Fuel Poverty in Barkingside

I’ve only just picked this up. A couple of weeks ago on Friday 20th March there was a debate in Parliament on the Fuel Poverty Bill. The Labour government lead by their “Energy Minister” Mrs Joan Ruddock talked out the bill. That is, they deliberately waffled on until time ran out and a vote could not be taken. After 4 hours of debate Mrs Ruddock was charming The House with her rhetoric when the bell rang.

The Fuel Poverty Bill, backed by campaigning groups including Age Concern, Help the Aged and Child Poverty Action Group would have introduced:

* A major energy efficiency programme to bring existing homes up to the energy efficiency standards of modern houses, cutting fuel poverty

* 'Social tariffs' to protect vulnerable people like pensioners from high energy bills

Mrs Ruddock is MP for Lewisham Deptford and the man hoping to put her out of a job at the next general election, local councillor Darren Johnson, said: "Instead of allowing an honest vote by MPs, Joan Ruddock chose underhand tactics to avoid a democratic decision on these important proposals. This sabotage, and her earlier support for Heathrow expansion, is making a mockery of her job as energy and climate change minister."

His colleague, Councillor Luxton said: "This bill would have protected millions from the terrible choice between heating and eating, which too many pensioners and other vulnerable people have to make. Many will feel let down by the underhand way in which it was defeated."

Now then, The Association for the Conservation of Energy estimates that in the Ilford North constituency, of which Barkingside is part, there are 5,170 elderly people who live in one room during the winter months to save money on heating their home, 3,878 stay in bed to keep warm, and 1,551 have to make the choice between heating their home or eating properly.

What surprised me is that these figures [and I’m aware they may not be accurate] are higher than those for the constituency of Ilford South, 4,700, 3,150 and 1,260 respectively, whom we are constantly told are the “poor relations” of the borough of Redbridge. Poverty takes many forms, and being Capital rich doesn’t do any good if you are on a fixed income and cannot service your day to day needs.

It is interesting to note that the Ilford North MP signed the Early Day Motion that welcomed the introduction of the bill to The House but the Ilford South MP did not. The MP for Leyton and Wanstead also did not sign that EDM but he has the excuse of being busy filling out his expenses claims. The other Redbridge MP, Chingford and Woodford Green, rarely signs EDMs.

Fairlop Waters - Update

Having reported earlier that Fairlop Waters was one of the winning parks in the London Mayor’s “Vote for a London Park” campaign and has been awarded £400,000, we were delighted to receive Jacqueline Eggleston, the Fairlop Waters Project Manager, at our March Coffee Morning.

Here are the highlights:

Jacqueline, and indeed ourselves, were most thankful to all those who voted and especially for the campaigns by seven of our local schools.

Regular visitors will have noticed that works are already underway to re-vitalise this wonderful asset. They are concentrating firstly on access, upgrading entrances to encourage pedestrians and cyclists as well as motorists and on repairing and upgrading pathways. The car park is to be relocated and the disabled spaces moved to behind the existing clubhouse where they can sit and enjoy views across the lake.

Fairlop Waters is part of the London Plan for Green Spaces and it is planned to enhance it into a regional facility. It is part of the Green Grid and will be served by the Greenway, a mostly off-road pathway for walkers and cyclists linking up green spaces from the south and extending onwards to the new Cycling Facility at Hog Hill and then to Hainault Forest.

Other plans include opening up the Lagoon near the Horse riding school, improvements to Gravel island, direct pedestrian access from the two tube stations and childrens play – natural, adventure and climbing, plus a new build for the Sailing Centre and café at the eastern entrance.

All this cannot be done on £400,000 of course, but there are more grant applications in the pipeline.

And finally one thing I forgot to put in the hard copy newsletter and is the most important bit of all, Jacqueline wants to resurrect Fairlop Fair, traditionally held each year on the first Friday in July. But why wait? Let's just all turn up - bring a picnic. Friday 3rd July, see you there.

Coffee Mornings - Summer 2009

These are held in the
Hainault Room,
Fullwell Cross Library
10:00am – 12:00noon


Thursday 21st May 2009
Guest speaker: Mrs Ellen Barton
and her Guide Dog INCA
Guide Dogs for the blind

Thursday 18th June 2009
Guest speaker: Cllr Bob Littlewood
Deputy leader of the opposition speaking on
"Public participation in local politics"

Thursday 16th July 2009
Guest speaker: Fiona O’Connor
Redbridge Manager for Natural Play

We do Tea and biscuits too, and it's all Fairtrade.
There is no charge for these events.

AGM and Public Meeting on Grime

Notice is hereby given of our
Annual General Meeting
Thursday 23rd April 2009
[St George's Day]

in the Aldborough Room,
Fullwell Cross Library,
7:30 – 8:00pm

followed by a
Public Meeting
8:00 – 9:00pm
Guest: Russell Ward

Redbridge Head of Environmental Services

Covering - Grafitti, fly-tipping, litter, dog poo, abandoned vehicles, waste and recycling etc.

Newsletter Number 26

Our hard copy newsletter for March/April is back from the printers and should be popping through letterboxes shortly. If you want a copy just email your details.

The news round-up has mostly already been covered by earlier posts on this blog and is intended for those without internet access, or who do not read the blog.

Anything not already covered will appear in later posts, shortly.

Commuter Warning

This coming week London hosts the G20 Summit at the Excel Centre in Docklands. There has already been a big demo/march in London yesterday, Saturday. But, as reports the Guardian last Sunday 22nd there is expected to be some “disruption” during the coming week as various campaign organisations prepare to make their mark.

Some of it, so it is reported, is specifically targeted at Bankers. So office workers are being advised to “dress down”. But what does a Banker look like? It implies that Bankers are rather smartly dressed, the men with wide red braces and slick haircuts and the women with shiny stilettos and Gucci handbags.

Anyway the point of this post is that Redbridge is a commuter borough with many residents who work in the City. So please watch out and be careful.

There is an itinerary of the expected disruptions at the end of that Guardian report.

