'The Pleasaunce Post'

Farmer's Market Latest

The Council has provisionally agreed to a trial monthly farmer's market in the Pleasaunce and is now setting up meetings with the market operator to take things forward.

The main issue identified in our consultation with the Friends of East Greenwich Pleasaunce was parking for the stallholders' cars and vans. People didn't like the thought of such a small park being turned into a car park, albeit temporarily, especially when so many small children play freely around and about.

The Council and market operator are exploring the possiblity of using Halstow School playground as an alternative car park or even as a venue for the market itself. For while most FEGP members welcomed a farmer's market in the Pleasaunce, a significant minority objected to the commercialisation of a small, tranquil park that also serves as a naval cemetery.

Lizzie Cooper, the cafe operator, is keen to have a Christmas market, but nothing has been planned as yet. We'll keep you updated as and when we know anything.

Trafalgar Day Service of Remembrance

  

Saturday 24th October (tomorrow)

11am, East Greenwich Pleasaunce

Refreshments afterwards

All welcome

More details here

Farmer's Market latest...

by Matthew Wall, Chair, Friends of East Greenwich Pleasaunce

Local residents were delighted to find a Farmer's Market in the Pleasaunce last Saturday. Stalls selling locally-sourced breads, cheeses, vegetables and cakes, attracted many residents who had received flyers advertising the market as a 'weekly' event.

But unfortunately this week's market had to be cancelled. Here's why.

It turns out that the Council had not yet given permission to Pistachios in the Park, the Pleasaunce cafe operators, to host a farmer's market either weekly or even monthly. Pistachios, to use the vernacular, had been 'a bit previous' in their marketing.

The Friends of East Greenwich Pleasaunce committee was particularly unhappy that it had not been consulted about the Farmer's Market and, indeed, knew nothing about it. We made our feelings known both to the Council and Pistachios. The cafe operator has since apologised after attending a Friends committee meeting and has promised to improve communications from now on.

Whilst the Friends committee welcomes the idea of a Farmer's Market (either weekly or monthly), we know a number of residents are concerned about potential damage to the grass and the number of cars and vans that would be driving in and out of a park frequented by many children.

Halstow School in Halstow Road has been mooted as a potential car park for the stallholders or as an alternative venue for the Market itself. Negotiations with the Head, who seems quite receptive to the idea, are under way.

In a further twist, the Council has asked Pistachios to look into the possibility that a Farmer's Market in the Pleasaunce might breach a charter protecting Woolwich Market from competition within a six-mile radius.

The whole saga has certainly provoked a lively debate on The Greenwich Phantom's blog. But we would also really like to hear what you think.

Please post your views below or email pleasauncefriends@hotmail.co.uk

Now Hear This

 

(L-R Back row): Isabel Lilly (Stream), Boz Temple Morris (Holy Mountain) (L-R Front row): Sue Whitman (local resident of East Greenwich), Nick Rainsford MP, Charles Medhurst (local resident of East Greenwich)

by Frances Morgan, Stream Arts

Greenwich residents got the chance to have their say about the local issues they care about in a special arts event at the East Greenwich Pleasaunce on Saturday 21 September.

 

An informal café setting with a ‘menu’ of topics prompted an afternoon of one-to-one discussions about matters ranging from parking to the Olympics.

 

The event formed part of Now Hear This, a project by sound/radio artists Holy Mountain, commissioned by local media and arts organisation Stream as part of its Peninsula Voices strand.

 

Holy Mountain’s Boz Temple-Morris and Alistair McGregor spent the last few months collecting recorded despatches from residents, from which they devised the day’s menu. Rather than organise a public debate or forum, they chose to focus on the art of conversation, “allowing issues of importance to be considered in a fresh and interesting way,” says Boz.

 

It was a lively, well-attended day, with participants including Nick Rainsford MP, local Councillors and a representative of the local police. Helped along by good weather and a relaxed atmosphere, along with the warm welcome of the Friends of East Greenwich Pleasaunce, residents were keen to communicate with one another and make their voices heard.

 

All the day’s conversations were recorded, and Holy Mountain will be working with the material to create an original radio programme that will be broadcast in the next few months.

 

If you took part in the event and want to keep up to date with its progress, or if you want to find out more about Now Hear This and Stream’s other projects, check the Now Hear This and Stream websites for news and updates.

Glenn Tops Off A Perfect Day

Click on photos to enlarge and see 2009 Picnic photo album, right

 

   

Glenn Tilbrook, former frontman and songwriter for local pop band Squeeze, topped off a perfect afternoon at East Greenwich Pleasaunce's 'Arty Picnic in the Park' on 7th June.

Playing for the best part of an hour fuelled by our famous Pleasaunce Rum Punch, he entertained the appreciative crowd superbly with an acoustic set featuring many of his hit singles and a few covers.

For a finale Glenn, who was born in Woolwich and now lives in Charlton, led a group of volunteers in a rousing rendition of the Lou Reed song 'Perfect Day'.

 

Throughout an afternoon that stayed mercifully dry despite the bad forecast up to 600 people were entertained by a succession of live bands, including ...

