Meotra Winter Newsletter December 2021

Our latest newsletter dropped through letterboxes 2-3 weeks ago and I hope you managed have a read and find something of interest. If you didn't get a copy through your door then please let us know by email, but here is an online copy of it in any case.

The 8-page newsletter included articles about Liveable Streets, School Streets, a MEOTRA project aimed at rewilding the Holy Trinity churchyard, an opportunity for you to feedback on Tredegar Square Gardens and several other features. Please do take a look and let us know what you think.

Since the newsletter was distributed we have of course had our Carols in the Square. Many thanks to Vivien and Alice for ensuring we had plenty of mulled wine and mince pies and to the Meotra committee for all their efforts. The event was quite well attended, especially considering the state of our Covid-afflicted nation, and I hope those of you who attended (around a 100 or so?) enjoyed yourself. The kids enjoyed Santa and his presents, and grabbing the mic. I must apologise for the amplified singing - all professional singers seemed to go underground - which left yours truly with the mic in hand for the first time ever. Next year we will have background music and more mince pies.

If you have any photos from the carols then please can you email them in. Any other feedback is welcome too. Thanks,

Don't forget we archive all our old newsletters on this page

We would like to thank WJ Meade for their ongoing sponsorship of Meotra and their recognition of the importance of a residents association. You have supported us through a difficult couple of years. Thanks.

Stan Jones 1929-2021

 

Stan Jones

Stan Jones of Lichfield Road passed away last Friday the 17th December. He had recently had a couple of falls and although he seemed to be on the mend, he sadly didn't recover.

Stan moved into Lichfield as a ten year old in March 1939 with his mother and father and lived in the same house for over 80 years. His parents were married in Holy Trinity church and he was baptised there.

He had a famous photo published in The Times on Coronation Day in 1953 of his parents standing in their Lichfield Road doorway with their house decked out with bunting and Union Jack flags. Something of a tradition formed with newspapers sending photojournalists for each subsequent Jubilee in 1977 and 2002 to document how Stan and the area in general marked those anniversaries. Many of us will fondly remember a robed Bishop John Sentamu dancing away in the street outside Stan's house.

Coincidently on Friday 17th December I was out walking with a neighbour from Lichfield and the conversation turned to the forthcoming Queen's Jubilee in June 2022 and that it would be great to have Stan at the head of the [very long] table as the longest resident of our area.  Alas, as we were finishing our walk and turned back into Lichfield we saw an ambulance and heard of Stan's passing earlier that day. 

If you have memories of Stan then please do email them.

The Gentle Author has a wonderful portrait of Stan's life written in August 2021. It is well worth a read.

Carols in the Square - Sunday 19th at 5PM

[PLEASE NOTE: This event is for MEOTRA residents only]

Tomorrow sees Meotra's Carols in the Square event. Which as usual is the last Sunday before Christmas.

The song sheets have been bagged up, the mulled wine is standing by the stove, mince pies stacked by the oven, children's presents wrapped and the Square walked today, like Wembley's hallowed turf before Cup Final.

I do hope you can join us for a 5PM start. Please have a read of our COVID precautions below. The carols are OUTDOORS, which really helps reduce the risk, but in addition:

1. Please do not attend if you have flu or cold-like symptoms
2. Please take a lateral flow test an hour or two before attending
3. Groups are asked to remain in their family/friend bubbles
4. The carol sheets are laminated and untouched for two years!
5. Rather than man-handling the song sheets you may prefer to download them to your phone as a PDF (light and carols in one small package!)
6. Hand sanitiser will be at both entrances
7. Children’s pressies will be wrapped and bagged the week before
8. We will have football splats on the ground at 2 metre intervals to aid distancing
9. Please bring a clean mask to wear as we gather and depart
10. Mulled wine and mince pies will be laid out on tables ready for to pick-up as you come into the Square. Just like a school-dinner queue, but with booze!

Click on Santa to download the Carols

Cheering up Tredegar Square Gardens - Lots achieved, but more to do next Saturday 18th December?

