CAROLS IN THE SQUARE - This Sunday 15th December, Tredegar Square at 5.30PM

Meotra's annual carol service is this Sunday 15th December at 5.30PM in Tredegar Square.

It is a great event and we'll be there come rain or shine, with songsheets and some presents for the little ones.  Although the event is free, every year there’s a collection for charity. This year as last year we’ve chosen Bow Food Bank to help families in need have a better Christmas.

Entrance to the event will be through both gates of the Square. Please do bring a torch, and an umbrella in case of wet weather.

It’s a wonderful chance to catch up with your neighbours and get into the Christmas spirit. In keeping with this, the MEOTRA committee will be going to the pub afterwards if anyone would like to join us.

MEOTRA Carols in Tredegar Square - Sunday 17th December at 5PM

Sunday night is MEOTRA's Carols in the Square at 5PM. There will be plenty of mince pies, mulled wine and father Christmas with presents for the children.

It's a free event brought to you by the Mile End Old Town Residents Association and there will be a collection for charity.

I hope to see you there - bring a torch if you have one

MEOTRA Carols: 5PM Sunday in Tredegar Square

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

It's the annual MEOTRA Carols in Tredegar Square tomorrow (Sunday) from 5PM. Mince pies and mulled wine for us oldies; and biscuits, fruit juice, sparklers and presents from Santa for the children (oh to be a child again ;( )

I'm sorry for the late notice, but I had a little office celebration last night and have kind of lost a day! Walking around Mile End today it was really cheery to see so many front windows decorated and maybe next year we should have a competition for best window display?

I hope lots of you can come tomorrow it promises to be a great event.

The latest Newsletter now online & other news

The EU's new Elf and Safety rules and the working at height directive mean Santa has had to limit present giving to street level for the first time since the Great Reindeer Rebellion of 1879

It was great to see so many of you at MEOTRA's Carols in the Square on Sunday. More and more people seem to come every year. I'm not sure I'll ever master the art of juggling mince pies, mulled wine, hymn sheet, torch AND singing at the same time: but I enjoyed trying.

Whilst many spend this festive season running around like headless turkeys or at least trying to buy them, I have managed to find a few hours of calm to sip some wine, launch some random Spotify Christmas mix and update this blog.

Our Latest Newsletter: By now I'm sure all residents have received a paper copy, but just in case you can download the latest one here

Like Greyhounds in the Slips: Those of you at the Carols in the Square will have witnessed our Chair, Margaret, standing atop the park bench and rallying residents to come forward and help run MEOTRA.  We are in urgent need of a new secretary as our current one has had to unavoidably step down. The post involves arranging and minuting 3 or 4 small, friendly, quarterly meetings per year and the AGM, plus a little correspondence, mostly email. Please contact joangriffiths46@gmail.com for further info.

Carols in the Square - Sunday 21st Dec 5PM

Join us this Sunday for MEOTRA's Annual Carols in the Square.

You can look forward to warm mulled wine and mince pies and Santa is bringing gifts for [well behaved!] children.

Carol sheets will be provided, but please bring a torch.

Carols From Tredegar Square

Around 150 attended MEOTRA's carol singing in Tredegar Square. It was great to see so many people, both young and old, enjoying themselves without any need for high-tech wizardry: just mulled wine, mince pies, enthusiasm for a festive sing-song and a little help from Santa.  Regrettably, I felt it best to rest my voice and instead opted to perform multiple health and safety assessments on the mulled wine and mince pies, and the childrens' iced gems.


There was a collection at the end which raised £176.54 (up from £62.52 last year and £80.60 the year before that) for local charities. We will let you know which one(s) after the next committee meeting.

Many thanks to all those who helped out by either making or bringing along refreshments; manning the stalls, tidying up, or adding their voice to the impromptu choir. For many "Carols from Kings College, Cambridge" heralds the start of the Christmas festivities, but for me it was our "Carols from the Square". I'm looking forward to next year's already.

Carol Singing in Tredegar Square: Sunday 22nd Dec at 5PM

Our Winter 2013 newsletter is out now and contains details of this Sunday's Carol singing in the Square (see above), as well as lots of other local news and information including numerous planning applications. If you haven't received a copy through your door then you can download one from here.

I hope to see some of you this Sunday for the carols (and minced pies and mulled wine!). Merry Christmas and here's to 2014.