Regeneration – Page 7 – slightly weird

8th January 20208th January 2020

A new decade – what’s in store?

Tuesday, 7 January, 2020

It feels very strange to type 2020. I hadn’t thought of that before. Am I supposed to make resolutions for the whole decade? I really should. So far my only resolution for the year is to eat at one restaurant on my list every week. In fact, that wouldn’t take too many weeks so definitely doable.

I’d like to be less lazy, waste less time, do more – more of all sorts of things. So far so bad, though. There’s still time, right? Ten years less seven days, anyway.

On the third, I had tickets to go see a children’s version of The Nutcracker at Sadler’s Wells’ Lillian Baylis theatre. I love these shorter version of classic ballets. They’re perfect for my short attention span. First I took the bus to Islington Green at Angel to have a bit of lunch.

I went to Kanada-Ya and had an OK tonkotsu ramen

After lunch I walked along Camden Passage before getting my next bus

Japanese tea room - and the air smelled amazing from the Penhaligon shop — Japanese tea room – and the air smelled amazing from the Penhaligon shop

It's a short bus ride from Angel to Sadler's Wells — It’s a short bus ride from Angel to Sadler’s Wells

Juliet was going to bring her grandson but there was a last minute switch and instead we were taking her granddaughter, Dessi. Dessi was very excited and told me that she’d seen the ballet before, the CBeebies version. With Juliet on the aisle seat, me in the next, and Dessi closest to the centre, we sat and waited.

Even the short ballet version felt long at times. Dessi kept me entertained. After only a couple of minutes she announced I want to be a ballerina just like they are. I thought how lovely it was to be so inspired. When one of the dancers appeared onstage, she announced loudly – the lone voice above the iconic music – It’s the Sugar Plum Fairy, and after a few rapt minutes I love the Sugar Plum Fairy. She then loudly whispered to us, When I go back to your house, grandma, I’m going to dance all the way there. There were six ballerinas sharing roles on stage. Four were slender, two were sturdy. I noticed, just like last year, how lightly they landed with each leap and step. At the end of the show, all children are invited to come down to the stage to take photos with the dancers.

Dessi and I raced down to get there, only to find out that we had come down the wrong way. Up we went again and all the way to the back of the queue.

Anticipation - Dessi told me she wanted to dance on the stage — Anticipation while we waited – Dessi told me she wanted to dance on the stage

Everybody was moving slowly, parents were hogging the spotlight for their children – none of this surprising – and then suddenly with only half the children having moved down to the stage, we seemed to moving extra quickly.

Dessi had told me that she wanted to dance with them on stage so when she stood there, I reminded her and she held her arms above her head, all the dancers following her lead.

Finally, it was Dessi's turn — Finally, it was Dessi’s turn – I was too blind to notice the green light on her face

I reminded Dessi to pose and the dancers all copied her

Dessi glanced around to see that they were all posing with her

Continue reading “A new decade – what’s in store?”

21st September 201929th September 2019

I wear a hard hat to the Geffrye Museum

Saturday, 21 September 2019

I took a chance on something I had never done before the day after getting back from Wales.

I saw that Open House London was coming up and that the Geffrye Museum was running hard hat tours for its renovations. The museum has been closed since last year and will reopen in 2020 some time. It’s my favourite museum in London and it’s right here in Hackney, so I’ve really missed it. There were only four tours and each had ten places so I booked a ticket and got one!

I’ve written about the Geffrye before but it’s a lovely concept. It’s housed in some almshouses , which once was home to 56 people. The almshouses were built in 1714 with a bequest from Sir Robert Geffrye, former Lord Mayor of London and Master of the Ironmonger’s Company. At that time the area was quite rural but within a couple of hundred years it became one of the most densely populated areas in London so the owners closed up and moved. The London County Council bought it and the Arts and Crafts movement persuaded them to turn the houses into a museum.

It opened in 1914 and showed off the furniture from local trades people – this was, after all, The Furniture District. From that, the collections were moved into period rooms to show how middle class people lived over the centuries. I find it fascinating to see the rooms – the fashions and customs changing from period to period – and my favourite time was always Christmas. Amazing to see how each generation has celebrated it. Now I’m missing that and here comes another Christmas without those gorgeous tableaux.

