The Selling Season

Una wearing a copy of a Joan hat- sold out

 We took on many markets this year- mostly selling Joan's knitted goods- and Geena's dog bags plus some Heba Christmas stockings
http://www.ssba.info/heba_enterprise.html
. Joan made a killing on the Kaffe Fasset socks and sold out completely. My favourite venue was the church in leytonstone where the west indian Reverend started the fair off with some fervent prayers.  She was accompanied by a sort of posse of Caribbean women of a certain age (mine) who were just brilliant in organising the stallholders as well as cooking a mean chicken curry with rice and peas for £4. This was such a great atmosphere- far better than the snooty evangelical church where we sold out of stuff but had to endure an inspirational talk that the rector's wife has decided was suitable for the holy season- a posh frocks shopping service

part of our stall- obviously better display skills needed

Hand Ball at the new stadium

ic

We had free tickets to go inside the Olympic Park and watch the handball between Angola and China.
The walk from the gate to the stadium seemed )and probably was) about a mile. The wind whipped through the site and plenty of us non athletes struggled to reach the new stadium.
Inside the functional building was a brilliant view of quite an exciting game with loads of funky music and an american style commentary.  The score board had graphics and was very informative on a game unfamiliar to most of us. 
Some minus points price of a cup of tea was £2.  And the knackering walk to the event.
The security was pretty annoying too- phones and keys in plastic bags airport style. 

Benarasi Fashion Show

I wanted to buy the dress on the right for Mary

For me and my friends, it was our first fashion show. the black dresses were made at Heba and their beauty and intricacy cannot be seen in this shot.  The outfits were amazing- some traditional, most very modern. The snacks afterwards were gorgeous too.

New Sculpture in Spitalfields (Spital Square)

This installation replaced the Bees in the case. 

The Webb sisters at The Union Chapel

 We got free tickets to hear these very talented musicians.  To be honest I found then very worthy and quite dull.  The Union Chapel is stunning though and I could imagine the old christian revivals there- full of wonderful fervent singing- not choruses about 'relationships'

Free Download | Vile Pervert - The Musical

Free Download | Vile Pervert - The Musical:

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I have always felt very sorry for Jonathan King.
He has never been someone I particularly liked but was sad how much he has been vilified by lots of people.
Very sad...
good for Rod Liddle who has given him some support this week in an article in The Spectator

The Church of England is mired in adolescent politics. That's why it doesn't know what to do about St Paul's – Telegraph Blogs

The Church of England is mired in adolescent politics. That's why it doesn't know what to do about St Paul's – Telegraph Blogs:

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Sewing in the church

Sewing for the church Fair which is on Sunday 4th December from 1-4.  Geena and Susan are wonderful needleworkers- I am just rubbish and it took me an hour to thread the needle!

'The 39 Steps'

what was left from our dinner

 Never let it be said that I never get taken out!  John took me for a meal at 'The Glass Blower' in Glasshouse street where for the first time we were served by an english waiter.  Then to a very cramped seat in the gorgeous little Criterion theatre where I sat behind a chap with a huge head so by the end of the evening I felt quite dizzy from shifting around to get a sight of the action.  It is very well done but an old romantic preferred the film version- and the handsome Hannay sweeping the girl up in his arms as he strides the Yorkshire moors. Thanks to Emily who treated us to the tickets- and the lovely stodgy meal

view from our table

Choleric Profiles: No. 1, Richard Chartres, the Bishop of London. | Choler

Choleric Profiles: No. 1, Richard Chartres, the Bishop of London. | Choler:

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This is so funny. I have met Bishop Chartres and I suspect he has never really been challenged in his life. His height, beautiful voice, and impressive presence gave him an enormous advantage over us short dumpy plebs.
The spiteful side of my character is a bit pleased he has got his come uppance- forever he will now be ' Trabbs 'Boy

Home | London 2012 Festival

Home | London 2012 Festival:

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St Joseph's Hospice Hackney

Saturday November 19th
Christmas Bazaar
12.00pm – 3pm


The biggest and the best in London without a doubt.
East end women, yummy mummys, posh vintage collectors, African mamas all there


be prepared- sharp elbows, shopping trolleys and loads of coins needed!

And patience....


soft toys- hand made
loads of fabrics
warehouse full of old clothes, shoes and bags
cheap jewellery


They normally have a celebrity opening- last year I shook hands with Barbara Windsor!!
She is even smaller than me- and a lot better turned out!

