News and Events

Open House London, London’s biggest architecture festival allowing for free access to many of the capital’s beautiful buildings, is taking place this weekend, and there’s plenty to see in East London too. Many of Bethnal Green’s historic and fascinating buildings will open their doors for tours, walks and talks, allowing everyone to learn a bit more about architecture and urban design for free. In a two-part series, we will showcase some of the amazing architecture that you can witness here in E2.

20 Winkley Street

From the outside, 20 Winkley Street looks like a traditional brick house, located just off the old Bethnal Green Road. But enter and you are greeted with a contemporary three storey open plan house so well hidden from public view. The lack of doors and walls, as well as the vast glazing means that the assuming little building contains a vast amount of space, scale and light.

Saturday 10am – 1pm

20 Winkley Street, E2 6PY, London

Boundary

Located just off Boundary Estate, Britain’s first ever council housing, the Boundary building is home to a number of restaurants, bedrooms and a bakery. The original building was converted in 2008 from its origins as a Victorian warehouse, yet preserved many of its attractive industrial features – from the double height basement to the sash windows that flood the bedrooms with light.

Saturday&Sunday 10am – 5pm

2-4 Boundary Street, E2 7DD, London

Four Corners

Four Corners is a unique arts organisation located on Roman Road. Its website boasts that it is “where filmmakers, photographers, artists, trainees and local people work together”. The building itself was renovated in 2007, so it now includes darkrooms, galleries, a garden and a beautiful environmentally friendly roof.

Saturday 10am – 5pm

121 Roman Road, E2 0QN, London

Lawdale Primary School Community House

Completed just recently, Lawdale Primary School’s Community House received an extension by Tower Hamlets Council. The patterned design and details make direct reference to the local area. The architect will be present to share their vision of the space, which is used by a number of schools nearby.

Saturday 10am – 1pm

Mansford Street, E2 6LS, London

Visit http://www.openhouselondon.org.uk/towerhamlets  to see all the buildings in Tower Hamlets taking part in the festival, as well as opening times.

-By Abdul Huson

Read Part 2 about places to visit in Bethnal Green

Sarah Beydoun is a full time volunteer and the secretary of Teesdale & Hollybush Tenants and Residents Association, a TRA that has transformed parts of the estate that were once the focal points for anti-social behaviour into award-wining community gardens.

Sarah’s involvement began with a sense that something needed to change. Led by Chairperson Margaret Cox, they decided to tackle the issue by bringing life back to neglected parts of the estate.

Starting with the community centre in 2008, they have renovated 13 disused sites with the help of corporate and local volunteers, creating a ‘mini Eden’ where local nature can thrive. The eve-catching sites include a children’s playground, a number of allotments and Tower Hamlet’s first orchard, Strawberry Fields. Creative in their use of resources, they keep sustainability at the heart of what they do – even some of the plants have been recycled from local park rangers or house clearances.

One of the year-on-year awards winning sites, Rocky Park, provides free plots to residents to encourage them to grow their own healthy produce. The original allotments were so popular they quickly had to expand to allow for more grow beds.

Sarah has seen the gardens have a big impact on her local community, proving not only a great opportunity to get to know the neighbours, but also stimulating a sense of ownership and pride in residents for their estate. The gardens have been recognised far and wide, with visits from the Prince of Wales and East End ‘royal’, Barbara Windsor.

This article can be found in the East2 Insider’s Guide to Bethnal Green Magazine 2015. – See more at: http://issuu.com/walkeast/docs/east_2_2015_issuu_2 

-By Helen Barstow

With a new school year just around the corner, we’re bringing you Bethnal Green’s very own back-to-school action plan on essential must-haves with the perfect go-to stores. Whether you need long-lasting, custom uniforms from Khalsa Schoolwear, a pair of sturdy, hardwearing shoes from Marc Jason’s Shoeworld, or a huge selection of colourful stationeries for those boring college notes from Newmans Stationery (who, as it so happens, have a great offer going; spend over £20 on stationery and you’ll get a free 4GB USB stick), you’ll find it all right here!

