In this noisy, twittering world, loneliness is never talked about - Times Online

In this noisy, twittering world, loneliness is never talked about - Times Online

Institute of Contemporary Arts : Film : The London Nobody Knows

Institute of Contemporary Arts : Film : The London Nobody Knows

Eamon and Adam- Mary's sons were here for Christmas

Eamon and Adam were here for Christmas Day.

Longton, Stoke on Trent

We are enjoying ourselves in Stoke-on -Trent with Mary Nawal, Adam and Eamon, Angela and Ken. Its been wonderful but very lazy and the weight has piled on. We are out tomorrow to the local favourite place for the residents (and us too) TESCO Extra which is always packed.

Happy New Year to our many followers!

Christmas in Spitalfields

Some of the characters of Christmas in Spitalfields- including Susan in the choir, the snowman in our window and some of our friends in the City Farm

Our Christmas presents

These are some of our precious presents that some of our friends have made for us or sent us. Thank you!

Preparing for Christmas

John has been busy creating an outside space for the plants- covered by a sort of cling film and framed by wood with decoration sourced from skips. I am delighted with it and it makes outside seem like inside. We are beating the local artists with our creations.

Christmas in the west end

Sister J invited me to the Carol Service for the Deaf! It was at the wonderful Church of the Annunciation in Bryanston Square. (A place very close to my heart) I could sing loudly, out of tune without embarrassment . Tea and a pianist in John Lewis completed a wonderful afternoon and evening

Mary at the White House

Well Mary had a very special tour of the White House- courtesy of her friend - and she was able to stand outside the Oval Office. She is wearing a scarf made by my friend Joan (made to order from from Joan- plug, plug)and so Coventry went into Washington and a link with her mother's past life before the children. Ask me if you want a scarf,visits to the White House are not included!

Dine in offers

Its payback time... greed got the better of me and I succumbed to the offers.

Going down to Moorgate with my tartan shopping trolley, bright red coat on against the freezing wind I walked the twenty minutes trot to Moorgate M and S. Stoked up on the brilliant £10 offer and then up the escalator and out in record time... until

The trolley was so full I got stuck at the top. For an age I was trapped a the top scrambling to lift the trolley and stay upright- my legs going like a hamster on a wheel. I fell of course, and was humiliated as a man struggled to help me up, smiling at me encouragingly as he bucked under my weight. I got to upright position, with his help and was besieged by a security guard with a wheelchair and the store manager. She wanted to know if I was OK and what had happened. I did assure her it was the store's fault- if they did not run these generous offers then I would not have overloaded the trolley! I beat a hasty retreat, rushed home, John put the ghastly booty away and I had a bath to sooth my badly bruised body. History is repeating itself- my late mother broke her arm once when she slipped in the snow after a desperate visit to Tescos to save 10pence on four pints of milk!

The Minaret in Brick Lane

Well it had to happen. After murmurings in the East End Life- our council funded local 'newspaper' who described it as a 'steel structure' the Minaret was erected last week. A great ugly phallus two fingered salute (or so it seems to me) to the kafir who live around here.

The building, which happily served as a chapel, then a synagogue- without any fuss has become the final 'Up Yours' and Brick Lane and Spitalfields has been given its definitive identity- stamped with this huge tic.It is now part of a culturall heritage tour and this will surely tell us what to think and feel. Just in time to celebrate Christmas

Leon tasting

Myself and Joan had an eventful day. Checked out a possible life change and then spent a lovely evening- tasting Leons meatballs in Spitalfields- of all things!

Leons in Spitalfields is actually a great place to meet. No compulsion to buy but lots of food and you can have a coffee,meet your friends and read the paper. Mary and Ayo, when in London,live in the place! Its a great escape from domesticity

We met Carmen and Grace. Great couple of friends who were actaully interested in two older women and what they had to say. We were interested in them too- both had good 'newish' jobs and Carmen gave me some fascinating inside information on a school in Hackney!

Market in Stoke Newington

We tried our hand in Stoke Newington. Fairly successful but no sell out! Stoke Newington is a very fussy, funky wealthy area. Cutie kids and very colourful jewellery dominated the scene.

Our new worker in the market

On quite a rare visit to the market on Sunday we saw the first 'living statue' there. I am not sure if it was his first appearance but he was brilliant. He really captured the attention of the crowd by reaching out to touch people's hair - some were shrieking when they realised they had been touched. One little chap, approaching him to put a coin in the plate on the floor, looked up and said 'Don't hurt me, I am only a little boy'

Stereotypes about the East-End

I am quoting from a blog: 'Traditionally the east end has been associated with - the Kray twins, extravagant funerals, pie and mash, Barbara Windsor, the Queen Vic,dodgy geezers, going darn the market...