Job Creation

Following on from the previous post, these are two words that set alarm bells ringing in my head. It smacks of counting paper clips or those people who visit your home to check that your children’s shoe laces are not “an accident waiting to happen”.

The thing is that the whole emphasis of human endeavour since, well since the beginning, has been exactly the opposite. Well, not quite, but I hope you get the drift. From basic tools, to using a horse to pull the plough, through to windmills and looms, Henry Ford’s production line and Strowger’s electro-mechanical switch culminating in this thingy I am now sitting in front off.

It has not been exactly job destruction. It is predicated on efficiency and productivity. That is being able to produce more with less manpower. But the effect is to put people out of work. In this case, Lumberjacks.

True they have up to now, mostly, eventually, sometimes, found other means of employment. But what happens when we have mechanised everything? When robots build robots. What is left for us to do? Do we want to count paper clips? If not, how do we organise ourselves so that we can all participate in society and benefit from the wealth of the Nation?

In the meantime, there are plenty of things that need to be done. They just need to be the right things.

[Hat tip for the vid: Ron King]

E-Revolution

Last Friday at Fairlop Waters we were treated to a viewing of the film “Who killed the electric car?”

The story is based in California, which suffers badly from smog, where a bill to clean up the air was enacted. The major car companies were encouraged to produce electric cars, and they did, lots of them. The customers liked them, they were fast, quiet and easy to handle. Charging stations sprung up where motorists could recharge their batteries. This was around the late 1990s. But then things began to go wrong. Powerful lobbies were feeling the pinch. These cars did not need servicing so much, they didn’t need so many spares and they didn’t use gasoline, [that’s American for petrol]. Pressure was applied and the car manufacturers obliged. Most people in the states don’t buy their cars, they lease them. So the car companies took them back, forcibly, and crushed them. Perfectly serviceable cars that their customers wanted. Sorry, we are not going to renew your lease, period.

The film also inferred that the fate of their equivalent of trolley buses, that graced the streets of many US cities, was also the product of similar unseen lobbying.

Which brings me to Boris Johnson.

What’s the connection you ask? Well, Boris wants to encourage the greater use of electric vehicles in London. He plans to get as much of the Greater London Authority fleet of vehicles running on electricity as possible and has agreed funding to provide more charging points across the capital. More here…..

It’s another case of Machiavelli’s Chapter six.

So, where is the electricity going to come from? Coal, Nuclear? Not necessarily. This could be the Age of Africa. We only need to cover about 2% of the world's deserts with CSP [Concentrated Solar Panels] to produce enough energy to supply the entire world’s demand. How do we get it here? We use a long distance High Voltage Direct Current Grid, which is much more efficient than transmitting Alternate Current. We back it up with wave, wind and our own solar.

Governments do not create jobs. A job is merely something that needs to be done. It is already there waiting for someone to do it, or pay for it to be done. Governments can though facilitate a job to get done, or prevent it from being done.

One Thousand

The number 1,000 is 10 to the power of 3 or 10 cubed.

The 1,000th Prime number is 7919.

In English a Grand is £1,000

In Metric [so I am told] a Kilo = 1,000

A Picture is worth a 1,000 words

The roman numeral for 1,000 is M or Mille

“One thousand" is the lowest positive integer in which the letter A appears in the American English spelling. (In British English, 101 is spelled as "one hundred and one" and is considerably lower.)

1,000 years is a millennium [often associated with bugs]

A map of europe in the year 1,000 is here.

In the year 1,000 the total world population of humans was 310,000,000.

In the year 1,000 Ethelred II the Unready was King of England [no change there then]

And today, Wednesday 25th March 2009, this blog is 1,000 days old.

London Acts where State Fails

Last Friday at the meeting with Ed Miliband, Secretary of State Department of Energy and Climate Change, I had the opportunity to ask a question. I asked why it is that this year, being 60, I get a Winter Fuel Allowance, but have to wait until I am 70 before I get my loft lagged. Surely this is the wrong way round, don’t you want me to reduce my energy consumption? Why encourage me to use more energy over the next 10 years? My logic diodes are giving me an error message!

Anyway despite the national government abandoning all its energy efficiency schemes, the London Development Agency is proposing to offer All London homes free insulation and energy advice. This is a major U-turn since the previous GLA Concierge system had all but been cancelled.

The announcement follows a major investigation by the London Assembly's Environment Committee, which flagged up the success of a free insulation scheme in Huddersfield that is already delivering lower bills, reduced CO2 emissions and economic activity viz. jobs.

The scheme will offer:

- "Ten easy measures" free to all London households (3m total). These measures include: hot water tank insulation, draught proofing, radiator panels, low energy lightbulbs, standby switches etc. The anticipated take up is 1.3m homes and this should generate CO2 savings of 1.4m tonnes per annum.

- Installation of more major measures in 800,000 homes (including loft and cavity wall insulation, heating controls upgrade etc) yielding a further 720,000 tonnes of CO2 per annum. It is unclear at this stage whether this will also be free. The average cash saving to householders taking part in the scheme is estimated at £230 per annum.

- The scheme will be delivered via a street by street, door knocking approach as in Huddersfield.

Initial analysis and comparison with schemes outside London suggests that 2,200 additional jobs will be created as a result of the scheme and a major training programme is likely to be needed to ensure the availability of skilled labour.

It would appear that the phrase “Vote Blue, Go Green” works best when there is a Green in there to argue the case! The chairman of the Environment Committee is one Darren Johnson. No relation.

Pennies and Pounds

“Let the people spend a penny and they will spend a pound” says Boris.

Bouncy Boris writes, in his own unique style, about the trials and tribulations of trying to find a public toilet in this Capital of England when you need one. See, it affects everyone, we all have to pee. It’s a basic amenity and is essential for public health. Even the Romans had public toilets 2,000 years ago [which reminds me to schedule a post for tomorrow].

But then he writes,
“This week, major retailers such as Sainsbury's, John Lewis, Tesco, Marks & Spencer and Borders have signed up to my 'Open London' scheme. The aim is to increase access to public toilets. No longer will you need to create an elaborate subterfuge just to use their facilities. I hope many other businesses will follow the example set, and welcome you with open arms.Indeed, if you are reading this and you own a shop, café or pub then I implore you to go to our website and sign up to the scheme.”