With all that we have to offer in Bethnal Green, rest assured school-goers will look adorably smart and be super organised for the school year to come!

Khalsa Schoolwear is on 388-390 Bethnal Green Road, E2 0AH

Marc Jason’s Shoeworld is on 356-358 Bethnal Green Road, E2 0AH

Newmans Stationery is on 324 Bethnal Green Road, E2 0AG

– By Khaleda Khatun

Take a Butcher’s down the old Frog ‘n’ Toad. See how it’s changed over the past century. Would you Adam ‘n’ Eve it?

Enough of the cockney rhyming slang, tell me about the history…

By the turn of the twentieth century the population of Bethnal Green numbered 130,000; today it has fallen to around 25,000. In his semi-fictional ‘A Child of the Jago’, Arthur Morrison depicts the real-life stench, violence and overcrowding in the Old Nichol rookery during late Victorian times. The Old Nichol was swept away through slum clearance, to be replaced by the world’s first council housing in the shape of Boundary Estate. Road widening, under an 1872 Act of Parliament, meant Bethnal Green Road became a main thoroughfare to the City.

The landscape may have changed, but what about the shops? The 1915 Post office Directory reveals Isambard’s Cycle at 145 Bethnal Green Road was a former purveyor of stewed eels; close neighbours included coffee rooms, a wardrobe dealer, milk can maker, surgeon, and birch broom seller alongside various cabinet makers, plumbers, confectioners, butchers, dentists, corset retailers and army clothiers. Many people needed many shops and coffee houses; the dense population of old Bethnal Green liked to sit and chat over a drink as much as the new.

Between Brick Lane and Shacklewell Street, there’s a well-preserved section of Bethnal Green road shops, set in mid-nineteenth century Italianate terrace. I take a look at what’s there today.

Retail emporia

Buy rare vinyl at Flashback Records. Turn your gaze to the exhibitions at artists-run gallery Espacio. Skilled with a needle? Visit the beautiful London Fabric Shop at 141, with its exotic selection of tweeds, cottons, silks and velvets. Owner Ciara Jennings is “excited about the new life being breathed into this stretch of road”.

A Victorian Cockney might not know what to make of all this change. But what’s clear, me old China, is that there’s still fun to be had… with a Score, Pony or Monkey in your pocket.

Isambard’s Cycles is on 145 Bethnal Green Road, E2 7DG

Espacio Gallery is on 159 Bethnal Green Rd,  E2 7DG

London Fabric Shop is on 141 Bethnal Green Road, E2 7DG

This article can be found in the East2 Insider’s Guide to Bethnal Green Magazine 2015. – See more at: http://issuu.com/walkeast/docs/east_2_2015_issuu_2 

– By Emma Coleman

On Saturday 22^nd August, Tower Hamlets residents are invited to a free family festival of a world of fantasy and fairytale! The ‘Happy Ever After’ family festival will transform Weavers Field Pocket Park with amazing street performances, mystical storytelling, exciting crown-making workshops and badly-behaved goblins, yummy spit-chicken and deliciously inviting banqueting tables.

Unique in its concept, this fairytale fantasy festival was cooked up by a dedicated group of young local people aged 16-25, who, with the help of professional festival producers at Kazzum, wanted to reignite the borough’s tradition of offering fantastic free family festivals. Kazzum, a Tower Hamlets based arts organization, provides opportunities for young people to access creative careers by offering training programs in Event Management and Outdoor Performance. So, for all arts and creative enthusiasts out there, get in touch with Kazzum and go take part!

Kazzum’s team of young festival producers thus humbly invites you all to come and enjoy their ‘Happy Ever After’. And we, at Oxford House, second this motion! What with their fantastic lineup of professional performances, workshops, music and food, we think it’s safe to say that missing this spectacular fairytale event would be a downright shame!

‘Happy Ever After’ Family Festival

Saturday 22^nd August          11am – 4pm

 Weavers Field, Derbyshire Street Pocket Park, Bethnal Green, London E2 6HG

 FREE FOR ALL!

