E List November/December 2018

ISSN 2058-2196

In & Around London’S NEW EAST

November/December 2018 No 64

Children’s illustrator Laura Hughes Grime Waltham Forest Raifa Rafiq and Mostly Lit Into the Woods with artist Rachel Lillie

Fellowship is Life

COVER STAR LAURA HUGHES

You must need to keep an eye on continuity between scenes much like a film? Keeping continuity throughout a book is such a hard thing to do because elements and scenes will often change as the book progresses. I pin the finished artwork up in my studio as I go along, but I will inevitably make silly mistakes. Photoshop is my saviour when it comes to continuity as I can rectify all the little inaccuracies at the end!

Parents and children out there may already recognise your work as an illustrator of picture books. What are some of your best known titles? Readers with young children might be familiar with There’s a Pig Up My Nose by John Dougherty and myself, which is a very silly story about a girl who gets a pig stuck up her nose. The book was the winner of this year’s Oscar’s Book Prize, an annual award for the best picture book for pre-school children, which was a tremendous honour.

I also illustrated Daddy’s Sandwich by Pip Jones, along with several other titles by Pip in the Ruby Roo Series. The last book in the quartet is called Mummy’s Suitcase and will be out next year.

Our cover this month features a festive trio of cats. I love your cat illustrations.

Thank you! Cats are my absolute favourite things to draw and while I tend to make up a lot of the characters in my head, some of them are based on real-life moggies too.

I think that nearly all of my Walthamstow neighbours own a cat, so there are many, many feline visitors to my little garden throughout the day, and oddly they all

seem to get along with each other really well! I was definitely thinking of those cats and what mischief they might get up to together when creating the illustration of the cats in the snow.

What do you particularly love about your job and the process off creating?

Creating interesting and believable characters is definitely my favourite part of the job. I will start with a very loose idea of a character in my head, and then I sketch them again, and again, and again from a variety of angles and with different poses and postures. I love the process of really getting to know my creations, their personality and their quirks.

Being primarily a children’s illustrator, how much of your work is about the child you once were and how much is about your audience?

There is always a balance of both.

On the one hand I often think back to what it was like to read books as a child, the stories that I loved, and the pictures that I found captivating. On the other hand, I do think an illustrator should always have today’s audience in mind. So for example: those old corded telephones are amazing to draw, and look much better than a mobile phone (in my humble opinion!) but most children will have never seen an old style telephone so they might be confusing to a young child now.

You live in Walthamstow. How much do you draw on the local area for your work? When I have time between projects I love to go out and sketch around the local area.

Walthamstow café’s are just amazing for people watching, and because the neighbourhood is so wonderfully diverse, it’s definitely my source of inspiration when it comes to creating characters for my books. Walthamstow Wetlands is another favourite place of mine, and I will often take a sketchbook and some inks to draw there. The image of the girl and dog (above left) was based on some sketches I did on the marsh last summer. We are so fortunate to have such a beautiful green space on our doorsteps.

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Illustration from Quick, Barney, RUN! by Pip Jones and Laura Hughes, published by Faber & Faber.

Alongside the books’ authors you often do readings of your books for children at book fairs etc. What’s it like meeting your audience and seeing their reactions? The events are really fun! It’s so important to get out of the studio and to see the reaction to my work first hand.

Children are very open and honest and I know right away the illustrations that get the best reaction.

Aside from children’s books, have you had any unusual or crazy commissions in the past that you particularly remember? My first paid illustration job after graduating from university was to

draw sexual positions for a magazine called Arthritis News. The client needed some non-explicit drawings to illustrate comfortable positions for those that suffer from joint pain: so nothing rude, but it was obviously a very different kind of commission to the ones I work on now!

I hear you play in several punk bands.

This may come as quite a surprise to many as your artwork is quite sweet and delicate! Yes, people are often quite surprised about my musical tastes! I love music that is loud, shouty and messy, and although my characters are kind of sweet, I do think there is a slightly anarchic,

scruffy edge to them too! Someone once described my work as “gently dishevelled”, and I thought that was just the most perfect description of it.

What have you got planned for Christmas? To eat as much as I possibly can!

www.laurahughes-illustrator.co.uk @Laura_A_Hughes Questions by Paul Lindt

Above left: We’re Going on an Elf Chase by Martha Mumford, published by Bloomsbury.

Above middle: There’s a Pig Up My Nose by John Dougherty and Laura Hughes, published by Egmont.

Above right: Quick, Barney, RUN! by Pip Jones and Laura Hughes, published by Faber & Faber.

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Raewyn Harrison

OPEN STUDIO Sunday 9th December 2018 12 - 5pm

Lloyd Park Artist Studios Lloyd Park London E17 5JW

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Over the last six years E List has spent many hours and pages discussing the role our little bit of London has played in shaping the UK’s musical heritage. However, there’s been one notable exception so far: a genre where East London has led the way and created a worldwide phenomenon. It is a form of music that not only gave a fresh voice to street culture but also a new voice to Black Britain - Grime - it emerged in the early 2000s led by artists including Leyton’s Lethal Bizzle and promoted by Pirate Radio stations such as Deja Vu FM, broadcasting at one time from Walthamstow. In November Beatroots Creative are celebrating Grime and the local scene by hosting a range of gigs, film screenings, talks and workshops across the borough. Grime Waltham Forest will feature a whole range of veteran and emerging Grime artists and promises to be a rich experience both for those who were here almost 30 years ago and for the next generation of artists and creatives looking to get started. Find out more page 9.

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Singer/Songwriter Nikhil

GRIME Waltham Forest

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November also marks the centenary of the end of World War I, so in this issue historian Karen Averby concludes our commemoration with a piece for Peculiar Times about the Christmas1918. It reveals locals exhausted from 4 years of war, looking for escape - be it in the local cinema or surprisingly in retail therapy. The local shops obviously didn’t want to disappoint them, some even offering Victory bargains! Read about these strange times on page 15 and about the chance to experience a rare local performance of Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem on page 13.

I am very grateful to Laura Hughes for her charming seasonal cover for this issue! Laura has illustrated several of the most memorable young children’s books of recent years including the wonderfully titled There’s a Pig Up My Nose. Hers will be amongst the millions of books given as gifts across the world this Christmas. Children love books, but often fall out of love with them, sometimes through being forced to read for school, or because they think to have your head in a book isn’t cool. But I’m glad to say enjoying books isn’t the preserve of the white middle-aged middle classes; meet the young, black and unbelievably cool Raifa Rafiq on page 33 and be introduced to and inspired to listen to Mostly Lit - the groundbreaking world-shaking podcast series she’s created with co-hosts Derek Owusu and Alex Reads (yes, really!) - about the joy of books.

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Christmas 1918

Rachel Lillie

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Camera and Clay

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Waltham Forest Vegan Market

Inside this issue…

Grime Waltham Forest

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Singer Songwriter Nikhil D’Souza

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Britten’s War Requiem at Walthamstow Assembly Hall

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Finally as this is the last issue of 2018, I’d like to wish you all a wonderful Christmas, happy holiday and here’s to a better 2019 for the world.

Peculiar Times: Christmas 1918

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Artist Rachel Lillie and her Ode to Epping Forest

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Paul Lindt, Editor editor@theelist.co.uk

Camera and Clay, the work of Rachel and Mike Milotte

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E-LICIOUS – Sean’s Tipple Tips; Waltham Forest Vegans’ Market

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E~DEN: The Home Directory including House Doctor – Home-made Christmas

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Tom Gaul’s A Spotter’s Guide to Local Streetlife

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Animator Steve Roberts

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E4 Future a poem by Amira Campbell

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Local Hero – Raifa Rafiq of Mostly Lit

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E-VOLVE: Health and Fitness Directory

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Listings

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Editor and design: Paul Lindt editor@theelist.co.uk Contributors: Karen Averby, Emma Betts, Rupert Colley, Adrienne Demont, Chrissie Dodkin, Karen Dunn, Chantelle Fiddy, Penny Fielding, Liza Fletcher, Tom Gaul, Simon Goodwin, Paul Lindt, Sean Pines, Adam Taylor. Listings: Danny Coope danny@theelist.co.uk. Advertising: ads@theelist.co.uk

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installments, it put the face of MCs into the public sphere at a time when mainstream media support was by-in-large absent (and YouTube et al were still to be born).

While bedroom studios and underground enterprise was growing locally, another scene stalwart, Lethal Bizzle (then known as Lethal B) was one of the few artists able to secure a major label record deal at Polydor with his More Fire Crew; no mean feat, the single ‘Oi!’ charted at no.7 in 2002 after being picked up by Relentless Records. Two years later, Bizzle took business to a new level with ‘Pow!’, a track that featured the cream of the (mostly) east London based talent, and was subsequently banned in many a UK nightclub, so powerful was the energy on the dance floor when it got spun. And while the press might champion grime as a recent trend, such was grime’s sonic attraction back then, Jay-Z had a go at rapping over the Dexplicit produced ‘Pow’ at his 2006 Royal Albert Hall concert (for the record, it was decent).

GRIME: Lord of the Mics a retrospective. Image © Lord of the Mics

Behind the grime This November the Grime Waltham Forest initiative shines a light on the cultural impact of the most important dIY musical genre to have emerged in the uK since punk, via a series of workshops, panel discussions and performances, Chantelle Fiddy explores the local foundations and figureheads who’ve gone on to inspire a new generation of beat-makers, lyricists and creative forces…

Nearly 20 years ago, before gentrification and soya lattes had hit a corner near you, a new soundtrack was emerging from the belly of working class east London. United by a bubbling anger at the lack of youth provision, job opportunities and the desire and ability to create something out of nothing, early grime seeds were being sown.

Having grown up on a diet of jungle, UK garage, hip-hop and reggae, this melting pot of influence, coupled with new computer technology eradicating the need for big studio budgets, unified budding producers and emcees wanting to impress upon the local community by way of pirate radio sets, vinyl releases, club nights and brands.

But with racist profiling hitting London club land by way of Form 696 (a piece of recently eradicated police legislation that required club promoters to provide information on artists performing at black or Asian music events) and coupled with a growing love for grime globally, spurred by the internet revolution, there was a time you’d be more likely to see your favourite grime DJ or MC performing overseas than in the capital that birthed them. It was local venues like Stratford Rex and EQ that provided a muchneeded platform on home soil.

Lethal Bizzle drawn by Dean Faulkner @PushThePencils from a photo by Courtney Francis ©courteneyfphoto

One such underground foundation is Lord Of The Mics, who will be representing at Grime Waltham Forest. The brainchild of Leyton born and bred Jammer, and Walthamstow’s own Ratty and Capo. A gritty DVD and compilation series born in the early 00s, emcees went head to head over grime beats – inspired by the infamous Sting event in Jamaica, an annual Boxing Day concert that sees artists ‘clashing’ in a war of words – Lord Of The Mics has gone from being bootlegged at local markets to frequently hitting the top 10 Album charts on release. Having starred Wiley (MBE), Kano, Skepta, Tinchy Stryder, Ears and many more over seven theelist.co.uk 9

The essential ingredient in spreading the sound though was pirate radio – Deja Vu, at one time based in Walthamstow and a leading fixture on the FM dial – where artists put in their practice hours; paying a weekly sub (fee) to secure a slot, it replaced non-existent youth clubs, honed skills, and allowed fan bases to be built. Co-managed

by Diesel (who will be screening The Pirates of Grime at The Leyton Star on Nov 24th), names like Sharky Major, D Double E, Lady Fury, Stormin, NASTY Crew, Slew Dem, Nicky Slimting, D Power, Durrty Goodz and many more became local celebrities. And with many of the above still local, as we prepare for unchartered political waters in post Brexit 2019, and even more instability where youth are concerned, it seems apt to be celebrating a movement that gave street culture – and Black Britain – a new voice and identity.

With funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the London Borough of Waltham Forest, social enterprise Beatroots Creative is bringing this history and conversation to new spaces in the borough with a programme of events in Walthamstow, Leyton and Leytonstone. It will encompass film screenings, talks, panel discussions, gigs and workshops. These will feature local grime veterans Jammer, D Power, Sharky Major, Coelle (aka Lady Fury), Chad ‘Ratty’ Stennett and Bruza as well as subsequent artists Lost Souljah, Rory Sky, Sharna Cane and The Grime Violinist. At the same time the project aims to support the next generation of artists and creatives to develop their skills and experience through a filmmaking project for 16-25 year olds, run in partnership with MVP Workshops. As well as beat-making and lyric writing workshops there’ll be volunteer training sessions in blogging, photography, filming and event management and open mic opportunities.

Running throughout November, Grime Waltham Forest will provide a trip down memory lane as well as looking to the future.

grimewf.org Tickets are free but require advance booking. Visit https://ticketlab.co.uk/ events/grime-waltham-forest

Jammer. Image © Ashley Verse

@grimewf @grimewforest For enquiries email: emma@beatroots.org 10 To advertise your business contact ads@theelist.co.uk

into the voices that emote, so for me Sting and Jeff Buckley have always been my biggest influences.

When did you first start performing?

The area that I grew up in would also organise talent contests, which would pitch one apartment building against the other and everyone was very enthusiastic and competitive about them. I won first prize singing Unchained Melody at one of those and that’s how it all began. I had a band when I was in college performing songs by people like Bryan Adams and Eric Clapton.

You had an unusual career before turning to music full time, tell us more… I studied geology, because I thought it would be the easiest of the sciences! When I finished college I got a job on the oil rigs. I did that for about six months until I nearly lost my hand trying to fix a machine that was jammed. It was a real wake up call for me. I realised I was wasting my life. It all changed for me when I chanced upon Jeff Buckley’s music. When I heard him for the first time I was like, “How the hell do you do that?!”

It brought a spark back and I started recording my own demos. One thing led to another and I came back to Mumbai to give it a shot.

EASTERN PROMISE Nikhil D’Souza’s soulful songs and versatile voice are earning him an army of fans in the uK, thousands of miles from his main home in Mumbai. Karen Dunn meets the songwriter to find out about finding his own style and why he now considers East London home from home.

From Mumbai to East London via country music capital Nashville, Nikhil D’Souza’s path to finding his own voice has been a long and varied one. While all musicians graft hard to make it in the music business, the singer/songwriter who describes his music as, “a happy love child between Jeff Buckley and Ray LaMontagne” has had a more varied career than most.

From working as geologist on offshore oil rigs, to becoming a playback singer in Bollywood, Nikhil could have stopped there and cashed in on his fame singing songs

for the multi-billion film industry. But Nikhil wouldn’t settle and set out to pursue his dream of singing his own songs inspired by the songwriters he grew up listening to in his apartment block in Mumbai.

With a string of successful gigs in London under his belt, over one million streams and a summer spent playing the festival circuit, we caught up with Nikhil to find out what inspires his heartfelt lyrics and uplifting melodies…

Hi Nikhil, how would you describe your sound and influences? I’ve always been

You became a Bollywood playback singer, can you explain what that involved?

As a playback singer you sing the songs in Bollywood films and an actor mimes it, which is quite surreal. In the first one I did the actor looked totally different to me – he was a big, beardy guy with short hair. I was looking around the theatre at everyone watching thinking how can’t you tell that voice does not belong to this man! In the first year I did it, I sang four really big songs, but I wanted to sing my original material.

It was a bold move as you can earn a lot of money singing those songs all the time, but I needed to play my own music.

Did you feel there was a point where you would have to leave India to pursue music? It was very clear to me that if I wanted to make it I had to move. I had a manager in Australia and she got me some festivals and encouraged me to go to Nashville to grow as a songwriter. I worked with the songwriter Jeff Cohen, and travelled out there regularly for the next few years.

People think it’s all country music but there’s so much more that happens there. The vibe is different, even the air is different. I learned to express my emotions in my lyrics. theelist.co.uk 11

How do you find life on the road? I love it, to be able to sing and play my guitar to an audience of people who are listening to every word, mostly, although maybe not London so much! The UK feels like a second home now. I’ve been living here on and off since 2016 and it’s the only other city I’d consider staying in apart from Mumbai.

What’s your favourite song to perform?

I love performing Take Me Home. I also do a cover of Take On Me and I enjoy pretending that I wrote it!

What’s the biggest misconception about you? That I have fake hair! No, I’m kidding. A lot of people think there should be sitars on every track, but I feel an instrument should be in a song because it belongs there and not to force the issue.

What music are you working on at the moment? I’ve just put out my EP Simple Kind Of Love, which I’m proud of. I’m really excited about a new song I’ve written with David Sneddon and Will Hicks who produced Ed Sheeran, which will be out early next year. I’ve also got a gig on 3rd

December at St Pancras Church, which will be just my guitar and me. I can’t wait.

soundcloud.com/nikhilmusic

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@nikhilmusic

Photo Still taken from Battle of the Ancre IWM 166 ©IWM.

