Continued from previous page

The power of the press: after last issue's feature on some local reading groups, the recently established second of Stoke Newington Library's groups has had to close its list to new members, having become as over-subscribed as the first. The Barracuda reading group also reports new members, but still has room for more (contact liz.m@jhp-design.co.uk).

Another one bites the dust: as N16 goes to press, there is little time left for traders in organic fabrics (and more), Texture. Opened on Church Street by local residents Jeff Gilbert and Gina Moore over five years ago, the shop has faced steadily rising rent increases amounting to 60% over its lifetime. 'We could see the struggle wouldn't get any better', comments Gina. 'It's unfortunate now, because organic fabrics are just taking off. Maybe we were ahead of our time. Given the choice of doing it again, we wouldn't have gone into retail. It's so cutting in London now for independent shops.' While Jeff is moving on to work in organic foods, Gina will continue to provide freelance organic curtain and blind services. 'We'll miss our customers', she concludes, 'it was nice to be here.' Nice having you, too.

More on the Observer's article last November about Stoke Newington being 'the best place in Britain to be a parent'. 'Urban Fox', the Times Online Correspondent wrote the following: 'My own obsessive property disorder makes me think, wrongly, that this is the kind of write-up that will have all residents gloating and calling the estate agents at dawn to see how fast local property prices have shot up overnight. Not to mention Hackney Council opening the champagne to congratulate itself on so successfully drawing in a relatively wealthy demographic in a poor part of town and keeping them so happy.'
Fair enough, but the downside is '"There are no secondary schools here," the disgruntled residents chorus. "Or none where your children might pass exams." When the first child in a family turns 11, the whole family moves away."' What's wrong with the fast improving Stoke Newington School?

An alarming beer mat has appeared in the Rochester Castle, courtesy of the Metropolitan Police. All in black, it bears drink. No one in this pub can tell you're a wife beater'. On the flip side it threatens 'we will arrest you immediately' and 'we will track you down'. While N16 certainly does not condone violence against women (or, with certain exceptions, men, for that matter), the offensive assumption is that all male drinkers are also potential wife beaters. Is this beer mat to be found in some of the hipper West End wine bars? Or in police staff canteens? This leaves a rather sour taste in the mouth (unlike, of course, the excellent beers available at the Rochester Castle).

Our Xmas competition was obviously too sophisticated for you lot, as we didn't receive any correct entries. Maybe it was the origin of 'sick as a parrot' which caught you out. We know the answer to this one, while the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations doesn't. The solution to question 18 - 'Where has time slipped and stood still on the High Street' - is printed on the previous page. The other solutions are on our website.
You must try harder.

You may have noticed some vivid black and orange posters on lampposts and in shop windows along Stoke Newington Church Street.

A group of outraged residents have organised a campaign to stop Orange from installing a 3G base station on the training tower at the Fire Station. Hackney Council turned down Orange's planning application in December 2003, but Orange refused to give up. They managed to overturn the decision on 8 December last Fire Station year by appealing to the Planning Inspectorate, without following the proper guidelines for consultation with the local community.

The decision to allow this mast into our midst has been taken by the London Fire & Emergency and Planning Authority (LFEPA) and not by the firemen themselves, 40 of whom wrote to object. The LFEPA are in it for the money (reported to be up to £25,000 a year) and have refused repeated invitations to meet with local residents and hear our case.

While it is too soon to know for certain the long-term health effects of mobile phone masts, there is growing unease among experts. Masts flash their signals at around 219 times a second and some scientists believe this interferes with neurological activity in the brain. There is also evidence from abroad of increased rates of morbidity around masts, such as headaches, nausea and insomnia. Dr Gibson, Labour MP and cancer expert says, 'There is evidence of a cancer risk from masts in places such as Finland, Australia and Sweden. The food dye Sudan 1 was banned as a cancer risk without any effects on people being shown. If we treated masts in the same way there wouldn't be one put up in the next 4 or 5 years until the scientific evidence had come through.'

Children are particularly vulnerable because of their thin skulls and growing immune systems, and there is mounting concern among parents about placing them near schools. One in three schools in the UK - and a staggering 80% of schools in London - have a mobile phone mast or 'base station' just 200 metres away. Some schools even have masts on their premises. William Patten Primary School is just 120 metres away from the fire station, and St Mary and Grazebrook primary schools less than half a kilometre away. According to the last census, 1200 children live within 500 metres of the fire station. 
We have succeeded in making enough noise to have the issue discussed at the next full meeting of the LFEPA on 16 June at 2pm. Please come if you can. The 16 councillors need to be lobbied heavily before that meeting to understand that this community is vehemently opposed to having this mast in our midst. So please write a letter of objection to:
Valerie Shawcross, Chair of the LFEPA, Room 605 Hampton House, 20 Albert Embankment, London SE17SD and copy it the other 15 councillors.

Full details, sample letters and leaflets can be found on the Fire Station not a base station website at www.shortal.com/nomast. Please email us on the 'contact us' section if you would like to know more.