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E17 ART TRAILREVIEW

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ROCKETINGHOUSE PRICES

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mess outer London boroughs likeWaltham Forest are in. London trafficspeeds are now averaging less than20mph (central London speedsunder 9mph). Yet over 80 percent of outer London car journeys areunder 2km.

Partly because of all thecongestion, local GPs and hospitalsare under increasing strain fromasthma, other roads-related healthissues and obesity. Increasing cyclingnot only cuts congestion, and offersquicker journey, it also makes peoplehealthier and cuts pollution.

Spending money on cycling forcouncils makes good sense – forevery pound spent, the benefits backto residents are far higher than moneyspent on improving roads for drivers,for instance.

Getting on your bike “Survey after survey shows a majorityof local residents want to cycle more,but won’t because they’re afraid of thetraffic,” said Paul Gasson, Chair,Waltham Forest Cycling Campaign.“The mini-Holland plans, if doneproperly, will let anyone from eight toeighty ride in safety from their homein Walthamstow to most key localdestinations and beyond.”

The mini-Holland plans shouldmake cycling feel a lot safer, openingup cycling to more than just thededicated. On top of that, cycling isalready cheap, healthy and safe. Youcan pick up an OK bike from £100and you’ll soon start saving comparedto driving or using the tube or bus.The council offers adult learnerlessons on road for free if you haven’tcycled for a while, and the WalthamForest Cycling Campaign runs regularsocial and family-friendly rides to help you get used to getting aroundon two wheels.

Repeated studies, meanwhile, haveshown cyclists live longer and

Welcome to ‘mini-Holland’healthier lives, even taking intoaccount crashes. Despite appearances,cycling in London, and across the UKremains statistically very safe and it’snot just for the fit. Trikes and otherbikes are available for those who can’tride standard bicycles.

“We’re lucky in Waltham Forest tohave the Lea Valley on one side, andEpping Forest on the other”, saidGasson. “We’re really close to greatleisure cycling areas.” Beyond cyclingfor fun, Walthamstow already hasgood commuter links by bike tocentral London and Stratford.

Sounds great but will itwork?The hugely complex plans will onlywork if every detail is well thought-through. Anything short of a big boostto cycling numbers would meanfailure – considering the sumsinvolved.

“We have a once in a lifetimeopportunity to show what can be donewith genuine council commitment todeliver” said Gasson.

With that commitment, andassuming all of the details are carefullyplanned, it’ll mean far fewer cars onour roads; kids able to cycle to schoolas well as play out on their own streetsmore safely; far more people of allages and abilities out on bikes andhealthier, happier residents all round.

Simon Munk is Council LiaisonOfficer for Waltham Forest CyclingCampaign. For more information

on mini-Holland including a link to the bid see:

http://wfcycling.wordpress.com/mini-holland

Issue One Summer 2014

An artist's impression of part of the'mini-Holland' development plans

Simon Munk

Transport for London announced inMarch 2014 that Waltham Forest wasone of three London boroughs to win£30 million in funding for radicalschemes to boost cycling. As a result,Walthamstow is set to become a“mini-Holland” with major roads andareas around the town centretransformed to improve conditionsfor cycling (and walking).

Whether you currently cycle ornot, this is big news for the area, andset to affect your life for at least thenext five years – because, at the veryleast, so much change to the borough’sroads will mean roadworks. On theplus side, it should also mean, at thevery least, more chances for yourchildren to play out on the streets withtheir friends and neighbours. Here’swhy Walthamstow mini-Hollandmatters to you, and what it means for everyone.

Cycle Super HighwayWaltham Forest council put forwarda series of proposals in its mini-Holland bid. The main three are: a“Cycle Super Highway” along thelength of Lea Bridge Road to theborder with Hackney, includingradically redesigning Whipps CrossRoundabout; key safer routes north-south and east-west throughWalthamstow; and “villagisation” of three large residential areassurrounding central Walthamstow.

As part of these schemes, majorroads including Lea Bridge Road,Forest Road, Markhouse Road,Selbourne Road, Hoe Street andPalmerston Road will be redesignedto provide cycle lanes separated from cars and pedestrians and withtraffic at 20mph.

Meanwhile, the three“villagisation” areas will see planters,bollards and gates used to closeresidential streets in each area tothrough traffic, calming them so not

only can cyclists navigate througheasily and confidently, but alsochildren can play out more.

“The first schemes [are] planned tostart in the Autumn. These includeRuckholt Road, High Road Leyton toHackney” said Councillor ClydeLoakes, Deputy Leader/CabinetMember for Environment, LondonBorough of Waltham Forest.

30 million reasons forchange“While the Council could only do alimited amount on its own, with up to£30 million funding we really canmake some radical differences,” saidCouncillor Loakes. “I think [CyclingCommissioner for London] AndrewGilligan was impressed by our visionfor cycling in the borough and alsosaw huge potential here.”

No doubt, it’s a huge political winfor the borough’s councillors andofficers. But the mini-Holland planscould well also offers a huge fix to a big

STRANGERSON YOUR SOFA

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Waltham Forest Echo2Little FreeLibrariesland in E17

Staff Writer

A new way to share books has arrivedin London and Walthamstow is itsbirthplace. Little Free Libraries literallyappeared on the streets of E17overnight on 31 May 2014 when a newproject was launched to coincide withthe start of the E17 Art Trail. So, what isa Little Free Library (LFL)? It’s anartfully decorated house-shaped boxoffering people the opportunity to takea book for free.

Very little in life is free these days,especially in London, so these minibook sharing venues have beenwelcomed with open arms by the localcommunity. As well as taking a book,patrons are encouraged to return anddonate books too.

There are 12 LFLs in Walthamstowin total which were built and installedas part of a new national initiative bycharity Little Free Library Project,whose aim is to increase access to freebooks and promote literacy and art inthe UK.

LFLs are located in residential frontgardens, cafes, pubs and communityspaces. LFL host Marita Keremezo said“I got involved to try and bring readingcloser to people, particularly children.”You can see her beautiful book box onGarner Road, E17. It was decorated bylocal artist Gabriela Castellanos. “I findthat people in Walthamstow genuinelywant to enage and talk to each other,but there is often a barrier, whichsomething like the LFL Project canovercome.” says Keremezo.

UK Project Manager Nick Cheshiresays he has been overwhelmed by the positive response from theWalthamstow community, “hosts,artists and the local community have allcome together to help make this projecta success.” said Cheshire.

Find your nearest LFL here:www.littlefreelibraryproject.org.uk/

walthamstow.html

Simon Munk

The Lloyd Park Centre hasannounced the grand opening of itsimproved Grow Wild play space,Saturday 6 September. The space isthe adventure playground that’sappeared next to the existing mainLloyd Park playground (with a gatethrough a tree between the two).

The Lloyd Park Centre is a charitythat runs two daycare nurseries, afterschool club, a training agency, anddoes outreach and drop-in sessionsfor the local community at its site in

Making headlinesFrom the editor of Waltham Forest Echo

News

Hello and thank you for picking up acopy of issue one of Waltham ForestEcho. It’s been a few years since themembers of WFWellComm, a socialenterprise made up of charities andsocial enterprises based in the borough,first started talking about starting anewspaper.

We all had similar reasons forsupporting the idea. We felt that whileexisting publications produced bycommercial organisations and thelocal authority did some things wellthere was a gap for a borough-widecommunity publication.

We wanted to create anindependent source of information,produced by and for local people,giving local people and communityorganisations the opportunity to talkabout what they’re doing, what they’dlike to happen and ways they can helpand support each other.

Earlier this year, we secured a small

amount of grant funding to supportthe publication of four quarterly issuesbeginning with this one. Now thechallenge is to make Waltham ForestEcho work, both as a communityproject and as a financially sustainablesocial enterprise.

The example of successful publi-cations in other areas, such as HackneyCitizen and Brixton Bugle, shows thatit can be done. We’ve already had ahuge amount of help from everyonewho’s contributed to the first issue.