Britten’s War RequieM Nearly 300 singers and musicians will perform Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem at Walthamstow Assembly Hall this month to commemorate 100 years since the end of World War I. It will be a joint venture between South West Essex Choir (SWEC), London Forest Choir (LFC), and Forest Philharmonic Orchestra, together with children from Chingford Parish Church and Waltham Forest schools. Paul Lindt talks to Andrew Sackett, SWEC’s musical director.

Andrew Sackett

Andrew, please tell us more about the music and its significance. Benjamin Britten, a staunch pacifist, composed the Requiem to celebrate the opening in 1962 of the new Coventry Cathedral, which replaced the previous building bombed in World War II. Britten combined a requiem mass with poems written by the renowned WWI war poet Wilfred Owen. Owen, a soldier, was killed in action just a few days

before the Armistice and vividly described the horrors of the trenches and gas warfare.

The result is a moving and powerful outcry against man’s inhumanity to man.

LFC’s musical director Jonathan Rathbone will conduct the full chorus and orchestra, while I will conduct a smaller orchestra accompanying two male soloists singing the poems. Mike Emerson, director of music at Chingford Parish Church, will

conduct the children’s choir accompanied by a chamber organ.

Jonathan is a composer and arranger who has worked with many of the world’s leading musicians. A former Swingle Singer, he has orchestrated for King’s College Choir, Cambridge, the Kings Singers and Lesley Garrett, among others. He often travels across Europe working with vocal ensembles and judging choral competitions. theelist.co.uk 13

The professional soloists will be Cheryl Enever, soprano, Andrew Mackenzie-Wicks, tenor, and Quentin Hayes, baritone, all of whom are acclaimed for their concert and operatic work.

Both SWEC and LFC are large, longestablished, local amateur choirs with reputations for performing varied repertoires to high standards. Forest Philharmonic, founded in 1964, is a fullsize symphony orchestra of around 80 musicians, is also renowned for its high quality performances.

What else will be happening to commemorate the 1918 Armistice?

There will be three exhibitions, two from the University of Kent’s Gateways to the First World War project. One focuses on the role of cinema in WW1 and the other on the contribution of Indian troops. These will be on show at the Assembly Hall from 6.30pm on the evening of the concert.

The third exhibition, on children and conflict and sponsored by War Child, will accompany talks on a similar theme on Wednesday November 14, 7pm, at the Magistrates Cafe, Walthamstow Town Hall campus. We hope all these will be of interest to local people.

The concert will be the finale to these centenary events and will be a prelude to London Borough of Waltham Forest’s programme as first London Borough of Culture 2019. Our aim is to attract new audiences, particularly young people, to classical music and to establish links with community groups and help people with recent experience of conflict.

A concert on this scale must be hugely ambitious? Yes, we are fortunate to be supported by an Arts Council England grant, a commission from London Borough of Waltham Forest and a grant from the Charles S. French Charitable Trust. And

obviously we hope local people will turn out in force to hear us!

Now tell us about your own musical career which I believe has included jazz, musical theatre, rock and pop as well as classical. How did this all happen? After studying at the Royal Northern College of Music, I held organist’s posts at Manchester and Carlisle Cathedrals and South West Essex Choir (SWEC) sopranos in rehearsal.

Tewkesbury Abbey. In in Lichfield when I was in the sixth form!

September 2000 I became It may be challenging but, with patience musical director for Holland America Cruise and enthusiasm, an amateur choir can be Line and travelled the world for eight years brought to performance standard after a before returning to London as a freelance term’s rehearsals. I try to be as clear as musical director, pianist and organist. My possible and I find that, with repetition, aim then was to be involved in a wide most will begin to catch on. It also helps if variety of musical styles. beginners have others around them who I realised I had achieved this when, over are perhaps more able. one weekend, I had conducted a choir What do you see as the main benefits singing Handel’s Messiah in St Luke’s for amateurs of singing with a choir?

Chelsea on the Saturday, played the organ It’s becoming widely accepted that at St Peter’s Eaton Square on the Sunday singing is good for health and well-being. morning and then driven up to Hinckley To be part of a group that is creating that evening to be musical director of the an exciting, moving and uplifting Frankie Valli show “Big Girls Don’t Cry”! performance is an invaluable experience Which do you enjoy most and what that is intangible. The opportunity to sing would you regard as the highlights? some of the best-loved music and to share I enjoy all aspects equally and the a common interest is great – as proven by highlights have been many. While at the hundreds of choirs that exist across the Tewkesbury the choir made several CDs, country and indeed Waltham Forest. So if broadcast on BBC Radio and TV, and you’re wondering whether to join a choir, toured extensively throughout Europe and just give it a try! the USA. I’ve also had great opportunities to work with many amazing people over the years – Sir Charles Groves, Sir Simon Rattle, James Bowman, John Mark Ainsley and even the Osmonds!

You joined SWEC as accompanist in 2012 then became musical director in 2017. After working with professionals, how do you adapt to the challenges of a mixed ability choir, particularly with something as complex as Britten’s War Requiem? I’ve always worked with amateurs ever since I was organist and choirmaster at a church

Britten War Requiem Saturday 17 November 7.30-9.30pm. Walthamstow Assembly Hall, Forest Road E17 4JD. Tickets £14-18 in advance. £16-£20 on the door. Students and benefit recipients £8-£10.

Children £3. www.ticketsource.co.uk/london-forestchoir-and-south-west-essex-choir

South West Essex Choir (SWEC) in performance with musical director Andrew Sackett.

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definition: things that are strange; queer; odd; uncommon; unusual; distinctive in nature or character from others; characteristic of; belonging exclusively to an area. Architectural historian, Karen Averby seeks out such things from this corner of London’s rich and varied past

Christmas 1918 One hundred years ago folk were preparing for a Christmas still overshadowed by war.

Although fighting had officially ended on 11 November 1918, many troops were yet to be demobbed and others were still in POW camps. After four years of conflict, the shops remained largely free of frivolous gift and food items as practical and thrifty purchases were encouraged, with relatively dour and solemn advertisements in the local press to match.

The earliest Christmas advertisement to appear in the local press was placed

by Ward’s Stores of Tottenham in midNovember, with a range of furniture advertised as ‘Victory Christmas Gifts.’

Christmas cards, calendars and diaries were sold locally by several shops, including Howard’s at 121 High Street, Walthamstow, and clothing gifts were offered by Whitfield & Co. of Hoe Street.

Shortages of traditionally staple seasonal items such as poultry and currants were scarce, and early purchase was advised, although in the case of the latter, this proved pretty impossible; food control officers for Walthamstow and Leyton apparently spent

‘many weary hours’ at the Ministry of Food’s dried food department to obtain large consignments, although with little success.

In the weeks before Christmas there was less emphasis on seasonal celebrations, and a focus on peace concerts and tributes to the fallen; plans for the Chingford war memorial were underway at this time. Popular entertainment, good for morale, was still available, of course, and several Christmas dances were held, as at Erskine Road’s Assembly Hall, and cinemas throughout the area showed the latest films, including Cinderella starring Mary Pickford, and Little Imps Doing Their Bit starring Jane and Katherine Lee. Before the war Christmas and Boxing Day daytrips to the seaside by train were popular, but it was still too soon for such things. Formal clubs and societies continued to hold their annual suppers and concerts at this time of year, including the Billetonians Cricket Club Concert at the Crooked Billet, and The Conservative Club’s annual smoking concert at their club premises.

Glimmers of a return to normality and a new hopefulness were beginning to emerge, as expressed in this local editorial, published 20 December 1918: “Christmas will be celebrated this year more in accordance with old fashioned ideas than has been the case for the last

four years. The shops once more are beginning to be filled with dainties which gladden the hearts of both old and young... In most homes there are still absent faces, but there are expectations of a happy reunion. In other homes there is a vacant chair never to be filled again... Although dark and difficult days may be ahead, we have every right to be happy... while many of our Walthamstow lads will celebrate the festive season in peaceful watch on the Rhine.” archangelheritage.co.uk

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INTO THE WOODS Local artist Rachel Lillie speaks to The E List about the work for her recent exhibition, The In-Between: An Ode to Epping Forest, shown this year at Walthamstow’s Vestry House Museum.

The exhibition explored what I call my ‘poetic investigation’ of Epping Forest, part fact and part feeling. I use my skills as an illustrator, maker, visual communicator and researcher in my quest to get to know the landscape intimately. I see myself as a research driven artist that uses and adapts a variety of methods to uncover and communicate, particularly narratives of place.

Being curious and drawing is key to everything that I do and it forms my daily practice of looking to understand, record and remember moments that make up the world that we live in. My work has often been described as being ‘quiet’ which I think is very true.

This quest unravels itself across individual and collective exploration – in participatory workshops, community walks and activities for adults and children as well as a visual practice in which process and outcome is curated in meaningful spaces relevant to the works’ audience, content and context.

The work for the exhibition reveals an appreciation of the varied and sculpted landscape of Epping Forest, a place I’m besotted by. It takes joy in the wild topographical diversity and is an exploration of its rich history that have shaped the land both physically and metaphorically.

I wanted to translate a feeling of being there, using drawings and prints to depict

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scenes or ‘views’ of significant places.

There is always something new to discover in the vastness of Epping Forest. I love the constant change throughout the seasons and the feeling of surprise when you see something new or a familiar view from a different perspective.

The work weaves together the processes I use to investigate and get to know a place through historical research, field work and drawing. It asks us to consider how we experience landscape and place, and the interweaving of the past and present.

I’ve produced a self-published A3 artist book of compiled field notes, photographs and drawings. The book is a meditation on the explorative and reflective process of walking and the material language of a place.

The exhibition included ‘artefacts’, objects that correspond with a specific site of historical significance. I’ve always found museum artefacts incredibly enticing because of the inherent stories that they hold, acting as tangible fragments of history.

I am a bit of a hoarder at heart, filling boxes

with souvenirs from my walks. The objects are neither decorative nor functional, but when experienced with their corresponding image, they act as physical symbols of time and place. Each one is hand-carved from fallen wood from key sites in the forest, so each speaks of the materiality of place. You can see a hunting horn, an Iron Age pot, a pile of gravel and even a replica deer shelter!

The exhibition also included prose and poetry. This absorbing of information and stories can unravel itself across either visual work and drawing, or in my own writing to help make sense of things. I

use poetry in this way, as it allows me to formalise and visualise through words my own experiences and way of seeing.

I am constantly writing down in my notebook little glimpses and fragments of thoughts, in the same way that I might make a fleeting drawing of something I’ve seen. So in a way poetry is another way for me to narrate and make images.

It complements and informs my drawings and illustration work.

borough based on ‘ways of seeing’ place and landscape. My most recent workshop was at Walthamstow Wetlands called ‘Picturing the View’. I hope to do more of these as I absolutely love designing the experience of the workshop and thinking of what the participants will leave with. I hope this approach will feed into a bigger participatory project and hopefully an artist residency.

Over the summer I have been designing and delivering lots of explorative drawing and walking workshops in and around the

rachel-lillie.co.uk @rachelmlillie

theelist.co.uk 19

Who are the characters that appear on your ceramics? A lot of my recent work incorporates women involved in various activities such as swimming, cycling, hiking or doing yoga, all of which are pastimes I engage in myself. So the characters you see in those pieces are simply amalgams of the many active women I have encountered along the way.

What will it be like exhibiting with your husband Mike? I often ask Mike to take photographs of people I see doing interesting things, or landscapes with interesting colours and textures - images that act as an aide memoir for sculptural pieces I will make later. This is the first time we will have exhibited together but, ironically none of the pieces I am exhibiting this time are based on Mike’s photographs.

CAMERA AND CLAY

Your work is usually quite joyful and exuberant, how do you think that might work with Mike’s documentary photography? If anything, it’s the other way round: Mike’s varied and colourful photographs will provide a good backdrop to my pieces which, for the first time, are monochrome and rather austere.

On paper couple Rachel and Mike Milotte have had very different careers, both well respected in their chosen fields, she as ceramicist and he a television journalist and author. They now team up in a show at the Pictorem Gallery, where Jane is showing new work and Mike exhibiting for the first time, showing his personal photography. Paul Lindt finds out more.

Now over to you Mike, what work will you be showing. If there is a unifying concept it is the very broad one of “world photography” with images from diverse locations such as Belfast, Brazil, Iran, India, New Zealand, Namibia, Botswana and China, but within this overall theme I’ll be showing landscapes, street photography, architectural representations and abstract images.

Hi Rachel. Tell us about your career as a ceramicist. I trained in Belfast and after graduating taught ceramics to art teachers before setting up my own pottery. I have exhibited in Ireland, the UK, France and Spain and have sold my work widely. For many years I was lucky to have the space for fairly large scale raku firings, but since moving to inner city London and a house with a very small garden, raku is no longer

How important was having a camera with you to your life as a journalist?

Funnily, the only time I used my camera for work purposes rather than in pursuit my own interests was when I was Belfast correspondent for Time Out in the early 1970s, so my only published photographs were in a throw-away listings magazine. My career as a television journalist has taken me around the world and although I always had

a possibility. More recently, and maybe to compensate for this loss, I went to Malawi to study traditional African potting techniques. This entailed everything from digging my own clay - ant hills are a great source - processing it manually, making pots without a wheel, using hand-made tools, and firing in open fires from wood I collected myself. How this will inform and shape my future work remains to be seen.

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Porcelain figure by Rachel Milotte

What work will you be showing at Pictorem? My latest work is a series of transparent glazed porcelain figures, mostly in yoga positions mounted on black plinths made from basalt clay. Some of the figures are two dimensional, which is a new departure for me, and I call them ‘shadow figures’. If they work as intended they will depict the grace and adaptability of the human form.

Belfast by Mike Milotte

capture images that are unexpected and unanticipated - very much one-offs, from angles and in locations that are unlikely to ever be repeated.

What does photography mean to you?

Taking photographs has been a life-long passion. I was given my first camera as a teenager and have carried one, or several, ever since. What I find fascinating about the practice of photography is the ability it gives you to freeze time, to capture fleeting scenes that last only seconds and

are gone, with only my image remaining.

In some ways this passion can be a drawback as I can often feel that if I haven’t recorded an image of something, I haven’t really seen it. For example, we went to Norway earlier this year and saw the aurora borealis many times, but I barely looked at it other than through the viewfinder and it was only after its last appearance that I regretted not putting the camera away and just enjoying the spectacle and the experience.

Porcelain figure by Rachel Milotte / New York by Mike Milotte

a film cameraman working with me, I carried my stills cameras wherever I went and as a result have built up a great catalogue of images. Of course when you are working in a team and under the pressure of tight schedules, there isn’t much time for taking photographs so everywhere I have travelled I have experimented with ‘shooting on the move’ which basically means from moving vehicles, There is no time for framing the shot but on the plus side you

theelist.co.uk 21

Porcelain figure by Rachel Milotte / Vietnam by Mike Milotte

Looking back over the photographs you have taken do you notice any recurring themes? I never pose my subjects, so what I am always looking for is the transitory image, something that is there one moment and gone the next. Of course this means that I also end up with a lot of images that didn’t quite work, didn’t deliver what I was looking for, but when it does work the results can be very rewarding. On the other side of the equation, I am also happy to shoot unchanging landscapes as well as nature subjects, particularly birds which have become something of a new obsession in the last couple of years since I started visiting Africa on a frequent basis now one of my kids has gone to live there.

What will it be like exhibiting with Rachel, a seasoned exhibitor? Well, in the run up to the exhibition I am constantly questioning my choice of images, chopping and changing, expressing doubts and misgivings, even reprinting images I have made before because I think I can make them better.

Rachel, on the other hand, knows exactly what she is doing and pursues her goals quite single-mindedly. Hopefully when the work is put on display at Pictorem none of this will be apparent and my work will appear as confident as hers.

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The Odd Couple: Camera and Clay Pictorem Gallery 1 – 30 November 2018 383 Hoe Street, Walthamstow E17 9AP Opens 9am – 5.30pm Tues-Sat

E~LICIOUS a Guide to Fine things to Eat, Drink and Savour

Sean’s Tipple Tips As autumn turns to winter and our thoughts turn to richer food and drink, Sean Pines de-mystifies the various classifications of Port wine.

Port is making a comeback so let me brief you on the 3 different forms of Port that are available and the sub categories that can be confusing.

White Port Nice chilled. Aged versions can be fantastic. My greatest ever wine experience was when I tasted a 90 year old white port. Mind you it was 3,000 euros a bottle!

