Neighbours Paper ’
Issue No 91
Putting the People of Ealing First
Winter 2019/20
THE FUTURE FOR OUR BOROUGH? Also in this issue: Save Gurnell Ealing Care Co-operative Acton Unframed
lishe Pu b
The Felix Project Liveable Neighbourhoods Events Around Ealing
d
e e r F ease
Pl One e Tak rterly Qua
Acton | Ealing | Greenford | Hanwell | Northolt | Perivale | Southall
Read NP Online at www.neighbourspaper.com
E ditorial
Contents Contents Editorial................................................ 2 Events Around Ealing.......................... 2
Welcome to the Winter edition of Neighbours’ Paper. Changes are afoot in Ealing: at the Gurnell Leisure Centre site, 612 new homes are planned in 6 tower blocks of up to 17 storeys! Sadly, it will also be 3 years before the new pool and leisure facility is built. Ealing Matters community group (see Ealing Notes) has found that 81 tower blocks throughout Ealing either exist or are planned over the next 10 years. It seems our low-rise, green suburb could be threatened. Meanwhile, we enjoy the facilities our borough offers. Some are provided by amazing volunteers, as featured in articles on the Memory Café, Ealing Care Co-operative and Felix Project.
Plans for redeveloping Gurnell.......... 3 Ealing Notes......................................4-5 Friendship Link Celebrates 10 Years. 6 Unfair CPZ Renewal Fines................... 7 Liveable Neighbourhood project . splutters into life................................. 7 The Felix Project................................... 8
Art in Ealing also thrives, as described in the Wonderful Ealing Care Cooperative................... 9 Adventure and Acton Unframed articles. And residents reach outward too - the HAFSA article explains! Memory Café...................................... 9 As Christmas approaches, we thank all our wonderful advertisers, without whom there would be no Neighbours’ Paper. A very Happy Christmas to all our readers and advertisers.
Acton Unframed................................ 10 A Wonderful Adventure.................... 11 Gunnersbury Park Sports Centre..... 12
EVENTS AROUND EALING
Neighbours’ Paper Subscribe for a year: Just £4. Make a cheque out to Neighbours’ Paper and send to The Publisher, Neighbours Paper, 12 Waldemar Avenue W13 9PY 020 8579 4847.
The Ealing Mile Friday 6 December 12:30pm Lammas Park, 30 Elers Road W13 www.ealinghalfmarathon.com
Shine On: The Haven Stables / Club Azur Xmas Reunion Sunday 22 to Monday 23 December The Red Room, 42a The Broadway W5
Classic Cinema Club Ealing Green Cinema 7:30pm Special Event Friday 6 December ‘French Film’ (2009) Includes Q & A with the Director of the film Jackie Oudney; Friday 13 December ‘The Apartment’ (1960) www.classiccinemaclub.co.uk
Acton History Group St Mary’s Church Hall, the Mount, Acton 7:30pm Wednesday 11 December Christmas Event and Sue Peach’s account of the North Acton ’Rocket’; Wednesday 8 January Barbara Humphries talk on ’The Labour Movement in West London 1918–1970’; Wednesday 11 March Anthony Smith’s talk on ‘The London Loop’ – a round London footpath www.actonhistory.co.uk
Facebook.com/NeighboursPaper
Ealing Music & Film Valentine Festival Thursday 13 to Monday 17 February www.ealingmusicandfilmfestival.org
Designer: Jamie Anson Advert Designer: Sandy Anson Team Digital: Jamie Anson, Sonia Nimley, Ron Nicholls
Winter Craft Market Saturday 23 November 10am to 3:00pm Hanwell Methodist Church, Church Road W7 1DJ Ealing Christmas Market Eat Me Drink Me Wednesday 27 November to Tuesday 24 December. Ealing Broadway Shopping Centre W5 West Ealing Christmas Fair Saturday 14 December 12 noon to 4:00pm Melbourne Avenue W13 9BT. Father Christmas, local musicians and choirs, Christmas gift fair, meet the donkey and face painting. www.w13-christmasfair.co.uk 2
Ealing Animal Charities Fair Saturday 7 March 10:30am to 4:00pm Hanwell Methodist Church, Church Road, Hanwell W7 www.ealinganimalsfair.london
Putting the People of Ealing First
Twitter.com/NeighboursPaper
Email: neighbourspaper@hotmail.co.uk Editor: Tom Whiting (020 8840 5740) Treasurer: Judy Breens Writers: Arthur Breens, Judy Breens, Will French, Michael Holmes, Holly Kalra, Libby Kemp, Eric Leach, Brian Rose, Valerie Rudd, Andre Ryan, Louise Simmonds
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 Jan 2020
Read NP Online at www.neighbourspaper.com