Now that the newspaper’s up andrunning we’re looking for more writersfor future issues and the website (see

page 15), and help with advertisingand distribution. We want as manyreaders as possible to get involved butif you’re not able to get involved di-rectly, you can still help by telling uswhat you think. There’s a survey onpage 15 to give your feedback or thesame survey is online at: www.survey-monkey.com/s/ WFEcho1

Thanks again for reading the firstissue. We look forward to hearingwhat you think of it and working withyou to create a community newspaperthat Waltham Forest can be proud of.

David Floyd, Social Spider

the park as well as Higham HillChildren’s Centre, Chapel EndChildren’s Centre. The Grow Wildspace opened in September 2011.

The original Grow Wild featuredtunnels through bushes, insecthabitats and a pebble “beach” forwater play among other features. The

space was designed to encourageoutdoors play and play in nature, withelements of managed risk.

Now, APEs at play (AdventurePlayground Engineers Ltd), who havepreviously worked on Skelton’s Lanein Leytonstone, the Queen ElizabethOlympic Park and even LondonZoo’s new Tiger Territory, usingmoney raised by the Centre, haveadded an extra storey to the space.

Above the existing tunnels andbeach are now climbing structuresand walkways that lead to a story den,music-making space, slides and more.Much of the upper level is accessibleto children of all abilities – and thenew features have extended the agerange of the space with children frombabies to 12 year olds now able to useGrow Wild.

Grow Wild’s Grand Opening is 6September. 2–3pm for invitees to theopening ceremony; 3–5pm for publicaccess (children wearing appropriateshoes, parents needed to supervise).“We are looking forward to welcomingeveryone to experience this greatadventure!” said Pauline Thomas, ChiefExecutive, The Lloyd Park Centre.“Come along to join in with risky playin a naturalistic environment!”

After the grand opening, GrowWild will be open to The Lloyd ParkCentre users – daycare, after schooletc. – as well as holding regular drop-inweekday sessions for under 5s andanyone coming to the centre’s Saturdaymorning Dad’s Club. The Centre is alsoseeking funding for more public accesssessions – including evenings andweekends. The funding is neededbecause the space has to be staffsupervised to be open.

See www.thelloydparkcentre.co.ukfor more details and timetable forGrow Wild etc.

Simon Munk, Outdoors Area committee,Lloyd Park Centre

New “Grow Wild” play space toopen in Lloyd Park in September

Issue One – Summer 2014 33News

Amina AhmedStreet17 will host a free arts festival forthe second time this summer.

After a turnout of more than 2000people last year, the festival will returnto Walthamstow Town Square onSunday 17th August from noon to5pm hoping to build on that success.

Festival curator, Mike Bowles, said:“Thousands of people had awonderful day enjoying hands-on artactivities, performances and film inWalthamstow Town Square last year.

“We are planning an even biggerbash this summer, offering somethingfor all ages, backgrounds and tastes.”

The event is aimed at young peopleand will feature contemporary artistsand exciting performers, providing afamily-friendly environment formaking, experiencing and participatingin visual arts, music, film, dance, dramaand physical performances.

Chairman, Adam Taylor, said: “Wehope to create a different type ofcommunity arts event and motivatepeople to do something themselves.

“It’s all about celebratingcreativeness. Young people’s creativityshould be showcased more and that’swhat we are trying to do.”

There will be a centrepiece publicsculpture. Other activities that will fea-ture at the event include face painting,ceramics decorating, drumming, BMXand skateboarding displays, locally-pro-duced archive and contemporary filmson the Big Screen, art-in-progressdemonstrations, workshops and pop-up galleries and stalls for arts and crafts.

Refreshments from around theworld will also be sold at the event.

Street17 aims to support local artists,involve diverse communities andcelebrate Walthamstow as a centre oftolerance and cultural production.

Last summer local artists andperformers including Youth and streetdance groups X7eaven, Youth &Project 13 and KNI Foundation,showed their work and served uphands-on arts activities and displays.

Street17 is backed by a LondonBorough of Waltham Forest ArtsDevelopment grant and localsponsors including Churchill Estatesand The Mall shopping centre.

Street17 takes place inWalthamstow Town Square 12noon

to 5pm on 17th August. For more information – Facebook:

Street 17 Art, Twitter:@Street17art, www.street17.co.uk

Festival brings street arts to Town Square

An artist at work at lastyear's Street17 festival

When the E17 ArtsTrail first tookplace in place in2005, it was a oneday event with 50

exhibitions. A lot has changed sincethen and this year saw the Arts Trail,which was set up by Laura Kerry andher partner Chris out of frustration atthe lack of opportunities to exhibit inthe area, celebrated its 10thanniversary in June with a 16-dayfestival showcasing work by 4,000artists for an audience of more than 15,000.

The massively positive spirit thateveryone loves about the festival wasevident from the opening party atVestry House and continued to growand grow over the two weeks. For thefirst time the Art Trail was brokendown into more manageable mini-trails, focusing on different areas.These mini-trails enabled people toexplore new parts of the borough ordiscover all the amazing thingshappening on the streets around

where they live. The introduction ofthe Blackhorse Arts Trek drew crowdsto the Blackhorse Lane area,welcomed newcomers Made by Oreand Blackhorse Workshop andbrought together a community ofmakers, artists, designers – as well aseveryone else who fancied joining in.

The range of exhibitions wasabsolutely amazing: you could seeeverything from painting, sculpture,music, and dance to madrigals,shadow plays, knitting, performances,furniture and jewellery. As well as theexhibitions there were lots of fantasticevents – walks through Epping Forest,bus tours, talks, live painting, bunting-making, story-telling, dance classesand poetry readings. And alongside allof this ran the Appetite food festival –fuelling and delighting hungry trailers– and the Walthamstow Film Festival.The creativity and exuberance led to all sort of mad and wonderfulhappenings: rainforests in cafes,golden pineapples, little free libraries,art growing on trees and much more.

One of thereally specialaspects of theTrail is being ableto see artworks inthe studio wherethey were createdor in the artist’shouse (one workwas painted onthe house!). Itgives such a greatinsight into thecreative processand it’s fantastic tobe able to discussthe work with theartist. The Trail

Arts in the right placeAlice Spawls on 10 years of the E17 Arts Trail

Noor UlIslamTrust is onthe move!Aslam Hansa

Noor Ul Islam Trust is moving totemporary accommodationadjacent to its permanent home onthe High Road in Leyton. This movewill allow demolition of the mosqueand community centre and for anew complex (pictured) to be builtin the comings months. This£8million project will provideimproved facilities for the wholecommunity, not just Muslims.

Following years of planning forthis new project, the work is aboutto start. Many of the Trust’s existingservices will now take place intemporary accommodation at717–723 High Road, Leyton,however during the work, facilitieswill be restricted.

The Trust has been based on theHigh Road since its inception, 25years ago, but its venue is now toosmall and in need of major repairs tohouse the ever expanding numberof services.

The Trust is a registered charityfirst set up in 1990. It looks aftersocial, welfare and educationalneeds of the local community. It notonly works within the Muslimcommunity but seeks to work withothers. It is the founding member ofthe all faiths community forum andoften fund raises for various groups,including Age UK, Children withLeukaemia, NSPCC and thematernity section of Whipps CrossUniversity Hospital.

Some of the activities run by theTrust include pre-school, full timeprimary school, an active youthgroup, football sessions with LeytonOrient Football Club andswimming activities at WalthamForest College.

More information on the Trustcan be found at

www.noorulislam.org.uk or tel 020 8558 0786

that, which is very difficult to measure,but clear when you see it – a sense ofcommunity.

Information on future Arts Trailscan be found at:

www.artillery.org.uk

also gives artists the opportunity tomeet and share ideas with other localpractitioners and visitors will havebeen inspired to produce their ownartworks, learn a craft or think abouthow they might get involved in nextyear’s trail. However, even beyond thisbuilding of appreciation, the Art Trailis also very effective at developing

Waltham Forest Echo4

not know about them. I had comeacross this great online children’s wearshop, Yellow Lolly, but had no ideathey were actually based inWalthamstow until a chance meetingin Greenleaf Park. Now, knowing thatlocal mums Ellie & Claire are behindit definitely makes me want to shopthere even more. So part of themotivation for BeBop Baby was tohave an opportunity for people tosocialise and find out about what great

things people are doing, a real worldplatform to connect, put faces tonames.

