August Updates from GRH OYD
SUMMER GARDEN PARTY
‘One of the best yet,’ said various members of a family as they headed home following this year’s GRH Summer Party.
ENTERTAINMENT
Firm favourites have established themselves over the past few years. The Etcetera Morris Men are now more popular than ever with a light-hearted approach to Community Dancing. At the end of the afternoon cool jazz once again took over with local Honeysuckle Jazz Band now annual favourites at the Summer Parties. This year there was additional entertainment from magician Chris Whitelock who had excellent interaction with the audience particularly the young kids.
TICKETS
Regular analysis of ticket sales was interesting in that it showed most tickets are sold in the first two weeks they go on sale. GRH Residents, it seems, are not interested in buying their tickets in the last few days they are on sale.
THE RAFFLE
This, without doubt, was the best ever raffle with this year fifteen prizes being worth a total of more than £500. Top Prize was a meal voucher for £100 from Marcus Prize Winning Italian Restaurant. Also valued at £100 was an Italian Food Hamper donated by Barnfields Estate Agent.
Friend of GRH Su Pollard, who had returned just two days before from presenting her One Woman show on the cruise liner MV Aurora drew the winning tickets with plenty of jokes and comments. We were all thrilled that Cicely, whose 100th Birthday we featured in a previous Newsletter, came along with her family, bought tickets and won the hamper !
THE WEATHER
One of the main reasons for the success was the perfect Summer weather which had settled down to a relaxing 28 degrees after weeks of the heatwave with an exhausting 34+ degrees. Hopefully we’ll have similar weather next year.
THE SUMMER PARTY VENUE
We are hugely fortunate to be able to use the beautiful garden at Little Park and the GRH Committee therefore send our truly grateful thanks to Adrian and Anne .
FOOTBALL CLUB
WORTH BILLIONS
DEFEATED
The ‘Guardians of Whitewebbs’ Action group have won their High Court case against Spurs Football Club.
Following the Local Elections in May the Conservatives took over from the previous Labour administration. They immediately abandoned Labour’s support for Spurs to develop a Women & Girls Football Academy at Whitewebbs Park.
But now an even more significant step has been taken when local action group, ‘Guardians of Whitewebbs’ won their High Court case against Spurs. At the High Court the judge said that the Labour Council had deliberately concealed the expert opinion of a professional witness. The expert had cast doubt on claims being made by Spurs about the impact of the proposed training ground. The Court were given the impression that he did not disagree. In fact, he did disagree.
Local campaigners from Guardians of Whitewebbs say that they have defeated a, ‘Greedy Footbal Club’ whilst the Council are seeing it as a political victory.
Meanwhile:
· Spurs may still lodge an appeal.
· The Council is hoping to find an alternative site for the Women’s Academy
GRUBBY & NEGLECTED
BUT HAVE
THEY A FUTURE
They stand alone and ignored on Church Street near the Post Office. Years ago they were hugely popular and well used but for a long time their future has been unsure to say the least. But now it seems that Enfield’s four iconic red phone boxes may well have a future.
They went to auction on two occasions but failed to sell but now they find themselves at the centre of a campaign to secure their future.
When they were no longer used for their original purpose BT Openreach sold them to a local charity as part of a scheme designed to find new uses for telephone boxes rather than simply ignore them. Unfortunately the charity could not find groups interested in taking them on.
The Enfield Society originally considered whether it could take on the boxes but decided against doing so because of the potential liabilities and responsibilities that ownership would bring.
Instead the Society has been working with elected representatives to ensure that the boxes are safeguarded and not damaged.
LATEST NEWS
Earlier this month the Enfield Society started discussions with other Enfield groups. Enfield Town Action Team and Love Your Doorstep have expressed their support for the campaign to help the Council find a practical solution of how to look after the future of the phoneboxes.
The GRH Committee have also expressed their interest in supporting the campaign and GRH resident Sue Grayson Ford has agreed to be the GRH representative and report back to the Committee on progress being made.
This will then be reported in this newsletter.
We acknowledge that part of Enfield Town’s character belongs with these four phoneboxes and therefore we should all make sure that they have a future.
THE MILLENNIUM FOUNTAIN HAS A NEW LIFE
The twenty six year old Millennium Fountain (which is no longer a fountain) is looking healthy and attractive again with a beautiful display of Summer perennials.
Just a few steps away on the GRH Noticeboard is a newly written article about Wendy Taylor the creator of the original fountain and one of Britain’s most influential living artists. The article is beautifully written and is well worth a read when you are next strolling by the river.
The article tells us that working since the 1970s her work is displayed around the world. Nearer to home the work in heavy metal can be seen at St Catherine’s Dock, Holland Park and Regents’s Park Zoo.
There are more fascinating details about Wendy Taylor plus photographs of her work on the GRH noticeboard. The article concludes, ’We continue to care for the planting in and around the sundial’.
Recently, as the heatwave took hold, GRH residents were regularly seen with watering cans giving the plants a good soaking whilst surreptitiously looking out for Thames Water.
MY ENFIELD
PHOTOGRAPHIC
COMPETITION
The hugely wonderful ENFIELD SOCIETY is celebrating its 90th Anniversary this year and part of the celebrations include a Photographic Competition with the theme MY ENFIELD.
Entry is free and open to all residents including GRH plus anyone who works or studies in Enfield. Those under 18 need the consent of a parent or guardian.
You can submit up to three photographs that capture the places, people, buildings, landscapes and stories that make Enfield special.
There are cash prizes to be won and the top 12 shortlisted photos will be publicly displayed.
THE CLOSING DATE FOR ENTRIES IS OCTOBER 30 @ 6.00pm
For full entry details and rules please click here:
AS ALWAYS PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU HAVE:
Ideas on how to improve things
Stories you would like information on
Issues you would like to know about
Just write to us at the below address.
STAY IN TOUCH
EMAIL: grhresidents@live.com
WEBSITE: www.grhresidentsassociation.org
INSTAGRAM: @grhenfield
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/grhenfield