– By Khaleda Khatun

To continue looking at the Kray Twins and their relationship to Bethnal Green we start again on Cheshire Street at the Carpenters Arms. This was the last pub that the twins owned and it was where Reggie Kray had a few drinks to settle his nerves before murdering Jack “the hat” in 1966. It was this murder that was the last straw before the Government decided the Krays were gaining too much power and influence in the East-End. A special Scotland Yard Team was assigned to the case and they managed to convict the twins for murder at the Old Bailey in March 1969. Today the Carpenters Arms is a friendly local but heritage of the twins remains as in the pub hangs a painting of the two local boys; Ronnie and Reggie.

After serving over 25 years in Broadmoor Prison Ronnie Kray died of a heart attack on the 17^th March 1995. His funeral was held at St Matthews Church in Bethnal Green. Thousands of spectators and mourners lined the streets to pay their respects. 20 years later, the story of the Kray Family and their relationship with Bethnal Green lives on, as some of the Kray family still remain in Bethnal Green to this day.

The Carpenters Arms is on 73 Cheshire Street, E2 6EG

St Matthews Church is on St Matthew’s Row, London E2 6DT

– By Jack Anderson

A few weeks ago, I was in the well-known Pellici’s Café in Bethnal Green during which Nevio (a member of the Pellici family that runs the café) was eager to show me the trailer for the upcoming film Legend. This was because his grade-II listed caff features in the trailer which you can watch via the link below. The film tells the story of the infamous identical twin gangsters; Ronald and Reginald Kray (both played by Tom Hardy) and their exploits which led them to become the most famous organised-crime bosses in the UK. Nevio also informed me that the Krays were genuinely regulars at the café and that they came almost every day.

The Kray Twins have strong links to Bethnal Green and first moved there in 1937 where they were brought up by their mother Violet Lee. During the Second World War the twins evacuated to Suffolk at which time the boys became accomplished at boxing after being trained by their elder brother Charles. Both the twins would later become professional boxers and regularly frequented the Repton Boxing Club on Cheshire Street. The famous Repton Boxing Club has recently been refurbished and is the oldest established boxing club in the UK. In the Club’s history it has produced champions on a national and international level and has an excellent reputation across the world.

Pellicci is on 332 Bethnal Green Road, E2 0AG

Repton Boxing Club is on Cheshire Street, Bethnal Green, E2 6EG

Legend is released on September 11^th 2015 in UK Cinemas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOlzq9ciFdo

– By Jack Anderson

Bethnal Green Businesses are set to play a big role in London Beer City Week 2015 which takes place from the 7^th-16^th of August. This is a week of celebrating the great beer that is available across London while offering opportunities such as food and beer pairing sessions, brewery tours, history walks and home-brewing sessions. Mother Kelly’s Taproom on Paradise Row will be one of the centrepoints of the week and will host the opening and closing parties. Mother Kelly’s is a fitting hub for the occasion as it has one of the best beer selections in London. Every day it has 20 different beers on tap as well as an amazing variety of bottled beers that can be drunk inside or taken away.

Later in the week on Saturday 15^th August, Redchurch Brewery will be launching their burgundy-barrel-aged farmhouse saison as well as their new farmhouse ale. There will also be live music and a barbeque available. Redchurch Brewery makes a distinctive range of craft beers as well as limited edition experimental beer in the railway arches of Poyser Street. Their taproom is open every week on Thursday and Friday from 6pm-12.30am and on Saturday from 12pm-12.30am and sometimes on other days of the week for music events.

Lastly as part of the week there will be the 3^rd London Craft Beer Festival held at Bethnal Green venue Oval Space between the 13^th and the 16^th of August. A ticket to the event includes a free beer from every stand (100+ beers in total), access to the various brewing teams, as well as a free souvenir glass.

Mother Kelly’s Taproom is on 251 Paradise Row, Bethnal Green, E2 9LE.