Well what is the reality? And more up to date perceptions. I am going to be thinking about this.
I have been showing my old friend round Spitalfields and the East End generally in the last few days- we were nursing together in East London nearly forty years ago!

The donkey in Westminster

Here comes the donkey at Westminster Cathedral. Archbishop Nichols was presiding. It was a packed Advent carol service and the vast majority of the congregation were school children. They had actors and the main narrator of the story was Joseph- in costume, who did make the story sound ludicrous as he explained something like 'when I got up the next day, Mary told me she was pregnant' It made you want to shout 'a likely story!'. I took baby Aira with me and met up with Sister J.

Meeting the author Jean Fullerton at Stratford Library

Ann and I went to meet the author- she specializes in east-end romantic fiction. I do not really like this genre- finding it very sentimental. But I always have an irresistible fascination with places I have lived in or known. Bound with regret that there is no-one alive to share it with now. And then again I found myself composing my own novel, set in modern east London- and knowing that I have not the energy to even start!

Our house plant

This is our beautiful new houseplant- John has brought it indoors for the winter and it just sprang into life! I think we have had this about five years and I plan to take some cuttings if anybody wants one. Does anybody know what it is called?
After meeting Tony Hall from 'School of Everything' I have rethought this blog. His advice was to take photos and write the narrative around them. He said not to worry how bad or good the photos are but to keep the blog, forget the dates and just concentrate on the experience and see what emerges from it! By the way I had a £15 lesson and I think it was one of the best lessons I have ever had in anything. He gave me clarity in thinking what this blog is actually for and who is reading it.

Hairdressing at Tower Hamlets College

In keeping with the theme of the blog and its economical ethos (trying to keep to this) I had my hair cut wonderfully by Lara at Tower Hamlets College student night.
£5.50 with free tea thrown in- only problem is you are sitting in the chair for three hours. Its a pain until I remember I used to have three periods of dialysis every week lasting at least four hours. So no moaning if you want to save money.
Lara was great- I thought at first she did not like me. Then when the session ended she told me a terrific Russian joke. And I told her one of mine. The joke needs to be heard not read so ask me to tell this one.

16th November 2009

'Men who stare at Goats' John decided to see this and I went along- the recommendation from Una was a factor too. Genesis at Mile End. How do they make a profit? 8 of us in the audience- including 4 young men who talked and answered their mobiles. I asked them to be quiet, they then left! John liked the film, I am not sure I understood what it was all about.

14thSeptember 2009

' News from Nowhere' inspired my blog. Its motto on Fellowship as demonstrated in the club which meets monthly in Leyton. Its sort of idealistic, William Morris inspired- a cross between homespun folksy things,, cycling and sort of socialist societies and the co-op fifties style. Our talk last night was about Paul Robeson and the hall was jammed packed with predominantly middle aged people- mostly from around Leyton.
I think we will try to go every month- the topics are interesting as are the people who go there

12th November 2009

Stratford library show free films once a fortnight- very friendly staff and sometimes tea and coffee- we saw 'The Secret life of Bees' which we enjoyed tremendously and found very moving. Very stereotypical as all the blacks were good and all the whites horrible- except for the central character who was... yes, white and pretty. But we sobbed through it.

This was preceded by very ugly violent scenes in Stratford market with lots of tension. I think someone was arrested for shoplifting, then crowds began to gather and it seemed like the whole of London's police force arrived to quell the very hyped up atmosphere.

I walked through Spitalfields market on my way home. The Shopping Mall -aka old market was full and busy- loads of celebs and attention seekers had gathered to have their photos taken for a sleep out night. This is an annual event where people 'pretend' to empathise with the 'homeless' by sleeping in the open. It looked like a good time was being had- the press and radio were there, the participants in a giant cage, presumably for their protection, and music made the whole thing seem like a party atmosphere. Oh and of course, Spitalfields market is entirely covered and protected from the wind and rain.

11th November 2009

I cooked lamb tagine for the Alpha course- made for 35 but only 25 came so the fridge and freezer are overflowing as there was no time to pack food up for others. Ate far too much of Susan's fantastic chocolate cake.

The photo is of Neil who helps out with the service and is one of the other cooks

8th November 2009

We had a great time seeing Brachetti the illusionist. Then we went to 'The StockPot' in Panton street which I thought was mediocre food but a back street almost Hopper atmosphere. Very good and we sat in booths which for some reason I love.

I am having trouble putting the link in but you can get an idea of the show on utube

November 7th 2009

St Ethelburgas in Bishopsgate holds regular concerts of world music and on Friday I went to hear singers from Georgia - a mountainous region of the old USSR that I always associate with playing West Ham (Tiblisi) and the birthplace of Stalin.