The new museum is going to be larger, with a lower level and an upper level, as well as a new cafe, and two pavilions either end for events and education. I do hope I’m in London when it opens its doors properly again.

On Saturday they opened the door to a small ante room where we left our bags and ventured into the construction site, putting on a hardhat and a high viz vest each. The tour guide was Irish so it took me a while to retune my ear. The goal of the new museum will be to feature more than just the middle class home and to improve the flow of traffic. Before there was a narrow corridor that took you past each room and, when done, you returned the same way. This caused traffic jams! Now there will be a one-way system, which will allow you to move through the periods comfortably.

This will be the green roof for one of the new event pavilions. To the right you can see the Hoxton Overground station

Hoxton Overground Station with the hoarding to the left. When that goes down, there will be a brand new entry to the museum straight from where the majority of visitors arrive

Our guide shows us the finished pavilion photo

The basement has been dug deeper to allow higher ceilings and good storage space for cables. Formerly blocked windows will be exposed now to let in more light

This glorious tunnel will be a sound tunnel - a space to reflect on the periods you have passed through — This glorious tunnel will be a sound tunnel – a space to reflect on the periods you have passed through

A construction staircase leading up to the new upper level. When I started up I thought I could do it. Halfway up I almost panicked but, with four people behind me, I had to complete the climb!

The new upper floor. Plenty of ceiling space!

The guide points out the larger pavilion space, the most complete part of the project so far

Inside the larger pavilion - this is right next to where the old entrance area was — Inside the larger pavilion – this is right next to where the old entrance area was

The furniture and other artifacts are safely boarded up for safety and the construction continues. I liked the fact that the building would be as green as possible. I asked about solar panels but was told this wasn’t possible right now. That’s a shame. The gorgeous atrium cafe space is going to be turned into the new entrance area – I’ll miss sitting in there with tea and scones. The new cafe will be housed in an old pub on Cremer Street, which they want to renovate to the period that it once belonged to.

All of the plans were exciting and I hope to be one of the first ones in the door. As for Christmas, well, the Geffrye has had special events and pop ups since it closed and Christmas will be no exception. I think I’ll take the wreath course again.

After I left the museum, I went to Song Que. I haven’t been for years. It’s the most popular Vietnamese restaurant in Hackney. I’m not 100% convinced. However, I wanted to give it a chance. I ordered a small soup (was asked if I was sure since it wasn’t a big bowl – yes!) and some cold rolls that were slightly too tough. But it was a pleasant time-out after the tour. Not sure I’ll bother again.

Perfect size but not rare enough rare beef pho and those chewy Summer rolls

A quick stop at The Grocer, a Whole Foods type store on Kingsland Road. Left with nothing

12th September 201918th September 2019

Volunteering and babies – Haggerston

Thursday, 12 September, 2019

A few years ago…OK, almost four decades ago, I had a baby. Nobody could have been more surprised than I was that this ever happened. It was way too grown up and weird but there I was, having a baby. More about that another time.

However, after I had a baby I reinvented myself. (Not for the first time either!) I learned and experienced so much that i decided I’d like to pass that knowledge along. Yet another story for another time but I trained to teach prenatal classes. I absolutely loved it. I met the most amazing women, some of whom are still my closest friends, I learned so much about so many things, and it opened my life up in many, many ways.

For one thing, I became a published writer. I’d always loved writing, of course, but to be paid to do it was a dream come true. And there is yet another story to be told another time…but it involves strong and interesting women, coming to terms with the work of giving birth, and becoming a different sort of groupie in the birthing world.

Fast forward many years, here I am in London and long past my teaching and even writing days. When I heard about a volunteering opportunity where I could mentor a pregnant woman, I jumped at it. Back to the classroom I went to learn how to mentor and navigate the waters of birth and new parenting in the UK. I am now a Bump Buddy.

I actually waited more than a year to be matched up but I do have a mentee. I’ll keep her anonymous but she’s an older mum with a young baby and we meet once a week to talk about babies and so much more.