Well, I’m not going to let him get away with taking all the credit. “My Open London scheme” indeed.

Here is me posting on this very topic last August and linking to a GLA report published in March 2006, two years before Boris was elected as the London Mayor. In fact the story goes back beyond that to the first Mayoral term when Noel Lynch, I believe a replacement Green Party List Assembly Member, started the ball rolling with his own report.

True it has happened during Boris’ leadership and he may well have unlocked the door and provided the drive to make it happen, and all credit to him for that, but let’s not forget those who put in the groundwork.

[My thanks to Judith for forwarding the Boris email]

Cometh the Hour

This coming weekend is the last in March and as is tradition we will be adjusting our timepieces, the effect of which will be that for 6 months we will have an extra hour of daylight in the evening at the expense of an hour of darkness in the morning. Why we do this is a complete mystery. It does not change the amount of daylight time nor does it change the time that the sun rises or sets. What we do is schedule our activities one hour earlier or at least some of us do. Those who start work at sunrise, like farmers, still start work at sunrise no matter what it says on their timepiece [I’m using the word timepiece deliberately].

Which brings me to another Hour –

WWF’s Earth Hour.

On Saturday 28th March, in our time zone, people, businesses and iconic buildings will be switching off their lights at precisely 8:30pm for one whole hour. They want you to join in. The idea is to convince our governments that we all care about our environment and the diversity of life, including us, that it supports. It’s a sort of mass demonstration only you don’t need to take to the streets with placards and chants. All you do is schedule in a romantic candlelit dinner, or a game of scrabble if you prefer.

You don’t even need to accept the notion of man-made climate change. It is much more basic than that. We just cannot go on plundering the natural world and continue to expect it to provide us with the things we need for a healthy and enjoyable existence.

Even our own climate AGW [Anthropogenic Global Warming] skeptic, Judith, writes, “Of course what humans do affects the environment, you know I believe that. We shouldn't overfish, we shouldn't massacre the rainforests, etc etc, both for our own benefit and for Gaia's.” Are you ready to show you care?

……… Cometh the Man.

Graphic courtesy of Windows to the Universe

Seal of Disapproval

So, it’s a nice sunny day, it’s spring and the daffodils are in flower. So you decide to walk and take in the beauty of nature. But then you encounter these men with baseball bats beating the shit out of cats, dogs, foxes, badgers, voles, otters, and any other living animal they can find. The pavements, the highways and our parks run red with blood. It splatters up your legs as you walk, your shoes stick to the ground where the blood is congealed. Not a pleasant day after all.

Sorry to be so graphic but that is what is happening right now in Canada, with baby seals. And it happens every year.

Not for food, but for Fur.

Canadians themselves are overwhelmingly opposed to this commercial seal slaughter so most of the products are exported to Europe for sale.

This spring the European Parliament are to vote on a ban of the seal product trade. You can lobby your 8 London MEPs here. However, it didn’t work when I tried it so I emailed them direct. You can find their emails here.

I have confirmation that Jean Lambert, Dr Charles Tannock and Mary Honeyball will be voting for the ban.

Leading by Example

Mrs Sevant will be pleased. We have an ally over the pond in the land where you are welcomed by the French Statue of Liberty.

Last Friday Michelle Obama began digging up part of the south lawn at the White House to plant a vegetable garden, that‘s an Allotment with a Capitol A. The first since Eleanor Roosevelt’s during WWII.
Its most important role, Mrs. Obama said, will be to educate children about healthful, locally grown fruit and vegetables at a time when obesity and diabetes have become a national concern.

Now, will her husband re-install the solar panels originally installed in the late 70s by Jimmy Carter and subsequently ripped out by his successor Ronald McDonald Regan?

Meanwhile Redbridge Council are looking to kick-start the local economy with a Buy Local - Trade Local campaign, and a certain Local Councillor is in cahoots with some Yanks and looking at the feasibility of a decentralised energy facility here in Redbridge. They are reviewing resources and matching with available technologies which yield maximum energy output with the lowest carbon footprint. And looking at options for the electrification of local transport. More on this in a couple of months when the report is completed.

The old ways are always the best [as my Mum used to say] and the G-men and women have been saying this for years. We had electrical transport, they were called trolley buses, AND we had our own power supply.

What goes round, comes round. Don't you just love it when the Government usher in their latest "innovation", like Clinics, when you remember when they were abolished.

Hat-tip on the Obama story – Bristol’s Charlie Bolton
Graphic courtesy of freefoto

Mother’s Day

Today I had a picnic in Weald Country Park with my family. Then we had a walk in the woods where I spotted this inscription on a bench, “I believe in God, only I spell it Nature”.

Today is Mother’s Day and for me that includes Mother Earth and Mother Nature.

Give or Take

GIVE OR TAKE DAY
What’s it all about?

A chance to clear out your unwanted items which someone else could use and bring them along on the day. A chance to find a much needed thing that someone else does not want. You don’t have to give something to take something!

Saturday 28th March 2009
12:00pm – 3:00pm
At Hainault Forest Community Centre
100b Manford Way
Hainault, Redbridge IG7 4DF

Free Collection and Delivery of Large Items to local residents ring - 020 8539 3856

Also, join in recycled Arts and Crafts workshop and community activities

This event is supported by LB Redbridge.

Flag Raising

Our esteemed mate John Coombes is trying to contact as many ex service or serving members of the armed forces in respect of events being held in Redbridge on Monday 22 June 2009 at 10.30hrs and on Saturday 27 June 27 2009 pm.

The Monday event will be a Flag Raising and will held at Redbridge Town Hall.
On the Saturday it will be in Valentines Park and will be attended by The Mayor, our Deputy Lieutenant Colonel Alan Hall, Members of the Armed forces, and Local Cadet Forces, and as many Royal British Legion members as we get contact.

