Thanks, Ann Clifford, for passing this on..
Where has all the fruit gone?
WEN Abundance is having a lean year for the first time since its inception 5 years ago with very little fruit on offer so far. We are by no means the only group suffering from a lack of Abundance, groups across London and the rest of the country are scaling down activities. A mixture of a bumper year last year and mixed weather earlier on this year has resulted in fewer yields to date.
Luckily for us we made lots of produce last year – including delicious new chutney recipes. All of which will be on sale at West Ealing Family Day on Saturday 22nd September. Come along to our stall outside St James Church, St James Avenue from 10am – 4pm (providing stocks last!).
If anyone knows of any suitable fruit going spare, particularly apples for our fruit press to use at West Ealing Family Day please contact wenabundance@gmail.com
West Ealing street filmed for end of the world! Well, not quite but local traders to feature in new short film
I was just about to turn into Melbourne Ave on Tuesday afternoon when my way was blocked by a young girl in a bright yellow hi-vis jacket. Peering up the road I could see an ambulance so first thought there had been an accident. Then I thought, no, that’s not right and looked more carefully and saw filming going on. I didn’t have time to stop and find out more but bumped in to Tony Luckhurst (who owns Luckhurst’s butchers) and he told me all about it. Apparently the film is called Dregs and is about the world being saved by heroin addicts ie the ‘dregs’. Here’s the blurb off the website (http://la-fin.com/dregs/):
DREGS
If the beginning of the world started with a bang then it ended with a very different sound. A sound so powerful that it made everyone tear their ears off in agony and roll their eyes back into their heads as the last traces of humanity were forced from their bodies. Now they stand frozen to the spot; ‘Statics’, controlled by the last sound they ever heard. Unless anyone or anything around them makes a sound, whereupon they turn en mass to destroy it, tearing at it with their bare hands until nothing remains, before reverting to their static state. This happened to everyone, everywhere, in that same final moment – everyone except the heroin addicts; the ‘Dregs’.
Watch the film to get sight of Billy Luckhurst ( above photo) and local hairdresser Nico Neo playing….Statics.
Air ambulance in Dean Gardens – incident in Chapel Road
I’ve just walked back from OPEN Ealing and passed police cars and ambulances all over the place. Then I saw an air ambulance in Dean Gardens. It looks to me as if an incident took place in Chapel Road, location of a major fire last year, and someone was taken by road ambulance to the air ambulance which had landed in Dean Gardens. More information when we have it… think I’ve just heard the air ambulance fly over our house.
UPDATE – Saturday from Ealing Today website
Seems a man in his 30s was attacked in Chapel Road and left in a serious condition and then airlifted to hospital in east London.
Craft market with local hand-made goods in St James Avenue this Saturday 10am – 3pm
Our next monthly craft market will be in St James Ave this Saturday with a variety of locally made goods on sale – jewellery, prints , original drawings, scented bags and much more. Come along and be tempted!
w7emporium – new delicatessen to open in Hanwell on Saturday
A while back I mentioned I’d joined the monthly cheese subscription from Claire Rosser at w7emporium and I’m delighted to say she is now opening her delicatessen on Saturday. It’s in Boston Road in Hanwell on the right hand side almost opposite Wickes (post code is W7 3TR). It opens at 11am and I’m definitely going along, not least because I’m going to collect my next monthly selection of cheeses. Claire has worked fantasically hard to get this venture up and running and I wish her success and I hope lots of people can drop in and see and taste what’s on offer.
Incident in Melbourne Ave West Ealing – alleged assault on a woman
Like many others I’m wondering why the top end of Melbourne Ave is taped off as a crime scene this morning. I’ve asked the police but no comment as yet I’m afraid.
I’ll update this as soon as I find out anything.
Update on Thursday
Police received a report of rape shortly after 03.15hrs today, 25 July, following an alleged attack in the vicinity of Deans Gardens, W13, at around 02.00hrs.
Local road closures were put in place and detectives from Sapphire continue to investigate.
There has been no arrest at this stage.
