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FreeDecember 2017, No. 33WALTHAM

FOREST ECHO

Your independent community newspaper

Email [email protected] /WalthamForestEchoTweet @WFEcho Visit walthamforestecho.co.uk

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Sprinklers to be installed at council tower blocks in response to Grenfell tragedy

Clare Coghill calls on mayor to choose Waltham Forest as 'Borough of Culture'

Meet the Leytonstone man with a healthy obsession for snakes

The Mill's Helen Bigham offers some new ideas for feeling festive

Local theatre company goes bananas with new play at CentrE17

ne of the biggest re-development plans in Waltham Forest's history is due to be vot-

ed on by councillors this month. If approved, The Mall's extension would include four towers up to 29 storeys tall and reduce the size of Walthamstow Town Square and Gardens by around one-third. The proposal is set to be decided at a special planning committee meeting on Wednesday 13th December. Protests are expected to take place outside Walthamstow As-sembly Hall, where the meeting will start from 7pm, after thou-sands of people signed petitions and wrote objections against the plan by developers Capital & Re-gional for more than 500 homes in the town centre. The planning committee ordinari-ly meets in the council chamber of Waltham Forest Town Hall, but the assembly hall has been chosen instead to allow more people to attend. The council had also pre-viously announced the date of the meeting as 29th November, but postponed it "to allow for a request from the Mayor of London for further information". Sadiq Khan was elected as mayor last year on a manifesto that includ-ed a pledge to "ensure tall buildings respect the character of existing neighbourhoods". If built, the 29-storey towers at The Mall would be double the height of Waltham-stow town centre's current tallest building, the 14-storey Travelodge

hotel built five years ago. The mayor's powers include an ability to 'call in' planning appli-cations that may contradict the London Plan, a policy document that lays out guidelines for develop-ment around the capital. In 2012, Khan's predecessor Boris Johnson called-in the plan to demolish Walthamstow Stadium and build a 295-home estate in its place, but eventually agreed with the coun-cil's decision to approve it. Capital & Regional argue its scheme would boost the local economy by up to £4million per year, with the council set to receive an extra £1.75m in rates as a result. Local resident David Gardiner handed in a petition earlier this year with more than 2,000 sig-natures. He said: "Essentially the council is being asked to sacrifice public space and allow the erection of these ridiculously high towers in exchange for public 'benefits' that are almost entirely fictional. The reality is the council is being held to ransom by developers because local authorities are being forced to cosy up to big business to harvest rates and remain viable." Ken Ford, Capital & Regional's ex-ecutive director, said: "Walthamstow town centre is emerging as one of Lon-don's most vibrant neighbourhoods. "We see huge potential to create an integrated destination ."

Vote due on town centre redevelopment

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Cristina Cribiu and Daniel Meach at the existing Whipps Cross University Hospital maternity unit, following the birth of their baby Francesca

Inspectors say improvement at Whipps Cross still required

New maternity unit at hospitalnew £6.8million mater-nity unit is set to be built at Whipps Cross Univer-sity Hospital.

Bosses say the centre, funded by Barts Charity, will transform facil-ities for women and babies at the Leytonstone hospital. Work will begin in April 2018, with seven clin-ical areas set to be redesigned. Alwen Williams, chief executive at Barts Health NHS Trust, which runs Whipps Cross, said: "Our new centre will mean that our dedicated teams not only provide the best care for women and babies in the modern, comfortable facilities that they deserve, but also improve safety for genera-tions through developing innova-

tive new research opportunities." The new centre will provide a modern midwifery-led birthing unit, assessment units, antenatal clinic, postnatal ward, special care baby unit, plus a 'Women's Centre of Excellence' with specialist gynae-cology and cancer services. Whipps Cross had failed two Care Quality Commission (CQC) in-spections in 2015 and 2016 but this year narrowly passed, being given a 'requires improvement' grade. It was noted by CQC inspectors that ageing facilities at the 100-year-old hospital were off-putting to patients, with one in five women currently choosing to give birth elsewhere. The maternity service is currently rated 'good' but the 2017 inspection

highlighted surgery as a big area of ongoing concern at Whipps Cross. Hospital managers have been told to ensure theatres meet infection control requirements and that clean-ing records are fully completed. A major £500million redevelop-ment of the hospital is now being planned. The decade-long rebuild-ing programme is also expected to create room for hundreds of new homes to be built within the 45-acre site, as new hospital buildings are designed in a less sprawling manner.

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by James Cracknell

” The council is being held to ransom

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Submit views on how Whipps Cross should be redeveloped:

Email futurewhipps@ bartshealth.nhs.uk

2 No. 33 DECEMBER 2017 WALTHAM FOREST ECHO

ine months ago Pam- ela Welsh, a writer in Manchester, wrote an opinion

piece for a political news website asking for the media to stop por-traying council estates as crime-rid-den and uncared for. No, I thought, don't do that. Under no circumstances should the media conceal the condition of Britain's deprived housing estates because it makes for un-comfortable reading. I'm assuming that Welsh missed

DECEMBER 2017 – No. 33

Waltham Forest Echo is an independent community newspaper. We publish monthly and distribute 20,000 free copies of each issue to libraries, cafes, pubs, and other places around Waltham Forest.

PublisherDavid Floyd

EditorJames Cracknell

DesignerJonathan Duncan

Project ManagerAnna Merryfield

ContributorsMichelle EdwardsClare CoghillDiana KorchienGraham MillingtonOsmond JamesHelen BighamJo SealyAndrea DuffyDavid DuffyPoppy FlintShelly Berry

MembersAdam Pike, Chris LeminDarrel Hunneybell, David GardinerDavid Hamilton, David O'DriscollDexter Coles, Graham MillingtonJean Duggleby, Manual Arroyo-KalinMelanie Strickland, Michael GrimshawRoland Karthaus, Ros Kane, Sanjoy Kumar, Sarah Jones, Keith Magnum.

The member organisations of WFWellComm CIC are:Community Transport Waltham Forest, Social Spider CIC, HEET.

WFWellComm CIC Management Board:David Floyd (Social Spider CIC)Tom Ruxton (HEET)Helen Tredoux (Community Transport WF)

WALTHAM FOREST ECHOThe Mill, 7 - 11 Coppermill Lane E17 7HAE [email protected]

The Echo began with Big Lottery funding.

