Working together to make West Ealing a better place for residents, businesses and visitors.
Thanks to all lovely volunteer players, singers, sound people – you made it a great afternoon. More on Sat Dec 15th (with nativity and live donkey) and Sat Dec 22nd (outside Blockbusters, in W Ealing broadway). Here are a couple of video ‘moments’. Enquiries: westealingneighbours@gmail.com
Message from Alison at the Ealing Churches Winter Night Shelter project:
‘I have an urgent request for a volunteer overnight on Tuesday 11 Dec. It would be from 9:45pm to 7am in Southall (St Anselm’s church near the railway station), with half the night watching, half sleeping.’ Please contact Alison direct:
Alison Wood, Project Co-ordinator
Ealing Churches’ Winter Night Shelter
www.ecwns.org.uk
ecwns.office@yahoo.com
07930 378263
One of WEN’s members is keen to raise awareness about the government’s proposed changes to planning laws to allow larger back garden extensions without needing permission. It’s a topic that’s certainly got a number of local councils stirred up and could affect local residents.
He writes ‘The government plans to change Planning laws so that your neighbour can build a 6-metre extension 4 metres high without needing any permission from anyone – least of all from you.
This may be fine for cabinet ministers who live in spacious areas. But 80% of us live incities, where small gardens provide most of the green space. In our terrace, the back gardens are 12 metres long. Half your neighbour’s garden gone – perhaps on both sides of you? Plus separate outbuildings, if they choose? And you’ll get no protection from Planning laws that used to protect you from overbearing, dominating, character-destroying developments. The government wants this to happen!
The government’s consultation period ends 24 December. We need all our friends across the country to say what they think of this proposal. You can reply online at this location:
www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/extendingpdrconsultation
or you can write to Helen Marks via e-mail:
PlanningImprovements@communities.gsi.gov.uk
or on paper:
Helen Marks
Permitted Development Rights – Consultation
Department for Communities and Local Government
Zone 1/J3 Eland House
Bressenden Place
London SW1E 5DU
Tell your MP and David Cameron and Eric Pickles what you think. And get your friends across the country to do the same – or we could all find ourselves in concrete jungles.’
Download this page at kevinraftery.net/attack.pdf
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
I managed to catch some of Jacob and Goliath’s session at Saturday’s craft market and was mighty impressed with this young local band. A great new addition to West London’s alternative/indie folk music scene. Three of the band members braved the cold, blew on their icy guitar picking fingers and really put their hearts in to their music. Lead singer Jacob Simpson has got a very striking voice and already has an impressive stage presence. You can see a recording of a part of their session at the market on a later post on this blog. Watch out for them and find out where they’re playing next on their Facebook page.
Next Saturday we have carols, local folk band Oddfellas and the dynamic gospel choir Singology- more information on the next post down on this blog.
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.
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‘