Shocking plans for redeveloping Gurnell Leisure Centre By Louise Simmonds Have you heard about the proposals for the Gurnell Leisure Centre? Given Ealing Council are aiming to deliver a ‘new state of the art flagship leisure centre’ alongside a proposed brand new residential development, it’s alarming that so few people know about it or have been asked for their opinion. We’re not taking about a small development here. The current proposal is to re-build the leisure centre and create 612 residential units across 6 tower blocks rising to 17 storeys at their highest. One of Ealing Council’s top three priorities for the borough is to make it ‘a healthy and great place, keep people physically active and to encourage sport and leisure.’ Surely the key to achieving this would be to speak to the community? Flawed proposals Long before any public meetings even began the leisure centre facility mix was decided in isolation by the Cabinet. The proposal centred around an Olympic size swimming pool and revenue generating areas with little regard for the needs of the wider community. Other leisure centres built by the same developer have included facilities such as a hydrotherapy suite
to serve users with disabilities and those with sports-related injuries. The council has already de-scoped from the original proposal which was to include a 4-6 court sports hall. How long will it be before budgets overrun and something else must go? Poorly managed consultations The public ‘consultation’ events were poorly advertised, badly run and lacked key information, focusing on what the presenters wanted rather than what was needed to encourage informed feedback. The content of the sessions has not been shared online in a timely manner, or not at all. The consultation process is being managed by Meeting Place Communication (MPC) whose tagline is ‘We work with developers and communities to help achieve successful planning outcomes.’ Their strategy is to identify a few supporters of new developments and then ‘encourage these supporters to make their views known to their councillors, local media, community websites and friends, creating a groundswell of support for our client’s proposals ahead of a planning committee’. Dubious tactics in planning applications MPC’s case studies outline the shocking details of their approach. To push
Monster
towers at
Gurnell set to
dominate the surrounding landscape. n. b.
Cover and above pictures Council’s presentation plans for Gurnell redevelopment from
through a 17-storey tower block in Bristol they used database strategies akin to Cambridge Analytica that enabled ‘targeted door knocking’ to ‘generate support prior to the application being determined by committee’. Materials were drafted specifically to focus only on the benefits of the scheme and by such means MPC ‘uncovered 26 supporters who were mobilised to write in favour of the application’. The committee voted 8:2 and planning application was granted. These tactics are likely to be employed at Gurnell and so it is vital that formal objections are made once the planning application has been submitted. Please contact savegurnell@gmail.com to join our mailing list. See www.savegurnell.org.uk and Facebook (search for @savegurnell). To sign the petition see www.change.org/p/stop-thegurnell-overdevelopment.
* Party Bookings * Christmas Day availability * New Year’s Eve Join Us!
Putting the People of Ealing First
3
Read NP Online at www.neighbourspaper.com
Ealing Notes A Cinema for Acton One hundred and twenty years ago, the great Victorian benefactor John Passmore Edwards gave us Acton Library, one of the most ornate buildings in Acton. But the doors closed six years ago when the library relocated. Now Spacehive has provided an excellent chance to get this brick and stone classic back - as a cinema. For two years a dedicated local group - The Acton Arts Project
Local Advice and Support Services LIDO Centre, 63 Mattock Lane W13 9LA Tel No: 020 8280 2222 www.lidocentre.org.uk. The LIDO Centre houses many local charities including the recently relocated Ealing Centre for Independent Living (ECIL) Tel: 020 8280 2274. ECIL will continue with its services to facilitate independent living, many of which are delivered out in the community. Other groups located at Lido Centre include Ealing Community and Voluntary Service (provides voluntary work in local community groups for those seeking this) Ealing Community Network, Ealing MENCAP and DeafPlus. Nearby are the offices of Age UK Ealing, 135 Uxbridge Road W13 9AU. Age UK exists to facilitate companionship and support for older local people. For more information see www.ageuk.org.uk Tel: 020 8567 8017.
