Working Lives of the Thames Gateway is a Stratford based project - they are running a series of events around the whole of east and south east London this summer based on work place histories - details from www.hidden –histories.org.uk . They have a list of industries where they are keen to contact people who worked there to hear their stories – one of them is our local South Metropolitan Gas Co at East Greenwich Gas Works – contact
anna@ech.org.ukThey have a local meeting at Greenwich Heritage Centre with archive films from around the area. (they say they will be presented by young people from Bexley - why?? Greenwich has its own film projects for young people!). The event will be on Saturday 13th June 1.00-4.00.
other events in connection with this include:
1st June - talk at Barking and District Historical Society
4th June - Women in the workplace. Bexley Archives 7-8
8th June - talk at Havering Riverside Club
15th - talk at South Elm Women's Club
17th - talk at Chadwell Heath Historical Society
26th June - Kamal Chunchie and the Coloured Men's Institute. Old Town Hall, Stratford 6.30
The yard & garden as of this morning....starting at the front of the house....
Loving the new house color-except the font door-it was supposed to be deep red, but it's orange...
Wandering to the back; this is the wild side: I just let everything pretty much grow wild; a mix of perinials, herbs, shrubs, & industrial tidbits....
And cats: Skwishy Cat, posing like a super-model
And the new garden; things are coming along nicely; the middle section was planted first & it's growing along really fast now :)
And the side looking toward the front; got some huckleberries in the box, a couple cabbages, & lots of other stuffs....
Climbing beans; can't wait for them to really start climbing the sculptures :)
The tomates love their new spot; growing like weeds! 
And the new herb garden with steel stepping stones. Looking forward to things filling in & looking more finished :) More to come....
The garden is coming along nicely; I've got corn popping up, & the kale, brocolli & kolirabi are starting to get big---lots of carrots too!
The view this morning: on the left near the fence I'm waiting for the corn to pop up, & also filled in with lettuces, a few herbs, & a few flowers--I can't remember now---I like to be very free in the garden: so when things start growing, I have lots of suprises :)
In the middle section between the 2 paths, there are baby carrots coming up, brocolli & kale, sunflowers--both yellow & deep red, beets, & a few volenteer grasses that I moved from the front of the house..
The little shed has a new coat of paint, the rhubarb is looking a bit ragged after being pulled aside for the painters; but the clematis is covered with buds! Theres also little radishes popping up, some garlic, beets, & a few other things--they might be weeds: will have to wait & see. BTW-I learned a new trick for keeping aphids off the roses: read in MaryJane's Farm about boiling rhubard leaves for 30 minutes, then using the water as a spray; seems to work like a charm! A new use for the rhubard, since I never do anything with it :)
These raddishes are growing like weeds!
Little brocolli in my salvaged concrete planter....
My red-current is going to be covered in berries again this year! Last year, it produced tons of beautiful little bright red berries that taste like pomegranit-sort of. I have a black current too, but found those berries tasted like soap! Was thinking of trying a mix of black & red berries for a jam; see if the combo tastes better than the black ones alone; if not: they will be left for the birds again :)
And this is the looking from the front yard: roses coming along, & I planted kale, chard, beets, & some beans in between :) This year, I've been tucking seeds into all the ornamental beds; trying to make more use of the space I've got :)