Ruby (Red) Port Ruby. Young non-vintage (NV) wines.

LBV (Late Bottled Vintage).

From a single year aged for 4 to 6 years in the barrel before release. Great value.

Crusted or Unfiltered. Not common. They are NV and haven’t been ‘fined’ so have to be treated like vintage Port and decanted to separate the sediment. Great stuff.

Vintage. Made only in the best years when the conditions are perfect and from the top vineyards. Aged for 2 years in the barrel then bottled.

Exceptional wines. Must decant.

Tawny Port Starts off life the same as ruby but looses its colour during aging in the barrel thus turning brown (tawny). They do not need decanting. Matches well with chocolate.

Basic Tawny. Not really a true tawny, usually a mix of white and red wines. Ignore.

Reserve. Where the real stuff begins. NV are aged for at least 7 years in the cask and are soft and smooth.

Tawny with age indication.

NV can only be labelled as 10, 20, 30, or over 40 years that indicate the average age of wine. Very complex.

Colheita: Effectively a vintage tawny in that it’s from a single year. Aged for a minimum of eight years in the barrel though usually much longer.

There’s no doubt that sipping port with cheese, traditionally Stilton (though mature Cheddar is my preference), is one of life’s great pleasures.

Give it a try if you never have.

Though remember - Port is not just for Christmas!

Enjoy!

Sean Pines is a wine consultant and monthly wine and spirit tasting host.

sean@pineswines.co.uk @pineswines

@seanswines theelist.co.uk 23

Compassion in the Community A monthly market from Waltham Forest Vegans promotes inclusivity, diversity and deliciousness. By Chrissie Dodkin.

Photographs by Simon Goodwin.

If you’ve noticed a buzz of activity and excitement at the St. James Street end of the High Street on the second Sunday of each month, it’s because the vegans have arrived! The unwavering success of the Waltham Forest Vegans’ Market is down to the positive energy of passionate local volunteers from a Facebook group, which has grown to over 700 members.

The not-for-profit project is borne out of a desire, not only to promote a compassionate lifestyle which avoids the use of animals, but also to support the area and with the local community at its heart. As veganism grows locally and nationally, it’s no wonder that the creative cultural mixing pot of

Walthamstow has produced some wonderful animal friendly businesses.

The market showcases a wide range food and products; everything from tasty burgers and spicy caribbean street food to delicious doughnuts and decadent macarons, complimented by goodies like vegan suitable candles, skin care and sustainable clothing. The trader diversity policy also promotes a level playing field for business owners who may otherwise experience disadvantage, ensuring they are given priority to trade and a chance to promote their products.

Every month visitors are entertained for free! Live music or performers bring a great

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mini-festival vibe and little ones are kept busy too - free activities such as chalk street art, colouring and face painting make sure that the whole family can enjoy a trip to the market. For tired feet a cosy gazebo with seating will provide a welcome retreat.

The market proudly supports local vegan businesses as well as non-vegan businesses who cater for their plant munching customers. Local businesses also benefit from trade attracted to the area. Not only do passing locals take a keen interest in what’s on offer, but many people travel especially from other parts of London and even outside of London too.

Keen to benefit people living in Waltham Forest, each month stall space is offered to charities and local community projects, so that they have a platform to promote their invaluable activities. Animal protection charities have a chance to inform people about their advocacy and campaign work to help our furry, feathery and scaly friends.

A range of vital human work is also to be highlighted in the coming months, with the team working alongside anti-racism campaigners, feminist groups and charities supporting volunteers in the community.

Photo Š www.goodwinphotography.co.uk

Traders given a platform at the market also include those who donate profits to mental well-being projects and grieving family charity work. The warm, inclusive atmosphere of the market is the perfect setting to foster such discussions about diversity and inclusivity and to promote kindness to all beings - human and non-human.

The market is usually held on the second Sunday of every month, but coming up this December is a Christmas special. On the Sunday 16th December, visitors can expect a festive extravaganza, complete with music, entertainment, lucky dip, charity stalls and raffle and the usual delicious vegan food and goodies with a Christmassy twist! The perfect opportunity for shoppers to pick up presents for the animal lover, veggie or vegan, in their life, or even just a person with fab taste and a good set of taste buds!

The event is a fun, positive and exciting venture, firmly based in a belief that we should treat animals with the respect owed to all living beings, regardless of species, sex, colour, age or ability. What could be more worthy of your time and attention on a Sunday afternoon? theelist.co.uk 25

If you’d like more information on the market or are a community group, charity or business who would like to get involved, please email walthamforestvegan@gmail.com or check out our facebook page https:// www.facebook.com/WFVMarket/

Waltham Forest Vegans’ Market High Street, Walthamstow (St James end) 11 November and 16 December

Photo © www.goodwinphotography.co.uk

10.30am – 3.30pm

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theelist.co.uk 27

House Doctor

Penny Fielding offers creative solutions to everyday niggles you may have with your home.

When my children were small we spent a few years living in the Middle East, where there were no Christmas trees. One year we constructed a tall tier of cardboard boxes, all painted different colours, with cut out shapes.

These when lit from within (and without) with fairy lights looked pretty cool, and the boxes made perfect ascending shelves for all our gifts. The best thing of all was that we had a lovely time doing it together. Another year we made a drawing of a tree on a piece of white material, which we hung on the wall and pinned decorations to. IKEA now sell something similar as a printed fabric.

M ARSH

Instead of the usual fir tree, try decorating a small olive tree in a pot. Adorn it with jeweled fruit, baubles, bows and bits of old chandelier for an opulent look.

To create decorations, slice up a big orange, push cloves here and there into the pith and bake slowly on a low heat for an hour and a half until dried, as if you were cooking meringues. Then thread through some ribbon or embroidery silk for hanging and you have a translucent rose window shaped decoration that smells festive. This is a nice project to do with children, as it’s very straight forward with little mess.

For me the gift-wrapping is as special as the present. I always double wrap with a layer of tissue first and then add a little teeny something, like a sweet or a sparkly bead to the ribbon bow. Quite a time consuming process, but it never goes unnoticed!

What niggles you about your home?

Email penfielding@gmail.com with your thoughts.

To book a session with the House Doctor please email: penfielding@gmail.com or call 07725 645 359.

STREET

Mortgage advice that’s right up your street Marsh Street provides comprehensive mortgage advice for everyone. We source from a wide range of lenders and have access to a number of different products.

We pride ourselves on offering a friendly and high quality bespoke service that ensures that you are treated fairly at all times. We have the experience and ability to identify your needs, to cut through the fine print and explain the pros and cons of each product to make life easier for our customers.

Marsh Street was the original name of Walthamstow High Street where a number of large manor houses were used as weekend or summer retreats. Samuel Pepys’ bosses had houses here, and after visiting one of them Pepys described how they had drunk wine from a local vineyard and “the whole company said they never drank better foreign wine [than this one] in their lives”.

Not only will we help you find the right mortgage, but we will use our knowledge and expertise to ensure your mortgage transaction is completed swiftly and effectively, so you can concentrate on the other parts of buying your dream home.

Traditional values and good advice

M ARSH enquiries@marshstreetmortgages.co.uk 0208 509 8626 40 Orford Road, Walthamstow, London E17 9NJ

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

There will be a fee for the advice given, the exact amount will depend upon your circumstances but we estimate it will be £495 or 1%.

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S

A SPOTTER’s Guide to LOCAL streetLIFE for East London’s people watchers.

From a series by Walthamstow resident, illustrator Tom Gaul. instagram tomgaul_doodles

www.tomgaul.com

theelist.co.uk 29

When things get animated Liza Fletcher meets the Walthamstow-based creative Steve Roberts, both animator and Central St Martin’s MA Lecturer and director, to discuss his career, Winston Churchill and the future and legacy of arts in the borough.

Inspiration It was Tom & Jerry which first inspired Steve Roberts to follow a profession in animation.

The classic MGM cartoon grabbed his imagination at a young age. Rejecting the TV animation of his day (Wacky Races and Scooby Doo), Steve was enthralled by the BBC series DIY Film Animation presented

by Bob Godfrey. He bought the book of the series and so began a career embracing political films, educational videos, Disney features and personal projects.

dedication Steve was the classic arty kid at school who dabbled with Graphic Design and Fine Art. Things changed when he got a job with Honeycomb

Steve’s hero Bob Godfrey

Animation and learnt his craft painting individual animation cells. He worked on corporate films, science shorts and music videos. This led to a BA in Animation at Farnham, partly taught by boyhood hero Bob Godfrey and followed by a job at Bob Godfrey Films (famous for Roobarb and Custard and Henry’s Cat), working alongside The Guardian’s Steve Bell.

disneyfication Steve’s freelance career saw him work on modern Disney feature

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length animation Duck Tales 1989, using traditional hand drawn methods. Steve enjoyed this role but changes were to come as the Gulf War forced the American animation giant to withdraw from the UK. Steve went on to form a collective in 1994 with three colleagues, and the team worked on TV and independent commissions.

Around this time, Steve was brought in as Lecturer on the BA Animation course at his former college at Farnham.

His knowledge and experience with young people drew him to compile his first book called Character Animation in 3D: Use traditional drawing techniques to produce stunning CGI animation, a title still in print along with more recent additions.

Education Following the success of Toy Story in 1996, animators began leaving London for the United States, thus prompting the British Guild of Animators to set up a course at Central St Martins. Steve was brought on board to help teach it, and so began a 20-year teaching career leading the Postgraduate MA Animation Qualification. The course has produced special effects Alumni such as awardwinning Stuart Ellis who worked on the film War Horse (2012).

Imagination Steve’s most recent project came about from his discovery that JK Starley, inventor of the modern bicycle, was born on Church Hill. The Monty Python/Horrible Histories hybrid short animation was taken up by Vestry House Museum, who used a screening

Long tailed tit, gregarious and normally seen in groups of 20

of the film to promote the Walthamstow inventor and launch a Blue Plaque on Church Hill next to The Walthamstow School for Girls. The edited five minute version was entered in the Walthamstow International Film Festival and won the animation category and came second overall.

The 2018 film Darkest Hour with Gary Oldman’s portrayal of Winston Churchill, was the influence behind Steve’s most recent creation. The film centres on the British Empire’s Victory.

But on further research into Winston Churchill, Steve found the former Prime Minister was responsible for some questionable decisions and political judgement.

This all felt particularly relevant, as the war hero had been the MP for nearby Epping.

The film represents Steve’s first foray into Plasticine animation.

The new way of working proved to be a challenge as the discipline is not so controlled or as logical as drawing. Taking 20 to 30 seconds a day, he was keen to include as many of the

effects in the camera and not as special effects in editing, inspired by the making of Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs which also rejected a reliance on post production effects.

Next projects include a short film on the life of TE Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) and his arts and crafts printing, aspirations on land he owned in Chingford before WWII. A script has been written and Steve hopes to use Plasticine models once again. recreation Since moving to Walthamstow in the last century (he arrived here in 1990 and lives in the

borough with Dee Honeybun, his artist and film maker partner and their two children), he has witnessed a growth in the number of creative types and the Council’s positive acknowledgement of the local artist community.

Steve has heard there’s a smattering of animators in the borough and is excited by the current plans to promote Vestry House Museum as a centre of film archive and film studies in Waltham Forest.

He has not given up his longheld ambition of starting up his own Animation Studio

in Walthamstow to conduct classes, workshops and largescale productions, and he will watch next year’s Borough of Culture with interest. Steve’s singular philosophy is to simply get on with projects of personal interest regardless of political or financial support. This principle has enabled him to create a body of work, which Bob Godfrey would be proud of.

To see Steve’s JK Starley animation www.youtube. com/watch?v=uNC1XJRJRd0

theelist.co.uk 31

E4 Future a poem by Amira Campbell If your future Seems like a blur, Chaos cascading like waterfalls, Do not hurt her.

There’s a higher power Discarding the weak, Who fight the urge, And lack the spur, So can not hurt her.

Dive within and splurge, Once the ripples.

Stop. So will the rain, Pain, Strain, Disdain will cease.

Peace becomes the world’s cure, And it will not hurt her.

Skin skims the lake’s veneer, It shivers under her touch, And the chaos that had seemed so near, Was so far from her clutch.

She is the overseer that directs all things and is still mighty.

She is the morning and evening star, She is the word with and truly was, She is no one but her, and you are her messenger.

For through chaos is brought joy!

So bliss in nature!

That for thee, she is Incomparable, Impossible, Ingenious, Not merely “An ornamental property.”

If your E4 is all you know, Or this poem is all you have read.

Don’t fret.

Because one day you’ll be blinded, By the brightness of what’s ahead.

Amira’s poem won the top young local poet prize in this year’s inaugural Waltham Forest Poetry Competition as judged by Meryl Pugh. To find out more about the prize and see all the winners visit pctothepowerof2.wordpress.com

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I moved here I thought I was an explorer, I thought I saw everything as nobody had seen it before, and I wanted to see more. Being unable to just get up and leave, books became the source for that exploration. I also loved stories.

My grandmother used to tell me stories in Swahili. The oral tradition was very much still alive in Zanzibar as a kid. So I find that oral tradition in my head via reading. Before long I was in Walthamstow Central Library every week.

Have you any advice to readers or would-be readers of any age? Read everything and not just what you think you will like.

Has anyone made a special impact on you? Totally.

Teachers. Mr Wilson at Hillyfield School. I would badger him to take us outside and read Michael Morpurgo’s Kensuke’s Kingdom. I adored it. At Walthamstow Academy, Ms Kafilat Agboola became like a second mother, even though she taught me sciences.

LOCAL HERO

Raifa Rafiq

Photo © Richard Harris

Raifa Rafiq is one third of Mostly Lit (as in literature), which was named one of the nation’s top podcasts by the BBC last year, and is now supported by Waterstones. Adam Taylor met 25-year-old Raifa to discuss her remarkable journey from Zanzibar to Walthamstow Academy and media stardom.

You were born in the tropical paradise of Zanzibar. Why would you ever leave? I don’t really remember much. Any memories I have are more from when I go back. I came to the UK to get an education and to live with my uncle and aunt. My family wanted me to get the best schooling possible so made that sacrifice.

Were you a natural learner?

I loved reading, but I don’t think I was a natural. Initially I spoke no English so it was hard for me to understand, but as soon as the language came, everything else followed.

called Elmer The Patchwork Elephant for weeks. My first reads were Captain Underpants – I loved those books. That must have been in year 4, so about nine years old, and my English was fluent by then.

When did you start reading?

Very late. I remember not being able to read in year 1 and 2 and being stuck on a picture book

How did books become such a prominent part of your life? Books began to show me a bigger world. When

And you had a mentor? Yes, as a 16-year-old I took part in HEAPS, the Higher Education Access Programme. My mentor was brilliant. We met at the British Library, which meant I had to study the tube lines. I really did! All of a sudden I was being challenged in new ways and I went outside E17. He was a scientist, too – my horizons were shifting. Whether you are a parent or pupil, I totally recommend mentoring.

How did the podcast start?

Twitter. How else. A mutual friend of Alex Reads (co-host) and I made a group chat on Twitter and planned dinner so we could meet. Two months later I made a Shakespearean joke at Alex and he asked me to do something called a podcast.

I had no idea what one even was. Nearly three years later and here we are. (continues next page) theelist.co.uk 33

Continued from previous page What’s the chemistry between you and co-stars Alex Reads and Derek Owusu? Oh, it’s very authentic.

We are genuine friends and that comes across on the podcast.

I think that’s our USP. The podcast isn’t scripted. We just rock up, discuss a book while chatting as friends. It’s like being in a university tutorial but with people you like.

I like the ‘Mostly’ part where you chat about anything. Yes, it’s very natural. We are friends who love to chat, so we talk about our week. We talk about politics and what’s going on in the world as it relates to us as young black people. We have a film segment as we all like films with the added bonus, we’ve been invited to premieres!

And, it’s honest, like the discussion on mental health.

It’s very honest. And people like that. It’s what’s going on in our lives. If it’s affecting us, it’s affecting someone listening.

I love the podcasts. Great energy and chemistry, mind you, you do swear! Thanks.

And err. We try not to, we really do!

Do you always agree or take established positions? We rarely agree. Derek and I are known for our opposite views. We are crazy. Thankfully Alex is the diplomat whose opinions are well thought through and delivered without harm.

Who chooses the books and are your tastes changing? We rotate each week, and absolutely.

I started the show loving 19thcentury literature, postcolonial stuff and philosophy. Now I’m reading what I like to call ‘dead white man literature’ and modern stuff.

Literature degrees can turn people off from reading. How have you kept the love? I think because I went to Queen Mary University who offered me a course with an amazingly diverse syllabus, it equipped me with

fantastic skills. I spent my best three years there. Reading could seem like a chore but I still really enjoyed it.