- has worked to plan a two-screen cinema, cafe-bar and arts hub. Ealing Council has now, in principle, approved the project. After initial stages, big grants from the GLA and others can be triggered. Your money is needed to fund the planning and redesign. Big or small every contribution will help. If the target is not attained, no money will be taken from your account. See www.spacehive.com/acinema-for-acton.
Located in the Age UK office is another very important service: Ealing Advice Service (EAS) Tel: 020 8579 8429. EAS offers free and confidential advice and support for any Ealing Borough resident on matters including Welfare Benefits, Housing Issues, Council Tax, Travel Concessions (including Blue Badge) Debt and Employment, Disability and Social. For more information see www.ealingsas.org.uk.
Merry Christmas to all 4
Putting the People of Ealing First
By J udy B reens and Eric Leach
Friends of The Victoria Hall We all still await the Charities Commission’s (CC’s) pronouncement as to whether Ealing Council can ‘gift’ the town’s biggest hall to Mastcraft who plan to ‘repurpose’ Ealing Town Hall into a hotel. Irrespective of what the CC decides, local community groups have got together and formed a new group called ‘Friends of The Victoria Hall’. The new group will campaign to save the hall, along with the Prince’s Hall, for the community as a performing arts, exhibition and meeting space. The founding organisations are Central Ealing Neighbourhood Forum, Campaign for an Ealing Performance & Arts Centre (CEPAC), Central Ealing Residents’ Association, Ealing Arts & Leisure, Ealing Civic Society, RAMWRA, Save Ealing’s Centre and West Ealing Neighbours. For more, Google: Friends of Victoria Hall Ealing
Read NP Online at www.neighbourspaper.com
Ealing Notes continueD Ealing Video News At www.exposurebox.com you can find weekly video updates about Ealing. A recent long-running feature is covering how Ealing is changing with onsite videos including those featuring poor transport planning around the new Elizabeth Line Ealing Broadway Station, the Ealing Town Hall saga about Victoria Hall, and massive overdevelopment plans for luxury flats in North Acton, Southall, Greenford and West Ealing centre.
Perceval House Development In October 2019 there were 754 homes for sale and 655 homes for rent across Ealing. However, none of them were likely to meet any of the housing needs of the 12,000+ people on the Ealing Council Housing List. Videos made or in production include those on the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation, unexplained road junction changes, the impact of Heathrow Airport expansion and Ealing Council’s Gurnell project.
Ealing Save Our NHS… …reports that eye-watering amounts of money are still being wasted on top down unworkable plans. Over a billion pounds of NHS money was wasted on the last plan ‘Shaping a Healthier Future’, mainly in salaries and fees to management consultants and bureaucrats. Now, without apology, that plan is dumped and the bureaucrats have a new one – ‘The Case for Change’. Once again it involves Government-inspired topdown changes imposed on front line staff in hospitals and GP surgeries. By April 2021, the Clinical Commissioning Groups from Ealing and 7 other boroughs are to be merged and local health budgets squeezed even tighter by executives with little community involvement or understanding. Some patients will have more restricted access to services. Consultants are being pressured not to refer patients
When this was first announced it was going to be 471 flats rising to 20 storeys. Then in July 2019 it was going to be 500 flats and up to 26 storeys – and now it’s 510 flats up to 28 storeys! Is there no end to this rampant profiteering? Developer Galliford Try is promising an exhibition of its plans in January 2020. The current development ‘menu’ includes a new Public Library (no bigger than our existing one), new Council offices (50% of the current floor space) and hopefully a new step-free access first-floor customer Centre.
Ealing Matters New Website on to other specialists. GPs have been told to cut referrals to hospitals and restrict prescribing over the counter medicines. Here in Ealing more people were admitted to A&E last year than was in the budget. The Hospital Trust wasn’t paid for the extra patients - then it was fined for being in debt! Even worse, the Hospital Trust continues to trim services from Ealing Hospital to prop up favoured Northwick Park Hospital. More at: www.ealingsaveournhs.org.uk
Putting the People of Ealing First
At www.ealingmatters.org.uk you can find the developing website for Ealing Matters. The organisation was formed in the winter of 2017/18 and is a network of residents’ groups throughout Ealing which is attempting to maintain and enhance quality of life for Ealing residents. The network sprung into life in response to a wave of residents’ dissatisfaction about occurring and planned changes to the fabric of Ealing. Currently there are 67 residents’ groups registered with Ealing Matters. A series of updates to the site will be made over the coming months including summary details of planned large residential, office, hotel and student buildings. As of November 2019 some 85 tower blocks of 10 storeys or more had recently been built in Ealing, are being built or planned. Of these, 26 are 20 storeys or more.
