Come along to Hanwell heritage and local history drop-in meetings on the first Saturday of each month. Next meeting is Saturday 4th october 11am-1pm and 2-4pm at Hanwell Library in Cherington Road.
The Council wants your views on street drinking, sale of alcohol and late-night entertainment
I think without doubt that West Ealing Neighbours has had more questions about street drinking and 24-hours off-licences than anything else since we were set up eight years ago. For West Ealing, the single biggest cause for concern is probably having two 24-hour off licences within almost 100 metres of one another and right by Dean Gardens. The Council’s draft policy recognises the problems caused by the availability of alcohol and the impact this has on street drinking but the key question is will anything be done about it?
The Council’s presumption seems to have been to grant nearly all alcohol licence applications regardless of how many off-licences are already in an area. The draft policy talks about Cumulative Impact Areas where granting any new alcohol licences could make matters worse and the Council being able to refuse any new applications on this basis. West Ealing high street would surely be such an area and this new policy would be of some help in stopping the spread of off-licences. The best way to get something done is to make your views heard. By all means tell us what you think – is there a problem and what can and should be done about it? But also, have a look at the Council’s draft policy and complete their online questionnaire
New monthly antique and vintage market to open in The Avenue on Sat 27th Sept
One of the vintage inspired dresses from regular West Ealing stallholder Clarence and Alabama
A new monthly antique and vintage market is to open in The Avenue in West Ealing on Saturday 27th September. It will be on the stretch of pavement near The Drayton Court Hotel and will run from 9am -5pm. It will be on the last Saturday of each month through to March with extended hours in December. It’s all part of a trial run to encourage people to shop locally and if it’s successful it will be continued.
New Syrian restaurant Abu Zaad just opened in West Ealing
It’s taken a while for the fit-out to be finished but Abu Zaad is now open. I think it’s the third of its kind with one in Shepherd’s Bush and one in Edgware Road. Has anyone tried it yet as it would be great to hear people’s views?
Free cooking lessons for all the family at West Ealing SoundBite Festival on Saturday Sept 13th
We’ve got some great free, fun cooking activities for all the family at the SoundBite Festival in Dean Gardens on Saturday 13th September.
Kids Tent: Come and join the fun with children and parents cooking together:
13.00 – 13.45 Veggie wraps
14.00 – 14.45 Crumble-in-a-bag
16.00 – 16.25 Making a simple curry paste from fresh ingredients
Cook Tent: For adults this time, some simple, budget-conscious and healthy meals to cook for yourself and your family:
13.00 – 14.00 Chicken and vegetable stir fry with rice/egg noodles
14.30 – 15.30 Lamb and vegetable kebabs served with couscous and spicy sauce
16.00 – 17.00 Chicken and vegetable stir fry with rice/egg noodles
Full details of the event are on our website
Follow us on Twitter@SoundBiteEaling
Get ready for West Ealing’s SoundBite Festival in Dean Gardens on Saturday 13th Sept from 12noon
This year’s SoundBite Festival in Dean Gardens is looking good. We’re concentrating everything in Dean Gardens this time round. The event starts at 12noon and the music runs through until 10pm. Get ready for a great day out.
Music
- TJ ‘Holyboy’ Johnson
- Nostalgia Steel Band
- Bob Knight and Risky Business
- Son Yambu (salsa)
- Jacob and Goliath
- Du Bellows
- Azadeh
- Phil Odgers of The Men They Couldn’t Hang
Children’s activities:
• Funfair rides
• Steel band workshops
• Family cookery classes
• Pedal-powered smoothie maker
Cookery demonstrations
Craft stalls including local honey, Abundance produce, hand-made fragrances and silver jewellery
Community information stalls including local history exhibition, Dr Bike, Neighbourhood Forum
Hot food stalls and beer tent – hog roast from Grasmere Farm (from farmers’ market), jerk chicken from Café Silva and sushi, noodles and more from Sumo
Find out the latest at www.soundbitefestival.org
Resident fined for cutting branches off a street tree
I saw this story on the Ealing Today website whereby a man was seen cutting branches off a street tree in Perivale. He was seen, reported, charged with, and found guilty of, criminal damage and then fined £2,400. I have to say that’s a pretty hefty fine but I was pleasantly surprised that the Council took the vandalism seriously. Similar vandalism has happened near us in a street in West Ealing. I don’t think anyone saw it happen but it’s worth knowing that if there’s sufficient evidence the Council will take action.
WEN Abundance – Pesky parakeets pinch our apples!
Indian ring-necked parakeets – possible apple-eating culprits
There are all sorts of theories about how these Indian Ring-Necked parakeets came to this country – from escaping off the set of The African Queen being filmed at Shepperton Studios in 1951 to Jimi Hendrix releasing them in Carnaby Street in the 1960s. In the last few years their distinctive screeching has been a common sound and we’ve seen some in our back garden. They love to perch right at the top of trees even when the flimsy twigs there barely seem strong enough to hold their weight. However, this year it seems they have taken a fancy to apples.
When we last visited the community orchard there looked to be a decent apple crop. When we went back to start picking we wondered where all the apples had gone? Gone to the parakeets is where they’ve gone. The owner of April Cottage next door to the orchard told us that he has seen parakeets eating the apples this year. They sit right at the top and work their way down. All part of living with nature I guess. Still, we hope to find enough apples from other trees to send some batches off for pressing in to apple juice.
We’re always keen to hear from people who want to volunteer to help with Abundance or who have surplus fruit they’re keen to see put to good use. Whichever it is you can contact us at wenabundance@gmail.com
And watch out for our stall at the SoundBite Festival in Dean Gardens on Saturday 13th September where we’ll have elderflower cordial, apple juice and chutneys on sale – all handmade from local produce.
Get your skates on – Rolladome is coming to West Ealing from Sat 16th August
Roller-skating is coming to Dean Gardens from 16th – 29th August
- Open-skating family sessions
- Adult lunchtime skating sessions
- Sessions for beginners and intermediaries
- Hockey, Roller Derby, Speed Skating and more
Then come 7pm it will transform in to a Roller Disco. Over 12 themed nights the Rolladome comes alive with a selection of West London’s finest DJs playing great music for you to rollerskate and dance to.
Find out more – www.facebook.com/W13getsrolling
New pop-up cafe coming to Green Man Lane Estate next week
Every now and then I take a walk by the ever-changing Green Man Lane Estate to see what’s happening. I’m particularly interested in what’s going to happen in the community cafe. And at last there’s something happening. A pop-up cafe is opening next week. It’s run by Coco Labelle who describe themselves as follows:
‘Coco Labelle is a family run local catering company offering exotic foods, live entertainment and childcare.
We are now providing pop ups in London to bring you the mauritian, jamaican and italian flavours that we love! We also share with you the finest musicians in London treating you to live jazz, soul, reggae and pop.
Best of all if you have kids, this is the place to be! A place to relax, eat, catch up with your friends, catch a gig all whilst your kids play safely in our creche enjoying our structured activities.’
The cafe is near the junction of Singapore Road and Brownlow Road. Children’s activities start on Tuesday 12th August and below is a (not very good) photo of their activities for the week. A detailed schedule is on their website
You can find out more about Coco Labelle here