Turning Nazi V2 Rocket sites into Wild Flowers Memorial

 

Many thanks to Cllr Asser, Cabinet member for Environment, for getting the impact site of a West Ham ward Nazi V2 Rocket attack on 1 Feb 1945, turned into a beautiful wild flowers memorial. 29 Residents were killed that night and many more injured. 

Every time I go past this site (Now called Marriot Road after a local Firefighter also killed in that war by enemy action) I now think of similar attacks by our modern day Nazi, Vladimir Putin,on the people of Ukraine. 

West Ham ward Labour doorstep: Trees, Brexit, Cat, Knives, Parking, Care homes, Google translate & 3 John's

This morning we went door knocking in West Ham ward. It was a lovely blue sky, sunshine Sunday after a very wet and rainy Saturday.

The feedback for Labour was, as usual in Newham very positive, but we are, I think, taking a hit from Remain supporters, who are using our apparent ambiguity over Brexit to voice wider concerns about the Party.

However, come the real General election (I have given up guessing when but likely to be soon) can we win these voters back to Labour (and convert the others necessary to win) with another pragmatic but radical manifesto? Hopefully yes.

While knocking on doors I had a sensitive conversation with a man whose father had recently died and had just moved his Mum into a nursing home. He was clearing the family home to hand it back to the Council.

I also got very firm representations from a resident about a number of issues especially parking (see college bottom left).

We canvassed in Paul Street E15 where there is a Bin for knives outside the Salvation Army office. Also, Marriott Road, where there was a V2 Missile attack during World War 2 which killed 29 local residents. I believe that the road was named after firefighter, Harold Marriott, who was killed nearby during the Blitz in 1940.

3 out of the 7 canvassers were called "John" (see us on top left of college) but the young "John" showed all of us up, by being the only one to use "google translate" to explain to residents who did not speak English, why we were there. What a great idea!

London Marathon 2012 Training Wk 8: West Ham Ward

I pulled a muscle in my back last week so was a bit tender but managed to keep to the training programme. While out running I was shocked to see that there had been a serious fire in the tower block Fred Wigg House, which overlooks Wanstead Flats. Thankfully no-one was hurt, but as a housing bod, I shudder every time I look at the damage (not picture above). 

I finally took back the useless "Ironman" running watch to Sweatshop and got my money refunded. The sales assistant was very good and almost sold me a £249 all singing, all dancing GPS, heart monitor, "Motoactv" Walkman. Luckily I managed to keep my sanity and escape.  By co-incidence I have managed to work out how to download music to my Blackberry and was amazed at the sound quality.  I'm trying to see if there is a decent running "apt" I can download.

Run of the week was on Saturday. After my Council Sugary in the Community Centre, Rokeby Street, E15 (taken up with repairs and OAP internal decs) I went home but ran back to the ward for my 75 minute long run of the week.  I did a circuit of the ward.  Not really a good idea since I kept stopping to check things out and take photos of a few problems and issues.  There was a small fly-tip at the green lawn roundabout in Marriott Road.  This roundabout was the site of the bomb crater caused by this:-

"In the early hours of 1st February 1945 at 3:03 am, Hitler’s last weapon of terror, a V-2 Rocket, left a trail of death and destruction on the sleeping street. An unmanned, guided, ballistic missile that had a maximum speed of 3440 mph, flying at an altitude of 52-60 miles, and carrying a warhead of 2150lbs of high explosives dropped without warning onto the sleeping Barnby Street, at up to four times the speed of sound. The ultra-high-speed descent meant that no sound was heard by those about to be hit. The effects of the resulting explosion were catastrophic, the explosion and subsequent sonic boom were heard all over London.

On that cold winters night, in just a few short seconds 29 people lost their lives and 15 others were seriously injured. Houses were totally destroyed and the surrounding streets were severely bomb blasted". 

Check out Newham Stories.  Barnby Street (now Marriott Road) had already suffered damage from 7 previous German air raid bombings.  Newham alone suffered 40 V2 ballistic missile attacks in 1944 and 1945. The picture above was taken only a few hours after the attack. I will speak to my ward fellow ward Councillors Ron and Freda about getting some sort of memorial on this spot.

On the way back I went around Stratford Park and said a brief "hello" to one of my fellow school governors in Aileen Walk .

When I got home I felt okay and even a little smug that I had no aches and pains.  "I'm getting really fit" I thought.  Then despite stretches and resting I began to slowly stiffen up, limp and suffer.....Only another 4 months of this to go!

(I am running the London marathon next year using the official advanced training programme and will be raising funds for Homeless Youth charity "Alone in London". Click here to sponsor me).