5
Read NP Online at www.neighbourspaper.com
Friendship Link Celebrates Ten Years By Andre R yan Residents in West London and the West Bank have enjoyed ten years of friendship between Hanwell and the historic Palestinian village of Sabastiya.
Today, Sabastiya and its people are suffering from decades of Israeli military occupation which affects daily life and causes much hardship.
Hanwell Friends of Sabastiya (HAFSA) is a friendship link which has grown from a chance visit in 2008, when local people were touring Palestine and were invited to visit and meet the mayor of the village.
Promoting friendship and understanding Upon returning to the UK and organising an event about Palestine, local people expressed an interest in forming a link with Sabastiya to promote friendship, assistance and mutual understanding.
Ancient rural village Sabastiya is an ancient and rural village of around 3,000 people whose history stretches across eight civilizations. This ancient land boasts a number of important archaeological sites, including Roman columns and the remains of King Herod’s palace. Local tradition maintains that the body of St John the Baptist is buried underneath the local mosque.
Over the past decade, numerous visits and exchanges have taken place and many social, cultural and community events have built strong links between the two communities.
6
From tours to teaching The group has also raised money to support the people of Sabastiya and sent volunteers to teach English and coach football, supported traditional
Putting the People of Ealing First
crafts and enterprises, purchased hens and olive trees and arranged many tours of the village. Hanwell Friends of Sabastiya (HAFSA) is a non-political group who welcome new members to extend friendship to Palestine. As HAFSA celebrates ten years of its link from West London to the West Bank, its members look forward to many more years of events, tours, projects and support. To join HAFSA, to receive regular updates or for more information, visit www.hafsa.org.uk or email info@hafsa.org.uk.
Read NP Online at www.neighbourspaper.com
Ealing’s Unfair CPZ Renewal PCNs (Fines) By Arthur B reens We used to fix discs to our windscreens to show we had paid for our resident parking permit. Add a date and we knew when it expires. Go electronic and discs are replaced by an email reminder of due date and how to pay. Payment confirmed by email? Some residents were reminded and paid. No problem. Others were: • Not reminded and FINED • Promised a reminder that was never sent and FINED • Reminded for one car but not another and FINED • Reminded one year and not the following year and FINED
This was raised at Walpole Ward Forum on 7 October 2019 but no action. Now (as of 31 October 2019) there have been two breakthroughs. Rupa Huq MP has written in strong terms to the Council that monies should be returned. Independently, Head of Parking Services Gina Cole has agreed to meet residents in November. So that’s progress, of sorts.
CENTRAL EALING LIVEABLE NEIGHBOURHOOD PROJECT SPLUTTERS INTO LIFE By Will French The Council is slowly waking to the need to smarten up Ealing Town centre. In Autumn 2108 an expert team of consultants made the astonishing discovery that people find the road crossings in the town centre difficult and the pavements overcrowded, especially around the bus stops and where there’s street clutter. Armed with this insight, the Council appointed more consultants to prepare a £10m bid for improvements to TfL. The Council says these must aim to make Ealing more pleasant to walk and cycle around. Progress is glacial, but in October a meeting of local community representatives were given clues as to what the consultants have in mind.
One interesting idea is to turn Mattock Lane into a cul-de-sac by closing the Bond Street end so that all traffic enters and leaves at Culmington Road, so that the stretch of road through Ealing Green is returned to common land. A second idea is to put in Oxford Circus style diagonal pedestrian crossings at the Carphone Warehouse and M&S. A third is for a new north-south town centre cycle route that uses Longfield Avenue and Barnes Pikle. With a cycle friendly crossing across the Uxbridge Road, this would provide a safe route to the many schools in the area.
of the bus lanes on the Uxbridge Road would allow for segregated cycle lanes. However, quiet routes either side of the Uxbridge Road already exist in the shape of Mattock Lane and Gordon Road and the gains for cyclists would be offset by longer journey times for many more bus passengers. The meeting was also told that after the all the complaints it received the Council is reconsidering its refusal to provide passenger setdown facilities at Ealing Broadway. At least they are showing now that they can be made to listen when the public clamour is loud enough.
