West Ham Remembrance Sunday 2024

 

This morning I joined the Congregation at the 12th Century All Saints Church in West Ham with my fellow Councillors, for the Service of Remembrance.  As well as local residents and veterans, there were Council, Police and Fire Brigade Officers as well as soldiers from the local Army Reserve unit, The 7th Battalion, The Rifles. 

The service was led by Rev'd Farida Pashi and was, as always, very moving and thoughtful. The choir are particularly good. Councillor Winston Vaughan, who served in the British Army (in a conflict zone) recited in full the Ode of Remembrance ("For the Fallen" by Laurence Binyon). 

This year I had been asked to lay a Parliamentary wreath on behalf of the new MP for West Ham and Beckton, James Asser, who was at Silvertown Remembrance service. 

Afterwards I had a chat and catch up with colleagues and residents and then a brief look around this amazing and historic church. 

Newham Council Annual General Meeting 2023

Yesterday evening was the Formal Annual General Meeting of the London Borough of Newham Council in the Old Town Hall in Stratford. It is the nearest we usually get to "pomp and ceremony" in Newham Council meetings. 

On the way in we were lobbied effectively by a well organised branch of the local Rental Union on tenants rights. 

At the start of the meeting, we had terrific songs  by a local primary school choir.  It was nice to see the outgoing Chair of Council (in a Executive Mayor Council such as Newham, this position is somewhat similar to a traditional Civic Ceremonial Mayor) Cllr Winston Vaughan, in his red robes, fur and cocked hat being given a lovely send off. The new Chair, Cllr Rohima Rahman, also wore red robes but as the first female Chair of Bangladeshi descent in Newham, also wore her traditional headdress. 

She was a very good chair and had to deal with the obligatory "shouty" protest in the hall which disrupted the meeting for 15 minutes and then some sharp political debates about committee positions between the Labour Group and the 2 Green Councillors. For my pennyworth I must say that I found it disconcerting that our Greens make a play as being the Party of democracy and principle but then went on to make some pretty partizan and frankly, silly, claims over their influence and "achievements". 

My long standing Colleague, Cllr Stephen Brayshaw made some very pointed remarks while, our Executive Mayor, Rokhsana Fiaz, also pointed out some pretty obvious inaccuracies in what had been said by them. 

Afterwards there was some nice snacks in the Courtyard, then my ward colleague, John Whitworth and I, went off to a quiet beer (or two) at the nearby, King Eddies. 

Emergency Fundraising Dinner for Turkiye & Syria - Sisters Forum

This evening I went to support a fundraising dinner being held for disaster relief of victims of the recent deadly earthquake in Turkey and Syria.  I think all of us have been pretty shocked by the media footage of the death and devastation caused and the plight of the survivors. 

The hall was fully booked and well supported by local residents including the Mayor, Chair of Council and other Councillors. Also many people from outside Newham. 

There was a number of powerful speakers but the most powerful and personal one was by Hulya Yilmza, who is from the region in Turkey that has been most affected. She described the loss of her family members and friends and some of the horrible injuries they had suffered. 

Many thanks to my Councillor colleague, Sabia Kamali, the Sisters Forum and sponsors for organising this important event so quickly and running it so well. 

You can donate online https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/emergency-earthquake

Newham & Sadiq supporting Jon Cruddas as Labour Candidate for Dagenham & Rainham

Today I was with Newham Mayor, Rokhsana Fiaz & comrades from East & West Ham (and other parts of London) to support Jon Cruddas, Labour Candidate in Dagenham & Rainham. London Labour Mayor, Sadiq Khan, was also there.

After the obligatory photos, we went off in a Newham campaign team. I was "running the board" (giving out names and addresses for canvassers to call upon to see if they are supporting Labour and then recording the result).

We only got hopeless lost once (I blame google maps). We found our destination the traditional way by asking a local shop keeper!

The round was mostly blocks of flats which are notoriously hard to get through the entry door but residents were (mostly) happen to "buzz" us in so we were able to talk properly to them.

Dagenham & Rainham is a Labour held "marginal" and Jon has been the MP for the area since 2001 (obviously he is now not an MP following the dissolution of Parliament for the General Election but the Labour Candidate).

I found support for Jon and Labour to be strong and he is obviously respected as a hard working Constituency MP but we should not take any marginal for granted. I left slightly early to be a UNISON speaker at a Trades Council Rally against public sector cuts.

West Ham Parish Church (All Saints) Remembrance Sunday 10th November 2019

This morning I attended yet another beautiful Remembrance Sunday service at the historic 12th Century West Ham Parish Church. I am a local West Ham Ward Councillor but I was there today to represent Newham Council as Deputy Mayor together with Deputy Cabinet lead for Children Service's, Cllr Carleene Lee-Phakoe (who had brought her delightful 11 year old daughter) and our Council's Chief Legal Officer, Daniel Fenwick.

There was soldiers from our local regiment 7 Rifles present and other voluntary groups with a number of former military veterans proudly wearing their medals including Cllr Winston Vaughan,  who served in the British Army during the Aden Emergency.

The Rev’d Canon Alex Summers conducted the service and gave a moving sermon during which he mentioned how he and his young family had visited the graves of his relatives who died in battle during the first world war. He made an important point that will future generations with the passage of time forget what has happened in these Wars?

We all hope not. If we forget how horrible and wasteful war is then it is more likely to occur again (and again).