And Waterstones made you famous? Ha! We have a partnership with them and they have been brilliant. I always find myself at Waterstones on a crisp Saturday afternoon anyway. In the beginning, we grew through Twitter and Instagram – I know, very millennial. And, yes, sometimes I do actually get stopped, which is so weird. Then I remember that whatever type of day I’m having, I have to be ‘Rai’ from the podcast.

And you’re even famous across the world. It’s remarkable. We have subscribers from across the US, across Africa and even places like the Ukraine.

You attend the literary festival circuit. Is it terribly stuffy? Do you brighten it up?

I think the literary and publishing worlds are awfully white and middle class. It needs a lot of work to ensure that people like us are seen. I think that’s why we are such an appeal. It’s very rare finding three young black adults talking about books. We’re off to the Cheltenham Festival this week and I hope we’re not the only black people there. The industry needs to change.

I’d love to go to a literary festival. What are you getting up to at Cheltenham? Well, we’re planning to record a Mostly Lit episode and we’re sitting on various panels. I’m on a Man Booker panel discussing Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart.

In your spare time you’re a lawyer. Yes, a trainee lawyer at an international law firm in Canary Wharf, currently focusing on Financial Regulation. I don’t know how I’m doing it all.

And how long have you lived in Walthamstow and East London? I’ve lived in East London ever since I came here – that’s 17 years ago. I started out in Leyton and went to Church Mead Junior School. Then we moved to Walthamstow and I

34 To advertise your business contact ads@theelist.co.uk

Rai centre with her Mostly Lit co-hosts: Alex Reads left and Derek Owusu right.

joined Hillyfield and then onto the Academy on Billet Road, staying on in the sixth form. I’m a nerd and loved school. I’ll say that they were some of the best years of my life, too. I’ll admit it, I might have been the teacher’s pet – but I was in with the cool kids, too.

How would you describe the area and what does a typical day out locally involve? Well, the area has changed so much.

The people are still friendly, which is what I have always loved about the Stow. Growing up, Saturdays involved a trip to the market, while as a teenager the bus station was my favourite place. It holds a lot of special memories hanging out with friends. There, and the W11 bus.

Always back row.

Readers of this magazine are typically proud of the Stow. Will you be sticking around? Oops. I have actually moved away recently so I can be nearer to work. I intend to make a comeback though – if house prices plummet, I might even get a place.

You can catch Raifa on the literary circuit or hear her in full flow by downloading her weekly podcasts at

mostly-lit.com

Rai’s favourite things to read Their Eyes Were Watching God

by Zora Neale Hurston Nervous Conditions by Titsi Dangarembga Everything written by Oscar Wilde Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Persuasion by Jane Austen Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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Career

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Contact Julie Greaves, Career Coach, for a free consultation.

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theelist.co.uk 35

Dance Thursdays ChutneySOCA Fitness YMCA, 642 Forest Road E17 3EF ChutneySOCA Fitness, a carnivalinspired fusion of Soca, Bhangra and Bollywood is open to all, whatever your level, offering feel-good, irresistible fun!

ChutneySOCA challenges and supports you whilst getting your sweat on!

Please wear comfortable clothes and be sure to bring some water. Get ready to party! 6.45-7.45pm. £5 for block bookings of 4 classes, £9 drop-in.

Vanessa 07958 523431 info@khyalarts.org.uk Mondays from 10 Sept Beginners: Clare’s Dance Class The CentrE17, 1 Church Hill E17 3AB Learn simple fun routines from movies and musicals. Led by MovE17 choreographer Clare Farrow. 7-8pm. £8 paid termly, drop-in £10.

Clare Farrow 07939 125014 facebook.com/ClaresDanceClass Tuesdays 50s Jive for Beginners Sinbin at The Plough & Harrow, 419 High Road, Leytonstone E11 4JU A fun way to exercise, enjoy yourself and give you the confidence to get up and dance the next time you are out!

Drop-in any time, no partner needed.

7.45-10pm. £5, club FREE after 9pm. facebook.com/TheChickenShackRnR Wednesdays (term time only) Women’s Morris Dancing for Beginners St Gabriel’s Family Centre (back hall), Havant Road, Walthamstow E17 3JF Blackhorse and Standard are a friendly women’s Morris side welcoming you to have a go at Morris dancing. We are also looking for enthusiastic traditional musicians (any gender) to play for us regularly. 8-10pm. £30 per term, first term FREE. Wendy 020 8527 2926 blackhorseandstandard.org.uk Wednesdays DANCEaBEAT Forest YMCA, 643 Forest Road E17 3EF A fusion of Afrobeat, Bashment, Soca and commercial. A dance cardio class for all, in a fun, vibrant and carnival atmosphere! Bringing the community together through dance music and fitness. 6.15-7.15pm. FREE, donations welcome.

Edgar Austrie 07864 907372 Thursdays Circle Dance St Michael and All Angels Church Hall, Northcote Road E17 6PQ Dancing in a circle to world music.

No partner needed and beginners welcome. 2-4pm. £4.

Jean Duggleby 020 8556 3508

Thursdays Salsa Classes & Salsa Club Sinbin at The Plough & Harrow, 419 High Road, Leytonstone E11 4JU Salsa classes for every level of experience and Salsa Club. 8.3011.30pm. £6, club only £3.

Steevo 07504 852841

Fitness & Sport Sundays This Mum Runs Walthamstow Meet in Lloyd Park, Forest Rd E17 4PP Free women’s group run! An award-winning community inspiring thousands of women to run together every week. Join us for a 30min run at the speed of chat. Your time. Your space. Your pace. 8-9am. FREE. thismumruns.co.uk or on Facebook Wednesdays This Mum Runs Leytonstone / Wanstead Meet on Wanstead Green, Wanstead E11 2NT As above but different day, time and venue. 7.30-8pm. FREE. Mondays Box & Core Walthamstow School for Girls, Church Hill E17 9RZ Combining technique drills and core strengthening exercises to appeal to both the novice looking for fun and a release of tension and the amateur boxer wanting to improve their skills and stamina. Gloves provided but you’re welcome to bring your own. No need to book. 7-8pm. £7 or 10 for £60.

Chloe 07903 629636 thebodypeople.co.uk Tuesdays & Fridays NEW Women-Only Outdoor Bootcamp Walthamstow Town Hall, Forest Road E17 4JF Fitness bootcamp with different exercises each session including boxing, circuits etc. An all round fitness session. 6.30-7.15am. £6.

Jackie 07717 330993 wegrantfitnessandhealth.co.uk Saturdays Walthamstow Park Run Peter May Sports Ground, Wadham Road, Walthamstow E17 4HR Wanstead Park Run Wanstead Flats Playing Fields, Harrow Road E11 3QD Weekly 5km run at your own pace, with your time recorded for you, and with a friendly crowd of runners. Families and everyone welcome. 9am. FREE, but first-timers please register to get your barcode. parkrun.org.uk/wansteadflats parkrun.org.uk/walthamstow Thursdays HIIT E17 Gnome House, 7 Blackhorse Lane E17 6DS High Intensity Interval Training.

7.30-8.20pm. £8, discounts for block bookings. hiite17.co.uk

36 To advertise your business contact ads@theelist.co.uk

Yoga, Meditation & Tai Chi Wednesdays NEW Iyengar Yoga Class St Andrew’s Church Hall, Church Road E17 6AR Iyengar Yoga is suitable for everyone, the benefits are many: increased flexibility, strength and stamina.

Improves posture and concentration.

Quietens the mind to promote wellbeing. Learn at your own pace in a friendly, supportive environment.

Suitable for beginners. 7-8pm. £9 per class, 6 for £45 or 10 for £70.

Nicholette 07962 424 460 nicholetteyoga@gmail.com Wednesdays NEW Tai Chi Principles / Mindfulness Training through Movement Grove Residental Home, 109 Grove Road E17 9BU Want to improve your energy, health, and develop better mental focus? Join us to learn Tai Chi principles through the Chinese Martial Art ‘I Liq Chuan’, training your body and mind, finding balance from the inside out. No experience needed, everyone welcome.

Please contact before attending. 7.308.30pm. £10, first class FREE. m.watan@iliqchuan.com Mark 07824 395814 iliqchuan.com Thursdays NEW Anusara Elements Yoga Quaker Meeting House, Bush Road E11 3AU Alignment focused yoga in a supportive environment. 7-8.15pm. £10, or £90 for 10.

Emma 07803 404343 emmacontentyoga.com

Saturdays NEW Vinyasa Flow Yoga with Sarah Kenway This Time Next Year, 80 Ruckholt Road E10 5FA Feed mind and body with Sarah Kenway in our light, airy co-working space. Be guided through an hour of Vinyasa Flow Yoga where you’ll link poses with movement and focus on your breath. Namaste! 10-11am. £10.

Book your mat by email. booking@thistimenextyear.co.uk thistimenextyear.co.uk Wednesdays Tai Chi for Health and Balance Leytonstone United Free Church, 55 Wallwood Road E11 1AY Learn Tai Chi in a fun, comfortable environment. Suitable for all, beginners and all fitness levels welcome. Please wear loose, comfortable clothing.

12.30-1.30pm. £8.

Gemma 07916 334670 facebook.com/mdaforestgateleytonstone Thursdays Mummy & Me: Postnatal/Baby Yoga Class Quaker Meeting House Wanstead, Bush Road E11 3AU A great, fun, happy post natal/baby yoga class for both you and your baby to enjoy. The first half focusing on yoga for new mums and then the babies get involved. Please bring a yoga mat if you have one . For babies from 6 weeks-12 months. 10.45am-12pm. £10 drop in, or £8 block bookings.

Helen 07956 807675 helenyoga.co.uk

Wednesdays Yoga in South Chingford St Edmund’s Church, Larkswood Road E4 7EN Slow paced all levels asana practice with focus on breath, safe alignment and body awareness. Mats, blocks and straps are provided, but feel free to bring your own. 7.30-8.30pm. First class FREE then £7 or £20 for 3. kate@findtheom.com

Tuesdays Tuesday Night Energising Yoga Orford House Social Club, 73 Orford Road E17 9QR Beginners welcome to this Flow Yoga class combining rhythmic breathing and movement. This ensures the body is oxygenated as we stretch and strengthen. A great addition to your weekly workout. You’ll step off the mat feeling zen! 7-8pm. £7.

Gill 07713 462419 yogaannie.org/schedule

Saturdays NEW Saturday Morning Yoga Waltham Forest Community Hub, 18a Orford Road E17 9LN A weekly hour of energising flow yoga, combining movement with rhythmic breathing. We’ll stretch and strengthen the body whilst calming the mind, and step off the mat feeling zen! Beginners welcome. 11am-12pm. £7.

Gill 07713 462419 yogaannie.org/schedule

Wednesdays Beginner/Improver Pilates Quaker Meeting House Walthamstow, 1a Jewel Road E17 4QU This class will guide you through the fundamentals of Pilates, helping you to build core strength, improve flexibility and move well. 8-9pm. £12. Block booking or drop in available - booking essential.

Lily Dettmer 07941 862972 lilydpilates.com

Fridays (term-time only) Dru Yoga Class Chingford Masonic Centre, Forest Approach E4 7AZ Mixed ability yoga class incorporating postures, sequences, breath work and meditation with deep relaxation. 9.3010.45am. £12, book 6 get 1 FREE. Moira 0208 529 4413 eyespyyoga.co.uk

For lots more dance and fitness classes please visit

theelist.co.uk

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ART

BOOKS

CRAFTS

This month in town

Nov/Dec

Exhibitions & weekly events Arts, Crafts & Film 2 Nov-22 Dec NEW The Walthamstow Calendar 2019 and original watercolours by Emma Scutt E17 Art House, 54-56 Hoe Street E17 4PG Exhibition of the 12 original watercolour illustrations from the new Walthamstow Calendar, plus prints of popular landmarks from Emma’s previous calendars. Tues-Sat 10am-6pm. FREE. e17arthouse.com Until 27 January NEW The Enchanted Garden William Morris Gallery, Forest Road E17 4PP Exploring the response of Morris and other artists to the allure of garden spaces. Artists include Claude Monet, Lucien Pissarro, Edward Burne-Jones, Stanley Spencer, Beatrix Potter, Cicely Mary Barker, Roger Fry and Vanessa Bell.

NB the gallery is now open on Tuesdays too! Tues-Sun 10am-5pm. FREE. wmgallery.org.uk Until 27 January NEW Rob Ryan William Morris Gallery, Forest Road E17 4PP A solo exhibition of work by renowned fine artist Rob Ryan, featuring highly patterned original papercuts and limited edition silkscreen prints created in response to the William Morris Gallery’s collection. Tues-Sun 10am-5pm. FREE. wmgallery.org.uk Until 10 Nov NEW Plaits, Princesses & Pink Moisturiser Locus Of Walthamstow, 1 Chingford Road E17 4PW This free exhibition puts the spotlight on black women of Waltham Forest, their personal testimonies and the objects that tell stories of standing out, fitting in, family ties and beauty ideals. Daily 12-7pm. FREE. korantema.com/home/exhibition 1-30 Nov NEW The Odd Couple: Camera and Clay Pictorem Gallery, 383 Hoe Street E17 9AP See feature pps 20-22. Ceramicist Rachel Milotte and her photographer husband Mike celebrate a 40 year partnership with their first-ever joint exhibition: Rachel’s beautifully sculpted porcelain figures suggesting playful shadows and Mike’s vibrant photos full of magical light. Private view see Nov 9.

Tues-Sat 9am-5.30pm. FREE. Events marked

1 Dec-30 Jan NEW Hooksmith Press’ Correct at Time of Printing Le Petit Corner, 734 Leytonstone High Road E11 3AW Letterpress print exhibition by Leytonstone artist Russell Frost of Hooksmith Press using vintage printing methods and equipment. An eclectic mix of subject and material created during 2018. Private view see Nov 30.

Open cafe hours Mon-Fri 8am-5pm, Sat-Sun 9am-6pm. FREE. hooksmith.com 4 Dec-27 Jan NEW Grow Your Idea: Exhibition The Mill, 7-11 Coppermill Lane E17 7HA The power of an idea: a celebration of local people making things happen.

Visit The Mill to find out more about the winners, projects and learning supported by our Grow Your Idea 2 Project. Tues-Sun 9.30am-6pm. FREE. themille17.org 8 Nov-2 Dec NEW Sand and Silt: Melissa Campbell, Stephen Dow & Lana Locke The Stone Space, 6 Church Lane, Leytonstone E11 1HG Exhibition bringing together three artists whose work references or explores buildings, locations and places.

Thurs by appt, Fri 2-6pm, Sat 12-5pm, Sun 12-4pm. FREE. stonespace.gallery Fri-Sun 24 Nov-9 Dec NEW ArtWorks Open 2018 ArtWorks Project Space, Barbican Arts Group Trust, 114 Blackhorse Lane E17 6AA Exhibition of selected entries to this year’s Open competition, now in its 10th year. 12-5pm, or by appt. FREE. barbicanartsgrouptrust.co.uk 6 Dec-24 Dec NEW Damn the Darkening Days Pictorem Gallery, 383 Hoe St E17 9AP Four artists respond to winter through painting, drawing and sculpture. Private view see Dec 5. Tues-Sat 9am-5.30pm.

FREE. (NB closed 25 Dec-12 Jan).

6 Dec-6 Jan exc Christmas NEW Tondo Rotondo by Tim Ralston The Stone Space, 6 Church Lane, Leytonstone E11 1HG Ralston’s paintings are concerned with our connection to the landscape, the ideology of looking and our relationship with and augmentation of our surroundings. Thurs by appt, Fri 2-6pm, Sat 12-5pm, Sun 12-4pm. FREE. stonespace.gallery

DANCE/FITNESS Until 4 Nov Nobody Really Cares if You Don’t Go to the Office Party by Poppy Whatmore The Stone Space, 6 Church Lane, Leytonstone E11 1HG An installation which takes a new look at the archetypal organised space of the office by subverting and deconstructing the conventional use of selected bureaucratic items. Thurs by appt, Fri 2-6pm, Sat 12-5pm, Sun 12-4pm. FREE. stonespace.enquiries@gmail.com stonespace.gallery

Music, Theatre & Singing Thurs-Sun 29 Nov-23 Dec NEW Panto: Cinderella Ye Olde Rose & Crown, 53 Hoe Street E17 4SA There’s another festival in Walthamstow and this time Cinderella’s going! There will be singing, dancing and plenty of silliness. A family show for all ages. 7-9.30pm plus Sat/Sun matinees 11am and 3pm. £11, kids £7 (inc goodie bag). Max 4 kids per adult.