Other ideas the consultants propose look more controversial. Reinstating two-way traffic on both Bond Street and the High Street seems to offer few benefits and is likely to increase congestion on both streets. Removal
Putting the People of Ealing First
7
Read NP Online at www.neighbourspaper.com
The Felix Project: Good Food for Good Causes by
Holly K alra
The Felix Project rescues good food that would otherwise go to waste and delivers it free to people in London who struggle to afford good food. This year, The Felix Project will deliver 2,000 tonnes of food to charities and primary schools - which is enough food for almost five million meals. More than eight million people in the UK struggle to afford to eat every day, while our food industry generates 100,000 tonnes of edible food waste each year. That’s where The Felix Project comes in, collecting good, nutritious food that suppliers cannot sell. The food includes a high proportion of fresh fruit and vegetables, baked goods, salads, meat and fish. The Felix Project delivers food to more than 280 London frontline charities and primary schools who provide support for nearly 100,000 people. These charities look after elderly, children and families, homeless, those suffering from mental health issues, asylum seekers and refugees. ‘For people who are down on their luck and at the lowest ebb of their lives, make no mistake, Felix is a godsend. And not just for their stomachs, for their state of mind.’ The Felix Project makes a weekly delivery of surplus food to primary schools which teach children from some of the most deprived families of London. At the end of the school day, a Felix ‘market stall’ is set up in the playground
8
and pupils and their families are invited to fill a Felix bag with a healthy selection of food. The food supplied to schools during term time continues to reach as many children as possible during the holidays to tackle the problem of ‘holiday hunger’. ‘It's a really lovely way to reach out to those in need in the local community in a way that creates as little stigma as possible. One parent was able to cook for five days from one collection.’ The wonderfully simple approach to redistributing good food for good causes is all done by volunteers. At the heart of The Felix Project is a team of 400 volunteers who collect and deliver food as drivers, driver assistants, cyclists, walkers, and warehouse assistants. Volunteers also help at events, in admin and in most areas of the organisation. Cathy started volunteering with The Felix Project in their Park Royal depot in 2016. ‘I was brought up to think that wasting food was close to being a sin, so when I read about The Felix Project, the idea of combining the reduction of food waste with helping people in need appealed hugely. I really enjoy what we do and also being part of such a great team of staff and volunteers.’
Putting the People of Ealing First
There are lots of opportunities to get involved with The Felix Project, and they love hearing from people who want to help, especially over the Christmas period. If you can spare a few hours, volunteering is a great way to support your local community. You can register your interest at www.thefelixproject.org/volunteer and The Felix Project’s volunteer coordinator, Holly will be in touch.
Read NP Online at www.neighbourspaper.com
EALING CARE CO-OPERATIVE through a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise.
We are planning a Care Cooperative in Ealing for those needing care and the workers giving the care.
By removing investor profit, a care co-operative can improve both care quality and job satisfaction for workers, reducing staff turnover, recruitment, administration and training costs, enabling more care provision and staff rewards than a commercial provider.
Why? Social care is in crisis. Funding from government is inadequate to meet care for our ageing and disabled population, both young and old. Care workers often suffer poor terms and conditions of employment, zero hours contracts and wages below the London Living Wage. Most providers are private companies seeking to profit from care provision.
What is a Care Co-operative and are they already operating in UK? Data obtained for 2015 showed 111 health and social care co-operatives operating in the UK with a turnover of £60m, a growth of 1/3rd since 2010. It is a unique form of business owned by the people it serves (care clients, care workers, support staff, etc.) to meet needs and aspirations
Next meeting and further information. We welcome anybody who is a care client, friend/family member or a care worker to attend meetings to help us drive the project forward. For further information and details of next meeting, email Brian Rose at brianTrose@hotmail. com or call 07958 438089. If emailing, let Brian know by text/phone in case your email goes to his spam folder.
After our article on the social care crisis in Ealing last issue, Brian Rose offers a different solution.
Memory Café The Memory Café at St Barnabas Church offers fun and fellowship, professional pastoral support, advice, memory games, information, and the opportunity to share problems. What makes the Memory Café so memorable is that it is a friendly and warm environment for people who are on their own and would like to sit and chat and share interest and company. All are welcome, including people with dementia and their carers and people with disabilities. There are always refreshments available. Social gatherings can be entertaining and the café organises activities, including games, quizzes, exercise classes, craft, table decorations and card design. These events are ad hoc
Ealing Council’s role. The Ealing initiative is part of the Future Ealing project. The council is not directly involved in the co-op but is promoting its creation.
