Friday 15 August 2008

Hackney Wick Festival





We all know what creative people we have here in Leabank Square.

Some of the most musical, artistic, green fingered, sporty & delicious people in the world - live right here in Leabank Square!

Now is the time to start getting some of the more interesting ideas shared amongst the whole of Hackney Wick.

As you all know by now, the Hackney Wick festival is coming up on the 27th September!! We need to start thinking what Leabank Square is going to contribute to the whole festival.



  • We need great recipes for a brilliant barbie on the green?

  • We need fantastic volunteers who are great with kids & want to help them make crafty things on the green!

  • We need the artists to start hanging their pieces all around Leabank Square (or in Hackney Wick in general)!


  • We need gardeners to open up their gardens to show off to the rest of Hackney!

  • We need sporty types to organise races around the green!

  • We need face painters to get their make-up out & do brilliant animal designs on the whole of Hackney Wicks faces!

  • We need all your old (& new) junk for the Giant Yard Sale - please see if you can contribute a bit of your profits to compost.


  • We need marshals & Life-Savers on the Wharf for the Goodbye Bridge party!!
We need ......... loads more ideas to discuss what we can do on this amazing day?


Please start discussing any ideas - no matter how outrageous they may sound - anything you can contribute to the Festival will be amazing!!




Please feel free to add any comment about this blog entry! Simply click ‘comments’ below & you can tell us all what you think. You can use your own name, a pseudonym, be anonymous, or even join blogger yourself. The more we all discuss Leabank Square – the more we all feel part of it!!

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Can we please have a Yard Sale?! I think it will attract a lot of people from over in Trowbridge and Wick Village.

Once they are here, we can show off the garden and wharf.

Plus we could also ask everyone selling to contribute towards the garden too.

Mary

Anonymous said...

I really would love to have a proper 'Bye Bye Bridge' party to say a farewell to the footbridge over the canal.

I remeber using the bridge as a child when we used to go over from the playground at Gainsborough - into the playing field in Arena Fields.

It's a shame that the old thing is going, but we are getting the Olympics instead aren't we?

It would be lovely to have a good ol' send-off for her at the Festival!

I know it's cheeky sending this comment when I live over in Trowbridge, but I feel like a Leabanker now that your garden looks so inviting.

Rosie

Anonymous said...

Hey Sóna

Please could you do another newsletter with more details about the festival?

I know it costs you a lot of money to do the photocopying - but I can help you do the distribution around Hackney Wick. Sorry about the money - but I'm very skint right now.

Thanks you two!

Becca

Anonymous said...

Hello Sóna

How about a 'Pick 'n' Donate' scheme for the pumpkins, beans, peas and tomatoes?

People can grab a used supermarket bag, and tour the Square, pick as much as they want, and then give a donation towards the gardening kitty.

What do you think?

Sue

Anonymous said...

Hi Nadira

What about giving us a 'Food For Free' tour of the Lea River directly opposite please?!

You seem to be very knowledgeable about which plants are edible and which ones are good for cooking with, etc.

It would be so nice to be able to walk the dog & collect supper at the same time.

Please think about it?!

Mary

Anonymous said...

Hey Sóna

What about that rowing boat you & the kids are in whenever the suns out?

Could you not offer a ferry service to stranded ramblers & cyclists to & from the towpath?

They could offer a donation towards the next batch of charity shop handbag buying maybe?

Just a thought?

Pete

Anonymous said...

Hi you guys

What about that bouncy castle that Lisa hired for her daughters birthday party?

Do you know how much it was to hire? Maybe we could all club together & get it for a few hours?

Mary

Anonymous said...

Hiya,

Just wanted to know if any flyers or posters are being posted around for this event. I wouldnt have known anything about it if I didnt know you guys!

Im definitely going to do face painting so fingers crossed its a good day weather-wise!

Lucy

Leabank Square said...

Hi Lucy

Thanks a massive amount for doing the face painting!!

That - & the Yard Sale (which - let's face it - doesn't require too much organising) are the only 2 activities confirmed so far.

Lucy - the new Leabank Square newsletter is busy being photocopied as I write - and I will be dropping it thru everyones door tonight.

Hopefully - once everyone has read it - a lot more ideas will start coming through as well.

I agree about the weather!? Do you know anyone who has one of those sideless tents/gazebo thingies - that you might be able to pitch up - just in case the rain does come? But hopefully - you're going to need it to keep the fierce sunshine off all your customers faces!!

Oh yes......I know that I'm sending out the newsletter tonight - but if you bump into anyone else in the next few days - please tell them about it as well. The more people we get involved - the greater day we all have.

Once again - thanks for confirming! You'll see...... All those shy Leabankers will follow your excellent example & think of something to do very soon.

Sóna

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

Any news on the Bouncy Castle front?

I'm in 4 a tenner if anyone else wants to club in & share the cost?

But we need some people to sort of keep an eye on the kids to make sure there are not too many bumped heads. Maybe if some RESPONSIBLE adults take turns keeping watch?

Let me know.

Sue

Leabank Square said...

Hi Everyone!!

WOW!!!!

Loads of interest in the 1st Hackney Wick Festival - thanks to all the Leabankers who are keen on doing something!!

BUT!!! Special thanks to Fiona Feber at Space Studios for organising the entire Festival - if it were not for her - then there would not be one!!