John’s contact email

[Graphic courtesy of wikimedia creative commons]

Fairlop Heritage Group

Fairlop Heritage Group

is holding a public meeting in the Hainault Room of Fullwell Cross Library on Saturday 11 April 2009 from 2.30 to 4.30pm.

An opportunity for anyone with interest in Fairlop Plain/Waters to have their say in the formation of a Heritage Group to represent the local community now that Fairlop Waters is being developed by LB Redbridge.

The principle of the F.H.G. shall be to promote the understanding of and concern for the historic and natural heritage of Fairlop Plain and its future.

For further details contact David Martin (organiser) on 07910 568760, or by email:

[on behalf of Dominic Black, Alan Harris and Thomas Haynes]

Graphic courtesy, David Martin

Wanstead By-Election Called

The Wanstead by election has been officially called for Thursday 23rd April 2009.
Candidates so far declared are:
Alex Wilson, Conservative
Ross Hatfull, Labour
Kate Garrett, Liberal Democrat
Ashley Gunstock, Green Party

It is also expected that the British National Party will field a candidate, but this has not yet been confirmed. If they do, we don’t want any of this. So if you are prone to that sort of behaviour please stay away.

I understand that Mr Wilson is a psephologist, the study of voting patterns. A fascinating subject. Here is the result of the Wanstead ward election in 2006.

Burgess, Allan Clayton	Con	1946
Dunn, Michelle Clare	Con	1746
Chan, Tak Leung	Con	1617
Edelman, Jeffery	Lab	1255
Hatfull, Ross James	Lab	1066
Segura, Nikolai	Lab	956
Gunstock, Ashley	Grn	810
Cornish, Alan Frank	LibDem	528
Cornish, Janet May	LibDem	526
Winborne, Pamela Ann	LibDem	507

Now, the natives have been restless for some time and the Conservative administration has been under quite a lot of fire. However, they have just elected a new Leader and Deputy Leader, as reported on previous post, and it is a pretty solid Tory ward – so Alex is the bookies favourite. The interesting bit is how the other parties will fare.

Labour are in the doldrums. Their vote crumbled in the Valentines by election in January sinking from first to third place. And that was in traditional Labour territory, so we can expect their vote to drop significantly. The question is, who if anyone, will benefit? Ashley Gunstock did rather well for the Greens in 2006, but that was when the electorate had three votes and could spread their bets. This is a by-election where that feature is not available so if Ashley maintains that performance he will have done extremely well.

The Liberal Democrats tend to do well in areas that they target and put in the groundwork. I am not aware that they have done this in Wanstead but they may benefit from the disaffected Labour vote.

The dark horse, if they stand, will be the BNP. They tend to do well in working class areas and take votes away from Labour. However, they tend not to do so well in well healed Tory areas and they bombed [correction, I got confused with Clementswood] but they did come second in the Bridge ward by election in 2006. Frankly I don’t see them doing at all well here – the Labour Guardian readers are more likely to switch to LibDem or Green if they vote at all.

UPDATE: Nominations closed yesterday 25th March. The four candidates listed at the head of this post have all submitted valid nomination papers as well as two other candidates:

John Evans, British National Party
Nick Jones, UK Independence Party

Machiavelli’s The Prince

We are informed via a comment on the previous post, and from a reliable source, that Redbridge Conservative group have, this evening, ditched Cllr Alan Weinberg and elected Cllr Keith Prince as their leader for the forthcoming municipal year and crucially leading to the local elections in 2010.

However, we should not forget chapter six:

"We must bear in mind, then, that there is nothing more difficult and dangerous, or more doubtful of success, than an attempt to introduce a new order of things in any state. For the innovator has for enemies all those who derived advantages from the old order of things, whilst those who expect to be benefited by the new institutions will be but lukewarm defenders. This indifference arises in part from fear of their adversaries who were favoured by the existing laws, and partly from the incredulity of men who have no faith in anything new that is not the result of well-established experience. Hence it is that, whenever the opponents of the new order of things have the opportunity to attack it, they will do it with the zeal of partisans, whilst the others defend it but feebly, so that it is dangerous to rely upon the latter.''

Keith has a tough task, and his success or otherwise will depend not so much on the support of his colleagues but how his administration is perceived by us, the electorate. We wish him well, for his potential success is also ours.

Addition: I should have also mentioned that Cllr John Fairley-Churchill has been elected as Deputy Leader in place of Cllr Mrs Linda Huggett.

Young Nick

Yes I know Nick Hurd is the MP for Ruislip and Northwood and you may be forgiven for asking why he features on this blog here on the other side of London, in Barkingside. Well, it was he who took the Sustainable Communities Bill through parliament and [pays homage at this point] he supports CAMRA. Here’s an extract from his latest newsletter:

I am very proud of the Private Members Bill I took through Parliament which has become law. It will give greater power to help Communities protect local services and take more control over their futures.
As a result of the Act, Local Authorities are being asked to put forward new ideas for powers they need to help sustain our communities. I am delighted to say that over 80 Local Authorities have said that they will respond , and the number is growing every day.
Did you know that in the UK, we are losing 37 pubs a week? This comes on top of lost post offices, bank branches and community shops. What will our high streets and communities look like in ten years time, let alone twenty? The Sustainable Communities Act gives communities more power to shape their own futures and stop this rot. The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) are strong supporters of the Act and I spoke recently at their Parliamentary Reception.

You will note that 80 local authorities have responded, but that doesn’t include us here in Redbridge, although the prospect of that may change as I write.

Tetra Trouble at Tescos

Margaret reports that the Tetra Pack recycling facility at Tescos Barkingside is no more. They have revamped their recycling facility, and smart it is too says Margaret, but she is very grumpy that the facility for recycling Tetra cartons is no longer available.

This is not temporary nor is it an oversight. Margaret has been on to the council recycling team, who ain’t happy about it either. The decision was Tescos and the council have no powers as it is on Tescos property. The council did offer to leave their Carton banks there but the offer was refused. The banks that were at Tesco Barkingside have been relocated at Tescos, Woodford Avenue. Consideration was given to relocating them at Craven Gardens Car Park but they felt it was not appropriate at this time as there have been complaints about the cardboard recycling at this location. Silly people don’t squash their cardboard flat and it very quickly overflows.

