Tis’ the season to be jolly in Romford Market Place

​A bright green magical postbox, will appear near the Clock Tower end of Romford Market on Wednesday 3 December, for all the good boys and girls to send their letters to Father Christmas.

​Father Christmas is looking forward to receiving lots of letters from children visiting Romford Market to help him decide what to bring them on Christmas Eve. He will do his best to reply to every child who writes to him via the magical postbox.  Father Christmas has asked that all children write their name and address clearly on their letter, because his friends at Havering Council will be posting the replies for him and they don’t have his magical powers.

 

As Father Christmas is very busy, all letters must be received by Wednesday 17 December to ensure he has time to reply before loading up his sleigh in preparation for his busiest night of the year.

 

The postbox will be in the Market Place on market days only, and from Friday 12 December, the market will be open every day, including Sundays, up to and including Christmas Eve. 

 

“Christmas is such a magical time, and especially for children! I hope all kids in the borough have the chance to write their letter to Father Christmas and post it in the special postbox. Parents can then enjoy seeing their faces light up when they get their reply!” said Councillor Robert Benham, Cabinet Member for Environment.

 

It’s hoped that the festive atmosphere and Christmas cheer will draw people in from far and wide to take advantage of the diverse range of stalls offering everything they’ll need this Christmas, including fresh meat and fish, fruit and veg, the latest fashions, cards and wrapping and lots of gift ideas.

 

Councillor Benham added: “Christmas spirit has most certainly arrived in the borough, and as always, we’ve arranged lots of things that families and friends can come along to and enjoy together. I hope everyone gets involved and joins in the celebrations.”

 

Residents can also enjoy a whole host of activities arranged in the market place in the run-up to Christmas:

​Saturday 6 December	​Children’s face painting
​Saturday 13 December	​Children’s face painting  Hornchurch Drum & Trumpet Corps
​Sunday 14 December	​The Haverettes All Girls Marching Band, and for the first time, A Christmas Vintage Market
​Saturday 20 December	​Free Children’s face painting  Costumed Reindeer and Santa Bear  The Hornchurch Drum  & Trumpet Corps   The Haverettes All Girls Marching Band
​Sunday 21 December	​Free Children’s face painting
​Monday 22 December	​Real reindeer ‘Rudolph and Comet’ in the Market before they start their epic journey on Christmas Eve
​Tuesday 23 December	​A Magical Christmas Puppet Show with three shows between 11am and 4pm​

Music for a Winter's Night at Langtons House

One of the highlights of Havering’s cultural calendar, Music for a Winter's Night, returns in November with a new season of classical and chamber music at Langtons House, Billet Lane, Hornchurch.

This year’s stellar line-up includes award-winning classical guitarist Gary Ryan, and Jakob Lindberg, Professor of Lute at the Royal College of Music, and leading figure in the renaissance of 'Early Music'.
 
Organised by Havering Council, the concerts bring some of the UK’s finest classical and chamber musicians to the borough.
 
Councillor Melvin Wallace, Cabinet Member for Culture and Community Engagement, said: "Music for a Winter's Night offers a chance to hear outstanding musicians in a wide range of styles and genres. I can hardly believe that this will be our sixth year of promoting this wonderful concert season.

"Havering Council is committed to bringing the finest live music of all kinds to the borough. In past years, we've brought some of the very biggest names in classical and chamber music, including Craig Ogden, Emma Kirby, John Mills and the Mozart Players, and this year is no exception."

The concerts run between November and February on the following dates, all start at 8pm:

Thursday 20 November 2014 - Jakob Lindberg (Lute)

Thursday 18 December 2014 - The Crystal Palace String Quartet
Thursday 22 January 2015 - Gary Ryan (Guitar)
Thursday 19 February 2015 - Divertimenti Ensemble
 
Jakob Lindberg, Thursday 20 November 2014
Appointed professor of lute at the Royal College of Music in London in 1979, Jakob Lindberg is the first lutenist to have recorded the complete solo lute music by the celebrated English composer John Dowland. His recordings of Bach's music for solo lute are considered among the most important readings of the works.

Jakob has performed recitals with Emma Kirkby, Ann Sofie von Otter, Nigel Rogers and Ian Partridge and has worked with the English Concert, Taverner Choir, the Purcell Quartet, Monteverdi Choir, Chiaroscuro, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and the Academy of Ancient Music. 
 
