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News from the craft market, Dec 15th, 2012

Dina the donkey A spectator said, ‘Am I dreaming? I think I’ve just seen a donkey in the high street.’

Dina the donkey paraded in West Ealing broadway and helped tell the old, old, good-news story. There was music, too, outside Blockbusters in the craft market. (Video links are below.)

Note: Dec 22nd is our last craft market of the year so don’t miss out, come and find some unique locally made bargains to complete your Christmas shopping. More info from: westealingneighbours@gmail.com

Local youth club talent: Westside Allstars – video; Meetman and the Butchers – video

Local classical singer, Romeo, with mellow sounds full of ‘heart’: video

Local singer, Maria, with a show-stopping voice: video

Local band, Mobile Clones, make the audience happy: video

Local voices and instruments, with Slightly Mysterious carols: video

 

 

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Programme for Dec 15th 2012 West Ealing craft market – and donkey watch!

Another December Saturday means another craft market in cheery West Ealing – next door to Blockbusters on West Ealing Broadway. On Dec 15th it will be packed with action including youth bands,  opera, the reuturn of a favourite band and the Nativity with live donkey. Come with camera – and shovel – and don’t forget to buy some delightful local crafts to give to your loved ones. (More market/music on Dec 22nd, too – then we subside till March 2013.)

Programme for December 15th

11.30-12.30: The Westside youth centre is fielding a great hour of local young people ‘doing their thing’. Westside says: ‘Cross Culture presents a showcase of Ealing’s undiscovered young talent.  Musicians of all genres emerge into the limelight fresh from rehearsals at Westside Young People’s Centre’s studio aiming to impress and inspire.  The performers have been taking part in a project called Bandform funded by the Youth in Action programme in partnership with Ealing Council’s Youth & Connexions Service. The project seeks to make music a mechanism for youth empowerment, integration and participation.’

12.15 (at Sylvester’s) then at the market 12.30-1.30 (update):  Sadly ‘The Four Wise Men a barbershop quartet can’t now make it, but West Ealing’s local talent has stepped in, as follows:  local resident and classical singer, Romeo Kherkhenlidze will start with a few songs to gladden the heart at Sylvester’s the local barbers, and then on to the market where he will give us more, followed by local group The Mobile Clones (diminished – it was late notice!) who give us their irresistible brand of community warmth, all wrapped up in song.

1.30-2pm: Slightly Mysterious Carols  from a fusion of St James’s church worship team and the local folk scene.

2.15-3.15pm: The Nativity – there will be Herod on a stepladder, there will be Dina the donkey (touring West Ealing beforehand – look out for the mobile sound wagon) – the old, old story portrayed in the market place – and you (bring a teatowel or crown or sheep onesie,  grab a passing songsheet and just make sure you’ve got that camera!)

For more info: westealingneighbours@gmail.com

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Videos of music in West Ealing craft market, Dec 8th 2012

Thanks to all lovely volunteer players, singers, sound people – you made it a great afternoon. More on Sat Dec 15th (with nativity and live donkey) and Sat Dec 22nd (outside Blockbusters, in W Ealing broadway). Here are a couple of video ‘moments’. Enquiries: westealingneighbours@gmail.com

 

 

 

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Winter Night Shelter urgent request for overnighter December 11

Message from Alison at the Ealing Churches Winter Night Shelter project:

‘I have an urgent request for a volunteer overnight on Tuesday 11 Dec. It would be from 9:45pm to 7am in Southall (St Anselm’s church near the railway station), with half the night watching, half sleeping.’ Please contact Alison direct:

Alison Wood, Project Co-ordinator
Ealing Churches’ Winter Night Shelter
www.ecwns.org.uk

ecwns.office@yahoo.com

07930 378263

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Programme of music at the West Ealing Craft Market, Dec 8, 2012

We’ve got quite a programme for our market on Dec 8th – as well as the opportunity to buy a few pressies at our lovely craft stalls right next door to Blockbusters, you’ve got all this locally generated music to warm your heart… (And there will be more of similar goodness to come on Dec 15 and 22nd.)

