|  We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again. Despite the articles which regularly crop up in the newspapers about Stoke Newington being ‘the best place in Britain to have children’, ‘Church Street village’, the charming cafes and restaurants etc, this is not rural Berkshire. This was graphically illustrated by the drive-by shootings in the early morning of 19 November, resulting in the death of one man and the serious injury of another right in the middle of Church Street. Widely touted as ‘the new Islington’, Stoke Newington seems also to be importing the violence and intimidation which is endemic to much of that southern borough. Of course, Stokey is in most respects a fine, friendly place to live, but such incidents underline the fact that we live in the inner city, with all its attendant problems. Mind how you go.
In 2005, N16 published an article about the havoc created by Thames Water digging up Stoke Newington Church Street and adjacent streets to replace water pipes. At the time, both Thames Water and Hackney Council assured us that the work would be finished in January 2006. Nearly one year later Church Street is gridlocked by the street being dug up to replace water pipes. Nothing like a bit of forward planning.
N16 2006 Christmas Quiz question. Which organisation paid huge salaries and bonuses to its executive directors, made record profits, increased its prices to customers and is about to be fined in excess of £60m by its regulator for poor consumer performance in supplying something we all need and use on a daily basis?
Residents, traders and the Stoke Newington Business Association have negotiated changes in the CPZ to make parking easier around Church Street on Saturday afternoons. Restrictions have been lifted in Zone M and Zone E extension on Saturday at 1.30pm, and on weekdays at 5.30pm. A few more Pay and Display bays will be created, a bit more time will be allowed and rates will be reduced in many cases. Wilmer Road car park will be made safe for visitors, we are assured.
Late Night Opening in December. On 7th, 14th and 21st, local shops are staying open till 8pm. Watch out for in-store promos, discounts and freebies. There will be carol singing on Church Street and the High Street, and a Santa’s grotto and storytelling for kids.
Of all the seasonal celebrations marked by Hackney’s ‘festival lights’ – which were lit before Diwali and should run into next February, finally marking the Chinese New Year (18th) – perhaps one of the least known to the broader community is the Afro-American, seven-day Kwanzaa, 26 December-1 January. Established by controversial American black nationalist Ron Karenga in 1966 from a mix of African harvest ceremonies, and marked by feasting, gift-giving and the daily lighting of ceremonial candles (like a menorah in the Jewish tradition), the festival marks another signal year for the number of anniversaries currently featuring in the story of black history (see last issue for others). Say every day: ‘Habari Gari’ – Swahili for, more or less, ’What’s going on?’ Kwanzaa, that’s what.
The new-look Gillett Square in Dalston was formally opened on 10 November by Ken Livingstone and Jules Pipe. Ken told us that the square, the first in a proposed programme of a hundred refurbished inner-city areas, is ‘a space to recreate, make friends and where the community comes to life’, while Jules summoned up his best Churchillian rhetoric, exhorting us to say how much we love Hackney. Both were greeted with some cheers, but also with desultory booing and heckling by a contingent of demonstrators bearing signs such as ‘low income life will not be cleansed from Dalston’ and ‘gentrification is nothing to celebrate’. Still, the entertainment was fun, in particular an amazing fire-breathing band from Senegal (introduced by the MC as hailing from Gambia – well, they’re not very far from each other) and by the two hundred saxophones at the end of the day. The event concluded with fireworks on the roof of the Vortex, showering everyone in ash.
Older readers may remember a building called the Clissold Leisure Centre, which went mega millions over budget and shut down virtually as soon as it opened, on the grounds that nothing worked properly. Apparently, it’s going to re-open in the late summer of 2007. Believe that when you see it. Mention it to a Hackney Council official and the subject quickly changes to the glories of The London Fields Lido, which is all very well but the Lido is not exactly on our doorstep. Maybe Hackney Council should have a word with Arsenal, who erected the magnificent Emirates Stadium on time and budget. Put Arsene Wenger in charge of the Leisure Centre – then we’ll get a result.
Ding Dong Merrily... The annual Carols in Clissold event is being held on Saturday 16 December, between 2 and 3pm, at the Clissold Park Bandstand, jointly organised by Stoke Newington Baptist Church, St Mary’s and Hackney Parks Department. The Speaker of Hackney Council and Diane Abbott are coming, as is Jamie Carswell, Deputy Mayor. There will be three or four local primary schools singing carols, a gospel choir and there will also be congregational carols and poems/readings. Mince pies and refreshments will be available. Come along and belt out your old favourites.
