Neighbours' Paper Issue 74

Neighbours Paper ’

Issue No 74

Putting the People of Ealing First

Autumn 2015

3 Runway! rd

Also in this issue:

CROSSRAIL update Hanwell Community Centre Meadow House Hospice Fostering in Ealing Magna Carta turns 800

Free

Plea Tak se e On e

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

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E dito rial

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

By NP Editorial Team

This edition once again considers changes coming to Ealing. There is concern about Heathrow Airport, Warren Farm and Hanwell Community Centre. Many people are also appalled that the appearance of the “Queen of the Suburbs” may be defaced with “wheelie bins”. We look at the University of the Third Age, the new Cross-Rail stations and two important services to Ealing residents, Fostering and Meadow House Hospice. On a lighter note, our sportswriter considers Rugby and the World Cup and the Autumn Festival celebrates Magna Carta. We print a letter received about Southall on p.11. Please do write in with information or articles. We always appreciate contributions.

Autumn Events..................................... 2 The Third Runway................................. 3 Ealing Notes......................................... 4 Crosrail Stations................................... 5 Fostering in Ealing...........................6&7 Third Age Experience......................... 8 Meadow House Hospice.................... 9

Autumn Events SOUNDBITE FESTIVAL, Saturday 12 September, West Ealing 1.00PM to 9.00PM at Dean Gardens and other venues.

Hanwell Community Centre............. 10 Magna Carta..................................... 11 Southall Memories............................. 11 Middlesex Rugby.............................. 12

This free food and music festival celebrates rich diversity in West Ealing. It features well-known and emerging musicians, a variety of restaurants and other events from community groups. Music from 1.00PM to 9.00PM at Dean Gardens and elsewhere.

There will be a Craft Tent, Children’s Entertainment. Fun Fair, Cookery demonstrations, Workshops, Hot food, Community Stalls and more. See: www.soundbitefestival.org.

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AUTUMN FESTIVAL

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This year’s Ealing Autumn Festival is celebrating the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta with a number of events based on the theme of freedom, human rights and democracy. A painting exhibition, Magna Carta turns 800, was launched in June and is touring libraries across the borough for the remainder of the year. Please see p.11 for more details of the Magna Carta exhibitions.

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Poetry Day, Sunday 11 October. At the popular annual poetry competition, leading poet George Szirtes will attend and judge the competition. There will be poetry readings at Ealing Central Library and at Ealing Broadway Centre from 1.15 to 4.00PM with an open-mic session and presentation of the prizes in the 18 year & under section. The adult poetry session is at the Drayton Court Hotel, The Avenue Ealing W13 at 7.00PM.

Treasurer: Judy Breens

Festival events continue with an orchestral concert from the West London Sinfonia on 17 October at 7.30PM at St Michaels and All Angels Church Bath Road Chiswick W4. It includes “Lincoln’s Portrait” which features the reading of the Gettysburg Address and music by Beethoven, Copland, Barber and Arnold.

There will be a three-day visit from Voskesenije- Russian Chamber Choir from 19-21 October. On 21 October a concert in Ealing Central Library 6.00-7.00PM will feature “Vespers” by Rachmaninov, and other music. The choir will also engage with school groups in folksongs. For details please see www.ealingautumnfestival.co.uk.

Sadly the Festival lost Council funding due to cutbacks. If funds permit, other events could be staged later in the year including “The Marriage of Figaro”, Messiaen’s “Quartet for the End of Time” and Jessica Duchen’s related play “A Walk through the End of Time” written and given its first performance in a prisoner-of-war camp in 1941.

The Festival will also be celebrating Black History Month in October and the Big Draw at Ealing Central Library. Further details at www.ealingautumnfestival.co.uk.

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Email: neighbourspaper@hotmail.co.uk Editor: Tom Whiting (020 8840 5740)

Writers: Judy Breens, Manjinder Chijarh, Foluso Dawodu, Will French, Emma Harry , Michael Holmes, Lynne May, Adrian Seal, Jeff and Val Thornborough, Rosemary Wallace , Tom Whiting Designer: Jamie Anson Cover Photo: Tom Whiting Webmaster: Sonia Nimley Advert Designer: Sandy Anson Printer: Pollyprint Ltd, 263 Northfield Avenue, Ealing W5 4UA, 0208 579 1441, www.pollyprint.co.uk Advertisement rates: Single Box £25, Double Box £45, Triple Box £70 Next copy deadline: 31st October 2015

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The Third Runway: Boon or Blight?

