Neighbours' Paper Issue 73

Neighbours Paper ’

Issue No 73

Putting the People of Ealing First

Summer 2015

Ealing’s Changing Landscape

Free

Plea Tak se e On e Also in this issue:

Ealing Hospital Update Street Pastors Farmers’ Markets Southall’s Hidden Treasures One Ealing Youth Festival

Acton | Ealing | Greenford | Hanwell | Northolt | Perivale | Southall

Read NP Online at www.neighbourspaper.com

E dito rial

Contents Contents Editorial................................................ 2

By NP Editorial Team

In this edition we look at the many good things on offer in Ealing this summer: Free courses and activities for young people in the holidays, youth music events, adult courses at Walpole Park and all those wonderful summer carnivals, music and comedy festivals, park parties and shows throughout the Borough! We also spotlight Perivale and Southall as well as considering some more worrying aspects of Ealing life. Our hospital is under threat, as are areas that face unwanted densification to provide more housing. Even those green spaces for which Ealing is so admired may need guarding. Residents keep alert!

Summer Events.................................... 2 Ealing Hospital..................................... 3 Town Cramming.................................. 4 Festival for Teenagers......................... 5 Ealing Street Pastors............................ 6 Perivale News...................................... 7 Farmers’ Markets & Supermarkets..... 8

Summer Events in Ealing 2015

Southall - Hidden Treasures................ 9 Tabla Music........................................ 10

Hanwell Carnival and Show: Sat. 20 June. Ethorne Park.

FREE A Fun Day in the Park 12.00 noon to 6.00PM . Carnival Procession from Hanwell Community Centre at 11.00AM to Elthorne Park. Music, Dog show, Sport, Craft, Petting Farm, Zoo and more…

Greenford Carnival: Sat. 4 July Ravenor Park.

12.00noon - 7.00PM £2 or family £5. Children 12 and under free. Entertainment, Activities, Live Music, Dance, Food Stalls, Markets, Funfair and more….

Northfields Summer Funday Sat.11 July Northfield Avenue from 12.00. Quiz Hunt. Art Competition. Live Music.

Great Food. Craft stalls and lots more.

Party in the Park: Sunday 28 June: Pitshanger Park 1.00PM – 9.00PM £2, Free for kids. Bring a picnic or enjoy food from the “gastrodome” tent. Games, sports, arts & crafts, music and dance by local schools on open-air stage. Music continues in Beer Tent through evening.

See www.pitshanger.org.uk Ealing Beer Festival: Wed 8 July - Sat. 11 July Walpole Park 12.00 – 10.30 PM (Sat until 6.00PM) Ealing by Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) £2 for members £4 for non members. Hundreds of Ales shipped in from around the country.

Summer Activities............................. 11 West Middlesex Lawn Tennis Club... 12

Neighbours’ Paper Subscribe for a year: Just £4. Send a cheque to The Publisher, Neighbours’ Paper, 12 Waldemar Avenue W13 9PY Twitter.com/NeighboursPaper Facebook.com/NeighboursPaper Email: neighbourspaper@hotmail.co.uk Editor: Tom Whiting (020 8840 5740)

Ealing Comedy Festival: Friday/Sat 17/18 and Wed 22 to Fri 24 July Walpole Park Top Comedians Gates open 6.30PM Shows 7.30-10.30 £20 per show.

Acton Carnival: Sat 11 July Acton Park: 12.00 – 7.00PM 00PM £2 or family £5. Children 12 and under free.

Carnival Procession Woodlands Park 12.00 to Acton Park. Entertainment, Activities, Live Music, Dance, Food Stalls, Markets, Funfair….

Ealing Jazz Festival: Wed 29 – Sunday 2 August Walpole Park Local and International Performers. Shows from 2.00 – 10.30PM Children 12 and under Free. £4 entry per day Wed/Thursday £5 Fri – Sunday. £8 for Saturday + Sunday.

Also Fringe Events in other venues.

Ealing Blues Festival: Sat/Sunday 25/26 July Walpole Park Biggest dedicated Blues event in Britain.

Local and International Performers.

Shows from 2.00PM – 10.30PM Tickets at gate. £5 per person, £8 both days Children 12 and under Free.

