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Plans for redeveloping the Sherwood Close Estate now available

The plans for the demolition and redevelopment of the Sherwood Close Estate is now on the Council’s website. Here’s a summary from the application:

 

The Proposal: Demolition of all buildings within Sherwood Close (including 209 residential units, parking structures and ancillary buildings) and the construction of 305 new residential units (88 x one-bedroom, 157 x two-bedroom, 52 x three-bedroom and 8 x four-bedroom in a mix of housing tenures) in four apartment buildings varying between two-storeys and nine-storeys high and a row of three-storey townhouses; a 70 sq .m community space (D2 Use Class); associated energy plant room; refuse and recycling facilities; storage for 410 bicycles; 122 car parking spaces (comprising 86 spaces on-street and 36 spaces in an under croft parking area); site-wide hard and soft landscaping including public, semi-private and private amenity space and public realm improvements; the closure of part of Sherwood Close and reconfiguration of the public highway including the construction of two new north-south streets between Sherwood Close and Tawny Close, and the construction of new pedestrian / cycle routes between Sherwood Close, Tawny Close and Northfield Avenue and other associated works.

 

This is a major redevelopment right in the middle of West Ealing.  It will take some years to complete as it has to be done in stages in order to rehouse residents whilst the old blocks are demolished.  Like all such developments  there will be a mixture of types of housing, including a nine-storey block of flats for sale on Northfield Ave at the top end near the junction with Mattock Lane.

There are a lot of papers to read through for this application so more news once I’ve had the chance to look at them in more detail.

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‘Vivid and imaginative theatre’ – Sarah Kane’s powerful 4.48 Pyschosis at Questors Theatre in January

The Sunday Times has picked out the Sarah Kane season at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre as one of its ‘ hottest picks’ for 2015.  However, you don’t need to go to Sheffield to experience Sarah Kane’s talent and reflect on the loss to the theatre of her suicide at just 28.  Ealing’s Questors Theatre has Sarah Kane’s 4.48 Psychosis on later this month.  It describes the play as follows:

A rhythm of raw beauty – vivid and imaginative theatre

“Here am I
and there is my body
dancing on glass”

With its powerful use of the most beautiful and poetic language we are drawn into the pained world of Kane herself at one moment in time: 4.48am. Sarah Kane’s masterpiece is theatre as a text for performance rather than a play. It is about love and about survival and about hope.

Several weeks after completing the play, at the age of 28, Sarah Kane committed suicide leaving this her masterwork – an affirmation to live rather than a suicide note.

This production will be an unforgettable experience – an evening of vivid visual theatre, raw and beautiful.

Suitable for ages 16+
Contains disturbing adult themes and smoke

Details of tickets etc here

Wednesday 28th January 2015

I saw this play last night and was very impressed with what is an extremely difficult play to stage. There are no named characters, no specific voices given to any character and no indication of how many performers or of any gender.  Having said that I thought Questors put on a powerful and inspiring performance. An abiding memory of the play is the stark staging and dissonant music which caught the fractured mood of the mind of what I take to be the central character.  It’s interesting that the music changed to something much more melodic right at the very end.

For me, the play gave great insight in to the mind of someone with serious depression and the mood swings, the darkness, anger and humour that flickers like a faulty light never knowing what is coming next.  Questors staged Sarah Kane’s play with an all female cast with some strong performances and is well worth seeing.

 

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Join the Queen of the spoken word this Saturday 7.30pm at OPEN Ealing

Zena Edwards, Queen of the spoken Word Saturday 20th December

When:Saturday 20th December
Where: Green Man Lane Cafe, Singapore Road, W13 OEP

Doors open at 7.30pm
Tickets: £10 available on the door
(Concessions £8; Green Man Lane residents £5)
There’s an amazing opportunity to see Zena Edwards, Queen of the Spoken Word, when she performs at Green Man Lane Cafe on Saturday. “She’s a poet of consummate skill who effortlessly melds hip-hop grooves with a worldly Afro-centric wisdom.”

This month Zena is supported by:
– Leeto Thale, a published poet and “renaissance man” who is currently the resident poet at the Arc Gallery where he is cultivating the synergy between art and poetry. His writing predominantly covers art and social commentary.

– Marcina Arnold, professional singer and recorded artist whose rich and versatile voice enables her to cross genres. With Celtic & South African roots combined with her exposure to jazz, blues, soul & world music at a young age this fusion is present in her voice and writing.

– Larry Bartley has become one of the most sought after bass players on the London jazz scene with an identifiable sound that announces his presence.

The evening won’t be complete without you. If you are a poet and would like to share your work, or just want to read your favourite poem. You are warmly invited to join Zena and her friends on Saturday 20 December for an amazing evening of poetry and music.
If you just want to sit back and soak up the ambience – you are in for a pre-Christmas treat – wine, mince pies and the like!

 

Learn More about Zena here:

 

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Public exhibition of new plans for Ealing Broadway shopping centre Sat 29th Nov 11-3

There’s an exhibition  and public consultation on plans to develop and refurbish Ealing Broadway Shopping Centre on Saturday 29th November from 11am – 3pm. Full details on their website

Below is a brief summary of the proposals we will be discussing:

  • Improving the town hall / public plaza to host events;
  • Refurbishing 54 Broadway (Crystal House) to create a new entrance to the Centre;
  • New homes for rent above shops at 54 Broadway;
  • Future improvements to International House, to first-class office space standards;
  • Upgrading the car park, including modern lighting and card payment facilities.