COMMENT

FELLOWSHIP IS LIFE

Time to end borough's 'fake news'Editor James Cracknell on the latest battle over the council's fortnightly free sheet

ello and welcome to Issue 33 of Waltham Forest Echo. A new phrase

has risen to prominence over the past year after being adopted by a head of state as a way to trash the reputation of anyone who dare question him. So-called 'fake news' is of course a genuine problem, but care should be taken before such a serious ac-cusation is leveled against any par-ticular journalist or media organi-sation. Fake news is also not a new phenomenon, having been around for as long as the profession of journalism itself. I would argue, however, that 'fake' is an appropriate descrip-tion of Waltham Forest News, a

free fortnightly publication com-prised almost exclusively of local government propaganda. There is nothing wrong with publishing propaganda – it is a legitimate method for politicians to defend their record and win votes. The problem comes in how propagan-da is presented and funded. I'd argue Waltham Forest News is presented as a 'newspaper' to trick residents into thinking they are reading something impartial and balanced. Next year there will be council elections. How can it be fair that taxpayers' money is used to produce propa-ganda on behalf of the current council administration? In November the Secretary of State for Communities, Sajid Javid,

wrote to Waltham Forest Council and threatened to take it to court if it did not follow publicity guide-lines forbidding Waltham Forest News from being published fort-nightly. The cabinet minister said: "An independent free press is vital for local democracy and it's import-ant we support them in holding local leaders to account. Councils shouldn't undermine local democ-racy by publishing their own news-papers more often than quarterly." The government originally issued this request four years ago. Most councils complied, but Waltham Forest and neighbouring Hackney have held out and are now facing legal action as a result. In a state-ment, a council spokesperson said: "Waltham Forest News reaches all

97,000 households in our borough and is a valuable, cost-effective way of communicating with our community. It also fulfills our obli-gation to publish statutory notices – as opposed to the government's insistence we pay other newspa-pers to do that." It sounds to me like the council leadership is scared of being properly scrutinised by a healthy and thriving local press. Both Waltham Forest Echo and Waltham Forest Guardian exist to hold the council to account, but this job is made more difficult when we have to compete for po-tential advertisers with a taxpay-er-funded propaganda machine. It's time we put a stop to Waltham Forest's fake news.

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Waltham Forest Echo is a member of IMPRESS: The Independent Monitor of The Press. For more information on the Echo’s complaints policy and how to make a complaint visit: walthamforestecho.co.uk/complaints

the damning 2014 report The Estate We’re In: Lessons from the Front Line published by the think-tank Policy Exchange. It stated that many of Britain's social housing estates "are a time-bomb of social decay" and "decades of neglect and ghettoisation have led to acute, entrenched social problems that cost billions to the public purse". Such problems include gangs, knife crime, domestic violence, il-literacy, unemployment, and child neglect. Written by author and in-ner-city crime writer, Gavin Knight, the Policy Exchange report used successful case studies in Taunton,

Lambeth and Cornwall to illus-trate how policymakers could turn around the worst housing estates. Ultimately, Knight called on the government to pledge that our 'sink estates' would be transformed within the next decade through the empowerment of local people and their communities. Yet when Waltham Forest Coun-cil think about what's needed in the recovery of an estate, resident participation rarely appears high on the list. The thinking is that this task falls to private develop-ers such as Countryside Proper-ties, who were selected for the re-generation of the Marlowe Road Estate in Walthamstow. Essential-ly, redevelopment will remove se-curity issues at the current housing blocks through a police-backed design policy, Secured by Design.Until the demolition and build of the entire scheme is complet-ed in six years, residents will be forced to live with the surge in crime and anti-social behaviour. At the moment, there are gather-ing spots to the left and right of my home on the estate – dark corners where people can lurk around for the daily drugs drop-off. To an extent, I'm desensitised to it all. Because of the time spent raising complaints about the noise nui-sance of the two tenants above my property, I missed the usual

catch-up opportunities with the few decent neighbours left. It was quite by chance that I learned of disturbing activities on my door-step. Groups of youngsters are carrying out a practice called 'cuckooing'. They befriend vul-nerable people before moving into their properties and paying to use it as a base for criminality. One resident reportedly returned from a holiday to find his property oc-cupied by such people. Drawing on data supplied by the Metropolitan Police, there were 177 logged incidents bet-ween April and October in the area around the Marlowe Road Estate. Of these, 41 were po-lice-generated, rather than from a call from a resident. The re-maining 136 calls were reports of anti-social behaviour (66), vi-olence (12), drugs (18), and crim-inal damage (14). Eight officers from neighbour-ing areas are now helping police with gangs in Marlowe Road, Stocksfield Road, and Wood Street. For months, they asked the council to close the Dukes Passage gate to combat gang ac-tivity, but were met with inaction and false promises. Only after an intervention from a ward coun-cillor was the gate welded shut. This is a place I'm supposed to call home.

Crime on estates mustn't be ignored

by Michelle Edwards

Marlowe Road Estate resident Michelle Edwards

3No. 33 DECEMBER 2017 WALTHAM FOREST ECHO

prinklers will be installed at tower blocks across the borough following a fire safety review by

Waltham Forest Council. The council estimates that in-stalling sprinklers at council- owned blocks of six storeys or higher, as well as at hostels and in sheltered housing, would cost the authority £5million. The move was agreed by the La-bour-run council’s cabinet at a town hall meeting in November, five months after 71 people died in the Grenfell Tower disaster in west London. Michelle Edwards, a council

s Leyton Orient sink to their lowest league position in more than a century, the Premier

League trophy is perhaps the last thing you'd expect to see at the Matchroom Stadium. But that was exactly what greeted young football-mad pupils on a recent visit.

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tenant who has been demand-ing fire safety improvements at the 21-storey Northwood Tower in Walthamstow, told the Echo: "This is a welcome first step to avoid any repeat of the Grenfell Tower tragedy. Given that there have been two minor fires at Northwood since Grenfell, sprin-klers are very much needed here." It is expected that the Grenfell Tower Inquiry which began in September will result in all coun-cils being ordered to retrofit sprin-klers, but none are currently in-stalled at council-owned tower blocks in Waltham Forest. Since Grenfell several other councils in London have pledged to install sprinklers as a fire prevention method in tower blocks.

Orient, as part of the Premier League Primary Stars schools programme, were chosen to host the trophy to help inspire poetry writing. Pupils from local primary schools including Ainslie Wood, Mission Grove, and Barclay, were invited to visit the Brisbane Road stadium by Leyton Orient Trust, which deliv-

ers the Primary Stars programme in the borough. But they were then shocked to see the Premier League Trophy on the pitch. Phill Smith, head of health and wellbeing at Leyton Orient Trust, said: "The Premier League Primary Stars programme aims to support teachers and inspire pupils not only around physical

activity but within the classroom too. We have been so proud to host the Premier League trophy at Leyton Orient to give students a unique experience that will hope-fully inspire them in the class-room, and beyond." After seeing the trophy, coaches from Leyton Orient Trust and the Premier League delivered a lesson about resilience, and pupils wrote poems inspired by their experi-ence. Entries will be submitted into the Premier League Writing Stars Challenge. Leonard Idowu, a teacher at Ainslie Wood School in Ching-ford, said: "Today has been great as the pupils are learning about poetry in class at the moment, so it really helps them relate to that work. It's such a treat for the school football team to come to the stadium too, as this is where they aspire to be when they're older."

In the report recommending that this happen in Waltham Forest, the council’s senior project manager Maureen McEleney said: "It is proposed to com-mence a programme of retro-fitting sprinklers and to set aside budget provision of £500,000 per year from 2018/19 to enable a pro-gramme to be implemented. "Any programme will be devel-oped on a risk-based approach taking into account the vulnerabil-ity of the residents, height of block, existing design features, as well as existing fire management ar-rangements. Deliverability as well as other planned investment/ini-tiatives will also need to be taken into account." It also states that leaseholders,

who occupy around 30 percent of homes within council-owned blocks, would likely have to pay for sprinklers in their properties. The sprinklers are now set to be installed at 21 council tower blocks that are six storeys or taller, plus 14 sheltered blocks, eleven hostels, and 16 lodges at Montalt Road, Ching-ford. The authority has not yet con-firmed when this will happen.

