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nightly jazz evenings. Owner David Mossman told N16 that the building has now been sold to
a local businessman but he has a guarantee that the venue will be allowed to continue in
its present form for at least another 18 months. After that, who knows? But at least it
gives David a breathing space to search for another venue for his celebrated musical
evenings. 
The Rainbow Nursery in Nevill Road, which offers places to 40 local
pre-school kids and has a waiting list of almost 500 is under threat because the Council
wants to sell off the land. The Nursery has been providing child care since 1973 and has
operated from Nevill Road since 1983 when the Department of the Environment handed over
the land for the use as a nursery which had formerly been controlled by the Inner London
Education Authority. While the Council accepts that there is a need for a nursery, its
main proposal is to sell the land for housing but to include in any new agreement that a
new nursery should also be built. Also being considered is whether the Rainbow could find
the finances itself.
Avast there! Due to the recall of Parliament on 24 September to discuss
the war on Iraq, Richard  Caborn MP, the Sports Minister, who had been due
officially to open the Stoke Newington West Reservoir, had to postpone his visit. The
sailing centre (020 8442 8116) is a great resource in the area and operates a wide range
of teaching courses, so if you fancy sailing but have never tried, then get along. It's
well worth the effort.
Good fences make good neighbours. At the Council Meeting on 25 September
it was agreed to introduce four new Neighbourhood boundaries to replace the old system.
Two of the three proposed new boundary changes would have seen the old Stoke Newington
neighbourhood well and truly split up. However, good sense has prevailed and Option 1,
which divides the North of the Borough into North-East and North-West and creates an
East Neighbourhood, plus a South Neighbourhood has been selected. Jessica Crowe, Deputy
Leader, stated 'I support the recommendation in the report for Option 1 because it seems
to me to be the option that most clearly matches natural geographical communities in the
borough: Stoke Newington, Stamford Hill and Clapton, Central Hackney and Shoreditch'.
She continued, with regard to the new committees being formed, 'I hope they will become
genuinely representative and lively forums, where local issues of concern are debated to
inform the council's decision-making, hold officers and the council to account, and
improve the delivery of local services.' More information and maps can be found at
www.hackney.gov.uk/council/data/yc_cnb.htm
Hawksley Court residents are continuing to hold early morning watches for
the arrival of Orange mobile phone mast installers who intend to place six new
transmission towers on their roof. They intend to use all legal means to stop any such
installation. The protesting residents claim that installation of the existing Mercury
mast has caused subsidence, roof leaks, lift malfunctions, noise from cooling fans and
difficulty for lease holders trying to sell.
Although a moratorium has been established on inappropriate placement of phone masts, many
contracts are coming up throughout Hackney for renewal on badly-sited equipment already in
existence. To the Council's credit, they voted unanimously on 25 September to 'condemn'
Orange's plans. Let's see what happens next.
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