December 8th, music line-up:

12-1pm: ‘This Tangled Web’ combines with Beavers and Scouts to bring us carols. This local charity was established in February 2010 by one survivor of childhood sexual abuse. Kate Swift made it her mission to let other survivors know that they are not alone through creating peer support groups and giving talks to local colleges and groups to raise awareness and understanding.


1-2pm: Welcome back to Oddfellas who give us their West Ealing take on music from (mostly) the British Isles with the occasional look across the pond.

2-3pm: The Singology Gospel Choir is an ‘ongoing community choir project that covers London, Essex and Kent.  We opened our door to Ealing in September 2012 and the group has blossomed nicely.  On the 8th December in the Market Square you will see the work of local tutor Aleksandra Zembron brought to life in what promises to be an exciting upliftng performance from the newly formed group.  To get involved, sign up now at www.singology.com‘

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Winter and the bees: good news from the Walmer Gardens orchard, West Ealing

Thanks to WEN Abundance volunteer, and novice local beekeeper, Veronica Chang for this update from the Walmer Gardens community orchard:

“Wow, 30 jars of honey!! That’s amazing. I hardly had any from my hives this year”.  That comment from an experienced bee-keeper in Suffolk was a real testament to the good fortune we had with the hive in the Walmer Gardens orchard (helped along by a bit of skill, dedication and enthusiasm from our beekeepers too).

 An encounter with Sarah Dye during an Abundance blackberry-picking session led to my involvement with the Ealing Transition Community Bee group, which Sarah was setting up.

Our bees arrived in April this year and over the spring and summer months we carried out weekly inspections of their hive.  We checked to see if the queen was present, if there were eggs, and if the eggs were turning into adults.  It was amazing to see the workers (female adults) bring in the pollen in such a fantastic array of colours, and they managed this despite the appalling summer weather. And of course one of the most rewarding and exciting things for us novice beekeepers was being able to take our wonderful crop of honey in August.   As the cold weather descends we ensure that the bees have enough food to get them through the winter; and we look forward to next year, with hopefully a good harvest for us, and my friend in Suffolk too.

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Music at the West Ealing craft market, Sat, Dec 1 2012

It’s local, it’s outdoors and it’s live – that’s music in the craft market in West Ealing on every Saturday in December.  This community experience comes free – with 20+ stalls of goodies on sale from local craftspeople in the open space just next to Blockbusters in West Ealing Broadway.

Line-up for Saturday, December 1st:

12-1pm: Harmonica Lewinsky performs music hall, TV theme tunes and cockney rock to audiences as far away as Sainsbury’s and Tesco Extra in Hanwell.  He is CRB checked and gives 10% of his income to British Gas. No animals have suffered in the making of his music, although several humans have ended up in Ealing Hospital A&E.

1-2pm: Questors Choir Hi – we’re Questors Choir – we’ll be singing carols at the Craft Fair on Saturday. Our aim is to help the event go with a swing, and bring a smile to the faces of shoppers and stall holders alike. We’re a mixed voice ensemble and we’ve been singing in Ealing for over 25 years. If you like what you hear, why not come to our concert next Saturday? It’s on the 8th December at St John’s, Mattock Lane. Musical director Philip Norman has put together a mix of traditional carols, with plenty of opportunities for audience participation, plus some Christmas choral pieces by Handel, St Saens and Eybler, and a few all-time Christmas hits too. If you enjoy singing, Questors Choir welcomes singers of all abilities. We have a good blend of experienced singers and newcomers who’ve only just started with the choir. Our repertoire is deliberately varied, from Baroque and Classical to Contemporary choral works, and folk songs. All of us share one passion – a love of choral music performed in a fun and friendly atmosphere. Visit www.questorschoir.org.uk .

2-3pm: Jacob & Goliath A West London-based folk/alternative band. “Like James’s Tim Booth, Jacob Simpson (lead singer of J&G) possesses a rare and subtle ability to mine deep soulfulness from rough scraps of emotion,’ writes music critic Jon Wilde. “The yearning quality in his voice is both bold clarion call and whispered confession. Jacob & Goliath inhabit a sonic landscape that is equal parts earthy folkiness and propulsive pop”.

A glimpse into the future:

The good news is this happens every Saturday in December – a new show, more crafts, more community. So, don’t go to Westfield – stroll up the road!

