This is Save Lea Marshes weekly digest - a round up of events, talking points and developments on green spaces around Walthamstow, Hackney and Tottenham. Save Lea Marshes campaigns to keep and improve the precious green space that provides all life a chance to live, breathe and prosper, not just humankind. Topics this week include:
MURAL on the Walthamstow underpass - the story so far is that last year SLM (then Save Leyton Marsh). suggested to the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority (LVRPA), that it use some of its Olympic "spoil" funding on a project involving children and young people's art The LVRPA responded but preferred to commission artists to collect ideas of children's art and translate them in a "less messy way" ... The latest is that one of the artists, who has collected some outstanding work from the young people, has resigned from the project after disagreement on the nature of the project and serious criticisms of the LVRPA's management style, lack of understanding of wild life and its principles; lack of community knowledge and spirit. A fuller description will appear on the SLM Blog page.
OLYMPIC ART - last week it was the green dye stunt - this week (see The Guardian 7.8.13), International Graffiti artists have been commissioned to paint along the canal path by the Olympic authorities. You may remember that local artists (many well known, worldwide), had their work summarily scrubbed off. The replacement is also covered with anti-graffiti paint, so extra daubs not welcome ...
So, artists and future artists beware unless your art is "un messy", commissioned and controlled ... The whole point of graffiti is that it is an expression. Well, we'll just have to stay one step ahead ..
FRIENDS BRIDGE - thanks to an active local councillor - some repairs have finally been done to the perilous state of this bridge. If you don't recognise the name it's that red "Hot Lips" shaped one, with a design that doesn't allow you to see the water as you cross it. Some basic repairs have been done but a fuller assessment on further works needs to be carried out.
PRESS CLIPPINGS - This week's Hackney Gazette features an article and picture on SLM's views and Hackney Council's response on the North Pavilion Sports building and planned car park. Also a letter, from a local conservation volunteer on the plight of the Lea, who says that despite all, the Lea is in a better condition than it was but cites the Deephams Works as one of the chief causes of the pollution. Also there has been more national coverage of other rivers who the Environment Agency now say have suffered from the extreme weather ... Another cutting dating back to pre-Olympic times (www.Hackneycitizen.co.uk/
RIVER & REEDS - working on how to help the Lea become healthier - the "Love the Lea" project are looking for volunteers to help create and maintain reed beds. Anyone interested can contact SLM via email.
CAMPSITE & HORSES ON HACKNEY MARSHES - concern is still being discussed by SLM members about the state of the horses; buildings going up on the site. Visitor figures continue to be monitored and after a spurt upwards, a further decline. Correspondence has also been had with the LVRPA about the nature of the car parking.
COUNTRYSIDE LIVE/"DEAD" - this gruesome annual Waltham Forest/LVRPA event is taking place on 28-29 September. Evidently, in real keeping with the worst aspects of the countryside, we hear that The Countryside Alliance will have a stall. Any self-respecting "fox" scurrying around Leyton Marsh - should be prepared ...
MURAL on the Walthamstow underpass - the story so far is that last year SLM (then Save Leyton Marsh). suggested to the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority (LVRPA), that it use some of its Olympic "spoil" funding on a project involving children and young people's art The LVRPA responded but preferred to commission artists to collect ideas of children's art and translate them in a "less messy way" ... The latest is that one of the artists, who has collected some outstanding work from the young people, has resigned from the project after disagreement on the nature of the project and serious criticisms of the LVRPA's management style, lack of understanding of wild life and its principles; lack of community knowledge and spirit. A fuller description will appear on the SLM Blog page.
OLYMPIC ART - last week it was the green dye stunt - this week (see The Guardian 7.8.13), International Graffiti artists have been commissioned to paint along the canal path by the Olympic authorities. You may remember that local artists (many well known, worldwide), had their work summarily scrubbed off. The replacement is also covered with anti-graffiti paint, so extra daubs not welcome ...
So, artists and future artists beware unless your art is "un messy", commissioned and controlled ... The whole point of graffiti is that it is an expression. Well, we'll just have to stay one step ahead ..
FRIENDS BRIDGE - thanks to an active local councillor - some repairs have finally been done to the perilous state of this bridge. If you don't recognise the name it's that red "Hot Lips" shaped one, with a design that doesn't allow you to see the water as you cross it. Some basic repairs have been done but a fuller assessment on further works needs to be carried out.
PRESS CLIPPINGS - This week's Hackney Gazette features an article and picture on SLM's views and Hackney Council's response on the North Pavilion Sports building and planned car park. Also a letter, from a local conservation volunteer on the plight of the Lea, who says that despite all, the Lea is in a better condition than it was but cites the Deephams Works as one of the chief causes of the pollution. Also there has been more national coverage of other rivers who the Environment Agency now say have suffered from the extreme weather ... Another cutting dating back to pre-Olympic times (www.Hackneycitizen.co.uk/
RIVER & REEDS - working on how to help the Lea become healthier - the "Love the Lea" project are looking for volunteers to help create and maintain reed beds. Anyone interested can contact SLM via email.
CAMPSITE & HORSES ON HACKNEY MARSHES - concern is still being discussed by SLM members about the state of the horses; buildings going up on the site. Visitor figures continue to be monitored and after a spurt upwards, a further decline. Correspondence has also been had with the LVRPA about the nature of the car parking.
COUNTRYSIDE LIVE/"DEAD" - this gruesome annual Waltham Forest/LVRPA event is taking place on 28-29 September. Evidently, in real keeping with the worst aspects of the countryside, we hear that The Countryside Alliance will have a stall. Any self-respecting "fox" scurrying around Leyton Marsh - should be prepared ...
DATE OF NEXT MEETING - MONDAY AT 7.30 AT THE PRINCESS OF WALES PUB, LEA BRIDGE ROAD (outdoors if weather good) - new people welcome.
DATES FOR DIARY - 17 August (see website for details); 1 September for the "Walk on the Wildside" 1.30 on Leyton Marsh.
In Pseud's corner this week, is the project curator at the edge of the Olympic site (mentioned above): "We're trying to make a museum quality exhibition in a public space. But curating in a dynamic concept like Hackney Wick is never going to be easy". Oh really, "nuff" said.
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