.
Tim Bennett-Goodman is a newly elected Labour councilor for Higham Hill ward.
12 Features
Village Festival is back
Waltham Forest Echo
Let us cultivate our garden
Amy Croome After 14 years of deafening silence the Walthamstow Village Festival returns this August in new colours. The Asian Centre, based in Orford Road, is leading the organisation of 2014’s revived festival, which takes placed on August 2nd. Monwara Ali from the Centre explains that the aim is “to bring the whole community together to reflect pride in the area and to celebrate diversity”. In its previous incarnation, The Village Festival was a hugely successful event for many years bringing local businesses, community groups, artists and musicians together. People travelled from surrounding boroughs and Essex to take part. “It was like a mini-Glastonbury” says Helen from the Village Toy Shop, who was in her early twenties when it was last on. There were people lying in the sunshine enjoying the music. Flossie of the Nags Head on Orford Road, who at past Village Festivals ran a cat stall, says the event was a little like Notting Hill Carnival. “Anyone I had ever met in my lifetime in the area was there”, says Flossie. There are many stories about why the Village Festival ended – divorce, money being stolen, properties broken into, residents complaining of the noise and litter. Consensus seems to be that it just became too massive and therefore out of control. The village has changed hugely since the last festival, with most shops having changed hands and many new residents in the area. There will be an indoor Makers’ Market inside the Asian Centre building and food and non-food stalls all along Orford Road and Vestry Road. The car parking area in front of Trelawney Close will be set up as a Children’s Area. The Vestry House Museum as well as the Welcome Centre on Vestry Road will be open to the public in support of the Festival. A Stage will be set up within the Vestry Playground, with a line up of 30 artists performing throughout the event. Check the listings section on page 14 for details on the event.
The Organiclea crew gather in the harvest
Marlene Barrett It’s a busy time of year for the Organiclea crew of volunteers and workers at Hawkwood Nursery in Chingford: there’s the Tuesday all day harvest of soft fruit, tomatoes, courgettes, beans and a whole range of salad leaves; then on Wednesday we pack over 200 bags of fruit and vegetables ready to be sent out across Waltham Forest by electric milkfloat and bicycle trailer. But we recently found time for a weekend away in a beautiful spot in Epping, which combined camping, open fire cooking and enjoying the sunshine with learning all about permaculture. What is permaculture? Ask this question of Graham Burnett, our tutor, and he will probably start by asking you the same question back, and you might answer isn’t it something to do with gardening? The answer is ‘yes but’… it’s much more than that. Permaculture is a design approach for living more lightly on the planet, rooted in an understanding of nature’s patterns and cycles. It is often associated with and used in gardening, but its insights and tools are applicable to all aspects of our lives.
Through observation of natural systems permaculture shows us how to design places, spaces and communities for us to live on the planet sustainably. Organiclea used permaculture principles and methods to design our operation when we took on Hawkwood Nursery. This meant spending time observing and mapping the land before we got too busy with day to day tasks to see the wood for the trees. And it meant time observing and mapping the people too – exploring who is here, who we’d like to work with and how we can create beneficial connections between our work and other community initiatives that help save time and effort, and bring people together. The word ‘permaculture’ comes from ‘permanent agriculture’ and ‘permanent culture’ - it is about living lightly on the planet, and making sure that we can sustain human activities for many generations to come, in harmony with nature. Permanence is not about everything staying the same. It’s about stability, about deepening soils and cleaner water, thriving communities in self-reliant regions, biodiverse agriculture and social justice, peace and abundance. It was great to invite a varied group
of Organiclea’s trainees, workers and volunteers, of different ages and backgrounds, to come together to share and learn more about
permaculture. But the spreading the word doesn’t stop there – Organiclea will be running an Introduction to Permaculture course in September (see listings on page 14). This two day course offers an overview of permaculture principles, design methods and processes, and an opportunity to see examples of permaculture design implemented at Organiclea’s Hawkwood Nursery site. September also sees the national Permaculture Convergence taking place in our neighbourhood, as people involved in permaculture projects from all over the UK come together in Gilwell Park, to share and learn and inspire each other. More details about this event at www.permaculture.org.uk. Organiclea is a workers’ cooperative based in the Lea Valley. We grow food, distribute food and plants, and support other people to grow food and enjoy the connections good feed creates. You can volunteer at our growing site and on our market stalls; join our box scheme; sell us your surplus produce or learn how to grow: find out more at www.organiclea.org.uk
Features 13 13
Issue One – Summer 2014
Waltham Forest Voices: (1) – Joyce Daniels Interview by Claire Landon
Hanging up the placards Caramel Quin on local residents welcoming ‘The Scene’ In mid November, ‘The Scene at Cleveland Place’ – that’s the fancy name for the development on the corner of Walthamstow High Street and Hoe Street – will open for business. The good news is this means we’ll have a working cinema in the borough for the first time in a decade, because The Scene includes a nine-screen Empire cinema. (The really good news is that it’s not at the expense of the old EMD/Granada cinema on Hoe Street – things are finally progressing to get it back into use as an entertainment venue too.) Money from the developers is also funding Hitchcock’s East End, a series of film screenings and events programmed by Create London and The Barbican. We’ll also get some restaurants, including Nando’s and Turtle Bay and a bunch of housing on top, including 50 new affordable homes. We certainly need affordable housing. Opinions differ on chain restaurants though, hence the huge support for a campaign to let Stoke Newington’s Yum Yum restaurant lease a unit at The Scene. Personally I’m just amused that Nando’s is taking the unit that used to be Kentucky Fried Chicken when it was the Arcade shopping centre. Plus ça change.
