West Ealing Neighbours Blog

Blues music and more coming up in Ealing soon

David — Mon, 14 May 2012 09:34:40 +0000

As a long-time Blues music fan I’m delighted at the revival of The Ealing Club. The team there have worked so hard to get live blues music back at the home of British Blues Music. The Ealing Club is still in its original home, now called The Red Room, and is putting on regular music sessions.

This month the Blues nights are the 17th and 31st May:

The Ealing Club

Thursday 17th May

Blues Guitarist ROBIN BIBI + support from the Riotous Brothers. A must for any Blues fan at the Home of British Rhythm and Blues

Thursday 31st May

Louisiana Cajun and Zydeco music arrives to the heart of Ealing with the Creole Brothers.

Tickets at £5. Starts at 8.30pm. Box Office: 07927 965797

In addition, The Drayton Court Hotel continues its regular EELDADDY music nights with the next session being:

Friday 8th June

S. Townshend, DuBellows and Blushing Bones

DuBellows and Blushing Bones recently appeared at OPEN Ealing so I can recommend them. Go to the Ealing Club website for more information and to buy tickets.

Peacock’s, window cleaning and spending money locally in West Ealing

David — Wed, 09 May 2012 08:35:02 +0000

The possible development site on the corner of the Uxbridge Road and Melbourne Avenue - on a dull and rainy day!

I’ve been trying to find out what’s happening to the now empty Peacock’s store and am told there have been holes drilled down in to the ground to look at the foundations. The view is that it’s testing the strength of the building for building flats above. I’m also told the owner of the store now also owns the empty store next door on the corner of Uxbridge Road and Melbourne Ave. So, expect to see plans for a redevelopment of this whole corner before long.

Anyway, during my efforts to find out all this I got talking to a guy who cleans many shop windows in West Ealing and who I’ve seen about for years. He was telling me that more and more shops in West Ealing, and mostly those that are part of a chain, are stopping using his services and taking out central contracts with national companies. All of which means the money that was going in to the local economy is now going out of it.

It may only be one small example but multiply it for other services that shops and offices need and you start to build up to a significant amount of money that could be spent locally but looks gradually to be going out of the area. I don’t pretend to know how to stop this but it just struck me again that all of us who live locally need to be aware of the importance of thinking carefully how and where we spend our money. A conscious decision to use local shops and services could be a key factor in whether or not these businesses survive and people keep their jobs.

It may have rained but craft market stallholders’ spirits were high!

David — Tue, 08 May 2012 07:11:12 +0000

Music in May - Steven Boyle playing under shelter!

Our second craft market last Saturday was a bit damp with the rain but the general feeling from stallholders was that more people were buying this time. It will take time for people to know the market is there in St James Ave on the first Saturday of the month but there feels to be a gathering momentum and a lot of good will. We had some music and that went down well. I think we need to investigate whether we can get some modest amplification for future music. We’ll see if we can get more musicians for our next market on 2nd June which is Diamond Jubilee holiday weekend.

You can see photos of the May market on WEN’s website

West Ealing craft market on Saturday and free music on Friday and Saturday lunchtimes

David — Wed, 02 May 2012 07:17:54 +0000

Craft Market on Saturday with free music from 12.45

Saturday (5th May) is the next monthly craft market in West Ealing. The market will be in St James Ave from 10am – 3pm and will have a range of stalls from cosmetics, candles and jewellery to wood turning, toys and leather goods. This time we also have some music at lunchtime with Greenford musician Steven Boyle playing his own songs and some favourites from down the years from 12.45-1.45 and WEN committee member Gill Adams playing folk with some friends from 2-3pm. As before, St James Church will have a stall offering free teas and coffees. Do please come along and support us and enjoy some free music.

Our website has the full list of stalls – www.westealingneighbours.org.uk

OPEN Ealing free music at lunchtime this Friday 12.30-1.30pm

Friday 4th May sees OPEN Ealing’s next regular First Friday music event venture in to the world of Broadway musicals. May’s free concert at lunchtime from 12.30-1.30 will see OPEN host 3rd year music students from the University of West London playing excerpts from their forthcoming production of Kander and Ebb’s Flora the Red Menace. Best known for writing the hugely successful musical Cabaret, Flora the Red Menace was the songwriting team of John Kander and Fred Ebb’s first Broadway musical.