I have taken all the chats about the weather on board. Look - this is Great Britain - not Australia - we are going to have rain!! If we don't - what a bonus - but we will - guaranteed!!!

So if we can all blag a gazebo from friends, neighbours, etc - that will make it a whole heap better.

* The Yard Sale looks like a winner - so please spread the word! Tell everyone you see in the next few weeks to start sorting out their wardrobes, cupboards & bookshelves. Any unwanted items can then be put on sale at the Yard Sale. There are 2 options: If you live on either terrace - you can simply put a table out in front of your front door & sell from there. If you live in a flat - then please call me to get the allocated space to set up.

* Bye Bye Bridge Party? Not too sure yet? I have not yet got hold of anyone who has actually used the bridge before - so if you know of anyone who remembers using the bridge at Gainsborough School - please put them in touch with me. There are journalists just waiting to interview them!!

* Pick & Donate - Well - there might be some beans & peas left over - but I think most of the pumpkins have been eaten (they were sooooooo delicious!!). But this morning I saw some new baby ones sprouting - so if we all STOP picking them - there might be some left to harvest at the Festival.

* Food For Free - Nadira says she will only know closer to the day if this is viable. At the moment - there are loads of plants all along the canal - but all it takes is one council strimmer or a bad storm - to wipe out the entire walk. Watch this space!

* Boat Rides - Sort of depends on the weather - and if we can get a couple more RESPONSIBLE adults to help me out. I don't mind doing it for a few hours - but there are a few other things I would love to do on the day - so I don't think I can promise this event for the entire day!

* Bouncy Castle - still haven't got hold of Lisa yet. As soon as I do I will let you all know how much it costs - and if we could all spread the cost - that looks like a certainty!

* Face Painting - As you can see - Lucy is the first person to put her name down for certain!! You're an absolute Bight Shinig Star Lucy!! Thanks!! So there is definetley going to be face painting! I have got hold of a great prize - so we could also have a 'who has the best face?' competition as well? What does everyone think?

So - there you have it - definetely Face Painting - and a Yard Sale!

There is a possibility of:
a Samosa Stall
a Mosaic Making workshop (please save up your broken china - just in case!)
a piano recital on the River Bank
a tea & scones stall

....... but none of these are confirmed just yet.

peace
Sóna

Leabank Square said...

Hi All!!

Just a few things to add:

* Since posting out the latest Leabank Square News - by far the most amount of enquiries concerning the Festival are to do with the Giant Yard Sale.

What I'm suggesting at the moment is that the terraced (houses) residents set up their stalls right outside their front door - and that the residents in the flats get an allocated plot of grass on the green. If we run out of space on the green - then we will use some empty car-parking spaces to do some stalls.

* Zoulla is asking Perez if he wouldn't mind ferrying cyclists & ramblers from the other side of the canal - to & from our riverside bank. I'm sure he & some mates will help out. But if there are any other residents who can swim (just in case - you see) who wouldn't mind helping them out - then please make yourself known!!

* On the Friday evening before the Saturday Festival - I will be putting up loads of signs all over Leabank Square, Hackney Wick & on the canal opposite - if there are any residents who can lend a hand - please get in touch 07535 054 997.

* So far - we have had quite a few objects for the World Tree (beautiful tree in the corner) donated. They reflect the cultural make-up of Leabank Square - and will impress all the visitors with our diversity & friendship.

If you have a piece of cultural art that you think reflects where YOUR roots are from - please bring them along to the Festival as well. But please note that these items will be permanently fixed to the tree - to age & weather along with the tree. Over the years we can add other emblems & symbols as we gain new neighbours. This tree will be a GREAT symbol itself of our very special LEABANK SQUARE!!

peace
Sóna

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

I might be able to get a Punch & Judy show for the Festival. A few of my mums mates have the setup - but haven't done it for a while & want to test run it to see if they still have the magic!

I'll let you know if I can confirm it OK?

Mary

Anonymous said...

I've not seen any comments about the Festival logo that's been designed so I'd just like to add my tuppence-worth and say; "I love it!" I don't know who did it but I think it's brilliant.

It makes me think of the old Bryant & May matchbox covers (which is probably the case as the factory was not far from here) but regardless of my suppositions it's excellent because it captures so much spirit in a simple but classic design. Well done that artist!

It represents the Wick as it is now, but also doffs its cap to the Wick's industrial heritage (you do know that Petroleum was invented here? And the world's first plastic?) Or maybe we shouldn't admit to these things, after all, some people might then blame Hackney Wick for Global warming!

Neil.

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

Have the organisers been back in touch with you yet?

It seems to have gone a bit quiet on the Festival front. Please let me know what else was discussed at their last meeting.

cheers
Pete

Anonymous said...

Hello Sóna

What the hell has happened to the stairs?!

I got back from work today to see that there are some steps missing!! Was that you repairing them, did someone go through them, did those jokers at PMMS do something?

The festival is only a few days away! Come on everyone, lets get them repaired sharply.

Did you see that the forecast for Saturday is LOOKING GOOD!!

Matt

Anonymous said...

Hi Sóna

what about asking Real if she can bring her tortoises out for a walkabout? You could cage in a few square metres on the green for them to have a munch.

The kids would love to meet them again!

Sue