By Tom Whiting The spectre of Heathrow expansion for Ealing borough residents has come a step closer following the announcement by the Airports Commission that it has been chosen over Gatwick as the preferred location for a new runway.

Neither planning permission nor consultation processes have yet to commence, and whether the issue of airport expansion on the doorstep of many Conservative MP’s local constituencies becomes a political hot potato leading up to the next general election in 2020 or not, it is clear that both opponents and supporters of The Third Runway in Ealing will have many battles to fight.

At the moment, apart from planes landing to the very south of the borough, Ealing is primarily affected by aircraft taking off from Heathrow when the prevailing winds are from the east, which occur around 30% of the time. So far, no details have been released as to the flight paths of aircraft using the proposed new Third Runway to the north-west of the existing runways. However, from the artist’s impression above, it doesn’t take much to work out that the new runway will result in a shift of flight paths north of existing patterns, resulting in an increase in noise and pollution over Ealing and its environs.

This is an issue, among others, that has been raised by Ealing Aircraft Noise Action Group (EANAG), an organisation of local residents

opposed to Heathrow expansion. ExEaling Councillor Margaret Majumdar and now a key EANAG member, has campaigned for many years, arguing that a new runway is neither necessary nor desirable. In particular, over the issue of night flights: ‘The ban on night flights [if the Third Runway goes through] is misleading, as this only applies to scheduled flights.

Unscheduled late departures, for example, will continue up to 1am.’

for my trade...and are we being hypercritical in opposing more flights when having the convenience of an airport on our doorstep?’

The arguments will run and run.

Watch this space. For the Airports Commission full report, see https:// www.gov.uk/government/publications/ airports-commission-final-report.

As for air pollution, the Airports Commission’s own findings suggest that annual nitrogen dioxide emissions would rise ‘by more than 40%’ to 8,300 tons. And what about the increase in traffic caused by an expanded airport?

You can add another 4,000 tons for that. Transport for London bosses are alarmed at the lack of planning for new road and rail infrastructure needed to accommodate more flights and passengers. For Ealing residents already overwhelmed by overcrowding on the Piccadilly Line and Ealing Broadway mainline, and the congestion on the A4 corridor, aren’t things only going to get worse?

Some local businesses have a different view.

Alex, who runs a local chain of fitness clubs that are increasingly benefiting from more visitors spending time in Ealing on their way to Heathrow, says, ‘More people coming through Ealing is good

Third Runway: The key numbers Planned opening: 2025 Cost: £17.5 billion Extra number of flights per year: 220,000 Projected economy cash boost: £21 billion Cost to taxpayer for transport improvements: £6 billion Days of poor air quality over London exceeding EU law: 53 (in 2013)

H eathrow with

Putting the People of Ealing First

proposed new runway (lightened)

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Ealing Notes:

By J udy B reens

Warren Farm A year ago I wrote about this Ealing owned metropolitan open land, 61 acre, public sports field west of the canal and Fox Pub in Hanwell. The Council proposes to lease all the 61 acres of land free of charge for 200 years to QPR Football Club to build their Training and Academy Centre in return for their management of one third of the land for community use. All would be fenced off from the public with one entrance only in Windmill Lane and QPR would control the community access. After the concerted row that followed, QPR appeared to be backing out of their deal with Ealing Council. We are informed however that Julian Bell, Council Leader persuaded QPR to continue with the plan and they agreed.

The planning application is set to come to Planning Committee on 26 August.

To add insult to injury it emerges that QPR intend to level their chosen part of the site using land-fill over a period of eight months making themselves many millions of pounds in the process.

So not only would Ealing lose open land, designated community open space, a designated site of importance for nature conservation (SINC) QPR’s vision for Warren Farm and a historic right of way, but also 300 truck movements per day would blight the area with dust and noise to facilitate the land fill, fences, earthworks and floodlights would intrude and a commercial operation will pocket millions of pounds.

Save Warren Farm campaigners are applying to have the whole site designated as an “Asset of Community Value” as opposed to the one third of community land. If this is achieved, if the land comes up for disposal again, the community could bid to manage the land independently of Ealing Council.