Luckily, I don’t get broody. I made a good friend through Bump Buddies too, Shahanaz. That makes it worth it.

Although babies don’t make me broody, I miss my time with pregnant women, teaching them, helping them understand things, helping them pull out the strengths they already have inside them. So satisfying!

On Thursday, Bump Buddies had a coffee and cake meeting – yes, please! They held it at Waterhouse restaurant by their office. Waterhouse is a social enterprise delivering chef training and support for young people who have faced challenging life circumstances; including homelessness, mental health problems, knife crime and gang violence. They do a fantastic job in there. The food is great and the prices are so reasonable. They catered all our Bump Buddy lunches. I recommend them!

Bump Buddies is part of Shoreditch Trust in Haggerston, the next neighbourhood over from Dalston in the borough of Hackney. Haggerston has a lot of old rundown buildings and factories but it also has some really cottagey areas too, a lovely park, a lot of new buildings, and it has the canal – Regents Canal.

New buildings springing up in Haggerston

Industrial courtyards along Kingsland Road

Looking from Kingsland Road over Regents Canal

The Glory, a gay pub on Kingsland Road at Orsman Road

We had a great meeting with Jane, the coordinator, making us aware of lots of changes and new opportunities. And I had a warm brownie and an apricot, both delicious. Well done, Waterhouse!

Continue reading “Volunteering and babies – Haggerston”

29th August 2019

A routine hospital visit- The Royal London and Whitechapel

Wednesday, 28 August, 2019

I use a CPAP machine – I should talk about that some time – and, while it helps with some pretty severe symptoms such as night terrors and sleep paralysis as well as having a desirable effect of no snoring, it does mean that I’m never truly comfortable while sleeping. I’ve chosen the most minimal mask to wear but I just feel trapped behind it and I’m confined to certain sleeping positions. So when my sleep doctor asked me if I’d like to try a dental device instead, I thought it was worth my while to at least check into it. Reports from the CPAP users that I asked weren’t very favourable but I’d go see for myself.

I got a letter asking me to come to the Dental building at the Royal London Hospital and that’s not so far away. Today was the day. Except I woke up feeling groggy and shaky, and obviously not that thrilled with the thought of rousing myself and getting down there.

I had my tonsils out at the London Hospital (at Whitechapel). I was six years old and while my memories are interesting, they aren’t good ones. I was in a huge ward for about a week, walked down in a group of other lucky surgical victims, tricked into inhaling ether, or whatever they used to put me to sleep, dreamed a long dream of a bright star spinning in inky black space, and woke up to pure torture. If you’ve ever had your tonsils out, you know exactly what I mean.

Archival image of a ward at the London Hospital

Before the surgery, they’d teased me with descriptions of all the lovely ice cream I’d be eating while my throat was ‘sore.’ It sounded all right! Now I knew the truth. Swallowing even my own saliva was more than I could tolerate. Ice cream? No way! I can even sort of remember the terrible, raw, soreness of my throat or can I?

Then a nurse kept coming by as I pulled out of my groggy just-anaethetised state, ‘Are you feeling sick?’ ‘Do you want to be sick?’ At the tender age of six, I found myself thinking ‘Hm, I think they’re telling me I’m going to be sick.’ And soon enough, I threw up a bunch of burning bloody stuff that made my throat feel even worse, if that was possible.

I think I must have struggled with a few sips of water at first. And then some time later, maybe a day, who knows, they came around with the food trolley. I was handed a plate, on which was some buttered bread fingers and many slices of orange. Orange! I knew instinctively that I could not eat those. I protested and was told to be quiet. I looked under the plate where they’d always put a label with the patient’s name, and read ‘Janice Solomon.’ She was the little girl in the opposite bed in for a broken arm. ‘This isn’t mine,’ I said, ‘It’s for Janice Solomon. I can’t eat oranges.’ I was shushed and told ‘Eat it!’ I’ve fortunately forgotten what happened after that but I’m sure it wasn’t pretty.

For a week I could have no visitors. I’ve always had separation anxiety and imagined my family had abandoned me. One sadistic nurse even hinted at it. Then finally I got to go home and put the whole horrible thing behind me. As you can tell, I haven’t ever forgotten it.