The recycling team are doing their very best to improve opportunities to recycle, including cardboard but it is difficult in these economic times and with budget and practicality constraints; and the failure of Tescos to co-operate doesn’t help.

Perhaps if we all leave our Tetra packs at Customer Services they might have a re-think? Every Little Helps!

The remaining Tetra facilities are here.

And Cardboard here.

Views of Barkingside High Street

“A Pleasant Place to Shop”

That is how Seven Kings Councillor Balvinder Saund and resident of Chadwell Heath describes Barkingside High Street, as reported by the Ilford Recorder. Has Cllr Saund ever been to Barkingside High Street? It may well be a pleasant place to Eat, but shop? True there are a few proper shops left, like Danny’s DIY and Harmony [Judith is right, see comments, they have closed and it is to be.... a £ gift shop], but shop? Now, I’m not what you might call a shopper, and I tend to know what I want and where to get it, or know a man who does. Like yesterday I was at Middletons in York Road, Ilford, after a new fan belt for my Black & Decker GA100. So I’m not really the one to judge on this, so I’ll open it up for comments.

Following on I am alerted by the wonders of the interwebby techno facilities that a blog, which I am not familiar with, has linked to this site. Locals may or may not be surprised that it’s title is…

Charity Shop Tourism.

Some excerpts:

While the charity shopping is great, I found little worth hanging around for (although I’m sure others would argue). [Ed: the "others" is the link to this blog, so would you?]

Barkingside has little going for it except for charity shops, in my opinion, but for a quick stop on one’s way out east, it’s not that bad, and has at least two very good bargain shops which make it worth visiting.

There you have it, how others see us can be an eye opener. A whole new industry of Bed & Breakfasts for the tourists awaits us.

Oh! that report in the Ilford Recorder says that the High Road from Ilford through Seven Kings and Chadwell up to the borough boundary is to get a face-lift. Let’s hope TfL don’t get involved, and that Barkingside gets it’s promised and long awaited Regeneration Feasibility Study soon.

Wednesday’s Child

Following on from the previous post depicting the Victorian approach to poverty, we come to modern day poverty, here in the UK, today, now, this minute.

Next Wednesday, 18th of March, marks the 10 year anniversary of the Government's pledge to halve child poverty by 2010 and eradicate it by 2020. If I recall correctly this pledge was made by the then Chancellor in a budget speech. He has since “saved the world” from financial collapse, so such a pledge would seem to be, well, doable for someone with his credentials, you would think wouldn’t you.

Well, no. With one year to go there are still nearly 4 million children in poverty here in the UK, that’s 1 in 3 or 33%. Just to be clear how poverty is defined here. It’s where the family has less than £10 per day per person to buy everything they need such as food, heating, toys, clothes, electricity and transport.

So what is required? According to Barnados it requires a £3billion investment. Sounds a lot doesn’t it. But let’s put it into perspective.

The recent “Welfare for the Rich” initiative, otherwise known as the [Scottish] bank bailouts has cost us taxpayers TRILLIONS. We haven’t paid it yet, it’s a debt. Payable in the future by us, our children and grandchildren and ……

Barnados campaign asks us to lobby our MPs to urge the current Chancellor to commit in this year’s budget, but frankly I can’t see it happening. They, and we, are bankrupt.

We are all Wednesday’s Children now, and will be for some time to come.

All political leaders want a “legacy” but some get a legacy they don’t want.

How Times Change

For the visually impaired we have here an inscription upon the wall of a building –

For the INSTRUCTION of YOUTH,
The ENCOURAGEMENT of INDUSTRY,
The RELIEF of WANT,
The SUPPORT of OLD AGE,
And the COMFORT of
INFIRMITY and PAIN.

Above a door marked “The Cell Bar” – “Norwich BITTER”.

I can confirm that the Norwich Bitter was excellent but I somehow suspect that the bar was not there when the original inscription was carved into the wall.

Local Celebs

Question: What comes between Tina Turner and Lulu?
Answer: Ron Jeffries

Here he is on BBC Essex today. It’s about I hour 40 minutes in so just click on the bar of horizontal lines about seven from the end. These links only last for a short while so get in quick.

If you miss it you can always watch out for Ron in Hello Magazine or try to catch him at one of the local nightspots.

Minister To Visit Fairlop Waters

Hmmm, do I sense some rivalry here? First, I am advised of a meeting on the evening of Friday 20th March hosted by Lee Scott, MP Ilford North, for Ilford North Businesses in the context of these “very challenging economic times”. His party has set up an “Economic Recovery Committee” and Lee wants the views of local business to feed into it. I didn’t post it on the blog here because it’s really only for business, but now that I think of it, readers may well wish to know it is happening.

Anyway, next I am advised of another meeting on the same evening organised by “The Go Redbridge Meetup Group and [the elusive] Sonia Klein for Parliament” who present:

Ed Milliband MP, Secretary of State Department of Energy and Climate Change.

Note the "antique clock" in the background of the photograph which is currently up for sale on Gumtree for £45 by someone with the name "Gord".

Details:
Friday, 20th March @ Fairlop Waters Golf Club
Forest Road, Barkingside, IG6 3HN, (5 min walk from Fairlop Tube station on Central Line)
7:00 Doors Open
7:30 Introduction – Sonia Klein, Ilford North PPC
7:35 – 8:30 Ed Milliband discussion on UK policy and Q&A
8:40 – 10:15 Introduction – Peter Durant, Policy Advisor DAUK
Screening of “Who Killed the Electric Car”

We are delighted to welcome the Secretary of State of the newly formed Department of Energy and Climate Change, Ed Milliband, to share with us his plan to meet the daunting energy and climate change challenges we face. It should prove to be a lively discussion and informative evening. Immediately following, we will show the multi nominated and provocative documentary film, “Who Killed the Electric Car”.
“A potent hybrid of passion and politics fuel this energetic and highly compelling documentary”. - Michael Rachtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter

You will note that they are NOT screening “The Age of Stupid”, which considering Mr Milliband's title is a bit, well, stupid.

