For the community-minded among you…

Have just received a couple of emails about local events… and thanks to Tired of London Tired of Life for this pic, which I sort of borrowed, hope that’s OK.

Those who oppose the 44 million pounds (sorry my pound sign is nowhere to be found on keyboard) may want to join Hackney Unites for just one pound a month. They have produced a tabloid newspaper which, if  you live on the east end of Graham Road, was delivered by yours truly, promoting the national demonstration against the cuts that will be taking place on 26 March.

As part of their contribution to making that event a success they will be holding a meeting from 7 to 8.30pm, on Tuesday 20 March in the basement room of Café Mostra (86 Stoke Newington High Street, N16 7PA).

Hackney Unites is also supporting an initiative to make Hackney into a recognised ‘Borough of Sanctuary’, welcoming those fleeing violence and persecution in their own countries.

Sign the petition online: http://www.cityofsanctuary.org/hackney/pledge

And for those who live or play around the Lea Valley Park, have a look at the Lea Valley Federation website at leavalleyfederation.org. They have just published details of new developments planned for the area, and will be holding a meeting on Tuesday night (March 15) at 7.30 at the Round Chapel Schoolroom, Powerscroft Road, E5 to discuss the future of the park.

The Bum

Congratulations are in order for TP Bennett’s Bezier apartments on the Old Street roundabout, which have come runner-up in the Carbuncle Cup, judged by members of Building Design.

Nicknamed the Bezier Bum, when you drive past you do wonder just how no one missed the fact that the apartments resemble an enormous bottom.

Gangs of Hackney

The other day I had one of those staring-out-the-car-window drives when East London seems to unfold like a one-shot movie. At the Cat and Mutton pub at Broadway Market two men stumbled into the sunshine, and one climbed into a waiting cab and passed out. The cabbie, realising he possibly wasn’t going to get paid by this bloke, asked his friend to settle the fare in advance. His friend opened his wallet, pulled out a thick wad of notes and flung a twenty in the general direction of the cabbie before staggering back to the bar and his next drink.

The next scene was further down the road, where fifteen or so young, hooded black kids were lined up on the low wall of an estate, listening intently to an older white bloke giving a rallying speech. His voice was raised, his arms were waving and he had their undivided attention. I don’t know East London’s gangs well enough to know which one this was, but I’ve been thinking about gangs a lot this week, since the shooting of sixteen-year-old Agnes Sina-Inakoju in a takeaway shop in Hoxton. This is a terrible way to die, and you can’t begin to imagine the effect on her family ­– her mother was quoted as saying ‘I wasn’t there for her’, but how could she predict such a thing would happen?

Have you been harassed in Hackney?

The Hackney Post reports that a 25-year-old by the name of Vicky Simister is launching an anti-harassment campaign in Hackney, after being ‘tailed by cars or having comments made about me, and I’ve even been assaulted a couple of times’.

She has spoken to Hackney Police about the issue, but has received a ‘mixed response’, saying many people seem to think it’s just part of life.

Her campaign website can be found here: http://www.lashcampaign.org

A builder in Hackney Road has been quoted as saying, ‘Some people need to lighten up’ but it will be interesting to see how much support the campaign gets – and it’s worth noting that builders have lifted their game in recent years, anyway, thanks to the Considerate Construction Scheme.

Personally I think she’s a brave woman – campaigns like these seem to bring all the misogynists out of from under their slimy rocks – and I hope it takes off.

The Big Read: World Book Day event at London Muslim Centre, Whitechapel

Tomorrow is World Book Day and there will be a lot of kids reading at London Muslim Centre.

The event is organised by IF Charity, and the aim is to break the Guinness Record for the largest number of people reading in one place. The current record is 3032 kids, and was set in Dubai in 2008.

The book of choice is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and there will be around 5,000 kids taking part – it’s at the London Muslim Centre in Whitechapel this Thursday from 9am to 9pm, and you know what that means afterwards…

Find out more on IF Charity’s website