As residents of Cleveland Park Avenue and Cleveland Park Crescent, directly behind the site, we’ve had a keen interest in plans for more than 15 years now. There were plans for a shiny new library; they fell through but not before the old Arcade shopping centre was demolished. The site was rubble for years while other plans came and went. Most notably, residents successfully fought off plans for an ugly 18-storey tower block. One fun protest, that made the BBC and ITV news, included kids in fancy dress throwing rotten tomatoes at effigies of the building and its prospective tenants. But our placards have been hung up for the time being. Residents are working with The Scene’s developers to push for quality and detail that will make the development as good as possible for Walthamstow. The placards will come out in force the next time someone turns up with aggressive tower block plans though... Caramel Quin, Chair, Cleveland Park Residents’ Association • For info on The Scene and Hitchcock’s East End visit thescenewalthamstow.co.uk • For info on the EMD/Granada visit savewalthamstowcinema.org
Born in Hackney and resident in Walthamstow since 1936, Joyce Daniels (née Gerrard), 85, has lived on Howard Road, E17 since 1968. “Walthamstow has changed so much since I moved here. Everyone looked down on me when I came – it was posh here, and people thought that the wave of Cockneys moving in from Hackney would ruin the place and turn it into London.” Church Hill was home to fine tailors serving the poshest people, and Hoe Street had few cars, but a neverending stream of buses and trolley buses. Walking down the High Street was “everyone’s dream. There were fish stalls lit up at night, cockles and everything you could possibly want – it was beautiful, and people came from all over to visit this famous market.” As a newcomer – first to furnished rooms on Barrett Road (now renamed Warwick Road) and then to a large, shared house on Prospect Hill (later knocked down to build flats), Joyce had to learn the local, more countrified accent to fit in but she quickly adjusted to the slower pace of life and cleaner air. She enjoyed walks with her parents along the River Lea – something she continued with her future husband Eddie. A Walthamstow native himself, he is now buried at the other end of the Lea Valley near Waltham Abbey. Having spread to the outskirts of a much larger London metropolitan area, her three daughters, eleven grandchildren and greatgrandchildren and all of their assorted partners – converge each Saturday in her garden to catch up and enjoy a barbeque when the weather is good. Times now are certainly easier than they were when Joyce was growing up, she says. Born a twin – a triplet was stillborn – she had two older sisters. Part of the
Bearfields ham and gammon producing family, they lived with her grandmother, aunties and children in a corner house on Tresham Avenue near St John’s Church in Hackney. Joyce was evacuated to Bedfordshire during the war. The youngest three sisters took a train out of London after school one day and their mother was only able to visit once a year for the three years they were away. The girls “lived on a farm and enjoyed every minute of it”, leaving them unprepared for the scary move back to London when they turned 14, old enough to work. Despite the move back to Clapton and the start of the doodle bugs, “people were friendly and there was a good atmosphere, we all looked after each other.” It was through a friend at one of her first jobs – at the Cork Manufacturing Company on Hall Lane in Chingford – that she met her future husband. Dating on and off for
ten years, writing letters during his few years posted to Jerusalem, he finally proposed at the Granada Cinema. “I didn’t believe him, and the people in the next row burst out laughing”. But he meant it, and Joyce and Eddie got married on Christmas Day in 1952 near Upper Clapton. “It was beautiful, with the choir and Christmas tree”, says Joyce. The reception followed at her mother’s house nearby, with a Bearfield uncle providing under the counter meat, guests contributing what they could, and Eddie’s mother playing the piano. Today, Joyce spends her time looking after Bo, a 3-year old cocker spaniel, tending her front and back gardens and enjoying time with the next three generations of her expanding family. Walthamstow, now well within London’s city limits, is itself turning over to the next generation, says Joyce: “It will be completely different from the past.”
