Thursday, 5 April 2012

Our penultimate day in Wood Street Market!  A very good day for stories, as Brian, a Wood Street resident for nearly twenty years dropped in and told many a tale of the good old days in Walthamstow. His suggestion for the future of the area was a regular Farmers' Market to encourage locals to eat better food and cook more regularly.

Lots of families with kids stopping by looking for things to do over the half term. One of my favourite stories of the entire project was left this morning by a five-year-old boy. His story was an imagined event in the history of Walthamstow: a fire that was put out by a magic pony with a hosepipe for a tail. Absolutely ingenious.

It's our last day in Wood Street on Saturday. We're hosting a story trail around Wood Street at noon, leaving from The Collect Project stall. Tea and cakes after so do come down.

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to leave a story for The Collect Project.

It's been a pleasure.

Wednesday, 4 April 2012

Gemma had a great time yesterday hearing tales from Dell in the market. More details of his boxing and book related escapades to follow...
























Dell in his shop at Wood Street Indoor market
























Dell and his market mates, making it into the Waltham Forest News

















Photograph of Dell's previous book shop in Walthamstow

Story walk on Saturday 7th April

You can find us at Shop 49 just next to Carbon 48 and David at DJF Gallery

Thursday, 29 March 2012

Apparently HRH The Queen is in the neighbourhood for a Diamond Jubilee tour, but she hasn't stopped by The Collect Project! Quite a few police officers wandering through the market today, though, so her madge is making her presence felt in other ways! I stopped one officer and asked him to contribute a story and he said he'd come back with his colleague who is an "excellent draughtsman" later, so hopefully some good drawings from the local force soon to come.

I popped out to get a cup of tea and a mysterious woman was in the process of leaving a story when I came back. She was on the phone, so I didn't get to chat to her, but she left a great story about the Back Path that runs from Essex through Wood Street across the marshes and beyond into central London. Amazing indeed.

Also, artist Karl England came down to say hello and left a lovely little drawing of his bus journey to Wood Street Market.

 A good day for Wood Street stories.

Thursday, 29 March: A visit to Waltham Forest Archives

I spent this morning in the Vestry House Museum, home to the Waltham Forest archives and local studies room. I was there trying to track down visual clues which might jog the memories of Collect Project visitors about the Wood Street area.



The archive is a treasure trove of information about the whole Walthamstow area and you could lose hours in there browsing through photos, maps and newspaper clippings which date back over the last couple of centuries.



The building which houses the museum and archive is a treasure itself which dates back to the mid 1700s. In its time it has seen service as a police station and a private home and now sits on top of the hill of what is often referred to as "Walthamstow Village". Despite its current incarnation as a confusing one way system, the area is lovely for a spring walk and is where you will find many of Walthamstow's fascinating historical buildings.



As well as coming across lots of old photos of the Wood Street area, my visit turned up information on the old film studios which at the very start of the 20th century were pivotal in bringing picture house entertainment to the masses. Maps like the one above from the 1960s also gave me an idea of how the area around the market itself has developed over the last 150 years.

If you're looking for more information on living in Walthamstow or want to find out about some of the places mentioned in the stories we have collected so far a visit to the archives would be a very good place to start!

Friday, 23 March: William Morris' Birthday Cake

We just had the pleasure of meeting Martin Adams who let us have a peek inside his prize box, which he's taking to the Forest School for a party celebrating William Morris' birthday on 24 March. The cake is made every year by Scrolls & Shells, who operate out of Wood Street Market, and this year depicts 'The Forest' tapestry.

Mr Adams also regaled us with stories of when he used to get his hair cut in the barber shop inside the market and offered the sage advice that Wood Street Market should keep up with contemporary opening hours to ensure its survival.

Details on being a friend of the William Morris gallery here.

Saturday, 17 March 2012

Happy St Patrick's Day from Wood Street Market!

It's been nice and busy with plenty of friendly people stopping by to tell their amazing stories about Walthamstow: from Suz's declaration of love for Screen 17, the new local cinema on Orford Road, to Kahila's poem about the wonders of Walthamstow, everyone has a story to tell!

Here's Kahila's poem:

Walthamstow,
It's where I go to get some time on my own.
A quiet pace is Walthamstow with many places for
me to go!; The inn store, the town hall, the pretty Hollow
Ponds, I like to go there on my own and sing some relaxing
songs,
Once again,
I say to you how Walthamstow is really cool,
Why don't you come and visit for yourself,
there are plenty things to do!

Stories waiting to be told!

Screen 17 is the place to be, apparently!

Sad Tilly!