What’s there? Live music everymonth from a professional band &DJs playing a broad range of music,the kind of playlists you’ll hear onCerys Matthews show or JamieCullum. A soft play area for babies(courtesy of the Toy Library), adressing up box and art table forbigger ones and a bar for that all

important Sunday afternoon drink!We also have a small, curatedshowcase of family life focused localbusinesses, usually run by fantasticWalthamstow mamas.

For more information on BeBopBaby go to: www.bebop-baby.co.uk

Music in theafternoon Hannah Lamdin on anew monthly event forfamilies in Walthamstow

Staff Writer

Walthamstow means “welcome place”and has a long history of being a placeof hospitality for incomers and apositive example of multi-culturalism.This inspired local Vicar, CanonSteven Saxby, to put together theWorld in Walthamstow photoexhibition for the E17 Art Trail at StBarnabas Church.

This exhibition, which was ondisplay in June 2014, celebrated multi-culturalism in particular, bydemonstrating the huge diversity ofnationalities which dwell, study orvisit E17. The project was a personaljourney for Canon Saxby. Every oneof the 130 photos displayed aroundthe church were taken inWalthamstow and were either takenby or featured him. Each one includessomeone of a different nationality.“Many are members of the beautifulmulti-cultural congregation of StBarnabas Church”, he said, “and allpeople with whom I have at least hada conversation here in E17.”

The on-going project celebrates

migration and has been embraced bythe Walthamstow Migrants’ ActionGroup(www.walthamstowmigrantsaction.org.uk). Group chair Dr Shaukat Khansaid, “the wonderful project featuressome of our work, including our LoveMigrants Party and our Welcome toWalthamstow action which sought tocounter the negativity of theGovernment’s Stop and Searchactivity at Walthamstow Central andthe abominable ‘Go Home’ vans.”

During the E17 Art Trail, thechurch held a World in Walthamstowparty which was attended by peoplefrom over fifty nationalities andspecial guests Walthamstow MPStella Creasy, Waltham Forest MayorNadeem Ali and an imam from LeaBridge Road mosque. At the partyStella Creasy said, “great thingshappen because of people like Stevenmaking Walthamstow God’s owncountry.”

The on-going project is hoping tofind people in Walthamstow from the75 countries not yet represented inthe exhibition. To get involvedcontact stevensaxby@btinternet.com

The World in Walthamstow

Canon Steven Saxby with Stella Creasy MP and some of the people from over 50 different nationalities present at the World in Walthamstow party.

Photo ©M

ark Burton, 2014

Issue One – Summer 2014 5

We missed baby friendly activitiesthat were on when dad was aroundtoo so we decided to put one onourselves. 9 times out of 10 it ismothers who are off with the kids.Mums miss sharing their kids’reactions and experiences with dads,dads miss some great activities andtheir kids’ responses and when thereare social things with everyone thedads don’t know each other. So wethought it would be great to havesomething on a weekend thateveryone can enjoy together.

There are loads of really talentedparents doing interesting things in allsorts of fields living in Walthamstow,you can connect online but if you’renot on Twitter or don’t happen tocross paths at the swings you might

I love going out. I really love live music,concerts, parties & hanging out withfriends, dancing and drinking cocktails.When I just had one baby I still wentto a lot of things at night with him snugin his wrap, but once there were two itwas increasingly hard to take them tothings in the evening. I really missedgoing to my husband’s gigs and hearinglive music. Quite a few of our musicfriends now have kids and they rarelygot to see what mummy & daddy doeither. It seemed sad that our son knows“Daddy makes music with Ellie’s mum& dad” but that this was always “atwork” not seen. So I thought why can’twe have a gig in the daytime? BeBopBaby, a monthly daytime dance partyat Walthamstow Trades Hall, has grownfrom that idea.

5News

Waltham Forest Echo6

Would you open upyour home and al-low strangers fromaround the worldto stay in it for

free? A growing band of people inWaltham Forest and around the worldare doing just that every day, and manyof them have found that in doing so theyhave gained a sense of community,made new friends, and even met theirlife partners.

‘Couchsurfing’ or ‘CS’ as it’s widelyknown, is the main website thatconnects these people, although thereare other similar sites. CS was

founded in 2004, and now countsmore than 117,000 listed members inLondon, of which several thousandlive in Waltham Forest. CSemphasises inclusivity, and hasmembers from every age andbackground.

CS members have an onlineprofile, and when they travel toanother place, they can search for localCS members, send them a ‘couchrequest’, and if accepted, the ‘surfer’can stay over with the host for anagreed time... the rules state that nopayment is allowed! So why do theydo it?

Gul Akayya is a 26-year-old ITcompany owner living in Leyton.She’s been a member of CS since2006: “I have met hundreds of peopleon CS, I joined because I wanted tohave friends in the UK, and it hasreally helped me to find a placeanywhere in the world. CS has filledup my social life, I even met mypartner at a CS event, this is verycommon in the CS community”

Andrew Brown is 39, he has livedin Walthamstow for 30 years andworks in finance. Incredibly, he hashosted more than 370 people in hishome since he joined CS three years

ago. “Overall it’s been an amazingjourney and an amazing experience,out of 370 plus experiences, I couldprobably name about five that didn’tgo to plan, that’s a phenomenal ratio”.

For many people, the first thingthat comes to mind when they hearabout CS is potential safety concerns,but other couchsurfers in WalthamForest are, like Andrew,overwhelmingly positive about theirexperiences. “I have never met anynegative person on CS”, said Gul.Twenty-nine-year-old couchsurferAleksandra Czernecka (pictured,right), a software developer from

Strangers on your sofaEd Swan on couchsurfing in Waltham Forest

Leytonstone, agreed: “Some peoplewho don’t know CS, they’re a bitscared, they say: ‘strangers in yourhouse, they can kill you!’, well I say:‘strangers on the street can kill you!’”.

CS is not completely withoutcontroversy though, there have beena small number of reported cases ofsexual violence committed by hostsagainst their surfers, although CS doeshave security verification features andurges users to pay close attention tothe references which appear on everyprofile. In 2011, CS became a for-profit ‘B Corporation’, a move whichsome users felt devalued the anti-

Features

Issue One – Summer 2014 77Featurescapitalist spirit of CS and the hardwork of volunteers to build the site.Couchsurfers in Waltham Forest donot seem fazed by the changes,though, and the site continues to growin numbers.

CS is not only used by those whoneed a place to stay. 26-year-oldcouchsurfer Mehdi Chenoufi(pictured, left), who lives inWalthamstow and works as a boatinglake assistant, has used the website toorganise successful group events. “Inthe beginning I didn’t host” saysMehdi, “but I started by creatingevents, I did a Banksy tour, where Ihad 88 attending, and I even met mygirlfriend there. I also organised a tripto Thorpe Park and had about 13attending”

Couchsurfers in Waltham Forestalso make the most of showing thelocal area to their visitors, who mightnot otherwise get to see parts ofLondon away from the usual touristhotspots. “Everyone has their ownstyle of hosting” says Andrew, “Iprefer to do stuff outside the home,people don’t come all the way toLondon just to sit in someone’shouse. I’ll take the guys to a local

pub, like the Hare and Hound, We’llhave a beer or play a game of pool.”

Aleksandra feels the same: “I reallyenjoy hosting people in Leytonstone,taking them to the pub or taking themfor a walk, down to Wanstead Flats orHollow Pond, they really appreciatethe green spaces in the area”.

But is CS really a community?And how does being a part of CScompare to being a part of the reallocal community?