Designer: Jamie Anson Cover Photo: Matthew Whiting (The Apex, Uxbridge Road, Ealing)

The London Mela: Sun 6 September Gunnersbury Park 1.00- 9.00PM FREE Europe’s largest outdoor Asian festival.

Contemporary and Classical Asian Music, Sports, Markets, Funfair, Food from around the world and more

One Ealing Youth festival: 18th July 2015 Christ the Saviour in Ealing Broadway See page 5 for details

Printer: Pollyprint Ltd, 263 Northfield Avenue, Ealing W5 4UA, 0208 579 1441, www.pollyprint.co.uk

For full details see www.ealingsummerfestivals.com.

Advertisement rates: Single Box £25, Double Box £45, Triple Box £70

2

Putting the People of Ealing First

Treasurer: Judy Breens Writers: Judy Breens, Manjinder Chijarh, Foluso Dawodu, Will French, Michael Holmes, Prince Laryea, David Read, Valerie Rudd, Tom Whiting

Webmaster: Sonia Nimley Advert Designer: Sandy Anson

Next copy deadline: 31st July 2015

Read NP Online at www.neighbourspaper.com

Ealing Hospital still threatened

by J udy

B reens

It worries me that so few people know Ealing Hospital is under threat.

Because it is fully functioning now and we were told that Ealing A&E was saved, people think the hospital is safe. It is not. The North West London NHS Shaping a Healthier Future (SAHF) report recommends replacing Charing Cross and Ealing Hospitals with Polyclinic/Cottage Hospitals on reduced sites. Clayponds Hospital and 600+ beds overall would be lost.

No surgical operations would take place. The few beds would be for rehab, care and observation only.

A&E provision requires the support of a fully functioning hospital. Only 24/7 First Aid “Urgent Care” Centres staffed by nurses and (with luck) GPs are planned. This is not a real A & E. During the election campaign, opposition Health Secretary Andy Burnham promised to review SAHF. But with the election past and the same Government in place there’ll be no review. The closure plan continues full steam ahead. Indeed Ealing CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group) who are in charge of our local services and support SAHF, was just waiting for the election to pass to announce the closure of Maternity at Ealing Hospital at their meeting on 20 May.

The Ealing Save our NHS campaign group are down but not defeated.

At a packed meeting recently they vowed to continue the fight for our A&E and any other services up for the chop. Over fifty people including local MPs and the 38Degrees campaign vehicle protested showing Ealing CCG what they thought and grilling them at their 20 May meeting. Eve Turner (Secretary) said “As usual Ealing CCG were unable to provide more than platitudes to the very real problems of transport costs, travelling times or continuity of care. Nevertheless, in the end, the closure decisions were voted through without any dissent.”

The people this policy will hurt most are the deprived communities in Southall for whom a nearby hospital geared to their needs is invaluable.

However there may be hope. Ealing Council commissioned an Inquiry into SAHF with Brent and Hammersmith

Councils chaired by the eminent Barrister, Michael Mansfield QC and Health Campaigner Dr John Lister. Many of us gave evidence and a final report will emerge in the Autumn. Meanwhile a recent interim report states that the finance required for SAHF is massive.

Far from saving money it may well cost more than existing systems.

Ealing’s doughty campaigner Colin Standfield discovered from a Freedom of Information request that in two years £33 million was spent

by Ealing CCG on SAHF business “Consultants” like McKinsey alone.

That’s just for starters. The capital costs for full SAHF implementation are now estimated to be over £1 billion.

Email eric@leachet.demon.co.uk for “Our NHS in Crisis” monthly newsletter. For info on Ealing Save our NHS email eveturner@btinternet. com and view Facebook http://www. facebook.com/ealingsaveournhs

This meeting took place. We now face Ealing Hospital’s Maternity Unit and Emergency Gynaecology closing by 1 July 2015 and Paediatrics following suit in July 2016. This is the start of the run down of Ealing Hospital.

M

m c Ti

on

m ey

eth

od

Dr Carmel Lawson (MChiro)

B

p ack

ain ... neck pai

n?