 

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Seven day GP access for Ealing Patients

I thought this was worth publicising.  The whole question of whether or not Ealing Hospital’s A&E dept remains is highly charged.  My own experience of Ealing Hospital A&E earlier this year was excellent but it makes sense to try to encourage people to use a GP service for straightforward problems and take pressure off A&E.


Seven day GP access for Ealing patients

Ealing residents are now able to access GP services 7 days a week, thanks to a new service launched by NHS Ealing Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

People who feel unwell on Saturdays and Sundays should call NHS 111 for medical help and advice. If the trained 111 adviser thinks they need to see a GP, they will be directed to the nearest open practice.

The GP weekend opening service is an alternative to A&E for people with non-life threatening illnesses or injuries. GP practices are working as local groups to offer this service, with practices taking turns to open at weekends.

Dr Mohini Parmar, chair at Ealing CCG said: “We have introduced this service as part of our drive to encourage people to use the correct service for their need.

“We know that many patients attend A&E when their GP practice is closed, even if they don’t have a life-threatening illness.

“We want to encourage patients to be seen in primary care for non-life threatening illnesses, so hospital services can prioritise those who are seriously sick or injured.

“We hope that if people feel they need to see a GP over the weekend they will call 111 in the first instance and go to one of the local GP practices, rather than going to A&E with an illness or injury that can be treated by a GP or pharmacist.”

The new service is part of Ealing CCG’s out of hospital strategy, which aims to bring care closer to home and into a local, more familiar environment for the benefit of the patients.

Using this service will not affect your registration at your own GP practice.  If you are not registered with a GP, you can still call 111 and they will help you access the right service for your needs.

Calls to 111 are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and are free from landline and mobile phones.

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Performance poetry at OPEN Ealing – Saturday 22nd Nov

Zena Edwards returns to OPEN

Performance poet Zena Edwards returns to OPEN Ealing this coming Saturday (22nd November) to present another beguiling evening of words, movement and music.

Hailing from Tottenham in north London, Zena delves into her Afro-Caribbean heritage to find inspiration for her poems and stories. And she enhances them in performance with traditional African intruments, such as the kalimba and the kora, plus backing musicians.

It’s a powerful, dynamic and entrancing combination. Zena made a big impression on OPEN audiences a couple of years back with her monologue The Three Furies, which reached into Greek mythology to provide a focus for women’s anger in the 12st century. She also performed parts of that show at London’s Royal Festival Hall where she shared a stage with South African trumpeter Hugh Masakela.

She was recently Resident Poet at the Poetry Cafe in Covent Garden, and shortlisted for the first Arts Foundation Award for Performance Poetry. .

Read what others have said:
“Effortlessly melds hip-hop grooves with a worldly Afro-centric wisdom” – Time Out.
“A poet of consummate skill, whose career as an artist is going from strength to strength” – The Guardian.

Here’s just one video example of her work:

This will be the second of a series of appearances by Zena at OPEN, which form part of the autumn season of Performance Saturdays.

Date: Saturday 22nd November 2014
Time: 7.30-10pm
Where: Green Man Lane cafe, Singapore Road, West Ealing W13 0EP
Admission: £10 / concessions £8 / Green Man Lane estate residents £5, includes free glass of wine. Caribbean/Mauritian food available on the night from Coco Labelle.

Follow @Openealing on Twitter, OPEN (West Ealing Arts) on Facebook.
www.openealing.com

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Help create a new future for Ealing – Sunday 16th Nov

‘Re-imagining Ealing’s Future’: Sunday 16th November 7.30pm
Ealing Transition invites you to a participatory Open Space event which will explore the future we would like to create together for ourselves in Ealing. The emphasis is on the practical and the possible, rather than on the things we can’t easily influence, like macro-economic policy.
We will start by showing a short (15 min) TED talk by Nic Marks, which proposes a future based on human happiness, wellbeing and sustainable resource use rather than on productivity or Gross National Product. We will then create an Open Space in which your ideas and contributions can be explored.
If you have ideas about doing something in your local community which could make a positive difference and strengthen our connection to each other, and believe in the power of ‘just doing stuff’ please come and contribute.
The event starts at 7.30pm and takes place in the Polygon, St Mary’s Church, St Mary’s Road Ealing W5 5RH. Entry is free however as usual we will ask for a small donation to help us cover costs. It should be a lively event!

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Grab a bargain and meet your neighbours at the Northfields Jumble Trail this Saturday

Great community idea from Francesca Bussey:

‘The Northfields Jumble Trail now has 56 stalls! Amazing! You still have 5 days to register and get rid of all that jumble you’ve been meaning to clear out, or check out the stall’s descriptions and see what bargains you’re going to pick up. It’s on this Saturday 1st November 10am – 3pm, the weather forecast is 16 degrees and dry and I think it just might be great.’

Map of where the stalls are is here