George shuts day after successful Wanstead Beer Festival - what next?

So the George pub in Wanstead closed it's doors, as a Wetherspoons pub on the day after a successful second Wanstead Beer Festival. The Wetherspoons George closed on Sunday 13 October, amidst many emotional farewells and memories recalled. So it is goodbye to the George but hello to the George and Dragon. The new owners, Urban Pubs and Bars (UPB), have restored the original 18th century name to the pub. The UPB group run a number of successful pubs across London. The main concern, though, with the loss of the George under Wetherspoons stewardship is price. In these difficult financial times, the George has always offered reasonably priced food and drink. It has been a place that anyone can go to, across the generations. Sometimes, just a place to keep warm, have a drink and a bit of company. It is the loss of this facility, a positive community asset, that has concerned people most. Wanstead has to be a place catering for all tastes and those coming in from outside. The worry over recent times is that a lot of people are being priced off the high street - due to escalating costs. At the same time, many businesses, especially in the hospitality sector, are struggling to survive These concerns were reflected in the campaign to save the George. Many people working hard over the months, collecting signatures on the petition and contacting Wetherspoons directly. So thank you to all those people for their great work. Leyton and Wanstead MP, Calvin Bailey, has also been very supportive of the campaign, writing to chair of Wetherspoons, Sir Tim Martin. Wetherspoons for their part could have engaged more with local people. The staff at the George have been brilliant but getting information out of Wetherspoons head office has at times been a bit like getting blood from stones. Though, it did markedly improve over the last couple of months. To be fair, though, Wetherspoons are a business, not a social service and their main concern must be the bottom line. Moving forward, it has to be hoped that UPB take the pub forward in the true spirit of the George - a pub of the people for the people. Though, other options should also be considered, like maybe a micro or pop up pub? The appetite for reasonably priced beer and food was very much on display at the Wanstead Beer Festival. The organisers promised bigger and better and that is exactly what people got. A variety of beers from across the country plus West Country ciders. All for less than £5 a pint. The new gin bar also went down well. By the end of the day, almost everything had sold out, with only the dregs left..better than anyone expected. Christchurch provided the food - excellent burgers and hotdogs. So an excellent day all round, well supported by local businesses, who sponsored the beer festival and provided raffle prizes. Funds raised will go to the two nominated charities, Chaos and Reach Out. The amount raised for charity will be publicised in due course. So, now it is onto the next beer festival, the bar is rising but the appetite is clearly there for reasonably priced food and drink. Let's hope the next beer festival and other local pubs continue to deliver - including the new George and Dragon.