“I would say that I’m part of thelocal community”, says Andrew, “Ialways try to use local facilities, also Iprefer to spend money locally inlocal business, keep up to date withthings that are happening but I alsodefinitely feel that I’m part of a CScommunity.”

Gul feels a bit differently about herplace in the local community, butagrees about CS: “I don’t really feelthat I am part of the local communityhere, although I would like to getmore involved. But CS is a commu-nity that shares a lot in common witheach other, especially stories abouttravel. I think that online communitiesare the most common and most important communities for young

Computer lessons for the over 50s

people today, it’s much easier to meetsomeone online, when you can seetheir profile, than to go up to someonein the street and introduce yourself ”.

Aleksandra agrees: “I think that tobe a couchsurfer you have to be open,if you’re not open to other people,can’t accept that they can be different,have different lifestyles, you will notbe successful on CS. Maybe onlinecommunities have replaced localcommunities for some people. InLeytonstone, I’m not sure what Iwould do to be a bigger part of thecommunity. It’s easier to organise anevent online, whereas to organisesomething without using the internet,it’s harder to advertise and harder toreach people.”

Helping visitors to London to getoff the tourist beaten track anddiscover new places can only bepositive for them and for the localarea. While nothing beats theimportance of a strong localcommunity, the clear message thatcomes from everyone involved in CSis that the relationships that are startoff from an online project can be asreal and meaningful as those that wemake with our neighbours.

“I think that to be acouchsurfer you have to be open... Maybe onlinecommunities have replaced local communitiesfor some people.”

Waltham Forest Echo8

The only way is upWaltham Forest house prices are the “fastest rising in London”reports James Cracknell

Waltham Forest isnow officially themost sought-after borough inLondon. House

prices rose a staggering 26 percent inthe 2013/14 financial year, and thereare no signs yet of that trend slowing.

This is well above the averageLondon rise over the same period of17 percent, with Waltham Forest’sgood transport links, thriving artsscene and relatively low pricescompared to other parts of Londoncited as fuelling the demand.

An average home here will now setyou back £323,000, compared to£256,000 a year ago, according to theLand Registry.

Despite the huge rise there are still20 other boroughs with higher prices

than Waltham Forest, and theLondon average is £435,000.

So when might price rises slow?Waltham Forest Echo spoke to a localfirst-time buyer, an estate agent andlocal council to get their views.

Caroline Daniels pictured and herpartner Ronnie Suleiman have beenlooking for a one-bed flat sinceJanuary, and recently had an offer of£265,000 accepted for a property nearBakers Arms.

Caroline, 27, told the Echo: “Placeslike Hackney are unaffordable now soI think people are coming hereinstead.

“It’s one of the few places left inLondon where you can afford to buyand still get on the tube to workwithout it taking two hours. There’s alot to do here.

“We were trying to get a one-bedfor under £250,000 in Walthamstow,because that’s when stamp duty kicksin, but unless you want to live in ahigh-rise block it doesn’t seem to bepossible now.

“We had been renting inWalthamstow and realised we had to buy now because in a year’s timewe probably won’t be able to.

“When we moved here to rent itwas purely because it was cheap, butnow we’re buying because we like ithere and we want to stay.”

Caroline spoke of some of theincreasingly fraught bidding wars forhomes and “dodgy tactics” by estateagents to generate interest.

“They kick up a fuss about certainplaces,” she said. “They’ll have an openday on a Saturday and when you getthere people are queuing up outside.

“They do it to make you feel underpressure to make an offer. Then they’llgive you until 5pm on Monday.”

The London Evening Standardreported earlier this year that Hoe

Issue One – Summer 2014 99

Street in Walthamstow was “the mostestate-agent infested street in thecountry” with a third of its shopstaken up by them.

Residents might also be familiarwith estate agents’ junk mail, whicharrives on an almost daily basis todemand new properties in the area,while lauding how much nearbyhomes have been sold for.

And many homeowners are takingthe bait.

Philip Waterfield pictured, directorof Strettons in Hoe Street, said peoplewho had lived in the area a long timewere now deciding to “cash in” on thelocal housing boom and make asizeable profit on what they boughtseveral years, or even decades, ago.

He told the Echo: “I bought my firsthouse here for £34,000, now it’s worth£300,000. The way the market isgoing it’s rather frightening for youngpeople. “There are people who arecashing in.”

Philip said the reopening of theWilliam Morris Gallery in 2012, andits subsequent award for “Museum ofthe Year” in 2013, might have markeda turning point.

“I have heard of people movingfrom Brixton to Walthamstow, all theway up the Victoria Line, because they

realise this is also a trendy place to live,and it’s cheaper.

“It isn’t a bubble, it’s a ripple effect.When the artists start movingsomewhere because it’s cheap itbecomes a catalyst for other people tomove here, and then prices go up.”

But when will it end? “I think it willget to a certain point where it levelsout, probably when interest rates risenext year.”

For those still saving to get on theproperty ladder in Waltham Forest, it’scold comfort. Prices may only stabiliseafter mortgages have become moreexpensive.

How else might house prices becontrolled?

It is clear that demand isoutstripping supply, which is why theMayor of London has given theborough a target to build 10,320 newhomes by 2026.

And it is the job of the localauthority to encourage the right

homes to be built in the right places.In the council’s local plan for the

next 15-20 years, four specific areasare earmarked for “change”. Three ofthem are in and around Walthamstow– Blackhorse Lane, Wood Street andthe town centre itself.

These are where more than half ofthe target for new homes is expectedto be met.

A council spokesperson said: “Itwill not have gone unnoticed toanyone who knows the borough thatthe number of regeneration schemesthat have come to fruition over thepast couple of years is unprecedented.

“Much of this has been residential,with old industrial areas likeBlackhorse Lane being transformedby new housing developments.

“Where commercial ventures cropup there is also housing that goes withit. The transformation of the old ArcadeSite [now called “The Scene”] inWalthamstow may centre around the

multiplex cinema, restaurants andshops, but will also see 121 homes built.

“Likewise the new Morrison’ssupermarket at South Grove willinclude 245 new homes, and theTravelodge Hotel by WalthamstowCentral Station has been builtalongside two blocks of flats.”

Such schemes, despite providingthe new homes the borough desper-ately needs, often attract oppositionfrom those already living here.

The eight-storey South Grovesupermarket development – set to bebuilt around the corner fromSainsbury’s and Asda in WalthamstowHigh Street – was strongly opposedby locals who objected to its heightand density.

But Councillor Chris Robbins, thecouncil leader, said such largedevelopments were “exactly what wewant to help bring about real change.”

There’s likely to be a few more ofthese battles in the borough to come.

The old Arcade site now beingtransformed into 'The Scene'

Features

Waltham Forest Echo10 Features

School is the last thing on our mindsat this time of year but there aregrowing fears that there may simplynot be enough places in Londonschools in the next few years. LondonCouncils warn of a shortfall of almost120,000 places in two years’ time.

How are Waltham Forest schoolscoping with the borough’s boomingpopulation and changes in theeducation system? Well, it’s a case ofso far, so good.

This coming September morethan 3,800 children will join receptionclasses in one of Waltham Forest’sprimary schools. Since 2009, an

additional 690 primary school placeshave been created. The Councilestimates that almost 300 more placeswill be needed in reception classesalone over the next six years.

Waltham Forest has absorbed thesurge in school-age kids better thanmany London boroughs with animpressive programme of building.Dozens of schools have had extensiveimprovements and expansion workbut many school sites, especially in thesouth of the borough, are now full to bursting.

One solution to expandingnumbers of pupils has been former

Education Secretary Michael Gove’scontroversial programme toencourage free schools, which areoutside central and local governmentcontrol. Walthamstow PrimaryAcademy free school is due to openthis coming September with tworeception classes.

But that won’t be enough to absorball the extra school-age children in thenext few years. The council is nowconsidering creating a new primaryschool in Leyton or Leytonstonefrom 2015. It is not in favour of freeschools, which do not always createmore school places in the areas wherethey are actually most needed. And,say campaigners, free schools are notjust outside the control of localcouncils, but also of local people.