By Valerie Rudd
and the café is open to suggestions and new ideas. Jill Scott, Deacon, had the idea to create the Memory Café which she organises, supported by the rest of the Clergy team. There are also many volunteers who give up their time to create such a warm and pleasant atmosphere in such a beautiful location.
Friendly & welcoming
St Barnabas Church is located in Pitshanger Lane W5 1QG. Buses E9 &E2 stop outside. The Church has been running the Memory Café since August 2018, on Thursday mornings, 11.30 to 1.00pm.
Putting the People of Ealing First
gathering inside
St Barnabas Church
For more information contact the Parish Office 0208 998 4079, email: office@barnabites.org or visit www.barnabites.org.
9
Read NP Online at www.neighbourspaper.com
ACTON UNFRAMED A grassroots urban project bringing street art to Acton By Libby K emp With the demolition of Charles Hocking House in South Acton and with it Stik’s Big Mother, a 13-storey mural, Acton lost a much-loved and only piece of public art, with no known plans for a new installation. And then along came Acton Unframed, a project developed by Jewel Goodby, an online gallery curator, and Kal di Paolo, a local marketing consultant running community projects in Acton. Bringing the community together Jewel, had tried five years ago to launch a project named ‘Unframed’, with a vision to bring world-class street artists to the South Acton estate. Artists had been secured but at that time funding could not be found and there was a lack of community support. Jewel approached Kal to see if the project could be bought back to life. Kal thought it was a great idea, and so Acton Unframed was born. In May 2019 a fundraising campaign raised £54k with strong support from the local businesses, Acton BID, Ealing Council, Acton Central Ward Forum and The Mayor of London.
Stop FLU going viral
10
Wall mu ral : S hisoka Churchfield Road, Acton . Inspiring social change Acton Unframed in partnership with West London Art Factory was launched in August 2019. The project aims to attract visitors to the area and serve as a catalyst to engage the community and to inspire commercial and social change in the neighbourhood. The plan is to create five largescale murals by internationally respected portrait and figurative artists to kickstart the project. All artists will be given a brief to draw inspiration from Acton’s history and its vibrant and diverse community. During the week of 19 August crowds gathered in Churchfield Road, as a steady stream of residents and street art fans came to watch the daily progress of the first mural, the stunning Shisoka, by world-renowned artist Fin DAC. For their second project, Acton Unframed has chosen a 3D metal sculpture of Jamal Edwards MBE, by award-winning artist Matt Small. Jamal who grew up on the South Acton Estate, is the celebrated founder of SB.TV, a YouTube channel he started at the age of 15, using it to promote artists such as Dizzee Rascal and Wiley into the mainstream.
Fin DAC
in
Aim high, believe Matt’s work focuses on portraying young people in a positive light, seeing the potential and highlighting the positive contributions they can make and are making in society. Matt has developed his own unique style, creating pieces from discarded materials, car bonnets and old street signs to tin cans and discarded toys. Matt says: ‘An outdoor image of Jamal, in the area he grew up in and calls home, can be an inspiration to other young people to aim high, believe in themselves and make that positive movement for their own futures.’ For more information, visit www.actonunframed.com.