It is astonishing that Ealing Council can seriously plan to give away our Borough’s land, subsidising a private business owned by billionaires in the process and allowing the use of Metropolitan Open Land (MOL) as a land fill site. This is in clear abuse of the principles of protecting MOL. Why would Ealing give away priceless open land in return for so little? How can they be surprised that so many people mistrust politicians?

For more information, visit www.savewarrenfarm.com. You can sign a Petition at: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/savewarren-farm-ealing-as-genuine-undeveloped-metro.html.

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Putting the People of Ealing First

Queen of the Wheelie Bins?

A huge row has erupted over a Council “Edict” that the whole borough must use wheelie bins for refuse disposal. There was a consultation years back. Southall chose wheelie bins, the rest of us the current system. Now, suffering under Government cuts, Council proposes fortnightly refuse collections using two wheelie bins. One for recyclable material (that can all be put in one bin) the other for waste destined for landfill. Food waste would remain a weekly collection. We’re told recycling will improve (50% + rather than the current 45%) and £2 million pa saved on land-fill costs.

For bigger properties it may be okay but consider the borough’s many terraced streets with two wheelie bins outside each property! Hardly Queen of the Suburbs! Many homes will not have room in the front either. We are told each will be assessed if they claim not to have the space. See www.ealing.gov.uk for more information.

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Crossrail: Latest News Work on Crossrail is steaming ahead.

Starting in 2018, brand new fast trains will run from five stations in Ealing right through London. Crossrail will transform life in the Borough.

Last year Neighbours’ Paper described Crossrail’s plans. We said the designs were disappointing, as Lord Rogers UK’s foremost architect had highlighted. Crossrail has changed so much since then it’s been hard to keep up, so with construction due to start, it’s time for an update.

Ealing Broadway Station. Crossrail withdrew its first design for a shabby, industrial looking station and eventually settled on a scheme that looks a bit more suitable for this key location. However, to widespread local dismay there’ll be no escalators up from the railway. Also, the chance of making Ealing an attractive bus/ rail interchange has been lost so instead expect many more buses and longer queues on Haven Green.

Work starts this autumn when Crossrail takes over the south-eastern part of Haven Green for 3 years as a construction site, with huts, materials and heavy equipment.

designed as a large covered glass box.

Pedestrians and cyclists will benefit from wider pavements and better road crossings. A new pedestrian route over the railway is under consideration.

New Ealing B roadway Station Design

Southall Station glass box

West Ealing station

Southall. Designers have a real challenge at Southall where the existing station stands on a busy road bridge some distance from Southall town centre. With work to start soon on 3,750 new homes on the nearby Gas Works site, the bridge will become increasingly important in tying together Southall’s communities.

Starting this year, Crossrail will build a new station on the bridge,

By Will French

West Ealing. The Council has approved plans for West Ealing’s new station and work has already started on the platform for the new Greenford shuttle service. Another glass boxlike building will be built on Manor Road, north of the railway. Standing some way from the junction with Argyle Road, passengers from West Ealing centre will face a longer walk for their train.

Pleas from West Ealing communities to replace the unpleasant Jacobs Ladder footbridge have gone unheeded.

Acton Main Line Station. Long blighted by the railway, regeneration experts woke up late to what Crossrail will mean for this part of Horn Lane. Though construction starts next year the plans for Acton Main Line are still being worked on. A new station will stand south of the railway and a redesign of nearby streets is on the cards. Extra pressures on the new station will arise from the controversial plan to replace the 25 year old Friary Park estate next door with high rise housing.

Hanwell. As the smallest and least busy station on the route, the historic Hanwell station will stay largely as it is. Generous grants will enable the station approach to be upgraded.

Acton Main Line and new road layout at Horn Lane

Putting the People of Ealing First

(Illustrations are all from the Crossrail website. Remember, the architects were keen to show off the best features!)

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Fostering in Ealing

By Emma Harry: Fostering

and

Adoption Recruitment: Ealing Council

Ealing Council’s Fostering and Adoption Connections team are asking local residents to open their homes and hearts to local children in care.

and enable them to thrive whilst coming to terms with the changes.

The UK is currently experiencing a shortage of foster carers and this is no different within Ealing. With an average of 15 children in Ealing taken into care each month, the council has between 350 and 450 children in care at any one time.

Ealing Fostering and Ealing Children Adoption Connections understand that whilst rewarding, fostering can be a challenging experience for carers as well as the children, and so it provides access to support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They also provide an extensive ongoing training programme enabling you to gain a nationally recognised qualification. The wide range of courses allows you to develop the skills you may already have, as well as gain new skills to widen your care-giving experiences.

