Polyvinyl

You know - the more flowers, fruit & veg we plant in Leabank Square - the less chance we get to see our lovely homes from across the canal.

That's why it is great that cyclists, ramblers, joggers, dog walkers - hell even joy-riders - sometimes take pics of Leabank Square from that side to show us what it looks like.

Thanks to http://www.flickr.com/photos/polyvinyl/2728573633/ for putting this great pic up on flickr for us all to see!!

Any more photographers out there - please let us know if you put any pics up anywhere - so the more lazy of us here in Leabank Square don't have to walk ALL THE WAY AROUND just to have a look!!

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!!

Who Manages Leabank Square?

Just who is in charge of managing Leabank Square?!

Does anyone know?!

This morning I had a meeting with some lovely people from Hackney Council in our flat (about the noise & dust in the Olympic Park) - and they were talking about putting up some of their own dust & noise monitoring gizmos in Leabank Square.

They were seeking permission from Family Mosaic to put the gizmos high up on some poles.

To me this sums up the poor management system in Leabank Square.

To be more accurate - the mismanagement!

Some of us know that they should have been talking to PMMS - but to be honest - that would get them nowhere! The fact that Leabank Square is managed by so many different management companies almost makes it un-manageable!! What Leabank Square needs is one accountable management company that knows exactly what is going on IN our square.

At the moment - none of the management companies are based anywhere near Leabank Square - and this remoteness means we suffer.

Take the entrance to Leabank Square - for example.

Many of us are very worried about our children having to walk out into the road because residents from the 2 front blocks are parking on the sidewalk.

The 2 blocks are managed by 2 separate management companies - neither of which come anywhere near Leabank Square - and don't communicate with each other.

You will not believe the amount of work that has gone into getting some kind of dialogue going in order for us to just find this information out. Now - we need to start getting the two management companies to start seeing the sidewalk problem as a common one. How long do you think that'll take?

And where do PMMS fit into all of this? What say do they have over the two management companies? Where does their jurisdiction end? What are we paying exorbitant Service Charge fees to them for? All we get for it is the lawn mowed & a few coke tins picked up.

So - if anyone has any answers, suggestions, hints, contacts, short cuts, history of dealings, any ideas - please lets start discussing them here (or on http://leabanksquare.lefora.com/2008/07/01/leabank-square-resident-consortium/) - the more we start talking about how our money is being spent - the sooner we start getting value for money!!

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!!

DigFood!!

We all love Victoria Park here in Leabank Square!!

Just a few metres down Berkshire Road & over the bridge & we have this amazing park to enjoy!! (see: http://leabanksquare.blogspot.com/2006/11/victoria-park-or-viccie-park-as-almost.html

http://leabanksquare.blogspot.com/2006/11/fishing-pond-in-viccie-park-is-now.html

http://leabanksquare.blogspot.com/2006/11/athletics-it-doesnt-matter-to-what.html

http://leabanksquare.blogspot.com/2006/11/did-you-know-that-there-are-5-full.html )

Now - I know that it is technically in Tower Hamlets Council - but all of us here in Hackney Wick feel as though it is OUR park as well!! Just because someone once drew a line on some map - doesn't mean that we in Leabank Square don't feel some LOVE for Viccie Park!?!

But there is potential to love Viccie Park EVEN more!!

As some of us are aware - there has been a load of consultation about what the future of Viccie Park is going to be. Tower Hamlets are trying to find out what local people think about this amazing park.

BUT........... some incredible people have come up with a great new idea!

You know how we all love to plant our own fruit & veg all over Leabank Square? Well - this could just happen within Viccie Park as well!

I'm not to sure if you know that the deers in the deer enclosure might be transferred to somewhere like Richmond Park, i.e. the remaining females can be put into a large, open herd in a large park or the grounds of a UK Stately Home. There they can graze & roam as nature intended - with thousands of square metres & hundreds more existing deers.

This leaves an incredibly fertile garden of land that Tower Hamlets need to think about using in a different way. Can you think of anything better than a large veggie garden?!

Imagine how well food will grow on soil that has been untouched by humans, & deers have been pooing all over for for decades?!

Plus - it is right next to the amazing Rose Garden already. On one of your weekend trips to Viccie Park - you could take a massive lungful of relaxed air in these neighbouring gardens & chill out before coming back to the Wick.

The only thing - Hackney Wick - is that Tower Hamlets have still not definitely decided that the garden should go in the deer enclosure. Based on all our growing here in Leabank Square - we would definitely go mad for a ground as fertile as this spot.

Having spoken to loads of you - I know that there is great interest in joining any voluntary group set up to do the gardening in Viccie Park - should they set one up. Please follow the link (http://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/templates/news/detail.cfm?newsid=9878) and let Tower Hamlets know how enthusiastic you are - and that if at all possible - could they site it in the deer enclosure.

Aaaaaaanyway - well done (again!) Tower Hamlets for this incredible new initiative - we - this side of your park - applaud you & whatever your end decision - hope that we can become loyal & committed partners - even if we are not technically Tower Hamlets citizens!!

PS: Last week - TimeOut magazine voted Viccie Park - the Best Park in London - & too right too!!

(see: http://www.timeout.com/london/features/5576/9.html)

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!!

Olympic Handball Stadium Consultation

Please can as many of us as possible come to this meeting at the Old Baths.

This Handball Stadium is going to be here as part of our legacy.

This means that we should all go & have a say about what we want it to be used for after the Olympic Games.

If we don't get some great ideas going to the Olympic suits like Mother & Toddler Groups, Community Workshops, Local Basketball Touraments, Tea Dances, Youth Theatre Groups, Keep Fit Classes, etc - we will end up having some dodgy evangelical church sucking their congregation dry of money again!