Tel: 020 3189 9768

info@northfieldschiropractic.co.uk

3 Northfield Avenue, W13 9QP

www.northfieldschiropractic.co.uk

Putting the People of Ealing First

SPECIAL OFFER: A1 Large Format & Plan Printing from £3.00 263 Northfield Avenue, Ealing, W5 4UA Tel: 020 8579 1441 sales@pollyprint.co.uk www.pollyprint.co.uk twitter: @pollyprint

3

Read NP Online at www.neighbourspaper.com

Town

Cramming by

Will French

Last year the Borough signed up to Boris Johnson’s plan to raise Ealing’s house building target by 45% – twice the increase for London as a whole.

The idea is to build most of these new homes along the route of Crossrail, especially around the four stations of Acton Main Line, Ealing Broadway, West Ealing and Southall. Hanwell, for reasons that are unclear, is to be spared this ‘regeneration’ exercise.

Public concerns about the impact on the Borough’s quality of life are brushed away as politically inspired.

Council leader Julian Bell dismissed the thought that it would increase

homes under the hammer

opposition to planning applications: ‘I do not agree ... planning applications are becoming more contentious across the Borough ... this perception could actually have a lot more to do with the proximity of the election.’

But the implications of the Council’s ambitious construction programme are now emerging. Across the Borough groups of local people are coming together spontaneously to challenge development schemes that threaten the character of their neighbourhoods.

In Acton, Friary Green Residents’ Association has formed to challenge Catalyst Housing’s plans to replace the Friary Park estate of 250 low and medium rise homes with a high density development of 500 to 650 new flats dominated by a ‘landmark’ 20-29 storey tower and blocks of 6-14 storeys. To clear the site Catalyst will have to move residents off the estate, with no guarantee they can return.

For those old enough, this will bring back memories of the 1950s slum clearance programme which destroyed successful communities and led to decades of social problems as the new estates took root. This time round though, the slum clearance excuse won’t wash.

In no way is Friary Green a slum. It was built less than 30 years ago and is an attractive family housing estate.

Friary Green RA is questioning Catalyst’s plans. It complains the scheme is being co-financed by the Council with a £30m loan and that it is the Council who are

4

Putting the People of Ealing First

pushing Catalyst to raise the density and the height of the redevelopment.

Similar rows have raged elsewhere in Acton. Fierce campaigns have been fought around the 32 storey tower planned for the Carphone warehouse site in Park Royal and the 9 storey Oaks development in Acton town centre.

As in Friary Green, local worries about the scale of what is to be built are set aside in the interests of delivering the new homes Ealing must provide.

While the unrealistic housing targets raise concerns in Acton about the break up of an established community and cramming in badly designed high-rise flats, in West Ealing it is about building on public parkland.

In June the Council gave itself permission to build new classrooms on part of Drayton Green – land its development plan says is protected as Open Space. The Drayton Community Association who have enjoyed the park for 50 years, fought the scheme vigorously.

The classroom land was chosen carefully. While the Local Plan identifies it as a ‘park’, unlike most of Drayton Green for technical reasons it is not ‘Common Land’. If it was, it would be protected by law. Even so, the Council’s own policy is that only buildings required for users of an open space may be built on that space. It promises that ‘plans for building much needed housing and other development will not mean building on green space’.

Read NP Online at www.neighbourspaper.com

Free festival for teenagers!

Saturday 18th July, Christ the Saviour Church, Ealing Broadway, 1-6pm

Over 1000 young people will be treated to a day of giant games, inflatables, bbq, non-alcoholic drinks, live entertainment provided by professional musicians and a raft of local young talent from across the borough. Previous headline artists have included Mobo Award Winner Gubvna B and also Waterloo Road celebrity, Paigey Cakey.

This Festival is for young people who live or study in Ealing Borough.

To claim your free ticket and to find out more about Acts 29 please visit our website: http://www.acts29. org.uk/one-youth-festival/ Acts 29 is a registered Ealing charity serving young people aged 12-25 across West London providing world-class music performance opportunities in urban, rock and pop genres. Underpinned by professional youth work our vision

Prince Laryea

Normally run during half term holidays there is a special bootcamp this summer from the 27th – 31st July 2105 at Ealing Christian Centre.

Programmes are affordable, but Acts 29 also fund raise to secure bursaries for talented young musicians and artist who cannot afford payment.