HAVE YOUR SAY – Have you got some points to make about what's going on in Waltham Forest? Why not write a letter for Waltham Forest Echo’s letters page. Letters should be up to 300 words. Email to WFEcho@socialspider.com
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Waltham Forest Echo
Writing for Waltham Forest Echo – Guidelines What are we looking for? News stories – up to 300 words – short pieces about what local charities and community groups have been doing over the last 3 months or will be doing in the next 3 months Features – 500–1000 words – feature articles about local charities and community groups: how they started, who’s involved and what they’re making happen Interviews – up to 1000 words – interviews with people running organisations and campaigns in the local area Opinion – 300–500 words – short columns on things you’re really happy or really angry about.
What should I do if want to write something? If you’ve got an idea for something you’d like to write, please get in touch with the editorial team. We will respond within 1 week (if not sooner). Why can’t I just write my article and send it in? You can do but it’s better if you contact us first so that we don’t get five people writing a feature about the same thing and no one writing about everything else. When is the deadline for the next issue? The deadlines for contributions to the first issue are: Features/Interviews/ Opinion/Reviews – Friday 12th September 2014 News/Listings/Letters – Friday 19th September 2014
Reviews – 300–500 words – reviews of local arts events, theatre productions, film screenings or books with particular local relevance
Is there any payment? No. We’re not currently able to offer payment to writers.
Letters – up to 250 words – short opinions on what’s going on in the local area
Will my article be edited before it’s published? Yes. Letters will only be edited for length and clarity. Any other contributions will be edited as part of the process of putting together the newspaper.
Listings – up to 100 words – information on upcoming events and ongoing services providing by local charities and community groups. Key points to include: What it is, when it’s happening, where it’s happening, who it’s for, how much it costs (if applicable) This list is intended as a guide. If you’ve got an idea for something else, let us know.
Who do I contact if I want to write something? Send an email to WFEcho@socialspider.com with the subject heading ‘Autumn issue’ explaining what you’d like to write about.
Waltham Forest Echo
READER SURVEY
Summer 2014
Waltham Forest Echo is a quarterly community newspaper for the London Borough of Waltham Forest 10,000 copies of each issue are distributed via shops and community spaces Editor: David Floyd Deputy Editor: Amy Croome Production Editor: Martin Parker Writers: Simon Munk, Amina Ahmed, Alice Spawls, Aslam Handa, Hannah Lamdin, Ed Swan, James Cracknell, Geoff Ellis, Tim Bennett-Goodman, Marlene Barratt, Caramel Quin, Claire Landon Thanks to: The Mill, Trevor Duberry at Leyton Orient Trust, Canon Steven Saxby, Sarah Kinso Advertising: If your organisation is interested in advertising in Waltham Forest Echo, call 020 8521 7956 or WFEcho@socialspider.com or see guidelines on page 10 Waltham Forest Echo is published by Social Spider CIC on behalf of WFWellComm CIC, a social enterprise formed by charities and social enterprises based in the borough The member organisations of WFWellComm CIC are: Age UK Waltham Forest, Community Transport Waltham Forest, HEET, Learning Disability Experience, Social Spider CIC, Streetlife Radio CIC WFWellComm Management Board: Sheena Dunbar (Age UK Waltham Forest), David Floyd (Social Spider CIC), Stanton Lafoucade (Streetlife Radio CIC), Tom Ruxton (HEET), Helen Tredoux (Community Transport Waltham Forest), Ann Weekes (Learning Disability Experience) Waltham Forest Echo Social Spider CIC The Mill, 7–11 Coppermill Lane Walthamstow, London E17 7HA WFEcho@socialspider.com www.walthamforestecho.co.uk
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Listings 15 15
Issue One – Summer 2014
Listings AUGUST
Portfolio Bar – Pop-up Bar / 2nd August Evening Bar in an unusual location near Walthamstow Village. Exciting home made cocktails, beers and ciders. Eclectic music and warm atmosphere. Check our website for details: portfoliobar.co.uk
Festival in the Village / Sat. 2nd August, Orford Road and Vestry Road, 1–6pm Join us for a day of summer fun in Walthamstow’s famously pretty village. A free community festival of music, arts, procession, stalls, Indoor Makers Market, food and games for everyone young to old. With a Youth Talent Show (tickets required) in the Asian Centre from 7.30pm. Free: walthamstowfestival@gmail.com villagefestival.wordpress.com Noor Ul Islam Family Summer Fete / Sunday 24th and Bank Holiday Monday 25th August At the Leyton Sports Group, Crawley Road, Leyton London, E10 6PY Rides, Entertainment, BBQ and great stalls / From 11:30am–6:30pm Entry £2 per person per day. Please use public transport to arrive: Buses 69 or 97
SEPTEMBER
climbing structures, walkways and ropes that lead to a story den, natural music-making space, weather station and slides. Much of the upper level is accessible to children of all abilities.