Sprinklers to be installed at council tower blocks

Premier poetryTrophy's unlikely appearance at Leyton Orient as part of poetry tour

Councillors make move in response to Grenfell Tower disaster

he leader of Waltham Forest Council has vowed to tackle crime in the

borough following a series of violent attacks in Walthamstow. One 18-year-old was murdered and another left with serious in-juries last month, in separate inci-dents in Mount Pleasant Road and St James Street. A delivery driver was also seriously hurt by an acid attack in Walpole Road on 2nd November. Councillor Clare Coghill said: "It is tragic when any life is lost to vi-olence and we would like to offer our condolences to the friends and family of the young man who died. "After a number of violent inci-dents in the borough recently, we want to reassure our communi-ty the council is working closely with the Metropolitan P olice and we continue to work to ensure our streets are safe."

he Mayor of London has confirmed the closure of Walthamstow Town

Centre Police Office, the only place in Walthamstow where a crime can be reported in person. Sadiq Khan blamed government spending cuts for the closure of 37 police front counters across London. Waltham Forest will now have just one, at Chingford Police Station – located in a ward with the borough's lowest crime rate. A public consultation was held this autumn. The mayor said: "The drastic nature of government cuts has left us with no choice but to take drastic action. Supporting officers on the beat in our communities is more important than keeping open buildings where just eight per cent of crimes are reported."

crowdfunder has been launched to help save an amateur football club.

Andrew Perkins, club secretary of Waltham Forest FC, appealed for £8,000 to help the Essex Senior Lea- gue side following the death of the club's chairman, Turgut Esandagli. Andrew said: "We are entering our 150th year, which makes us one of the oldest football clubs in the world. Please help."

Concern over crime

Police station axed

Club crowdfunder

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Features

P . 5Clare Coghill promotes Waltham Forest's bid for 'Borough of Culture'

Pupils were shocked to find the Premier League trophy on the pitch at the Matchroom Stadium

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This is a welcome first step to avoid any repeat of Grenfell

“by James Cracknell

For more information about the Premier League Primary Stars programme or to register your school: Visit plprimarystars.com

To support the appeal: Visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/wffc1868


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Contact our sales team immediately as this deal only lasts until the end of January 2018. Sole agency only, terms and conditions apply.

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FEATURES

ver since Waltham For- est launched its bid to become the first ever London Borough of

Culture this summer, we were con-fident we'd be mining a rich seam of talent. However, we did not appreci-ate the true scope nor scale of what we would uncover over the following five months. The May- or of London says he wants to select a borough that can "deliver outstanding cultural initiatives" and we have proved that's something Waltham Forest has in abundance. We put culture at the heart of ev-erything we do; we are culturally led and creatively driven and, as such, we believe we are front-run-ners to win. Since July, we have shone a light on the fantastic cul-tural programmes taking place in the borough – with 150 cultur-al highlights demonstrating the rich tapestry of opportunities Waltham Forest offers. Culture is thriving; be it in on our streets, in art and dance studios, or in our booming boutiques. But what makes much of our culture exceptional is the way

hen I came to Ley-tonstone 30 years ago, homelessness and hunger were

a largely invisible problem. But re-cently street sleepers huddling in doorways have become a common sight, and Leytonstone Food Bank has been operating in top gear. Our choice is stark; we either ignore the problem, or try to find a solution. With £13billion of food thrown away each year by British households and a further £3billion wasted by restaurants and shops, my local sustainability group Transition Leytonstone decided to take action. Last year we started running a popular monthly stall stocked with out-of-date food supplied by the Best

it actively engages and involves the community. As well as coun-cil-run events such as our hugely popular Walthamstow Garden Party, fireworks night, and Mela events, numerous community-run programmes enrich and energise local people. That community focus is perhaps best personified by our 20 'Cultur-al Stars'. These are incredible in-dividuals who go that extra mile to enthuse local people. They include the husband-and-wife team putting on community plays, a group of friends working to-gether to rejuvenate their local area, and the bookshop owners transforming their shop into a community hub. Over and over again, we have seen culture has the biggest impact on a community when it comes from within that community. Our Cultural Stars have shown they can break down barriers, bring people of all backgrounds togeth-er, prevent loneliness, and above all, enhance our lives. That is what we have already but we know we could do more because it's not just our culture that comes from the communi-ty– it's support for our bid. More than 11,000 people have signed up and there is barely a street in

Before Project, which aims to save food in the gap between 'sell by' and 'use by' dates from being discarded. On its own the monthly stall – run on a pay-as-you-feel basis – was hardly going to solve the problems of food poverty and waste. What about fresh produce, baked goods, surplus sandwiches from cafés, and restaurant dishes being taken off tomorrow's menu? How could we get our hands on those? And how could we store them safely and offer them to those in need? Our answer was Leytonstone Community Fridge, to be stocked with surplus food from local busi-nesses and households and open to all. We had heard about the com-munity fridge idea earlier this

the borough where you won't find at least one 'Back the Bid' sign. It has been incredible to see the whole community come togeth-er and we are hugely grateful for your support. Whether we win or lose, rest assured Waltham Forest will con-tinue to put on a programme of world-class cultural events, and

members of our community will still go above and beyond to serve people living here. That said, £1million of addi-tional funding would help put Waltham Forest firmly on the map and we could look forward to wel-coming an influx of new visitors to boost our local economy. Most im-portantly, we could put on a once-

in-a-lifetime cultural programme unlike anything we have ever seen here, offering an even greater range of cultural activities to be enjoyed by everyone. We are proud of what's already on offer in Waltham Forest, but we are even more excited about what we could achieve as London's first Borough of Culture.

year when sustainability charity Hubbub announced the world's first Community Fridge Network, an initiative to combat food waste. We were among the first to express an interest. Hubbub had already successfully trialed a pilot in Swadlincote, Der-byshire. The pilot saw more than 9,000 items of food redistributed in seven months – an average of half-a-tonne of food saved each month! Unfortunately, we were left frustrated when the network launched in July with the partic-ipation of two other London lo-cations, Manor House and Old Street, as well as others in Milton Keynes and Northern Ireland. These fridges all had one thing in

ity and offering their services for free, Made With Volume created a visually stunning solution. Tran-sition Leytonstone would build it, Café de Montmartre would host it. After obtaining planning per-mission in November, we are now working hard to be ready to open for the new year! We'd like to thank the Sainsbury's 'Waste Less, Save More' programme for their support, and Bosch for supplying our fridge and freezer.