There will also be an exhibition of artwork from local art group 4020 on display.

Details at www.openealing.com. OPEN Ealing is at 113 Uxbridge Rd W5, opposite the fire station.

I know it’s not W13! – Blues & Song – Ravenscourt Glasshouses Friday 25th May

Diane — Tue, 01 May 2012 21:17:19 +0000

Volunteers needed for stall at Queens’ Jubilee event 15th May

Diane — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 09:44:20 +0000

Volunteers needed for stall at Queen’s Jubilee event

The London Orchard Project has been invited to have a stall at a big event forming part of the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations in Richmond Park on Tues 15th May.The event is likely to attract 20,000 plus people and is to showcase some of London’s environmental projects. They really need some help on the day with their stall – juicing apples, children’s activities, apple bobbing and showcasing our pedal powered apple crusher.If you are interested in going along, please drop an email to kath@thelondonorchardproject.orgKath needs to let the organisers know everyone’s names and details in advance due to the heightened security. Should be a fun day and the Queen herself will be visiting their stall.

Can’t miss an opportunity to see her madge bobbing for apples!

Musicians wanted to play at West Ealing monthly craft market

David — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 07:29:55 +0000

Having got the monthly craft market up and running last month it would be great if we could add some music to create an atmosphere and a sense of occasion. We may not be able to pay but we can offer local musicians a venue to play and a chance to perform somewhere a bit different. The market is the first Saturday of every month in St James Avenue from 10am-3pm. It’s suitable for acoustic music rather than amplified as there is no power available. If you are interested in playing for an hour sometime on that Saturday please email us at westealingeighbours@gmail.com

Follow the West Ealing Monthly Craft Market on Facebook

David — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 14:52:00 +0000

You can find out more about our monthly craft market in St James Ave on its just-launched Facebook page -

http://www.facebook.com/pages/West-Ealing-Craft-Market/387521781287733

Stalls for our market on 5th May include The Buttoneer with her jewellery made from buttons to Nick Lazarow’s locally made wood-turned products including candle holders and bowls. The full list is:

Cosmetics & toiletries
Candles
Hand-knitted clothing
Greetings Cards
Notelets
Soft toys
Ethnic clothing & accessories
Leather goods
Woodturning
Cakes
Swarovski crystal jewellery
Button jewellery

The Bees have finally arrived at Walmer Gardens!

Diane — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 20:56:35 +0000

For those of you who have been keeping up to date with WEN Abundance activities you will know that we have taken the renovation of on a small orchard in Walmer Gardens W13. We cleared it and pruned the trees over January/February (ably managed by The London Orchard Project) Ealing Transition have the rear part of the orchard where the pond is for their first bee hive and on Saturday around 15,000 bees finally arrived in their new home. The crew donned suitable clothes before opening the box to let them into their new home. Needless to say once I had taken a picture of this I scarpered! Pictures of the event below.

Look out for more news when the Elderflower season starts towards June!

Uncertain future for Waterman’s arts centre in Brentford

David — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 07:23:25 +0000

There are concerns that the Waterman’s arts centre in Brentford may be relocated as part of a major redevelopment plan for the area. We received this email about these concerns:

‘I would like to alert your members to the uncertain future of Waterman’s in Brentford. I think several of your members travel to this wonderful, if somewhat austere, cinema, theatre, bar & restaurant to meet friends and enjoy the films. Mothers and babies also have special showings as well as other events. It is a much loved venue amongst people from Ealing, Acton, Brentford, Chiswick, Kew & Richmond and would be a great loss should it move away or be closed down.

The London Borough of Hounslow own the valuable Waterman’s site which they wish to sell off to deveopers. Watermans would be moved to another site – the council are not being very clear about their exact plans – some think they want to move it to Hounslow which would spell its death knell.

Watermans Brentford development plans on view to public for 3 days this week, 19th 20th & 21st at St Peter’s (behind Morrisons)

See the latest information on the developer’s site:-http://www.mybrentford.com/brentford2.0/latest#page-top

David Highton