St Matthews public meeting on Crime and ASB

A lovely picture from last Friday evening when Councillors and officers met Residents and Police to discuss how to tackle jointly crime and anti-social behaviour in the area (Forest Gate South ward adjacent to Romford Road).

The meeting was Chaired by Cllr Shaban Mohammed and went in my view really well with constructive but frank views expressed and received. Residents seemed to have been pleased with recent changes (thanks to the new ward Council Housing liaison officers who have been very proactive). Residents let us know that they expected us to deliver for them.

The Police and the Council undertook to support residents with improved enforcement action and also for housing to make improvements in order to try and "design out crime".

We also had a decent discussion about the impact that Government cuts to Police numbers and local authority grants has had. 

I have never been inside St Matthews Church before and did not realise how large it is and its beautiful stained glass windows. It parish war memorial from the first world war was also striking and it stuns you how many local men were killed in a relatively small London parish. There were also 3 family plaques on the walls remembering the war time deaths of young parishioners.

Hamfrith walkabouts then residents meeting (& being 91 years young)

This morning I went on my 3rd recent walkabout of the Hamfirth estate area with Newham Council Technical, Caretaking and Repairs officers to produce an action plan to this evenings' meeting with residents at the Atherton Leisure Centre, E7.

We are going to do 3 things on this estate to tackle serious Crime and Anti-social behaviour. Firstly, work together collectively with residents, stakeholders such as the Police, Council officers and Councillors. Secondly, improve cleaning, caretaking and maintenance of green spaces and thirdly design out crime by fencing off, closing criminal escape routes and improved lighting/security.

Tonight meeting was a little tough in parts since many residents feel they have been let down in the past and that the ASB problems on the estate impact so badly on their every day lives. Local resident Sian and I don't always agree on everything but we both know we are in our different ways trying to deliver the best for residents.

There is now an action plan which will be distributed to all residents, we have for the first time in many years, named Newham Housing officers who are responsible for the estate and we will support residents in setting up a much needed local tenants and residents association.

Many thanks for attending to our Newham Council Housing liaison officers, our enforcement officer and Councillors Winston Vaughan, Maz Patel and James Beckles (Cabinet lead for ASB/Enforcement)

The star of our show tonight,  was our oldest Hamfirth resident (we think) who is 91 years young and has lived on the estate for 66 years. As the badge says (bottom left of college) a "very kind 91 young lady" (she is bottom right of college standing to my immediate left).

West Ham All Saints Remembrance Service Sunday 11 November 2018

On Sunday I represented the Mayor and Newham Council at the 1918-2018 Remembrance Ceremony at West Ham Parish Church All Saints with Chair of Council Cllr Joy Laguda and our Director of Finance, Michael O'Donnell. With our local MP Lyn Brown, we each laid a wreath of poppies together with G Company 7 Rifles (our local British Army Reservist unit based nearby in West Ham), Police, British Legion and local residents.

It was good to see a large contingent of soldiers in uniform from our local regiment 7 Rifles present. In past Remembrance ceremonies at this Church, members of G Company had been on active service in Iraq and Afghanistan.  I am now of an age, that they all look too young to put their lives at risk and wish that fighting for all countries and all beliefs was only restricted to older folk such as myself over the age 50.  I doubt that many wars would still happen if this was so.

Chair of Newham Councillor Scrutiny Committees, Cllr John Whitworth and Councillor Winston Vaughan also attended (Cllr Vaughan is a British Army Veteran) While local Cllr, Jane Lofthouse actually had a lovely singing voice (and saved the reputation of the Council since none of us could hold a note).

Newham Council had supported 8 separate Remembrance events across the borough this historic weekend with the Mayor, Cabinet, Senior officers and Councillors attending.

The new Parish Priest, Revd Cannon Alex Summers, led an excellent and moving service (despite a heavy cold) and spoke about two of his great uncles, who were killed in the first world war. He and his young family had visited the war cemetery of one of his uncles in France and noted that the graves of British and German dead were buried alongside each other. It seemed fitting that former enemies were laid in peace together. I completely agree.

The Church is a beautiful Grade 1 listed building and was founded in the 12th Century.  I recommend a visit. There is a Beethoven Concert there on 24 November 2018 which I sadly cannot attend due to pre booked clash.

After the ceremony my wife Gill and I went over to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to view the "Shrouds from the Somme". Visit, look and listen to the endless names of the unidentified dead. It is heartbreaking.

Newham Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday 2016 :Remembering West Ham Pals

Picture collage incorporating last Friday's moving 11/11 Armistice Day service at the Central Park Cenotaph and the following Sunday Remembrance Day service at the historic West Ham All Saints Church.  West Ham MP Lyn Brown laid a wreath on behalf of Newham (top right).

Top left of collage is a picture of Cllr Winston Vaughan, who I think is now the only elected Newham Councillor to have been on active service in the UK Armed Forces. He is seen wearing his campaign medal resulting from the Aden Emergency in 1967.  Cllr Ann Easter is pictured with her husband Christopher Owens who is a Chaplain to the Newham Sea Cadets.

The Remembrance Service at All Saints on Sunday 13 November was also particularly moving since I was aware that it was the 100th anniversary to the day of a very bloody "Battle of the Somme" First World War attack at Quadrilateral, France by the locally recruited "West Ham Pals" Battalion.

During the service a young,  newly commissioned Lieutenant from the local Army Reserve Battalion "7 Rifles" gave a reading and also then talked about his experiences of comradeship and team building as a soldier. Like me he had first joined the (then) Territorial Army at University.