Full list of bands for SoundBite’s music tent on Saturday in Dean Gardens 1-9pm
Saturday 9th September 1-9pm in Dean Gardens
Music line-up
13:00 Ealing Rock Choir
13:30 Chasing Deer: an exciting and energetic three piece with a fun pop/rock band style. Think Beatles, Bowie and Lumineers. They perform a mix of original material and classic cover songs
14:15 Mariachi Las Adelitas: Mariachi musicians will stroll around Dean Gardens to entertain while the next band sets up on stage
14:30 James Knight Trio: Led by saxophonist James who has played alongside Kylie Minoque, Kirsty Macoll and many more, this trio play quality funk.
15:15 Mariachi Las Adelitas: as above
15:30 TJ Johnson and The Preachers: Expect a blistering set influenced by Chicago Blues, Johnny Guitar Watson style Funk and Hendrix style RnB.
16:30 Mariachi Las Adelitas: as above
16:45 Born of the Sun: Heavy Blues Rockers and the children of the generation that witnessed the birth of the British Blues Explosion at the Ealing Club in the 60s. Musically educated on their parents STONES & WHO records, the Ealing born power trio unleash gutsy sonic flare, fused with lyrical tales of lands of rising suns
17:30 Mariachi Las Adelitas: as above
17:45 Scarlet Kite: An acoustic band big on folk and blues. They bring strong harmonies interwoven with an uplifting, melodic wall of sound. They produce punchy guitar rhythms, fine finger-picking, solid piano bases, a soaring fiddle and an ethereal flute, packing masses of spell-binding atmosphere.
18:15 King Buster Blues Band: Described as the hypotenuse of blues, King Buster play their melodic catchy songs around a blues format with two drummers, lap steel, harmonica and guitars to soothe the soul then get you on the dance floor.
19:00 DJ set
19:15 Namvula Rennie: Her Scottish & Zambian Roots have helped inspire her song writing, tracks that combine African and Jazz influences are propelled to audiences with accomplished musicians
20:00 Ramon Goose: An English guitarist, singer and producer known for his work with the West African Blues Project.
21:00 End
Full details of the SoundBite Festival are here
Petition to save art deco ‘Woolworths’ facade
West Ealing Centre Neighbourghood Forum (WECNF) has launched a petition to save the old Woolworths art deco facade from demolition as part of a planned redevelopment of the site by A2Dominion housing asociation. WECNF has produced a spatial plan for the centre of West Ealing which includes a list of key heritage buildings/features it wishes to see preserved. The Woolworths facade is on this list.
You can read more about this story on this blog
You can sign their petition via their website.
How can we make this patch of grass by Sainsbury’s look better?
I’m sure you all know this little piece of green on the corner by Sainsbury’s. It is home to dozens of pigeons, frequently covered in bits of bread and, sometimes, black bags of dumped rubbish. It seems such a shame that it’s become an eyesore. What can we do to make it look better? If we can come up with some ideas WEN can put them to the Council and talk to them about these ideas.
I’ve heard a few ideas suggested such as cycle racks, artwork/sculpture and flowers, herbs and shrubs (that can withstand the pigeons). I’m sure there are lots of other possibilities. Could you please spare just a few minutes to give us your ideas and comments so we can put these to the council. I can’t guarantee what the Council will decide but I’m confident we can put some really good ideas to them.
Pease email your ideas to us at westealingneighbours@gmail.com
Many thanks for your help.
Plans for 118 homes up to 15 storeys high for old Woolworths site in West Ealing
Local housing association A2Dominion revealed its plans for the old Woolworths site in West Ealing at a public exhibition last Saturday. Key points in their plans include:
- 118 homes with 35% affordable (of the affordable homes 60% will be affordable rent and 40% shared ownership)
- 11 storeys at front on Uxbridge Rd and 15 at the back on Singapore Rd
- The art-deco facade will go as it is in poor repair and very restricting on how the new building could be designed making in financially unviable
- the facade on to the Uxbridge Rd will compliment the proposed next door BHS site development
- No parking but 172 cycle spaces
- retail outlets retained on ground floor
A2Dominion is already developing the nearby Green Man Lanes Estate and the next door site, the old BHS building, is awaiting development with up to 135 homes.
