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Poetry evening at Waterstones in Ealing with Michael Horovitz and Pitshanger Poets on Wednesday from 7.30pm

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OPEN Ealing in conjunction with Waterstones in Ealing Broadway Centre present an evening of poetry with ‘beat’ poet Michael Horovitz, word artist Ursula Troche and guest appearances from the members of the Pitshanger Poets.

Tickets £5 (£3 standing) from OPEN and Waterstones. Starts 7.30pm. Call OPEN on 0208 579 5558 or visit Waterstones.

Michael Horovitz is an internationalist polymath, who has edited and published New Departures and coordinated the Poetry Olymics festivals for 50 years (http://www.poetryolympics.com). his magnum opus, A New Waste Land: Timeship Earth at Nillennium, was selected as Book of the year by D.J. Taylor in the Independent as “A deeply felt clarion call from the radical underground”. His artworks and picture-poems continue to be exhibited internationally, and he currently performs in a jazz poetry duo with Stan Tracey, as well as fronting the ebullient William Blake Klezmatrix band.

Paul McCartney has remarked that, “in addition to producing many notable poetic and musical works of his own, Michael Horovitz has worked tirelessly and selflessly over the past five decades to ensure an audience for his contemporaries. He’s lively, he keeps poetry accessible, and more than that… He’s a good laff!” And Margaret Drabble, that “Michael is an original poet, with an original voice. he’s always been an innovator, and is honoured as a free spirit and a creative force throughout the literary world. He also has persistence and stamina. Those of us who heard him upholding the standards of poetry and the praise of of Byron on the BBC ‘Today’ programme were delighted to witness that the hardened ‘Today’ interviewers had met their match. Horowitz is neither diplomat nor politician. He speaks from the heart. He has left an indelible mark on the course of British literature.”

Ursula ‘Equinox’ Troche: Word Artist with a motto: From Identity to Liberation poetry. Has performed at various venues eg. Greenwich Jazz festival, Arts for Human Rights Festival, the Colour of London Festival, Happy Soul Festival. Part of collectives like WAPPY, Theatre for Mankind, The Change Collective, Ibeji, etc. Poetry collections: Embraceable – Notes from Different Places called Home; origins and Other Issues. Performs for International Women’s Day 2012 at Charlton House.

 

Guest poets: From Pitshanger Poets in Ealing: James Priestman, Daphne Gloag, Nick Barth.

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Work starts at Lido Junction on Monday

Ealing Council will start work next Monday (16th April) on putting in pedestrian crossings and other changes at the Lido Junction.  This is great news and will make an enormous difference to pedestrian safety for many residents. Nevertheless, please be aware of delays at this junction over the next 10 weeks.

Every effort is being made by the Council and their contractors to plan and progress the works in an efficient and timely manner in order to minimise the impacts on pedestrians, residents and motorists. Signs advising alternative routes for traffic are due to be installed in the coming days and wherever possible work will be scheduled to avoid peak hour traffic flows.

Your patience will be much appreciated whilst the work is being carried out and the end result will be a much, much safer crossing.

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CCTV cameras being installed in Dean Gardens

I walk through Dean Gardens to OPEN Ealing most days and have watched the gradual installation of three CCTV cameras. The cameras are part of the response to the anti-social behaviour problems that have affected Dean Gardens over the last few years: street drinkers in daylight hours and an eclectic mix of people from across the borough at night. It’s particularly been the night time occupants who have been a major problem. I’m told the CCTV cameras are good enough to ‘see’ at night and, indeed, have spotlights that can be shined on people if necessary.

Before the decision was made to install CCTV cameras there were discussions about other options including additional streetlighting style lights, pieces of public art using light features and closing the park at night. In the end, CCTV was chosen and I hope it proves effective. It does, however, tackle the symptoms and not the causes. Dealing with the drink and drug problems and housing must surely be part of any long-term solution but that costs serious money and that is not likely to be found at times of severe cutbacks.

 

 

 

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West Ealing monthly craft market off to a successful start

After two years of planning and discussion West Ealing Neighbours launched its monthly craft market today with its bright red gazebos signalling its presence in St James Avenue. West Ealing was fairly quiet to day but the craft market got off to an encouraging start. The general feeling was a good first day and we now need to build on this and start to establish the first Saturday of the month as a regular date for the diary.

Our thanks to the Council, St James Church and everyone else who contributed to helping get the market up and running.

Watch out for our next market on Saturday 5th May.

 

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New monthly craft market to launch in West Ealing on Saturday 7th April

West Ealing Neighbours, with the support of Ealing Council, is launching its new monthly craft market in St James Avenue on Saturday 7th April. The market will open from 10am-3pm and its 16 stalls will feature a regularly changing selection of handmade goods from local craftspeople. There will also be free teas and coffees provided by St James Church.

WEN has been working with the Council on plans for this market for well over a year. We want to build on the success of the annual Arts and Crafts Fair in St James Church and the two West Ealing Family Days to pilot a regular craft market offering quality, locally made goods. If we are successful, we hope to increase the frequency of the market.

Please do come along and support this new venture and if you are able to distribute our posters and flyers in your streets do please email us a westealingneighbours@gmail.com

If you’re interested in taking a stall at the market please email Martyn Clarke at martyn237@yahoo.co.uk

 

 

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Another loan shop in West Ealing

This morning I noticed yet another cash/loan shop opening in West Ealing. This one is called Cash Generator and comes on top of the various other loan shops and pawnbrokers already operating the length of West Ealing. These tough times clearly seem to  mean there’s enough business to go round for all these shops. Yet, I just wonder if letting the market rule is always the right approach to regenerating the high street?