Originally created by a group of youth workers in response to the riots of 2011, the festival aims to foster a greater sense of community and let young people know that they are a valued part of our community.

It is led by Acts 29, volunteers from business and local churches such as Ealing Christian Centre, St Johns Ealing and Christ the Saviour. Local business supporters have included Richardson Butchers, Nando’s, Lloyds Bank, Cheltenham and Gloucester Building Society and Pathways.

by

Access to one of the 150 spaces available is by audition only.

To find out more about Bootcamp, to register an audition or to donate towards Acts 29’s work visit the website www.acts29.org.uk

is to see young people empowered to fulfill their potential and overcome barriers that may hinder them.

Our flag-ship programme is “Artist Bootcamp”. Over three days, young people receive instrumental tuition master classes, vocal coaching sessions, music business panels and Q&A session from people involved in music; from singers, rappers and writers to lawyers, journalists and record label executives. Coaches have included Acts 29 artist patron, Michelle John (vocal coach to The Voice Judge, Rita Ora, lead backing singer for Eric Clapton, Jonathan Chewitt and James Beat (touring band members for Emeli Sande).

Town Cramming – continued So why would the Council renege on its policies this way? Because so many new homes in West Ealing are being built so fast there are not enough new school places for the children who need them. Except for vital areas of open space like Drayton Green, there are no sites available for new schools or more classrooms.

Though approved supposedly just for five years, history shows that once

they are there ‘temporary classrooms’ become permanent, in which case this precious piece of public space will be lost forever. The longer term concern is that with so much new home building, the demand for school places will not ease. So once these classrooms are built, further pressure to build on those other parks that are not Common Land. Which other parks in the Borough will be safe?

Putting the People of Ealing First

5

Read NP Online at www.neighbourspaper.com

by

David Read

Street pastors are trained volunteers from local churches who patrol from about 10pm to 4am on a Friday and Saturday night, to help people out on the streets. It was established in 2003 by Rev Les Isaacs in Brixton as a response to the level of street crime in that area. Since then the movement has grown to over 12,000 Street Pastors in more than 270 towns and cities across the UK. There are also Street Pastor teams in overseas countries now, such as Australia, the West Indies, Nigeria and the USA. Ealing Street Pastors’ first patrol was in Acton in autumn 2009. We now have a culturally diverse team of over 50 volunteers from 25 different church groups. They patrol 7 times a month on Friday and some Saturday nights in Acton, Ealing Broadway, West Ealing and Southall. We say ‘Hi’ to people and offer help or a listening ear. We aim to give value to every person we meet, be they shopkeepers, doormen, nightclub customers, prostitutes, drug dealers, homeless people, young, old, drunk, sober, happy, sad, lonely etc. Occasionally we need to call the police or an ambulance. We also make a point of removing empty glasses and bottles to prevent them being used as weapons. We often

6

meet people who Street Pastors helped in the past and who’ve turned their lives around such as homeless people we helped off the streets.

We work closely with the local authority, the police and churches in the borough.

We do not preach or proselytise, but if people want to talk about spiritual matters we are happy to do so.

In 2014 we: - Carried out 63 patrols - Collected 740 bottles and glasses to prevent their use as weapons - Spoke with 1,729 people to listen, to care and to help including many rough sleepers who preferred to remain outside the help available to them - We gave away bottles of water (donated by Danone), flipflops, lollipops and space blankets to those needing help - Contributed to providing food and the occasional taxi to some in need Engaged with the night-time shopkeepers, security staff, club and bar owners, street cleaners etc. in the different areas.

The police support our work strongly and attribute reductions in crime and antisocial behaviour to our patrols.

Putting the People of Ealing First

When patrols started in Acton in 2009 the police assessed that crime rates reduced by up to 50% on the nights we patrolled. We keep detailed data from our patrols to show the impact of what we do. Inspector Deane from the Metropolitan Police in Ealing says “I’ve been working with Ealing Street Pastors since October 2009.

Their weekend patrols have helped many people in need. I’ve been very impressed by their commitment and positive approach to helping people from all communities.”

We’re often asked about safety.

We go out in groups of four and feel quite safe. Street Pastors are not the police and do not step into dangerous situations or put themselves at personal risk. Our home prayer team supports us when we patrol. We only use routes covered by the local authority CCTV cameras and notify them and the police when we are out so they can keep an eye on us.