The picture is similar for theborough’s secondary schools. Buthere, two new free schools are comingon line just as numbers threaten toexceed capacity. Waltham ForestLeadership Academy in BlackhorseLane will enrol its first year 7 pupils inSeptember while DV8 Academy willprovide places for 16–18 year-olds innearby Blackhorse Road.

But, by the start of the school yearin 2017, the council’s projected figuresshow a deficit of 209 secondary places – even with the new freeschools operating as planned. Thecouncil does not anticipate the needfor a new secondary school untilSeptember 2017. We wait to hearwhat its plans are.

Waltham Forest has risen to thechallenges of growth anddevelopment so far, but it’s gettingtougher. More cash has been madeavailable but, alongside encouragingfree schools, central government hasmade it more difficult for councils totake the lead in creating new schoolsof their own.

Crucially, creating inclusive, localschools also depends on the supportof parents. Schools bring children andtheir families together and play a bigpart in building a strong community.The pressure is building and we needto work together to find the rightsolution for Waltham Forest.

Amy Croome

The Limes opened its doors forservices for disabled children andyoung people aged 0–25 10 years agoin June 2004. A Barnardo’s conference‘Where can I play?’ gave the impetusto set up a local organisation to meetthe need for a ‘Safe Space to Play’.Originally services were centredaround younger children, butgradually specific programmes forteenagers and young adults wereprovided as well and have growncontinuously to meet the demand.

The work with young people isunderpinned by notions of equalityand self-empowerment. The youngadults group in particular, is encouragedto gain the skills and experiencerequired to lead independent lives andfind employment. The Limes worksclosely with local organisations suchas Organic Lea to create workexperience opportunities. In autumna coffee, teas and muffin service, calledZest, will open in the Limes and is tobe run by the young adults. This willoffer further work experience andeventually employment opportunitiesin baking, money handling, stocktaking and ordering, coffee baristatraining and retail focussed customercare and service training. “They are soexcited as it was their idea and theywill finally see it come to fruition!”says Liz Fraser, Director of The Limes.

Inclusion is a very importantorganisational value to The Limes andhas been embedded from the start asit was created by children, youngpeople, local providers and parentsworking together. “It’s a fabulous spacewhere inclusion is our passion andcreativity our driving force for change”says Fraser. Even the building (TheWilliam Morris Hall in Somers Road)– was built in much the same spirit asThe Limes – by the community. Localskilled labour and contributions of 2pa brick by the local residents made thispossible. Staff say it is “no wonder whenpeople visit the space they areoverwhelmed by a sense of community

and ownership of the space by thechildren and young people”.

The Limes celebrated its 10thBirthday with a great big summerparty 28th June 2014. “We spread outinto the street and welcomed all ourneighbours to join in the party withour members” Fraser reports.

To access the new café or any otherservice become a member for £5 perfamily annually.

More information at:www.thelimes.org.uk

Happy 10th birthdayto The Limes!

School’s (almost) out of placesGeoff Ellis on the growing demand foreducation in the borough

SMALL GRASS

All profits from the sale of this book goes to Stonewood Press to help fund future titles

P R E S S

A poetry collection by Jacqueline Gabbitas with artwork by Frances Barry

Order Small Grass from your local bookshop or buy online at www.stonewoodpress.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-910413-00-5 (Paperback)Special Stonewood Press Price £6.99 (rrp £7.99)Through website or send a cheque payable to “Stonewood Press”97 Benefield Road, Oundle, Peterborough, PE8 4EU

“I’ve never thought of grasstalking before, but afterreading this sequence, withits delicate and sharp voices,I may not be able to walkon it again withoutlistening.” – Pascale Petit

Photo: Catherine West, Significant Seam

s

Issue One – Summer 2014 1111Comment

Jumpingship?Tim Bennett-Goodman on leaving the voluntary sector to become alocal councillorLast year I decided to put myself forward as a candidate in the 2014 localelections.

Having worked for many years in the voluntary sector and chaired, probono, two major VCS organisations in Waltham Forest between 2005-14, I’dcome to the conclusion that, with the voluntary sector being so closely alliedto local government, my decision was something of a natural progression.

Of course, I joked about being poacher turned gamekeeper, but friendspointed out that the two sectors can often be just flip sides of the same coinand I think there’s some truth in that. In recent years particularly, the sectorhas come to rely increasingly on local government for its funding andcontracts, and taking public money necessarily entails negotiating complexcontractual agreements complete with Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)and rigorous monitoring processes. Whether this invariably leads to a healthyrelationship is open to debate and it’s interesting to note a recent pragmaticreturn to grant-aiding, which places less onerous obligations on both sides.

While chairing local arts council, Apex Arts (2005-8), I had councillorson my management committee and meetings were held in the Town Hall soit felt rather like a de facto council committee. Voluntary Action WalthamForest (VAWF), on the other hand, had no councillors on its Board and theposition felt more genuinely independent as a result. Nevertheless, VAWFreceived significantly larger sums of council funding than Apex Arts so themonitoring processes were more intensive and, latterly, fraught - especially sowhen painful staffing decisions hinged on the outcome.

A mutual agreement regulating the relationship between the voluntary andpublic sectors exists in the shape of the Local Compact, which VAWF helpedrefresh in 2013 after ten years. This document is intended to ameliorate arelationship which can, in practice, sometimes be stressful and even acutelyuncomfortable.

So when, as a longstanding Labour Party member, the opportunity arosefor me to stand for selection as a candidate in the local elections I reckonedmy experience of dealing with the council, in good times and bad, coupledwith having been a senior local government officer throughout the ‘90s, madethis the ideal moment to look to a career move – albeit arguably a sidewaysone.

Last autumn I was duly selected to stand as a Labour candidate for HighamHill Ward in Walthamstow. Then the hard work really began. After months ofpounding the pavements and knocking on doors throughout the dark winterevenings, the approach of polling day on 22 May came almost as a relief.

Now, as a councillor, it seems to me that the voluntary and public sectors(especially when, as now, working against an overtly hostile centralgovernment - for all its pious, but essentially empty, words about Localismand the Big Society) are, and must remain, firm partners in the sameenlightened enterprise – that of building a fairer, kinder and more equal society.

Tim Bennett-Goodman is a newly elected Labour councilor for Higham Hill ward.

I never wanted to end up in WalthamForest. Boring suburbia, located justthat a few miles too far from centralLondon and cut off from all theaction through the marshes. Myhouse full of friends was the onlyisland in the vast deserts of social and aesthetic nothingness ofWalthamstow and Leytonstone.With nowhere to go, nothing to

discover and no one interesting tomeet, I desperately wanted to leavebut, like many 20-somethings, Ifound myself underemployed andpriced out of more central Londonlocations.

Maybe I tired of my attitude andlack of enthusiasm or maybe I justrealised that my dislike of WalthamForest probably said more about methan that it did about the area. Eitherway, I started to try to give my newlocation a shot.

At first, I discovered parks andswimming pools and pretty littlestreets I hadn’t walked down before:then came cafés, pubs, shops,galleries and markets. I startedgetting involved in local communityprojects – initially as a favour to afriend – and then for myself: oneproject and group leading to the next

one. Earlier this year, I interviewed15 individuals from localcommunity groups – all of these‘community people’ forming a closenetwork and offering inspiration. Igot a local job. Slowly a whole worldof things to do, people to meet andprojects to get involved in – invisiblefor so long – began to reveal itself.

I made amazing new friends. Forthe first time since moving from mysmall childhood village, I wouldbump into people I knew on thestreets and on nights out. I was fallingfor Waltham Forest. I was finding ahome.

I urge everyone to get involved inlocal community projects. If youneed any pointers, contact me atamy@socialspider.com or drop in tothe Hornbeam, Voluntary ActionWaltham Forest or the Mill for advice.

