In that rain! And E20 roads named.

In that rain the pensioners came in their droves to the Festival for Over Fifties at the Goan Community centre next to the Maya Angelou Centre next to the Keston Community Centre behind the Downhills Park Cafe. It was chuckin’ it down today.

 A jolly good time was had by all with dancing of all types to see performed by Candy’s troupe all doing belly dancing, clog-dancing, African Dance etc and all over 55.

Up Your Street was there dishing out free bags, perfumed soaps and all sorts to jolly along the day. Because ……. ….. it!”

It’s on until 5pm so you can catch it but you missed the generous dinner.

 There too were The Friends of Downhills Park who had a petition to bring back staff into the park as it’s going downhill. And gathering herbs in the rain was the cook of Downills Park Cafe!

Diamond Geezer tells me the TFL map shows the named roads for the Olympic Village E20!

And One Day I Will Say

One day I will say “I helped make those curtains!” Today I never really knew what I’d be doing in a workshop called “Patchwork Jeans”; it was better than I thought. At the Mill, Jenny showed us the beautiful denim curtains she’d made earlier, the pile of old blue jeans and the four Singer old style sewing machines.”Get creative ! I’ll make the tea for 50p”.

We appliqued our cut-outs onto the massive curtains, which will be hung on the massive Mill windows in Coppermill Lane E17, at a ferocious speed! Two more sessions to go.

Very relaxing and creative.

Up Your Street issue 34

                                              

(all correct at time of uploading )

 

 Logo designed by Leopold Naessens.

 

 

Tues   Aug 23rd  free  2.30-3.15pm “Working Wonders” shop. Arteast @ Bromley By Bow

                                 Central Cafe, St.Leonard’s St E3. Be inspired, and spend your silver!

 

Thurs  Aug  25th  fiver  7.30pm The Tottenham Chances, N17 the legendary

                             John Arthur from Walthamstow plays guitar and sings his own songs.

                           free  (phone for time on 0208 4891419) Hornsey Library, Crouch End N.8. Fun

                             Make your swim cap a la 1950s with recycled materials.Just turn up.

                           free  10-noon The Mill E17. Patchworking your jeans workshop.

                           £5   cash on door. 8pm .Dalston Eastern Curve Garden. Live acoustic duo.

 

Fri     Aug  26th    free 1-3pm Spitalfields tea dance.  Crispin Place E1

                           free  10-noon The Mill E17 Knitting workshop. 

                           free  2-4pm       ”    ”    ”   Drawing lessons for adults.

                             morning session for Open Stage 2012 volunteers at Stratford

                                                                            east Theatre Royal. 

 

Sat    Aug  27th   free  noon-6pm Dalston Eastern Curve Garden, Dalston Junction.

                                   Family day with stalls, plants etc. What a beautiful oasis!

                          free   11-noon Mary Katherine Presents on Streetlife Radio.

                                  Silver Sounds, meditation, thoughts and

                                  your emails.  (online community radio)

 

Sun Aug  28th   free   2-4pm Skiffle in the park! Coronation Gardens E10

 

Wed  Aug 31st   free   1.10-1.40pm St John’s Church Stratford E15. recital with

                                                                              Violin, piano and voice.

                         free 10.30-11.30 am Coffee and cake book club at Hackney Central Library

                                                                   discuss “The Finckler Question” All welcome.*

 

Thurs Sept 1st   free     6-7.30   Hackney Museum “Olympic Cities” Photographic

                               adventure. Another lovely venue with refreshments as well.

 

Fri    Sept 2nd   free   6-9pm Chats Palace, Brooksby’s Walk, Homerton, Hackney

                                  Preview of photographic exhibition.”1985-2011″

                                    Contact Chats Palace for invite.

Sat  Sept 3rd     free   10-4pm The Mill Coppermill Lane E17. Art exhibition launch.

                         free    noon  “Magic Memories” of Granada Cinema E17 at The Mill

                                                                                             Coppermill Lane E17

                         ticket bargains for first night of Stratford east Theatre Royal’s

                                                                                “A Clockwork Orange”.

 

Sun   Sept  4th  free   noon, more “Magic Memories” as above.

                        free   2-4pm  “Unearthed” at Warton House, 150 Stratford High st E15.

                              Family party launching exhibition about the history of Carpenters

                              Road’s artists. Book 02089816811

 

Mon Sept 5th   free   10-noon   Stoke Newington Library. Carol Davies from Age UK

                                gives a talk about Disability Back Up, Hackney. Refreshmenets too.

————————————————————————————————–

* The Book Brunchers at Sutton House, E5 are reading Calvino’s “Invisible Cities”.

  The Mill in Coppermill Lane has many events. Ask them.

Artfunder Pass (for cheap entry to art galleries and museums ) is doing a special deal on direct debit membership starting Sept 1st.

 

 

 

.

 

                                             

drawing at The Mill, Coppermill Lane

Went to The Mill today in the former St James Library
                                            Coppermill Lane, bottom end of Walthamstow Market,E17.

 This is a new community hub which opened on August 6th and still smells of the new wood. Excellent welcome and a load of events coming up. Look out for

 Up Your Street bulletins.