If you would like us to visit your group to talk about ESP please contact us: www.ealing.streetpastors.org.uk; ealing@streetpastors.org.uk; Twitter - @EalingStPastor; Facebook - Ealing Street Pastors.

Read NP Online at www.neighbourspaper.com

Perivale News

Did You Know?

There are a few theories as to the origin of the name Perivale.

The most likely is that it is derived from ‘Greenford Parva’ (a locality mentioned in the Doomsday Book) where it is described as an apple orchard. The word ‘parva’ is Latin for small – as in ‘parva componer maynis’ meaning to compare small things with great ones.

A new Perivale Church Words

and

Photo

by

Valerie Rudd

Perivale Residents’ Association Sport & Social Club The PRA is situated in Ealing Central Sports Ground, opposite Perivale station. This long-standing residents association is fighting for survival and urgently needs funds to improve the building, facilities and surrounds. To this end, Perivale Festivals Committee has submitted an application to crowd-funding site spacehive.com under Ealing Council’s ‘Transform Your Space’ initiative. See www.spacehive. com/tysrestoreperivaleresidentsass.

Morris Dancers on Perivale Woods O pen Day

Perivale Woods Open Day On 26 April the ancient Wood and Nature Reserve opened its gates to the public and featured its famous bluebells, which were particularly good this year.

There was added entertainment in the form of Morris dancing which was lively and colourful. The Impact Theatre (which is based in Perivale) also gave a very entertaining performance.

With your support we can help to convince Ealing Council that the building has the potential to be a vital local resource.

Currently under construction is the New Education and Visitors Centre.

The building is an eco-friendly timber framed construction, made largely from recycled material, well insulated with straw bales and sheep’s wool under the floors and in the ceilings.

Perivale resident Alex Nieora is involved with this project. Please contact him if you have any ideas on raising local awareness, or you would like to volunteer to support this project: alex4perivale@gmail.com.

Once constructed the new centre will allow the Wood to provide more conservation, ecology, biodiversity, woodland management, educational and research facilities. This will benefit school children and visitors alike.

Putting the People of Ealing First

St Nicholas Church, based in Federal Road Perivale, is being re-built over the next 18 months. There was a very modern church on this site but it had to be demolished because of cement rot. I believe there was no opposition to this new project.

Working in partnership with St Nicholas Church are the Diocese of London, Greater London and the London Borough of Ealing. The rebuild will be a 4-storey building, consisting of the Church and Hall which is 2 floors high. The remaining 2 floors will consist of 10 affordable rented flats.

Running alongside the building and within the grounds will be 3 New Build, 3-bed houses and also a detached Vicarage and car park; nearby along Federal Road will be 4 more 3-bed houses.

The area is well situated for Shops, Schools and Transport. This is a very good example of investing in the community. The Reverend Andrew Corse and his congregation are looking forward to this new Church as well as the community benefiting from this very exciting enterprise.

7

Read NP Online at www.neighbourspaper.com

Farmers’ Markets and Supermarkets Words

by

Manjinder Chijarh

Photo

by

Tom Whiting

“We grow it, we sell it” begins the proverb of Ealing Farmers’ Market.

I had never visited Leeland Road W13, but with asparagus, rhubarb and spinach in season, plans were made. That Saturday morning between 9am – 1pm, new experiences were created and fresh ingredients were tasted. But what is a Farmers’ Market and how does it compare to our local supermarkets?

Farmers’ Markets are set locations where local farmers, producers and growers can sell directly to the general public. While they do not stock supermarkets, some have established links to restaurants and other food outlets. Farmers’ Markets not only promote sustainable methods of food production and traditional animal breeds but also practical advice and information for those interested in rural and communal issues.

Moreover, Farmers’ Markets reduce the average number of supermarket shoppers while showing increases in local business trade by up to 30%.

What do the farmers’ sell?

There is a sizeable variety of local UK produce such as cooked foods, breads, cakes, honey, fruit, vegetables, flowers, drinks, fish, poultry, eggs, meat and more. Several businesses may have

8

Dan from Galileo Farm

Soil Association Certification, free range produce, GM and additive free standards while others may cater for vegan, vegetarian, gluten and wheat free lifestyles. As a result, average prices might be somewhat higher than expected. Nevertheless, various stalls rotate on a weekly-monthly basis resulting in greater consumer selection.