The Crystal Palace String Quartet, Thursday 18 December 2014
One of London’s most in-demand string ensembles, the Crystal Palace String Quartet, features violinists Julia Burkert (leader of the German Doctors’ Orchestra, who has also led the Cambridge, Guildford and Croydon Symphony Orchestras) and Alice Butcher (National Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic, RTE National Symphony Orchestra) alongside cellist Sarah Westley (Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Brandenburg Sinfonia, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, English National Opera) and Chris Brody on viola, who is chairman of the chamber orchestra Camerata of London.

Gary Ryan, Thursday 22 January 2015
An Honorary Associate of the Royal Academy of Music, Gary Ryan has a string of international honours and awards to his name, recognition for his highly innovative guitar compositions which draw on the rich traditions of the instrument and combine them with contemporary influences and extended techniques.

Gary's ground-breaking work for solo guitar, Scenes from The Wild West, has become an international best-seller.  On his latest CD, Visions and Vistas, he has multi-tracked his ensemble pieces, including Generator (for guitar duo) and, Scenes from Brazil and Songs from Erin (both for solo guitar) to critical acclaim.
 
Divertimenti Ensemble, Thursday 19 February 2015
Founded in 1978, the five-piece Divertimenti still includes four original members. Their wealth of international concert experience as soloists feeds into an ensemble which has forged an impressive reputation for an adventurous repertoire that champions lesser known composers, particularly British composers, and 20th-century compositions.

Divertimenti have performed live for BBC Radio 3 and at festivals such as Aldeburgh, Bath, King's Lynn and Lichfield as well as in Italy, France, Germany and Greece. Their recordings have been recommended by Radio 3's Record Review, the International Record Review, BBC Music Magazine and Classic FM.

 
Ticket information:
Phone the Box Office at Fairkytes Arts Centre, Billet Lane, Hornchurch RM11 1AX on 01708 456308, or email fairkytes@havering.gov.uk
 
Tickets for individual concerts are £13.50 and £9.50 concessions, or book all four shows for £40.50 or £28.50 concessions.
 
All Music for a Winter's Night concerts include a 15-minute interval with complementary refreshment.

Residents who care for others encouraged to come along to Council's carers rights day

​To mark the national Carers Rights Day, the Havering Association for people with Disabilities (H.A.D), along with Havering Council and the Havering Safer Neighbourhood Board, is holding an event on Friday 28 November at the Queen’s Theatre, Billet Lane, Hornchurch.

​The theme of this year’s Carers Rights Day is ‘Looking after someone? Know your rights’, and anyone who provides unpaid care for a family member or friend who could not manage without them, whether due to illness, disability or frailty, is welcome to come along to the event.

 

Carers will have the chance to meet other carers and access a wide range of information and advice, including finding out about a range of support services from organisations across the borough.

 

The event runs from 10am to 2.30pm.

 

Councillor Wendy Brice-Thompson, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Services and Health, said:

 

“There are many people in our borough who give up their own time to care for others, whether a partner, relative or friend. Many may not even realise that they are a carer.

 

“This event is open to anyone who looks after someone and I really hope people will come along and find out more about what support is available to help them.”

Refreshments and a buffet lunch will be provided.

 

For more information about the event contact H.A.D, 01708 476 554.

Vintage buses to run through the Borough

Friday 21 November 2014

​Vintage buses will run from Saturday 6 December, giving passengers the opportunity to experience travelling on vintage buses from the 1930's to the 1970's on three special routes.

​Three services will be run by Ensign Bus Company Ltd:

X55 - Upminster to Gravesend
X81 - Shenfield to Grays 
X86 - Upminster to Brentwood.

 

A day ticket for adults costs £8 and £4 for children. Other local fares will be available for single and return journeys. Concessionary passes, Oyster cards, Travelcards, tickets from other bus companies and train tickets will not be accepted.

 

The buses will run every 30 minutes. Further details, including the timetable for all three routes and fares for using the services, can be found on the Ensign Bus website.

£4.1m to transform Havering's Crossrail stations

​TfL have awarded Havering around £4m to transform areas around Havering’s Crossrail stations.

​The funding will improve the spaces around the stations in Romford, Gidea Park and Harold Wood, which will include improvements to pavements, roads and other public areas near to the station entrances and car parks.

 

Gidea Park and Harold Wood are in line to receive £1.4m each and Romford should receive £1.3m to spend on the improvements. During the design process amounts may change.

 

A very successful bid from Havering Council meant that the funding awarded was almost 20 per cent more than what Crossrail had advised the Council to expect to achieve.

 

The Mayor of London has awarded more than £28m to outer London Boroughs to improve public spaces around the stations and make them more pleasant for passengers.

