The Old Ford and Bow Festival in review

Arts in East End, Events near Bow, E3, History, News in and around Bow, The Geezers
The Pearlies with Geezers Chair, Eddie Snooks, and Old Ford Festival organiser Carolyn Clark

On April 26th and 27th, the Geezers, with the help of 35 volunteers, celebrated past and  present life in Old Ford, Bow with a Festival in the Ecology Pavilion in Mile End Park. Some 1400 attendees came over the two days including the MP for Stratford and Bow. 79% were from Tower Hamlets, and some former residents travelled from Essex and Kent to share memories and stories. Here’s some photos from the weekend.

A group of people at a fair AI-generated content may be incorrect.
A group of people at a table AI-generated content may be incorrect.
Kelly’s fantastic museum stall with Sue Venning at the front, the history exhibition on the right and art workshops on the left.

HISTORY EXHIBITION

A large history exhibition with six roll-up banners, four maps, and nine panels greeted visitors and stimulated a lot of discussions.

  • Looking at the maps.
  • Looking at the maps.
  • Looking at the maps.

900 copies of the Community History Map leaflet were handed out.

A group of people standing in a room AI-generated content may be incorrect.
Viewing and talking about the history exhibition

OLD FORD MUSEUM

We gathered together objects from Old Ford’s past to create a museum. Items included a decorated milk churn made for shop display by Skidmores in Fairfield Road, John Tann’s safe plaque from St Stephen’s Road, Arber’s printing blocks going back over 100 years for  Goldsmith’s in Saxon Road business cards, Bryant and May matches for the Festival of Britain and a ‘Poplar Night’ badge from 1951 Festival of Britain and weighing scales from Murray Hart’s family fruit stall in the Roman Road.

ART EXHIBITION – LOCAL ARTISTS, LOCAL SCENES

Aspects of the art exhibition featuring local scenes and including Sara Heywood’s work with local photographer Nigel Hendeson’s photographic techniques.

WORKSHOPS

The five art workshops at the festival were:

Alpona painting with Julie Begum: a traditional Bangladeshi art form of motifs, patterns, and symbols that are painted on floors and walls with paints made from rice flour, on religious occasions or weddings.
Canal Art led by Sally Hone: decorating with the traditional canalware decorative technique of castles and roses.
Mark Making, Drawing, and Heritage:  creative workshop using old photographs of the local area. Through mark making and drawing, participants will reimagine East London’s heritage and create new collaborative artworks. 
Woodworking with Kevin Harrison: people made their own wooden boats reflecting the narrowboats on the canal
  • Drawing workshop with Joy Girvin of local scenes: based on old photos
  • Drawing workshop with Joy Girvin of local scenes: based on old photos
  • Drawing workshop with Joy Girvin of local scenes: based on old photos

STALLS

Stalls and activities were:

  • Tower Hamlets History Library and Archives
  • Kelly’s Pie and Mash Shop Museum
  • East London History Society
  • Festival Tombola 
  • Cranbrook Estate Community Garden
  • St Barnabas Church
  • Friends Mile End Park
  • Geezers’ film show
  • The Geezers Pub Games incl Shove Ha’penny and corn hole
  • Carrom
  • Artists Jane Smith
  • Artist Ali Smith
  • Some of the stalls, including East End Womens’ Institute Tea and Cakes stall and seating and entertainment area.
  • Some of the stalls, including East End Womens’ Institute Tea and Cakes stall and seating and entertainment area.
Volunteers and punters on the Festival Tombola Stall, which raised over £300

GAMES

  • There were games for all from pub games to carrom.
  • There were games for all from pub games to carrom.
  • There were games for all from pub games to carrom.

ENTERTAINMENT

A fantastic range of entertainment was provided by:

  • Esther Whyatt & Friends (accordion)  
  • Abdiel’s Pearl (fusion of spiritualised jazz, English romanticism and Sufi poetry
  • Matt, Hannah and Rowan Early with Terence O’Flaherty (an Irish flavour)
  • Ayşe Yaman Project (a Turkish flavour)
  • Pan Vibration (steel pan)
  • Esther Whyatt & the Pearlies sing along
  • Bobby Bubbles (outside)

THANK YOU

Finally, a big thank you to everyone who came and contributed to the day. Not least to people who gave their stories and photos and were able to see themselves exhibited!

  • Murray Hart, John Goldsmith and family
  • Cathy and Dave Parker