How can we trust the farmers’ claims?

All goods are certified by FARMA – the National Farmers’ Retail and Markets Association – an independent organisation that inspects Farmers’ Markets for genuine produce.

In addition, there are 34 rules set

by EFM for farmers, including: “You, the Producer, must raise, grow, produce, catch, gather, or bake everything you sell.”

“You must ask our permission to sell any items not listed here and…on your application.”

“You must name the source of regional ingredients.”

These strict, manageable regulations provide a high standard food guarantee.

Who are the farmers?

Established late 2009, Galileo Farm is a traditional, free range mixed farm

Putting the People of Ealing First

in Warwickshire. Roughly 60% of their plot, Dan explains, is SA Certified, indicating soil that was pesticide-free for five years minimum. Galileo Farm also source Ye Olde Pie Emporium where I conversed with Helen and enjoyed a delicious, fresh pasty of Goats’ cheese with sweet potato and red onion.

Similarly, Nut Knowle Farm has handmade Goats’ cheese from 1979 onwards. Thanks to Steve, over 15 tasters were available – creamy, salty, spicy, matured, rich sensations.

Likewise, The Bow Belly served scrumptious muffins and delectable cakes fortnightly with gluten free and vegan options since their humble origins in Hackney Wick’s kitchens.

For preserves, Omer and Nell use 50% fruit content, 50% unrefined sugar though strawberries contain 60% fruit due to natural sweetness.

Ealing Farmers’ Market highlights the countless strengths of local markets without constant wholesaler backing. For more information, visit www.lfm.org.uk or call 020 7833 0338. Join their mailing list now to win a Farmers’ Market hamper by emailing info@lfm.org.uk with the subject name ‘Ealing Hamper’.

Read NP Online at www.neighbourspaper.com

SOUTHALL: THE HIDDEN TREASURES Words

by

Foluso Dawodu Esq

Photo

by

Tom Whiting

H imalaya Palace Cinema The district of Southall was first mentioned in English version commentaries of the will of a Priest call Werhard in 830AD. He bequeathed land in Norwood for the later establishment of Southall Parish Church in 1086. Though back then it was referred to as ‘Southolt’ in direct geographical reference to Northolt, the name Southall was used after its recognition as a separate entity in the expansionist programme of church building in England.

Around 1587 the present day Manor House was built by Richard Awsiter, and is now the oldest surviving building in Southall. However, during the seventeenth century, the Merrick family became more important than the Awsiters. Francis Merrick applied to William III for the right to hold a market in Southall, which was granted in 1698, allowing the village to hold a cattle market. With a population of less than 700 people, many worked on local farms. Wheat and barley was grown and sheep and cows grazed in the fields.

There were few industries, but, during the course of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, there were to

be major changes, mainly brought by developments in transport. In the 1790s, the Grand Junction Canal was built linking London to the Midlands via Bulls Bridge, Southall, one branch going to the Thames and one to Paddington. More important were the railways. In 1838 the Great Western Railway Company opened a railway line from London westwards.

Sometimes known as Little India, Southall is now a lively and diverse community in west London. There are strong Indian and Pakistani roots here mixed with communities from all over the world. Women wearing colourful saris, pavement food stalls selling samosas and Indian sweets, bright fabrics hanging in shop fronts, bhangra music in the air and the hustle and bustle of a vibrant local economy make a visit to Southall unforgettable.

There are a huge range of places to eat and drink, particularly Punjabi, Sri Lankan, Pakistani and South Indian cuisines. Among its main attractions: St Mary’s Church. Norwood Green.

The Dominion Arts Education Centre.

This vibrant arts education centre has a programme of regular arts activities

Putting the People of Ealing First

reflecting the local diverse cultures.

Southall Park. Mainly parkland with small sections set aside for nature conservation and recreation.

Playground, play centre, dual use tennis courts and multi-use games area.

Southall Sports Centre. Facilities include a sports hall, gym, sauna, dance studio, treatment room. The centre is also the home of London Progress Table Tennis club.

