Coming up in September

 

Coming up in September: Nature and history in Stoke Newington, a literary look beyond beige, and cake with a side order of knowledge

Our monthly walk: Abney Park Cemetery, Saturday 14th September, 11.00 am

Meet at the entrance on Stoke Newington High Street, near Stoke Newington Overground station and bus stops.

It'll be a return visit for some. But with the main entrance recently reopened, restoration and a new café open, there's plenty to explore after our walk around this beautiful cemetery, "one of the 'Magnificent Seven' Victorian Gothic garden cemeteries, all within a 9 km (5.5 miles) corvid flying distance of St Paul’s Cathedral. They provide some of the few substantial areas of woodland, scrub and rough grassland close to central London and all are managed to some degree for their wildlife."

See the Walkers’ WhatsApp group for more info on the day.

Our monthly talk: Thursday 19th September, 7pm for 7.30 – Sylvie Boulay, author of Beyond Beige

“Unflinching, honest, and relatable, this illustrated book is neither a celebration of nor a complaint about old age. It is the simple, unadorned truth of a life. Fully illustrated throughout with cartoons and drawings, this fantastic new title shines the brightest of lights on ageing as a woman.”

There will be a chance to look at a copy of Sylvie's recently published book and to buy afterwards, online or at your favourite bookshop.

Our monthly coffee and meet-up: Friday 27th September –Mary Ward Centre Café, 275-285 High Street, Stratford E15 2TF. Meet between 10.30 and 11.00 am

We are reassured that the cafe will be open for this visit!

Some of our members have signed up for taster classes at the new Mary Ward adult education centre on Stratford Broadway.

If you haven't explored its courses yet, you'll be able to see what’s going on for yourself.

Sketches by Lydia, drawn in a break at the last Mary Ward Centre taster day

Our August meeting

A picnic in the park – our August meeting

This August, in place of our usual meeting, a merry band of East End WI members met for a picnic in the lovely Victoria Park, where the In the Neighbourhood festival was open for the local community and beyond.  

Christine reports: "It was a rather blustery evening of weather but it did not dampen our spirits as we enjoyed shared fizz, nibbles and chat."

We'll be back at St Margaret's House for our September meeting – look out for our coming up blogpost for more information.

Pictures by Christine

Our monthly coffee and meet-up: the Gallery Café at St Margaret's House, 21 Old Ford Road E2 9P. Meet between 10.30am and 11.00am

An opportunity to meet for a chat over a coffee and to view the latest exhibition at the Gallery Café – Aquatic Art, Explorations of Flow.

New to East End WI? Come and say hello at our stall at the Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park Summer Fair, on Saturday 31 August from 12 noon to 5pm.

Our August walk

Ballet, boats and singing bowls – Trinity Buoy Wharf, our August walk

The thing about London, we all agreed, was that even on a return visit somewhere, there's always something new to see. So our walk to the wharf was full of interest, taking a look at SS Robin, on a pontoon at the dock for restoration, playing the musical artwork Floodtide, enjoying Andrew Baldwin's kinetic sculptures and, because none of us had ever been into the lighthouse, climbing the stairs to look and listen to the Longplayer artwork (Gamely, Christine climbed all the way to the top). 

We all bring our wonderfully varied walks of life too, this month's chat including the higgledy-pigglediness of the new skyline, education, signwriting, craft as a meditative thing, unfinished projects and much more besides.

Coffee was at Layers bakery-café.

Fancy joining one of our walks? Look out for our monthly coming up posts and if you're a member, join our walkers' WhatsApp group.

Pictures by Lydia and Christine

Coming up in August

 

Coming up in August: a walk to the wharf, a picnic in the park and a gallery coffee

Our monthly Walk: Trinity Buoy Wharf, Saturday 10th August. Meet at Canning Town station, City Island exit, 11.00am

This month’s walk has again been suggested by the walking group themselves.

In 1998, Trinity Buoy Wharf was an empty, derelict site. Now it is a place with studios for people in the creative industries, workspace for people who work to provide transportation on the river, classrooms for education, and indoor and outdoor spaces for arts events and a wide range of activities. For some of us this will be a return visit; for others an opportunity to experience one of our interesting  local venues. SS Robin is currently at the wharf for restoration and there's a new café nearby, Layers Bakery, on Orchard Place.

If you're a member, look out for more info on the day on the walkers’ WhatsApp group.

Our monthly Meeting: EEWI summer supper picnic.Thursday 15th August, from 6.00pm*, Victoria Park (West-side) meet near The Pavilion Cafe

We are planning an informal meeting this month in the glorious Victoria Park. You might like to bring along your picnic supper or nibbles and choice of drink.

*Please note the change of meeting time this month

Our monthly coffee and meet-up: the Gallery Café at St Margaret's House, 21 Old Ford Road E2 9P. Meet between 10.30am and 11.00am

An opportunity to meet for a chat over a coffee and to view the latest exhibition at the Gallery Café – Aquatic Art, Explorations of Flow, in which our own Lydia has a piece.