Buy tickets over the bar or via yeolderoseandcrowntheatrepub.co.uk Sundays DRAG Out The Weekend The Northcote, 110 Grove Green Road E11 4EL Free, weekly DRAG comedy cabaret show with the most fabulous drag queens in the biz. 7-10.30pm. FREE. thenorthcotee11.com Wednesdays NEW UkulelE17 Jam The Bell, 617 Forest Road/Chingford Road E17 4NE Walthamstow’s free ukulele jam night.

All abilities welcome. Check UkulelE17 on Facebook or Twitter for details of where to download songbooks.

8-11pm. FREE. facebook.com/ukulele17 Mondays until 26 Nov Traditional Irish Music Session The Plough & Harrow, 419 High Road, Leytonstone E11 4JU Debbie Fink & Friends perform Irish ballads, popular standards and tunes with voices, flute, whistle, banjo, mandolin, piano-accordion and bodrhan. All performers and spectators welcome. Why not pop in after work!

6.30-10pm. FREE. Thursdays The Singing Room St Gabriel’s Family Centre, Side Hall, Havant Road E17 3JF Develop and learn a capella (unaccompanied) singing and singing by ear. Lively, fun supportive workshops. Opportunities to sing and perform in the choir. First session free!

7.30-9.15pm. £10, or 10 for £80.

Anna Williams 07931 372996 thesingingroom.org

FAMILY

FILM

Mondays (term time only) NEW Sing17 Community Choir Walthamstow Trades Hall, 61-63 Tower Hamlets Road E17 4RQ Come for the fun of it and stay for the songs. No previous experience needed. Absolutely no auditions.

Regular or come-when-you-can members welcome. Drop in, join in and enjoy. 7.30-9pm. £8 PAYG, £7 in adv, FREE taster.

Laura 07813 686980 or sing17.com Sundays (term time only) NEW Natural Voices: Mixed Choir Orford House Social Club, 73 Orford Road E17 9QR Taking the stuffiness out of choirs! It’s singing with a twist of fun. Beginners welcome, no auditions and no sightreading. We do glorious covers of pop, soul, rock, jazz and comedy songs.

7.30-9pm. £10 PAYG, £8 if paid termly, FREE taster.

Lizzy Renihan 07950 204338 naturalvoices.co.uk Wednesdays until 28 Nov Sing17 Day Choir St Gabriel’s Family Centre, Side Hall, Havant Road E17 3JF Raise your voice and lift your spirits!

Make new friends, have some fun.

Boost your morale. Sing away your stress. All comers and all abilities welcome. 2-3pm. £5, FREE sessions and concessions available.

Laura 07813 686980 sing17.com Mondays (term time only) Waltham Forest Community Choir St Mary’s Church, Church End Walthamstow E17 9RJ We are a friendly choir with a wideranging repertoire. Open to adults living or working in Waltham Forest.

No audition required. 7.30-9.30pm.

Termly subscription £40-£60 plus refundable deposit for sheet music, first session FREE. Membership Secretary 07954 740745 singwithus.net Tuesdays until 6 Nov The CommUnity Gospel Choir Wesleyan Christian Centre, 1 Harrow Green, Leytonstone E11 3HP All welcome to join, no experience needed, just come along and sing great gospel music. 7.15-9pm. £5, £3 conc, first session FREE. Beverly Collins 07984 398271 Facebook: TheCommUnityGospelChoir Alternate Mondays 12, 26 Nov etc HarmonyE4 Winchester Road Methodist Church, Winchester Road, Highams Park E4 9JP A community choir open to singers of all ages, genders and abilities. No auditions, just come and sing! 7.459.30pm. £5, first session FREE. highamsparkchoir@gmail.com

kid friendly

38 The E List makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information it publishes, but cannot be held responsible for any consequences arising from errors or omissions. Please confirm with the venue before setting out.

FOOD & DRINK

OUTDOORS

Outdoors Lloyd Park Volunteer Gardening Meet in the William Morris Garden, Lloyd Park, Forest Road E17 4PP Help keep Lloyd Park looking beautiful, improve your health and well-being, meet new people and gain new skills.

10am-1pm. FREE. Ellie 020 8496 2822 walthamforest.gov.uk/content/lloyd-park Wednesdays Chingford Green Gym Ridgeway Park, The Ridgeway, Old Church Road Chingford E4 6XU Get physically active and meet new people through conservation of the natural environment, creating new habitats, planting new trees and plants and looking after the local green spaces.

All tools and refreshments provided.

10am-1pm. FREE. Gareth 07731 450839 tcv.org.uk Fridays Walthamstow Green Gym Lloyd Park, Forest Road E17 4PP As above but different day, time and location. 10.45am-2pm. FREE.

Games & Social Alternate Weds 14, 28 Nov etc NEW Play Your Blankety Blanks Right The Northcote, 110 Grove Green Road E11 4EL Cheekier than your average pub quiz.

Four rounds of your favourite TV game shows; Countdown, The Price is Right, Blankety Blank and Play Your Cards Right plus the obligatory music and picture round. 8-10pm. £2. thenorthcotee11.com Thursdays Seniors Club Waltham Forest Community Hub, 18a Orford Road E17 9LN Meet new friends at this friendly over 60s group. We have tea and biccies, play bingo; games; organise trips and more.

2-4pm. £2, includes refreshments.

Sandra 020 8223 0707 wfchub.org Wednesdays Lloyd Park Sharing Heritage Lloyd Park, Community Bowls Pavilion, Forest Road E17 4PP A friendly daytime group for the over 50s meeting weekly to explore the nature and cultural heritage of Lloyd Park. Currently working on a ‘Listening Project, Memories of Lloyd Park’.

10am-12pm. FREE. Vicky Peet 07870 678571 v.peet@tcv.org.uk

Events marked

kid friendly

HISTORY

Saturdays NEW ChoCrazy Social Pret a Manger Cafe, 59-60 The Mall Walthamstow E17 7JR A gathering of sweets lovers to enjoy talking about everything - and instead of weather - why not start by talking chocolate? Very informal, everyone’s welcome at the outside tables of the cafe. 11am-1pm. £3.

Look out for Joana wearing blue.

07570 114442.

Weekly Food & Drink Every Fri & Sat Nov 9-Dec 22 NEW The Jellied Eel: Pop-up Cocktail Bar L Manze, 76 High Street E17 7LD A new pop-up bar in the beautiful Grade II listed surroundings of L Manze pie and mash shop on Walthamstow Market serving winter-inspired cocktails and gourmet croquetas. 7pm-midnight. thejelliedeel.com Saturdays E17 Village Market Community Hub, 18A Orford Road E17 9LN Saturday market run by locals to provide a fab and friendly place for the community (but all welcome!) for street food, food for home, and coffee.

Regular and guest stalls. New stalls welcome. 10.30am-3.30pm. FREE. Kostas 07984 964198 e17villagemarket.co.uk

Weekly Classes & Events for the Under 18s Wednesdays French for Kids The Mill, 7-11 Coppermill Lane E17 7HA Offering kids the chance to enjoy a fun and positive approach to learning a language through our award winning programmes. Classes are based on stories, role plays, games, crafts and songs. 4.15-5.25pm. £5.50, FREE taster.

Arno Meyong 07846 018215 lajolieronde.co.uk Thursdays Spanish for Kids The Mill, 7-11 Coppermill Lane E17 7HA As above, except different day.

Tuesdays NEW Club Mellow: 13-15yrs LGBT Group ELOP Centre, 56-60 Grove Rd E17 9BN This group is a weekly space for lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans* young people aged 13-15yrs who want to meet up with others in a friendly, supportive environment. 4.45-6.45pm. FREE. Richard 020 8509 3898 info@elop.org or visit elop.org Tuesdays NEW Club Mellow: 15-18yrs LGBT Group ELOP Centre, 56-60 Grove Rd E17 9BN Weekly social group for lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans* young people - as above - but for a different age group.

7-9pm. FREE.

MUSIC

SHOPPING

Thursdays until December 13 Storymakers 8-11yrs/Youth Theatre 11-15yrs Gnome House, 7 Blackhorse Lane E17 6DS Play drama games, create characters and make your very own show from scratch in just 10 weeks. Then perform with costumes, props and music!

4-5.30pm & 5.30-7pm. £85 or £70 conc per term. Try your first class for £5.

Sarah at Grow Your Own Theatre 07740 343240 sarah@gyot.org.uk bookwhen.com/growyourowntheatre Thursdays 8 Nov-6 Dec NEW Kids’ Art Club The Mill, 7-11 Coppermill Lane E17 7HA New term of five sessions with David, Jane and Mo - have fun and learn - exploring themes using drawing and painting materials, and clay, collage and print techniques. Can be messy! For ages 6+, under 8s must be accompanied. 4-5pm. £2. Places limited, please book ahead. themill-coppermill.org Mondays-Fridays (term time only) Bongalong Jewel Road & Wood Street, Walthamstow and Highams Park Baptist Church Music, movement and make believe for the Under 5s and Under 1s and their carers. Booking essential. Various times and venues, check website for details. £6.50 for a trial class. Sibling discount available. fiona.bongalong@gmail.com bongalong.co.uk Saturdays (term time only) Drop-in Bongalong Early Risers St Gabriel’s Family Centre (back hall), Havant Road E17 3JF Fun, creative music sessions for under 5s and their carers. Singing, dancing, instruments and a story. Parking available. 9am and 10am. £6.50. bongalong.co.uk Fridays (term time only) Drop-in Bongalong in the Park Le Delice Cafe, Community Room, Lloyd Park, Forest Road E17 4PP As above except different day, venue and time. 1.30pm. £6.50.

Various Days Music Groups and Ensembles for Children Waltham Forest Music Service at Walthamstow School for Girls, Church Hill E17 9RZ Take your musical instrument playing onto the next level by playing in a group with other musicians. Whether beginner, intermediate or advanced we have a group for you. See website for full timetable. £30 for 10 week course, £15 for low income families.

WF Music Service 020 8496 1584 walthamforest.gov.uk/music-service

COMEDY/THEATRE

Sundays (term time only) NEW Natural Voices: 13+ Youth Choir Orford House Social Club, 73 Orford Road E17 9QR New choir for secondary school age looking for singers who love harmony and great contemporary music to join a strong group of singers. For budding singer songwriters! 12-1pm. £6 dropin, £5 if paid termly, FREE taster.

Lizzy Renihan 07950 204338 naturalvoices.co.uk Mondays NEW Mini Musicians: Next Steps 4-7yrs Community Hub, 18A Orford Road E17 9LN Children will experience and enjoy music as listeners, creators and performers, whilst laying the foundation for future instrumental and vocal training. 4.30-5.15pm. £59.50 for 10 week course, £30.50 for low income families.

WF Music Service 020 8496 1584 walthamforest.gov.uk/music-service Tuesdays Mini Musicians for Babies & Children Community Hub, 18A Orford Road E17 9LN Music making classes taught by Early Years Music specialists and include singing, dancing and playing with an exciting range of instruments. 10.1511am. £67.50 for 10 week course.

WF Music Service 020 8496 1584 walthamforest.gov.uk/music-service Saturdays Junior Choir Waltham Forest Music Service at Walthamstow School for Girls, Church Hill E17 9RZ For children of all abilities age 6+.

Through a wide range of songs from classical to pop, musicals and world music, we cover all aspects of vocal technique to build a solid foundation for singers. 10.30-11.30am. £3 per session, £1.50 for low income families.

WF Music Service 020 8496 1584 walthamforest.gov.uk/music-service Thursdays Trombone classes for 9-14 yr olds Waltham Forest Music Service at Walthamstow School for Girls, Church Hill E17 9RZ Special offer beginner trombone lessons including instrument hire. Give it a try! 5.40-6.40pm. £30 for 10 week course.

WF Music Service 020 8496 1584 walthamforest.gov.uk/music-service Tuesdays & Thursdays Magic Box: Interactive Storytelling Sessions for 2-ish to 5-year Olds Mothers’ Hub, 133 Wood Street E17 3LX What’s inside the Magic Box today?

Join a host of different characters on an exciting and interactive storytelling adventure. Coffee and cake included.

10-11am. £5 per child, or £8 for two. magicboxstories.com

Got an event?To Telladvertise us aboutyour it! Simply submit online at theelist.co.uk 39 business contact ads@theelist.co.uk

ART

BOOKS

Weekly Classes for Adults Tuesdays Beginner’s Bridge Tuition 22 Horsley Road, Chingford E4 7HX New beginner’s course. Learn and improve your play with this interesting, rewarding and challenging card game.

Learn in a comfortable house with easy parking. 7.30-9.30pm. £10, with first 5 lessons only £25 if paid in advance.

Ray Green 020 8281 8376 eastlondonbridge.co.uk Mondays until 25 Nov Untutored Life Drawing Session Sinbin at The Plough & Harrow, 419 High Road, Leytonstone E11 4JU Inspirational, relaxed and friendly class.

5 to 55min poses with professional models. Spacious venue with easels and art materials provided FREE of charge. Plus music, biscuits and drinks.

Drop-in anytime, no pre-booking. 7.309.30pm. £10, £5 members.

Search www.meetup.com Saturdays from 3 Nov NEW CreativiTEA Hale End Library, Castle Avenue, Highams Park E4 9QD A series of six thematic therapeutic arts sessions for adults 55 yrs+ to explore life experiences and feelings through making art, tea and talking as a group to share, reflect and discover. Booking essential as places limited. 11am-1pm.

FREE. Amanda via asw67@hotmail.co.uk or search eventbrite.co.uk Tuesdays & Thursdays until 11 Dec Strung Out: Violin Group for Adults Quaker Meeting House Walthamstow, 1a Jewel Road E17 4QU Fun beginners-intermediates violin group for adult enthusiasts. All styles of music welcomed from classical to traditional. 6.30-7.30pm. £13, conc available. See website for start dates. shapeshifter-productions.com Wednesdays Ukulele Classes Quaker Meeting House Walthamstow, 1a Jewel Road E17 4QU A ukulele class of mixed ability focussing on ensemble playing with varying parts to suit your experience with the hope for some small performances. Fully accessible building.

7.30-8.30pm. £12.50 per class, paid termly in advance. banjosmith.co.uk Wednesdays 5-String Banjo Classes Quaker Meeting House Walthamstow, 1a Jewel Road E17 4QU Banjo classes for different levels, including complete beginners. Check website for times. Sorry, banjos not supplied! Fully accessible building. £15 per class, paid termly in advance. banjosmith.co.uk Events marked

kid friendly

CRAFTS

Calendar of Events Thursday 1 November Red Imp Britain’s Got Talent Special Ye Olde Rose & Crown Theatre Pub, 53 Hoe Street E17 4SA This year’s brilliantly funny runner-up Robert White (keyboard and tank top remember?!) and excellent semi-finalist the hilarious magician Mandy Muden both return to Red Imp for this BGT Special. 8.30-10.30pm. £12 plus BF. redimpcomedy.com Breabach St Mary’s Music Hall, Church Hill, Walthamstow E17 9RL Leading Scottish Folk band Breabach bring their award-winning sound and unique musicianship to St Mary’s, combining twin bagpipes, fiddle, mandolin, bass and guitar with Gaelic vocals and step dance. Part of the London Roots Festival. 6.30-10.30pm.

From £15. stmarysmusichall.co.uk Stuart Cosgrove: Harlem ’69 Waterstones, The Mall Walthamstow, Selborne Walk E17 7JR The award-winning author returns to Walthamstow Rock ‘n’ Roll Book Club with the final part of his soul trilogy.

With music from Walls of Heartache DJs. 7-10pm. £6. waterstones.com Stow Film Lounge presents A QUIET PLACE (2018, Cert 15) Mirth, Marvel & Maud, 186 Hoe Street E17 4QH John Krasinski directs and stars in this frightener set in a post-apocalyptic world where a family is forced to live in silence while hiding from monsters with ultra-sensitive hearing. If they hear you, they hunt you. Also stars Emily Blunt. Doors 7.15pm, film 8pm, close 10.15pm. Tickets £8.50/£6.50 conc on the door, buying online incurs booking fee. Pre-booked ticket & pizza offer £15.25. stowfilmlounge.com

Friday 2 November Walthamstow Calendar Launch Event E17 Art House, 54-56 Hoe Street E17 4PG Launch night of local artist Emma Scutt’s Walthamstow Calendar 2019, and exhibition of her original watercolour illustrations. 6-8.30pm. FREE. e17arthouse.com Walthamstow Gay Meetup Contact us for this month’s venue On the first Friday of the month. This is a friendly, convivial evening of like-minded people having a great time around a drink or two with good conversations, fun and lots of laughter. A no attitude, friendly meeting; please bring your good humour, a smile and a laugh.