For December 8th, local charity Tangled Web join with Beavers and Scouts for some rousing carols, Pinnacle Performing Arts will be dancing to cheer our wintry spirits and Singology choir serve us a slice of gospel joy.
 
For December 15th, watch out for the Westside performers from the local youth club, a barbershop quartet (who will start by flashmobbing Sylvester’s the local barbers – grow your hair and drop in about 12.15), followed by ancient carols with local voices and instruments, and a nativity from St James’s which will involve a live quadruped (we can say no more but bring a shovel).
 
December 22nd is for reflective, moving carols from the Ealing Churches Winter Night Shelter – come and be part of that party, scoop up some last-minute bargains and feel just like a ‘West Ender’. (Wear reindeer headress if possible – or at least a Sarah Lund jumper. You know it make sense.)
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Buy local crafts, hear local music – in West Ealing Sat Nov 3

On Sat Nov 3, there’s live music at the West Ealing craft market – 12 gazebos worth of local specialness. You can’t get it, or the music, anywhere else.

The market is outside Blockbusters, next to the Uxbridge Road, on the south side (western end) of West Ealing Broadway.

The line-up:

12-1pm: Oddfellas – local chaps who banjo, fiddle, guitar and generally bring music of these isles to life – right in our own backyard.

1-2pm: The Mobile Clones who say ‘We are a five piece band from Hanwell and surrounding areas.The band do a mixture of original and cover tunes with a whole range of different genres.The cover songs consist of many styles ranging from the blues to funk and pop songs to punk. The band members consist of a jazz saxophonist who’s gigged with some of the greats and a drummer, Tim Walmsley who used to play with the well known signed band ‘The barely works’ who split in the early 90’s.(Info here). http://www.thereelbook.com/groups/barelyworks.aspx . Also songwriter Ian Clavey who’s written many popular songs (Check him out on YouTube) and Rose Eyre/vocals who was in the successful 80’s band ‘The kick partners’


2-3pm: I Love Thunder who say ‘I Love Thunder are delighted to be playing at the West Ealing Craft Market. We are an 8 piece rock band with musical tastes as varied as our ages, which range from 16 to 66! Our set will include classics such as Johnny B Goode and Mustang Sally as well as some mellower numbers, so come ready to shop n’ rock!

We are a part of Ealing Mencap and also members of the Dissimilis Organisation. You find out more at www.facebook.com/ILoveThunder.theband.

 

 

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No more expansion at Heathrow

Are you disturbed by the noise from Heathrow aircraft? Are you tired of squeezing onto the Piccadilly line? Are you worried about the levels of pollution in the air?

If you are, then join the fight to stop Heathrow expanding or it’s going to get a whole lot worse.

BAA, owners of Heathrow, have been lobbying hard for expansion, most recently arguing that our troubled economy can only be brought back to life by building a third runway. This is as nonsensical as it sounds. Heathrow already has better connections to key business centres than any other European airport. 127 million passengers travelled through London’s airports in 2010, more than any other city in the world. To expand Heathrow as a hub (ie a place where people change planes) may boost the profits of BAA but the economy needs people who see London as a destination.

If you are one of the 720,000 people already disturbed by noise from Heathrow or concerned about the effect the airport has on our local environment or wider climate change, then now is the time to make your voice heard.

What you can do

• complain to BAA each time you are disturbed by aircraft noise by phoning 0800 344 844 or emailing noise_complaints@baa.com Complaints are a key indicator the government watches.
• write to your MP to express your concerns and to your local councillors to urge them to become more active in the Heathrow debate.
• respond to the government’s consultations. The Department for Transport’s current consultation covers aviation noise and environmental policy.
• join the Ealing Aircraft Noise Action Group. For £10 (£5 concessions) we will keep you up-to-date with developments and use the funds to campaign on behalf of Ealing residents. Our website, www.eanag.org.uk outlines some of the key issues, links to relevant documents (including the government consultations) and gives more information about what you can do.

We need to let our politicians know our strength of feeling and that their re-election depends on them saying NO to BAA.

Ealing Aircraft Noise Action Group
www.eanag.org.uk
eanagaircraftnoise@hotmail.com