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Monday, 30 April 2007

Sarah's Café Menu (Northlands Park)

Breakfast
Served all day

Toast with Jam, Marmalade, marmite or Nutella - 40p
Scrambled or fried egg on toast - £1.50
Breakfast Baguette - £2.70
(Bacon, sausage and scrambled/fried egg)
All day Breakfast - £3.50
(Bacon, sausage, egg, tomato, beans, toast,
tea or coffee)

Jacket Potatoes
Served with salad garnish

Butter/Low Fat Spread - £2.00
Cheese - £2.50
Beans - £2.50
Coleslaw - £2.50
Cheese and Beans - £3.00
Cheese and Coleslaw - £3.00
Tuna Mayo - £3.00

Fillings
Your choice, made to order and served with salad
garnish and potato crisps.

--------------Sandwich/Toastie---- Baguette -------Panini
Cheese ------------£2.00 -------------------£2.40------------ £2.70
Ham----------- ---£2.00 --------------------£2.40------------ £2.70
Egg Mayo ---------£2.00 ------------------ -£2.40------------ £2.70
Boiled Egg salad --£2.00 ------------------ -£2.40 ------------£2.70
Cheese and Ham- £2.20 --------------------£2.60-------------£2.90
Tuna Mayo------ --£2.20------------------- £2.60------------ £2.90
Tuna Mayo Salad -£2.20------------------- -£2.60------------£2.90
Chicken ------------£2.20------------------- £2.60------------ £2.90
Bacon------------ --£2.20------------------- £2.60------------ £2.90
Prawn Mayo -------£2.40------------------- £2.80 ------------£3.10
Chinese Chicken --£2.40------------------- £2.80----------- -£3.10
B.L.T ---------------£2.40------------------- £2.80----------- -£3.10

Childrens Menu
Lunch Box (Sandwich, crisps, juice & fruit) - £2.50
Toast (with beans or spaghetti) - £1.50
Sandwich (Jam, peanut butter, marmite) - £1.50
Hotdog - £1.00
****
Winter Warmer
Choice of Soups served with bread - £1.80
****
Salads
We make all salads to order from the freshest,
delicious ingredients
Mixed Salad - £2.00
Ham - £2.60
Tuna - £2.60
Cheese - £2.60
Chicken - £2.60
Prawn - £2.80
****
Treats
Naughty but nice
Teacake/Slice of Cake - 70p
Icecream Cone (+20p for £1.00
flake)
Crisps - 45p
Biscuits - 30p
Ask about our selection of Ice Lollies
****
Drinks
****
Hot Drinks
Our Coffee is made from freshly ground coffee beans
Filter Coffee/Americano - £1.00
Espresso - £1.00
Cappuccino - £1.20
Caffe Latte - £1.40
(Available with flavoured
syrups)
Breakfast Tea - 70p
Herbal Tea (Various
Herbal Infusions) - £1.00
Hot Chocolate - £1.20
Hot Chocolate with cream - £1.30
Mocha (Chocolate syrup.
Coffee, Milk + Cream) - £1.50
****
Cold Drinks
Mineral Water - 50p
Canned Drinks - 60p
Fruit Drink - 60p
Thick Shake - £1.40
(Strawberry, Chocolate
and Bananna)
Ice Cream Soda - £1.40

Sunday, 22 April 2007

Photographs of the Art U Need Bus Tour from Kate















Saturday, 21 April 2007

A bit about Lisa - Organiser/Artist

I've followed my interest in art through from GCSE to A level then did a foundation course at Thurrock College. I joined START in April last year and have exhibited art with the group and have also been encouraged to share my interest with them.

I was a keen attendant of Art U Need Needs U, I even called myself their No. 1 groupie at one time. I enjoyed many of their events particularly the 'Headless Ghost Tour', which was excellently maneuvered by Chris Lowthorpe from the Arcadian Collective.
I was also very inspired by the Poetry Slam where I met Nee-Hi and Trusay and the MC Fiona Curran. Also the Mis-Guided Walk + Mapping workshop by Wrights and Sites was lots of fun, we got to really use our imagination on that one.
I really liked getting to know Andrea and at the end of the project agreed to carry something on. At first it was going to be regular Speakers Corners, then I decided I wanted to do something I have always wanted to do - community art - so I am organising my own series of events.
I will be mainly organising and co-ordinating and know that the journey isn't easy but want to give this a shot - I just hope I can grab your attention and get you to join in.
The main thing I would say about myself is that I'm probably of average intelligence but I make up with this in determination and inspiration, plus I try very hard to be positive.