6.30-10pm. FREE. Email jf@gpn.one On Facebook as GayWalthamstow

DANCE/FITNESS

FAMILY

FILM

Day of the Dead Party Blackhorse Workshop, 1-2 Sutherland Road Path E17 6BX Celebrate this vibrant Mexican festival to honour the dead with costumes and music. Dress-up and face-painting.

Dance to live music and DJ sets, enjoy Mexican food from Homies on Donkeys and drinks from Charlie’s Bar. 7-11.30pm. £5 in adv, £8 on the door.

Under 16s FREE. Search eventbrite.co.uk for tickets

Fundraiser: A Night of Burlesque Therapy Sinbin at The Plough & Harrow, 419 High Road, Leytonstone E11 4JU Eight very different but very empowering burlesque acts tell their stories to raise money for small charity Life Dogs who provide services to people with mental health issues using therapy dogs. 8-11pm. £5.

Last Frame Club presents Mama Colonel (Documentary) The CentrE17, 1 Church Hill E17 3AB ‘Mama Colonel’ works for the Congolese police force and heads the unit for the protection of minors and the fight against sexual violence.

7.15-10pm. £5, £4 conc and Waltham Forest residents lastframeclub.com

Remembering 2,500 Lives St Mary’s Church Walthamstow, Church End E17 9RL Details as Sat 3 except different times.

1-4pm. FREE.

Horsemeat Sandwich Sinbin at The Plough & Harrow, 419 High Road, Leytonstone E11 4JU Vis The Spoon presents Storm The Gates; Spring.Fall.Sea; Shangrilads and Keepers of Time playing noisy envelope-pushing post-punk altrock’n’roll! 8pm-midnight. FREE. facebook.com/SinbinE11

Saturday 3 November Remembering 2,500 Lives St Mary’s Church Walthamstow, Church End E17 9RL Place a poppy along our churchyard path commemorating 2,500 soldiers from Walthamstow who died in World War I. First of three opportunities to place a tribute, with Remembrance services on 11 Nov. 11am-4pm. FREE. stmaryswalthamstow.org Family Storytime Harrow Green Community Library,The Epicentre, 41 West Street, Leytonstone E11 4LJ This month Sonia Aquilar will share her stories with us. Healthy refreshments in the interval. 2-3.30pm. FREE. milenedziuk@outlook.com Sedated in the Eighties The Chequers, 145 High Street/Storey Road E17 7BX Mixtape DJs the Power Couple play 80s music for the John Hughes generation. Expect the best pop, rock, indie and power ballads of the Me Generation, all on original vinyl. 8pmmidnight. FREE. londonrockcity@hotmail.com Fundraising Gig for Walthamstow Migrants’ Action Group Wild Card Brewery, Ravenswood Industrial Estate, Shernhall Street E17 9HQ Dance at Ravenswood as Zelt mix a post-punk/new wave sound with North and West African influences. Free entry but please donate generously for this important local cause. 8-11pm. FREE. zelt.org.uk

Sunday 4 November

S.I.C.K. Social Initiatives to Change the Kulture Walthamstow Assembly Hall, Forest Road E17 4JD A fundraiser hosted by young talent, providing an opportunity for them to have a voice in their community, through music, dance and spoken word. 10% of proceeds to Feet on the Streets. 2-6pm. £10, £3 conc.

Search eventbrite.co.uk for tickets She17 Presents She’s Eclectic Wild Card Brewery, Ravenswood Industrial Estate, Shernhall Street E17 9HQ Live acoustic music by women musicians with Naz&Ella, Kimmi Watson and more to be announced.

2-6pm. FREE. she17.com Intarsia at Walthamstow Folk Ye Olde Rose & Crown, 53 Hoe Street E17 4SA From diverse backgrounds, Jo May and Sarah Matthews bring voice, violin and viola, tenor guitar, balafon and a whole range of other percussion instruments. 7.30-10.30pm. £8, unwaged £6. walthamstowfolk.co.uk

Monday 5 November Waltham Forest Fireworks Night Chestnuts Field, Waltham Forest Town Hall, Forest Road E17 4JF The annual fireworks extravaganza is back so wrap up warm to watch the spectacular show light up the night sky. Enjoy the funfair, food stalls and a bar serving a range of drinks including mulled wine. Gates open 6pm, fireworks display 8pm. FREE. walthamforest.gov.uk/events Club Mellow: Men’s LGBT Group ELOP Centre, 56-60 Grove Rd E17 9BN On the first Monday of the month, a space for gay, bisexual or trans* men aged 18+ to meet up with others in a friendly, supportive environment away from the coventional gay scene.

7-9.30pm. £2.

Richard 020 8509 3898 info@elop.org or visit elop.org

40 The E List makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information it publishes, but cannot be held responsible for any consequences arising from errors or omissions. Please confirm with the venue before setting out.

FOOD & DRINK

OUTDOORS

Tuesday 6 November ESP Extravaganza The Mill, 7-11 Coppermill Lane E17 7HA A short series of practical workshops dedicated to Extra Sensorial Perception, aimed at practising in a safe and nurturing environment the skills we are all born with. 7-8.30pm. £15.

Freya 07578 506317 For info and to book: freyaingva.com

Wednesday 7 November La Leche League Waltham Forest: Coffee Morning Lloyd Park Children’s Centre, Lloyd Park (Winns Avenue entrance) E17 5JW Monthly, relaxed coffee morning-style breastfeeding meeting for mothers and babies offering support for individuals with or without current breastfeeding challenges. 10am-12pm. FREE but £1 donation welcome. lllwf.elizabeth@gmail.com Under 5s, Lloyd Park Nature Explorers: Diwali & Autumn Community Room next to Le Délice Cafe, Lloyd Park, Forest Road E17 4PP We’ll begin with a simple craft followed by a ramble in the park before going back inside for stories and a healthy snack. 10am-12pm. FREE, but donations welcome.

Hive Collective: Partnerships and Collaborations Event This Time Next Year, 80 Ruckholt Road E10 5FA Find out about partnerships and collaborations from Victoria Cozens, owner of Perky Blenders. Plus come and have a drink with fellow business owners.

7-9.30pm. £10. hivecollectivelondon.com/events Eran’s Open Mic Ye Olde Rose & Crown, 53 Hoe Street E17 4SA Pop your name down and embrace the crowd. Or just come along and listen. 8-11pm. FREE.

Thursday 8 November Club Mellow: 18-25’s LGBT Group ELOP Centre, 56-60 Grove Rd E17 9BN A monthly space for lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans* young people aged 18-25 years who want to meet up with others in a friendly, supportive environment away from the scene.

6.30-9pm. £2.

Richard 020 8509 3898 info@elop.org or visit elop.org General Echo: Steve Barker - On The Wire The Victoria, 186 Hoe Street E17 4QH Walthamstow Rock ‘n’ Roll Book Club and General Echo welcomes Steve Barker - of BBC Radio’s On The Wire, the longest running underground music show on UK radio - for a talk and guest DJ set. 8pm-midnight. £10.

Search eventbrite.co.uk for tickets Events marked

HISTORY

A Normal Night Out with Henry Normal Mirth, Marvel and Maud, 186 Hoe St E17 4QH Poetry, jokes, story-telling, philosophy and heart-string-tugging with Henry Normal (Mrs Merton, Gavin & Stacey, The Mighty Boosh). All proceeds in aid of The Limes Community & Children’s Centre, E17. Over 18s only. 7.309.30pm £10.70. ticketlab.co.uk/event/id/1801 mirthmarvelandmaud.com Pastamind The Uffizzi Restaurant, 755 Lea Bridge Road E17 9DZ In aid of the Samaritans of Waltham Forest. A two course Italian meal and entrance to our quiz hosted by renowned local quiz master Rowan. Plus cake and a raffle. 8-11pm. £12.

To book a table 020 8509 2259 or uffizzi.co.uk/reservations

Friday 9 November Private View for The Odd Couple: Camera and Clay Pictorem Gallery, 383 Hoe Street E17 9AP Private view for this joint exhibition featuring Rachel Milotte’s beautifully sculpted porcelain figures and husband Mike’s vibrant photos full of magical light. 6.30-8.30pm. FREE. St John’s Music Hall presents Télamuré & Andy Cutting St John’s Music Hall, St John’s Church, High Road, Leytonstone E11 1HH Folk double bill featuring Télamuré, whose music showcases Southern Italian culture through traditional music and dance, plus fêted singer and melodeon player Andy Cutting.

Part of the London Roots Festival. 6.3010.30pm. From £10. musichalls.org Stow Film Lounge presents JAILHOUSE ROCK (1957, Cert PG) plus 50/60s Karaoke & DJ Slick Nick Walthamstow Trades Hall, 6163 Tower Hamlets Road E17 4RQ Our unique blend of film, vintage karaoke and dancing, all in one event.

Popcorn, ice-cream and the famous Trades bar too. Elvis Presley stars in Jailhouse Rock as a convict who embarks on a music career on his release. Doors 7pm, film 8pm, karaoke & DJ 10pm. Close 12am. Tickets £10/£8 club members. Buying online incurs booking fee stowfilmlounge.com Krix Panx / Genius John The Coppermill Pub, 205 Coppermill Lane E17 7HF Two brilliant loopers with very different styles. Krix brings his Mexican heritage to bear on a collection of powerful songs while Genius creates epic layers of voice and guitar. Clever, inspired and fantastically entertaining stuff. 8.30-11pm. FREE. coppermillpub.wordpress.com

MUSIC

SHOPPING

Gingo! Mother’s Ruin, Ravenswood Industrial Estate, Shernhall St E17 9HQ Don’t miss the return of the Gingonauts, bringing their heady combination of gin and bingo to The Palace. Expect hilarity, obscenity and cr*p prizes. FREE. mothersruin.net

Saturday 10 November E17 Designers’ Winter Market Waltham Forest Community Hub, 18a Orford Road E17 9LN Wide range of gifts from over 25 makers plus Playtime Guitars, tarot reading from Goddess Vulpecula, mulled cider from Real Al, food from Suzie Cakes, E17 Village Market, Greek Café and Wood Street Coffee. 10.30am-3.30pm. FREE. e17designers.co.uk Flamingo Fairs Sparkle Fair Wanstead Library, Spratt Hall Road E11 2RQ You’ll love the range of goods for sale, from pretty to precious. Vintage-style or shabby chic including jewellery, shiny and glittery items ideal for special presents. Something for everyone at this child friendly fair. 11am-4pm. FREE. events2visit@gmail.com Remembering 2,500 Lives St Mary’s Church Walthamstow, Church End E17 9RL Details as Sat 3. 11am-4pm. FREE. Pop Up Vintage Fair Walthamstow Assembly Hall, Forest Road E17 4JD Over 50 vintage stalls selling original vintage fashion, menswear, jewellery, accessories, homewares, small furniture, posters, collectables and more. Plus live music, tea room and licensed bar. 12-5pm. £2, NUS £1. popupvintagefairs.co.uk Food & Board Games The Mill, 7-11 Coppermill LN E17 7HA Join us for our games afternoon with some old favourites including Cluedo and Scrabble plus games for younger children. Then a buffet of international snacks and a special secret recipe punch. All proceeds to The Mill. 2-5pm. £5, includes raffle ticket. themille17.org Stow Film Lounge presents PADDINGTON 2 (2017, Cert PG) CentrE17, 1 Church Hill E17 3AB) Starring Hugh Grant Paddington 2 is described by Mark Kermode as “a thing of joy”. Meat and veggie hotdogs, popcorn, ice-cream and drinks available. Doors 10.30am for crafts, film 11am. Online tickets: kids £6.70 inc crafts, party package £14.25 each, £5.10 acc adults (under 2s FREE). On the door kids £5.50, acc adults £4. stowfilmlounge.com

COMEDY/THEATRE

Lest We Forget: Cycling the Iron Curtain The Epicentre, 41 West Street, Leytonstone E11 4LJ News From Nowhere Talk: Two Walthamstow residents tell us of their unique and remarkable journeys in Europe, with many slides. 7.3010.30pm. FREE, with buffet (please bring a veggie contribution). newsfromnowhereweb.wordpress.com

Sunday 11 November Waltham Forest Vegans Market High Street (St James Street Station end) E17 7PP A not-for profit, community and family friendly monthly market for all to discover vegan food, products and entertainment. 10.30am-3.30pm.

FREE. facebook.com/WFVMarket Last Frame Film Club presents Sound for Self Shooters Workshop The CentrE17, 1 Church Hill E17 3AB In depth practical workshop for those looking to record better sound for their short films, docs and online videos. 11am-3pm. £8.

To book search eventbrite.co.uk DRAG Out The Weekend with Victoria Sponge The Northcote, 110 Grove Green Road E11 4EL Drag comedy cabaret show with the most fabulous drag queens in the biz.

Victoria Sponge will sing and play with special guests straight from Dad’s Army recruitment centre ukulele sensation Ray & Johnny. 7-10.30pm. FREE. thenorthcotee11.com Armistice Centenary Special: Bob Fox at Walthamstow Folk Ye Olde Rose & Crown, 53 Hoe Street E17 4SA Tonight is the 100th anniversary of the armistice that brought to an end the slaughter of the First World War. To mark the occasion we present Bob Fox for an Evening with the Warhorse Songman. 7.30-10.30pm. £10. walthamstowfolk.co.uk Stow Film Lounge presents DUNKIRK (2017, Cert 12A) Mirth, Marvel & Maud, 186 Hoe St E17 4QH A Remembrance Day showing of Christopher Nolan’s extraordinary and nerve-wracking film experience of the real life rescue of over 300,000 Allied troops trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk during WWII. Cast includes Mark Rylance and Tom Hardy. Doors 2.15pm, film 2.30pm, close 4.45pm.

Tickets: On the door £7/£5 conc. Buying online incurs booking fee. stowfilmlounge.com

kid friendly

Got an event? Tell us about it! Simply submit online at theelist.co.uk 41

ART

BOOKS

Tuesday 13 November Storytelling Orford House Social Club, 73 Orford Road E17 9QR Come and listen to stories, folk tales, myths, legends, personal and anecdotal stories, sung as ballads. New tellers always welcome at this monthly club.

7.30-9.30pm. £5, £4 conc. mike21forbes@gmail.com

Weds 14 November Games Club Priory Court Community Centre, 11 Priory Court E17 5NB Rediscover the fun of playing board games and cards at our monthly games club. Bring a game to share or play one of ours! Free refreshments avilable.

10am-12pm. FREE. wmbiglocal.org

Thursday 15 November Garth Cartwright on UK Record Shops Waterstones, The Mall Walthamstow, Selborne Walk E17 7JR Walthamstow Rock ‘n’ Roll Book Club talks to the journalist and author of Going For A Song: A Chronicle of the UK Record Shop. 7-9pm. £6. waterstones.com Nuns and Roses St Mary’s Church, Church End/Church Hill E17 9RLP Joglaresa, the celebrated Medieval group, bring lively renditions of medieval songs of sin and subversion with voices, fiddle, bagpipes and percussion. 7.30-9.30pm. £13.50, £7 conc - on the door, no pre-booking. petermccarthy-violone.co.uk Quiz Night Walthamstow School for Girls, Church Hill E17 9RZ The Alumnae Association are hosting a Quiz Night with prizes for the winning table and a raffle. Tables of 6-8 people.

Please bring your own food and drink.

Adults only please. Prompt 7pm start. £5 per person in adv, or £7 on the door. l.winter@wsfg.waltham.sch.uk

Friday 16 November Candlelit Tales in St Mary’s St Mary’s Church Walthamstow, Church End (top of Church Hill) E17 9RL Experience St Mary’s by candle light. Discover stories of people from Walthamstow’s past with a guided tour lasting approx 45 mins and finish your visit with coffee and cake. Unsuitable for the Under 8’s. Tours every 15 mins between 7.15-8.30pm. £4. stmaryswalthamstow.org For tickets search eventbrite.co.uk Howlin’ Mojo Bones The Coppermill Pub, 205 Coppermill Lane E17 7HF Local blues legend George Witter and his band. 8.30-11pm. FREE.

