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Bertolt Brecht meets Charles Laughton: New play at the Drayton Court next week

 

This new play looks intriguing so I’ve already booked my ticket for the opening night:

‘In collaboration with OPEN, the Ealing Autumn Festival will present Orbits, a play written by local writer Wally Sewell. The Festival’s theme this year is ‘Stars in the Family,’ commemorating the 450th anniversary of Galileo’s birth.

In 1941, fleeing from the Nazis, radical left-wing German playwright, Bertolt Brecht, found himself in Hollywood where he met the British movie star Charles Laughton. Orbits imagines their working relationship as they collaborated for three intense, creative years on the translation of Das Leben des Galilei (The Life of Galileo) for its American premiere.

The premiere was directed by Joseph Losey with Laughton playing Galileo.  It took place in 1947 against a background of the bombing of Hiroshima and increasing anti-communist paranoia.

There will be Open discussion after each performance with playwright, Wally Sewell, and director, Anthony Shrubsall of OPEN Ealing.

The play will be performed by Peter Saracen and Edmund Dehn, and directed by Ealing’s own Anthony Shrubsall.

It’s approximately 90 minutes long, with a 20-minute interval, and there will be a post-show discussion with the writer, director and actors.

It’s happening at the Drayton Court pub, on the Avenue, W13, Tuesday 14th-Friday 17th October inclusive.’
Suitable for ages 12+.

More, including booking details and performance schedule, can be found here. http://www.ealingautumnfestival.co.uk/#!orbits-play/c24yv

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New vintage market at the Fox in Hanwell on Sat 18th Oct 2-5pm

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A bit like the proverbial London buses, you wait for ages for a vintage market then two come along at once!  No sooner has the Avenue Vintage and Antique Market been launched that The Fox pub in Hanwell launches its first ever vintage market –  Green Lane, Hanwell on 18th October 2-5pm.
‘Specially selected stalls selling vintage fabrics, vintage/retro homewares, vintage children’s books, handbags and lots more.
We will also have some wonderful handmade cakes and tea (champagne too).’
@foxvintagew7
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Squeezed with a social conscience: New juice bar coming to West Ealing

 

Well, not quite new because Juice Cube had a very succssful trial run in the Ealing Pop Up Shop earlier this year – so welcome back.

Juice Cube is a socially conscious business that makes fresh smoothies and juices from surplus foods – right in front of you, while you wait. It was founded two students, Anuj Dhanak and Qitai Ooi, in summer 2013 and they were given their first opportunity to test trade in a real world retail environment this February in the EalingPopUpShop, an initiative funded by West Ealing Project Steering Group. Following their success and experience in the pop up shop, they saw West Ealing as the ideal location to set up their first juice bar and secured the long-term of lease of 191 Uxbridge Rd, West Ealing – a retail unit opposite Tesco/Daniel’s bed shop that has been vacant for a number of years.

Juice Cube launches on Saturday 11th October and will be open 7 days a week.

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First Avenue Vintage and Antique Market a great success

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Dramatic black gazebos lined the pavement in The Avenue for the launch of this new monthly antique and vintage market. The newly-established West Ealing Business Improvement District is behind this initiative and is part of its efforts to attract more shoppers to West Ealing. The market looked pretty busy mid-afternoon when I was there.

Market Manager Barry Tuffnell said: “The Avenue” in West Ealing saw the first Vintage and Antique Market launch in style on Saturday 27 September. The feedback from both dealers and market go-ers was incredibly positive. The aim is to build on the numbers of stalls each month – so there is definitely a reason to return month on month and see what you can pick up. The next dates are Saturday 25 October and Saturday 29 November, with a special Christmas fair on Saturday 13 December.

For further information: Twitter @Westealingbid. Facebook: The Avenue and Antique Market or email info@westealingbid.co.uk [Market manager: Barrie Tuffnell 07976704366].

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OPEN Ealing is back and launches its Autumn programme of arts events

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OPEN’s new home  in the Green Man Lane Cafe

 

Having helped set up OPEN Ealing a while back I’m delighted they have found a new home and are ready to open up again.  Here’s their press release:

 

OPEN Ealing is back for the autumn, with a new programme of events, and brand new premises.

OPEN has been bringing the arts to Ealing for the last four years, most recently in a temporary shop on Drayton Bridge Road.


But it’s now based in a brand new cafe space in West Ealing.

It all kicks off on Monday 6th October, with an 11-week digital photography course. There are also weekly workshops in playwriting, music-making and art history.

 

There’s a full schedule of performances too, on Saturdays from 18th October, including cabaret, poetry, and the return of OPEN’s famous readings of short plays.

It’s all going to happen at the brand new Green Man Lane Cafe on Singapore Road, W13 0EP – just north of West Ealing Broadway. (Turn in at Iceland, left at the Magistrates’ Court and it’s 150 yards down on the far side of the car park). And more activities will be added as the season progresses.

 

To find out more, visit the website – www.openealing.com, or email info@openealing.com.

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See what West Ealing looked like 100 years ago and stock up with WEN Abundance produce at The Grosvenor on Saturday 4th October

The newly refurbished pub The Grosvenor has started to host pop-up stalls on Saturdays and WEN is there this coming Saturday 4th October from 12noon – 4pm. We’ll have our Abundance produce on sale and another chance to see our newly-launched exhibition of old photos of West Ealing.

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Changing times: Once The Black Horse pub and now the Cudi Food Centre
We launched our local history exhibition at the SoundBite Festival on 13th September and had a lot of interest. This exhibition of photos of West Ealing over the past 100 years is the start of our local history project. You can see how pubs, shops, Northfields, the Draytons and more looked in the early 1900s and now 100 years later.
Our Abundance stall will have apple juice, elderflower cordial, chutneys and more on sale – all made from locally grown produce.

If nothing else, just drop by for a drink and a chat as there’ll be a number of WEN members there.

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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 

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New monthly antique and vintage market to open in The Avenue on Sat 27th Sept

Clarence and Alabama dress

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.