Friday, 20 April 2007

A bit about Nick - Puppet Workshops


Upon leaving school in 1996 I attended South Kent college for 3 years, completing various courses in art & design including a foundation course which opened me up to university. I stayed at South Kent college for my degree, as the college had the facility's to run BA fine art courses in conjunction with the University of Kent.
When I left university in 2003 I went to work, doing a variety of jobs including; bar management and art therapy (unqualified).
I then came to Essex in September 2005 and begun a mission to train as a qualified primary school teacher! My idea being to work as a Learning Support Assistant (LSA) in a primary school for 2 years before beginning a 1 year intense training course.
From January 2006 to July 2006 I worked as an LSA supporting a severe autistic child, of which I found very challenging and engaging. In the September I joined a Junior school working as both an LSA and school librarian. It is here that, whilst helping run the school's art club, I discovered the joy of working with the children ( chiefly 8 year olds) and puppets. I found that puppet shows can engross children into a story in a special kind of way and learnt all kinds of new skills, from the practical skills of the construction to the teamwork necessary for performing. I have not come across as better way of combining pure fun and education as puppetry.
This September I will be starting my teacher training at the University of East London.

Thursday, 19 April 2007

Tony Guyon

I met Tony Guyon today, we had a really useful meeting. First of all I didn't know that Northlands Park Fun Day is on 24th June, this could be a day where we show the community art, Tony even said he would provide a stall for it.
After further thought I said perhaps we could have a 1st 2nd and 3rd prize in age categories, I certainly know some artists who may want to be judges.
The schools may well want to get involved with this, and it is also an opportunity to advertise the other events.
He reminded me how hard it can be, even in the summer, but he could provide me with a list of contacts.
Friends of Nevendon Bushes do Bat Walks, well this could be something we intertwine with
'The Headless Ghost Tour.'
Looking forward to my list of contacts, this will help me get the ball rolling.

Monday, 16 April 2007

Investigating Other Art U Need Projects











Yesterday we went on the bus trip organised by Kate.

Myself, Neil and Greg, Jim, Jenny, Nick and Fran were met by Kate and a nice family from Southend. It was a bit of a mystery tour - all we knew was that we were going to Canvey and Southend to see the Art U Need projects there, after that I didn't know much else.
We were greeted by two people with big personalities in Canvey, one was a lady who had lived on the island all her life and she was going to be our tour guide, as it happens she was very informative and also knew the names of every plant there was on Canvey. They certainly found a good woman here - she even let us in her house and told some of her own history. Her late husband was an artist and she had put out all his paintings - which was very interesting to us artists.
The other person was the Manager for Dr. Feelgood, yes another big personality. He told us of his boyhood in Canvey - the time when boys really lived. At the back of his house was the estuary, him and his friends (over looked by his mum on the sea wall) would go out there and build sand banks, then watch the tide knock it down. They would play pirates and even had a little rowing boat which they would row over to Hadleigh Castle. As they got older they got bolder and put an engine on the back of the boat and started jettying round to Southend Pier and probably as far as they could go, real 'Swallow and Amazon' style.

By the time we got to having our picnic we were really hungry and thirsty. Kate put on a wonderful spread - very Mama Italian 'al' fresco.' We had continental meats and other luxuries.
Strawberries, sparkly wine - or was it Champagne Kate? Sorry - wow - if it was.
We sat down and had the most enjoyable time, having some very interesting conversations, all feeling very relaxed. This was definitely a hi-light of the day.
We then made our way to Southed, some of us slept - after a long walk, hot sunshine, a picnic rounded off nicely with some fizzy wine - can you blame us!
So when we reached Southend we were probably not up to doing much, we had a look in the Camera-Obscura provided by Focal Point. This was amazing, we had been to one in Edingburgh before. Then after this we went inside the Quantock flats, from the outside you could see the 'Streams' in fact this refers to the long twisting stream of perspex that was in every drying room in all four blocks of flats - from the very top room to the bottom.
You can see the Quantock flats in all its glory at night time, if you get to Southend, driving down Victoria Avenue with the station on your left hand side, you get to the roundabout and turn a sharp left. This will take you down Queensway.
Just after Chichester Road the first street on your right you will see the Quantocks - You must go there when it gets dark and when the perspex is illuminated by the lights in the drying rooms.
We were brought into the flat and could appreciate the perspex because of the daylight shining through it.
It puts these flats on the map, they were even mentioned in a design magazine.