Events marked

kid friendly

CRAFTS

Starlighters Presents One Night Only Waltham Forest Community Hub, 18a Orford Road E17 9LN Starlighters Theatre company host for one night only a musical fundraiser to showcase local talent. All proceeds go to the Walthamstow Toy Library and Waltham Forest Community Hub. 7.30-10pm. £10, or £8, £6 conc in adv. wfchub.org Dial M for Music Sir Alfred Hitchcock Hotel, 147 Whipps Cross Road E11 1NP The monthly music club featuring talented musical guests - this month Mick Terry who will be launching his new album on vinyl. 7.45-11pm. FREE, with collection for the bands. thehitchcockhotel.com

Saturday 17 November Inspiration Sales St Andrew’s Church, 153 Colworth Road, Leytonstone E11 1JD Monthly sale of Fair Trade food and crafts as well as bric a brac and a Fair Trade cafe. 10am-2pm. FREE. Table hire £6.

Val Vivier 020 8558 3976 standrewsleytonstone.org Past & Present Vintage, Antique & Craft Fair Christchurch Hall, Wanstead Place E11 2SW Fabulous items to buy and enjoy some homemade cake with a cup of tea or coffee. 10am-4.30pm. £1. pastandpresentchristchurch.weebly.com St Mary’s Music Hall presents Deva Mahal: London Jazz Festival St Mary’s Music Hall, Church Hill/Church End E17 9RL Deva Mahal is a rare combination of masterful songwriting and breathtaking vocal talent, producing bluesinfluenced soul music with gospeltinged vocals and R&B sensibility. His debut album was released to critical acclaim. 6.30-10.30pm. From £15. musichalls.org Concert: Britten War Requiem Walthamstow Assembly Hall, Forest Road E17 4JD See feature pps13-14. London Forest Choir, South West Essex Choir and children from Chingford Parish Church and Waltham Forest schools will sing Benjamin Britten’s profoundly moving masterpiece, accompanied by Forest Philharmonic Orchestra and professional soloists. 7.30-9.30pm. Tickets £14-£18 in adv (more on the door), £8-£10 conc, kids £3.

Search ticketsource.co.uk to book Bring the Noize The Warrant Officer, 318 Higham Hill Rd E17 5RG Mixtape DJs the Power Couple play the alternative rock, indie and hip-hop that defined the 90s. Dig out your DMs and grab a pint of Snakebite.

8pm-midnight. FREE. londonrockcity@hotmail.com

DANCE/FITNESS

Sunday 18 November Hoe St Market Walthamstow Trades Hall, 61-63 Tower Hamlets Road E17 4RQ Shop for Christmas and support local artists, makers and bakers. We have art, gifts, jewellery, ceramics, clothes, baby accessories, Christmas cards and decorations, cakes and more plus streetfood and a cheap bar. 12-5pm.

FREE entry.

Club Mellow: Rainbow Families LGBT Group Changing venue.

A monthly opportunity for LGBT parents and carers with children of all ages to meet, socialise and build support networks, offering children opportunity to meet other LGBT families and develop a positive sense of self identity. Please contact for details of this month’s venue. 3-5pm. £2.

ELOP 020 8509 3898 info@elop.org or visit elop.org DRAG Out The Weekend with Carmen Dioxide The Northcote, 110 Grove Green Road E11 4EL Drag comedy cabaret show with the most fabulous drag queens in the biz.

Laughs, songs, jokes and inappropriate comments. 7-10.30pm. FREE. thenorthcotee11.com Cockney-Yiddish Music Hall at Walthamstow Folk Ye Olde Rose & Crown, 53 Hoe Street E17 4SA This talk, illustrated with vibrant, edgy and moving music-hall songs - on politics, sex and religion - telling the story of London’s Yiddish music halls at the turn of the 20th Century. 7.3010.30pm. £8, £6 unwaged. walthamstowfolk.co.uk

Monday 19 November Club Mellow: Womens LGBT Group ELOP Centre, 56-60 Grove Rd E17 9BN A space for lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans* women who have sex with women who want to meet up with others in a friendly, supportive environment away from the scene.

7-9.30pm. £2.

Richard 020 8509 3898 info@elop.org or visit elop.org E4 Women in Business Networking Meeting Heaven’s, 249 Chingford Mount Road E4 8LP Monthly networking event with guest speakers aimed at local women business owners. 9.30-11.30am. £10, includes a drink. First time FREE. Colette Machado 07555 109169 or search eventbrite.co.uk for tickets

Weds 21 November La Leche League Waltham Forest: Coffee Morning Lloyd Park Children’s Centre, Lloyd Park (Winns Avenue entrance) E17 5JW Details as 7 Nov.

FAMILY

FILM

Sing and Tonic Mirth, Marvel and Maud, 186 Hoe St E17 4QH The Sing17 choir return to Maud with Ukele17 and old-time country band favourite The Croshaw Family plus special guest Tom McQ. Mixing and mashing up songs and styles, putting the fun into fundraising for a local singing outreach project. 7.30-10pm Entry by £5 donation please. sing17.com The Home Front in Leyton and Leytonstone 1939-45 Room HE4, Leyton Sixth Form College, Essex Road E10 6EQ David Boote, Chair of the Leyton and Leytonstone Historical Society, will give a talk based on the book by Gary Heales. Doors 7.15pm, 7.45-9.45pm. £2, L&LHS members FREE. leytonhistorysociety.org.uk

Thursday 22 November St Mary’s Music Hall presents Daoiri Farrell St Mary’s Music Hall, Church Hill/Church End E17 9RL Unmissable night of Irish music in these atmospheric surroundings from awardwinning singer and bouzouki player Daoiri Farrell. 6.30-10.30pm. £12-£15. musichalls.org Hornbeam Herbals: Charm’s Balms The Hornbeam Cafe, 458 Hoe Street E17 9AH Therapeutic salve-making session where you will learn the recipe and practice of making skin balms for a range of purposes with herbalist Charm. Take home a jar. 7.30-10pm. £10. ticketlab.co.uk/event/id/2125

Friday 23 November E17 Designers Night Market William Morris Gallery, Lloyd Park, Forest Road E17 4PP Annual William Morris Gallery Christmas shopping late: find us upstairs with an amazing selection of handmade gifts.

Mulled wine, tree lighting and afterhours gallery opening. 6.30-10pm. £1 entry donation to the Gallery. e17designers.co.uk Walthamstow Smartphone Film Festival The CentrE17, 1 Church Hill E17 3AB A selection of the best shorts under 5 mins shot on smartphones. An evening of discussion panels with judges and programmers, Q&As and networking. 7-11pm. From £3. lastframeclub.com Bass Bin Sinbin at The Plough & Harrow, 419 High Road, Leytonstone E11 4JU A brand new club night of DJs spinning the best Reggae, Ska, Rocksteady, Dancehall, Dub, Digi and Jungle sounds. 8pm-midnight. FREE. facebook.com/SinbinE11

42 The E List makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information it publishes, but cannot be held responsible for any consequences arising from errors or omissions. Please confirm with the venue before setting out.

FOOD & DRINK

OUTDOORS

HISTORY

Stones Throw Market St John’s Church, Leytonstone, High Road/ Church Lane E11 1HH The first of two Christmas markets with fabulous local designer/makers selling jewellery, ceramics and prints. Also a fantastic mix of retro and vintage pieces, and tea and cake provided by the church. 11am-4pm. FREE entry.

Mind Body Spirit Fair Wanstead Golf Club, Overton Drive E11 2LW Pampering treatments, healings, 1-2-1 psychic readings and free workshops.

Lots of stalls selling a variety of products from crystals, healing jewellery and a vegan bakery. Fundraising for In Sue’s Name, a brain cancer charity. 12-5pm. £2.50, under 16s FREE. Nadene Stevenson 07743 527297 or search eventbrite.co.uk

E17 Art Trail 2019: Artist Toolbox Gnome House, 7 Blackhorse Lane E17 6DS Meet fellow Art Trail artists, hear some creative case studies and useful tips and pitfalls to avoid. We’ll also talk you through the nuts and bolts of getting involved. Please book to reserve a space.

11am-3pm. FREE. artillery.eventbrite.co.uk

From Monoux and Morris to Beer and Bacon Jam Meet at William Morris Gallery, Forest Road E17 4PP Guided walk exploring E17’s fascinating history. Stories include the Dickens’ plagiarist, the hidden Greek theatre and what Pepys thought of Walthamstow wine. 2-4pm. £12, £9 conc, with £1 from each ticket to Prostate Cancer UK bit.ly/E17MoncrieffWalk

Candlelit Tales in St Mary’s St Mary’s Church Walthamstow, Church End (top of Church Hill) E17 9RL Details as 16 Nov

DRAG Out The Weekend The Northcote, 110 Grove Green Road E11 4EL Maria Hurtz is a cabaret act full of surprise, scenes of butterflies and horror poppycock for a camp evening of thrilling vocals and a side splitting game of Blind Date. 7-10.30pm. FREE. thenorthcotee11.com

Saturday 24 November

Family Day: Monet’s Masterpiece William Morris Gallery, Forest Road E17 4PP Create a mini garden inspired by Monet’s painting in The Enchanted Garden exhibition. 1-4pm. FREE. For families of all ages, just drop-in. wmgallery.org.uk Instruments of the State: Film Night with Tse Tse Fly Middle East The CentrE17, 1 Church Hill E17 3AB The arts and activism platform Tse Tse Fly Middle East curate a night of film - screening the anti-Iraq War documentary ‘We Are Many’ plus a set of short films. 6.30-9.30pm. £5. ticketlab.co.uk/centre17 AgeUK WF: Fundraising Quiz Night St Teresa’s Hall, Station Road, Chingford E4 7EN Quiz Night raising funds for our work in the borough. Bring a table or join another. All ages welcome. 7-10pm. £10 inc fish’n’chip supper, £8 without. info@ageukwalthamforest.org.uk Cinderella Harmony Hall, 10 Truro Road E17 7BY A well known panto with a twist and some dancing and music. 7.30-9pm. £7 in adv, £10 on the door. reachouttheatre.blogspot.com

Sunday 25 November The Limes Sunday Market The Limes Community and Children’s Centre, 6 Somers Road E17 6RX Monthly market selling handmade gifts, food and drink made by our young people. Regular and guest stalls. New stalls welcome. 12-3pm. FREE entry. facebook.com/thelimese17

Events marked

Trio Dhoore at Walthamstow Folk Ye Olde Rose & Crown, 53 Hoe Street E17 4SA Steamy folk music guaranteed by three brothers Ward, Hartwin and Koen who’ve been playing together for more than 20 years. 7.30-10.30pm. £10, unwaged £8. walthamstowfolk.co.uk

Monday 26 November Club Mellow: 18-25s LGBT Group ELOP Centre, 56-60 Grove Rd E17 9BN A space for lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans* young people aged 18-25 who want to meet up with others in a friendly, supportive environment away from the scene. 6.30-9pm. £2.

Richard 020 8509 3898 info@elop.org or visit elop.org

Thursday 29 November Kevin Cummins: Morrissey Alone And Palely Loitering 1 Hoe Street E17 4PH Renowned photographer Kevin talks about Morrissey at this Walthamstow Rock ‘n’ Roll Book Club Event with DJ sets from Disco 2000. 7-11pm. £7.

Highams Park Live The County Arms, 420 Hale End Road, Highams Park E4 9PB An acoustic evening of live music with an eclectic programme of local songwriters, poets and storytellers.

Want to perform? Email in advance.

7.30-11pm. FREE. info@highamsparklive.co.uk

MUSIC

SHOPPING

Stow Film Lounge presents MANDY (2018, Cert 18) Wild Card Brewery, Unit 2 Lockwood Way E17 5RB Red (Nicolas Cage) and Mandy lead a loving and peaceful outsider existence. When their haven is savagely destroyed by a sadistic cult Red is catapulted into a journey filled with bloody vengeance. Doors 7.15pm, film 8pm, close 10.15pm.

Tickets £8.50/£6.50 conc on the door, buying online incurs booking fee. Prebooked ticket & pizza offer £15.25. stowfilmlounge.com

Friday 30 November St John’s Music Hall presents Jyotsna Srikanth St John’s Music Hall, St John’s Church, High Road, Leytonstone E11 1HH Musical virtuoso Jyotsna Srikanth is Europe’s foremost Indian violinist. Her music illuminates Carnatic musical tradition in kaleidoscope colour, with a sound that’s deeply rooted in south Indian classical music alongside western classical music. 6.30-10.30pm. £7-£12. musichalls.org Opening Night: Hooksmith Press’ Correct at Time of Printing Le Petit Corner, 734 Leytonstone High Road E11 3AW Marking the opening of the letterpress print exhibition by Leytonstone artist Russell Frost of Hooksmith Press who uses vintage printing methods and equipment to wonderful effect.

7-10pm. FREE. info@lepetitcorner.co.uk Sham’s Kitchen Mother’s Ruin Gin Palace, Ravenswood Industrial Estate, Shernhall Street E17 9HQ Sham returns to the Palace with her delicious home cooked Pakistani street food. Veggie and takeaway available.

6-9pm. Repeated Sat 1 Dec. shamskitchen.co.uk

Saturday 1 December Leyton&Stone Designers Christmas Market Leytonstone Library , 6 Church Lane E11 1HG 22 stalls of glorious gifts, cards and seasonal treats from local designer/ makers. Free mulled wine/juice, musical entertainment and selfies with Santa!

11am-4pm. FREE entry. leytonandstonedesigners.co.uk Family Storytime Harrow Green Community Library, The Epicentre, 41 West Street, Leytonstone E11 4LJ This month Mike Forbes will tell stories and poems for Christmas plus wellknown traditional songs for everyone to join in. Healthy refreshments in the interval. 2-3.30pm. FREE. milenedziuk@outlook.com

COMEDY/THEATRE

Talk: Islamic Gardens in the UK: Quiet Places of Meditation?

William Morris Gallery, Lloyd Park, Forest Road E17 4PP Dr Mark Bryant discusses his research into Islamic community gardens, focusing on two case studies: the Wapping Women’s Centre and the Ilford Peace Gardens. 2.30-3.30pm.

FREE, no need to book. wmgallery.org.uk Waltham Forest Bilingual Group The Limes Community and Children’s Centre, 6 Somers Road E17 6RX Workshop with tips for parents raising their children with several languages (no creche available, sorry). Alternatively, just join us for a Christmassy play session and share experiences with other parents over coffee while the children play. 3.305.30pm. FREE. wfbilingual.org.uk Sham’s Kitchen Mother’s Ruin Gin Palace, Ravenswood Industrial Estate, Shernhall Street E17 9HQ Details as Fri 30 Nov The SingSong Club The Coppermill Pub, 205 Coppermill Lane E17 7HF Bring voices, ukuleles and percussion for the most awesome communal sing-song session of the greatest Christmas songs ever written! With words and chords on a big screen.

8.30-11pm. FREE.

Sunday 2 December Magic Box is 5! Walthamstow Trades Hall, 61-63 Tower Hamlets Road E17 4RQ Celebrate 5 years of magic and wonder, stories, songs and adventures with Lottie and the Magic Box. Music, crafty corner and party vibes from BeBop Baby (also 5 this year!). Dress as your favourite character from the Box! Double Bass Dan and his band will be performing live. 2-4pm. FREE. magicboxstories.com Festive Vintage Fair All Saints Church, Church Avenue E4 9QD Handpicked vintage, unique gifts, fantastic cakes and some cool yule tunes. Raising food and funds for Eat or Heat Foodbank. 11am-3pm. FREE entry. hpvintage@hotmail.com E17 Designers Christmas Market Waltham Forest Community Hub, 18a Orford Road E17 9LN Shop local with over 30 designer makers: plus music from Norrsang Choir, tarot reading with Cassandra Ohm, mulled wine from In Vino Veritas, tea and cake and Christmas puddings with Suzie Cakes. 2.30-5.30pm. FREE entry. e17designers.co.uk

kid friendly

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ART

BOOKS

Sunday 2 Dec (cont’d) Winter Tree Dressing Lloyd Park, stables building next to Tennis, Courts, Forest Road E17 4PP We’ll make natural decorations to dress a tree. 10am-1pm. FREE but donations welcome.

DRAG Out The Weekend with Topsie Redfern The Northcote, 110 Grove Green Road E11 4EL Topsie, one of the best in the biz, brings her mix of fun and games. Beautiful theatre classics and a good dose of pop. Dancing optional but likely.

7-10.30pm. FREE. thenorthcotee11.com Bruce Molsky at Walthamstow Folk Ye Olde Rose & Crown, 53 Hoe Street E17 4SA Molsky transports audiences with his authentic feel for, and the unearthing of, almost-forgotten rarities from the Southern Appalachian songbook.

7.30-10.30pm. £10, unwaged £8. walthamstowfolk.co.uk

Tuesday 4 December Free Legal Advice Waltham Forest Community Hub, 18a Orford Road E17 9LN Knowledgeable volunteers from the Young Lawyers Association will be offering free legal advice on family law, criminal law and immigration.

