Hackney Wick Festival 2009

Just a reminder that if you are interested in getting involved with this years Hackney Wick Festival on Saturday 26.09.09 - Tracie & Niki are very keen to hear from you.

Please check out all the confirmed activities on: http://www.hackneywickfestival.org.uk/Welcome.html or send an email to info@hackneywickfestival.org.uk for up-to-date info.

We all remember just what a great time was had by all last year - and this year it will be even bigger & better!!

See you there!

Hackney Marsh Big Litter-Pick

The Big Litter-Pick

HMUG and Hackney Parks Rangers will be holding a litter-picking session on Hackney Marsh and East Marsh.

Date: Wednesday 15th April 2009
Time: 9:30am to 12:30pm
Meet: Homerton Road entrance to the car park

Come and join us to remove this eyesore from our green spaces. Everyone welcome. Tools and gloves provided.

Buses W15 and 308 stop on Homerton Road. Buses 236 and 276 stop near Kingsmead Estate - a short walk along Homerton Road.

Hackney Marshes User Group.
Hackney Marshes User Groupare volunteers who:
Organise walks round the Marshes, and explore and enhancetheir wildlife through planting and caring for trees and hedges.
Work to improve the Marshes for all sectors of the community,and campaign to protect them from inappropriate development.
Organise free activities and skill-sharing days, and runHackney Community Tree Nursery & Forest Garden.

Hackney Marsh Sports Hub

This email came from our ever-impressive Hackney Wick friend - Steve Dowding:

Hackney Marsh Sports Hub planning application - have your say!

The consultation period for the development proposals for Hackney Marsh closes on Monday 16th March 2009. Please have your say, to protect the Marsh from further loss of green space and encroachment on Common Land.

HMUG will be submitting a number of objections, which are posted on the website.� Please use this link �to find out more, and submit your objections by Monday at the latest.


Hackney Marshes User Group.
Hackney Marshes User Groupare volunteers who:
Organise walks round the Marshes, and explore and enhancetheir wildlife through planting and caring for trees and hedges.
Work to improve the Marshes for all sectors of the community, and campaign to protect them from inappropriate development.
Organise free activities and skill-sharing days, and runHackney Community Tree Nursery & Forest Garden.

Is this a Pill Box?

This amazingly concrete structure is at the cross of the Greenway & the Lea River Navigational Canal - and looks very similar to some 2nd World War pill boxes.

Does anyone know the history of it, what it actually is, why it's there, what are the three concrete structures in front of it?

At the moment - it is almost as if it's the frontline of the Olympic Park - against the rest of Hackney Wick. This coupled with the electric fence they are busy surrounding the whole park with - really re-enforces the whole no-mans-land atmosphere of the site.

Aaaaaaanyway - any guesses about the concrete bunker?

Restuarant Review: The Wick Cafe

The Wick Cafe

28 Felstead Street

Hackney Wick

London

E9 5LG

020 8533 7575

Mon - Fri 5am to 5pm

Sat - 6am to 5pm

Sun - 7am to 5pm

Although we have either eaten in - or took away - from The Wick Cafe quite a few times before - we've never written about them up on this blog before.

For that - we must apologise!

The Wick Cafe was the pioneering cafe this close to the old Trowbridge, Leabank Square & Wick Village residents - and as such needs to be given all the support they can get.

Not that they need it that much - as they are almost always very busy!!

The Wick Cafe is such a cheap, delicious, fantastic, friendly, green, peaceful & delightfully communal place to eat! The staff are always very helpful and easy going. The service is fast and efficient. The bills always surprisingly low.

And they have the most spectacular green creeper growing the whole length of the cafe. It truly is an amazing plant - which always brings a smile to your face - as you stuff it full of utterly scrumptious food!

During the week - it is normally crammed with local workers. Whether it's Olympic constructioners, McGrath skippers, Hackney dust carters, Gainsborough teachers - lunch time is a great time to people watch. You get to see a fantastic picture made up of all the people who make Hackney Wick tick.

In the afternoons & evenings - it's mostly locals having a late lunch or early evening meal. Artists, musicians, parents, toddlers, media-types - all having a great meal in quieter hours.

At the weekends - it's mainly us lazy locals again - having a late breakfast after a lie-in. The pic above is us as a family having a Sunday brunch before a long cycle work-off!

Needless to say - the food was scrummy, portions very generous & bill highly affordable.

The Wick Cafe opened up here in Hackney Wick when no-one else was investing in us. This - plus the amazing plant growing across the ceiling - and reasons enough for us all to support this amazing place!!

Beating the Bounds of the Games - a Hackney Wick Walkabout

‘Yes, this was Hackney Wick,

my dears,

this was Hackney Wick,

Do the rounds and beat the bounds

And make the memories stick’

Poem © Ralph Rochester, 2009. Illustrations © Zara Slattery, 2009.

Please come for a fantastic walk with storyteller Diana Olutunmogun for a chance to find out about the history of people and places in Hackney Wick;

including local boxer Harry Mallin, the Eton Manor Boys Club,Hackney Speedway and loads more!

Come and share facts and info that YOU know about your local area.

Saturday 21 March 2009, 2pm

A circular walk starting on our riverbank with loads of hot chocolate and cake provided. The walk is suitable for children 7 years and upwards, and their parents.

This event is free, but booking is necessary.To book contact Lisa on 020 8806 4003 oremail

lisa@hackneysociety.org

For a FREE copy of the Hackney Wick HeritageTrail email:lisa@hackneysociety.orgor call020 8806 4003

This project has been generously funded by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council and Renaissance London; and supported by the Hackney Heritage and Built Environmrnt Partnership.