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Waltham Forest Council leader Clare Coghill (centre) and other councillors show their support for the Borough of Culture bid

Thousands back borough culture bid

A cool solution to food waste

Council leader on why Mayor of London should choose Waltham Forest as the capital's first 'Borough of Culture'

Diana Korchien from Transition Leytonstone introduces a new project aiming to cut waste and reduce poverty

common; they were safely situat-ed inside community centres. Ley-tonstone's was totally different; a fully public-facing facility, sited outside the Café de Montmartre in Church Lane, near Leytonstone Underground Station. We reasoned that the fridge would be very hard to ignore on such a well-trodden pedestrian route. But it also needed to be protected from the weather and from crim-inal damage. How were we going to find a designer prepared to work with us? This was when we really got lucky. Posting our predicament on a local residents' forum, we had a speedy response from local spatial designers Made With Volume. Sharing our values of sustainabil-

Transition Leytonstone is seeking volunteers to help with the project.

Email [email protected]

Features

P . 6Meet the Leytonstone man with a healthy obsession for snakes

by Clare Coghill


FEATURESColumns

P . 11The Mill's Helen Bigham offers some new ideas for feeling festive

Meet the Leytonstone man with a healthy obsession for snakes

Osmond James on his experience dealing with the council's housing service after being evicted

recently discovered on social media that somewhere in the depths of Waltham Forest was a man who kept snakes

– and not just a few. As I learnt more it became clear there was so much more to this story than merely describing someone's exotic pets. Terry Hunt is 47 years' old and was born and bred in Leytonstone. As a teen-ager he was quite introvert, but later he experimented with drugs and began an addiction that lasted many years. Terry told me: "I just took them, speed mostly because it was cheap, kept on taking them, and then I had to take them." He then developed a drinking problem and Terry's future looked bleak: "I couldn't keep a job. I lost friends. I woke up every morning with shakes and shivers and spent days just trying to feed my habit." The years rolled by and al-though Terry's health declined

edar Wood House is an innocuous 1960s low-rise office block in Walthamstow, not

far from the town hall. But the building's bland exterior gives no clue to the daily stream of distress within its walls; for this is the home of Waltham Forest Council's housing service. Thousands of people in the bor-ough become homeless every year. The most common cause is the landlord evicting their tenants and leaving them with nowhere else to go. In such cases the council has a legal duty to assist in finding tem-porary housing. In February I myself endured a 'no fault' eviction after living in a hostel for 18 months. The council told me to wait to see them until bailiffs turfed me out, even though this risks having to pay legal costs – just when I needed every penny. Being forced to wait until the day you actually become homeless,

before seeking help, makes it all the more stressful. When I went to Cedar Wood House they made me wait from 10am until 5pm. And when I was finally seen, and officially declared homeless, I was finally told the address of my tempo-rary accommodation. It was in Essex. I was given literally just a few minutes to decide if I could cope with the disruption of being moved several miles away from my friends and my support network. Still, I was relatively fortunate, because others who had been evicted that day were advised to seek assistance from other agen-cies, such as St Mungos, and left to the perils of street life. One person was between major oper-ations and had a colostomy bag, but was told they "might not be deemed vulnerable". Temporary accommodation can be almost as costly as a private rented place, but at least it is a roof over your head. But there is no

long-term security; some families I know in temporary accommo-dation have been forced to move several times in a couple of years. I was told to stay in my temporary accommodation in Rainham until the council could decide whether I was in a 'priority need' category as defined by the law. Then, after a few months, I was sent a letter ex-plaining that I was not. This meant I would have to leave in a few weeks, with less notice than private landlords have to give. The letter said that the council "had taken into account [my] circum-stances". However, I later learned that no-one from the council had spoken to my doctor. Nor after being sent to live in Essex did I have a meeting with anyone from the council to discuss my case, to give me a chance to tell them why I thought I did fit a priority category. I had to stay with friends until eventually being put in a shel-tered home in Leytonstone. Being

made to wait all day at Cedar Wood House, for no very obvious reason, and seeing this happening to others, it seems clear that we are not regarded as people who deserve

respect. The council talks a lot about its bid to be the first 'London Borough of Culture'. A culture of respect, for people who have become homeless, would be a good start.

he was just about coping. This changed when his mother died six years ago. Devastated, his addictions worsened. Terry re-called: "The doctors told me that if I didn't stop I would be dead by Christmas." Fortunately, a friend who was going to live in America offered Terry his pet snake to keep. Terryagreed and eventually became so enamoured with the reptile that when he went to the pet shop tocollect its food, he bought another. And then another. Terry developed a real passion for these creatures and because they relied on him, he realised that he would have to make changes to his life. "When I first got them I had to learn how to look after them properly and accept responsibil-ity. This meant doing something about the drugs." Terry is convinced that he gain- ed his strength and purpose to combat his addictions from his pets. "In a way I changed my ad-diction to drugs into an addiction Terry Hunt with one of his 49 pet snakes Credit Graham Millington

Off the scales

'The day I was declared homeless'

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to snakes." Today, he owns 49 snakes and other reptiles. On a visit to his home, I saw how highly he regards their welfare. He is now quite a celebrity in the 'snake owning' community and has even ap-peared on television. Terry is often asked to take in abandoned snakes and does so willingly. But what attracts him to these creatures? "I like watch-ing them move. They're inquisi-tive, intelligent, and methodical. They calm me down. Experts say snakes don't have personalities but I don't agree. "I have sixteen boa constrictors and I can see differences in the way they behave." Conventional pets often enhance people's lives but for Terry his de-votion to animals that are not renowned for their traditional 'pet-like' qualities, seems to have turned his life around. As for the future, Terry will just carry on caring for his reptiles. "After all", says Terry, "I owe them!"

by Graham Millington

Do you enjoy gardening and would like to volunteer to join our Victorian Chelsea-style gardening group once or twice a week in our

quirky Victorian-style garden?

The Georgian Village, 100 Wood Street, Walthamstow E17 3HX

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WHY THE CLOSUREOF THE BAKERSARMS CAR PARK

WILL DESTROY THEMOST COHESIVECOMMUNITY IN

WALTHAM FOREST

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SAVESTANLEY ROAD

CARPARK

Dear Chief Executive and Senior Officers,

You have decided to recommend to the Leader and Cabinet, to close the Stanley Road

car park at Bakers Arms and to use the land to build some houses.

This action will have a devastating affect on local traders and the community as a whole.

Stanley Road car park is the last available parking facility in the area. Every day the car

park is heavily used with vehicles driven by shoppers, traders and their employees. The

fact is, if people use cars out of necessity then the council are about to make it impossible

to park anywhere near Bakers Arms. Against stiff competition from superstores and the

rise of online shopping, this area is still thriving, the very thing the government wishes the

High Streets to do.

Our appeal is to the Chief Executive of the council to think again. Don’t destroy the most

cohesive and harmonious community in Waltham Forest. Traders and the community are

rallying against the closure, and have shown their displeasure – see the page opposite.

Your decision to close the car park was flawed from the outset. Based on a piece of

questionable outdated research produced by ‘Project Centre’ a division of ‘National Car

Parks’. It is time for all councillors to boldly stand and vote to support the Bakers

Arms community and to keep the vitally important Stanley Road car park for good.

Yours sincerely,

On behalf of the Bakers Arms traders and community.

A LETTER TO THE CHIEF EXECUTIVEOF THE WALTHAM FOREST COUNCIL

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Send your lettersLetters should be emailed to [email protected] before before 20th December for consideration in the January edition. Submissions should be less than 250 words.