Fear not, B21 will be represented at both events and will be comparing notes in the Fairlop Oak afterwards. We allocate our resources on the basis of who can be the best PIA in the circumstances.

Off Their Trolleys

Over on the comments thread here on Roger’s blog it is alleged that the commissars at City Hall are anti-Trolley Bus and that nobody there is willing to look at the compelling arguments in favour of the good old modernised Trolley Bus. So here is some nostalgia, it’s 22Mbits so if you’re on dial up don’t click.

And here we have TfL testing their new design for Fullwell Avenue Bus shelters.

Hat-tips: Freewheeler and Ray Frunshum respectively

The Dark Side

Do you remember that episode of Star Trek [original series] where Captain Kirk is split between his two selves? One good, one evil. Then there is Star Wars where Luke Skywalker’s father is seduced by the Dark Side and becomes Lord Vader. Science fiction is great but it’s just a representation of Human Nature in another place or another time. What worries me is that the special effects get the attention and the underlying message is passed by and forgotten.

I often wonder at such progress that we Human Beings have made over the last two and a half Millennia. Science and Technology have progressed at a fantastic rate, even in my lifetime, BUT do we understand ourselves any more than the ancient Greek philosophers or those who wrote the ancient texts of Religious manuscripts? I think not.

Which brings me to a Review of Prime Evil.

I went to see this play on Friday evening. I am not a theatregoer so my comments on the production and acting are of little consequence. I went because I am interested in the subject – I did Psychology at OU, not for the qualification but purely out of interest.

It was not a long play, 50 minutes or so, there was no set, no props and only two actors. There were no special effects to distract our attention but I did hear people afterwards talking about how Ashley had managed to portray two completely different personas effectively. Now those are the "special effects" I am interested in. [See questions later].

We can all do it in real life, some better than others, but we can all do it.

The play itself is a series of sessions between one Edward Hyde, an inmate of Broadmore Asylum, and the Psychologist Carl Jung. Hyde is in there because he killed another man simply for asking for directions and is suspected of also killing a Doctor Jeckle, who is missing. Of course, we the audience know that Hyde is also Dr Jeckle, [read the book, seen the film, heard the story, bought the T-shirt] and we witness the path that Jung takes to find that out.

Throughout Hyde talks about "him" or "the other". He describes him in graphic detail. A Doctor, a man of learning such as you Dr Jung. A pillar of the community who performs his social duty. A Trustee of a correction unit for young girls. He sits, with his peers, in judgement. A 16-year-old girl, sweet of face, is charged with "insubordination" and sentenced to 35 lashes upon a bare bottom. Hyde describes the scene in detail. The knickers descend, Jeckle and the other Trustees lick their lips and the bulges in their trousers belie their true feelings.

Wouldn’t it be nice, says Hyde, if we could separate our two selves and indulge without guilt or remorse?

Hyde persuades Jung to let him have the potion and he reverts to Jeckle. They discuss the implications but it is cut short. He is too far gone, the potion is only temporary and he becomes Hyde once more.

The play concludes with Hyde’s words – "My Name is Legion, for we are many."

Many we may be, but some may be more susceptible to the corruption of power than others?

Questions:
Is it possible for someone to go too far to be redeemed or recovered?
Is it possible for a Hyde to disguise themself as a Jeckle?
If it is, how do you tell? They won’t be wearing helmets like Lord Vader!

Prime Evil by Poetic Justice Productions. If you get the chance go see.

The Breakfast Club

I’m suddenly feeling hungry. There are a couple of places in Barkingside where you can partake of such cuisine and that I can recommend - Café 104 and Danny’s Pie and Mash. Unfortunately I can’t recommend the Fairlop Oak because they stop serving breakfast at 12noon and by the time I get there from one of our coffee mornings I have to settle for a nice healthy Tuna Baquette.

BUT, it’s looking good. Officers from Fairlop Safer Neighbourhood Team [soon to be Fullwell] are now conducting surgeries from within the bar area of The New Fairlop Oak Public House. The Surgeries are held between 10am and 11am whilst the pub is open and serving breakfasts. Look out for posters within local notice boards and within the pub itself for forthcoming dates.

NEXT DATE – 16th of March

And from the Fairlop SNT March Newsletter

WHAT’S IN YOUR GARDEN ?
Those who commit burglary rarely actually carry any tools or a “swag bag” as portrayed in cartoons.
They rely on you leaving stuff about in either your front, but more usually your back garden.
Several burglaries have occurred recently whereby the offender has entered the rear garden, then either broken into or simply entered the un-locked tool shed and then used tools and ladders found un-secured at the location to enable them to get in to the house.
Please take a look in YOUR garden and look at things through the “eyes of a thief” – what could you steal or use to help you to break in to your house?

PLEASE LOCK IT ALL AWAY

Redbridge Police Community Engagement Group

The next meeting of the Redbridge Police Community Engagement Group (Funded by the Metropolitan Police Authority) is the Annual General Meeting to be held on Wednesday 11 March, 7-9pm, Sir James Hawkey Hall, Broomhill Road, Woodford Green, IG8

The meeting will hear reports of latest progress from senior Police & Council representatives plus "Enviro Crime" enforcement. Please come along to hear what is being done to improve community safety in the Borough.

Anyone who lives or works in Redbridge is welcome to attend.
Refreshments will be available from 6.30pm.

AGENDA
1) Welcome and introductions
2) Apologies for absence
3) Minutes of meeting held 3 December 2008 and matters arising (10 minutes)
4) Minutes of Executive Group meeting held 14 January 2009 and matters arising (10 minutes)
5) Election of Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer & 2 Executive Group members (15 minutes)
6) The Policing Pledge – Borough Commander Peter Terry (15 minutes)
7) Reports from the Police & Local Authority on their progress on Community Safety issues in the past year – Cllr Mrs Vanessa Cole and Borough Commander Peter Terry (30 minutes)
8) Street Scenes and Enforcement and the impact of things such as graffiti and flytipping on crime levels : “Envirocrime Enforcement” – Russell Ward, Head of Environmental Services, London Borough of Redbridge (30 minutes)
9) Responses to any submitted questions (5 minutes)
10) Date, time and place of next meeting (to be confirmed)
11) Any other urgent business (5 minutes)

Count your Worms

I do know that there are quite a few gardeners [even guerrilla ones] and allotment holders who read this blog, and this post is for you. Those nice people at the Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) network need your help.