http://www.canveyguides.com/
http://www.queenswaystreams.org.uk/
Canvey Guides: LAUNCH
http://www.southend.gov.uk/content.asp?content=8096


Thought:- These projects were all about an Outdoor Revolution - well I must say we felt like we were brought back in time, we were Victorian explorers investigating Canvey and having a glorius picnic - we all thoroughly enjoyed it. To get specific we had exercise, communication and got off our armchairs and looked at a familiar landscape with new eyes.

Saturday, 14 April 2007

Some Useful Information

Basildon was built as a New Town in 1949 to accommodate more people moving from London and as a way of attracting Londoners to live in the countryside. Northlands Park was created in the 1970s on land that belonged to Flemore Farm. which was demolished in the 1980s.‘Northlands Park is a vast green area which consists of seventy acres of woodland, grassland and lakes. The park is well maintained and has large areas for play, it is used by a range people and specialist groups including anglers. It also plays host to the Pitsea Carnival which happens every June and has done for over fifty years. Northlands Park Neighbourhood lies in the Pitsea North West Ward of Basildon. It is a diverse community, with both traditional and non-tradition styles of social housing as well as a shopping square, primary and pre-school, housing office, adult education centre, doctors and dentist. In the area there are a number of community centres, offering a variety of activities and clubs.’

Interlock: Northlands Park Neighbourhood Management Pathfinder
This is a local government initiative to create a ‘safe, clean, healthy and thriving place to live, where people want to stay and want to move to, where people aspire to the highest levels and achieve their full potential’. It is run by a team of elected members called Northlands Park Neighbourhood Committee.

Link

http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/nwh_gfx_en/ART45554.html

An article on 24 Hour Museum for Art U Need.

Thursday, 12 April 2007

Artists Meeting at Northlands Park Café

We are meeting on the first Sunday of the month at noon at the Northlands Park Cafe.Artists are very welcome, if you'd like to bring some of your art that would be great, it would be nice to see what each of us are up to. If you don't think of yourself officially as an artist but want to give art a try please turn up.At our last meeting we all got on with our own art after quite a chat, we got joined by a few of the local kids who were welcome to use the paper and pens we used. We're not officially saying that we are doing this but all our welcome to join in, we're not turning anyone away.By the way we are definitely meeting now on the first Sunday, not the second as I first advertised, we decided it's easier to remember.Sylak is trying to organise getting us some easels so that we won't have to work on the floor!

Other ArtCafé's





























The Beauty of Northlands Park



The First Artists Meeting





I thought this went really well, Sylak, Nick, Alison, Charlie, Sarah and Tim turned up. Then we were joined by Richard and Bradley and their two other chums.We had a bit of a chat for about half an hour then we took ourselves out to the side of the cafe and Charlie and mates, and Sylak got to work on their art. I couldn't make my mind up what to do this morning so just brought a camera with the intention of capturing the swan and nest on film. Richard and his mates got down to doing their art work too, we got quite a lot of attention from passers by. We were later joined by Sylak's friend Chris and finally after much verbal exchange and creative endeavours we ventured back into the Café.

Sunday, 8 April 2007

Community Art Around The World

Inspirational for all!










The Peace or War Wall is an expanding creative exploration into the local community's feelings about peace and war.






www.members.aol.com/peaceorwarwall/








Graffiti Art for Peace!







artsnetwork.ca/?q=about






The people of Japan involved in community art - I guess they are doing good things not planning a global take-over.





www.n-pocket.jp/com-art/index.en.html


The LIFECYCLE project was a community cultural development / community art project. This initiative was a celebration of culture of indigenous and culturally and linguistically diverse peoples, honouring the contribution of diverse ethnic community to Griffith’s cultural life. The public artworks created through the LIFECYCLE project charts the various journeys and relationships different cultures have with this region, from the Wiradjuri people to the soldier settlers to the recent arrivals. LIFECYCLE provided an opportunity to develop community cohesiveness through the strengthening of our sense of place, shared culture and community identity. The LIFECYCLE model has striven, and continues to strive, towards meeting and advancing the aspirations of our community members. LIFECYCLE also provided a framework to enable sustained participation and interaction between service providers in the community.