LETTERS

Waltham Forest Council in its wisdom decided to paint Hoe Street, Leyton High Road and Lea Bridge Road with double yellow lines to prevent us from parking our cars on the streets. Then they put a flood of rather aggressive traffic wardens in place to give us parking tickets as soon as we stop on their lines. Now, they want to take away the only remaining public car park in the Bakers Arms area. How are we supposed to travel to shop? Our appeal is to ask the council to think again. Every day Stanley Road Car Park is 90 percent full, with vehicles driven by shoppers, traders and employees working at the local businesses. The fact is if people use cars out of neces-sity the council is about to make it absolutely impossible to park anywhere near to Bakers Arms. The decision-making process was flawed from the outset. It was based on a questionable piece of research produced by Project Centre, a division of National Car Parks. The research carried out seven years ago looked at usage on two days of the Stanley Road Car Park. On those days in 2010 the car park was only about 40 percent occupied. How many dec-isions in Waltham Forest are being made in this slipshod way? Why does the council not have updated research to enable them to give a true picture?

Rick Warren Save Stanley Road Car Park

My family and I live in Bakers Arms overlooking the Stanley Road Car Park and are pleased the council is looking to redevelop the site, provided this is done sensi-tively and in keeping with the local area (a maximum of three storeys). The car park has become a mag- net for anti-social behaviour in recent years. Recently someone was shot in the car park (not fatally, thank goodness) and at night people frequently play music

Thank you for highlighting the prob-lems with special needs education in the borough in your last issue (Council accused of failing special needs pupils, Page 1, Issue 32). The failings of Waltham Forest Council run through the entire special educa-tional needs system. The borough's services for pre-schoolers are currently under extraordinary pressure and that is having a significant impact on children in Waltham Forest. In my own experience, it took more than 16 months to get a diagnosis for my three-year-old son of autistic spec-trum disorder, with almost all of that time spent waiting for appointments. Early diagnosis and intervention are essential for good long-term out-comes for autistic children. Yet ser-vices in Waltham Forest have been repeatedly cut. Neighbouring bor-oughs, such as Tower Hamlets, have a close association with the Nation-al Autistic Society and run early in-tervention programmes such as Early Bird. Waltham Forest cut its Early Bird programme, and another pre-diagnosis programme called Good Beginnings, some years ago. Neither were replaced, leaving a huge gap in services that is being ignored by the council. Speech therapy ser-vices have been stripped back and, in our experience, pre-schoolers in Waltham Forest are not offered any meaningful speech therapy before school age. We have been lucky enough to have had the support of the won-derful local charity, The Lloyd Park Children's Charity, over the last two years – despite this our son's progress has been affected by lack of services in the area.

Claire BithellWalthamstow

Car park would be missed

Car park won't be missed

Poor special needs provision

Dear Waltham Forest Echo



If the sexual harassment scandal in Westminster is anything to go by then I suggest stop and search, too easily abused because of outmod-ed, degrading government poli-cies, poor police recruitment and corrupt attitudes, are problems we can ill afford to ignore. Perhaps just like the undeniable sexual ha-rassment claims, society has yet to catch up as to the impact of stop and search on health and relations, especially disproportionately tar-geted black, Asian and minority ethnic people. Few people dared believe such a sex scandal was taking place at the heart of British democracy, at the highest levels, but it is, and it took a sexual scandal in Holly-wood to wake-up British people and parliament. Isn't this enough for us to know that members of parliament and government who at times we fail to hold to high enough standards and trust to do the right thing, also do the wrong thing. Surely this is equally true of British police? Yes, we need to trust the people who help keep us safe, but we can't ignore the fact humans are prone to abuse and corruption. Stop and search is not the ideal solution and needs reform. Parliament rejected my e-petition proposal to fix the problems of stop and search ('Time to end stop and search', Page 8, Issue 32) so I've gone back to basics, using the paper peti-tion. To download a petition form visit forestradio.co.uk and send it to [email protected]

Wayne WaltonWalthamstow

I know that all these closures of the Gospel Oak to Barking line ('More misery for rail users', Page 3, Issue 32) are causing misery and frus-tration for passengers, but after many years of neglect we will have a better railway for the future. I have been a user of the line in various guises since I was born in 1969, ranging from annual day trips to Southend with my parents

as a child, to commuting and local trips, and have seen the line decline and recover. It is now receiving much-needed investment. In 1982 train lengths reduced from three to two carriages, which it has been ever since. From 1986 onwards, ticket office opening hours were reduced and then per-manently closed. How much went uncollected over the line's history, nobody will ever know, but it was dubbed 'London's free railway'. In the late 1990s, old slam-door trains kept breaking down and saw reliability plummet. Trains from the Midlands, then only about 15-years-old, were brought in, and reliability did improve. Winter Sunday services and more frequent peak-hour services were steps forward, but it wasn't until London Over-ground took over the operation

that fare collection issues were finally addressed. Most of the stations now have ticket barriers, and in the past seven years or so, new diesel units have been introduced to replace the cascaded sprinters, and a more fre-quent service has been a welcome improvement. Now with electrifi-cation, years of neglect will be con-signed to history.

Keith BarberWalthamstow

Stop and search petition

I welcome rail investment


Dear Waltham Forest Echo Power Bites is an independent natural health-food store with a great range of specifically chosen

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at very high volume from their cars. There is a high level of drug dealing, prostitution, and betting shops in Bakers Arms. For the small number of people who use the Stanley Road Car Park for le-gitimate shopping, the Tesco car park is just across the road. We look forward to this anti-so-cial hotspot being turned into something more positive.

Creina LilburneBakers Arms

For more information:E: [email protected] T: 07908 815 401

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COLUMNS

'm approaching the festive season in a new way, break-ing with tradition. Instead of hosting I'll be a guest.

rom personal requests to create fun pictures for friends, a husband and wife team have launched a

brand new creative business – amus-ingly called Baldy and the Fidget. Founders Angus and Heidi Griffin (they like you to guess who is Baldy and who is Fidget) produce unique hand-drawn prints and bespoke works of art. They seem to be doing something right – their muse-um-quality design prints have been selling fast during the 12 months since setting up the business. Heidi explained: "Creativity is important in our lives, we realised that after the birth of our son in 2015. We saw an opportunity use our many books of ideas, sketch-es and scribbles into something fun that we would love and others would love too. "Baldy and the Fidget gives us the chance to share our many ideas to decorate a home, child's nursery or to treat a loved one." The team operate from their Leyton studio and work in very