In order to meet this need, they are looking for individuals and couples that can provide a safe and stable environment to children and young people in their care. For those who enjoy caring for children, fostering is an opportunity to make a positive difference to the lives of local children.

These children are of all ages, from babies to young people preparing to become independent. They come from different backgrounds and may be on their own or with siblings.

Some of the children may also have disabilities or other special needs.

Deciding to become a foster carer is a big decision and having the right information and advice is essential to help you decide whether it is right for you.

For any child, being separated from their families and placed in an unfamiliar environment is a daunting experience. Therefore it is important that Ealing is able to place children with families that best suit their needs

Ealing Fostering and Adoption Connections hold monthly information sessions at Ealing Town Hall. Each session provides an overview of what fostering involves, the different fostering services provided through the council as well as discussing the journey to approval, including training and assessment.

These sessions are an excellent

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Putting the People of Ealing First

opportunity to have your questions answered and to hear first-hand experiences from the council’s current foster carers. You can also speak to social workers and other members of the fostering team. Attending the session puts you under no obligation to become a foster carer, but hopefully will inspire you to take the next step.

In addition to support and training, Ealing offers an excellent financial package of between £257 to £446 per week dependent on the age of the child and your experience.

There is also an enhanced support package for children with more challenging behaviour.

For more information about fostering with Ealing Council, call Freephone 0800 731 6550 or email fosteradopt@ealing.gov.uk Alternatively you can visit www.ealing.gov.uk The next information session dates are: 7 September, 11:00am – 1:00pm 5 October, 7.30 – 9.30pm 2 November, 11:00am – 1:00pm

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Fostercarers Jeff & Val Thornborough describe their work In 2001, Val and I became approved foster carers, at the age of 58 and 56, for Ealing. As we now prepare to retire from fostering, our only regret is that we didn’t start sooner.

During our 14 years of service to Ealing’s looked after children, we provided short-term care to more than 60 babies, young children and teenagers. As short-term foster carers we worked with Ealing Fostering and Adoption Connections to prepare children returning to their birth families as well as those moving on to adoptive families.

As a foster carer you play such an important role in these children’s lives you will often want to retain some form of connection with them, where possible. We have been incredibly lucky and of the 64 children that have been in our care, we still keep in touch with about 14 of them; mostly by phone calls and birthday cards.

Our desire to foster became stronger once all our four children had left home; it was so quiet. I had coached a boy’s football team since my eldest son was ten years and we were used to a lot of noise in the house. Also as a football coach you get to work with children who are having a rough

time at home, so fostering was another way for us to help children like that.

Over the years we have also become recognised by Ealing Fostering and Adoption Connections as much for our long service as for the special way we preserved the early memories of each child we cared for.

When they left us, each child received a handmade memory box. I would also paint and decorate them with their favourite characters. Inside each box we included photos, items of clothing, toys and hospital bands for the babies.

At times, fostering was challenging, but finding new ways to connect with young children, making them feel part of the family and helping them to have better experiences in life, made it all worthwhile.

We have valued every experience fostering has given us and even though we are retiring as foster carers we are honoured to continue working with Ealing as fostering champions to inspire others to come forward as foster carers.

A Fostering Success Sometimes it can take several placements for a child in care to be settled. Naomi is now a young Ealing adult with a husband and family of her own. Her poem explains her feelings and how vital it was to have a foster home! Although it took time and a period in a specialist children’s home her story had a very happy ending.

My conveyer belt journey started at three, My first customer returned to sender, Not happy with product, Customer satisfaction poor.

Next customer took me out on rental, Short term loan, Customer satisfaction okay.

Shipped to new destination: a store for mass production, Seems that newer products are getting snatched up, Maybe my packaging isn’t as shiny as it was.

Finally a buyer: my third so far, I seemed to be a good purchase, Customer satisfaction okay, After a trial period, Return to sender, Fault in product.

Back I go to that lonely store.

I wait dusty, dated and forgotten, A big price label on my head, I am one of the last remaining originals, I sit here with lost hope.

Final destination my fourth customer, I am sceptical and dubious, Customer satisfaction very good.

I become a permanent item in their home.

I am a lucky one, But I am one of many, So please take a second look at us dusty older products, Because we want to be needed, We’re on this lonely conveyor belt called the Care System, Screaming pick me.

