Free laid-back jazz at OPEN Ealing this Friday lunchtime

Fran Clark FFM JanCome to OPEN and celebrate the new year with some laid-back yet groovy soul and jazz music! Local established singer and songwriter Fran Clark will be teaming up with Pete Clark on Friday 6 January 2012 from 12.30- 1.30pm to perform at the next First Friday Music.

Fran frequently performs locally including featuring at Brentford Festival and is celebrated for her jazzy mellow vibe and emotional strength of her vocals. With her first album “To Fly” received excellent reviews from online and local radio stations, Fran is in her final recording stage of her second album and many of her original songs will be featured in this performance.

The performance will be held in the OPEN gallery on the second floor. A light lunch and refreshments will be available in the self-service café.

This performance is admission free.

Local people to plan the centres of Ealing and West Ealing

According to the new Localism Act local people will soon be able to assemble a Neighbourhood Forum of 21 people or more who will discuss and propose the design of their local area. Save Ealing Centre (SEC), an alliance of 25 residents’ and community groups, has proposed the setting up of two Neighbourhood Forums – one for Ealing centre and one for West Ealingcentre. As part of these initiatives in 2011, SEC sought funding from national government, which if successful would amount to £40,000. We’ll hear soon whether this bid has been successful.

Neighbourhood Forums are required to be made up of a representative group of local stakeholders. I expect residents’ groups, community groups, businesses, faith groups, educational establishments and infrastructure providers to attend and contribute to these forum meetings.

These forum meetings are likely to be a breath of fresh air as they are likely to be the first such regular meetings in modern times at which local people/traders/service providers will be asked about how they want their town centres to be preserved, re-used and /or ‘developed’. These will be difficult discussions in which trade-offs between different needs – like quality of life, culture, healthcare, education, law and order, business and housing – will have to be thrashed out.

Unsurprisingly there are whole ‘rafts’ of planning legislation which the forums will have to wrestle with. At national level we have the newly proposed NationalPlanning PolicyFramework. At regional level we have the new version of The London Plan. At town level we have Ealing Council’s draft Local Development Framework Core Strategy (LDF CS). National government will decide whether it wants to accept Ealing’s LDF CS in early 2012.

All these planning policies contain a presumption in favour of property development, which seems somewhat out of place in a country with massive debts, a depressed construction industry and with no prospects of any significant economic growth for years to come. However it appears that no major political party wants to adopt a common sense policy of making the best use of what we’ve got.

The Localism Act will become fully enabled by April 2012. Neighbourhood Forums have a lifetime of five years. To find out more about Neighbourhood Forums and the Localism Bill you’ll find a useful briefing at www.urbanforum.org.uk/briefings/localism-act-briefing. To track progress of these Ealing Neighbourhood Forum  initiatives see SEC’s web site at www.saveealingscentre.com and West Ealing Neighbours’ web site at www.westealingneighbours.org.uk.

 

Eric Leach

3 January 2012

Launch of OPEN Ealing’s daytime book club Wednesday 7th December 10.30am

OPEN has a coffee bar with comfy sofas and bookshelves – the perfect place to talk about books.  So, we’re starting a morning book group with our first meeting on Wednesday 7th December 10.30am- 12noon. We’re at 113 Uxbridge Road (opposite the fire station)

Everyone is welcome: bring along your baby, if you like; come in after you’ve dropped the children at school or during your shopping trip; or just come along to get out of the house for a bit.  And bring your friends too.

In the first meeting we’ll just have coffee and cakes and talk about the kind of books we like to read.  And we’ll draw up a list of books for future discussion.

Look forward to seeing you there!

Angela

WEN public meeting about plans to make Lido Junction safer on Tuesday 6th December at OPEN Ealing 7.30pm

West Ealing Neighbours is holding a public meeting on Tuesday 6th December at OPEN Ealing as part of the public consultation about the Council’s planned changes to the Lido Junction. The changes include an all-red stop phase to allow pedestrians to cross all four arms in safety.

This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make crucial pedestrian safety changes at this notorious junction. Please do come along to hear the details of the Council’s plans and why there are some concerns about the possible impact on north-south traffic flow.  Stopping parking on the eastern side of Drayton Green Road makes sense and is as we suggested but the proposed introduction of a loading bay and five stop-and-shop parking bays on the west side of Drayton Green Road seems entirely counter-productive and likely to cause delays for northbound traffic. Whatismore, the shops in Drayton Green Road do not want a loading bay so it’s not at all clear why one is proposed. We can ask why at our meeting but if you are unable to make it on the 6th do please think carefully about these two elements and object if you feel they are likley to cause delays to traffic in Drayton Green Road.

The meeting is at OPEN Ealing, 113 Uxbridge Road – opposite the fire station and on the corner with Culmington Road.