Jamal Edwards and Matt Small
8 St Johns Parade Mattock Lane Ealing W13 9LL
Putting the People of Ealing First
by
Flu Vaccinations ● Walk-in service ● No appointment needed ● Free, if eligible
Read NP Online at www.neighbourspaper.com
A Wonderful Adventure By Eric Leach
‘A Wonderful Adventure’ is a young, vibrant Ealing-based professional theatre company specialising in the fantastical, magical and historical. The company was formed in 2017 to entertain people of all ages and to provide innovative productions. The two founding principals of the company are Halie Darling and George C. Francis. Halie Darling Halie graduated from LJMU with a first in Drama. She has significant experience in working with children including Oldham Coliseum’s young people’s theatre workshop programmes, acting as a workshop leader. After graduating Halie worked at Legoland Discovery Centre, Manchester, writing, directing and performing in the Lego Pantos for the Trafford Centres Fireworks Extravaganza. She is an avid puppeteer, working with Hamleys to create their Harry Potter: Beasts Released show, Dino Park Safari, and teaching puppetry at Shrek’s Adventure. Credits include: Amelia (Amelia Earhart at the Edge
of the Stars), Robin (Alien: Escape, 20th Century Fox) and Mrs Lovett (Strictly Come Dancing, ITV). Halie’s spotlight pin: 6299-0198-0992. George C Francis George trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School graduating in 2007 with a Distinction in acting. He works as an actor and director. He has toured the UK extensively, and has performed in a varied range of productions from contemporary writing, to a wide variety of Shakespearean roles. He recently finished his first West End role as Jamie in The Feeling at The Other Palace Theatre. George has also led and facilitated workshops for young people and people with special needs. George appeared in the Norwegian feature film ’Just Working’ and has worked in physical theatre, clowning, stand-up comedy and is a keen puppeteer. Credits include: Toad (The Wind in the Willows), Leontes (The Winter’s Tale), Theo (Vincent), The Proprietor (Assassins). George’s spotlight pin: 9731-4508-0331.
Experience
the fantastical , the magical ,
and the historical in
Ealing .
Ealing Productions In Ealing, the company have mounted productions with OPEN Ealing, the SoundBite festival, The BID, On Route, Hanwell Carnival and The Christmas Fair among others. They recently played a leading role in the production and performance of a Victorian Music Hall show at The Viaduct Pub in Hanwell, in aid of Ealing Hospital. See Facebook/Twitter/ Instagram: @AWAPrd
Halie and George have over forty years of professional acting experience between them. They have been working together for six years. They produced and performed in The Tempest at the Southwark Playhouse, The Three Musketeers and The Secret Garden among others. They continue to offer both new writing and classics with A Wonderful Adventure. They both starred in the brand-new West End musical, The Feeling.
Putting the People of Ealing First
11
Read NP Online at www.neighbourspaper.com
GUNNERSBURY PARK SPORTS CENTRE By Michael Holmes Feel GOOD? Feel BETTER! At least that’s what Better Gyms, occupants of the new Gunnersbury Park Sports Centre, plan to make you feel. Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL), owners of the Better brand, operate hundreds of sports and leisure facilities and libraries on behalf of local authorities across the UK. The nonprofit charitable organization and one of the country’s leading social enterprises will surely add a feelgood, or even feel better factor in Ealing. Well-being in the community Not only do Better Gyms provide health and well-being for Ealing, they also help local communities. As well as its own internal college and ‘Healthwise’ programme, most if not all the proceeds are reinvested into the community. Established in 1993, GLL was a national leisure provider and rebranded all their centres in 2012 to Better. It’s since gone on to manage a number of sports centers, even those that are part of the Olympic Legacy. For example: the National Sports Centre in Crystal Palace, the Aquatics Centre and Multi-Use Arena of the London 2012 Olympic Games in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and several open-air swimming pools (Lido’s). There’s also the Spa Experience encompassing beauty and health treatments within the leisure
12
facilities, one of which is the historic Ironmonger Row Baths near Old Street.
there is NO CONTRACT, meaning members can opt out anytime.
Membership options Better Gyms offer different types of membership to cater to all needs, including concessions. An example would be all-inclusive membership. This type of membership enables you to access pretty much all the centres be it gyms, pools, libraries etc. Secondly, there’s single activity membership. This type will be gym only or classes.
Classes for all With Gurnell Leisure Centre and now Gunnersbury Sports Park Centre, Better has two facilities in Ealing providing opportunities for all to enjoy. Not just for health and fitness but also sports and social events such as Performing Arts, Music Tuition, Dance, Drama, Birthday Parties, Gymnastics, Trampolining, Football, Climbing, Windsurfing, Diving, Tennis, Triathlon, Ice Staking, and much more. Another benefit to becoming a member is not only do you have access to the centres in Ealing but options include attending as many centres as you want. Not to mention libraries.
Then there is Corporate membership for large firms or even small to medium enterprises (SMEs). This type of membership will likely have concessions to encourage company staff and businesses to take part in activities and social events. Library membership, shortterm passes and a non-committing pay as you go option are also available. Even with the membership
Putting the People of Ealing First
Open all year round, there’s never a time you can’t visit a centre. Opening hours vary and can be found on the website www.better.org.uk.