Believe nothing until it is officially denied

by Patrick Cockburn Journalist, Patrick Cockburn, provides a great insight into the world of his legendary journalistic father Claud. The title of the book, Believe Nothing Until It's Officially Denied, a phrase, credited to Claud, has become the mantra for journalists the world over. Claud Cockburn was the son of a foreign office diplomat, went to Berkhamsted school in Hertfordshire, then onto Oxford University, where he was close friends with novelist Graham Greene. He was also related to Evelyn Waugh. But that is about where the conventional establishment formation ends. Claud and Greene travelled in the Europe of the inter-war years, seeing much devastation and importantly the rise of fascism. Claud became a reporter for the Times in Europe, then America. He was highly valued by the then Times editor, Geoffrey Dawson, and the management. But in 1932, he struck out on his own, creating a shoestring operation, The Week magazine - a kind of newsletter, breaking news not seen anywhere else. It was small circulation but with excellent inside sources, essential reading, particularly in relation to what was happening in Europe, with the rise of the Nazis in Germany and the Spanish civil war. Claud reported directly via his own eye witness accounts and connections. His wide range of contacts ensured important insights. Claud joined the Communist Party and reported for the Daily Worker for many years. He was a communist for the rest of his life. One of the important Claud exposes was how media and politicians in Britain and beyond were colluding in the appeasement policy towards Hitler. He exposed the role of the Cliveden set, around the Astor family, which by the 1930s owned the Times and much of the media, in helping foster support for appeasement. Government policy at the time (1930s) was not to offend the Nazi regime. Also, at the time, the editor of the Times, constantly altered reports, so they were not overly critical of Hitler. Claud's form of guerilla journalism involved using all weapons at his disposal to expose what was going on and the approaching catastrophe. He seemed to attract opprobrium from all sides. MI5 were constantly monitoring his activities, yet he also managed to annoy Stalin and Kremlin chiefs. Maybe confirmation that he was getting it right in journalistic balance terms. Author Patrick Cockburn obviously has a ringside seat regarding his father's life. An excellent journalist himself, Patrick, provides a most insightful commentary. In pulling things together, he highlights how The Week was a unique instrument for the 1930s. Once , in many ways, Claud had revealed the truth, the role of The Week ceased. However, post war, guerilla journalism continued in other forms. Claud played a big role in the creation and success of Private Eye. He also worked for Punch in the 1950s, when it became more rebellious under Malcolm Muggeridge's editorship. There were columns and commentary across the international media. Patrick Cockburn summarises how journalism in the 1960s and 70s was less restricted, more doing the job of bringing accountability to the ruling cliques. However, most of the time, the mass of media are just a PR extension of government and capital. Never has this been more so than today, particularly in the reporting of conflicts like Gaza and Ukraine. Indeed, author Patrick suggests that Claud's guerilla style journalism is needed as much today as in the 1930s. And we are beginning to see it via the likes of Novara Media, the Canary and ofcourse the Morning Star. Publications like Private Eye play a part, as do individual journalists embedded in the mainstream media. One interesting quote from Claud on the need to speak truth to power was that truth needs to be spoken to the powerless, in order that they maybe empowered to act. Patrick Cockburn has produced a fascinating book about his father's life, with some excellent insights relevant to journalism today. A great read for all but a compulsory text for any aspiring journalists out there. Published by Verso £30

Learn the lessons of history from the smugglers of the 18th century to the drugs dealers of today

Smuggling was big business back in the 18th century. "Watch the wall my darling, as the gentlemen go by," is a line from a Rudyard Kipling poem on the subject. The areas along the south coast, including Rye and Winchelsea in Sussex, were hubs of smuggling activity. The contraband goods being brought in from the sea, then distributed down a network of lanes for people to consume or sell on. Some of the smuggled goods would finish up in London. The trade was controlled by gangs. One of the most notorious was the Hawkhurst gang, which used the Mermaid Inn in Rye as a base. There are still plenty of memories of those days at the Mermaid today, with a picture of Arthur Gray, the head of the gang ( executed in 1748) on the wall. There are also many reported haunting experiences at the Mermaid! An excellent novel on the smugglers and much else is Winchelsea by Alex Preston. The whole smuggling business has now been romanticised in folklore. But the reality is that it was a brutal business, controlled by very violent men. Once crossed life became problematic. Removing people's tongues was a not unusual punishment for those who spoke out of turn. The smuggling episode has many parallels with today, not least what happens when something is banned or in the case of the 18th century, heavily taxed. Once the government removed the taxes, the smuggling trade shrunk to virtually nothing. In the early part of last century prohibition in America saw alcohol banned. The illicit trade boomed, overseen by organised crime. Banning alcohol did not stop people drinking, it just drove it underground into the hands of criminals. It helped build organised crime, that moved onto other things. Similarly, today there is the drug trade. Most drugs ( excepting alcohol and tobacco) are banned. The result, the trade is controlled by crime gangs. The prisons are full of those involved in the trade, as well as addicts. Huge amounts of police time and resources are devoted to drug related crime. Many criminals steal to feed their drug habit. Surely, some legalisation and regulation of drugs (especially milder forms) would make sense. It would cut crime and boost the exchequer. Unfortunately, society seems slow to learn the lessons of history. The moves to ban cigarettes, whilst at one level seems laudable, in terms of health etc, at another, they threaten to grow an already substantial trade in smuggling. Banning drives things underground, it doesn't solve the problem. We really do need to learn the lessons of history on these matters. Look to legalise and regulate, rather than ban. In the end it will be better all round - cutting crime, improving health and releasing resources for other things.

