150 days of community in West Ealing: Week 15

Welcome to Week 15 of our 150 days of community project. Don’t know what we’re talking about? Then click here. Here are a few things that we’ve seen in the last two weeks, including the Big Lunch in Dean Gardens, great examples of local history, and a lovely story about local bees:

Simon RobertsSimon Roberts – 5:10pm May 29

As some of us have been doing local history stuff on other threads I thought I would upload this photo that my father took. I’m guessing about 1960 in the South Ealing rd

If anyone is interested, I did a little research/hunt yesterday and found the sites of the underground WW2 air raid shelters in Lammas, Walpole and Dean Gardens parks. They’re still there, just buried.

 

Leila Molaei – 11:23am May 27
Gurnell Leisure Centre will be having a ‘Meet the Manager’ session at the centre, on 24 June at 5pm. If you’re a Gurnell member, I urge you to attend. I ceased my membership because I became fed up with my feedback not being responded to. http://www.ealingtoday.co.uk/default.asp?section=info&page=eagurnell001.htm
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ACTS OF KINDNESS

Brian Mitchison and Stan Miller from Ealing Bees Association rescued a homeless swarm of bees trying to settle in a large tree in Hastings Road. As an inhabitant of that road I was grateful they came and cleverly captured them.   Using a large plastic container, a long pole with another one firmly fixed to it, they managed to tip huge swirling masses of bees into the container and then transfer them into a hive.  The bees were then sprayed with sugar water for hydration and food.  Stan and Brian had to capture the Queen.  If they captured her then the others would follow, but she was difficult to find in the midst of the thousands.  Finally it seemed it was done with huge numbers scrambling to enter the hive where she now found herself.  Any that were left, we were assured, would quickly return to the hive from which they came.   Apparently this is a good year for bees with new Queens flying out of hives taking large numbers of bees with them.  Good news for us.  According Stan, in China they are reduced to pollinating by hand, as all the bees have been destroyed.  Neighbours gathered and watched enjoying the sun and momentary excitement.

And from this very blog:

Did we miss anything? Let us know!

We have another great list of seven ‘acts of community’ for this week – see how many you do – maybe you already do them!

  • Join an oral history project – as history collector, or history giver
  • Join a book club
  • Volunteer to deliver Meals-on-Wheels in your neighbourhood
  • Start a children’s story hour at your local library
  • Be real. Be humble.
  • Tell friends and family about social capital and why it matters
  • Get involved in neighbourhood planning

We’d love to hear from you if you do any of these things, or anything else that makes people smile in West Ealing. We have loads more suggestions of things you can do, if you want to jump ahead!

Ways to send us your contributions:

Send us an email – 150daysofcommunity@gmail.com
Write on our Facebook wall – https://www.facebook.com/groups/124290860921562/
Tweet at us – @WENeighbours
Add a comment to this blog post (below)

Prize-winning crime writer talks about her experiences of Southall – Weds 18th June 6.30 @ Paperback Coffee

Step inside...

Paperback Coffee is a fairly new coffee shop on the South Ealing Rd close to the junction with Popes Lane. It’s well worth a visit in its own right but on Wednesday 18th June they have award-winning crime writer Lilian Pizzichini talking about her experiences of Southall as recounted in her memoir Music Night at the Apollo.

Wednesday 18th June 6.30-8pm

 

Wildly original and imaginative and disturbing, it remains in one’s consciousness like a very vivid dream. The evocation of place is brilliant and also of sensation” –  Francis Wyndham – See more at: http://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/music-night-at-the-apollo-9781408815991/#sthash.q2SEiWha.dpuf
Wildly original and imaginative and disturbing, it remains in one’s consciousness like a very vivid dream. The evocation of place is brilliant and also of sensation” –  Francis Wyndham – See more at: http://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/music-night-at-the-apollo-9781408815991/#sthash.q2SEiWha.dpuf
Wildly original and imaginative and disturbing, it remains in one’s consciousness like a very vivid dream. The evocation of place is brilliant and also of sensation” –  Francis Wyndham – See more at: http://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/music-night-at-the-apollo-9781408815991/#sthash.q2SEiWha.dpuf

Tea Darling to open vintage style cafe at Horsenden Farm on Saturday 14th June 12-3pm

Tea pop up

Tea Darling at the West Ealing Pop-Up shop

Tea Darling, the vintage style tea room, was a huge success when it opened for a two week stint at the pop-up shop in West Ealing. It has now linked up with Accession, the  social enterprise, which runs the Community Shop in West Ealing, to open a cafe at Horsenden Farm in Perivale. During the day the farmhouse/vintage style cafe will offer a quintessential tea and home-made cake service in a child friendly environment. In the early evening it will be a space that local community groups/parents can hire for just about anything.

The launch of this exciting new step for Tea Darling is on Saturday 1th June from 12noon – 3pm.  The nearest tranport is either the tube at Perivale Station or the 297 bus. Free parking is available.