Many thanks to all those who came along on Saturday to plant up some of the Square's borders. We managed to plant the following in the south east border:

• 48 Geranium Cranesbills "Johnson's Blue"
• 50 Allium "Summer Dancer"
• 25 Allium nigrum

In the rose bed at the northern end:

• 8 lavender
• 8 rosemary
• 250 hyacinth

In the north-western bed:

• 8 mahonia

Thanks again to Cheryl and family for negotiating the partially flooded rose bed; Olivier from Rhondda Grove in particular for all the fetching and carrying on Friday and manning the drill; Jean-François from Lichfield Road who managed to do lots of strenuous planting despite having to keep checking his wife hadn't gone into labour::"I've got time to plant a few more mahonia"; Diana for negotiating the locked gate and planting all those alliums; Steph and Chris from Aberavon Road for the encouragement.

"I can't wait till we move in and get to bring out tea and biscuits" Cheryl who has yet to officially move in to her house on the Square.

Saturday 18th December - "Once more unto the [borders] dear friends"

We have something like  500 tulips. hyacinths and daffs (some lovely "special" varieties) still to plant. Please pencil in this Saturday for what will be the last planting session of the year. Any bulbs left over you can have - there are some lovely varieties

Come Join Us! Planting in Tredegar Square Gardens tomorrow (Saturday) 10-12

Tomorrow (SATURDAY) in Tredegar Square Gardens we have some perennials and shrubs to plant in the borders. We will be there from 10 until approximately 12 (depending on numbers!).

Please do come along and help out if you can. It is a lot for 2-3 to do, but with more help it will much quicker and more pleasant. In any case pop along and say "Hi" if you are out and about.

We have 48 hardy geranium cranesbill (Johnson's Blue), 8 lavender, 8 rosemary, 8 shuttlecock fern and 8 Mahonias. 

We have tools, and gloves etc; but if you prefer to bring your own trowel/shovel that would be great.

Hopefully the light and weather will be as wonderful as it has been today.

In terms of COVID precautions:

• Please don't come if you have cold/flu-like symptoms (sorry 😒)
• If you can, please do a LFT before coming
• Masks are optional (it will keep your face warm though!)
• We are outdoors and will be spaced out too, which dramatically reduces any risk
• Please bring your own shovel/trowel if you can (though we have disinfected ones)

Getting your COVID-19 Booster Jabs

Amongst all the news stories of  Christmas parties at Number 10 you'd be forgiven for missing that the following people can now pre-book their booster dose of the vaccine if it's been 2 months (61 days) since their second dose:

• aged 40 and over
• aged 16 and over with a health condition that puts you at high risk from COVID-19
• frontline health and social care workers

A reminder about the MEOTRA Carols - 19th December 5PM

Please put a note in your diary that the MEOTRA Carols in the Square is on the 19th December at 5PM. We have mulled wine, mince pies, pressies for the younger children, Santa and we are planning it to be as Covid-safe as we can.

If you would like to help out on the gate, or with serving mince pies or mulled wine, marshalling or happen to be a closet choirmaster/musician/singer then please do get in touch

Over 50s Winter Warmer Concert - at the Eco Pavilion, 9th December, 2-4.30PM

Tower Hamlets’ over 50s residents are invited to put on their party clothes and join fellow Hamletis for an afternoon concert of seasonal music and song. Top London jazz and swing band The Sunshine Kings are back to provide live music and festive cheer with New Orleans, Dixieland, 20s, traditional and vintage style sounds. In between sets, the choir of St Paul’s Way Secondary School will serenade the audience. Light refreshments will be served.

Seats are allocated in advance and booking is essential due to limited numbers. Please book as a group if you want to sit with friends. There is a maximum of 8 people per group.

Due to Covid-19, Tower Hamlets Council are unable to hold a Christmas Tea Dance this year so please note that there will be no dancing at this event.

Bookings can be made between 10am and 2pm Monday to Friday. Please call
020 7364 3115 / 020 7364 7900 or email festivalsandevents@towerhamlets.gov.uk.
Free admission. This event is for Tower Hamlets residents only

We recommend that face coverings are worn, and all guests take a lateral flow test within 72 hours of the start of the event. Please only attend if the results are negative and you do not have any flu or cold-like symptoms.