So, a new nickname for Walthamstow seems to be catching on. There I was, sitting in Chilli ’n’ Spice on Hoe St on Friday night waiting for my curry, pondering how awesome the ’Stow is, and it hit me: Awesomestow.
Some marvellous E17ers on Twitter seem to have taken a shine to the phrase, so I thought I’d share it with y’all. I embrace Walthamstow, I love its good bits and I want to make its bad bits better. It truly is Awesomestow.
Last week was the first time I’d ever been into the Forest Recycling Project (FRP) on Bakers Avenue, near the Bakers Arms. What a cracking find it was too.
FRP is situated next to the Hornbeam Cafe. On first glance it doesn’t look like much, but the place is massive inside and there are all sorts of items available from there. I popped in to see if they would take a TV cabinet which I didn’t need any more. The people who run it were really helpful and came round to pick up the cabinet there and then.
The project was set up in 1989 and I assume it must have been slightly ahead of its time. Anyway, it’s a great place to either donate some good quality items which can be reused, or to pop in and have a rummage around their store. The website is here. I think it’s a bit of a hidden gem in Walthamstow!
Waltham Forest Women’s Network are celebrating this year’s International Women’s Day with an event on the evening of Saturday 5 March.
As well as entertainment, it will feature stalls and food, and promises to be a good night out. Last year over 100 women attended the event.
WFWN are also looking for small businesses and organisations who would like to run a stall. Stalls are £5.00 if you’re doing business and free if you’re providing a free service to women or want to encourage women to join your voluntary organisation.
It is from 6pm-9pm at Walthamstow Academy on 5 March. More details about the event and the network are available here. If you’d like to have a stall, email admin@wfwn.net.
Walking Proud in East London kicks off this year’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transexual History month on Friday.
The Vestry House exhibition shows oral histories of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans East Londoners. It runs from 7pm-9pm on Friday 4 February. Other events during the month include a reading with the author Ellen Galford and various awareness-raising projects. More information on the events across the month can be found on the Waltham Forest Council website here.
Walking Proud in East London is a River Cultures project. More information on them can be found here. In good internet etiquette style, I’d also like to give a hat-tip to Stella Creasy MP who alerted me to this event (it had slipped through the Stow Scene net temporarily!).
Walking Proud is also on YouTube across two films of around 15 minutes each. Part 1 is below – grab a cuppa and sit down, because it’s well worth a watch.
A consultation on ideas about developing Walthamstow Town Centre and the Arcade site is currently running. This follows an exhibition of the designs in the library and around the market area last weekend.
There are a range of ideas which cover not only the Arcade site but the market square (where the big telly is), the greenery around Selborne Walk, the bus station and the link to Walthamstow Central station.
Ideas about the development of the Arcade site have, of course, been knocking around for a while. Some of the ideas presented in this consultation are interesting and gives you an opportunity to say what sort of shops and facilities you might like to see on the site.You can check out the survey here. Have a think about what you’d like to see and get clicking!
Fighting the Height
This morning, Fight the Height organised a pillow fight at Walthamstow Central to protest against plans to redevelop the area around the station.
Around 50 people gathered outside the station with banners and loudspeakers for the protest. Some photos from the pillow fight can be found here. A short video of the protest is below (apologies for the rather ‘thin’ nature of the video!).
A decision on the redevelopment will be made at the council’s Planning Committee this Thursday. More details can be found here, or head over to the Fight the Height website.
This Saturday, campaign group Fight the Height are organising a mass pillow fight in Walthamstow Central. The event is to protest against the planning proposals for a redevelopment near the station.
The pillow fight starts at midday and will last for about 5 minutes. The Fight the Height website describes this as a fun, family affair with a purpose. More details on the pillow fight, and the issue it is highlighting, are available here. Details on the regeneration plans are available here.
Remember to take your own pillow, folks!
The Walthamstow Wassail is running on Sunday 16th January. Wassailing is similar to carol singing in that it involves wandering around houses and pubs in an area singing traditional songs.
This years event is planned to run from 2.30pm in the Nags Head on Orford Road, in Walthamstow Village. There will be a chance to learn some songs (what, you’ve not been busting wassailing tunes on your ipod all winter? Shameful!) and generally get your groove on. Once it’s dark, the Walthamstow Wassail will begin.
For more information or to request a visit to your house from the wassailers, ring Lucy on 07764 33 58 40. Alternatively, turn up at the Nags Head on the 16th January with a torch, some finger food and a sense of fun.
As it’s nearly New Year’s Eve, we thought we would look ahead to what 2011 might hold for Walthamstow.
Politics
2010 saw both a local and general election in Walthamstow. Political representation will remain relatively unchanged in 2011 unless there is an unexpected general election, or local by-elections for individual council seats.
The most significant political development in 2011 is likely to be the impact of Waltham Forest council budget cuts. The 2011/12 budget will be finalised in February and implemented from March. The Waltham Forest council consultation on the budget cuts had 1,238 responses, and the initial summary of the results can be found here. All residents will await with interest the council’s final spending decisions.
Community and regeneration
It’s fair to say that Walthamstow’s regeneration has been characterised by a lack of progress in 2010. There are decisions to be made on the future of Walthamstow Central station, Walthamstow Stadium, the Arcade site on Hoe Street and the future of the EMD Cinema. Developments on these sites will shape what the area looks and feels like in the future. As of today it would seem that the development of the station is closest to going ahead in some form, but nothing is set in stone.
Local media have also reported uncertainty over the future of the Standard music venue and the Plough Inn, and we hope 2011 can bring some good news for the E17 music scene.
Also looming is of course the Olympics in 2012. Waltham Forest is an Olympic borough and 2011 will see major developments in and around the borough near completion, not least the Olympic Stadium and Westfield: Stratford City.
Music
2011 is shaping up to be a good year for Walthamstow bands, with a host of new releases and tours lined up. Here are just a flavour of what to expect:
Walthamstow Scene faves The Stow are kicking off 2011 with a gig at the Old Queen’s Head in Islington on 12 January. Their Twitter feed suggests The Stow have got big plans for 2011, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store.
Lethal Bizzle is set to drop POW 2011, featuring the great and the good from the grime scene, including Wiley and Chipmunk. The track recently got a spin on Tim Westwood’s 1Xtra show, and all we can say is, “choooon”.
The Rifles are ready to support Paul Weller on some rescheduled dates in February. The indie/punk chaps are likely to bring forth a new album and refreshed line-up in 2011 following the recent departure of Rob and Grant.
We will of course keep you in touch with fresh music talent from E17 throughout the year!
Arts
The biggest event of the year is likely to be the E17 Art Trail. Last year the art trail achieved its highest ever profile, and in November 2010 it was announced that council funding was secured for 2011 and 2012. The 2011 E17 Art Trail is likely to be held in early September.
There are always lots of arts and craft events around the borough. We try and feature as many as we can, and we’d recommend the excellent Art East17 magazine if you want listings dedicated to arts and craft.
…and lastly, of course, Walthamstow Scene hope to get bigger and better in 2011, so keep your browser pointed our way and you wont be disappointed.
Waltham Forest Young Leaders is a programme for people aged 16-24 who live in the borough. The blurb says it gives a chance to get involved in local community projects and teaches leadership, presentation and communication skills.
Sounds like a good opportunity to pick up some skills and do something creative in your local community. Can’t be bad, can it? Hilary Harvey is the person to talk to about it, email or ring 07970 342 329.
Walthamstow Scene 