The W12 goes to the door and 158 and 58 go past the Oxfam Shop nearby. Disabled accessible.

 

 I joined the free art drawing class with Sergio. Well that was great. I also walked to the venue from Lea Bridge Rd through The Black Path and Low Hall Wood (conservation area). It’s amazing! What was rubbish ground composed of ignored trees and brushwood is now precious…. and re-named. I shall call the route “The Housewives Way” because in the thirties all the wives on the new residential housing estate nearby took their baskets and coppers every Thursday morning and went through the cut to Walthamstow Market, formerly Marsh Lane  E17. Today it was quiet.I saw berry-laden elderberry branches. My dad used to make elderberry wine in the fifties from the tree fruit in Coldfall Playing Fields, Muswell Hill. When I got to Coppermill Lane I went left instead of right as I didn’t really know the place and ended up marching in the heat past the Canada Geese towards the Thames Water lot where Copper Mill stands. There’s always a jogger or a cyclist about so got my correct directions and turned around in time to board the W12 bus to The Mill. Quaint bus service eh? Hail and Ride. I just loved today’s adventure. “Living my life like it’s golden”.

          After the art class I wended my way into the market. Weirdly quiet for a Friday, possibly because of Ramadan.

 

issue 33 of Up Your Street

                                                   Up Your Streetissue 33

(all correct at time of uploading)

Sun Aug 21st     free   11-4pm  Chatsworth Rd, Lower Clapton Sunday market

 

                                free   7pm “A Narrative in Rhythm” tales at Open The Gate

                                                                                 Stoke Newington Rd

                         free   7.45pm Tower Hamlets Cemetery,Southern Grove Bow E3

                                          Bat watching (credit IanVisits for info)

 

Mon Aug 22nd   free “Quilt of Nations” Exhibition by East End Hamlets Art

                                                         Group at 1000 Dockside Rd E16

                        free   6.30pm Canada Square Park ,Canary Wharf.

                                B&W silent film with piano accompaniment. Just turn up.

Tues Aug   23rd free   Museum Maker exhibition at Valentine’s Mansion

                                                       in Ilford (ongoing exhibition)

                             free   Hackney Central Lib “Hats, Masks and Headgear ” exhibition.

                             free    ”    ”     ”      ”     ”    2-3pm John Hegley invites all.

 

Wed  Aug  24th  free   7pm Canada Square Park “Bootleg Beatles” tribute band

                        free   10.30-4pm The Sharp End. Summer Bazaar Richmond Rd

                              Dalston E8 (Thanks to Susan of Clapton for sharing that) 

                                    free   2-4pm Bruce Castle Museum Haringey. 

                             Making a 1950s swim cap using recycled materials.

                                                                  (no need to book) 

Thurs Aug 25th   free    2-8pm The Floating Cinema Just turn up at Gillender St

                             at Bow Locks E3 (Bromley By Bow tube sta)

                        free   6.30pm Central Park E6  Jazz Night, Under The Stars,

                                                                                           Newham.

                         £3    7pm Whitechapel Gallery. A talk with film clips for

                                “The Beach Beneath The Street”.Best to book.

                        free until September Whitechapel Gallery(closed Mondays) 

                                                       Government Art Exhibition

Fri    Aug  26th   free     11-5pm Festival for Over Fifties with the

                                Goan Community in Keston Rd N17 6PW ,Haringey

                       free     1-3pm Spitalfields tea dance. Crispen St, E1

                       free     6.30pm “Under The Stars” Eastern Beats.

                                                             Central Park E6

                       free      6.30pm St Mary’s Community Centre Upper St

                             (by Angel)  Hosted by Stuart Low Trust. A  Zumba taster.

                                                                                  Free refreshments.

****************************************************************** 

Stratford Circus E15  free book swap in foyer.

Sutton House Homerton High Rd  2nd hand books for sale. Excellent bargains.

Pages Bookshop, Lower Clapton has a bargain book shelf too.

Salvation Army, Lower Clapton Rd ”     ”       ”       ”       ”        ” 

 

                                

Coming soon   Coffee, cake and reading group at Hackney Central Library,                  Stokey Library ‘Disability back up’ talk  “Unearthed” an art exhibition, Olympic Cities, a photographic exhibition,   Afro hair day,  Sutton House Scribblers writing group

 

 

Bombsites and Lollipops

Book Brunchers is strengthening. It hardly represents the diverse Hackney I know and love but hey we’re in Sutton House, off the beaten track. I enjoyed the hot chocolate for £1.90 from the cafe. “Do you want cream and marshmallows?” “Do I!” Mmm. That was my brunch.

 Jacky Hyams came to talk about her new non-fiction book “Bombsites and Lollipops”. Very lively Q&A with a great woman who maintains her working class roots and honesty. Pretty refreshing in our  Hackney at present. It was interesting to hear how she’d walked back to her old neighbourhoods and seen the changes and felt nothing. Remember Ascot geysers, tins of salmon and all those presents of boxes of Cadbury’s chocolates? There was a shared history in the packed room.

