Our August meeting

Our August meeting: Summer sketching and treasures to take home 

A table of East End WI members, garden produce, art materials – and a caterpillar putting the ‘live’ in live sketching... Summer sketching was our relaxed meeting in the quiet of August

The session was led by our very own Lydia, a graphic designer, creative director and sketcher. We heard from Lydia about drawing as part of her work, her late career homecoming to sketching, her lockdown project Dispatches from a Small World and how she uses drawing as a way of looking at things. Then, with a smorgasboard of drawing materials and waste paper, we drew, chatted, shared stories and swapped knowledge.

One of the joys of drawing together is how differently everybody sees and makes marks. Some beautiful work was produced. And we went home with treasures – herbs, fruit, flowers and handmade goodies from our 'bring and buy' table with all proceeds raising funds for East End WI.

See more of Lydia’s sketches on her Instagram feed @lydiathornley.

If you fancy some outdoor sketching in the industrial and natural landscape of the Channelsea river, Lydia will be guiding a free drop-in sketching session for Surge Co-op on Saturday 27th August from 11am-1pm at the Long Wall Ecology Garden, off the Greenway, in celebration of the launch of 'London Nature Trails', four new green walking routes through Brent, Camden, Lewisham and Newham.

August coffee morning: Clarnico Club café, Olympic Park

Friday 26th August, 10.30am, Tandy Place, East Wick and Sweetwater, London E20 3AS.

A new venue for us, adjacent to Here East on the edge of the Olympic Park, served by Hackney Wick station, 388, 276, 339 and 488 buses or free Here East shuttle bus from Stratford bus station at Westfield or next to Stratford International DLR station. Clarnico Club café is independently owned and provides training and jobs for local youngsters with special needs.

Look out for our next What's On blogpost to see what's coming up in September.

Our August walk

Street art, green corridors and human history – our August walk to Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park

Shade was the theme of our August walk – and on a heatwave Saturday, we were glad of the dappled light on a fascinating stroll through art, nature and East End history.

Our route took us through Endangered 13, a mural project raising awareness of endangered species. The sculpture of panels pictured above is actually a materials test to encourage plants to grow on built structures.

We saw part of the green corridor joining up green space to give wildlife safe passage.

In the Cemetery Park, as we wandered, we heard from Heather, our President, about the park's volunteers, its conservation and heritage work and some of this beautiful place's human stories told by the graves and memorials, including the Barnardo's Memorial above. To read some of the stories and find out more about events, tours and volunteering, visit the Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park website.

Fancy coming on one of our walks? Look out for news in our next 'coming up' blogpost and if you're an East End WI member, our newsletter.

Coming up in August

Coming up in August

August walk: Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park

Saturday 13th August 10.30am

We’ve chosen Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park for this month as there is plenty of shade should it be a hot, sunny day.

Meet at the water feature pond near the Green Bridge, Mile End Park, opposite Guardian Angels Church, Mile End. Transport: Central line, plenty of bus routes.

We'll stroll down Mile End Park, crossing into Ackroyd Drive with its reclaimed areas and murals, into Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park and we'll decide how to explore.

Our coffee options are Blue Daisy, the mini coffee and patisserie truck in the park or nearby cafés. Toilets in the visitor centre if open, sports pavilion or cafés.

August meeting: Sketching with Lydia and 'bring and buy' craft and produce sale

Thursday 18th August, 7pm for 7.30 at St Margaret’s House, 21 Old Ford Rd, Bethnal Green, London E2 9PL, 7 for 7.30pm. Entrance via gated passageway to the left of the Gallery Café.

Draw, chat and enjoy the luxury of looking, at our relaxed sketching session with our very own Lydia, graphic designer and live sketcher. Materials provided – or if you have favourite materials to draw with, you're welcome to bring your own. Lydia will bring some flowers and foliage from her garden. 

If you have gorgeous gourds, comedy carrots or other wonderful goodies for the produce sale, we can draw that as well! Our crafters are invited to bring some makes for the craft sale. 

All proceeds will raise funds for East End WI.

August coffee morning: Clarnico Club café, Olympic Park

Friday 26th August, 10.30am, Tandy Place, East Wick and Sweetwater, London E20 3AS.

A new venue for us, adjacent to Here East on the edge of the Olympic Park, served by Hackney Wick station, 388, 276, 339 and 488 buses or free Here East shuttle bus from Stratford bus station at Westfield or next to Stratford International DLR station. Clarnico Club café is independently owned and provides training and jobs for local youngsters with special needs.