AFTER SOUTH EALING VIA LITTLE EALING TO WALPOLE PARK TOUR OF 22/04/2017

Our today's tour of South Ealing was a success. People opened doors for us and invited us in, we were so kindly received and had a lot of fun. The accompanying children were a joy to have around, so interested in the tour and asking many serious questions. Everyone had the opportunity to talk with everyone else. When we all gathered at the station and introduced ourselves, we learned from our second-timer that owing to the first tour with us she had found a job. If you follow my blog, you will know that she is not the first one to benefit in such a way. Isn't that just fantastic?

We are especially grateful to Angela of MADE IN VENEZUELA who made us feel really special telling us about her shop, the goods she sells designed by young Venezuelan designers and also about her country past and present.

Ealing Walking, Talking and Exploring Group at Made in Venezuela, South Ealing

Some items at MIV including African-style dolls

Among the items here notice the green statuette of a Venezuelan doctor who is to be made a saint, as Angela told us at MIV.

In one place, where we didn't even intend to get in, we were cordially invited to see an activity involving children.  Unfortunately, without thinking, we took a picture of the lovely scene and a young mother got very upset. Of course, we deleted the picture straightaway and apologised profusely, but she still was really angry saying that we must be from a different country as they, in this country, don't do things like that. One has to be ever so careful these days.

After we met at the station in South Ealing, we walked along the Station Parade counting the Polish shops and businesses on the way: one of many Mleczko shops and several other grocers, the Medical Aid For Poland charity shop and a Ms Dudzinska’s pharmacy (what a coincidence!) .

A Polish charity shop in support of medical aid for Poland

Looking at Station Parade

We posed for a picture in front of another grocer’s under a big red CCCP sign, imagine that!

Back to the USSR!

We looked at buildings and details that reveal their age and talked about the area past and present. There were so many English learning opportunities. For instance, I pointed to the cafe across the street. It's called Paperback. Then, to prompt the less advanced users of English, two other participants reached into their bags and demonstrated a hardback and a paperback copy of a book. The meaning became clear and the new words were reinforced by a short discussion about the advantages and disadvantages of the two!

At the corner of Ealing Road and Little Ealing Lane/Popes Lane, we discussed many interesting topics related to the local and general history while admiring the garments in a shop window. Can you think of a better natural context to make a foreigner aware that Popes Lane does not celebrate popes, that is heads of the Roman Catholic Church, but a famous 18th century English poet, Alexander Pope who used to visit his eminent friends living in the area, and who as it happens was of a catholic background indeed. 

So much to talk about and so many distractions

Feather shoes 

A teddy admiring the splendid coat 

How could I not point to the premises of  The Assyrian Society of The United Kingdom and a Hungarian Roman Catholic Church/Community Centre adorned with an impressive mosaic depicting St Stephen, Patron Saint of Hungary above the entrance.

When examining this colourful mosaic we were kindly invited into the Hungarian church/cultural centre. St Stephen is Patron Saint of that country, like St George (celebrated today, April 23rd) is of England.

Many famous names were mentioned, but I totally forgot about John Quincy Adams,  the then future President of The United States who lived in Little Ealing. How could I? Especially that the historic sources tell us that the man used to walk to work in Central London from his Little Ealing home called Ealing Park then and now no longer existing, replaced by densely packed together houses. I feel really bad especially as I didn't fail to mention Mr Charles Blondin, being a stone's throw from Blondin Park when we were crossing Windmill Road towards Niagara House and then crossing Northfields Avenue towards The Plough Inn.

We also looked through the fence at the grounds of a decaying building with a splendid past including time as a convent school and the King Fahad Academy, and got photographed standing by an 18^th century building which had been turned into flats. Wisteria in full bloom looked really attractive there and the sun came out to make the world look even prettier. 

When we stopped for some energy supplies at the Japanese bakery, we discovered that they also sell some bee products, not just honey. While queuing, we talked to a Japanese mother who was on her way from the Japanese Saturday school in Acton with her children and husband. Like many people, she really liked the idea behind our walks.

Our next destination was the oldest church in Ealing. We could hear some music coming from inside as we were walking around the church to see the old graveyard. Kind men opened the door of St Mary's for us when they saw us peering in. We could see the preparations for a wedding of an English-Indian couple. and listen to the music and singing rehearsal. The bride’s younger brother was singing while her sister in law was playing the violin. The bride's father, who is a bible teacher, had a nice chat with a lady from Lebanon from our group who had never been to a church before. Sitting there, on a church bench, listening to the music and looking at the beautifully decorated church made me feel peaceful and relaxed. Only on the way out did I notice that the adjoining Polygon Hall was also decorated but in a completely different style, for a Hindu wedding, and then it all made sense.

We left the church grounds through a pretty wooden gate, crossed the street, passed a row of shops and a Conservative Club,  pondering over the fate of The Owls otherwise known as The Great Ealing School.

Then we headed for Walpole Park approaching it via the Lammas Enclosure with its allotments and sports grounds, having Lammas Park to our left. 

Entering Walpole Park from the Lammas Enclosure

We talked about the famous Ealing Studios, The Questors Theatre, the unlucky Prime Minister who lived a happy life in Ealing and about Sir John Soane and his houses as well as about Charles Jones who did so much for Ealing.  

Into the park we go

So much to see and talk about at Walpole Park

Testing the magnetic drop

It's good to sit down, but where are the bees if they are not in the beehive?

Bravo to Olimpia who managed to spot the train that is a weather vane

Sitting and reading in Walpole Park

Making the best of our visit to Walpole Park

Walpole Park with its ponds, bridge, playground and the walled garden featuring impressive wisteria at its very best impressed everyone. That was the ‘dot over the I’ as they say!

If you want to read more about the area we walked through, simply click here or here and there.