Thank you to the Mercy Sisters

The Mercy sisters have left Wanstead, after more than 100 years. The Mercy Sisters ran St Joseph's school and the Convent on Cambridge Park, close to Our Lady of Lourdes Church. The school closed four years ago. Many the Wanstead child that has started their early school years at St Joseph's. A number returned for the recent final goodbye mass and reception for the Mercy sisters. The Mercy Sisters have been a constant in the community, providing educational and pastoral care, as well as encouraging people to look to wider horizons. Back in the late 1980s and 90s, there was a group formed at Our Lady of Lourdes called the Association for Relief in Crisis Areas (ARICA). The idea was to raise funds to support projects in the developing world (as called then) and increase awareness of the injustices that made so many people poor. A very rich world, where the vast majority were poor. Part of the latter work involved showing films in the Convent, like Cry Freedom and John Pilger's documentaries, and having discussions afterwards. On one occasion, the then MP for Wanstead and Woodford and later champion of the Postmasters and Mistresses, James Arbuthnot, was invited to attend to answer questions. Two of the first projects supported by ARICA were in Peru, on a poor barrier on the outskirts of Lima. The funds were used to bring water and electricity to the area. Two of us went out to see the work at first hand, staying in the Convent with Sisters Brendan and Agnes. There was also Sister Millie, a legendary nun, who drove her small car through what were then war torn Barrios. It was an important project that had far reaching consequences for the communities in Wanstead and Peru. ARICA eventually packed up. The Mercy's continued with their great work at home and abroad. A more recent project saw a centre established in Kings Cross helping sex workers. Women at the Well was established over a decade ago by Sister Lynda Dearlove, as a safe house for sex. workers. Sister Lynda came along for the goodbye mass, celebrated by Bishop of Brentwood, Alan Williams, at Our Lady of Lourdes recently. The order has never flinched from helping and walking alongside the most desperate in society. So it's goodbye to Wanstead from the Sisters of Mercy but good luck for all the great work they continue to do around the world.

Walk around the beer festival

The Wanstead Beer Festival (WBF) will be bigger this year, with more beers and a gin bar. The 40+ beers and ciders are drawn from across the UK, with Essex based breweries Brentwood, Elephant and Billericay all being well represented. Brentwood's popular Pride of Prague, brewed to mark West Ham's European Conference Cup victory last year, will once again be available. Get in quick, as this one sold out last time. Another Essex based brewery is Mighty Oak, which brings it's champion beer, Captain Bob - always popular and goes quickly. The popular Sussex brewery, Listers, makes a return, bringing it's best bitter. A new one from Listers is their premium bitter, Special Ale. Harveys of Lewes will again be represented, with Best Bitter and a new surprise beer. Gloucester brewery, Goffs, makes a first time appearance, with the all American hopped Cheltenham Gold. Closer to home is West London based Portobello, who bring Markets Porter and Central Line Red - hopefully they'll be on time. The WBF prides itself on its local ethos. So east London breweries like Redemption, Beerblefish, Neckstamper, East London Brewery and Pretty Decent are all prominent, particularly amongst the keg beers. There will also be a variety of ciders available. Devon based, Farmer Jim's will be providing the popular Rhubarb Bob. There will also be a Farmyard Perrie on offer. New, this year is the English gin bar. There will be gins from Essex, Sussex and east London. Wine prosecco and soft drinks will again be available. Christchurch will be doing the food. So plenty to look forward to at the second WBF. More people, more beers and gin - what's not to like. Roll on the 12th October - 1 pm kick off. Tickets selling fast, for the link, see: www.wansteadbeerfestival.co.uk