Redchurch Brewery Taproom is on 275-276 Poyser Street, London, E2 9RF

Oval Space is on 29-32 The Oval, London, E2 9DT.

For more information about London Beer City Week go to: http://www.londonbeercity.com/

On Saturday 2^nd August, York Hall will be hosting a massive vintage kilo sale with 5 tonnes of vintage up for grabs. The idea is that rather than paying for each item individually, you pay for the total weight of your items at a reasonable £15 per kilo which is equal to around 4 or 5 shirts or dresses. There will be a great variety of stock available; everything from denim, shorts, jackets and jumpers for both men and women. Doors open at 11am and close at 4pm and there is a small charge upon entry but it is advised to get down early so not to miss out on the best items. If you are a trader and want to come and shop for your business you can get in an hour early but you must email bookings@glassonionvintage.com and request your trade forms. For bargain and vintage lovers alike this event is not to be missed.

York Hall is on 5 Old Ford Road, Bethnal Green, E2 9PJ 

For more information go to http://www.judysvintagefair.co.uk/events/east-london-vintage-kilo-sale-august-2015/

– By Jack Anderson

‘London’ is the newest exhibition at Gallery 320, curated by photographer and gallery director Sean Pines. The collection, displayed at the delightful basement space located off Bethnal Green Road, comprises a broad selection of photographs taken by 20 artists from around the globe, each aspiring to capture the essence of London life.

The show is the result of a specific call out by the gallery for images portraying the capital, and with entries from Italy, Germany, Poland, and even the USA, the response has exceeded expectations. Visitors to the exhibition can expect to be taken on a journey, experiencing London through the lens of both local and international photographers.

“We were looking for images that reflect and celebrate the capital for an exhibition which captures London’s diversity” said Pines.

“London is a city of contrasts and contradictions and coupled with its fluidity and diversity makes it one of the most exciting and provocative cities in the world.” This message is undoubtedly captured in the collection exhibited, with photographs of a wide range of subjects and locations, from classic landmarks and architecture, to festivals and street scenes. Whether you’re a local or simply a visitor, you’re sure to see London in a new light.

‘London’ runs at Gallery 320 until 31^st July and is open Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm. For more details see Gallery 320 in the directory, or visit www.studio320.co.uk.

– By Bridget Cox

If you have a business in Bethnal Green you can have a profile on the website for absolutely free. This is because the Love Bethnal Green website is an initiative of Bethnal Green Business Forum which is supported by Tower Hamlets Council and Oxford House in Bethnal Green. The aim of the website is to provide much needed promotion to the area of Bethnal Green and offer weekly news about what is going on in the area.

If you would like to add your business to the website just follow these simple steps:-

1 Go onto lovebethnalgreen.com

2 Hover your mouse above ‘home’ at the top of the screen and then click ‘sign in’

3 Then enter your email address and name below where it says ‘sign up now’ and then click register. This should direct you back to the home page and you should now be signed in. A password will be sent to your email so that you can sign in and edit your profile in the future.

4 Now to make your profile of your business; click onto ‘Add a Listing’

5 Then fill in the details to do with your business leaving categories that aren’t applicable blank and also upload photos of your business for your profile. Photos need to be in the style of the business directory and no bigger than 1MB.

6 When you’re finished entering the details of your business click ‘review your listing’ and then if you’re happy with how your profile looks click ‘publish’.*

*Please note that your listing will be previewed and published if all details are correct.

The walk below the railway bridge in Bethnal Green is a grey and not really welcoming gateway  to bustling and bright Bethnal Green. We are sure that anybody who ever walked under that bridge (and had to avoid the droppings on the pavement) would agree that refurbishing and repainting the bridge with a bold ‘BETHNAL GREEN’ is a simple way to add a much needed repair and burst of colour and has worked wonders in Bruce Grove and The Cally.

If you would like to support initiatives like this one, make sure you  attend meetings of Bethnal Green Business Forum, more info  www.bgbusinessforum.org.uk

– Arpita Ashok