I hoped to hear some of the Orthodox liturgy but not to much of that- instead they sung the songs of remote villages. One was sung by men, who would sing the 'Christ is Risen' chant at Easter, knocking on all the doors in these remote places. The evening was hosted as usual by Wallee- a friend of mine and John's.

4th November

The first meeting I had been to if the christian course Alpha. It is run by Christchurch Spitalfields. I am cooking next week and wanted to see how the food was served and hoping that it was not that good. Andy Rider spoke brilliantly about his relationship with God and prayer- and although I am very sceptical I enjoyed the evening and met some really interesting people and ate some lovely food. I am actually a bit scared as next week I am cooking and I am scared m food will not be as good!

As I woke this morning the news was of 5 soldiers killed in Hellman province. At the same time we heard about the MPs complaining that they will no longer be able to milk the expenses system quite as much as they used to. I have the horrible feeling that these MPs are not worth fighting for and this corrupt system they are running is not worth dying for.

3rd September 2009

Guy Fawkes night for us here. We invited our friends from Pathway- part of Christ Church Spitalfields

Before that picked up the designs and bags for 'Dilly Dally' from Anne- Marie and Frank Creber at Bromley by Bow Centre, Very Pleased with them.

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2nd November 2009

Took a friend to a mass on All Souls Day. We heard the chant of 'Remember thou art dust and to dust thou will return'. Not terrifying but comforting and gives a sense of perspective as we run about like headless chickens - mostly achieving very little of significance. We come back then to the Saint's 'Little Way' so very simple.

We saw too the new Oxford Circus, perhaps an example of a 'Little Way' Remove the railings and let people cross diagonally and the whole area is transformed. It looked much better and I realise was not easily achieved. But it is a simple idea:

30th October 2009

Well on the Eve of All Saints Day I went to All Saints Margaret Street. The service was spectacular, although my view was not good. I had got there late as there had been a tube malfunction and traffic hold up on the buses and panic attacks ensued. But just in time to hear the psalms wonderfully sung- the altar party seemed to number hundreds, the sermon good, the setting sublime. As usual as I confidently predicted to a friend my old mantra proved spot in:The posher the church, the meaner the food. But I wanted to get home to cook for John.

Coming home I met the usual ghouls and ghosts- and snapped a couple in Spitalfields Market and they snapped me back

29th October 2009

Mary and Ayo have gone. The house is quiet and the line full of washing-

Decided to see the soldiers returning home from Afghanistan. There were crowds to welcome them in Croydon and they seemed to rush through the town in a moment- accompanied by a bugle. Faint smiles crossed their lips and I wondered what they had gone through- and our vile politicians who should be sweeping the streets to make their way smooth. Knowing too that many of these soldiers would have come from poor homes and they had been sent so far away...

28th October 2009

Tried to get into Tayabs - Joe and Leyla had come to see Mary and Ayo off. The place was heaving so we settled for the Lahore Kebab House. I had been before but always let friends choose the food. This time we ate what everybody else was having- lamb chops( recommended) plain nans and loads of curry. The lamb was superb but the noisiest restaurant I have ever been to- by a long way! And the rest of the food not as good as Tayabs. But our party enjoyed this very London/Pakistani experience

27th October 2009

Mary and Ayo have been staying here at home for 2 weeks. They leave on Thursday and resume their working lives in Washington DC on Sunday. We will miss them terribly

24th October 2009

The Baby is the gorgeous Aira - daughter of Mai and Kabindra. She was on duty with her parents, promoting the rugs and crafts of Nepal. They were selling hot food which was delicious.

The choir were superb: singing down the Lane (Petticoat Lane!)-an evangelical choir from Hackney

27th October 2009

A beautiful day and a trip to see Anne- to pick up my new information from our slimmers club, then a walk around Stratford. Brilliant change from snooty Spitalfields

And Happy Birthday Pat- born in Stratford and whose heart will always be there!

22nd October 2009

Well, the best meal for ages with S. Everyone must try the lamb chops!

Tayabs :http://www.tayyabs.co.uk/

She treated me to a stupendous lunch and although I had been before, I was bowled over by the food- so superior to ghastly Brick Lane.

S and I strolled down Fieldgate street- to see the small synagogue dwarfed by the mosque...

and came across the Fieldgate oasis with this sign- obvioulsy designed to be offensive to nobody so it means nothing

Earlier exploring the possibility of time banking. More later

21st October 2009

Just a day with Mary... and the cutest dog in Spitalfields together with its professional trainer from California