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Programme for music at the craft market, December 22nd 2012

Our final craft market of the season takes place as ever outside Blockbusters in West Ealing Broadway (the western end on the south side of the Uxbridge Rd) from 10-3pm on Saturday December 22nd, 2012. Pick up some last minute presents that no one else will have from our local artisans. Subscribe to this blog or email westealingneighbours@gmail.com to stay informed about ‘next steps’ in the market.

December 22nd has music in the music gazebo. We will host carolling from the Ealing Churches Winter Night Shelter and local man ‘Ralph’ of King Ralph,  will sing us out…till next time, probably the first Saturday in March 2013. Stay tuned.

Craft market music programme for Dec 22nd:

12-1pm: The Ealing Churches Winter Night Shelter carolling crew sings for us. ECWNS http://www.ecwns.org.uk/home/ helps some homeless people to get off the streets and begin the journey to finding their own home. It also enables people who are on the edge of rough sleeping to avoid hitting the streets. ECWNS stands in the gap by providing for the most basic and essential needs for homeless people – sleep and food. A person who has been made homeless faces enormous risks as a rough sleeper including substance abuse, poor physical and mental health, and acts of criminality.

king ralph greenford 2012

1pm-2pm: Ralph of King Ralph will sing us out. ‘King Ralph are an acoustic trio from the Brentford borderlands. They can usually be found at local festivals and other events in the area playing their original punk-folk and other people’s songs in similar style.  Sometimes they let Ralph out on his own, where he can be found in local pubs like the Grosvenor singing for free a pint, or the Brewery Tap paying for his beer like everybody else. You can hear some of the songs at myspace.com/kingralphmusic. Contact Helen Martin Promotions (philandhelenmusic@gmail.com) for bookings and info.’

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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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Creative Ealing launched – bringing together information about what’s happening in the creative arts in Ealing

I went to the launch last night of Creative Ealing, a consortium of creative arts venues in Ealing working together to publicise and promote the work of the four founding local arts venues – The Questors Theatre, The Ealing Club, OPEN Ealing and The Drayton Court Hotel. I was involved in the development of this idea when I was with OPEN Ealing and I’m delighted to see it come to fruition.

Back in the summer, what set me thinking about the need for arts venues to co-operate was my regular walk to do the banking in Ealing Broadway. On my way there I walked past the two new hotels being built almost opposite one another in the Uxbridge Road – Travelodge and Premier Inn (plus the nearby Hotel Xanadu in Bond Street). I wondered how guests would know what entertainment was on locally. What could they go and see or do that day or evening? The answer seemed to be they wouldn’t easily find out this information. There didn’t seem to be any central website or publicity that listed what arts events were happening in Ealing that day or that week. Out of these bank visits came the idea of arts venues in central Ealing joining together to create this central website and joint publicity. And so Creative Ealing was born out of discussions between these founding venues and now it’s real and you can find its website here 

I hope this is but the start of  Creative Ealing’s journey and, as it gains recognition as a key source of information about what’s happening in the arts in Ealing, other venues will join and a momentum will gather to create an ever more informative site.

The launch of Creative Ealing follows hot on the heels of the launch of The Ealing Music and Film Valentine Festival. From the 14th to the 17th February next year a really exciting looking series of events, concerts, talks and exhibitions will be put on at various arts venues in central Ealing. Highlights for me include blues music at The Ealing Club and Raga Jam at The Questors. There’s something for everyone and it’s another welcome initiative for the arts in Ealing.

 

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Music videos for December 1st, West Ealing craft market

Here’s the evidence for Dec 1 (see below) – a multitude of thanks go out  to our entirely voluntary sound people, singers and players. Come to enjoy more extraordinary local music and delectable unique hand-made crafts, same place (outside Blockbusters), 11-3pm, on Dec 8, 15, and 22. It’s the place to be seen (and heard) in W Ealing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yYxHjYzVIY

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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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Talking West Ealing: join us for a coffee tomorrow morning, visit our Christmas craft market and enjoy some live music

If there’s anything in West Ealing you want to talk to us about or ask us you’re very welcome to come and have a coffee with some of the commitee members this Saturday morning at Silva Cafe on the Uxbridge Road opposite Kwik Fit. We’ll be there from 11.30-12.30. There’s a lot of ideas buzzing about on how to make the high street better and many of us are very worried about plans to shut the A&E dept at Ealing Hospital and what that means for us all. We’d love to hear your views and ideas on these and anything else about what’s happening in West Ealing.

And don’t forget, you can get your Christmas shopping off to a great start at the first of our Christmas craft markets in St James Ave on Saturday morning accompanied by some top class live music from 12 noon. See here for the details of the music.

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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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Woolies needs some TLC

The old Woolworths building is a great local example of art deco but it’s getting in a sorry state. There appears to be a tree growing out of its roof and some of the façade is beginning to look unsafe. Is anyone interested in joining us to try to get this building looked after properly? If so, email us at westealingneighbours@gmail.com or join us at our next Saturday morning coffee at Silva Café (opposite Kwik Fit) from 11.30 – 12.30 on Saturday 1st December. 

More photos of this lovely building are in the gallery on our website.

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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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Are our streets getting cleaner? Are the rubbish collections getting better?

If there’s one issue that gets most of us steamed up, along with parking problems, it’s dirty streets. The Council changed contractors in April and most of us remember all the teething problems over missed rubbish collections. Tomorrow night (Thursday 15th) the Council is reviewing how Enterprise is performing. Do you think they are getting better after a very shaky start?

My own view is that the rubbish and recycling collections have improved and round us are pretty reasonable now. What is not yet back up to the previous contractor’s standard is sweeping the side streets. In West Ealing the busy areas get swept regularly but the side streets are hit and miss and some appear to be swept hours before the weekly rubbish collections.

One of my bugbears is rubbish getting dumped by Council bins and then getting strewn across the place by birds and animals. This isn’t the Council’s fault at all and it gets cleaned away every day but it does make the place look uncared for.

There’s a fuller story on the Ealing Today website and the Council report for tomorrow’s meeting is here