A Reprise for Poppies Fish Bar

4 old friends settled down for a good nosh up - and we agreed that Poppies is just getting better!  All of us were born in the east end- and only Lorraine has moved to Walton -on-the Naze.  The Fish bar was full of city workers and tourists, hot and frantic and the atmosphere of the old pie shops as we were all crammed onto narrow tables.  The only thing missing, as Rosemary pointed out, was onion vinegar!  
NB  Eat in Cod and ships £9.50, Mushy peas extra

Poppy Sellers

It is just amazing how many poppy sellers there were in Liverpool Street Station this morning.  Very beautiful blonde women in high heels and old ex soldiers outside every platform and at all the corners of the station and in every nook and cranny. I was struck by how many beautifully dressed city men stopped and chatted to the ex soldiers. They told me they had been given  coffee and snacks all morning.  One sad incident on Wednesday when a young man tried to snatch their takings. The commuters were after him and he was arrested by the police.

C of E has lost the plot over the St Paul's camp | News

C of E has lost the plot over the St Paul's camp | News:

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And Spitalfields Market must have been terrified of the protesters coming their way- in many ways it would have been a better spot than St Paul's- mostly undercover, and right near the Royal Bank of Scotland. Hence these notices put up very quickly

The protesters and the clergy at St Paul’s Cathedral have both got it wrong - Telegraph

The protesters and the clergy at St Paul’s Cathedral have both got it wrong - Telegraph:

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Geena

Geena has returned from Canada- and helping with sewing

Machine Gun Preacher

Based on the true story of Sam Childers, this was a very good film- but spoilt by a lot of violence they did not need to show.  It did show the excitement and challenge of evangelical Christianity and how much some people are prepared to give. It is on general release in two weeks
This was a free film preview courtesy of The Times

Richard Dawkins

John is a great admirer of Dawkins. So I booked £50 seats and with two glasses of free champagne thrown in and 2 copies of his extremely heavy book he was promoting, we settled into our seats last week.  Just 50 yards from the great professor.


He began by describing some of the misunderstandings about science and nature that many people understood. How the audience laughed but I realised that he was often describing my own  understanding. I honestly had no idea my great great great a million times ancestors were fish!  


After the lecture was over, and how much I learned, we were the last ones out of the arena downstairs. A couple of girls in front of me gave a little scream and as I looked up I saw the figure of Richard Dawkins coming towards us.  As he passed I found myself shrieking quitely and grabbing his sleeve!  It must have been the champagne because I would never normally approach anyone famous- and definitely not grab their clothes. The professor looked amused and rushed on.  It must have been the magic of reality that got to me

Heba of Brick Lane

http://ssba.info/hebatrainingWinter11.html


I have been taking some sewing lessons from the amazing Anjum- in a three hour session last week 'I' sewed a child's pinafore dress, repaired two pairs of trousers, made a lavender bag and also planned my next project.
The classes are only £10 for a three hour session and the work room is spacious and lovely. The hours sped by as Anjum taught me the special stitches- not forgetting first principles such as threading up the machine!  
She does have some more vacancies for students but don't all come at once and deprive me of a lot of personal attention

Diane Athill

http://www.kingsplace.co.uk/

We heard Diana speak at Kings Place, a smaller arts version of the Barbican- on the canal at Kings Cross.
Loved the place- beautiful concert halls with live music playing and the usual arty crowd- 
I like Diana- a very accomplished, funny erudite woman- but somehow her age and frailty made me worry all the time we were listening to her- she does not walk too well, she is very deaf and I could not help worrying that somehow she would make a mistake or forget what she was talking about. But it all went well and afterwards I was so pleased to see a queue for her book signing. We are going to buy her latest book though- but on John's Kindle
Instead of a Book. Letters to a friend'
Written in an even more vivid and direct style than her celebrated memoirs, Diana Athill’s letters to the American poet Edward Field reveal a sharply intelligent woman with a brilliant sense of humour, a keen eye for the absurd, a fierce loyalty and a passionate zest for life. This intimate correspondence spanning thirty years covers her final years as an editor at Andre Deutsch, her retirement and immersion in her own writing, her growing fame and encroaching old age, and gives a fascinating insight into a life fully lived

Pathway- student conversation group

Dan and Sarah have run this group for 3 years now. The aim is to help people with their english conversation. The group is part of the work of Christ Church Spitalfields and is free! 
They meet every fortnight or so for chat, games and occasional visits to parks, walks or art galleries.  
You can contact Pathway via Christ Church Spitalfields

Eamon and Milla at their stall

Eamon and Milla will be at BackYard Market this Sunday flogging their very individual clothes and guitars

Our 'Old' Church Warden

Joyce moved to Clacton from Bethnal Green.  Coming from an old east end family, she worked mostly in the rag trade in Brick Lane and various cleaning jobs.  A true friend in times of illness and bereavement her move to Clacton- while right for her as east London changes character so dramatically, it has been a real loss for us all left behind. But there is always the treat of a train ride to lovely, unfashionable, solid Clacton and then to Jaywick where Joyce lives in contentedness.  And of course a huge fish and chip lunch

Back Yard Market

Home - amen:

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Eamon is staying with us - hoping his work will sell at the market

