Wanstead Beer Festival back on 12 October

The second Wanstead Beer Festival (WBF) is set to take place at Christchurch on 12 October. It is hoped it will be even bigger and better than the inaugural event last autumn. More space, will mean more beers and hopefully increased numbers. Last year, the WBF proved so popular that tickets sold out a week early. So don't miss out this time. Tickets have now gone on sale - see:www.wansteafbeerfestival.co.uk. The larger event should also mean that more money can be raised for local charities. Last time, £3000 was distributed between Tin in a Bin and the Wanstead Charity. In terms of beers and ciders, it is hoped to bring in more different varieties from around the country, as well as having many of our excellent local breweries represented. A big vote of thanks was due last year for the support the WBF got from the breweries and local businesses. So on we go. But these are challenging times for the pub trade. The rises in cost of living have hit the hospitality industry hard. This has meant the price of food and drink rising. In Wanstead, the George has been a steady bulwark of the pub trade. Owned by Wetherspoons, the George has for many years provided food and drink at cheap affordable prices. A place for people to meet. But now it's future is under threat, with Wetherspoons looking to sell. The strength of support for the George is reflected in a petition opposing closure that has already gathered over 3,200 signatures. A letter has been sent to Chairman of Wetherspoons, Sir Tim Martin stressing how important the pub is to so many in the community. Hopefully, a positive response will be forthcoming. If the pub does close, though, then we need to look at alternatives for a reasonably priced pint and some food. A pop up or micro pub? People have to be able to get a pint somewhere for less than £7. The keen support for the WBF, as well as the George and other pubs over the years, suggests the potential customer base is there. The challenge now is how to make it happen?

Stability breeds success in football

The football managerial merry go round seems to be in full swing. Since the end of the season (18/5), David Moyes has left West Ham, being replaced by former Wolves manager, Julen Loptegui. Mauricio Pochettino has departed from Chelsea. He has been replaced by manager of promoted Leicester City, Enzo Marescu. Manager of relegated Burnley, Vincent Kompany has gone onto bigger and better things, taking charge at Bayern Munich. There will no doubt be more changes before the new season starts in August. Many of these changes, though, are difficult to understand. Over five seasons, Moyes has saved West Ham twice from relegation. The club finished sixth and seventh in the Premier League (PL). They have got into European competition for the past three seasons, winning the Europa Conference League in the season 2022/23. In the last season, West Ham got to the quarter final of the Europa League and finished ninth in the PL. Arguably, they would have done even better, if he had been financially backed and so much effort had not gone into undermining him. The new manager will expect better support and the financial backing that was notably lacking for Moyes Pochettino picked up a chaotic club, obsessed with buying success. He managed to achieve sixth place in the PL, qualifying for the Europa League next season. Chelsea also got to the final of the League Cup and the semi finals of the FA Cup - a good return by most people's estimates but not those who run Chelsea apparently. Kompany bucked the trend, seemingly elevated to a bigger club on the basis of getting a smaller one relegated. It is difficult to understand how the football business operates. The successful clubs are those who get a good manager and back them over a sustained period. Generally, constant change is a menu for failure. Moyes seems to have become a victim of social media. Several outlets seemed to devote themselves to getting him sacked. The pressure was relentless, whether this reflected supporters views is debatable. Supporters were said to not like the style of football.But this could prove to be a case of be careful what you wish for. Managers also seem to only be in partial control of the playing side of clubs. Most are overseen by directors of football, who are responsible for signing players and managers. The relationship between manager and the director of football needs to be harmonious. At West Ham it deteriorated to the extent that director of football, Tim Steidfen, was reportedly banned from the dressing room by manger, Moyes, in the latter stages of the season. It is also odd how clubs sign players seemingly independent of the team manager. The way some players who were out come in when a new manager arrives and via versa is surely testimony to the need for a predominant input from the guy working direct with the team. It is all very odd. Football seems to remain as popular as ever, yet the business model of so many seems doomed to failure. The club's that succeed in the long term are those who make the right choices and stick by them. Pep Guardiola at Manchester City and Jürgen Klopp at Liverpool are good examples in the present era. Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United over 20 odd years provides testimony from a past era. Arsenal had a similar approach with Arsene Wenger and now appear to be doing the same with Mikel Arteta. The other clubs need to look and learn from these examples, if they too want success.