One of West Ealing Neighbours’ top priorities is to work towards bringing together the key stakeholders for West Ealing and explore new ways to bring fresh ideas to our high street (see our website for details). So, for example, how can we encourage start-up businesses to take space? It’s not realistsic to expect start-ups to be able to afford the full rent and rates on a shop. Are there ways we can work with the Council and landlords to offer start-ups a small low-cost space in a larger shop for a couple of years so the business has a chance to grow and then move on and let someone else have that space? Could we even think about the idea of a community shop where a range of local groups work together to make it a community hub with information, advice, a meeting place for locals and more. It’s not going to be easy but I just feel we need to look at this sort of option and not always hand over control of our high street to the free market.

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Calling tree lovers – can you help look after newly planted trees in West Ealing?

One of the new trees in Melbourne Avenue

If you live in the West Ealing streets south of the Uxbridge Road you may have noticed new trees being planted in our streets. Apparently, each year one third of Ealing’s wards get new trees and this year is Walplole Ward’s turn.  In order to get the maximum benefit from the annual tree budget the Council has just launched a tree warden initiative. If we residents volunteer to become tree wardens and look after these new trees for their first few years then the money saved by not paying contractors to do this means all the budget can be spent on trees. One of the tree warden’s tasks will be to water the tree/s with 2 litres of water once a fortnight from May to October, so not too onerous. Speaking as a tree lover I’m all in favour of this. So, my wife and I will look after the new trees in our street.

If you’re interested in volunteering to become a tree warden these are the streets with new trees where tree wardens are needed:

 

Glenfield Rd – 1 tree

Melbourne Ave – 6 trees

Coldershaw Rd – 2 trees

Carew Rd – 1 tree

Westfield Rd – 11 trees

Northfield Ave – 1 tree

Disraeli Road – 3 trees

Everyone who volunteers to become a tree warden will get training and the person to contact is Susan Wyatt – susan.wyatt@ealing.gov.uk

 

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What happened at WEN’s Public Meeting?

West Ealing Neighbours Public Meeting 21st February 2012

OPEN Ealing

 

David Highton (Chair) provided a report on WEN’s activities:

Lido Junction

Finally WEN’s proposal for changing this dangerous junction has been approved and is going ahead. After the public consultation on the original proposals the Council have dropped the idea of loading and parking bays on Drayton Green Road.  This is a well earned success for WEN

Craft Fair

WEN have been talking to the Council for the past 18 months about a monthly craft fair in St James Avenue, after a lot of red tape we finally have the go ahead to run it and the first one is Saturday 7th April.  This is a joint project with St James Church who will be open to provide teas/coffees as well as outreach work.

West Ealing Family Day

This will happen again in Melbourne Avenue and St James Avenue. There will be a variety events scheduled.  More information will be available later in the year.

Book Swap

Chris Gilson from WEN runs this popular book swap at West Ealing station.  He has just secured permission for a book swap at Ealing Broadway station – platform 2. 

In December 2011, the campaign was the winner of the first #ideas4Mayor competition at the London Policy Conference. The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said of the project:

“I think it’s a very good idea and would say something powerful about the kind of city we are and our commitment to literacy, which obviously we are trying to demonstrate in lots of ways particularly with young people”

Abundance

This project is now in its 6th year and the group have now taken on Walmer Gardens Orchard in West Ealing.  The renovation of this Orchard is fully support by Ealing Park Rangers team and expertise is provided by the London Orchard Project. Both clearing and pruning have taken place in Jan/Feb this year.  Abundance is now securing more volunteers for the project.

Book Club

This is a monthly club who meet at the Star and Anchor.  For more information email wenreadinggroup@live.co.uk

 

Eric Leach, Vice Chair provided an update on WEN’s activities in relation to planning. Eric has been heavily involved in the Local Development Framework planning process which will have a big impact on West Ealing. The Localism Act coming into effecting April 2012 will give us the opportunity to be involved with the formation of neighbourhood forums – for more information see http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/inyourarea/neighbourhood/

Eric then opened up the floor to those present regarding the future of West Ealing Neighbours. The background to this is that the constitution states committee members can serve no longer than 5 years. Several committee members are now reaching their 5th anniversary, including the Chair (David) and Vice Chair (Eric) therefore new ideas and new individuals are being sought by WEN to take us through the next phase. A fair few individuals hesitated at the thought of not being able to devote time to WEN, or have an idea exactly what they were volunteering for! – those committee members present re-iterated that involvement is not onerous and all of us have started our own projects that we believe in and therefore are prepared to put the time in for the projects to succeed.

Coming along to the meetings to see what goes on is the best thing to see what happens and offer up ideas.

More discussion took place on the nature and format of WEN meetings to make them less like work meeting and more like social ‘gatherings’ offering wine, nibbles and an informal environment.

David Highton concluded that the next 12 months should be about transition to look at how WEN can be run going forward and any new office holders would be mentored for 6 months by the outgoing office holders. The current holders would therefore stay in their posts until new individuals are in place – with either the same type of structure, or a new one to be agreed.

The next WEN social gathering is to be held on Wednesday 21st March at OPEN Ealing, 113 Uxbridge Road (corner of Culmington) nr the fire station on the 2nd floor Café starting at 7.30pm – wine and nibbles provided. Please come along and bring a friend too!

 

Diane Gill

Secretary – WEN