Accession is a social enterprise which offers skills training and volunteering opportunities for people with learning difficulties and/or enduring mental health issues.

Tea Darling at Horsende Hill 001

Please stop dumping rubbish in Melbourne Ave… again

 

 

Photo0468

Above: Flytipping on Thursday morning

Photo0469

Above: Flytipping on Saturday morning

Saturday morning and yet another dumped bed plus a microwave for company this time.

 

(Thursday morning: I couldn’t believe my eyes this morning when I saw a bed base and mattress dumped on the little patch of grass on the corner of Melbourne Ave and Leeland Terace.  Almost every single morning I see rubbish dumped here, mostly next to the Council bin. It’s normally cleared away very quickly as part of the regular bin emptying round but this was the final straw!  We had a pile of wooden shelves dumped there a week or so ago and now this bed.  I’ve reported it to the Council and I’m sure it will be cleared away very quickly.  My complaint is absolutely not with the Council. In my experience they are very good at clearing away fly tipping once it’s been reported.  My complaint is with whoever dumps this and just doesn’t care about our neighbourhood. Please stop dumping your rubbish and get the Council to collect it or take it to the Greenford recycling centre.)

 

150 days of community in West Ealing: Week 14

Welcome to Week 14 of our 150 days of community project. Don’t know what we’re talking about? Then click here. Here some samples of what we heard about last week:

https://twitter.com/prosserclaire/status/469897638062874624

And something to look ahead to:

Did we miss anything? Let us know!

We have another great list of seven ‘acts of community’ for this week – see how many you do – maybe you already do them!

  • Host a bring and share meal or participate in one
  • Volunteer to give someone a lift
  • Say hello when you spot an acquaintance in a supermarket
  • Host a movie night
  • Exercise together or take walks with friends or family
  • Assist with or create your town or neighbourhood’s newsletter
  • Organise a litter pick – with games in Dean Gardens afterwards

We’d love to hear from you if you do any of these things, or anything else that makes people smile in West Ealing. We have loads more suggestions of things you can do, if you want to jump ahead!

Ways to send us your contributions:

Send us an email – 150daysofcommunity@gmail.com
Write on our Facebook wall – https://www.facebook.com/groups/124290860921562/
Tweet at us – @WENeighbours
Add a comment to this blog post (below)

Big Picnic in Dean Gardens on Sunday 1st June 12noon – 2pm – everyone welcome

Big Lunch 3

Big Picnic 2013

 

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we manage to see some sunshine on Sunday for the second Big Picnic in Dean Gardens.  Last year we had good weather as you can see from the photo above – so here’s hoping we’re lucky again. As last year, it’s open to everyone and please bring along your lunch and just enjoy the day. It’s a chance to meet old friends, make new friends and just have an enjoyable time. There will be live music, information stalls and a variety of activities – more information to follow.

West Ealing swings to Labour

Looking at the four wards that cover most of West Ealing there has been a clear swing to Labour in the 2014 local election.  The most striking being Walpole which went from being all Conservative for the last two elections to now being all Labour. Northfields remains all Conservative whilst Elthorne which had one Labour, one Conservative and one Liberal Democrat is now all Labour. Lastly, Cleveland has gone from all Conservative to only one Conservative and two Labour. In all, Labour considerably increased its majority on the Council with the Conservatives falling by half from 24 to 12 councillors and the Liberal Democrats lost one councillor, Nigel Bakhai,  on the Elthorne ward.

You can find the full results for all the wards here -but the site is running rather slowly at the moment.

Pop-Up market in front of Sainsbury’s West Ealing today and Friday

There will be a pop-up market in Melbourne Ave by Sainsbury’s from 11am -4.30pm today and tomorrow (Thursday and Friday).  It’s backed by the newly established West Ealing Business Improvement District and is part of the ‘Love Your Local Market Campaign’.

IMAG0216

Do please come along on one of the days and have a look. I know there’s a stall selling vintage inspired dresses and on Friday we will have our Abundance stall there selling the first of this year’s delicious elderflower cordial along with apple juice, lemon and elderflower marmalade and more locally sourced and made products.

 

 

 

 

Irish dancing, plant swaps and more

I’m always surprised just how much is happening in and around our neighbourhood. Here’s a couple of local activties and events that give just a hint of what’s going on locally:

Irish Dancing

The O’Sullivan School of Irish Dancing has places now available. Classes for children from 5yrs . Classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

All standards welcome, (Beginners to Champion)

Contact: Deirdre O’Sullivan, 07956 346383

deirdreosullivan@hotmail.co.uk

 

Plant Swap at The Quaker House on Sunday 1st June 1-3pm

Lots and Lots of Plants in Pots

17, Woodville Road
W5 2SE

Sunday, June 1st 2014
1.00pm–3.00pm

Sow some–Grow some
Bring some,
Take some home.