Making Waltham Forest HomeAmy Croome on learning to love her local area

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Waltham Forest Echo12 FeaturesVillageFestival is back

Amy Croome

After 14 years of deafening silence theWalthamstow Village Festival returnsthis August in new colours. The AsianCentre, based in Orford Road, isleading the organisation of 2014’srevived festival, which takes placed onAugust 2nd. Monwara Ali from theCentre explains that the aim is “tobring the whole community togetherto reflect pride in the area and tocelebrate diversity”.

In its previous incarnation, The Village Festival was a hugelysuccessful event for many yearsbringing local businesses, communitygroups, artists and musicians together.People travelled from surroundingboroughs and Essex to take part. “Itwas like a mini-Glastonbury” saysHelen from the Village Toy Shop,who was in her early twenties when itwas last on. There were people lying inthe sunshine enjoying the music.Flossie of the Nags Head on OrfordRoad, who at past Village Festivals rana cat stall, says the event was a little likeNotting Hill Carnival. “Anyone I hadever met in my lifetime in the area wasthere”, says Flossie.

There are many stories about whythe Village Festival ended – divorce,money being stolen, propertiesbroken into, residents complaining ofthe noise and litter. Consensus seemsto be that it just became too massiveand therefore out of control. Thevillage has changed hugely since thelast festival, with most shops havingchanged hands and many newresidents in the area.

There will be an indoor Makers’Market inside the Asian Centrebuilding and food and non-food stallsall along Orford Road and VestryRoad. The car parking area in front ofTrelawney Close will be set up as aChildren’s Area. The Vestry HouseMuseum as well as the WelcomeCentre on Vestry Road will be opento the public in support of the Festival.A Stage will be set up within theVestry Playground, with a line up of30 artists performing throughout theevent. Check the listings section onpage 14 for details on the event.

Marlene Barrett

It’s a busy time of year for theOrganiclea crew of volunteers andworkers at Hawkwood Nursery inChingford: there’s the Tuesday all dayharvest of soft fruit, tomatoes,courgettes, beans and a whole rangeof salad leaves; then on Wednesdaywe pack over 200 bags of fruit andvegetables ready to be sent out acrossWaltham Forest by electric milkfloatand bicycle trailer. But we recentlyfound time for a weekend away in abeautiful spot in Epping, whichcombined camping, open firecooking and enjoying the sunshinewith learning all about permaculture.

What is permaculture? Ask thisquestion of Graham Burnett, ourtutor, and he will probably start byasking you the same question back,and you might answer isn’t itsomething to do with gardening? Theanswer is ‘yes but’… it’s much morethan that. Permaculture is a designapproach for living more lightly on theplanet, rooted in an understanding ofnature’s patterns and cycles. It is oftenassociated with and used ingardening, but its insights and toolsare applicable to all aspects of our lives.

Through observation of naturalsystems permaculture shows us howto design places, spaces andcommunities for us to live on theplanet sustainably. Organiclea usedpermaculture principles and methodsto design our operation when we tookon Hawkwood Nursery. This meantspending time observing andmapping the land before we got toobusy with day to day tasks to see thewood for the trees. And it meant timeobserving and mapping the peopletoo – exploring who is here, who we’dlike to work with and how we cancreate beneficial connections betweenour work and other communityinitiatives that help save time andeffort, and bring people together.

The word ‘permaculture’ comesfrom ‘permanent agriculture’ and‘permanent culture’ - it is about livinglightly on the planet, and making surethat we can sustain human activitiesfor many generations to come, inharmony with nature. Permanence isnot about everything staying thesame. It’s about stability, aboutdeepening soils and cleaner water,thriving communities in self-reliantregions, biodiverse agriculture andsocial justice, peace and abundance.

It was great to invite a varied group

of Organiclea’s trainees, workers andvolunteers, of different ages andbackgrounds, to come together toshare and learn more about

Let us cultivate our garden

permaculture. But the spreading theword doesn’t stop there – Organicleawill be running an Introduction toPermaculture course in September(see listings on page 14). This two daycourse offers an overview ofpermaculture principles, designmethods and processes, and anopportunity to see examples ofpermaculture design implemented atOrganiclea’s Hawkwood Nursery site.

September also sees the nationalPermaculture Convergence takingplace in our neighbourhood, aspeople involved in permacultureprojects from all over the UK cometogether in Gilwell Park, to share andlearn and inspire each other. Moredetails about this event atwww.permaculture.org.uk.

Organiclea is a workers’ cooperativebased in the Lea Valley. We growfood, distribute food and plants,

and support other people to growfood and enjoy the connections

good feed creates. You canvolunteer at our growing site and on

our market stalls; join our boxscheme; sell us your surplus

produce or learn how to grow: findout more at www.organiclea.org.uk

The Organiclea crew gatherin the harvest

Issue One – Summer 2014 1313Features

Interviewby ClaireLandonBorn in Hackney and resident inWalthamstow since 1936, JoyceDaniels (née Gerrard), 85, haslived on Howard Road, E17since 1968.

“Walthamstow has changed somuch since I moved here. Everyonelooked down on me when I came – itwas posh here, and people thoughtthat the wave of Cockneys moving infrom Hackney would ruin the placeand turn it into London.”

Church Hill was home to finetailors serving the poshest people, andHoe Street had few cars, but a never-ending stream of buses and trolleybuses. Walking down the High Streetwas “everyone’s dream. There werefish stalls lit up at night, cockles andeverything you could possibly want –it was beautiful, and people came fromall over to visit this famous market.”

As a newcomer – first to furnishedrooms on Barrett Road (nowrenamed Warwick Road) and then toa large, shared house on Prospect Hill(later knocked down to build flats),Joyce had to learn the local, morecountrified accent to fit in but shequickly adjusted to the slower pace oflife and cleaner air.

She enjoyed walks with herparents along the River Lea –something she continued with herfuture husband Eddie. AWalthamstow native himself, he isnow buried at the other end of the LeaValley near Waltham Abbey.

Having spread to the outskirts of amuch larger London metropolitanarea, her three daughters, elevengrandchildren and great-grandchildren and all of their assortedpartners – converge each Saturday inher garden to catch up and enjoy abarbeque when the weather is good.

Times now are certainly easierthan they were when Joyce wasgrowing up, she says.

Born a twin – a triplet was stillborn– she had two older sisters. Part of the

Bearfields ham and gammonproducing family, they lived with hergrandmother, aunties and children ina corner house on Tresham Avenuenear St John’s Church in Hackney.

Joyce was evacuated to Bedfordshireduring the war. The youngest threesisters took a train out of London afterschool one day and their mother wasonly able to visit once a year for thethree years they were away.

The girls “lived on a farm andenjoyed every minute of it”, leavingthem unprepared for the scary moveback to London when they turned 14,old enough to work.

Despite the move back to Claptonand the start of the doodle bugs,“people were friendly and there was agood atmosphere, we all looked aftereach other.”

It was through a friend at one ofher first jobs – at the CorkManufacturing Company on HallLane in Chingford – that she met herfuture husband. Dating on and off for

ten years, writing letters during his fewyears posted to Jerusalem, he finallyproposed at the Granada Cinema. “Ididn’t believe him, and the people inthe next row burst out laughing”.

But he meant it, and Joyce and Eddie got married on ChristmasDay in 1952 near Upper Clapton. “It was beautiful, with the choir and Christmas tree”, says Joyce. Thereception followed at her mother’shouse nearby, with a Bearfield uncleproviding under the counter meat,guests contributing what they could,and Eddie’s mother playing the piano.

Today, Joyce spends her timelooking after Bo, a 3-year old cockerspaniel, tending her front and backgardens and enjoying time with thenext three generations of herexpanding family.

Walthamstow, now well withinLondon’s city limits, is itself turningover to the next generation, says Joyce:“It will be completely different fromthe past.”

Waltham Forest Voices:(1) – Joyce Daniels

In mid November, ‘The Scene atCleveland Place’ – that’s the fancyname for the development on thecorner of Walthamstow High Streetand Hoe Street – will open forbusiness.