Please try your best to get down to the Hackney Wick Community Centre on Tuesday & make your voice heard.

Oh yes - the Olympic people have a habit of only letting you speak if you get given the microphone. Please say as much as you want - as loud as you want - with or without a microphone. They are pretending to consult YOU. So make sure that YOUR voice is heard.

This is OUR Community Centre - use it!!

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!!

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 see: http://www.spacestudios.org.uk/All_Content_Items/Collaborations/Hackney_Wick_Festival/

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!!

Mabley Green Boulder by John Frankland

John - if you're reading this........

......... what is this piece going to be called?

We all keep on having to say the Mabley Green Boulder (or the Shoreditch Park Boulder) - can you not give them a short, sharp, snappy name for us to use?!

Aaaaaaaaaaanyway.......

What was all that fuss about? (Read comments on: http://leabanksquare.blogspot.com/2008/06/hackney-wick-henge.html & http://leabanksquare.blogspot.com/2008/06/mabley-green-boulder-by-john-frankland.html)

We all LOVE the rock (sorry John - that's what we are calling the Mabley Green one 'til you give us a new name) loads!!!!!

It fits in perfectly in the Wick.

Thanks heaps for putting us on the artistic map!!

PS: Check out: http://www.buildering.net/node/160

http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=315787

PSS: I've just seen the kind of Outdoor Gym that adidas are going to build on Mabley Green. These pics are from their one in Mile End Park. Maybe this will make anyone that's still unsure about how Mabley Green will all look in a few months time - feel better about how it all fits together.

PSSS: Hey all you climbers, boulderers & clamberers!!! Please could you take a couple of minutes to fill out this Mabley Green survey for us - you could add as many climbing activities on your Wish List as you want. The survey will help Adidas & Hackney Council tailor the park to suit its users needs - rather than just take a stab at it! Thanks:

http://www.consultationfinder.com/hackney/consultation_Dtl.aspx?consult_Id=489&status=2&criteria=I

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!!

Karen

As many of you will be aware by now, Tom & Demi lost a wife & mother during the week.

I am sure we will all send them our warmest condolences & kindest thoughts in this very difficult time for them.

Tom asked to have a few flowers planted in her memory. She loved looking out over the canal from her balcony - and really seemed to enjoy the flowers all along our wharf.

Tom & Demi - Karen may be temporary away from you - but we can all say hi to her each time we pass her flowers.

You both only have to ask & we will all do anything to help.

OPEN Olympic Park Engagement Network

Now that’s a whole heap better!!

I had a meeting with Georgia Sharpe, Richard Rook, Christian Nevercaughtsurname & Yvonne Folkes (from Hackney Council) about the Freedom of Information requests we sent off about the data from the noise & air pollution monitors.

First of all – I must say that it was an absolutely amazing meeting. As it was informal – we could chat about a whole lot of things that 1 go on the microphone at a public meeting can’t address.

I found Richard a very genuine, honest & straight person to deal with – and although I’m sure he will be far too busy as the construction starts getting more intense – I hope to have the occasional meeting over the next 4 years.

Georgia & I have had our run-ins (as everyone who attended the residents meeting will know) – but – out of the office – out of a formal road-show meeting – she is absolutely lovely to meet with. I say this because I know that there is still resentment about meeting up with the PR dept – I genuinely think we could cut through all the spin & gloss with Georgia. Think about it.

It was also great having Yvonne there to support us. This was a last minute arrangement & I was so glad she came as she made sure that the Olympic view was seen through us Hackney residents eyes as well.

The main focus of the meeting was to discuss the data (my head was spinning after going through it all – good luck to all your Plane Stupid contacts) – but as they were in our flat – they could see & hear for themselves just what some of the residents have to go through.

As soon as the data becomes available – any minute now – I’ll put what’s relevant up here.

But – as we’ve said a million times over – this is the largest construction site in Europe – we are going to have noise – we are going to have dust – we are going to be inconvenienced – we are probably going to be upset – but after it’s all over – we are GOING to have the Olympics on our doorstep!!

The best action point to come out of this brilliant meeting – is that we are going to be able to get regular local information about what’s coming to the Arena Fields part of the Olympic Site.

This means that we should know about any developments - weeks before any major construction activities happen right across from Leabank Square. We have all moaned & shouted about how little & irrelevant information we are getting from the Olympics. Well – now Richard has set in motion a mechanism for getting this info.

Please tell me just exactly what kind of information you would like to hear about in advance.

What kind of construction activities would you be keen on knowing about well before they start?

I will take these things to the next meeting here in Leabank Square next Wednesday – and hopefully we will all be able to move forward in a new partnership with our new neighbours.

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!!

Cycle Lock-ups

Take a look at these amazing lock-ups for cycles!!

Aren't they just great?!

I am writing to Transport for London to see if there is any way for them to sponsor about twenty of these for us here in Leabank Square.

I know that the residents in the houses are lucky enough to have your gardens to lock your bikes up - but the majority us us that live in one of the blocks of flats have to struggle up the stairs to lock our bikes somewhere in our tiny rooms.

Sometimes we catch the walls with our tyres resulting in very dirty marks all the way up the stairs & along the corridor.

This is Hackney - one of the highest cycle boroughs in the UK. We are the closest estate to the Olympic site. We have amazing cyclists right here in Leabank Square - so I will try my damnedest to get at least a set of 4 lock-ups for each block of flats - so that we can pull our bikes out at a moments notice & get cycling!!

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!!