West Ealing walkabout

This is the most colourful picture from our pre-Halloween walk!

Fancy meeting Green Man and Woman?

When I was in West Ealing  last week, I couldn't see the legendary couple painted on the boarding around the new development replacing The Green Man Estate. Not all is lost. You can meet them in  a mosaic form on the southern edge of Acton, on the fairy-tale mosaic-covered house of the craftivist, Carrie Reichardt! Would you like me to take you there?

To Recycled Future and art of troubled people, Sunday 5.11.17.

Hello Dear Reader,

Don't miss our next Sunday outing!

We go to see two free exhibitions at South Bank! You are welcome to join in. There will be no fee for this tour, just a donation if you've enjoyed it. Any questions, I'm happy to answer. Time and meeting place to be announced shortly.

Here is an invitation to one of the events from Oskar OK Krajewski:

'Dear all, please feel free to come and enjoy the show this week! If can, please bring some unwanted items you will never use again- I'll make sculptures out of it! More info here www.artofok.com/events/ hope to see you all there! Thanks, Oskar

Events — Art Of OK

I’d like to invite you to my latest show: ‘Recycled Future – Dynamic Art Exhibition 3’ Where: gallery@oxo.When: 1-5 November, 2017. 11am-8pm. Tickets: FREE ENTRY. Flyer: Download exhibition flyer. More about my art:

artofok.com .'

Can't wait to see it and meet Oskar in person.

The second exhibition is: 'Inside: Art of offenders, secure patients and detainees' at Royal Festival Hall. It's curated by Anthony Gormley, a renowned artist. He said:

'..It’s a very sad thing if we think that art can only be found in art galleries and museums'

ANTONY GORMLEY, CURATOR

Please make sure you allocate well more than two hours to gives us all a lot of time to enjoy the exhibitions and the area.

Let me know if you are interested. I'll publish when and where soon.

Wishing us all a great week!

Post West Ealing Pre-Halloween Tour Post 28.10.2017.

Hello! There weren't many of us, but I am sooo happy!

Here is how the day went: (Be prepared for long sentences, please.)

We got on very well, saw a lot, met a few interesting people, visited a shop run by an Indian family who sell a book by their elderly neighbour about his boyhood in West Ealing during the war, felt most welcome and were  incredibly well fed  during our visit to the Hindu temple in Chapel Rd, met a volunteer at the soup kitchen of St John's Church (the one that lost the spire), saw what is left of the Biblical Garden by the church and decided to keep away from the crowds queuing to the main attractions at the allotments, but still saw a lot, including lots of kids and adults in fancy dresses and talking to some cheerful volunteers ushering people around.

Then, walking along the fences we talked about the old ponds, the first crowdfunder, Lido Volunteers Centre and the building predecessors,  crossed the former Jackass Common and animal pound, pondered over the bygone years of the area mentioning the old pubs, coaching inns and stables, the Victorian Gardens and garden owners, the nearby Orchard Cafe and Open Ealing with its exciting offer for the art, craft and food connoisseurs, noticed the variety of ethnic restaurants on the way, took pictures of ourselves in shop windows and of many sights.

And of course, after we met, we didn't fail to browse through the stalls at the Avenue Vintage and Antique Market, talk about the Vietnam leader's links with the Drayton Court and about the first three churches in the area as well as other places of worship. We glanced at the artwork at the Hilltop Roti, passed Cherry Pye Boutique looking at it from the other side of the road, stopped by the bank on the corner to talk about more and less distant past and headed towards Ealing Broadway but only until we took left into Hartington Road with some interesting brick houses. That's where we started exploring the Five Roads Home Zone with its six mosaics (a community project) and were met by one of the local community leaders. Charmion took us to see the current project they are working on. The mosaic artist used to live next to her. You can't imagine how difficult it was for me to find out who designed the mosaics! I searched online, asked around and on social media. Finally, Mandie from the Orchard Cafe put me in contact with the right person! Well, I am still waiting for the artist to email me back. That's life, people are busy. 

Well, as it’s October, we also celebrated the Black History Month. No tour of West Ealing would be complete without talking about Eric and Jessica Huntley and their Bogle- L’Ouverture Publications and bookshop in Chignell Place.

Thank you for reading about this recent tour and see you soon! J

How about Sunday, 5 November?

October in 'the tight-rope walker's area', Ealing

 

28 October - Pre- Halloween West Ealing Walk

West Ealing south-east side to London’s oldest allotments

 Here comes another unique and exciting tour! This time I will lead you to the oldest allotments in London which have already lost a lot of their land to houses and now more of it is in danger. We need to help save them. There must be other solutions to housing problems. Our crowded city needs lungs to breathe!

We meet at West Ealing Station on Saturday, 28th October at 1.30 pm and finish the tour at the allotments after 3.30 pm.

Saturday,      28th October 1.30-3.30pm +

You will hear about the vast gardens and orchards of London in this area, the pony races  and donkey rides on Ealing Dean and see a colourful Hindu Temple 

 and St John's Church which lost its original steeple. You can see it in the distance here:

A distinguished local jeweller will also get a mention:

 I will tell you about the hospitals, cinema and department stores that used to be here and about the man who wrote a book about his childhood in the area during WW2 and another about his football years and a Cold War visit with his team to Moscow.  

After two hours of walking, talking and exploring, we will arrive at the Northfields Allotments in time to take part in their special Halloween event if you wish so. I'm sure, like on their Open Day in the summer, there will be some delicious snacks, cakes and biscuits and drinks on offer to give us this well- deserved energy boost. Here's what to expect: 'Amongst other ghoulish treats, there will be a barbeque, beer and mulled wine, face painting and tea and cakes. There will be a raffle and tombola too.'

While there, we can meet and chat to the people who take pride in their gardening accomplishments 

Christina, Chairman of Ealing Dean Allotments Association, with her flowers, while showing me the allotments

 and campaign to save the allotments; and we will see what there is, including an old air-raid shelter from the war. 

  

If you are in a hurry, after a quick look at this oasis of cultivated green in Ealing,you can walk back to West Ealing Railway Station, continue to Northfields Underground Station or take one of many local buses from Northfields Avenue or the Uxbridge Road. Or, if you have the time to spare, stay for the Halloween event at the allotments.                                                                                                                          

Each tour costs £10 per person and children come free but parents’ responsibility. You can also bring along well-behaved pets.  Join us on Facebook or/and Meetup group Ealing Walking Talking and Exploring Group or contact Joanna Dudzinska at lifelanguage@yahoo.co.uk to sign up for the tour and for more information.

I took these pictures at the beginning on October. It was a cloudy day. What can you do? Simply enjoy them and I hope to see you this Saturday.

One of the oldest trees

Can you spot it on Saturday?

Northfields Allotments' ecological toilet

What a roof!

Could it be a buried bed?;-) 

How appetising!

 

Preparations for the Pumpkin Trail!

Apiary

 Dear Reader and Looker, If you managed to get to this point, please kindly let me know in the comments! It doesn't often happen! Have a great day or night!;-)