Boys from the Blackstuff by James Graham (adapted from Alan Bleasdale's original drama)

National Theatre This excellent adaptation of Alan Bleasdale's 1980s epic drama has great resonance for the insecure working environment of today. The play about five men struggling to find work in Thatcher's 1980s Britain brings out the desperation of the time but not without a little humour. James Graham's skillful adaptation compacts what was a five-part serial TV drama into just two and a half hours. In the first half the scene is set moving from workplace to workplace, with the men, pursued by a particularly virulent benefits investigator (Jamie Peacock). The second half focuses more on the individual stories of the central characters. Barry Sloane playing Yosser Hughes dominates much of the plot, as ofcourse Bernard Hill did in the original drama. Sloane does a great job, playing the iconic role, made so famous by Hill. The slow unravelling and destruction of a character, who just wants better, but is continually thwarted by an unjust and unfair system. The famous "give us a job" line is liberally deployed, with Hughes making the request of literally everyone he meets, with the exception of the police who arrest him and the Catholic priest who hears his confession. The latter scene brings forth some of the bubbling humour of the production, when the priest says to call him Dan, not father, Hughes replies; "I'm desperate Dan." The character of George Malone is also central. Originally based on Alan Bleasdale's uncle, George (Philip Whitchurch) represents socialist values and community. The time before Thatcher. George's dying words are a cry to stand up for the working class. His funeral proves a highlight of the play, bringing the workers together. There are other excellent performances from Nathan McMullen as Chrissie, Jamie Peacock as the benefits inspector, Lauren O'Neill as Angie and a high pitched benefits clerk and Mark Womack as Dixie. Director Kate Wasserberg keeps the whole show moving quickly between tragic and lighter moments. The production skilfully avoids plumbing too far the depths of morbidity, which would have been an easy trap to fall into. The set designed by Amy Jane Cook nicely captures the atmosphere of working class Liverpool in the 1980s. The Mersey backdrop,with the ramshackle buildings to the fore. Set a year after the Toxteth riots, there is a montage of film from the time, including Thatcher, to help set the scene. This excellent production, that started life at the Royal Court in Liverpool, leaves the audience wanting more. Maybe a trilogy, made up of a dramatisation of the Ragged Trousered Philanthropist before and the gig economy of today after. This production certainly leaves the audience with plenty to reflect on and wanting more. * Boys from the Blackstuff runs till 8 June at the National Theatre, then transfers to the Garrick Theatre crom 13 June to 3 August

How effective are public inquiries?

How effective are public inquiries? There always seems to be a public inquiry into some scandal going on but how effective are they and what is achieved? At present, there are three major inquiries ongoing. The Infected Blood inquiry has just reported, providing a damning judgement on the treatment of people, who contracted HIV and hepatitis C as a result of receiving contaminated blood products during the 1970s and 80s. Some 30,000 people have been infected, with 2,900 already dead. Then, there is the ongoing inquiry into the Post Office, looking at the implementation of the failings of the Horizon IT system. Described as the biggest miscarriage of justice in British history, the malfunctions saw innocent postmasters and post mistresses sent to jail. Some committed suicide. Finally, there is the Grenfell Inquiry, begun in 2017, following the terrible fire that led to the deaths of 72 people. The first phase of this inquiry reported in October 2019, with 15 recommendations, 11 of which are said to be implemented so far. The government has brought in the Building Safety Act. There have, though, yet to be any prosecutions. The final report on Grenfell is due in September. What is for sure is that public inquiries take time and cost a lot of money. The Infected Blood and Grenfell inquiries began in 2017. The Post Office inquiry began in 2020. The inquiry, though, follows a court case ruling in favour of the sub-postmasters and mistresses. The whole scandal goes back more than 25 years. Another important element with the Post Office inquiry has been the explosive effect of ITV's drama at the start of the year, Mr Bates versus the Post Office. The drama really brought public pressure on government to act, which it has, quashing convictions and awarding compensation. The response to the drama also helped give greater news value to Sir Wyn Williams inquiry. On the positives, public inquiries do get to the truth of what has happened, give victims a say and bring some accountability. There can also be policy change. On the downside, they take a long time, the recommendations are not always implemented in full and prosecutions get delayed. So the public inquiry very much has it's pros and cons. What is for sure is that the many inquiries that have taken place over recent years have exposed a lot of reckless behaviour from public bodies, causing untold suffering to many people. It must be hoped that the public inquiries together with other arenas of justice help avoid such injustices recurring in the future.