Impact of crime

Crime has a terrible impact on people's lives. Recently, a young woman and child came out of church to see their car had gone . The lady was very upset, in a state of shock. She rang the police to report the crime. The church was very supportive but that did not change the violation that had taken place. The disappearance of the car and the lady's reaction reminded me of my own experiences as a victim of crime. The first reaction always seems to be one of disbelief and denial. When burgled a few years ago, I remember looking at the empty space where the TV had been wondering why my brother, who lived there at the time, would have taken the TV to my parents. Slowly I realised we'd been burgled. Again, that sense of violation. Someone had been in your space. A more detached but similar reaction happened when the lady"s car was taken. The day before, there had been a street party in the road, everyone relaxed, enjoying themselves. No cars. Kids out playing football in the street - a safe comfortable space. Then. less than 12 hours later the theft in the same road. Crime breeds mistrust between people. Rather than reacting generously towards our fellow human beings, suspicion creeps in. Crime has always been around. Wanstead is a relatively low crime area. There have been a number of incidents recently, theft from shops on the high street, stealing of cars and some muggings. The police have been alerted. They will take action, just so long as crimes are reported. If they are not reported, how will the police know there is crime going on in the area? The police, though, are only part of the answer to crime. They are essentially social refuse collectors, picking up the pieces. Ofcourse, if the perpetrators are more likely to get caught, then this acts as a deterrent - it is though only part of the answer. Also, in the police's defence, the service has been run down in the past 14 years, with a lack of resourcing. This has come at a time of growing demands on the police. What also needs addressing is the inequalities in society. Criminals target wealthy areas and this is a wealthy area, compared to many. The cost of living crisis has pushed many to the brink, some will be stealing to survive. Others ofcourse are part of organised crime. There was a report recently about shoplifting to order - operations stealing for other businesses. So crime is very much a multi-faceted thing. There are a myriad of approaches needed to address the problem. More resources for the police, a genuine closing of the inequality gap and help for those struggling most. Also, support for the family and community cohesion. But as individuals we can also help by reaching out to those effected. Offer support, when needed. This can be in person or on social media. Less helpful is people hyping crime on social media, so fostering an atmosphere of fear and anxiety. We can all do something to address these problems, so try to reach out and help, whenever possible.

Tamzin Outhwaite excels in Abigail's Party

An excellent new production of Mike Leigh's Abigail's Party, stars Tamzin Outhwaite, who lights up the stage throughout this excellent performance at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East. Set and costume designer, Peter McKintosh's static set, encapsulates 1970s middle class living. The flock wall paper, record player and cheese and pineapple on cocktail sticks. Outhwaite dominates, playing Beverly, who was so memorably portrayed in the original stage and TV productions by Alison Steadman. Outhwaite's version is a more stylish lythe characterisation, gracefully sweeping around the set. One minute flirting, the next chastising. But always seeming not far from meltdown The play opens with Outhwaite dancing on the couch in a scene that could make the audience think they'd arrived at the wrong venue, maybe Abba Voyage, at the arena down the road? Outhwaite though retains much of Steadman's trademark rhetoric, with the drawn out act-u-ally, a feature of many sentences. The play is hilarious but also has darker undertones. The scene of two married couples so clearly unsuited is of less shock value now than it was in 1977, when the play was first performed. Relationships of accomodation, kept together by economic and social restraint. Characters like Tony (Omar Malik), with his monosyllabic responses to almost every question, have a hint of coercive control. Yet, nurse Angie (Ashna Rabheru) comes more into her own as the plot unfolds. Then there is the combustible relationship between Beverly and Lawrence (Kevin Bishop). Aggressive dislike, then final regret. The depiction of Sue (Pandora Colin) ,the mother of Abigail, who is never seen but around whose party the plot revolves, is different to the original play where the actor was taller. Much was made then of awkwardness in the size difference with Lawrence in the dance scene. Though, in this version despite the height similarities another type of awkwardness is conveyed. Director Nadia Fall does a great job with this adaptation of Mike Leigh's play, keeping true to the original, yet bringing a twist more towards the modern day. Outhwaite, though, excels, dominating the set with a great energy and poise. She is well supported by the other cast members, who hold true to the original storyline. An excellent production that is well worth seeing. Runs till 12 October