Ongoing
Come and get involved in the growing and food distribution work at Organiclea’s market garden. Inductions take place on 1st Wednesday and 3rd Friday of the month, 11am–4pm. Check website for details www.organiclea.org.uk
Organic Lea – Introduction to Permaculture / Sat. 20 Sept and Sat. 27 Sept. 9.30am–5.30pm, Hawkwood Nursery Permaculture is a design approach for living more lightly on the planet, rooted in an understanding of nature’s patterns and cycles. Although often associated with gardening, its insights and tools are applicable to all aspects of our lives. Two day course. Cost £120/£80/ £40. More details and booking at www.organiclea.org.uk
OCTOBER
Stowtellers / St Mary’s Church, every second Monday of the month, 7.30pm ‘Stowtellers’, the Walthamstow Storytelling club, is a new club to hit our town. We tell, shout, cry, bawl our stories out. The stories are from once upon a time. That time could be thousands of years ago, or hundreds or within living memory. We tell myths, legends, and folk tales – any tales. Stowtellers tell stories to adults, like they used to and like many cultures still do today. We tell the those stories handed down from the past to be told in the present to guide our future. Transition Leytonstone – Monthly Green Drinks / 15th of every month 8pm at The Walnut Tree
Permaculture within diverse communities / October 2014 Principles and tools to regenerate our land and enrich our groups. 1-day taster workshop at The Mill (part of Grow Your Idea at The Mill, Walthamstow) With this workshops at the Mill, we are keen to invite Walthamstow residents to take part in a learning journey that will open up further ways to work together effectively, to recognise our differences and our common ground, and to discover how permaculture approaches can support our desires to build ever more creative, peaceful and productive relationships between each other and our environment – in the context of our real lives in Walthamstow. Led by experienced facilitators Muzammal Hussain and Shumaisa Khan (Routes of Wholeness) and local community herbalist Rasheeqa Ahmad (Hedge Herbs). Further details from: www.hedgeherbs.org.uk
Transition Leytonstone is a community initiative which aims to make Leytonstone the best and most sustainable place to be. We care about the environment – and each other. We aim to inspire people to start projects, run events, and develop new schemes. An opportunity to gather and meet similarly minded folk for drinks and friendly banter.
Waltham Forest Cycle Campaign / (1) Our monthly meetings are held on the 2nd Wednesday each month. All our meetings are held at the Hornbeam Centre, 458 Hoe St, Walthamstow, E17 9AH 8–9:30pm Join us for our regular monthly meeting where we discuss our local cycle campaigning such as residential cycle parking, the council’s plans to make our roads safer for cyclists, and London-wide initiatives. Everyone is welcome, but only LCC members can vote (2) Monthly Ride We meet every fourth Sunday of the month. The rides assemble from 10am for a 10.15am start outside Walthamstow Library. We have a few routes lined up and usually decide distance and destination on the day according to what people prefer. We ride leisurely suited to the wishes of participants. We usually stay within 30 miles and sometimes considerably shorter. We tend to be back by 3pm and always have a snack stop somewhere.