The good news is this means we’llhave a working cinema in the boroughfor the first time in a decade, becauseThe Scene includes a nine-screenEmpire cinema. (The really good newsis that it’s not at the expense of the oldEMD/Granada cinema on HoeStreet – things are finally progressingto get it back into use as anentertainment venue too.)

Money from the developers is alsofunding Hitchcock’s East End, a seriesof film screenings and eventsprogrammed by Create London andThe Barbican.

We’ll also get some restaurants,including Nando’s and Turtle Bay anda bunch of housing on top, including50 new affordable homes. Wecertainly need affordable housing.Opinions differ on chain restaurantsthough, hence the huge support for acampaign to let Stoke Newington’sYum Yum restaurant lease a unit atThe Scene. Personally I’m just amusedthat Nando’s is taking the unit thatused to be Kentucky Fried Chickenwhen it was the Arcade shoppingcentre. Plus ça change.

As residents of Cleveland ParkAvenue and Cleveland Park Crescent,directly behind the site, we’ve had akeen interest in plans for more than 15years now. There were plans for ashiny new library; they fell throughbut not before the old Arcadeshopping centre was demolished.

The site was rubble for years whileother plans came and went. Mostnotably, residents successfully foughtoff plans for an ugly 18-storey towerblock. One fun protest, that made theBBC and ITV news, included kids infancy dress throwing rotten tomatoesat effigies of the building and itsprospective tenants.

But our placards have been hungup for the time being. Residents areworking with The Scene’s developersto push for quality and detail that willmake the development as good aspossible for Walthamstow. Theplacards will come out in force thenext time someone turns up withaggressive tower block plans though...

Caramel Quin, Chair, ClevelandPark Residents’ Association• For info on The Scene andHitchcock’s East End visit

thescenewalthamstow.co.uk• For info on the EMD/Granadavisit savewalthamstowcinema.org

Hanging upthe placards Caramel Quin on local residentswelcoming ‘The Scene’

HAVE YOUR SAY – Have you got some points to make about what's going on inWaltham Forest? Why not write a letter for Waltham Forest Echo’s letters page. Lettersshould be up to 300 words. Email to WFEcho@socialspider.com

Waltham Forest Echo14

Please help us make the best possible newspaper for you and answer thequestions below! This survey is online at: www.surveymonkey.com/s/WFEcho1Alternatively, you can fill this out by hand, take a picture and post it on the WalthamForest Echo Facebook page or cut it out send it by post to Waltham Forest Echo,Social Spider CIC, The Mill, 7-11 Coppermill Lane, Walthamstow, London, E17 7HA

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Which was your favourite article in WFE issue one?

What would you like to read more about in future issues of WFE?community groups / politics / sports / events / family / the arts / people’s stories

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Do you feel more informed about community issues after reading WFE?Not at all / not much more / somewhat more / much more

How likely are you to go to an event listed in the WFE?Not likely / Likely

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About youI am male / female / other

I am 18–24 / 25–35 / 35–44 / 45–54 / 55–64 / 65–74 / 75+

I live / work / both / neither in Waltham Forest

I live in Chingford / Walthamstow / Leyton / Leytonstone

Writing for Waltham Forest Echo – GuidelinesWhat are we looking for?

News stories – up to 300 words – short pieces about what local charities andcommunity groups have been doing over the last 3 months or will be doing in the next3 months

Features – 500–1000 words – feature articles about local charities and communitygroups: how they started, who’s involved and what they’re making happen

Interviews – up to 1000 words – interviews with people running organisations andcampaigns in the local area

Opinion – 300–500 words – short columns on things you’re really happy or reallyangry about.

Reviews – 300–500 words – reviews of local arts events, theatre productions, filmscreenings or books with particular local relevance

Letters – up to 250 words – short opinions on what’s going on in the local area

Listings – up to 100 words – information on upcoming events and ongoing servicesproviding by local charities and community groups. Key points to include: What it is,when it’s happening, where it’s happening, who it’s for, how much it costs (ifapplicable)

This list is intended as a guide. If you’ve got an idea for something else, let us know.

What should I do if want to write something?If you’ve got an idea for something you’d like to write, please get in touch with theeditorial team. We will respond within 1 week (if not sooner).

Why can’t I just write my article and send it in?You can do but it’s better if you contact us first so that we don’t get five people writinga feature about the same thing and no one writing about everything else.

When is the deadline for the next issue?The deadlines for contributions to the first issue are:Features/Interviews/ Opinion/Reviews – Friday 12th September 2014 News/Listings/Letters – Friday 19th September 2014

Is there any payment?No. We’re not currently able to offer payment to writers.

Will my article be edited before it’s published? Yes. Letters will only be edited for length and clarity. Any other contributions will beedited as part of the process of putting together the newspaper.

Who do I contact if I want to write something?Send an email to WFEcho@socialspider.com with the subject heading ‘Autumn issue’explaining what you’d like to write about.

READER SURVEYSummer 2014

Waltham Forest Echo is a quarterly community newspaper for the London Borough of Waltham Forest

10,000 copies of each issue are distributed via shops and community spaces

Editor: David Floyd Deputy Editor: Amy CroomeProduction Editor: Martin Parker

Writers: Simon Munk, Amina Ahmed, Alice Spawls, Aslam Handa, Hannah Lamdin, Ed Swan, James Cracknell, Geoff Ellis, Tim Bennett-Goodman,

Marlene Barratt, Caramel Quin, Claire Landon

Thanks to: The Mill, Trevor Duberry at Leyton Orient Trust, Canon Steven Saxby, Sarah Kinso

Advertising: If your organisation is interested in advertising in Waltham Forest Echo, call 020 8521 7956 or WFEcho@socialspider.com

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Waltham Forest Echo is published by Social Spider CIC on behalf ofWFWellComm CIC, a social enterprise formed by charities and

social enterprises based in the borough

The member organisations of WFWellComm CIC are: Age UK Waltham Forest, Community Transport Waltham Forest, HEET,Learning Disability Experience, Social Spider CIC, Streetlife Radio CIC

WFWellComm Management Board: Sheena Dunbar (Age UK Waltham Forest),David Floyd (Social Spider CIC), Stanton Lafoucade (Streetlife Radio CIC),

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Waltham Forest Echo

Issue One – Summer 2014 1515ListingsListingsAUGUSTPortfolio Bar – Pop-up Bar /2nd August

Evening Bar in an unusual locationnear Walthamstow Village.Exciting home made cocktails,beers and ciders. Eclectic musicand warm atmosphere. Check ourwebsite for details:portfoliobar.co.uk

Festival in the Village / Sat.2nd August, Orford Road andVestry Road, 1–6pm

Join us for a day of summer fun inWalthamstow’s famously prettyvillage. A free community festivalof music, arts, procession, stalls,Indoor Makers Market, food andgames for everyone young to old.With a Youth Talent Show (ticketsrequired) in the Asian Centre from7.30pm. Free:walthamstowfestival@gmail.comvillagefestival.wordpress.com

Noor Ul Islam Family SummerFete / Sunday 24th and BankHoliday Monday 25th August

At the Leyton Sports Group,Crawley Road, Leyton London,E10 6PYRides, Entertainment, BBQ andgreat stalls / From11:30am–6:30pmEntry £2 per person per day.Please use public transport toarrive: Buses 69 or 97

SEPTEMBER

Opening Ceremony Grow WildSpace / 6 September, GrowWild Space, Lloyd Park,3–5pm

Parents with children need towear appropriate shoes. TheCentre’s Grow Wild space is thenew adventure playground that’sbeen built next to the existingmain Lloyd Park playground. The space was designed toencourage outdoors play andexperience of nature, withelements of managed risk. Abovethe tunnels and beach are now

Portfolio Bar – Free workspace

Every Tuesday from 29th July10am-–6pm. Free Workspace withWi-Fi, tea, coffee, home-madedelicious cakes and lunch.If you are tired of working fromhome, libraries or cafes, try ournew free workspace forindividuals and small groups.Meet other freelancers, peopleworking on projects, self-starters,creatives, job-seekers andentrepreneurs. Check our websitefor location details:portfoliobar.co.uk.

climbing structures, walkways andropes that lead to a story den,natural music-making space,weather station and slides. Muchof the upper level is accessible tochildren of all abilities.