Dormers Wells Leisure Centre. Facilities include a swimming pool, women’s only sessions, indoor and outdoor sports facilities and fitness centre.

Southall Library. An extensive selection of books in Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu. There are also dual language books for children in Arabic, Bengali and Somali.

Himalaya Palace Cinema. First built in 1929 and designed by the architect George Coles. The cinema’s exuberant style in the form of a Chinese temple is unique in Britain and it shows Bollywood blockbusters and other movies.

We celebrate how Southall has grown from a tiny farming area into today’s vibrant and bustling international community.

9

Read NP Online at www.neighbourspaper.com

by

Tabla music makes its way from India to Ealing

Michael Holmes

This story is about one of the world’s most famous musical instruments ‘The Tabla’. Yes, there are many ways of playing Tabla; however this article focuses on Benares Baaj Gharana style. Benares, India is where the late great Sharda Sahai was born.

Pandit Ram Sahai Sangit Vidyalaya (PRSSV) is a Non-profit Organisation and registered charity based in Ealing which has launched the Benares BAAJ Heritage Project.

The founder of Benares style Sharda Sahai, who lived in Ealing from 1991 until his death in 2011 is a direct descendant to Pandit Ram Sahai the founder of the Benares style (‘Gharana’) of Tabla playing. Inherently gifted though lineage, Sharda had the finest traits of the Benares Baaj and began playing Tabla at an early age.

The Benares Baaj style (Benares is the name of the city where this school of Tabla music originated and baaj refers to the style of playing) was first introduced into the UK in 1960. Now pioneering its way from India to Ealing PRSSV the exhibition will tour London including Southall’s Dominion Arts Education Centre and three other sites before returning in October to be permanently based in Southall.

be created using a rare collection of material from Pandit Sharda Sahai, his disciples and music followers - including more than 100 audio and visual recordings, 200 photographs, and notebooks with over 500 compositions.

In addition to hosting the exhibition the Dominion Arts Education Centre will offer workshops to community organisations and schools. The project will include workshops helping young people (aged16-25) to engage with Open College Network (OCN) accreditation and gain skills in playing Indian music including the Tabla.

British Library support The project has already attracted the support of the British Library’s sound archives and has created an (OCN) accredited training scheme for up to 35 volunteers. The training programme includes support from national museums, libraries and universities including Gunnersbury Park Museum and the Ealing Local History Centre. Ealing Council helped to refurbish a space at the Dominion Arts Education Centre, Southall, to be used as the Benares Baaj Learning and Research Centre.

Learning Centre and workshops The exhibition will include a digital archive and a learning centre will

120 students from local primary schools piloted a schools programme in addition to a workshop programme developed with a leading music service and support organization. The workshop programme is in conjunction

10

Putting the People of Ealing First

with the world music component of the National Curriculum (which makes specific reference to the Benares Baaj Tabla tradition).

Dr Frances Shepherd, Honorary Director and co-founder of PRSSV, said: ‘We are delighted to have the opportunity to increase access and awareness of this important musical heritage from Benares especially here in Ealing and highlight its ongoing contribution to the UK’s cultural heritage.’

For more information on Sharda Sahai, PRSSV and the Benares Baaj Project please see: www.sahai.org and www.sangeet-examinations.co.uk.

Read NP Online at www.neighbourspaper.com

Free Summer Activities for All: Arts and Crafts at The Rickyard

Words

The new Rickyard Education Centre in Walpole Park is offering a fascinating mix of arts and crafts workshops and performances for all ages, as the summer kicks in.

Manor restoration, but we are also hoping to fundraise for a community glasshouse in the Rickyard courtyard next year to extend community, education and training opportunities.’

The £650,000 centre designed by Jestico and Wiles contains a state of the art classroom, public facilities, a courtyard, cafe kiosk, park staff office and support facilities for park maintenance staff. The ecofriendly building enables rainwater to be recycled for use in the public conveniences and provides a flat roof for wild flowers as a habitat for bees and other insects.

The building was named after Sir John Soane’s old cow yards and rickyards that were present on the site back in the 1800s.

If you enjoy Life Drawing, you can

join a weekly class throughout the summer to build on your figurative drawing skills and develop your own artistic processes. If you’re more comfortable with a paintbrush to hand, then why not try Oil Painting, which will teach you the essentials of colour mixing and composition.