Some years ago they closed the hospital and built a brand new hospital complex. Instead of the old brown brick ones, up went some blue glass towers. a few of the old brick ones remain here and there and still serving people. It’s strange that they’re still needed but it’s sort of comforting to see them there. They say that the Tower Hamlets council has bought the old main hospital building on Whitechapel Road and will be using it for a civic centre. It looks like they are keeping the old building and adding to it. I’m glad it won’t look so different from the road.

For some reason, I forgot to photograph the old hospital behind the hoardings but I did wander along the market, which we called Whitechapel Waste in my childhood days. It was a large Jewish market and now is completely Muslim

The new dental clinic at The Royal London – inside it was modern and bright

The old emergency dental clinic at the Royal London – I went once and it was archaic and dark

Looking past the corner of the old dental clinic, you can see the many blue towers of the new Royal London

One of the remaining old buildings of the RLH – still in use

From the orthodontics clinic window – a long queue for one of the old buildings

I’m going back to the clinic later in the year for more investigations – I’m not ready yet for the device they want me to try – but I’ll be back in Whitechapel again many many times before that.
Continue reading “A routine hospital visit- The Royal London and Whitechapel”

24th August 201927th August 2019

Living an everyday life in Hackney

Saturday, 24 August, 2019

I live in Hackney Central, the centre of London’s largest borough. It’s in Zone 2. If you look at a transport map of London zone 1 is the centre and each zone forms a radius around that zone, up to zone 6. So Zone 2 is just outside the centre.

Hackney was once voted the least desirable place to live in the UK. That’s all changed. Gentrification has turned it around with increasing speed. Now it just might be the most desirable instead. In fact, there have been polls about the coolest neighbourhoods to live in the world and I’ve lived in numbers 1 and 2 – Queen Street West in Toronto, and Hackney. Crazy!

Although Hackney has a reputation of being a rundown, dirty and dangerous area, it’s actually quite diverse. Within its limits there’s industry, commerce, cultural centres, many markets, churches, artist communities, housing estates, beautiful old homes, trendy new flats, fancy restaurants, very old greasy spoon cafes, canals, tiny and huge parks, and even vast areas of wild land. And there are many cultures – in this specific area there are many Afro-Caribbean, African, Turkish, Vietnamese…and so on. Hackney has also long been somewhere independent thinkers felt safe to be themselves – the feminists, the political activists, the poets, the dreamers… it can be wacky!

Hip Hackney. Or is it?

One thing Hackney is to me is community. People pulling together to make things happen. There are always plays, concerts, workshops, courses, parades, groups…street parties and projects. Right now there’s a cool project right opposite the house.

There have been two shuttered business premises for years – more than a decade for sure. We have no idea why they are sitting unused for so long. Mystery! When we came back from Toronto – maybe the first day, in fact, we saw some activity outside so I went to check it out. A group of neighbours had set up a couple of tables – one with plants and one with baked goods. They were busy stacking and securing wooden crates to one of the shutters and were planting a sort of living wall.

I bought some cake and chatted with them. They said that it was for the community and, in part, a protest against buildings sitting unused when there is so much homeless and need for affordable housing.

Getting started with the living wall — **Bakery table on the left, plants on the right and a blank canvas of crates for planting**

All planted — **Everything is planted! For good measure, there are Sharpies everywhere for people to add things to the wooden crates. This has created a sense of this belonging to all of us.**

Now, this is Hackney and, despite my protests to contrary, the neighbours can be rough. Vandalism is pretty common. Krish and I talked about betting on how long this project would stay unharmed. The initial building and planting was at the end of June, beginning of July. It’s now 24th August and the planters and plants are flourishing.

**The plants started to flourish. People came every day to water them and they did well even in the heatwaves of this Summer**

And there’s more. Since then, two benches were added and, soon afterwards, planters on top of the benches got some plants too! There are even plans to add a couple of ‘tables’ in the centre. What a great neighbourhood addition and incentive.

Benches and planters added — **Since the benches appeared, plants were added to some planters along the top. Almost complete now!**

Continue reading “Living an everyday life in Hackney”