London Soil and earthworm survey - join in now

Discover more about the world of earthworms and help scientists with valuable research. We're inviting everybody to take part in one of the England's biggest nature surveys. OPAL scientists want to find out more about earthworms and the soils they live in - something we know surprisingly little about. Earthworms are extremely important and play a vital role in recycling plant nutrients and aerating the soil. But we need to build up our understanding of the soil types they live in and their distribution across the country. By taking part in this survey you'll help improve our knowledge of soils and earthworms. It's simple, fun and your findings will be used to update our national record. You'll also be able to see your contribution instantly on our results map.

This exciting new initiative is open to anyone with an interest in nature. We aim to create and inspire a new generation of nature-lovers by getting people to explore, study, enjoy and protect their local environment.

Get digging - Tajinder

For a free London survey pack please contact: Marilia Giannakopoulou

A Woman’s Place

Apparently it’s International Women’s Day, sometime – but if you go to the home page of the website it doesn’t actually say which day it is!! The girls know of course, they are jolly good at remembering birthdays and stuff, but we blokes are somehow supposed to pick this stuff up by some complicated semaphore system based on the subtle movement of eyebrows.

Anyway, every day is Women’s Day at an Ilford based company. AA Security will feature in the Sunday Telegraph’s “Women Today” supplement this weekend. I’ve seen it already but can’t publish it coz it’s copyright. Security is not an area renowned for employing women, but this one is trying to break down those barriers. They hold women-only classes run by female instructors and work with local job centres to brief them on the benefits and opportunities available. And they have held single parent seminars to explain how they could balance their work and home life with flexible hours and child care support. MD Wilson Chowdhry comments that staff turnover is 9% compared to the industry average of 35% which gives his customers a better continuity of service.

Meanwhile, the Redbridge Faith Forum is holding a public forum entitled "RECOGNISING THE IMPORTANCE OF WOMEN IN INFLUENCING AND SHAPING OUR SOCIETY".

This is a free event open to everybody.

This public forum will explore the role of women from the viewpoint of eight different faith traditions: Baha’i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and Zoroastrian. There will be a main speaker followed by a question and answer session where the audience can interact with a panel of women representatives from the eight different faith traditions.
It promises to be a very interesting and enlightening evening and we warmly invite you, and any of your colleagues or acquaintances that would be interested in this topic, to come and join us in order to share your views and to hear the views of others.
This is an exciting opportunity to foster understanding and co-operation between Redbridge’s diverse faith communities. It will also enable women from different faith communities to interact together and we do hope you will be able to attend.
The event will take place on Wednesday 18th March 2009 in the Gloucester Room, Ilford Central Library, Clements Road, Ilford, from 7.00pm to 9.00 pm.
Light Refreshments will be provided.
Bookings via Saira Yakub telephone 020 8708 2478 or email.

Could be interesting if members of “One Law For All” turn up. They are campaigning for an end to Religious Based Tribunals [including Sharia Law] not just here in the UK but everywhere, on the basis that they discriminate against women and children and operate Sexual Apartheid.

RAF Memorial – Fairlop

Can’t see something like this making much of a dent in £400,000. What do you think?

RAF Memorial, Bradwell Bay, Essex

Photo credit, Stuart Axe. He has a write up on Bradwell Bay here.

Just an Essex Lad

An autobiography by Ron Jeffries.
[click on graphic to enlarge]

First published March 2009, Just an Essex Lad takes a largely humorous approach to my life. Sections of the text were first published in “Broadsheet”, the monthly newsletter of St. Peter’s Aldborough Hatch from late 2007.

I write of my probable meeting with Petula Clark at the age of three, the fact that I sat across a desk from a Peer of the Realm or two, shared a platform with one or two MPs, stayed on the Scottish estate of a Knight of the Realm at his invitation and did some ghost writing for another, remanded Charlie Kray – that well-known character from London’s East End - into custody and was responsible – with the help of 300 Scouts - for the cooking of the world’s longest sausage (all 9.89 miles of it) in London’s Hyde Park.

But it was not all beer and skittles. I was a small part of the teams that edged the Boy Scouts Association into The Scout Association, launched the Redbridge Magistrates’ Court Drug Initiative and recognised that the growing number of the homeless in the London Borough of Redbridge needed support. Be all that as it may, my story starts between two world wars when I toddled around in my Persil white Turkish towelling nappies.

I have concentrated largely on the light-hearted aspects of the journey that took me to some interesting and even exotic places - from Walthamstow Market to Atlanta, and you cannot get much more exotic than the former, whilst the latter had some unforgettable moments. But thankfully, for I have a fondness for the place, my travels kept bringing me back to within a stone’s throw of the spot in the Borough of Redbridge where I was born.

Just an Essex Lad is published in paperback

(ISBN 978-09561877-0-3) with a full-colour cover,
390 pages and eight pages of black and white photographs.
Copies are available direct from the publisher

at a cover price of £9.99
(plus £2.50 postage and packing where appropriate).

Orders and enquiries via email.

Movers & Shakers

Down true blue Wandsworth way back in 2007 there was a trial of an initiative called “Movers and Shakers”. What it did was to provide bike [cycling] training for community leaders and role models and then ask them to share their experiences with the community. It was a major success, not surprising given how [some] notable Tories like to ride bikes, OK we will ignore Mr Coleman. So much so that the Redbridge branch of the London Cycling Campaign [LCC], are due to launch a similar project here in Bluebridge Redbridge this month, March 2009 running until June 6th when there will be a Movers and Shakers ride led by a celebrity [?] at the Redbridge Cycling Centre. The first Mover and Shaker to be invited is Roger [two pies] Evans, Redbridge and Havering London Assembly Member and leader of the Conservative Group at City Hall.

