| Let no-one call us parochial here in N16. Kirit Patel not only sells the best samosas in Stoke Church Street – ‘freshly made daily’ – he also provides a wide range of Indian, Turkish and European newspapers and magazines. In his long-established newsagents (here since 1984), you can buy L’Equipe, Corriere Della Sera, Liberation, La Gazetta Dello Sport, the Irish Independent, the Wall Street Journal, El Pais, Le Monde, the Irish Times, Le Monde Diplomatique, the Indian version of Eastern Eye and Goravi Gujarat, to name but a few. Like all newsagents, he would not stock these newspapers and magazines if people did not buy them. In a sense, they are a social barometer of who lives in Stokey and to some extent their world outlook. Hamdy’s and Ved News also sell a wide range of non-UK newspapers. A fleeting visit to Ved News revealed the Irish Times, the Irish Independent, Le Monde, the International Herald Tribune, the Wall Street Journal and USA Today.
Kirit Patel Newsagents, 39 Stoke Newington Church Street; Ved News 117 Stoke Newington Church Street; Hamdys, Stoke Newington High Street.
Cobbled Yard, our local antique and collectables emporium, will be expanding this Spring to occupy a second showroom opposite their yard on Bouverie Road (behind the Daniel Defoe pub). The premises will also provide services such as upholstery, furniture restoration and carpentry. Their stock includes everything you need to furnish your home with style.
St Mary's is continuing its consultation process on developing the Old Church as a vibrant and valued community facility. St Mary's is keen to involve of the community in working out what is needed and is inviting other groups to help with developing it. We want to ensure that it will be of benefit to and used by the diverse community that is Stoke Newington. Interested? Please contact the Parish Office on 020 7254 6072, stmarystokenewington@btinternet.com.
Michael Sinclair of Sunstone Women and Chair of Stoke Newington Business Association has embarked on an enterprising new venture ‘chinaONEcall’ in partnership with his son Greg who now lives in China. Michael was inspired by his experiences travelling through the country and came up with this innovative idea designed to enhance any trip to China. chinaONEcall is an ‘interpreter in your pocket’, providing a 24/7 telephone link to helpful and informative trained English and Mandarin speaking Chinese staff who can communicate and translate direct to taxi drivers, new business contacts or shop assistants, for example. All you need is simply your mobile phone. chinaONEcall is for the business traveller, tourist or student. Find out more on www.chinaONEcall.com or ring Michael on 0845 500 41 42.
‘Do you remember the days of slavery?’ asked Burning Spear’s Winston Rodney and some answers to this question will be found at Abolition ‘07, an exhibition held at Hackney Museum (launched 13 March, running until 14 July) – the only London local authority museum to have organised a special commemoration to mark the bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act. Funded by Heritage Lottery Fund grant, the exhibition has been devised to increase awareness of the slave trade, exploring its background, resistance, abolition and impact on the borough’s communities. Which is only fitting, as key members of the Abolitionist movement were local residents, particularly among the many Quakers, Baptists and other non-conformists living in Stoke Newington, then as now, a centre for dissent. Some of these, such as James Stephen (1758 - 1832) were close to leading Abolitionist William Wilberforce, helping him draft the Act, while others campaigned for emancipation in Jamaica and Africa, including Revs Thomas Burchell (1799 - 1846) and Samuel Oughton. These latter are among the many of their compatriots buried in Abney Park Cemetery, itself founded by, among others, Rev James Sherman (1796 - 1862), author of the introduction to the influential Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
Abolition ’07 includes free talks, films, drama, workshops, performances of Negro Spirituals, poets Adisa and Baden Prince working with local primary school children and a new art installation by Godfried Donkor working with pupils from Skinner School for Girls and Cardinal Pole School. Full programme details: Hackney Museum, I Reading Lane, E8 1GQ tel 8356 3500/hmuseum@hackney.gov.uk
Bubble Inc, whom we profiled in Issue 31, are proving popular with birthday parties. The company, led by Sam the Bubbleman, have created a new bubble show, which lasts for an hour with bubble tricks, games and a workshop. They end up putting the kids in a bubble, which they seem to love. The Financial Times and Guardian have been following them around to prepare a story on their unusual business. If you want to book a bubbleologist for your kids’ party, call them on 020 7241 3920. You can also find them at Spitalfields Market on Sundays, or online at www.bubbleinc.co.uk
And finally, Stokefest is back this summer, assuming Hackney Council don’t screw up their licensing arrangements, as they did so memorably last year. Apparently, they will be staging the event in Clissold Park on Sunday 10 June, so expect the usual musical mayhem and general frolics. Not to be missed. |
