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‘Under her skin’ – great show at the Drayton in January

singingLaurel Swift (the one with the double bass) teaches her long-running folk workshop to local folkies at the Drayton on Monday nights, and now offers to West Ealing:

‘Under Her Skin’

Directed by John Wright

The Drayton Court, The Avenue, West Ealing  **   15-17 January 2013  **  7:45pm  **  £5

An epic tale, a modern twist, two voices, four feet and eight strings.

Debs Newbold and Laurel Swift bring a rich and innovative collision of forms to their first full-length collaboration – a story of loss and regret that is also funny, irreverent, moving and dripping with streetwise credibility. Combining dynamic performance storytelling with the effusive energy of traditional dance and music, Under Her Skin sweeps audiences into a rich imaginative landscape.

 “…a glorious, raucous, joyful show which manages seamlessly to combine the raw energy of dance, the earthiness of social realism and the magic and wonder of myth into an entirely integrated, expertly realised evening’s entertainment.”

GILES ABBOTT

This is storytelling crafted especially for adults. Based on an ancient British Selkie (seal people) folktale and set firmly in the here and now, it is an integrated show, inventive and theatrical yet with no fourth wall to get in the way of any mischief!  Debs Newbold’s highly acclaimed and charismatic storytelling voice joins the double bass, fiddle and clog dynamism of Laurel Swift to create an explosion of joy.  Under Her Skin plays freely with the conventions of storytelling and gives an ancient British folktale a strong contemporary retelling.

 

Laurel Swift is an Associate Artist of the English Folk Dance and Song Society

www.debsandlaurel.co.uk

www.morrisoffspring.co.uk

www.gadarenemusic.com

www.gloworms.org.uk

 

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Anyone else having problems with waste collection?

Hi, I’ve phoned Ealing Council about 20 times since April to report missed collections and have had 4 letters acknowledging my complaints but nothing improves. About 25% of the time all the recycling and black bag rubbish goes on the right day. About 50% of the time, one or two categories (varies which ones) are not picked up; when I report it to the call centre the next day, whatever didn’t get collected is then collected. About 25% of the time, two categories are missed and the recollection only picks up one of the missed categories and the other one stays till I ring again or the next collection day.

I spoke to one of the recollection gang today and they said it was because the new contractors, Enterprise, had reduced the number of waste vehicles available by 16, and increased the size of the remaining ones – and this means they can’t get round some of the street corners.

Thinks: if that’s the case, why don’t the operatives move the rubbish up to the nearest accessible street corner and collect from there?

The recollecters said that they had hundreds of tasks on their log-sheets – and they think it’s more expensive to recollect than collect correctly the first time.

I asked the call centre at Ealing council how I can escalate my complaint but have heard nothing yet (only rang yesterday).

Is anyone else having problems?

Gill

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Programme for music at the craft market, December 22nd 2012

Our final craft market of the season takes place as ever outside Blockbusters in West Ealing Broadway (the western end on the south side of the Uxbridge Rd) from 10-3pm on Saturday December 22nd, 2012. Pick up some last minute presents that no one else will have from our local artisans. Subscribe to this blog or email westealingneighbours@gmail.com to stay informed about ‘next steps’ in the market.

December 22nd has music in the music gazebo. We will host carolling from the Ealing Churches Winter Night Shelter and local man ‘Ralph’ of King Ralph,  will sing us out…till next time, probably the first Saturday in March 2013. Stay tuned.

Craft market music programme for Dec 22nd:

12-1pm: The Ealing Churches Winter Night Shelter carolling crew sings for us. ECWNS http://www.ecwns.org.uk/home/ helps some homeless people to get off the streets and begin the journey to finding their own home. It also enables people who are on the edge of rough sleeping to avoid hitting the streets. ECWNS stands in the gap by providing for the most basic and essential needs for homeless people – sleep and food. A person who has been made homeless faces enormous risks as a rough sleeper including substance abuse, poor physical and mental health, and acts of criminality.

king ralph greenford 2012

1pm-2pm: Ralph of King Ralph will sing us out. ‘King Ralph are an acoustic trio from the Brentford borderlands. They can usually be found at local festivals and other events in the area playing their original punk-folk and other people’s songs in similar style.  Sometimes they let Ralph out on his own, where he can be found in local pubs like the Grosvenor singing for free a pint, or the Brewery Tap paying for his beer like everybody else. You can hear some of the songs at myspace.com/kingralphmusic. Contact Helen Martin Promotions (philandhelenmusic@gmail.com) for bookings and info.’

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News from the craft market, Dec 15th, 2012

Dina the donkey A spectator said, ‘Am I dreaming? I think I’ve just seen a donkey in the high street.’

Dina the donkey paraded in West Ealing broadway and helped tell the old, old, good-news story. There was music, too, outside Blockbusters in the craft market. (Video links are below.)

Note: Dec 22nd is our last craft market of the year so don’t miss out, come and find some unique locally made bargains to complete your Christmas shopping. More info from: westealingneighbours@gmail.com

Local youth club talent: Westside Allstars – video; Meetman and the Butchers – video

Local classical singer, Romeo, with mellow sounds full of ‘heart’: video

Local singer, Maria, with a show-stopping voice: video

Local band, Mobile Clones, make the audience happy: video

Local voices and instruments, with Slightly Mysterious carols: video

 

 

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Programme for Dec 15th 2012 West Ealing craft market – and donkey watch!

Another December Saturday means another craft market in cheery West Ealing – next door to Blockbusters on West Ealing Broadway. On Dec 15th it will be packed with action including youth bands,  opera, the reuturn of a favourite band and the Nativity with live donkey. Come with camera – and shovel – and don’t forget to buy some delightful local crafts to give to your loved ones. (More market/music on Dec 22nd, too – then we subside till March 2013.)

Programme for December 15th

11.30-12.30: The Westside youth centre is fielding a great hour of local young people ‘doing their thing’. Westside says: ‘Cross Culture presents a showcase of Ealing’s undiscovered young talent.  Musicians of all genres emerge into the limelight fresh from rehearsals at Westside Young People’s Centre’s studio aiming to impress and inspire.  The performers have been taking part in a project called Bandform funded by the Youth in Action programme in partnership with Ealing Council’s Youth & Connexions Service. The project seeks to make music a mechanism for youth empowerment, integration and participation.’

12.15 (at Sylvester’s) then at the market 12.30-1.30 (update):  Sadly ‘The Four Wise Men a barbershop quartet can’t now make it, but West Ealing’s local talent has stepped in, as follows:  local resident and classical singer, Romeo Kherkhenlidze will start with a few songs to gladden the heart at Sylvester’s the local barbers, and then on to the market where he will give us more, followed by local group The Mobile Clones (diminished – it was late notice!) who give us their irresistible brand of community warmth, all wrapped up in song.

1.30-2pm: Slightly Mysterious Carols  from a fusion of St James’s church worship team and the local folk scene.

2.15-3.15pm: The Nativity – there will be Herod on a stepladder, there will be Dina the donkey (touring West Ealing beforehand – look out for the mobile sound wagon) – the old, old story portrayed in the market place – and you (bring a teatowel or crown or sheep onesie,  grab a passing songsheet and just make sure you’ve got that camera!)

For more info: westealingneighbours@gmail.com

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Videos of music in West Ealing craft market, Dec 8th 2012

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

 

 

 

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Winter Night Shelter urgent request for overnighter December 11

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

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Music videos for December 1st, West Ealing craft market

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