...Crocodile Style...

...the Nostalgia Steel Band...

...and Los Dawsons.

 

As well as the wide selection of live music there was an Arty theme to this year's Picnic, organised by the Friends of East Greenwich Pleasaunce.

Award-winning artist and author Petr Horacek (pictured below left) led the children in creating a lively and colourful mural which has now been mounted on the side of the loo block as you enter the Pleasaunce from the Chevening Road entrance. Local artists were also invited to display their works throughout the park's dog-free zone.

 

 

Our thanks to everyone who helped make this such a special day, particularly Kate Powling our Events Director and Greenwich Council for their generous funding.

And thanks to Jake Whiley, Sue Gay, Steve Brain and Sean O'Flynn for the lovely photos.

Matthew Wall, Chair, Friends of East Greenwich Pleasaunce

Contacts

Following our AGM on 22 April 2009 the following executive officers were voted in:

Chair

Matthew Wall (mtpwall@o2.co.uk)

Treasurer 

Sue Gay (Sue_Gay@msn.com)

Secretary

Rob Whiley (r.a.whiley@qmul.ac.uk)

Events Director

Kate Powling (katepowling@hotmail.com)

Membership Secretary 

Laura Tear (laura.tear@o2.co.uk)  

Website Editor

Matthew Wall (mtpwall@o2.co.uk)

General Enquiries

pleasauncefriends@hotmail.co.uk

 

Announcing PARKSfest 2009!

 

PARKSfest is a fun programme of events in Greenwich's parks devised and run by Friends groups and local communities and funded by Greenwich Council. See below for a list of dates and venues. For more info please go to www.parksfest.org.

GPF Parksfest 2009

Summer Programme of Events

Date	Location	Time
Saturday 23rd May	Maryon Park	11-3pm
Sunday 7th June	East Greenwich Pleasaunce	12-4pm
Sunday 21st June	Eltham Parks South	3-4.30pm
Saturday June 27th	Shrewsbury Park  Open Day	12-4pm
Sunday 28th June	Eltham Parks South	3-4.30pm
Friday 3rd July	Hervey Road Sports Ground	6-8pm
Sunday 5th July	Eltham  Parks South	3-4.30pm
Sunday 12th July	Charlton Park	2-6pm
Friday July 17th	Shrewsbury Park  School in the Park Party	11.30-6pm
Saturday 18th July	Twinkle Park
Sunday 26th July	The Tarn	2-4pm
Sunday 26th July	Plumstead Common – Winn’ s Common	3-8pm
Sunday 23rd August	Eltham Parks South	2pm
Sunday 30th August	Well Hall Pleasaunce	12-6pm

Calling all artists young or old!

THE FRIENDS OF EAST GREENWICH PLEASAUNCE

CALLING ALL LOCAL ARTISTS!

We’re currently planning our Picnic in the Pleasaunce, now in it’s 4th year to be held on Sunday 7^th June 12-4pm

This year we have been successful with a grant from Greenwich Council’s Cultural Olympiad fund, so we are keen to put an Arty slant on the festivities.

In addition to our usual provision of free Live Music, we will be encouraging visitors to create Art in the Park – and we hope to showcase the work and skill of local Artists.

Local Artists are invited to come and display & sell their work (we have visions of a left-bank-Parisian kind of thing along the fence of the Dog Free Zone!) but obviously this is dependent on good weather.

In addition to this, we have also allocated a Marquee (6 metre x 6 metre) in which space will be allocated in advance.

There is no charge to take part, and if this is successful, it could become a regular part of the Annual Picnic.

For more information about the Friends group, East Greenwich Pleasaunce and the events we run, please see www.fegp.typepad.com

Space in the Marquee will be allocated by the Friends group, but priority will be given to Artists who get in touch early!

Please email pleasauncefriends@hotmail.co.uk

Notice of Annual General Meeting

The Friends of East Greenwich Pleasaunce warmly invite you to attend our

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

on

WEDNESDAY 22nd APRIL at 8pm

at

CHRIST CHURCH

TRAFALGAR ROAD

(NEXT TO THE FORUM)

 

As some of our Committee members have served for three years they will be standing down at this AGM, so we would really appreciate some new people coming forward either to take up one of the executive posts e.g. Secretary, or to join the Committee.

Friends groups like ours succeed or fail on the willingness of local people to get involved. I hope you agree that the Friends of East Greenwich Pleasaunce Committee has done a fantastic job so far in raising the profile of the Park, securing improved levels of  Council maintenance and support, and organising and running events that have proved massively popular with local residents.

We would like to build upon this success. But we need more residents to become involved - either in an official or unofficial capacity - and share your expertise and energy, particularly in the field of fundraising.

If you think you might be interested in standing for election to the Committee, or you just want to help out in some way, I would be grateful if you could email (mtpwall@o2.co.uk) or ring me (07941 315256) in advance of the AGM next week. Thanks very much.

We do hope you can make it.

Matthew Wall

Chair, Friends of East Greenwich Pleasaunce