A2Dominion want to hear your views on their plans. The detailed plans and how to have your say are on their website. February 2020 – this website no longer works.
Drop in centre for people experiencing mental ill health reopens in purpose built premises in West Ealing
West Ealing Neighbours is delighted that the Solace Centre, the new purpose built drop-in centre for people who have experienced mental ill health, has now re-opened. At one point the centre, the only one of its kind in the borough, was threatened with closure. But a vigorous campaign by the Centre’s users and others persuaded the Council to change its mind. Credit to the Council for listening and being prepared to involve the Centre’s users in creating the new purpose built premises.
Popular Melbourne Ave seating under threat
For a while there have been rumours that the circular seat at the top of Melbourne Ave near the flower stall is to be taken away by the Council. I sincerely hope this rumour isn’t true and I’ve asked our Walpole councillors to investigate this urgently. I’m flagging this up now so local people are aware of this possibility just in case the rumour turns out to be true.
I first became aware of this some months ago and thought I had managed to stop it happening but seems I may be mistaken. The apparent reason for taking the seat away is that is is a gathering place for street drinkers. This used to be true but I haven’t seen many street drinkers here since the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) was introduced in early April. The PSPO gives the police greater powers to move people on and I think the situation has improved since April – although I know there still are problems with street drinkers in West Ealing.
I feel this matters because this seat is very well used by local people, especially elderly residents of the sheltered accommodation in O’Grady Court (opp Sainsburys) and by many people waiting for buses. It seems quite wrong to penalise the majority for a problem created by a small minority. What is more, I think the problem of street drinkers gathering there has greatly diminished and, if there is still a problem, surely the whole point of the PSPO is to enable police to move on people behaving in an anti-social manner?
As I said at the start, I hope the rumour isn’t true. If it is I hope you can join WEN in opposing the seat’s removal. I will post more about this as soon as I hear back from our councillors.
Council looking for views on a regular street market in Northfield Ave
Ealing Council is looking for views on of introducing a regular market in Northfield Ave – on the pavement between Kingsdown Ave and Elers Rd. There’s been a series of monthly pilot markets to test this idea with the last to be held in August. If you have any thoughts then there’s an online consultation form with more information where you can give your views. Closing date is 31st May.
West Ealing votes for CPZ
West Ealing residents have voted by a large majority for a CPZ in the area south from Uxbridge Rd down to Leighton Rd and across from Northfield Ave to Grosvenor Rd and Seward Rd. With just over 600 votes cast some 64% were in favour of introducing a CPZ. Full street by street details will soon be available on the Council’s website.
Ealing Centre public enquiry cancelled as site sold to British Land
Next week’s public enquiry in to the planning application for 9-42 The Broadway has been cancelled following the last minute sale of the site by Benson Elliott to British Land. Consequently, the planning application has been withdrawn.
Reflections on the Inquiry Cancellation
I would dearly love to tell you that the land owner Benson Elliot got cold feet at the last minute – realising it would lose – and withdrew its Planning Application. However the reason for the withdrawal /cancellation is apparently much more prosaic. It’s all about money. Seemingly on 5 May 2017 British Land (BL) finalised the purchase of 9-42 The Broadway from Benson Elliot (BE). This led to BE withdrawing its planning Application. No doubt in the fullness of time British Land will come up with its own design and submit its own Planning Application. All this is so very late in the day. It was on 11 January 2017 that ‘Co-Star’ leaked that BE wanted to sell and BL wanted to buy!
So all the massive volunteer work carried out by SEC – especially Will French – and Ealing Civic Society (ECS) and local Conservation Area Panels will go to waste. Goodness knows whether SEC’s barrister and Historic England’s barrister will be able to recoup their fees from BE. It would be very cruel if the £29,433 raised by SEC from local residents has to pay for barrister’s fees relating to a non-event.
The awful prospect of this cycle of ownership change, Planning Application, Application granting, objections, SoS call-in and Public Inquiry happening all over again is entirely possible.
Ealing Council is ultimately to blame for this ten year long Arcadia/9-42 The Broadway fiasco. The Council has never really in recent years got a grip on creating, managing and maintaining a coherent town centre plan. The Council has also done little to help and much to hinder the creation of a Central Ealing Neighbourhood Plan. The Council is seemingly been happy to let landowners and developers do what they want to.
Eric Leach
6 May 2017