J eff & Val Thornborough

Putting the People of Ealing First

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The Third Age of

Life Experience

By Manjinder Chijarh While reading the Ealing Arts + Leisure ‘Diary of Events’, ‘Ealing University of the Third Age’ piqued my interest. Self-help co-operative.

No qualifications required. Learning for learning’s sake. It sounded like an enjoyable pursuit, so what better way to create new memories?

‘University of the Third Age’ (U3A) refers to a collective organisational initiative encouraging the older generation, the ‘third age’ (comprising of retired and semi-retired men and women of all ages) to creatively, culturally and educationally share activities whilst teaching and learning from each other.

Cooperative Learning Principles Founded in 1981, three academicallydistinguished friends acknowledged that older people possessed the capability to teach each other.

Keen to include housebound and disabled persons, this co-operative learning principle involving lectures, interest groups, courses and activities progressed extensively to the point where the organisation now includes 361,078 members in 934 U3As across the UK. Ealing U3A is a registered charity

and voluntary organisation motivating ‘third-agers’ to self improve, meet like-minded people and share life experiences. Lectures cover several topics such as science, literature, history and much more with selective groups exploring philosophy, meditation with music, current affairs and poetry. Saturday rambles and historical outings are frequent leisure activities and costs are kept minimal providing group and subject flexibility.

Ealing U3A’s weekly meetings take place on Thursday mornings from 10:15am-12pm in the Liz Cantell room at Ealing Town Hall, with an average of three talks per month. Members attend for free, whereas nonmembers pay a nominal fee of £2.

Forthcoming events On 24 September Tony Smith demonstrates the growth and medicinal properties of Pelargonium and Geranium flowers while on 8 October Stephen Van Dulken illustrates women as inventors in Victorian and Edwardian Britain with evidence from American and British patents. Likewise, Dr. Caroline Bressey explores 19th -20th century Britain on 29 October with her lecture on Black History,

discussing working class Londoners and domestic female servants in Ealing.

Establishing contacts with Ealing Arts, Age Concern, the Voluntary Services Council and local theatre The Questors, the focus on enjoyable learning with the willingness to teach and share knowledge remains a key driving force for both organisation and participants.

Becoming a member ‘Ealing University of the Third Age’ offers a wide variety of lectures, groups and activities to engage oneself both physically and mentally. To apply for membership, register at the back desk on Thursday meetings, preferably before 10am. A yearly subscription of £25, only payable by cash or cheque, allows you to attend any Londonbased U3A and provides access to their National U3A movement, Summer Schools and Conference programmes.

There is an upcoming U3A photographic competition covering four separate categories with first and second prizes receiving Marks and Spencer gift cards.

For more information, visit www.u3asites.org.uk/ealing or contact 020 8997 8630.

Autumn at The Plough • Sunday Roasts • Food served – all day 7 days a week • Live music on Thursdays

297 Northfield Ave W5 4XB

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Hospice Offers Specialist Care

By Lynne May, Voluntary Services Manager

Meadow House Hospice was one of the first NHS hospices in London, opening in 1987. Our aim is to provide specialist, flexible palliative care for people living in the London boroughs of Ealing and Hounslow who have a terminal or life limiting condition. We emphasise the importance of maintaining as much of a patient’s independence as possible and encouraging patients and their families to be closely involved in the decisionmaking about the care received.

Professional clinical care Located in the grounds of Ealing Hospital we have a 15 bedded inpatient ward which is built around an award winning garden. We also have a day hospice Unit, where patients who find that their lives are increasingly restricted by their illness can feel part of a supportive group.

At the same time they have the reassurance of having a large team of professionals close at hand.

Whilst much of the care is given on site, a huge part of our work is delivered by a dedicated team of Clinical Nurse Specialists in the local community across the two boroughs, co-ordinating care and providing support to patients and families in their own homes. On average this nursing team carries a caseload of approximately 500 patients.

Although most of our funding comes from the NHS we still have to find a substantial additional amount from

donations and fundraising events. This lets us provide some of the ‘additional extras’ which allows patients’ coming to either the ward or day hospice to be more comfortable.

We will be holding our fundraising Christmas Bazaar on Saturday 14 November at Meadow House.

The event starts at 1.00 pm to 4 pm.

There will be a tombola, bric-a-brac, bottle tombola, home-made cake stall and a raffle with some great prizes so please come and join us.