Organic Lea – Open days at Hawkwood Nursery / Last Sunday of the month, 12–4pm 115 Hawkwood Crescent, Chingford, E4 7UH. Join Organiclea on our monthly open day to buy plants (August & September), take part in seasonal horticultural tasks or just look around this beautiful 12 acre market garden site. Simple lunch cooked by the Hornbeam Café using our produce is available. Details and transport directions at www.organiclea.org.uk
Opening Ceremony Grow Wild Space / 6 September, Grow Wild Space, Lloyd Park, 3–5pm Parents with children need to wear appropriate shoes. The Centre’s Grow Wild space is the new adventure playground that’s been built next to the existing main Lloyd Park playground. The space was designed to encourage outdoors play and experience of nature, with elements of managed risk. Above the tunnels and beach are now
Volunteer inductions at Hawkwood Nursery
Waltham Forest Echo Waltham Forest Echo Editorial Meeting Meeting – monthly at The Mill Would you like to get involved in Waltham Forest Echo? Come along to meet the editors and contributors of the community newspaper. Further details: www.walthamforestecho.co.uk
(3) Walthamstow Family Bike Club We meet every 2nd Sunday of the month at 1pm at Orford Road/ Church Lane junction E17 for a relaxed and enjoyable afternoon exploring the nooks and crannies around Walthamstow. We will visit a cafe later in the ride, may stop along the way for a picnic snack, and so apart from a bicycle and any children you can round up, bring some water and something to eat. The maximum distance we do is 15 miles for the round trip, but as its tailored to the abilities of those who turn up, it is often be considerably shorter. We aim to get back no later than 6pm in the summer, and 5pm in the winter.
Portfolio Bar – Free workspace Every Tuesday from 29th July 10am-–6pm. Free Workspace with Wi-Fi, tea, coffee, home-made delicious cakes and lunch. If you are tired of working from home, libraries or cafes, try our new free workspace for individuals and small groups. Meet other freelancers, people working on projects, self-starters, creatives, job-seekers and entrepreneurs. Check our website for location details: portfoliobar.co.uk.
Next issues listings: To have you your event or activity listed in the next issue of Waltham Forest Echo email the details: Date, Type of Event, Title of Event, Venue/Address, Short description, Time, Cost and Contact Information to WFEcho@socialspider.com by Friday 19th September 2014.
Sport
16 By James Cracknell
C
HRIS Dagnall stood there just staring ahead at the goal, unable to move. Barely five yards behind him, out of sight but not out of earshot, was a mass of joyous Rotherham United players and staff sprawled all over the Wembley turf. With the help of two of his teammates, Dagnall was finally dragged away from the scene of Orient’s devastating denouement. The most memorable season in O’s recent history had begun with a 5–1 thumping of Carlisle United, but ended with a tame penalty kick at Wembley. And with it, the hopes and dreams of 24,000 fans were crushed. But there’s always next season, right? The fear among fans, of course, is that this was as it good as it might get. Both Orient’s Wembley goalscorers, Moses Odubajo and Dean Cox, are widely rumoured to be attracting the interest of Premier League and Championship clubs. Between them the pair scored 29 goals last season and losing both would seriously weaken Russell Slade’s team. Last year Orient started with eight straight league victories. They were top of the league in February but had to settle for third place after a poor run of form in March. They beat Peterborough in the play-off semi finals to set up the clash at Wembley against Rotherham. Two first-half goals from the aforemen-tioned wide men put Orient 2-0 up. Alas, it wasn’t to be. The O’s players still went on their
Reflections of a “fair weather” Orient fan
end-of-season trip to Las Vegas, promised by former owner Barry Hearn as reward for reaching the play-offs. Expectations are now sky high. Average attendances grew last year by 36 percent and the club had to ask Wembley for extra tickets after selling out their initial 20,000 allocation for the play-off final. A slow start in 2014–15 could
dent confidence after such a painful end to 2013–14. Will those new fans stick around if Orient drop back into mid-table, the position they had occupied for so many years previously? I’m probably well placed to
answer that question, since I am one of those “new” fans myself. Some might even describe me as “fair
weather” since I only began watching Orient with any regularity after they reached the top of the table. My support for the O’s probably began on that February day in 2011 when Jonathan Tehoue blasted in a last-minute equaliser against Arsenal in the FA Cup. I was watching in the Northcote Arms on Grove Green Road, and felt compelled to rise-up and celebrate along with the rest of the pub as the goal went in. On such moments can lifelong loyalties be born, and I was on the pitch at the end of the Peterborough game, applauding the lads long into the night. I went to Wembley and I even persuaded my girlfriend and her daughter - “I hate football” - to go along too. Now that I am settled in the area, supporting Orient comes naturally to me. It is a reflection of the pride I feel for living in this part of East London. The club is well run and feels much more accessible and fan-friendly than those of a greater stature in higher divisions. The tickets are still reasonably priced and the players obviously care about the club, rather than just the size of their wage packets. It also helps that I have loathed West Ham for several years, which their selfish move to the Olympic Stadium will only serve to compound. So don’t worry, O’s die-hards. I’ll be back next season, whatever the weather. This club has my backing, come rain or shine.