Page 1 - HGS Suburb News 143 - Summer 2020
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www.hgs.org.uk                                                                                         Issue 143 · Summer 2020











                            Rosie the Riveter                                  VE Day, a shared               NGO volunteer, Moses
                             inspires our Suburb                                moment of                     and daughter, meet
                                girls, p5                                       Celebration, p9               the mayor, back page





        Suburb spirit rises                                                                                                                                          LIZ ISLES

           to the challenge


         Covid-19 presents


         s the country continues to   seen glimmers of that optimism
      A  ease out of lockdown, HGS   and  hope.  The  glorious  live
      residents are slowly coming out   concert  recently  performed  by
      of what has felt like a very long   the Echo Ensemble in Central
      hibernation indeed. But, we must   Square was a wonderful example
      not be complacent. COVID-19   of this. And, back in May, whilst
      is still with us – and may well be   the country was still deep in lock-
      for quite some time yet. The   down, HGS residents celebrated
      wearing of face coverings and   the 75th anniversary of VE Day.
      social  distancing have become   Bunting abounded and residents
      the new normal. Popping out   toasted other residents out on
      to our local shops in the Market   their daily constitutionals, with
      Place now means remembering to   cups of tea and slices of cake
      take a mask and hand sanitiser   from the socially distanced safety
      and facing the inevitable socially   of their driveways. We have
      distanced queuing – just like   dedicated a whole page of this
      everywhere else.           issue to VE Day and included
         Despite this, the indomitable   some  wonderful  memories
      spirit of HGS residents continues.  contributed by HGS residents.
      Over the last few months, HGS   And last (by no means least),
      societies turned to virtual   Suburb News Youth is celebrating
      platforms for the usual summer   Women. We were so impressed
      offerings: Proms At Home, The   with the SNY team’s ideas that
      Virtual Flower and Garden   we  gave  them  an  extra  page.
      Show, Virtual Walks around the   The colours used in this section
      Suburb, and the Garden Suburb   are  those  adopted  by  the
      Theatre’s performance of The   suffragette movement; purple
      Hound of the Baskervilles via   (loyalty and dignity), green
      Zoom – to name but a few. The   (hope) and white (purity),         Echo Ensemble brings hope to Suburb
      RA carried on its fundraising for   paying homage to these brave
      the NHS and HGS residents   women – many of whom lived   uburb resident Noah Max, in   studying at the Purcell School of   started his  music  career  as  a   As Noah explained, Nimrod, with
      continued collecting for food-  in the Suburb. Kate Webster’s   S  conjunction with the RA,  Music. He wanted the Ensemble   cellist but prefers the role of   all its Britishness, is his musical
      banks, cooking for NHS and   1911 Census virtual walks (part   brought much joy to those lucky   to ‘inspire hope through creativity’.  conducting, seeing the conductor   exemplar of hope. Listening to
      care-home workers and selling   of the Proms at Home) took us   enough to have been able to   Many music loving Suburbites will   as ‘a silent musician’.   this wonderful piece in the
      tie-dyed T shirts and homemade   on a fascinating tour through   purchase tickets for a wonderful   have already seen the Ensemble   It was clear the Central   delightful setting of Central
      preserves to raise much needed   the Suburb and includes many   open air concert which took   in 2018 when it opened the Proms   Square concert, was an emotional   Square, with St Jude’s as the
      funds for charities. The neighbour   of the homes occupied by the   place  in  Central  Square  on   at St Jude’s. Despite getting   experience for the Ensemble   backdrop, it certainly felt like it.
      support groups, set up right at   suffragettes and suffragists at   Sunday August 2. The tickets for   involved with a number of   and audience alike. It was hard   SHELLEY-ANNE SALISBURY
      the start of lockdown, have also   the time.          the  Echo  Ensemble  sold  out   virtual performances (a set of   not to be moved by Noah’s   Noah Max
      continued to help those still   We hope there will be plenty   within two hours. The RA Events   online concerts are planned for   obvious  elation  in  conducting
      shielding or isolating.    for everyone to enjoy in this   Team, led by Adrian Hodgson,  December 2020) Noah is keen   the talented musicians and Elgar’s      PETER McCLUSKIE
         There is no question, we are   issue.  Thank  you  for  all  your   did an amazing job of ensuring   to get back to performing in   sublime Nimrod (part of the
      living through very troubling   contributions. Please keep them   the event complied with all the   front of live audiences as “the   Enigma Variations), performed at
      times, but, to quote Rumi,  coming!                   COVID regulations and kept   audience is a very important   the very end, was the perfect way
      “There is hope after despair and   Keep well and stay safe.  everyone safe.     part of music making.” Noah   to end this special performance.
      many suns after darkness.”   SHELLEY-ANNE SALISBURY & MARIE   Echo Ensemble was founded
      Here in the Suburb, we have   CHRISTINE O’CALLAGHAN, EDITORS  by Noah in 2016 when he was
                                                                                        HGS residents show support for BLM

                                                                                          n Sunday 7th June, HGS
                         CAN WE BE YOUR                                               Oresidents Rebecca Moss and
                             SOUL AGENT?                                              Rachel Rose (both aged 24)                                                     SHELLEY-ANNE SALISBURY
                                                                                      organised a demonstration in
                                                                                      solidarity with the Black Lives
             We understand that your home is much more than just a house, it          Matter movement who staged
             is a sanctuary for your family, and meeting place, if  you will, which   mass demonstrations in Central
                                                                                      London on the weekend of the
                    presumably is rich in nostalgia and happy memories.               6th and 7th June. This was in
                                                                                      response to the death of George
             It may also be your largest tax-free asset, but this is quite separate   Floyd, a 46-year-old black man
                 from the fact that it occupies a very important part of  your        from Minneapolis, Minnesota
                                      heart and soul.                                 who died after a white police
                                                                                      officer had knelt on his neck for
            We most certainly understand the importance and emotional wrench          almost nine minutes while Floyd
               that moving home can represent to a family and we share and            was handcuffed and lying face   Rebecca Moss and Rachel Rose (front centre) at the local BLM solidarity.
                                                                                                                 demonstration they organised
                                                                                      down on the ground. Floyd had
           empathise with your concerns, if  you allow us to be your ‘Soul Agent’.    been arrested on suspicion of   who applauded and drivers   A  member  of  the  Finchley
                                                                                      using a counterfeit banknote.  passing through on the A41  Allstars, a Nigerian football
             Much to our surprise in the post lockdown era, we have sold or let a     Rebecca and  Rachel  said they   hooted in solidarity.  team, who play in Lyttelton
           significant number of  homes in the Suburb, at remarkably good prices.     had initially wanted to join the   As Rebecca and Rachel said   Playing Fields on Sundays, said,
                                                                                      main demonstration in Central  “This was a way of doing  “every voice helps to get the
                                                                                      London but due to Covid-19 didn’t   something in a local way... we   message out, whatever their
                          CELEBRATING                                                 feel comfortable so decided to   hope this will push new   ethnicity and social class. It’s
                            OVER
                                                                                      hold a local demonstration. Using   conversations  around  the  also  important  to  remember
                                                                                      social media they were able to   dinner table bringing local   this is a ‘human’ struggle and
                                                                                      gather around fifty demonstrators   awareness to these issues.” Both   not just a black issue. All racism,
                          YEARS TRADING
                                                                                      who stood with their placards in   Rebecca and Rachel feel they   all intolerances need to be
                                                                                      the Market Place. They attracted   are  using  their  ‘privilege’  to   stamped out.”
                                                                                      quite a number of local residents  “amplify black voices”.   SHELLEY-ANNE SALISBURY
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