We hope you have been finding our tips on stuff to do at home useful during these unusual times. In this latest instalment we bring you news about this year’s Hanwell Hootie, the very last call for nominations for the Ealing Sports Awards, some new free online exercise classes and music lessons.
Thanks to those of you who have sent in your own links to activities you are providing. Please keep them coming and we’ll get in as many as we can.
The Hootie at home
Sadly, like many other cultural events across the country, the Hanwell Hootie has had to cancel what was going to be their biggest event so far on 9 May. All is not lost though. Coming to a screen near you is the Hanwell Hootie Isolation Festival.
Live streaming some of the bands that were due to perform outside, you can tune into the festival’s Facebook page at 4pm on the original date to see them play. Keep an eye on their social media pages for a schedule too.
During the festival, the organisers will be accepting voluntary donations by text and online. Half will go to the bands and the other half to the event organisers. Both would be immensely grateful for anything you can give.
Final call for Ealing Sports Awards nominations
We’re encouraging people to stay active during social isolation and this is also a great opportunity to recognise local athletes from the past year, through the 2020 Ealing Sports Awards. There are categories for amazing local athletes, volunteers, coaches and sports clubs.
So please tell us if you think you know a club or individual deserving of any of the following categories:
- Junior club of the year
- Sports club of the year
- Coach of the year
- Adult volunteer of the year
- Junior volunteer of the year
- Outstanding contribution to sport award
- Inclusive and active award
- Junior sports person of the year
- Adult sports person of the year
Nominations for the 2020 Ealing Sports Awards close soon, at 12noon on Friday 1 May 2020, so if you haven’t already done so, please visit Everyone Active for full details.
Better exercise
Better, the council’s leisure provider, has been helping to keep us active inside and is now offering free online exercise classes for everyone, member or not.
Whatever your level there are routines for you, from introductory classes to more advanced sessions. Just click onto the Better website’s offer page and follow the instructions.
One primary school’s heart-warming message
Staff at West Acton Primary School used their artistic skills earlier this month to send out a positive message of solidarity to the community as they all faced the coronavirus emergency together.
The chalk-drawn mural in their front playground said: ‘Joining our hands and hearts with the world’. The creative team also produced a video to show how everyone involved in the school, and the community, was staying together by staying apart. You can watch, and have your heart-strings pulled, by viewing the video at the top of their video webpage.
Inside libraries
To share their activities, Ealing’s libraries have recently created a YouTube page for residents and beyond. There will be video content from staff and the wider library community. Currently you can find author talks and contributions from our local historian Dr Jonathan Oates. Keep an eye out for some bounce and rhyme content coming soon.
Remember that our libraries offer many other online resources for you to explore too.
If you are aware of anyone who is currently isolated at home, maybe they could benefit from our home library service. Just contact the team by calling 020 8825 6550 or emailing HomeLibrary@ealing.gov.uk.
To ensure you stay up to date with what is going on in libraries follow us on Twitter as well as our new blog page.
Northfields Community Library has put together a selection of activities too. Rhymetime for Babies and Toddlers had its first get-together, called Singing with Gilbert, last week and you and your little ones can now join in every Tuesday and Thursday. Those sessions are delivered over Zoom.
To get involved, send an email to getintouch@northfieldscommunitylibrary.org.uk and title your email Singing with Gilbert. Storytime sessions for younger children will be coming soon. The library team’s Facebook page will have details of more activities as they come.
Music lessons with Cadenza’s classes
Adapting harmoniously into the Zoomosphere, Cadenza’s music lessons, which used to be run in Ealing Town Hall, can now be found online every Wednesday and Friday. For anyone new to the group and wanting to give it a try, there’s a free lesson available to see if it’s right for you. Email Helen, who runs the classes, at helen@cadenzaclasses.com and just mention the word ‘HOOP’ for your free lesson.
More details can be found at www.cadenzaclasses.com
And finally…
Eric Cantona was in the locale earlier this year to further his diverse acting career. For those who weren’t aware already, Liam Gallagher invited him to Gunnersbury House to film a new video for his track Once.
The striking white walls of the mansion have the air of John Lennon’s house where the original footage for his legendary song “Imagine” was filmed. It’s pretty well-known that all things Beatles-related have a big influence over Mr Gallagher. Perhaps Liam saw the Frenchman’s home video post of him singing that very song just a few weeks earlier…
Seen any other useful places for people to check out?
If you have spotted other examples of local ‘virtual culture’, or have created your own, why not send it to us and we might include the best stuff in future updates. Email them to ealinghomeactivities@gmail.com