I recommended that we enjoy and pull to pieces Calvino’s “Invisible Cities” next month. I met Toby O’Connor an arts graduate involved in a project at The Games site which uses Calvino’s poetic work as an inspiration. Very exciting and relevant. We are reading it.

The marshmallows knocked me into tiredness and all my plans for the day swam around my tired head. The heavens opened . It was dark at 4pm!

Stratford Picture House east London Silver Screen

Packed on Wednesday. Seniors enjoyed 2 films for a fiver plus tea and coffee and bicuits galore. Absolutely lovely.  They watched “Rise of the Planet of The Apes” and swiftly moved into Screen 4 for the French film “Sarah’s Key”.

In a month’s time the Vue opens in E20 with 17 screens. (Bollywood, 3D, family films, children’s films , digital screens etc etc). Obviously we’ll all try for the opening offers to have a peak inside. Meanwhile Stratford Picture House will up its game with more arty farty and quirky films allegedly. There is a solid base of fans anyway at the Picture House and the Silver Screeners will be persistent loyal comers. Why wouldn’t they as the price is right? The staff are welcoming and jolly too. That alone makes a huge difference as to whom returns again and again.

Stratford Picture House, Stratford Circus and Theatre Royal Stratford east are a strong unit of shared purposes in the Theatre Square previously called The Cultural Quarter. Watch out for the Picture House and Theatre with promotional freebies at The Stratford Summer Festival on Saturday 20th August in Stratford Park, West Ham Rd E15. The park is gorgeous anyway so well worth a look in. And of course on Sundays at Coronation Gardens by Leyton Station is a free music bonanza at 2pm. That park was dire before but is upgraded  now to magnificence.

Become a founder member yet of Hackney Picture House? Your name on the screen? Tempt you? And your concessions membership card is valid at Stratford Picture House too.

£5 for a bacon roll? Booked for Open House @Olympic Park too!

I had a first class experience at the Basketball Arena hosted by London Prepares. Watched the match between Australia and China. Whoever knew the ticket allowed us to stay all day but never mind. The whole event was happy, like a McDonalds advert. Even the security guards, bag-checkers and ushers were smiling and everything was laid on perfectly from Alma Road in Stratford right into the auditorium.

On the way in there were eateries with platters of Chinese snacks, French crusty bread take-aways, coffee stalls, right good chips, and bacon rolls for a fiver.

I thought it was all along the lines of the O2

In the break along came a group of street-dancers onto the court. Lucky them. They certainly entertained us. Bravo boys!

The place was about a fifteenth full . The crowd hardly reflected the multi-cultural society  in which we live especially around Newham and Waltham Forest. People of all ages had come along. There were even babes in arms. I was just behind Hackney London 2012 Youth Ambassadors marked out by their emblazoned logos. What an opportunity for those youngsters. And an unforgettable experience too.

The match was ace; well we are talking top sportspeople. Just great. For a tenner I had a nice afternoon out. That was the concession price.

  

With dogged persistence, Up Your Street obtained 6 …   6!   places  for the Open House Olympic Tours Weekend 10 th and 11th  September 2011 for Up Your Street subscribers. The phone- lines were jammed solid as well on Monday. Phew! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Up Your Street issue 33 on its way. Loads to get to and the Stratford Summer Festival is already in your diaries for Saturday. 

 

 

 

 

 

successes

Last week some Up Your Street subscribers went along to Valentine’s Mansion in Ilford for the jewellery-making with recycled wrapping paper. Wow! Lovely results.

Some people took part in the 3 week cake-decorating taster course at The Vicarage Road Community Centre in Stratford. That was ace. Part of going along is not just to learn new skills or refresh them but to mix in with other residents, to get to know each other and to go on to other things. At the last workshop we learnt that Newham has fat grants to give out if people get together and arrange a workshop. And a Newham Residents Group is getting off the ground. All positive. On Saturday August 20th  at The Stratford Summer Festival, Stratford Park, the cake- decorating taster tutor will demonstrate easy to learn skills. Be prepared to carry home sugar- laden fairy cakes for tea.

Me? I’m waiting for the women only visit to a famous football pitch as it is the season. The “Get men healthy brigade” gave out trips to men… aah bless..Well, equality then. We women are waiting. Last week the Irish Women’s reading group in Church Street, Stokey, folded . No more funding see.  Put the word ‘recycled’ at top of your bid and see money fall into your lap. “Recycled” is the new “Urban”. There’s a load of programmes (timely) on Mainstream TV presently all about “Urban Culture”. Hmm. Who is the target audience? The Hip Hop beginnings programme was excellent. it all repeats so I’ll advertise it on my listings.

Spent anxious moments on the phone trying to get Open House tickets for tours around the Games Park E20. Continually engaged. Even BT had to leave a recorded message to say the network is having problems. You’re tellin’ me! Keep smiling. The sun doth shine.

healing tea

Tea on Clarence Road today at 5pm one week on in Hackney. Meet 4.30pm at

St John At Hackney Church in Lower Clapton Rd Hackney. E5 to help carry tables.

Supported by Marks and Spencers and other excellent businesses in Hackney.