Organic Lea – Introduction toPermaculture / Sat. 20 Septand Sat. 27 Sept.9.30am–5.30pm, HawkwoodNursery

Permaculture is a designapproach for living more lightly onthe planet, rooted in anunderstanding of nature’s patternsand cycles. Although oftenassociated with gardening, itsinsights and tools are applicableto all aspects of our lives. Twoday course. Cost £120/£80/£40. More details and booking atwww.organiclea.org.uk

OCTOBER

Permaculture within diversecommunities / October 2014

Principles and tools to regenerateour land and enrich our groups. 1-day taster workshop at The Mill(part of Grow Your Idea at TheMill, Walthamstow) With thisworkshops at the Mill, we are keento invite Walthamstow residents totake part in a learning journey thatwill open up further ways to worktogether effectively, to recogniseour differences and our commonground, and to discover howpermaculture approaches cansupport our desires to build evermore creative, peaceful andproductive relationships betweeneach other and our environment –in the context of our real lives inWalthamstow. Led by experiencedfacilitators Muzammal Hussainand Shumaisa Khan (Routes ofWholeness) and local communityherbalist Rasheeqa Ahmad(Hedge Herbs). Further detailsfrom: www.hedgeherbs.org.uk

Volunteer inductions atHawkwood Nursery

Come and get involved in thegrowing and food distributionwork at Organiclea’s marketgarden. Inductions take place on1st Wednesday and 3rd Friday ofthe month, 11am–4pm. Checkwebsite for detailswww.organiclea.org.uk

Waltham Forest CycleCampaign / (1) Our monthlymeetings are held on the 2ndWednesday each month.

All our meetings are held at theHornbeam Centre, 458 Hoe St,Walthamstow, E17 9AH8–9:30pm Join us for our regularmonthly meeting where wediscuss our local cyclecampaigning such as residentialcycle parking, the council’s plansto make our roads safer forcyclists, and London-wideinitiatives. Everyone is welcome,but only LCC members can vote

(2) Monthly Ride

We meet every fourth Sunday ofthe month. The rides assemblefrom 10am for a 10.15am startoutside Walthamstow Library. Wehave a few routes lined up andusually decide distance anddestination on the day accordingto what people prefer. We rideleisurely suited to the wishes ofparticipants. We usually staywithin 30 miles and sometimesconsiderably shorter. We tend tobe back by 3pm and always havea snack stop somewhere.

(3) Walthamstow Family Bike Club

We meet every 2nd Sunday of themonth at 1pm at Orford Road/Church Lane junction E17 for arelaxed and enjoyable afternoonexploring the nooks and cranniesaround Walthamstow. We will visita cafe later in the ride, may stopalong the way for a picnic snack,and so apart from a bicycle andany children you can round up, bringsome water and something to eat.The maximum distance we do is15 miles for the round trip, but asits tailored to the abilities of thosewho turn up, it is often beconsiderably shorter. We aim toget back no later than 6pm in thesummer, and 5pm in the winter.

Ongoing

Stowtellers / St Mary’sChurch, every second Mondayof the month, 7.30pm

‘Stowtellers’, the WalthamstowStorytelling club, is a new club tohit our town. We tell, shout, cry,bawl our stories out. The storiesare from once upon a time. Thattime could be thousands of yearsago, or hundreds or within livingmemory. We tell myths, legends,and folk tales – any tales.Stowtellers tell stories to adults,like they used to and like manycultures still do today. We tell thethose stories handed down fromthe past to be told in the presentto guide our future.

Transition Leytonstone –Monthly Green Drinks / 15th of every month 8pm atThe Walnut Tree

Transition Leytonstone is acommunity initiative which aims to make Leytonstone the best and most sustainable place to be.We care about the environment –and each other. We aim to inspirepeople to start projects, runevents, and develop newschemes. An opportunity togather and meet similarly mindedfolk for drinks and friendly banter.

Organic Lea – Open days atHawkwood Nursery / LastSunday of the month, 12–4pm

115 Hawkwood Crescent,Chingford, E4 7UH. JoinOrganiclea on our monthly openday to buy plants (August &September), take part in seasonalhorticultural tasks or just lookaround this beautiful 12 acremarket garden site. Simple lunchcooked by the Hornbeam Caféusing our produce is available. Details and transport directions atwww.organiclea.org.uk

Waltham Forest Echo Editorial MeetingMeeting – monthly at The Mill

Would you like to get involved in Waltham Forest Echo? Comealong to meet the editors and contributors of the communitynewspaper. Further details: www.walthamforestecho.co.uk

Next issueslistings:To have you your event oractivity listed in the nextissue of Waltham ForestEcho email the details:Date, Type of Event, Title of Event,Venue/Address, Shortdescription, Time, Cost andContact Information toWFEcho@socialspider.comby Friday 19thSeptember 2014.

Waltham Forest Echo

16By James Cracknell

CHRIS Dagnall stood therejust staring ahead at the goal,unable to move. Barely five

yards behind him, out of sight but notout of earshot, was a mass of joyousRotherham United players and staffsprawled all over the Wembley turf.

With the help of two of his teammates, Dagnall was finallydragged away from the scene of Orient’s devastating denouement.

The most memorable season in O’srecent history had begun with a 5–1thumping of Carlisle United, butended with a tame penalty kick atWembley.

And with it, the hopes and dreamsof 24,000 fans were crushed. Butthere’s always next season, right?

The fear among fans, of course, isthat this was as it good as it might get.Both Orient’s Wembley goalscorers,Moses Odubajo and Dean Cox, arewidely rumoured to be attracting theinterest of Premier League andChampionship clubs.

Between them the pair scored 29goals last season and losing bothwould seriously weaken Russell Slade’steam.

Last year Orient started with eightstraight league victories. They weretop of the league in February but hadto settle for third place after a poor runof form in March.

They beat Peterborough in theplay-off semi finals to set up the clashat Wembley against Rotherham. Twofirst-half goals from the aforemen-tionedwide men put Orient 2-0 up.

Alas, it wasn’t to be.The O’s players still went on their

end-of-season trip to Las Vegas, prom-ised by former owner Barry Hearn asreward for reaching the play-offs.

Expectations are now sky high.Average attendances grew last year by36 percent and the club had to askWembley for extra tickets after sellingout their initial 20,000 allocation forthe play-off final.

A slow start in 2014–15 could

dent confidence after such a painfulend to 2013–14. Will those new fansstick around if Orient drop back into

answer that question, since I am oneof those “new” fans myself. Somemight even describe me as “fair

weather” since I only began watchingOrient with any regularity after theyreached the top of the table.

My support for the O’s probablybegan on that February day in 2011when Jonathan Tehoue blasted in alast-minute equaliser against Arsenalin the FA Cup. I was watching in theNorthcote Arms on Grove GreenRoad, and felt compelled to rise-upand celebrate along with the rest of thepub as the goal went in.

On such moments can lifelong loy-alties be born, and I was on the pitchat the end of the Peterborough game,applauding the lads long into the night.I went to Wembley and I even per-suaded my girlfriend and her daughter- “I hate football” - to go along too.

Now that I am settled in the area,supporting Orient comes naturally tome. It is a reflection of the pride I feelfor living in this part of East London.

The club is well run and feels muchmore accessible and fan-friendly thanthose of a greater stature in higherdivisions. The tickets are stillreasonably priced and the playersobviously care about the club, ratherthan just the size of their wage packets.

It also helps that I have loathedWest Ham for several years, whichtheir selfish move to the OlympicStadium will only serve to compound.

So don’t worry, O’s die-hards. I’llbe back next season, whatever theweather. This club has my backing,come rain or shine.

Reflections of a “fairweather” Orient fan

mid-table, theposition theyhad occupied forso many yearspreviously?

I’m probablywell placed to

Sport