Iain Dale'- from Dale and Co blog

 Look, I’m going to be honest. So far, I have found Liverpool to be a ghastly city. The Albert dock area is lovely, but from what I have seen of the rest of it, it makes Gaza look welcoming. It’s now that I understand perfectly why lots of famous people profess to love Liverpool so much they move away at the first opportunity and never return if they can help it. Driving in on Sunday it was quite apparent that what money the council has had has been blown on regenerating the docks area to the exclusion of everywhere else. There seem to be a large number of second world war bomb sites which haven’t been touched in 60 years. It gives a terrible impression to people visiting for the first time. And then there’s the Adelphi Hotel. A shocker. I vaguely remember watching a fly on the wall documentary about it a few years ago. Believe me, it hasn’t got any better. They are charging £189 a night for a room with no internet, no mini bar, a room service menu which has a choice of two things and which is only available for an hour a day (OK, I exaggerate a little on that) and a TV which was built circa 1976. Oh, and its car park resembles a Kevin Webster style MoT bay. But the bathroom does have a set of bathroom scales, so that’s nice. What an absolute dive of a hotel. I know Liverpool has many fans. A good friend of mine loves the place. She regularly comes here for weekend breaks. God alone knows why. If I never came back again ever, it would be too soon. I suspect the feeling will be mutual after this

I do agree with this.  We went to Liverpool in the year of culture. More to do and see in Plaistow- well perhaps a slight exageration

A Games now so far removed from the Olympic spirit | News

A Games now so far removed from the Olympic spirit | News:

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Autumn Open day at King Henry's Walk Garden

http://www.khwgarden.org.uk/

In our street on a Sunday morning

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nt2Jd6HVCc8

And more sounds....

The new shopping mall by the Olympic Park

The top floor of the Mall

Boris's 'Piffle Tower' peeps over the centre - it is growing like a Beanstalk

Well we went there on the third day it opened and it was just packed.  It is huge, a maze and the exit I came out which I thought was Maryland turned out to be in the Olympic Park itself. We were told we were not allowed there and to go back the long way round- not me I said- bolshie sod, but the signposting was terrible.  The centre has the usual shops- loads of fashion for the younger customers while Lakeland Baking store attracted older people like me and gay men.  There I could only wince at the price of the mixing bowl I broke last week and at the cost of replacing my cast iron cake tin which I had just left at my baking class and will almost certainly be nicked by now!  The Mall is brash and were it not for the West Ham shop and the smoked salmon cafe you would not know you were in East London at all.

Walk London: Autumn Ambles at Various venues - Festivals

Walk London: Autumn Ambles at Various venues - Festivals

QLL - Venue

QLL - Venue:

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free tickets!!

Lucky us got some preview tickets to this rather unlucky theatre for us.  The last few times we have been there the shows have been awful. This was very racy, perhaps lewd is a better description but it was well acted and danced and the script was very witty and there were some great little performances..  It was not helped by us sitting in row AA where we could see what the dancers had for breakfast and I was terrified the spotlight would go on us- two elderly people and we would be made fun of. It was almost as toe curling as when I took John to an X factor show at the O2. There we were surrounded by teenage girls and we felt so out of place.  This was as achingly embarrassing.  Better in the second half when we switched to the back of the stalls.  I can't wait to see the reviews as this was a preview

Wisley Royal Horticulural Society garden

Maybe the last day of Summer and we went with friends from Gidea Park allotments to Wisley. 
In between driving rain and lovely sunshine we admired the beginning of the autumn colours and I especially admired the grasses and tall flowers as the wind swished through them.  The only down is the sound of the motorway nearby which mixes in with the wind as I think you may be able to hear from the video

Vintage Walk in aid of St Joseph Hospice

Acted as a steward and saw Spitalfields and Shoreditch at 4 in the morning- very unusual for me and quite an eye opener. Wearing my high vis jacket and standing with a colleague we helped marshall the walkers and acted as unpaid advisers/direction givers/fight breaker uppers and general friendly faces for the drunk, lonely, violent and friendless to talk to. This was not our ladies in their vintage dresses- but the thousands of revellers and action seekers who are in action/inaction in the early hours. I like to think we saved a few people from injury and fights! 

Skate boarding 'The Vans'

Another great exciting FREE event in our local market.  We feel so lucky to be living near all this entertainment and seeing so many different people. I just wished Pat's family were around to see this.  It was well organised with a large screen in Brushfield street as well as the live action in the market itself

Vintage Market on Bank Holiday Monday

There were so many people there beautifully dressed but it was so hard to take photos in the crowded market.  Of course many people who after all are 'dressing up' like and mean to be photographed but I was scared some might not. So, only two images of an amazing scene

'My Old Place'

Another trip to this great , though rather erratic restaurant which is almost 100% chinese clientèle.
They have rewritten the menu in clearer english.  We recommend the aubergine dishes and chilli beef