The Empire Strikes Back

The Hackney Empire is a true London institution, from when my grandmother frequented it when she was young (apparently some branch of my family used to own it!), to the regular visits I and probably many of you have made through it's doors.

Charlie Chaplin, Stan Laurel and WC Fields have all famously appeared on it's stage and since its already long overdue renovation and re-opening in 2004 it has been a source of genuine community spirit and local pride.

The recent decision, therefore, to have a temporary blackout on shows at the Empire is extremely sad and, at the moment, not a little baffling.

However, this Thursday 11th March, sees a free and open forum being held at the venue as an opportunity to hear why this decision was taken, what the future holds for the Empire and to ask questions of a panel made up of senior staff and trustees and officers from the Arts Council and Hackney Council.

If you have been touched in any way in your life by the Hackney Empire or simply just care about the maintenance and continuation of a rich tradition of beautiful, vintage venues, then get your behind down to this.

I will see you there.

Thursday 11th March
18:30 - 20:00
Hackney Empire, Mare Street, Hackney
FREE

Wild, Wild Food

Having last year spent some time in a beautiful Ardeche forest right in amongst the beauty and bounty of Mother Nature, a life spent living off the fruits of one's labour and lands is something that appeals greatly to me.

Well, now it seems as though lessons on such things can be learned among the oases of green spaces that this huge city contains. Our East End neighbours in Tower Hamlets are running a series of events in the Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, with one particularly catching my eye.

On a Saturday afternoon there will be a Wild Food Walk around the cemetery where one can learn about what is there to just pick and eat and to reach down and do so.

Saturday 20th March
13:30 - 15:30
Tower Hamlets Cemetery
FREE (or optional donation)