 

The improvements will be made by 2019, and will follow a range of other benefits that customers will experience when TfL takes over services between Liverpool Street and Shenfield from 31 May next year, ahead of Crossrail arriving.

 

Leader of the Council, Councillor Roger Ramsey, said:

 

“We welcome this funding very much; working with Crossrail and TfL, we will be able to make the necessary improvements to these areas to make them more pleasant and easier to travel through to get to and from the stations. The work will complement the improvements planned inside the stations for Crossrail.

 

“Crossrail will offer better commuting and business connections to the city and boost growth in the borough.”

Renewal of Freedom Passes

Older people who enjoy free travel across London with the Freedom Pass will now be able to renew their passes online following the launch of a new website.

The site has been tested extensively – including by current Freedom Pass users – and is easier to use on smartphones and tablets, reflecting the changing way people access the internet.

Cllr Julian Bell, Chair of London Councils Transport and Environment Committee, said: “This new website will be really helpful to Freedom Pass users, whether they’re renewing their passes this winter or looking for more information on the scheme.”

Ahead of the renewal process, London Councils polling showed around 50 per cent of Freedom Pass holders either intended to or were interested in renewing their Freedom Pass online.

Research by Ofcom shows 42 per cent of people aged 65 and older use the internet, a rise of 27 per cent between 2012 and 2013.

Pass holders will still be able to renew with a paper form and can get assistance at their local library in most boroughs.

Of the 1.3 million Freedom Pass holders across London, around 860,000 older person’s passes will expire on 31 March 2015. Letters explaining the renewal process will be sent to passholders from the start of November 2014.

To see the new website, visit www.freedompass.org.

Adopting more than one child "can be challenging - but it's also more rewarding"

​As Havering marks National Adoption Week, from 3 to 9 November, a Havering adoptive father, Jack*, has spoken out about adopting three children from the same family.

​The theme of this year’s national event is to encourage more people to consider adopting siblings, as families willing to adopt more than one child are among the hardest to find, and therefore this leads to many brothers and sisters being split up.

 

Keeping siblings together can help children feel more secure when they are adopted and even help them settle into their new home more quickly.

Jack, 44, and his wife Andrea*, who live in the borough, have adopted sisters aged two and three, and their baby brother.

 

Jack, who works in finance, said:

 

“We were open to adopting more than one child as we didn’t want to narrow it down too much, and I’d grown up with siblings so we thought it would be nice for them to have each other to play with.

 

“I’m surprised people aren’t as willing to take on siblings, it wasn’t an issue for us. But they may worry they’ll be more effort, and more than one child does take more effort, but’s it’s also a lot more rewarding.”

 

The couple decided to adopt after they struggled to conceive and IVF treatment was unsuccessful - they found adoption a natural progression.

 

Jack added:

 

“It’s not second best; we got past any of those thoughts very quickly, they are our children. It was incredible bringing them home but it is a huge commitment and anyone considering it needs to be sure, there is a lot of information out there, do your research.

 

“We found it really helpful talking to people who had been there. And while the process does take time, it should do, you’re taking on a huge commitment.”

Andrea, 47, who gave up her job to be home with the children, added:

“Bringing your children home isn’t the end of the journey, it’s just the start. It was a realisation that we had new people in our house and their needs came first. It takes time to settle them in and you must build a bond with them, it won’t be immediate. You have to be resilient and not take things personally if you don’t bond straight away.”

 

The couple’s extended family have also been a great help, and Andrea has found huge support from fellow adopters, attending regular coffee mornings with other adoptive parents in the borough to share their stories and experiences.

 

Encouraging other parents to consider adoption, particularly sibling groups, Jack said:

 

“It’s a life-changing event, in the same way having a birth child is. Expect your life to change and invest time in it.

 

“And support is out there right until they turn 18, and we use it. If you do struggle, reach out for it.”

 

Havering Council runs regular adoption information events, the next is on Wednesday 19 November from 5.30pm at Havering Town Hall, Main Road, Romford. Anyone is welcome to attend.

 

Councillor Meg Davis, Cabinet Member for Children and Learning, said:

“National Adoption Week is a great time to hear the wonderful stories of local families who have used adoption to complete their families. Adoption is wonderful for a child who cannot live with their birth family for whatever reason.

 

“Of course there are challenges involved, as any parent of a child adopted or otherwise would tell you, but there are also huge rewards. I hope the national event this year will really raise awareness of the need to find more families willing to adopt siblings, as it is much better for children when they can be kept together.”