http://www.griffith.nsw.gov.au/Page/Page.asp?Page_Id=106&p=1


Community art galleries
In February 2000, the two footbridges adjoining Lam Tin Station were converted into a community art gallery for the display of paintings and drawings by students from schools or artists from local groups in the Lam Tin area.
Following this success, community art galleries have been extended to other stations of the network. There are now a total of 32 such galleries in the MTR system. All have become highly popular venues for the local community to showcase their artworks.
Could we do this in Tescos or other supermarkets???? Maybe our stations???

Sunday, 1 April 2007

The Puppet Show Story

I have to start thinking about the puppet show storyline, I think I have already got a story to work from in mind. Town Mouse - Country Mouse, I remember a story from childhood about a town mouse who went to live with the country mouse, well this could be a start.
Obviously in the war people were evacuated to the country, or it could be they move there with their family, they are used to big city and might be bored in New Town Basildon. But where would the ancient history come in?
How about country mouses family had lived in the area of Basildon for centuries, when the Canti (tribe from Kent) fought with the Trinovantian (tribe from Essex). Could have lots of mice fighting wearing basic cavemen clothes.

In the 1300's, wood was the only fuel used in Essex as most of the area was covered in forest. Trees were used to mark the parish boundaries until recent times, elms and wych elms being very popular.

In the 17th Century beer was a normal drink for all the family since the water was often impure and tea and other beverages were unknown. In those times, most farm and large houses had brewhouses.

Between Domesday and the 18th century there were many spellings for Basildon:1176 - Berdlesdon 1200 - Bretlesden 1240 - Batlesdon 1510 - Bastelden1594 - Basseldon 1602 - Basildon 1650 - Bassendon

Recent History: For centuries there were just small villages in the area with farmhouses and cottages. Until the farmers faced a big problem -cheap wheat began to be imported from America. Farmers in South East Essex found their wheat was too expensive and of poor quality. Many of them decided to sell their land. Some land agents moved in and bought the farms so they could resell the land in small plots.

People who wanted to get away from London came down to the Plotlands and bought these plots. They couldn't afford to build houses, instead they put tents and wooden huts up, even a ships cabin. Some old buses became homes and there was even a railway carriage on one plot of land. During the 2nd World War life in London became very difficult. Some people who used their plots just at weekends moved down and settled in their Basildon homes even though most of them didn't have running water, electricity, gas or proper toilets.

The town mouse comes in when the Londoners are encouraged to move down to Basildon, and town mouse finds it really strange living in all the countryside in basic conditions.
He makes friends with country mouse.
This is my fodder which I have to make something with, I'm not telling you anymore you will just have to come and see the puppet show.

JUST AN IDEA - HAVE MANY IN THE PIPELINE

Alas in the end I had to leave this all to Nick to work on as I was too busy coordinating everything else. Nick's idea's I think are very suitable towards children and is used to young children so catered the storyline well to the age group.

It's a Wrap

It was Andrea's 'It's a Wrap party' last night. It was cool, a mix of the provocative Fiona Curran who was the MC at the Poetry Slam as compere, Nee hi and Tru say doing the poetry thing.
We also had a teenager stand up and say that there was nowhere for teenagers to go as they keep on shutting down youth clubs - and that people moan that they are hanging about, but there is no where to go. I suggested late night cafes and they thought that was a good idea. Actually that was the original idea of MP Angela Smith. Well it would be good if we did, it would bring more employment to the town too.

I got a great prize from Andrea a little plastic unfolding stand for 'Speakers Corner' how cool is that. In my prize goody bag I got a really lovely Northlands Park mobile, an Art U Need mug, a Misguided Map folder containing the 'Ghost Walk' literature and a Magenta List with lots of topics covered such as ' Northlands Park Neighbourhood is the New Kid on the Block, and defining experiences - a real good read.
Then we listened to the three bands, the band that went to Northlands Park in Guerilla Gigs sounded 10 times better in the Mirren Studio - Deferred Success.
Look at www.thebasildonblog.blogspot.com for a coverage from Andrea.