Interested in the history of Walpole Park? Then the Unearthing Memories talk and tour might be the event for you. Or if you want to be the next JK Rowling, the Creative Writing class should point you in the right direction.

and

Photo

by

Tom Whiting

For more information on The Rickyard and workshops, contact Outreach Officer Claire Cooke on cookec@ealing.gov.uk or visit www.pitzhanger.org.uk.

The Rickyard forms part of the Walpole Park regeneration project, costing £5.2 million and funded by Ealing Council, Heritage Lottery Fund Parks for People and the Veolia Environmental Trust. According to Walpole Park Press Officer Neelum Baines: ‘The next big project is the HLF Pitzhanger

Futureversity inspires 11-25 year-olds part in classes ranging from singing and fashion design to skateboarding and mini-Olympics, at venues such as the Alec Reed Academy and Northolt Leisure Centre.

extraordinary. Their programmes have been shown to raise aspirations, reduce youth crime, break down racial tensions and get unemployed young people off benefits and into work.

For the young people of Ealing, this summer promises to be a busy one, with more than 100 free courses and activities taking place in July and August through the council’s Futureversity programme.

My own son Matthew attended a rock climbing class and was pleasantly surprised at the high standard of tuition and loved the opportunity of connecting with and making new friends.

Previous years have seen more than 1,000 local youngsters taking

Futureversity believes all young people have the potential to be

The model of free, aspirational courses, delivered by experts and with young people at the core of planning, decision making and evaluations, has won awards and gained wide recognition.

To find out more, go to www.futureversity.org or call 020 8825 8226.

Putting the People of Ealing First

11

Read NP Online at www.neighbourspaper.com

West Middlesex Lawn Tennis Club Love to play tennis? West Middlesex Lawn Tennis Club certainly serves an advantage to those looking to take up the sport, as NP Reporter Michael Holmes meets Sue Jones, Club Secretary to find out more.

Since its founding in the 1900s the club based in West Ealing has experienced challenging progress. For example the pavilion was destroyed by fire in the 1960s & 80s in addition to fending off the local council over the club’s ownership of multi acre railway land in Drayton Manor. Having said that, the council in turn provided a grant to prevent the club from extinction. Eventually the club was able to negotiate with a property developer and secure the current site.

This has led to nine new courts being built; six hard surface and three artificial clay. Five of the courts are floodlit.

Sue, what was the motive for starting the club? There’s a very big need to encourage people to take up sport.

Some of the reasons include health & engage social activity. With that in mind the club was born in 1910. We are members of the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA).

How many members does the club have? There are approximately 450 members this season. This is made up of 185 senior members & 266 junior members all of whom take part in our

group coaching programme. The group coaching programme consists of Cardio Tennis, Adult Improvers, Men’s team coaching, and Ladies drop in tennis.

We also have back to tennis for nonmembers.

How is the club organised? We are a self-funded committee run club with a Chairman etc. Also we have three full time and two part time coaches. All coaches having cleared Disclosure and Baring Service (DBS) hold an LTA coaching license and are Level 2 & 3 qualified. Simon Langley, head coach, currently plays at advance level in UK & European tournaments. Also Simon was awarded coach of the year 2006.

What about the juniors? To start we have juniors who take part in countrywide and regional events, one of whom is nationally ranked 83th and another junior ranked 12th in the county. The club is proud of that achievement and hope to have many more members go on to achieve that kind success. Not to mention a visit from Peter Norfolk,

OBE, winner of multiple Grand Slam and Super Series titles. Peter also won gold in Paralympic Games 2004 and competed in his third Paralympic Games in 2012.

Such a visit from one of tennis’s greats is a nice accolade.

Do members get a chance to play at Wimbledon? There is a LTA tournament where U14s can qualify to get the chance to play at Wimbledon. Also we have an incentive that enters members into a club ballot. This results in winners getting tickets to watch some of the sports legends play at the All England Club.

For more information about the club please visit: www.westmiddlesexltc.co.uk.

Celebrating 1989

25 years

2014

Quality Property Ser vices in Ealing

Buying ... Selling ... Renting

12

Putting the People of Ealing First