This week’s gigs at Ealing’s historic blues club

I have a bit of a personal interest in this post. My taste in music was heavily influenced by my brother who is five years older than me. He was a teenager living in London from mid-1964 onwards and he was an avid fan of blues music so was always going to the Marquee Club , Eel Pie Island and many other clubs and venues, though not The Ealing Club as he told me its heyday was over by 1964. So, Ealing’s central role in the development of British blues music in the early 1960s was indirectly crucial to my musical education. Alistair who is raising funds for a blue plaque to mark the role of The Ealing Club has dropped in to OPEN a couple of times to promote his special fund-raising blues nights at the club and I hope he succeeds with his efforts to get greater recognition of the role played by Alexis Korner and The Ealing Club. I couldn’t get to any of the previous blues nights in the summer so I hope this time I can manage to get along to one of the nights. Details of the three nights are below.

(You can listen to a BBC Radio 6 programme about Alexis Korner and his contribution to British music which talks about The Ealing Club at http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b008tt3x/Alexis_Korner_Rhythm_and_Blues_Champion_Juvenile_Delinquent/ )

 

The Ealing Club Blue Plaque Gigs

To raise the final funds for the Ealing Club plaque, we have managed to put together three nights of music, featuring many musicians who realise the importance of the venue and are offering their time and input to help celebrate it.

The club, now called The Red Room, is diagonally opposite the station by the set of stairs that goes down to the footpath that brings you out on the Uxbridge Road almost opposite the entrance to the Ealing Broadway Shopping Centre.

(The photo shows Ealing Broadway station in the 1960s looking across to The Ealing Club.)

22nd November:

The Hubcaps
Blues Covers and Original Material, with a very accomplished Harmonica Player at the helm.

The Bolaji Blues Band
Searing Blues Guitar will be on offer from this local band, who are rapidly sealing a reputation for their interpretation, of well known blues classics.

Brace Yourself
Following their brushes with Banksy in their former guise as Exit through the Gift Shop, this band entertained and went down a storm at their last Ealing Club Fringe performance. Guitar covers of 70′s/80′s 90′s classics.

23rd November:

Live music on Wednesday, will have a tinge of Jazz with the band Fallen Heroes, who ave already graced the Liverpool Jazz Festival and Ronnie Scotts. Cyril Davies may not have approved of the brass section but maybe Alexis would have given it a go.

The night will be hosted by Swamprock Dj’s Carol Lateman and Nigel Bewley. Sure to be lively, upbeat and of the highest quality. http://thefallenheroes.com/

24th November:

The Blues Tribute night on Thursday will serve up the Blues ……Robert Hokum/Guvnors, Norrie Burnett (British  Blues pioneer who even played with Cyril Davies) Doc Stenson (Singer, Guitar and Harmonica player, who played with Alexis Korner and entertained audiences at the July Ealing Fringe Gigs) with Ramon Goose and Geoff Garbow

Please e-mail us to reserve a place on the door, as we will limit the audience to 100 per night – ealing-club@hotmail.co.uk

More details available on the websites:

www.ealing-club.com

www.facebook.com/ealingclub

 

David Highton

Update on dealing with anti-social behaviour in Dean Gardens

There has been considerable activity over the last month, the police, council, and charities have been working together and overall the general view is that the area is returning to normality. Current evidence shows that some of our known suspects have responded to the coordinated pressure over the last few weeks and are dispersing.  This is excellent news.

To give you the flavour of the work in hand: retail outlets, off-licences and cafés in the Dean Gardens area have been visited and encouraged to join the responsible retailer programme.  Many are cooperating fully.  The aim is to stop retailers selling to people who are in no fit state to consume – this applies particularly to both alcohol and khat.  In addition, a massive body of evidence has been accumulated and some ASBOs will be put in front of the courts very shortly and we expect to be serving these orders immediately when they are granted.  These will further curtail the known suspects and deter any new suspects on whom intelligence has been built in recent weeks.  We are pleased to report that following the increased police resources on the ground has resulted in over 40 arrests and 176 searches being made.

In summary – considerable progress towards the rehabilitation of Dean Gardens is being achieved.  We are now planning for returning to normality as the intense joint action programme winds down.  We look forward to the area becoming a safer place – day and night – a green space in West Ealing that is a central part of the neighbourhood.   If you are aware of any anti-social behaviour or drug related incident, you can report it by ringing 101 (this number is for all calls to the police other than emergencies – for which please ring 999).  101 will get you through to the Metropolitan Police who will pass the details to a duty officer in Ealing for collation by our intelligence team.

Thank you.