Yet another character from Stoke Newington’s past is, sadly, no longer with us. Bob Hammerton, who ran Hammerton’s hardware store on Stoke Newington Road for the last forty years, died at the end of September at the age of 86. As it is situated close to N16’s offices, we saw Bob most days making his way to the shop. No matter what you needed, Bob could find it for you, dragging out his old stepladder and making his precarious way to the upper shelves. He would reminisce about his days as a lad in Stoke Newington, when the High Street was a bustling shopping centre, lined with cinemas and shops of all descriptions. A Book of Condolence was placed on the door of Bob’s shop, eliciting comments such as ‘you were the last of old Stoke Newington’, ‘may you rest in peace in the great hardware shop in the sky’ and ‘you made the keys to all our houses – they didn’t work, but it was a pleasure to come again’. To which we add our own farewell.
Congratulations to Matthew Kennard, who recently won Best Feature Writer in the Guardian Student Media Awards. Matthew, who interviewed Noam Chomsky for Issue 25 of N16, is an ex-pupil at Stoke Newington School. He won the award for his work on the Leeds Student newspaper. Well deserved.
Could you spare a Wednesday evening once or twice month after Christmas? St Mary’s Shelter are looking for volunteers to help them run their winter night shelter for homeless people from January to March 2007 at St Mary’s Community Centre, Defoe Road. St Mary’s Stoke Newington is one of several local churches which hosts the Hackney Winter Night Shelter – now in its sixth year. They aim to provide a friendly welcome, a warm meal, cheerful company, washing facilities and a bed for around 15 to 20 people each Wednesday evening. The Shelter opens at 8pm and closes at 8am the next morning. They have few rules – no drink, no drugs, no violence or physical or verbal abuse. The work is fun and rewarding, and many of their volunteers return every year. Volunteers fill a number of essential roles – cooking, welcoming guests, joining them for a meal, etc – but they particularly need helpers willing to stay overnight, and to help clear up or cook breakfast the following morning. They provide basic free induction and training for all volunteers and only require you to fill out a simple form. If this appeals to you please contact: St Mary’s Shelter Volunteer Coordinator: David Hammonds: 02072546072 / 07960032241 stmarystokenewington@btinternet.com More info at www.hwns.org.uk
Fresh from their latest US tour, the number-one-selling classical act, Stoke Newington’s own Mediaeval Baebes, take the stage with what promises to be their most captivating performance to date. ‘Wrap up warm and enjoy a glass of mulled wine whilst the Baebes serenade you with their sensual voices and seduce you with their intoxicating presence’ (or so says their press release, and we wouldn’t disagree for one moment). Those of you who have seen the Baebes at the N16 Fringe will need no second bidding. Their Christmas Show takes place on 5 December at Bush Hall, 310 Uxbridge Road, W12 7LJ. Tel: 07985 282852 for tickets or visit http://www.mediaevalbaebes.com/tour.htm
A real pig’s ear. December will witness one of London’s great piss-ups, specifically the return of the Pig’s Ear Beer and Cider Festival after a two-year break. Up to a hundred beers and ciders will be on site, including a number of festival specials brewed for the occasion. You can also neck down foreign and bottled beer, with food stalls available and games and beer memorabilia for sale. The venue for the festival is the Ocean on Mare Street, and it is being held in association with Hackney Borough Council. ‘Pig’s ear’ is Cockney rhyming slang for beer, and the festival is organised by the East London and City branch of the Campaign For Real Ale. The festival will be open on Tuesday-Thursday 5-7 December from noon -10.30 pm, Friday 8 December from 11.00 am - 11.00 pm, and Saturday 9 December from11.00 am -10.00 pm. Hope they’ve got Summer Lightning, a splendid brew.
Following on from this, the Daniel Defoe in Church Street has become only the second pub (after the Rose and Crown) in Stoke Newington to feature in the Camra Good Beer Guide. Well done to tenant Alan and his partner Amanda. Lots of beards and beer bellies, then, in future. The beer is actually very good and the pub is certainly worth visiting, particularly as there is an increasing lack of real ale in Stokey.
Enthusiasm for plans to plant a community orchard in Butterfield Green was overwhelming when on 19 November the Shakespeare Residents Association and Growing Communities held an open meeting on the proposed site. Hackney Parks Services have already levelled the ground and, in what is hoped will be a real community effort, the fruit trees and bushes will be planted in January of next year (watch out for dates on the park gates). Many people and several local businesses have already offered to donate trees. Once planted, the trees will require maintenance and the more people willing to be involved the better, particularly during dry summers when young trees will need extra care. The orchard will improve Butterfield Green by providing a place of enjoyment and beauty while providing knowledge on fruit growing, and, of course, the pleasure of its uses. Over the last thirty-five years, local commercial orchards have decreased by almost 70% and most apples are now imported. To redress this, the community orchard will be organic and will grow local varieties of apple, thereby ensuring that these now unusual fruits will not die out, while at the same time adding a bio-diversity providing ideal conditions for wildlife, wildflowers and grasses.
If you live in the area and would like to get involved, please contact keith.magnum@btinternet.com or Bron Jones on 0207 241 6841. The next open meeting of the Residents Association is on 13 December at 8am at the Shakespeare Walk Adventure Playground, Shakespeare Walk. |
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