To remember my late father we'll have crackers with his fa-vourite cheese. We don't all like his choice in cheese but it's a way

different ways, which they feel makes their work distinct from other designers. Angus works dig-itally and Heidi hand-draws tra-ditionally, using her trusty sketch-book. It makes for an eclectic mix of modern and traditional prints and includes a personalised and commissioned service. Angus said: "Setting up was excit-ing and we had to juggle between shifts of looking after our baby. It can be quite a challenge to switch on creatively during nap times!" They both feel that one of their best decisions so far has been to be true to themselves and stick with what they enjoy, rather than create what is the current trend. Heidi said: "In fact that's some advice that I would pass on other entrepreneurs – you will never be able to please everyone, so stick to your guns and try not to lose your own identity." Angus and Heidi are actively planning for the next year and have a few surprises in the making – still under wraps – that they hope will

for us to include him. I can rec-ommend introducing a family custom; it's a comforting way to acknowledge someone who's no longer there but is not forgotten. This time of year can be expen-sive. I set a budget and attempt to stick with it, but not always suc-cessfully. The Mill has a lovely line in mugs and a range of knitted goods, from soft toys to snoods, although this year I'm planning on making some homemade gifts. I can get advice from our resi-dent 'Sociable Sewers', 'Mill Knit-ters', 'Mill Bakers', or from 'Get Crafty', a new group that plans to share different creative skills while doing a lot of chatting. It's an upbeat way to spend a Thurs-day morning! Another way to capture a good feeling is by giving to others. Charities are always calling out for help at this time of year. Op-

put the company on the map. "We're heading into our second year of trading with the benefit of a huge learning curve behind us," added Heidi. "And some exciting plans ahead!"

portunites are unlimited, from helping at a soup kitchen to driving the elderly. The Mill wel-comes new volunteers, but if you want to know about other oppor-tunities I suggest contacting Com-munity Waltham Forest, which can point you to numerous local voluntary groups. Spending time with positive people who lift my spirits, I'm always hopeful that perhaps some of their good mood will rub off on me. Pop into The Mill and there's always something happening, even if it's just having a cup of tea and a browse in our 'Honesty Library'. Why not join us at our Christmas event on Saturday 9th December? Throughout the month we're hosting the Winter Wonderland art exhibition pro-duced by students from White-field School. This will certainly bring a smile to anyone's face on

a grey day! Although it's cold outside, I don't plan to stay indoors. I'm going to try and get out and about and ex-ercise regularly; it can help clear my mind. Maybe I'll join The Mill's monthly cycling group, or have a bracing walk at the newly opened Walthamstow Wetlands (one entrance is at the end of Cop-permill Lane). Whatever I'm doing, I plan to live by writer Anton Chek-hov's wise words: "People don't notice whether it's winter or summer when they're happy." This is the perfect time of year to discover what makes us content.

I

F

Find your happy

Creative differences

In her latest column about The Mill community centre, Helen Bigham explores some new ideas for feeling festive

In her column on small businesses, Waltham Forest Business Network's Jo Sealy meets a partnership that's not afraid to be different

The 'Get Crafty' group at The Mill Credit Kamila Michalak

For more information about events being held at The Mill:

Visit themille17.org

For more information about Baldy and the Fidget:

Visit baldyandthefidget.com

Do you know a great small business in Waltham Forest with a story to tell?

Email [email protected] walthamforestbusiness.co.uk

EventsLocal theatre company goes bananas with new play at CentrE17 P . 13

Wood burning pizza oven and cooking Caribbean delights. In an old Victorian

garden setting as an eatory diner.

Any offer considered as a trial run – low rental

To view: 'Georgian Village', 100 Wood St, E17 3HX

Shop To Let£45 weekly suitable barber's shop, beauty care,

threading, or craft working place.

Viewing: 'Georgian Village', 100 Wood St. Walthamstow, E17 3HX

Apply within T: 07576 420 578

”

It's a challenge to switch on creatively during nap times

“

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LIST INGS

Upcoming OngoingRed is Beautiful by Miyuki KasaharaUntil 7th January 2018, 2pm – 6pmThe Stone Space, 6 Church Lane, Leytonstone E11 1HG

Leytonstone Christmas Market TrailSaturday 2nd December, 11am – 4pmVarious locations in Leytonstone

St Mary's Christmas ShowcaseSaturday 2nd December, 6.30pm – 10.30pm,St Mary's Music Hall, Church End, Walthamstow E17 9RJ

The Chingford Village Christmas FayreSunday 3rd December, 10.30am – 5pmMotorpoint, 1 Lea Valley Road, Chingford E4 7PX

Winchelsea Christmas FairSunday 3rd December, 12pm – 6pmThe Wanstead Tap, Winchelsea Road, Leytonstone E7 0AQ

Sparkling CrystalsTuesday 5th December, 6.30pm – 8pmThe Mill, 7-11 Coppermill Lane, Walthamstow E17 7HA

Night Feast at Highams ParkFriday 8th December, 5pm – 9.30pmHale End Library, Castle Avenue, Highams Park E4 9QD

Shoppers’ Carol ServiceSaturday 9th December, 3pm – 4pmSt Michael and All Angels Parish Church, Northcote Road Walthamstow E17 7DX

Festive Thursday Charity GigThursday 14th December, 7.30pm – 8.45pmSt Michael & All Angels Parish Church, Northcote Road E17 7DX

Bear Jokes presents Rick KiesewetterThursday 21st December, 7.45 – 10pm,Leyton Star, 116 Leyton High Road, Leyton E15 2BX

A series of artworks that look at the con-sumer waste we produce and the effect it has on the ocean environment, specif-ically relating to plastics and seabirds.

Leytonstone's markets join forces for a one-day Christmas extravaganza. Venues include Leyton&Stone Designers in Ley-tonstone Library Hall, Stone's Throw Market in St John’s Church Hall, Lister Hall Market in Lister Road, and E11 Market outside Matalan. There'll be more than 70 stalls, plus Santa's grotto.

An evening filled with music, comedy, and spoken word, at the beautiful St Mary’s Music Hall. Proceeds from the night go to the charity Side By Side with Refugees.

A free roller disco, children's go-kart rides, live music, Santa's grotto, children's rides, food stalls, festive licensed bar, gift stall, arts and crafts, toys, tombolas, and more.

Drop the busy high-street shops and finish your Christmas shopping in good company, while enjoying great food and delicious drinks. Find gems made by local makers, from prints to homeware, jewel-lery and clothes, and support local traders and venues.

Our last workshop of the 'start divining' series. We will focus our attention on spar-kling crystals, looking at the most popular crystals and their innate roles.

Following a hugely successful night in September, the Walthamstow-based street food event returns for another great evening. Expect delicious food from local traders, a fully-stocked bar and some cracking entertainment.

Calling all Christmas shoppers! Need a break from the mad rush? Come to St Mi-chael’s to sing your favourite Christmas carols and relax with a festive drink and a mince pie. All donations go to Haven House Hospice.

Join Lizzie Marshall and friends for an evening of classical and baroque music with seasonal items and dramatic read-ings, followed by a glass of warm festive cheer. All in aid of UNICEF.

Rick Kiesewetter headlines a night of truly hilarious live comedy. The night's headliner is a Bear Jokes favourite; Rick Kiesewetter. A fine night of near-to-Christmas comedy.

