Clapton Pond Blog

Millfields Park Consultation

The Council is seeking the views of local residents about improving the various bits of Millfields Park. They've money for upgrading the basketball courts and for planting and maintaining a new "community orchard", which sounds nice. What else would residents like them to do? The consultation starts on February 2nd and continues until March 26th. Full details here. Thanks to Claptonite for sending them my way.  

Millfields Park

That news machine Claptonite (claptonite@tiscali.co.uk) has sent me details of the Millfields Users' Group's Annual General Meeting, to be held on Monday 9th February at the Nye Bevan Community Hall in Overbury Street. There will elections to the committee for 2009/10 plus the launch of the consultation on the Millfields Master Plan. I'm sure I ought to know what that is but, to my shame, I don't. Can anyone bring me up to speed? There will also be an update on Olympics progress delivered by guest speaker Cllr Guy Nicholson, who is the cabinet member for regeneration and and 2012 Games. To find out more, contact the Group's secretary Brian Weller at brianandsueweller@hotmail.com or on 07980 64068, or write to Cllr Ian Rathbone at the Town Hall.

A F*c@i!g Conversation On The Bus

I got on the 38 at the Pond the other day, and this elderly lady got on two stops down. She immediately bollocked the driver. 

You fuckin' this, you fuckin' that. 

I didn't see her getting on, but from what I could tell she was unhappy that he hadn't pulled in close enough to the kerb, or that he'd set off before she was ready and steady, or maybe both. She took a seat half way back and tore off a few more strips. Fuckin' this, fuckin' that. Deep Caribbean. Then the driver spoke.

Demon, he said.

Fuckin' this, fuckin' that.

Demon. Every bit as Caribbean, coming low over the intercom. 

Fuckin' this, fuckin' that.

Demon. Perhaps he knew her, or something.

She got off opposite Kings Hall. 

"Might as well have walked," said a woman with a baby in a buggy. There was a lot of grinning between the other passengers and little conversation too. One thing was agreed: that was the step up to the bendys is quite high. The doors are good for buggies as is the dedicated space inside, but it can be quite hard to lift them on board without help. Are double deckers easier? Boris's "New Routemaster", I should point out, is pledged to be.

I got off in the Narroway as did another old lady, this one very frail. I gave her a hand down. Did she think that the replacements for the bendys would be easier for her? I didn't quite catch her reply, except for: "It's a beautiful world, and all they do is spoil it."

Whoever they are, I wish they'd stop.

Urban & Rural At Pages

A belated Happy New Year to my no doubt dwindling clique of readers. Hope you like my new, green look. This blog has made a slow start to 2009 for what can only be described as Guardian reasons: Boris has been keeping me particularly busy and while we're on the subject of the London Assembly, you might be interested by my recent audio interview with Dalston resident and Tory AM Andrew Boff, publisher of this local magaqzine. I intend to ensure that Clapton Pond Blog gets at least a little of my attention on most working days from now on, and my mind has been concentrated by news of the next event to be held at Pages Of Hackney. It's an exhibition of collage and print work by the artist Andrew Lane. Entitled Urban And Rural, it opens on Saturday at 3.00 and will run until January 30th. Support your local bookshop.