So, if there are any community leaders or role models out there who may be interested read on below and get in touch with Redbridge LCC, but don’t forget to address Lady Gill correctly – she’s an MBE you know! [Modesty Becomes ‘Er]

Note: You don’t have to be blond(e) and wear a medallion or sling backs: but apparently it helps according to a certain northern ecky thump Labour MP - via Dizzy.

Project aims
Explore barriers to, and perceptions of, cycling as a mode of transport
Provide direct experience of cycling to community leaders via one-to-one tailored cycle training .
Enable community leaders from a variety of backgrounds to act as role models to tell others about cycling.
Provide help with telling others about cycle training/cycling experience.

Who's it for?
Individuals with strong links to East London, with existing high profile or an interest in raising their profile, and who are seen as opinion-formers or role models by one or more community groups in the borough
Not cycled before, or not cycling regularly , and willing to participate in personalised cycle training
Able and willing to pass on their experiences to the local community via appropriate media e.g. the press, a weblog, a community newsletter , and video

How does it work?
A brief assessment is carried out, to understand their perceptions of cycling and discuss how participants can tell others about their involvement in the project
A professional cycle trainer will then contact participants to arrange a minimum of two hours' training at their convenience, with a promise of more sessions if desired.
After the training, a brief follow-up interview will be carried out to see if, and how, participants' perceptions of cycling may have changed
At the end of the project in June 2009, there will be a public event at Redbridge Cycling Centre for all the 'Movers and Shakers' to meet up and discuss, share and publicise their experiences in the press and on video

We have won £400,000

Apparently the Director of Redbridge Leisure, Culture and Olympics received an email yesterday saying that Fairlop Waters Country Park had won £400,000 and asking for the Council’s Bank details. Unfortunately he took it to be one of those scammy spam emails and deleted it. Have no fear, the techies have retrieved it and it’s genuine. See the City Hall website.

This is just in time, because we have Jacqueline Eggleston, the Fairlop Waters Project Manager, coming to speak at our next Coffee Morning and she can tell us what its going to be spent on and why the car park for the disabled on the north shore of the lake has been dug up. One of our members is pretty upset about that.

Thursday 19th March
10am – 12 noon
Hainault Room
Fullwell Cross Library

All welcome - Fair Trade tea, coffee and biscuits.

Underground, Overground

Pictured below, is the entrance to the underpass in Woodford Avenue just along from Lord Avenue. On the other side of Woodford Avenue is the junction with Woodford Bridge Road which hosts Beal School and the Sinclair Community Centre.
This underpass has a history of anti-social behaviour and attacks [I do not have any information to indicate they were racist]. For the last few weeks there have been road works going on here and the bus stop has been out of action, picture below.
Now we can see what is happening, picture below. An overground crossing is being constructed. I don’t know yet but I expect it to have traffic lights and buttons for pedestrians to operate. The bus stop will presumably be moved further along the road or abandoned.

Over the last few years quite a few surface level Traffic Lighted pedestrian crossings have appeared on TfL controlled roads in Redbridge. In Woodford Avenue - at Lechmere Avenue [Tescos], at the junction with the Beehive roundabout and at Gants Hill Crescent. In addition there are a couple more either side of Gants Hill in Eastern Avenue, BUT none of these replaced an underpass.

So, the question now is, can the residents of Chadwell Heath expect similar treatment for the notorious underpass further along Eastern Avenue at the junction with Somerville Road?

Ex-JP turns Guerrilla - Shock

An elderly, but sprightly Redbridge gentleman and former Justice of the Peace, known to many of the local readers of this blog has gone Guerrilla. He has taken up the art of Guerrilla Gardening. This involves planting bulbs and scattering seeds here, there and everywhere on public land.

He has made a start in the Shrubberies in Aldborough Road North, hard by Spearpoint Gardens, which should give a big clue as to his identity, but his name, as with all Guerrilla Artists, shall remain a closely guarded secret. Now the Shrubberies are a pleasant spot, with bird life in abundance. Further up there are bluebells which will shortly burst forth, but meanwhile at the far Southern end, near Ramsgill Approach, there are Tete a Tete Daffodil, Crocus and even the odd Snowdrop to be seen. So, if you are passing by you may wish to stop and take it all in.
He started the planting in 2007 - with bulbs from his own garden. He did the same in 2008. On one occasion, a man rebuked him for digging them up (when he was in fact planting). On another occasion, he left his fork in the Shrubberies to return to get some more bulbs - and when he arrived back the fork had - GONE! An abrupt end to a 49 year friendship. But that type of setback does not deter such a dedicated operative – Mrs Guerrilla bought him a new one. Perhaps she wants to keep him out of the house?

He expects to continue his Guerrilla Gardening this spring - so watch out! And why not join him?

Stop Press: I am now informed that a former Redbridge Councillor has been doing likewise in Oaks Lane. Any more out there?

The Dead Zone?

There is a fascinating report over on Bristling Badger which is taken from a site by Filatova Elena Vladimirovna, who has been exploring the Dead Zone around Chernobyl.

Although there is some debunking in the comments at BB, that Elena has used poetic licence, the thrust of the piece seems to be quite sound. The official Dead Zone is a 30km radius but there is now no human habitation within a radius far wider than that.

There are more than 2,000 dead towns and villages within a radius of 250 kms (155 miles) around Chernobyl reactor. Each year I travel, I see more and more ruined places.

155 Miles is the distance between London and Cardiff.

What happened to those people on 26 April 1986?

After a few hours trip in an army vehicle, they stood under a shower, washing away radiation. Then they stepped in a new life, naked with no home, no friends, no dogs, no money, no past and with a very doubtful future.

They left behind treasured possessions, family heirlooms and family photographs and videos. All they had left was memories.

But Mother Nature is having her say. Wildlife appears to be thriving in this forgotten land. Life indeed does find a way, but it is rather presumptuous to expect it to include us Hupersons, don’tcha think?

Note: I wasn’t really up and about at 8am this morning. I am just testing out blogger’s facility to schedule a post for a later date and time.