Patrick Chapman,
Walpole SNT Focus Panel Chair

18th November 2011

 

 

Free lunchtime music, new art exhibitions and cheese tasting today at OPEN Ealing

Today sees OPEN’s First Friday for November kick off with free music at lunchtime from 12.30-1.30pm. Be ready for a relaxing hour of beautiful ballads from musical theatre, pop, jazz, and classics from Tonia Szkurhan.

In the evening we will be launching two new exhibitions – Trouble in Utopia and Sugar Sachets and City Scapes. One explores the boundaries between reality and articfice, whilst the other challenges us about what materials we can use and we can see the very first public exhibition by new artist Dean Moone.

And on top of all this, in the evening from 7pm onwards, we will be joined by Brent from the new Cheddar Deli in Northfield Avenue who will be talking about some of the fabulous cheeses he’s supplied for today’s First Friday event. And take it from me, Brent really knows his cheeses! So, it’s well worth coming along to taste a few cheeses and hear what Brent has to say about them.

 

 

Update on policing in West Ealing

Dean Gardens– Action Group update

We reported, in September, on the first Joint Action Group meeting held to coordinate the response of the Police, Council and other local agencies to the incidents involving the young night-time group that is new to this area. Now, a third but totally unconnected incident has occurred in the small hours of the morning on Wednesday 19th October.  As the second, follow-up, JAG meeting was already scheduled for today, this latest incident was included on the agenda. This note summarises the overall situation and the main outcomes of the meeting for the local community.

Fundamentally, West Ealing is part of a residential area, not a centre for ‘gang behaviour’ or any other illegal activity.  Already, during the daytime the park is busy with families, many enjoying the children’s facilities.  The situation at night is also improving, particularly at weekends.

The increased police resources on the ground have already had a positive effect.  Their numbers will be even higher this weekend with the aim of further increasing visible law enforcement.  Nothing is being left to chance and residents will be very pleased to hear that the police are, and will be, taking a very firm stance.  The work of the plain clothes and SNT officers gathering intelligence is continuing in parallel to this.  The latest incident is being investigated by a special dedicated police unit.

As planned, the Council, Fire Brigade and Police have started their coordinated review of commercial premises in the area to ensure that licensing, planning and food health and safety legislation is being strictly enforced.  Local Shisha and Khat café outlets are a particular focus, and already we are delighted that operators are cooperating by signing a Responsible Retailer Agreement.  This is a key first step in the drive to minimise any local ‘under the counter’ sales. Again, in parallel, local outreach organisations such as St Mungo’s and Ealing
Council Adult and Children’s Services are also involved to help cushion any impact on the genuinely homeless and disadvantaged.

In summary – progress has already been achieved.  The recent incident is unconnected with the past pattern and is being investigated very thoroughly.  We can all continue to help.  If you are aware of any anti-social behaviour or drug related incident, you can report it by ringing 101 (this number is for all calls to the police other than emergencies – for which please ring 999).  101 will get you through to the Metropolitan Police who will pass the details to a duty officer in Ealing for collation by our intelligence team.

If you have any additional queries, you can contact our local Walpole Police SNT on 020 8721 2949

Thank you.

Patrick Chapman, Walpole SNT Focus Panel
Chair

21st October 2011

A blot on West Ealing: the shame that is Canberra Road

Fly-tipping this week in Canberra Road

To be honest Canberra Road is driving me nuts!  Canberra Road is the service road that runs along the north side of Sainsbury’s and across Melbourne Ave by the side of Luckhurst’s and to the back of Lidl’s. I pass it almost every day and almost without fail it’s a disgrace – dumped black bags, old sofas, bags of clothes and overflowing wheelie bins. The problem is that it’s at the back of a row of shops where deliveries have to take place and it now is the entrance to a host of new flats built on top of many of these shops (some of which do not appear to have any of their own bins) and it has a large charity collection bin for clothes. All in all, it’s seen as a good dumping ground for people wanting to fly-tip all manner of unwanted goods. In fairness, the Council tries hard to keep it clean. I talked to one of the street cleaners a week or so ago who was having to clear up there and he said Council trucks come along every day to take away dumped rubbish. But it shouldn’t be like this. Why should we have to put up with constant fly-tipping along this road?

From a West Ealing Neighbours point of view Canberra Road is the key link between Melbourne Avenue, the heart of West Ealing, and St James Avenue where we hold a variety of events – Family Day, the annual arts and crafts fair and occasional craft markets. We need to reclaim this road from the fly-tippers and make it a decent road to walk along as opposed to the nasty, rubbish strewn road it is most of the time.

I confess I don’t think it will be easy to clear up Canberra Road but we need to try. I’m going to ask the Council if a CCTV camera can be put there for a while to catch the fly-tippers. But we need more than that. We need to make it look decent, so any ideas are very welcome.