6.30-8.30pm. FREE. For info call Chidiadi 07427 663286 admin@younglawyersassociation.com ESP Extravaganza The Mill, 7-11 Coppermill Lane E17 7HA A practical workshop on Extra Sensory Perception. See Nov 6 for details.

Wednesday 5 December Under 5s Lloyd Park Nature Explorers: Christmas and Winter Meet in the Community Room behind Le Délice cafe, Lloyd Park, Forest Road E17 4PP Beginning inside with a simple craft on our monthly theme followed by a ramble in the park before going back inside for stories and a healthy snack.

10am-12pm. FREE but donations welcome.

Will Ashon in Conversation: Chamber Music - About The WuTang 1 Hoe Street E17 4SD Walthamstow Rock ‘n’ Roll Book Club talks to writer and former music journalist Will Ashon about his dazzling new book about how Wu Tang Clan’s extraordinary debut album came to be. Audience Q&A and DJ sets from A La Fu. 7-11pm. £5.

Search eventbrite.co.uk for tickets

Events marked

kid friendly

CRAFTS

Private View for Damn the Darkening Days Pictorem Gallery, 383 Hoe Street E17 9AP Private view for this show where four artists respond to winter through painting, drawing and sculpture. 6.308.30pm. FREE. Opening Night: Grow Your Idea: Exhibition The Mill, 7-11 Coppermill Lane E17 7HA An evening of celebration with talks, micro workshops and demonstrations by our winners. All welcome. Light refreshments available. 6.30-8.30pm.

FREE, but please RSVP by email. charlotte@themille17.org.uk

Saturday 8 December Walthamstow Toy Library’s Christmas Grotto Toy Library, 46 Ravenswood Road (behind Comely Bank Surgery) E17 9LY Visit Santa in his magical Winter Wonderland. Gift, photo and activities included and refreshments available.

10am-5pm. £6.

E17 Designers Christmas Market II Waltham Forest Community Hub, 18a Orford Road E17 9LN Just like Sunday 2 Dec except there’s Choir17, Tony Tunes and the E17 Village Market. 10.30-3.30pm. FREE. e17designers.co.uk Flamingo Fairs Wanstead Library, Spratt Hall Road E11 2RQ You’ll love the range of goods for sale, from pretty to precious. Vintage-style or shabby chic including jewellery, shiny and glittery items ideal for special presents. Something for everyone. 11am4pm. FREE. Vintage Fashion & Brocante Fair Wanstead United Reformed Church, Nightingale Lane E11 2HD Everything you need for your home & wardrobe. Two halls filled with genuine vintage. Plenty of Christmas presents and party outfits. Plus delicious cafe “A simply fabulous London vintage fair”.

11am-5pm. £2.50 entry, £1.50 conc and NUS, under 14s FREE. lovevintage.co.uk Festive Flower Arranging for Adults Lloyd Park Community Room, Lloyd Park, Forest Road E17 4PP Create festive floral arrangements for your Christmas table with flowers and foliage from Lloyd Park. We will supply all equipment but bring a container or decorations for that personal touch.

11am-1pm. FREE, donations welcome.

Rob Ryan: Artist’s Talk William Morris Gallery, Lloyd Park, Forest Road E17 4PP Join Rob Ryan for a personal introduction to his solo exhibition at the gallery and a discussion of his career to date. 2.30-3.30pm. FREE, no need to book.

DANCE/FITNESS East London Brass presents The Snowman Walthamstow Assembly Hall, Forest Road E17 4JD Bring the family to enjoy this Christmas classic animated film with the soundtrack played live by East London Brass band. Two showings 3-4pm and 5.30-6.30pm. Adults £12, kids 4-16yrs £6, Under 4s FREE. To book visit elb.yapsody.com Tell Spring Not To Come This Year The CentrE17, 1 Church Hill E17 3AB Follow a unit of the Afghan National Army in this special screening of an award winning documentary with English subtitles. Followed by an engaging masterclass with the director Saeed Taji Farouky. BYOB, free snacks and popcorn on offer. 6-9pm. £7, £4 conc & WF residents. lastframeclub.com How Far Away Are We From a World Free of Nuclear Weapons?

The Epicentre, 41 West Street, Leytonstone E11 4LJ News From Nowhere Talk: The Secretary of Tower Hamlets CND considers this question in expert detail, combined with a festive quiz. Includes a buffet, please bring veggie item if you can.

7.30-10.30pm. FREE. newsfromnowhereweb.wordpress.com Spectacular Family Concert St John’s Church, High Road, Leytonstone E11 1HH Favourite music for all the family including Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, Hallelujah Chorus, Beethoven’s 5th, Nessun Dorma and loads more culminating in a audience singalong of Carols. 7.30-9.20pm. £15.

Family pack £40.

Rangoon The Coppermill Pub, 205 Coppermill Lane E17 7HF Original high energy folk Americana with close harmonies, fiddle, guitars and drums. An absolute treat! 8.3011pm. FREE.

Sunday 9 December Lloyd Park Open Studios Lloyd Park Artists Studios beside Winns Gallery, Lloyd Park E17 5JW Christmas Open Studio selling ceramics, paintings and sculpture. 12-5pm. FREE. Walthamstow Toy Library’s Christmas Grotto Toy Library, 46 Ravenswood Road (behind Comely Bank Surgery) E17 9LY As Saturday 7 Dec. Hoe St Market Walthamstow Trades Hall, 61-63 Tower Hamlets Road E17 4RQ Shop for Christmas and support local artists, makers and bakers. Details as Sunday18 Nov.

FAMILY

FILM

Christmas Craft Fair Orford House Social Club, 73 Orford Road E17 9QR Fundraising for the Samaritans of Waltham Forest with stalls of cunning Christmas crafts. Refreshments served.

Come along, buy your Christmas gifts and help support our Charity. 2-5pm. £1.

Forest Philharmonic plays Beethoven Walthamstow Assembly Hall, Forest Road E17 4JD The Forest Phil perform some of the best-loved classics including Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and Wagner’s Tannhäuser Overture. Free pre-concert talk at 5.30pm. 6.30-9pm. £12, conc £10, under 25s £5. forestdec18.eventbrite.co.uk Sound Tradition at Walthamstow Folk Ye Olde Rose & Crown, 53 Hoe Street E17 4SA Sound Tradition return with their glorious harmony singing. 7.3010.30pm. £8, unwaged £6. walthamstowfolk.co.uk

Tuesday 11 December Walthamstow Village Carols Village Square, Corner of Orford and Eden Roads E17 9NJ Join us round the Village Christmas tree for mulled wine, mince pies and carols with East London Brass Band. 7.158.30pm. FREE but donations welcome for the band. walthamstowvillage.net Much Ado About Crimbo! Mirth, Marvel & Maud, 186 Hoe St E17 4QH This Christmas, polyester and crimplene are set to collide, so watch the sparks fly as the crimplene king Derek Daniels (Boogaloo Stu) and Lorraine Bowen present their tinsel-trimmed, seasonally silly and slightly Shakespearean game of musical bingo. 7.30-8.30pm. £10, £8 conc. mirthmarvelandmaud.com Family History Talk: Insanity in the Family Spruce Hill Baptist Church Hall, Brookscroft Rd E17 4JP Well-known author Kathy Chater will tell us about the history of ‘Insanity in the family’ and how to search for relevant records. Wheelchair accessible.

8-9.30pm. FREE. wffhs.org.uk

Thursday 13 December Baby Gospel Family Christmas Concert The CentrE17, 1 Church Hill E17 3AB An uplifting family concert of soul, gospel, festive songs and Christmas carols, suitable for all ages. With CK Gospel Choir. Doors 10.45am, 11-11.45am. Adults £12, up to 3 kids FREE per adult. Booking advised.

Limited buggy parking, please bring sling where possible. Baby changing available. babybroadway.co.uk

44 The E List makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information it publishes, but cannot be held responsible for any consequences arising from errors or omissions. Please confirm with the venue before setting out.

FOOD & DRINK

OUTDOORS

General Echo: Xmas Dance The Victoria, 186 Hoe Street E17 4QH Monthly reggae disco celebrates the festive season with a guest DJ set from Ray of Wood Street Indoor Market fame. 8pm-midnight. £5.

Friday 14 December You Should Be Dancing! at the Office Xmas Party Walthamstow Trades Hall, 61-63 Tower Hamlets Road E17 4RQ It’s the YSBD! Office Xmas Party for people who cut their dancing teeth in the 70s and 80s. Expect classic sounds from the era plus Christmas cheese and cheesy bingo. No storeroom shenanigans please! 8pm-midnight. £5.50 in advance, £7 on the door. doloresrocket.com/ysbd.html

Saturday 15 December Past & Present Vintage, Antique & Craft Fair Christchurch Hall, Wanstead Place E11 2SW Find a unique gift at this fair of collectibles, antiques, vintage jewellery, perfumes and handbags, household items, toys and curios.

Plus greeting cards and homemade refreshments. 10am-4.30pm. £1. pastandpresentchristchurch.weebly.com E17 Designers Christmas Market III Mirth, Marvel and Maud, 186 Hoe St E17 4QH In a top venue: enjoy a special shopping experience at Mirth with 25 designer makers, tarot reading with Goddess Vulpecula, a fabulous Christmas sing-along with Natural Voices, cake and christmas puddings from Suzie Cakes. 12-4pm. FREE. e17designers.co.uk Chequers Arts Fair The Chequers, 145 High Street/Storey Rd E17 7BX The pub will be transformed into an arts space today where you’ll be able to buy presents for your loved ones made by local artists, designers and illustrators.

1-7pm. FREE. kstreisand@live.com Christmas is Coming The Mill, 7-11 Coppermill Lane E17 7HA Enjoy Christmas craft activities for children (and adults) plus jolly jingles on the turntable and a gift stall of handmade items by The Mill’s Sociable Sewing Group. Cakes by The Mill Bakers on sale. 2-5pm. FREE entry, but small cost for activities and refreshments.

It’s Christmas... Oh no it’s not!

Waltham Forest Community Hub, 18a Orford Road E17 9LN A Christmas variety show with songs; sketches and a mini-panto. 7.30-10pm. £8, £6 conc in adv or £10 on the door. starlighterstheatre.wixsite.com

Events marked

HISTORY

Chicken Shack Record Hop Sinbin at The Plough & Harrow, 419 High Road, Leytonstone E11 4JU Original rock’n’roll, rockabilly and jive with house DJs Witchdoctor and Caveman. 8-11pm. £2. facebook.com/TheChickenShackRnR Electronic 17’s Christmas Disco The Hare & Hounds, 278 Lea Bridge Road E10 7LD Join Kat Richmond, Citizen Helene and special guest Ali Renault (Vivod Records) for this house and disco festive knees up! 8pm-late. FREE. facebook.com/electronic17 Kissinger Effect The Coppermill Pub, 205 Coppermill Lane E17 7HF Angst-ridden pop punk... and highly entertaining it is, too. 8.30-11pm. FREE. coppermillpub.wordpress.com

Sunday 16 December Waltham Forest Vegans Christmas Market High Street (St James Street Station end) E17 7PP Christmas extravaganza with delicious food, drink and vegan goodies!

Expect Santa, charity stalls, raffle, entertainment and kids activities, all with our local community at heart.

10.30am-3.30pm. FREE. facebook.com/WFVMarket/ Carols on the Market with St Luke’s Walthamstow High St & Town Square, High St E17 Meet at the top of Walthamstow Market for a rousing carol-singalong with free hot drinks and refreshments.

All are welcome! 12.15-1.15pm. FREE. Paper Craft Lanterns William Morris Gallery, Lloyd Park, Forest Road E17 4PP Inspired by Polish Wycinanki paper craft, decorate your own lantern to take home. 1-4pm. FREE drop in event for families of all ages.

MUSIC

SHOPPING

Monday 17 December Sing17 Seasonal The Village Pub, 31 Orford Road E17 9NL Join Sing17 Community choir for an end of term sing up. Old and new songs and a sprinkle of seasonal cheer. In aid of their local singing outreach project, so expect a bucket to be shaken! 8-9pm. FREE. sing17.com Christmas Carol Concert St Mary’s Church Walthamstow, Church End E17 9RL Come and enjoy Waltham Forest Community Choir’s concert of Christmas carols and readings. Doors 7.45pm, 8-9.30pm. FREE. stmaryswalthamstow.org

Thursday 20 December London Forest Choir Orchestral Christmas Concert St Mary’s Church Walthamstow, Church End E17 9RL St Mary’s ever popular Christmas concert, this year with Charpentier’s Messe de Minuit, Christmas music and lots of carols for you to sing.

London Forest Choir with orchestra.

7.30-9.45pm. £14, £7 conc, £2 kids. londonforestchoir.org

Saturday 22 December Baby Broadway Family Christmas Concert The CentrE17, 1 Church Hill E17 3AB An interactive family performance suitable for all ages. Enjoy well-known numbers from Christmas musicals and films, plus bubbles, bells, flying babies and puppetry performed by West End singers. Doors 10.45am, 11-11.45am.

Adults £10, up to 3 kids FREE per adult. Booking advised. Limited buggy parking, please bring sling where possible. Baby changing available. babybroadway.co.uk

Sunday 23 December

Orchestral Carols at St Mary’s St Mary’s Church Walthamstow, Church End E17 9RL Sing well-known carols with a full orchestra in Walthamstow’s ancient church. A great way to prepare for Christmas. 6-7.15pm. FREE. stmaryswalthamstow.org

Carols by Candlelight St Mary’s Church Walthamstow, Church End E17 9RL Sing your favourite carols in the atmospheric candlelit surroundings of Walthamstow’s oldest building.

7-8.15pm. FREE. londonforestchoir.org

Chistmas Singaround at Walthamstow Folk Ye Olde Rose & Crown, 53 Hoe Street E17 4SA Finishing off the gigging season with their now traditional Christmas Singaround. Bring a song, a tune, a poem or a story to share. We’ll provide some mince pies and the same old jokes we do every year! 7.30-10.30pm.

FREE. walthamstowfolk.co.uk

Monday 24 December

COMEDY/THEATRE

Crib Service St Michael and All Angels, Northcote Road E17 6PQ Bring the kids along to see the Christmas story in the majestic St. Michael’s church. 3-4pm. FREE. achurchnearyou.com/church/6683 Midnight Mass St Michael and All Angels, Northcote Road E17 6PQ Celebrate Christmas with our traditional Midnight Mass, recounting and celebrating the Christmas story.

Enjoy scrumptious mince pies and mulled wine after the service. 11pmmidnight. FREE. achurchnearyou.com/church/6683

Monday 31 December New Year’s Eve Hoppy New Year 2019 Pillars Brewery, Unit 2 Ravenswood Industrial Estate E17 9HQ Party into 2019 in true Pillars’ lagerloving style! Free entry, glorious craft beer, big tunes, terrible dancing and local street food that will blow your mind. FREE. pillarsbrewery.com Mixtape The Chequers, 145 High Street/Storey Road E17 7BX Party like it’s 1989 with the Mixtape DJs on the biggest night of the year.

Let’s go crazy! FREE. chequerse17.com/events

January 2019 Saturday 5 & Sunday 6 January Snow White And The Eight Dwarves Orford House Social Club, 73 Orford Road E17 9QR A fun, community pantomime. Natural Voices Choirs, Orford House and The Starlighter’s Theatre Company collaborate to produce an exciting, family show to bring a smile to your new year. Saturday & Sunday 3-4pm & Saturday only 7-8pm. £10, kids FREE. orfordhouse.org

For the latest up-to-date listings please visit theelist.co.uk

Christingle for Kids St Mary’s Church Walthamstow, Church End E17 9RL Two interactive, family-friendly events; a celebration of Christmas for children and their carers/parents featuring singing and candle-lit storytelling. For the under 5s 2.30-3.30pm and 4.305.30pm for the over 5s. FREE. stmaryswalthamstow.org

kid friendly

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MUSICHALLS.ORG London's exciting new live music spaces

ST JOHN'S MUSIC HALL, LEYTONSTONE 9th Nov - Telamure + Andy Cutting - London Roots Festival 30th Nov - Jyotsna Srikanth 5th April - International Romani Day Celebration 4th May - The Bad Plus 10th May - Natacha Atlas

ST MARY'S MUSIC HALL, WALTHAMSTOW 1st Nov - Breabach + Josh Geffin - London Roots Festival 17th Nov - Deva Mahal - EFG London Jazz Festival 22nd Nov - Daoiri Farrell + I Am People 22nd Feb - Blazin Fiddles 30th May - Bruce Molsky 27th June - Las Migas

BOROUGH OF CULTURE 2019 More shows added throughout the year