This is a joint event between the Hackney Society (

http://www.hackneysociety.org/) and Hackney Archives (www.hackney.gov.uk/ca-archives).

Olympic Stadium Coming Along Nicely

Just thought I'd put up a few pics of how the Olympic Stadium is looking just now.

These were taken form the Greenway - the only way to cycle or walk in between Hackney Wick & Stratford - since Carpenters Road was closed.

It seems a bit better now - there don't seem to be as many biker joy-riders buzzing our kids cycles nowadays. Maybe it's because of all the construction site workers toing & froing - or maybe its the ex-Ghurka soldiers manning the security points along the Greenway.

Aaaaaaanyway - parts of the stadium seem to be going up speedily - but it kind of looks like a vertical million piece jig-saw puzzle with only one side started at the moment.

Still worth a Sunday afternoon stroll Hackney Wick!

Restuarant Review: West Indian Food & Jerk Centre

West Indian Food & Jerk Centre

97 Wick Road

Hackney Wick

E9 8AB

(Corner of Barnabus Road)

07951 461 034

Opening Times: Mon-Thurs: 12 noon to 10.30pm

Fri & Sat: 12 noon to 1.30am

Last night we got a take-out delivered from the new brilliant West Indian Food & Jerk Centre - and it was fantastic!

We found out about it through our lovely neighbour - Zoulla - and this is probably going to be the way many of us find out about it.

It's definitely a word-of-mouth experience. Once someone has eaten from it - the news will be passed on to only your special friends.

The 'Centre' is actually right next to the Prince Edward Pub (on the corner of Wick & Barnabas Roads) - so is more at the southern end of Hackney Wick - but the cycle delivery service will reach any part of The Wick (& probably beyond!).

This is West Indian food - Old Skool Style! A very simple short menu - concentrating on ox tail, goat, chicken, pork, fish, rice & peas & dumplings - all so tasty!

These guys know what they're good at cooking - and stick to that!

We had curry goat, jerk chicken & fried snapper (fish) - with some hard dough, dumplings & salad. It was food just like granma used to make! Good ol' home comfort food.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm.....................

The goat was so good we sucked the ones completely white! The chicken done just like we like it - slightly crispy, well marinaded and hot. The snapper was stunning!! Grilled with a secret onion & herb combination basting - absolutely scrumptious - our 5 year-old daughter wanted much more!!

Like we said - Old Skool - right down to the telephone order ("Whodis?") - and the friendly cycle delivery (in da snow!). One word of warning: please ask them to put the scotch bonnet chili sauce separately - and not directly onto the meat - especially if you've got young kids.

All of us gave it a 5 out of 5 - except for one burnt tongue giving it a 4 - so that probably makes it a 4 and a half out of 5. But for those of you that like your food on the warmish side - you'll probably give it a 5 out of 5!

Thanks guys - great food from great people - long may you cycle!!

Lea River Navigation Canal Dredging

Thanks to the ever waistcoated Charlie Foreman for the heads-up on this important bit of news. Our stretch of the canal will be cleaned up between February & March 2009. This is brilliant news for the Coracle racers who keep capsizing - and have to wade through the sludge back to the Eton Rowing Club house - each year!!

Hello

British Waterways, working with the Environment Agency and the Olympic Delivery Authority, is undertaking a programme of dredging on the River Lee Navigation to help improve water quality, and access for barges in and around the Olympic Park.
Local residents, boaters, businesses and clubs have all been made aware of the programme via letter and meetings.

Please find attached a copy of the letter sent to local residents. If you require any further information please do let me know.

Kind regards
Gill

Gill Owen
Communications Manager
T 020 7985 7227
mb 07733 124580
1 Sheldon Square
Paddington Central
London W2 6TT

Dear Local Resident

Improving Water Quality on the River Lee Navigation

Water quality on the River Lee Navigation has been an issue of concern for many years, affecting local residents, wildlife, boaters and other waterway users.
Now a number of organisations are working together to improve the water quality of the river.

This will be a long-term programme of works to help deliver a clean, green and active waterway.

The first step in this clean-up programme is a c.£5million programme of dredging and bridge protection works. The Environment Agency is funding the removal of up to 16,000m3 of silt from the River Lee Navigation, from Tottenham Lock downstream to Old Ford Lock, whilst the Olympic Delivery Authority is funding the dredging works that will open up the waterways in and around the Olympic Park, first for freight barges, and in legacy for leisure use.

The works will take place between February and May 2009. The dredging barges will remove big obstructions first, such as car parts and trolleys that have been dumped in the waterway, before removing silt from the river bed.

The dredging of the polluted sediments will gradually help improve the water quality of the river, which in turn will encourage wildlife to return to the area, enable boats to travel more easily along the river and improve the appearance and even the odour of the waterway.

British Waterways will be managing the dredging programme, and is talking to hundreds of users and neighbours of the River Lee Navigation to ensure that people are made aware of the planned works and any minor disruption which may affect users.

If you need any further information about the dredging programme please call British Waterways London T: 020 7985 7200. If you would like to report any dumping of rubbish or illegal fly-tipping along the River Lee Navigation please call the Environment Agency T: 0800 80 70 60.

Yours faithfully
Simon Bamford, General Manager, British Waterways London

Mabley Green Consultation

The Committee of Mabley Green User group have arranged a meeting with the Design Team who are planning the new facilities on Mabley Green. They want residents to have a say in what the new facilities will be, it will definately include a new children's play site. We really would like people to be involved in this process.

The meeting will take place on

Wednesday 11th February at 7.30pm
at the Hackney Wick Community Centre

The Old Baths

80 Eastway Hackney

London, E9 5JH

020 8986 1999.

Can you please let me know if you will be attending so we know how many people to cater for
Many thanks

Gill Jackson
Support Worker