Free entryVisit stonespace.gallery

Visit leytonandstonedesigners.co.uk

Tickets £15 (plus booking fee)Email contact@ sidebysiderefugees.orgVisit stmarysmusichall.co.uk

Free entryCall 020 8559 4500Email [email protected] chingfordvillagefestival.info

Free entry Email [email protected] facebook.com/events/1873381102991082/

Tickets £12Call 07578 506 317Email [email protected] freyaingva.com/events

Free entryVisit facebook.com/NightFeast17

Donations on the doorCall 07770 665 475Email [email protected]

Tickets £10Call 07825 750 969Email [email protected]

Tickets £5Call 020 8558 3705Visit wegottickets.com/andyquirkpresents

Bridge ClubMondays and Thursdays, 7.15pm – 10pm,Quaker Meeting House, 1a Jewel Road, Walthamstow E17 4QU

Circle DancingEvery first Thursday, 2pm – 4pmSt Michael's and All Angels Parish Church Hall, Northcote Road, Walthamstow E17 7DX

Miniature Steam and Electric Train RidesWednesdays, 2pm – 4pm, and Sundays and bank holidays 2pm – 5:30pmRidgeway Park, Peel Close, off Old Church Road, Chingford E4 6XU

Free English Conversation ClubMondays, 9.30am – 11amChrist Church, 73 Francis Road, Leyton E10 6PL

Lawn Bowls For BeginnersEvery Monday (except 25th December), 9.45am – 12.30pmWalthamstow Borough Bowls Club, Lloyd Park, Walthamstow E17 4NS

Ukulele WednesdaysWedensdays, 8pm – 10pmThe Hare and Hounds, 278 Lea Bridge Road, Leyton E10 7LD

We play a good standard of duplicate bridge every Monday and Thursday. A host is available on a Monday night so you can get a game if you don't have a partner. New members welcome.

Dancing to world music. All welcome, beginners or experienced. No need for a partner, just turn up. Friendly group.

Take a ride on our trains in Ridgeway Park, a lovely way to enjoy the day! Two very different tracks with lots of engines and trains to ride. Enjoy!

Would you like to practise speaking English? Take part in talking with others in a relaxed setting. Classes are on Mondays during school term time. All are welcome, but a beginning level of English is helpful.

We welcome new players to try the game of lawn bowls on Monday mornings. No experience necessary, your first session is free. Experienced players also welcome.

A friendly, mixed ability ukulele sing-along and play along hosted by local ukulele group UkulelE17. The latest song-books can be downloaded free of charge from ukulelewednesdays.com/songbook

£3 for members, non-members £4Call 07973 880 080Email cathy.macnaughton@ yahoo.co.ukVisit bridgewebs.com

£4 per session, refreshments includedEmail [email protected] Call 020 8556 3508

£1 or £1.50, under 3s freeCall 020 8505 9274Email [email protected] chingford-model-engineering.com

Free entryEmail [email protected]

Free entryEmail [email protected] walthamstowboroughbowlsclub.co.uk

Free entryVisit facebook.com/groups/Ukulelewednesdayswalthamstow

Submit your listingTo submit your event as a listing in the January edition, fill in the online form available at walthamstuff.com/echo before Friday 15th December.

Visit Purple Seasons for handmade personalised cards for all occasions and unique, thoughtful

gifts that are sure to surprise and delight. Purple Seasons – helping to create lasting memories. Visit us in store at Shop 3 in the Georgian Village, Wood

Street, or online at purpleseasons.co.uk.

Purple-Seasons purpleseasons

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Registered Charity No: 1103433

Brick Built LockupStorage unit shortly to become available.

£25 weekly, High BeachT: 020 8508 5111

SPECIAL TREATMENT LICENCES

NOTICE IS GIVEN THATSalliya Fatemyan has applied to the London Borough of Waltham Forest for a Special Treatment Licence for:

– Manicures and pedicures– Micro-blading

Licence for the premises: Sallia Hair and Beauty, 853 Forest Road E17 4AT

Anyone wishing to oppose the application must give notice in writing to the LICENSING OFFICER, NEIGHBOURHOODS AND COMMISSIONING, SYCAMORE HOUSE, TOWN HALL COMPLEX, WALTHAMSTOW E17 4JF WITHIN 21 DAYS OF PUBLICATION specifying the grounds of opposition.

Persons objecting to the grant of a licence must be prepared to attend in person before a Committee of the Council.


EVENTS

t's such an exciting time in Walthamstow for the arts right now and we can't wait to be part of it.

Together we have formed Baby Panda, a new local theatre company, and our riotous show Five Little Christmas Monkeys is coming to CentrE17 this month. Based on the universally pop-ular children's song Five Little Monkeys ("five little monkeys jumping on the bed, one fell off and bumped his head"), the show is a magical Christmas mix of music, puppets and clowning. It is set on Christmas Eve when zookeeper Sue is having her first day at the counting zoo. She has to get Little Monkey to bed. It's on her list. But Little Monkey has other ideas and the bedtime routine goes out of the window as magical monkeys appear from everywhere and anywhere in Little Monkey's bedroom. Funky monkeys, ballet teach-ers and the Monkey in the Moon himself take Sue on a whirlwind counting journey. And you'll never look at a teapot in the same way again! Bright, bold and colourful puppets engage young audienc-es, while household objects unex-pectedly transform into a series of stern doctors, warning: "No more

he protector of Dagen-ham Brook is getting ready to emerge. Myself and fellow art-

ist Gemma Seddon have been running creative workshops with Wal-tham Forest residents over the summer, around Leyton Jubilee Park. We have been hearing tales about the area in the past, imagin-ing what the little-known Dagen-ham Brook could look like in the future, and creating an imaginary creature called the 'Brook Protector'. Invented in the minds of many children, this creature will keep Leyton Jubilee Park and the brook an important habitat for wild-life and a pleasant, pollution-free

monkeys jumping on the bed!" We created the smash hit Dogs Don't Do Ballet for Little Angel Theatre in 2012, which, so far, has run for more than 600 per-formances nationwide. United by our love of comedy, music, clown-ing and silliness, the Five Little Monkeys song was only a start-ing point for us to create a flight of fancy, exploring how numbers are all around us. With a back-drop of rapping, R&B, classical ballet, and dub reggae, Five Little Christmas Monkeys is a mathe-matical musical riot. Monkeys is a truly local produc-tion. We have lived in Waltham-stow for years and we made this show with the support of Ston-eydown Park Primary School, where our daughter goes to school. Scenery was built at Black-horse Workshop, while rehears-als were in Higham Hill Hub and Walthamstow Academy. The fantastic original music was created by E17 jazz musician Rex Horan and our designer and pup-pet-maker, Frances Barry, is a fellow East London resident.

place to visit. Banners showing models and artwork by more than 100 young people are being exhibited on two bridges over the Dagenham Brook in Leyton Jubilee Park until Sunday 17th December, as part of the project A Tail for Dagenham Brook, funded by a Waltham Forest Council arts development grant. The exhibition continues outside KuKooLaLa Café, displaying in-formation about the local envi-ronment and recollections from long-time residents to give an insight into the history of the park and surrounding area. Accompanying this are the first sightings of what the Brook Pro-tector might really look like. Is it akaleidoscopic tunnel which fun-nels rubbish away? Or does it rise

tall above the nettles, reflecting the beauty of the natural landscape back at passers-by? A Thames 21 action day is taking place on Saturday 9th Decem-ber from 10am. Residents will be given the opportunity to take part in improving their local en-vironment and helping with the installation of A Tail for Dagen-ham Brook.