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

Meadow House Hospice is at the rear of Ealing Hospital and is signposted. For more information on Meadow House please go to www.meadowhousehospice.org.uk.

You can also contact Lynne May on 020 8967 5040, lynnemay@nhs.net.

A Neighbours’ Paper reader writes of her experience: My name is Mary Newman. Ten years ago a friend and former colleague Maureen, went into Meadow House for respite care following major surgery and chemotherapy at Hammersmith Hospital for bowel cancer. At the time of her diagnosis and treatment Maureen was in a weakened state having recently been widowed.

Maureen was given such wonderful care in Meadow House that she recovered and was able to go home.

She now lives in Mudeford and at 81 years has surprisingly good health.

Putting the People of Ealing First

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Our Victorian Heritage: Hanwell Community Centre

By Foluso Dawodu Esq .

Photo: Tom Whiting

Around 1856, the Central London District Poor Law School in Hanwell, London housed and educated disadvantaged and orphaned children from Central London and the surrounding countryside.

Charlie Chaplin The most notable pupil was Charles Spencer Chaplin, popularly known as “Charlie Chaplin”. An English comic actor and filmmaker who rose to fame in the silent film era, Chaplin became a worldwide icon through his screen persona “The Tramp” and is considered one of the most important figures of the film industry. His career spanned more than 75 years, from

childhood in the Victorian era until his death in 1977. Charlie Chapman’s commitment and determination saw him to global recognition and he became a household name worldwide.

In the 1930s, London County Council saw the need to close the school down and developed the surrounding land as a social housing estate. The Central Block remained and later became Hanwell Community Centre.

Deep Purple and The Who played here Local pop groups were able to rent space and Deep Purple, one of the most famous heavy metal bands in the world, rehearsed and wrote some of their earlier songs at the Centre.

The Who, Led Zepelin, Marsha Hunt and local band Spice also used the building for rehearsal. The Centre provided the location for the scenes in Billy Elliot where Julie Walters teaches the young Billy to dance. It is frequently used as a film location.

Hanwell Community Centre stands proudly in what is left of the school land, surrounded by housing estates.

The remaining land is known as Cuckoo Park. This was registered in 1994 as a “Village Green” which

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gives it protection. The building is also protected as a grade II listed building.

It cannot be demolished or altered without the permission of Historic England. It has an artistic edifice in Victorian style, with Italianate windows and columns on the front facade.

The Centre is available to hire for groups or individuals and hosts sports such as indoor football, badminton, volleyball and fitness classes. Visitors should phone and make an appointment to tour the interior. Call 020 8575 7019.

Latest News: Carolyn Brown, Chair of Hanwell Community Forum writes: Ealing Council owns the building and since April 2013 has managed it. It currently costs more to run than the income generated and the Council has said that against the background of cutbacks, it will no longer be able to subsidise the building after April 2017. It seeks to put it out to tender to an outside organisation to manage.

Various groups and individuals are collaborating to set up a Social Enterprise company called “Hanwell Community Centre Consortium” with the intention of tendering on behalf of the community in competition with other organisations. An application for it to be registered as an “Asset of Community Value” under the Localism Act is also underway. A Business Plan is in preparation. Although a challenging task, we are confident we could increase the income and raise the £3 million required to renovate and upgrade the building.

Our intention would be to maintain it for permanent community use.

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Magna Carta Turns 800

By Adrian Seal, PR Consultant

to

Ealing Autumn Festival

This year’s Ealing Autumn Festival is celebrating the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta with an exhibition of unique coloured paintings in libraries across the borough.

Magna Carta turns 800 launched in June and visitors have been admiring the 26 paintings based on the coatsof-arms of the 25 Magna Carta barons and King John which are on display. The exhibition is designed and organised by Diana Braybrook, a practicing artist in west London, and tutor to the 4020 Art Group based at Hanwell Community Centre.

Gillian Spragg, artistic director of the Ealing Autumn Festival said: ‘Celebrating the Magna Carta is a tremendously exciting idea to take up this year. How we exercise our democratic rights can really matter and there could not be a better moment to delve into the origins of our freedom, human rights and democracy.”

A digitised version will be shown in libraries where there is not space for the full exhibition.