Flame comes to West Ealing
Rent-to-own retailer taking over Peacock’s in West Ealing shopping centre
There’s been work going on in the old Peacock’s shop in the West Ealing shopping centre for a while but until yesterday I hadn’t been able to find out what is going in there. Now, thanks to a WEN colleague, I’ve found out it’s Brighthouse. To quote their website ‘BrightHouse is the nation’s leading rent-to-own retailer. Providing top brand household goods on low weekly, fortnightly or monthly payments and quick & simple credit.’
It’s yet another interesting reflection on the state of the local economy and how some large national retailers view West Ealing. Brighthouse clearly sees a local market for rent-to-own rather than outright purchase when money is so tight. It’s good that the shop has been taken as it has left an ugly gap in the high street. What worries me is that the shopping centre is becoming unbalanced with an ever-increasing predominance of budget shopping, money lending shops and betting shops. All are fine but we need to find a way to make our hight street more varied to attract in as wide a range of residents as possible. Any form of ‘monoculture’ is risky and a budget shopping only high street is not good for the long-term health of West Ealing’s shopping centre.
As I’ve said before, WEN would like to work with the Council and landlords to find a way to use empty shops as business incubators or start-ups for small local businesses who want to try to make a go of it but cannot afford the high rents charged by landlords. This would bring back a better balance and a greater variety of shops.
Stories, songs, music, poetry, comedy and near death coming soon to OPEN Ealing
It’s a busy couple of weeks at OPEN Ealing. A few dates for your diaries, Blackberries, iphones and any other digital devices!
Still Life – Thursday 12th July at 8pm – entrance free
Following a successful run at the Edinburgh Festival in 2011 this production is touring the UK in June and July.
Three months, two human rights observers and countless accounts of occupation distilled into an hour of story, song and image. Catch a glimpse of the struggle and humour or village life under occupation.
More details – http://www.openealing.com/?m=20120712&cat=5
Big Dance: Regeneration 2 – The Mountain on Friday 13th July 7.30pm Tickets £8
An intergenerational dance inspired by mountain themes and images, incorporating electronic music, live music and original artwork – http://www.openealing.com/?m=20120713&cat=5
Big Heart – a poetry show about surviving a heart attack (with jokes!) Wednesday 18th July 8pm Tickets £5
How do you fight back when your own heart tries to kill you?
In 2010, for his thirtieth birthday Richard Tyrone Jones, the healthy, gym-going ‘Ringmaster of Spoken Word’ (ThreeWeeks) got a rather unexpected present. Heart failure.
Having battled back from the brink of death to (almost) full-health, armed with a pen and a pacemaker, he has now written a show about his experiences, which he describes as ‘a unique prescription of cardiomyopoetry, animation and anecdosage.’
Richard will expand on the lurid details of his near-near death from dilated cardiomyopathy (heart failure), atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat) and atrial thrombosis (blood clot in the heart), his convoluted convalescence and living everyday life with the condition that will almost certainly kill him. Here is truly a show for anyone who ever had a heart. Or failure. Many Fringe acts consider their show to be a matter of life and death. This one literally is.
What had caused this triple-decker of misery? And can being so dangerously ill actually improve your life?
Get a sneak preview on Richard’s show here
Richard Tyrone Jones is a poet, writer and founder of spoken word clubnight ‘Utter!’, celebrating its 10th birthday in 2013, and is also Director of Spoken Word for PBH’s Free Fringe. Germline, his first book of stories, poems and art was published by Vintage Poison Press in 2009. Big Heart (& other sickness) is published summer 2012 as an e-book and paperback.
‘Raw, at times graphic, and very funny’ BBC Ouch!
‘Fascinating, sobering, hilarious, and ultimately uplifting’ New Scientist
‘Masterfully manages the listeners’ mood as it oscillates between laughter and despair… It is a big-hearted show, and a valuable lesson in making the most of whatever life throws at you. Highly recommended.’ Fringe Guru
BIG HEART earned recommendations from Time Out and New Yorker for preview performances in London and was nominated for ‘Best spoken word show’ at the Buxton Fringe. Following Edinburgh it tours the UK this Autumn. See www.richardtyronejones.com for details.
Richard Tyrone Jones’ BIG HEART is supported by The Wellcome Trust and aided by Apples & Snakes, The British Heart Foundation and the Cardiomyopathy Association.