I

T

Five Little Christmas Monkeys hits CentrE17 this month

Monkeying around

Made in Dagenham Brook

Five Little Christmas Monkeys is on at CentrE17 between Saturday 9th and Sunday 17th December. For more information and to buy tickets: Visit thecentrE17.com

For more information on A Tail for Dagenham Brook:

Visit dagenhambrook. wordpress.com

For more information on the Thames21 activity day:

Visit thames21.org.uk/events

by Andrea and David Duffy

by Poppy Flint

Local theatre company goes bananas with new play in Walthamstow

Ongoing art exhibition is inspired by Leyton's little-known river

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FeaturesStudents from Chingford visit Auschwitz to learn horrors of the Holocaust P . 14


FEATURES

Horrors of the Holocaust

ow could one sum up a visit to Aus-chwitz-Birkenau, a former death camp

in Poland where around 1.2 million people were murdered by the Nazis during the Second World War? Waiting to get our plane back to London, Eduard, a history student from Chingford Foun-dation School, told me that it wasn't really possible. "There are not enough words in the English language to explain the suffer-ing those people went through," he explained. I had been invited by the Holo-caust Educational Trust to join Eduard and several other stu-dents and staff from two schools in Waltham Forest on a trip to Poland in November. In total around 200 people – an entire plane full – travelled with the charity for this humbling and moving tour, as part of its Lessons from Auschwitz Project. We were given tours not just of the twin camps of Auschwitz-Birke-nau, but of the nearby town of Oswieim, where the former ma-jority Jewish population was per-secuted and nearly entirely erad-icated more than 70 years ago. At the Auschwitz-Birkenau Me-morial and Museum, based at the original Auschwitz camp that the Nazis converted from army bar-racks into a centre for murder and slavery in 1940, myself and the students were joined by a Polish guide. She showed us dis-plays that included two tonnes of human hair removed from Holo-caust victims shortly before their deaths in the gas chambers, as well as piles of shoes and empty suitcases marked with the names of their deceased owners. Another exhibition contained an 8,000-page book listing the names of all the known victims of the Holocaust. The visit to the museum was concluded with a tour of the last of the gas cham-bers to be left standing, with the others having been destroyed by the Nazis in an attempt to cover up their crimes. The best known image of Aus-chwitz is that of a snow-covered

railway leading to a watchtower under which victims would pass in trains before being sent either to immediate death or to be worked to death. This watchtower is in fact the entrance to Birkenau, the second death camp at Auschwitz that the Nazis never actually fin-ished building, such was their mur-derous ambition. Birkenau was the single largest site of mass murder during the Holo- caust. At its peak there were some 90,000 enslaved people living there in hundreds of shabby wooden buildings, only a few of which are still standing today. It is in one of these buildings that Rabbi Raphy Garson explains to our group the horrific living conditions that these prisoners – freezing, starv-ing, and ridden with disease – would have endured. Our trip ends with a reading cer-emony in the gloom of darkness, a power cut at Birkenau leaving us with only the lights of students' mobile phones. They take turns to read poems before pausing for a moment of silent reflection. Afterwards Emily, another stu-dent from Chingford Foundation School who joined the Lessons of Auschwitz tour, tells me: "Being there brings a whole new sense of the Holocaust and what it means. You don't fully appreciate that until you have seen it for yourself." Emily and Eduard's teacher, Alex, said that the chance for them to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau was "really valuable" and that they would now act as ambassadors for the Holocaust Educational Trust, helping to share their ex-perience with other students and taking leading roles in the school's service on Holocaust Memorial Day in January. The Lessons from Auschwitz Project is in its 17th year and has so far enabled 33,000 students and teachers to visit the death camps, aiming to increase knowledge of the Holocaust through its motto; 'hearing is not like seeing'.

Hby James Cracknell

For more information about the Holocaust Educational Trust and its Lessons from Auschwitz Project:

Visit het.org.uk/lessons-from-auschwitz-programme

Students from Waltham Forest visit Auschwitz

Students visiting Birkenau, the second death camp built by the Nazis at Auschwitz during the Second World War

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The Walkhe dogs. Barking. It took Vincent a few moments to register what the noise was,

and quite a few more for him to realise he might need to do something about it. He looked around. Perry had run off the path into a field that stretched towards the canal. Another dog was pulling against its owner, fury at Perry's approach dripping from its muzzled jaw."Perry! Here!" Vincent hurried over the grass as quickly as his body would allow. When he had been a kid he had spent hours running around the marshes – hours he would have rather spent smearing paint over yet another piece of paper or reading a book – but his limbs had long forgotten how to move with such agility. Perry looked over at him and hesitated, torn between obedience and curios-

ity. The sharp winter air caught in Vincent's chest as he stooped to clip his leash to Perry's collar. "Sorry about that." "You're alright, son. That's quite a hound you have there. Ex-racer?" Vincent glanced at the man. He looked familiar, his laugh-ing eyes bright against the dull sky behind him. "Yes. My dad was a breeder." He nodded his goodbye and set off towards the path. "Hang on. Little Vinnie?" Vincent stopped in his tracks. It had been more than 30 years since anyone had called him that, but the title instantly brought back the shame of standing in front of a jury of beer-flushed faces, their mirth at one of his dad's jeers running down their faces. Even now, he avoided old-school East End pubs with a snobbery established well before he left the area. He had thought that three

decades would have put to bed his feelings about his father, but the anger simmering in his chest suggested otherwise. "Okay, maybe not so little any-more." The man chuckled and held out his hand. "Ron. Doubt you remember me, but I remem-ber you. And your dad. He was a good man." No he wasn't. He was a bully and an alcoholic and I hate him. Even now he's dead. The words caught in Vincent's chest. Of course he couldn't say that. He was too much of a cow-ard. A sissy. His dad's mocking voice echoed in his memory, re-fusing to let him go, even now. He closed his eyes. "We were very sad to lose him," Ron stumbled on, unsure of his faux pas. "You know, he was very proud of you." Vincent's laugh seemed to start-le him. "Oh, I don't think so.

Goodnight." "No, he was. I remember when you went off to art school, got that degree. He told us all about it. And all those newspaper clip-pings about your art shows." Ron's laugh was soft. "I don't think he would have been more chuffed if you'd gone off to play for Spurs." Vincent laughed again. "I doubt that very much." He looked back at the path, but the other man's words held him. With surprise he realised he wanted to hear more. "Well, that's the way it was." Ron coughed, following Vincent's gaze. His mouth moved silently for a moment. "He might have given you a lot of stick, but he loved you." He caught Vincent's eye before he could avoid it. "He just didn't understand." Vincent stared at the old man's face. Its earlier joviality had gone, replaced with something earnest,

almost desperate. Vincent found himself smiling. "Thanks." He nodded his goodbye again, and made his way back to the path, his head down. He felt Ron's eyes follow him as he strode away, Perry trotting alongside. Vincent's breath deepened as he picked up his pace, but the other man's words resonated in his chest, loos-ening the tightness that he had always carried with him.

TA short fictional story by Walthamstow writer Shelly Berry

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No. 33 DECEMBER 2017 WALTHAM FOREST ECHO

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