Future dates: 7-26 Sep Northolt Library, Pitshanger Library (digitised)

28 Sep – 31 Oct Ealing Central Library, Wood End Library (digitised) 3-21 Nov Greenford Library, West Ealing Library (digitised) 23 Nov – 5 Dec Additional presentations at community centres For further info see www.ealingautumnfestival.co.uk.

Southall Memories Our last edition’s Southall article prompted Rosemary Wallace to add some 20th century memories.

“Southall did not transform from a farming area to multi cultural community in one fell swoop. Up to the middle 1950s it was a quiet working class town. It had a Grammar School, three cinemas, one of which was a dance hall too and a concert hall where, as a child in the 1940’s I enjoyed watching Gwen Catley singing Lehar and Strauss.

As well as churches there was a strong Salvation Army presence and the UK agent for Frank Sinatra owned a music shop in the High Street. Cleo Laine was born and raised in Southall. Her Father was

a railwayman. Chris Barber and his band played weekly at the Red Lion.

As a teenager, good behaviour was expected. Anyone showing signs of drunkenness was escorted from a public house. We spent many happy times at non-alcoholic youth clubs. I attended one at Dormers Wells School.

All members went to a coffee bar after meetings, talked happily then went quietly home either by bus or foot.

We shopped in the High Street using cash only, with newly modern clothes shops open 9 AM to 5 PM six days per week. Furniture shops accepted weekly payments for quality furniture and Southall market had a cattle market day.

Putting the People of Ealing First

There were large companies nearby that provided employment - EMI, Taylor Woodrow and AEC. I married at Holy Trinity Church as did most of my friends.

It was in the mid 1950’s my husband and I were strolling in Southall Park and encountered a circle of men dressed in white quietly talking to each other. Our first introduction to the incoming Asian residents of Southall.”

Editors Note: Rosemary could have also added that Kate Middleton’s family was from Southall. Her grandparents married in Holy Trinity Church and her mother attended Featherstone High School.

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Middlesex Rugby Club Making Rugby Progress in Ealing and beyond

By Michael Holmes From humble beginning in 1879 to an award-winning countywide organisation that continues to progress from strength to strength. Teamwork, Respect, Enjoyment, Discipline and Sportsmanship – TREDS is the slogan used by Middlesex Rugby Club (MRC).

and act as a conduit between clubs and the RFU.

Alongside playing the game of rugby, rugby administration is an important part of developing the game at grassroots level and ensuring an abundance of opportunities for people to play the game. Whether you are looking for advice on planning and overseas tours, safeguarding children, funding streams to improve your club facilities, or strategic club development, Middlesex Rugby can assist.

Rugby within the community Middlesex Rugby Club is one of a number of Constituent Bodies of the Rugby Football Union (RFU). The club has representatives in the RFU Council and Middlesex fulfils a number of important roles to manage the representative game in the County and develop rugby within the community.

In addition the club works closely with Rugby Development Officers, local and regional organisations to provide the RFU with community knowledge of clubs

The beautiful game of rugby football has been around in Ealing since 1869 on Ealing Common. The first full season for MRC was 1879-80, and Middlesex travelled around the country playing teams at venues as far away as Tyne & Wear during the fixture list.

Essex v Team Middlesex Senior Women XV

The World Cup is here The Rugby World Cup kicks off in the UK this September, and the frenzy surrounding the event is sure to reach fever pitch through the autumn Player Pathway months as the Northern and Southern There are many members registered at MRC. This consists of groups ranging Hemisphere giants of the game battle it out at iconic stadiums like Wembley, from Senior, Woman and Girls, UnderTwickenham, Cardiff’s Millennium and 20s, Middlesex Junior and Middlesex Veterans. Also there is something called the Olympic Park. The legacy from player pathway in conjunction with the hosting a world rugby tournament on Middlesex School of Rugby. The school is these shores should ensure that clubs part of a national framework to identify forever benefit from the increased and develop talented players, working interest in rugby that the tournament will create – bringing new players to the in partnership with the RFU, London game and helping clubs entice new Wasps and Middlesex Rugby Club. faces through their doors.

The aim of the School of Rugby is to The clubs best placed to benefit from provide an elite programme which all the legacy initiatives surrounding allows those players, both boys and the tournament are those in Middlesex, girls, between 13 and 15 years of age, who have been identified as having the where the 2015 World Cup Final takes necessary skills or potential, to develop place right on their doorstep. through a process of coaching, For further information, please see lifestyle lectures, fitness and mental www.middlesexrugby.com. conditioning.

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