Exploring Amy Johnson - Kingsbury Library, Tuesday 28 June at 11am

 Guest post by Philip Grant

 

An early biography of Amy Johnson from 1933  

 

Ever since the amazing solo flight to Australia in May 1930 that shot her to fame, Amy Johnson’s story has been an inspiration to both women and men, young and old. Now anyone who can spare an hour next Tuesday morning can enjoy a free creative coffee morning event at Kingsbury Library, seeing and hearing her story, and having the chance to put that inspiration on paper in their own words.

 

As a local historian, I’m proud of Amy’s time in Kingsbury, learning to fly at Stag Lane Aerodrome, and living in Roe Green while she worked to become a qualified aircraft engineer at the London Aeroplane Club there. 

 

This time, it’s not me who is sharing Amy’s story with you, but Amanda Epe of FlygirlsUK, beginning with the short film “Flying from Brent”, which she made as part of a “Being Brent” project with Brent Museum and Archives last year.

 

Sadie Kempner as Amy Johnson, in Amanda Epe’s film “Flying from Brent”

 

You can get further details of this free event, and register your interest, on the Brent Libraries Eventbrite page. It may not inspire you to go off and fly solo to Australia (that needed a lot of hard work, determination and planning), but I feel pretty sure that you’ll both enjoy the event and come out feeling more positive!

 

Amy Johnson climbing into “Jason”, her Gypsy Moth biplane, to set off for Australia

 

I hope you can make it to Kingsbury Library on Tuesday, but even if you can’t, there is a self-guided walk (a collaboration between Amanda and me) that you can enjoy at any time, “In Amy Johnson’s Footsteps, through Kingsbury and Queensbury”.

 

Philip Grant.

Letter: More great local history opportunities from “Being Brent”

 Dear Editor,

 

In a letter last month I wrote about “Flying from Brent”, and some of the other Heritage and Wellbeing projects being facilitated by Brent Museum and Archives as part of their “Being Brent” programme. There are now more “gems” from this project that your readers might like to know about, and take part in, so I’m writing to share the details with them. 

 

Brent Heritage Tours – Willesden logo

 

After a number of popular guided walks during the autumn, Brent Heritage Tours are going “online” for January 2022, with three free illustrated talks on Friday evenings. Tickets can be booked via their Eventbrite pages here:

 

"Queen's Park - Past and Present":  Friday 14 January at 7pm (to 8.30pm):
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/queens-park-past-and-present-tickets-180818451857?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

 

 

"Willesden - Past and Present":  Friday 21 January at 7pm:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/willesden-past-and-present-tickets-180847889907?aff=ebdsoporgprofile 

 

 

 

Postcard of the High Road, Willesden Green, c.1900.

 

 

"Welsh Harp - Past and Present":  Friday 28 January at 7pm:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/welsh-harp-past-and-present-tickets-180984247757?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

They will be back with free “live” guided walks from February (numbers on each walk are limited so book early if you are interested), and also have self-guided trails that you can download to explore in your own time. More details on their website at: https://brent-heritage.co.uk/

 

I hope that readers enjoyed my series of articles last month about Ram Singh Nehra and his family. The story of Brent’s multiracial and mixed-race community is one area of our social history which has not received much attention, but another “Being Brent” project is hoping to shine more light on it, with a digital exhibition planned for March 2022. 

 

 

The curators of “By the Cut of Their Cloth”, local artist Warren Reilly and director of The Mixed Museum, Chamion Caballero, need your help to collect as wide a range of memories and photos as possible, to make a permanent record celebrating our community’s rich history of migration and mixing. They are holding two online “open days”, on Saturday 15 January (10am to 4pm) and Sunday 16 January (12noon to 4pm). If you have stories you would like to share, you can find more information, and “book" a private zoom meeting with them, at:

 

https://mixedmuseum.org.uk/news/btcotc-open-days-booking-now-live/   and,

 

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/by-the-cut-of-their-cloth-open-day-tickets-231641404677

 

I hope you will take, and enjoy, these opportunities. For more about “Being Brent”, and links to the videos already produced from a variety of projects, you can find details on their website. Best wishes,

Philip Grant.

Windrush Celebrations: Brent trip to Tilbury where Empire Windrush arrived. Saturday 20th July

From Learning Through Arts

Our non-profit organisation; Learning Through The Arts is currently running a Brent-based heritage project surrounding Windrush Celebrations titled; The Story of Windrush Migrants. 

We are running a trip to Tilbury Dock, London International Cruise Terminal. This project, a partnership between Learning Through The Arts and The Brent Museum & Archives commemorates the 70th anniversary of the arrival of Empire Windrush in 1948.

There will be a £10 cost for the trip - please do bring this along with you on the day and you will receive a receipt.

We will meet at 9:15 at The Library at Willesden Green, 95 High Rd, Willesden, London NW10 2SF for a prompt departure of 9:30am to arrive to Tilbury Cruise Terminal, RM18 7NG. 

We will aim to arrive by 11am. 

There will be time for a rest break before the tours begin at 11:15. They will last approximately 1 hour. 

There will be activities for us to enjoy after that time and the Carnival procession will arrive at the site at approximately 13:15. There will be performances, workshops and food available to purchase throughout the day with the event closing at 16:00. 

We will then take the coach back to the drop off point of Willesden Green Library hopefully arriving back by no later than 6/6:30pm.

For more information about the day do visit the organisers website  http://tilburycarnival.tott.org.uk

Back from the Western Front: African Soldiers of the Great War in Britain - Launch 18th October Willesden Green Library

They Also Served from RVS Film:Edit:Encode:Broadcast on Vimeo.

Launch event 6-7.30pm on 18th October 2017 and Exhibition running until 8th January 2018 at 12am, Exhibition Space, Willesden Library Centre, 95 High Rd, London 

See events in: Exhibition, Museum and Archives, Museum and Archives – exhibitions

Brent Museum and Archives and Learning through the Arts are working together on ‘Back from the Western Front: African Soldiers of the Great War in Britain’ – an exciting community research and exhibition project which will explore the legacy of African soldiers in the First World War.

The project is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and will explore the heritage, sacrifices and contributions of soldiers of African origin at The Western Front as well as the challenges of resettlement, for these soldiers returning to Britain in the immediate aftermath of the war between 1918-19.

Angelina Osborne and Yewande Okuleye are Sankofa Rising, a project collaboration where they have a shared interest in recovering "untold stories" about Afro-Caribbean and African histories. The focus on WW1 commemoration has presented opportunities for both historians to curate community exhibitions.

Angelina curated They Also Served exhibition

Yewande  worked with volunteers at the Brent Museum and curated Back from the Western Front .

They are asking for support from anyone interested for their next project. They will visit Littlehampton Cemeteryin West Sussex where three members of the South African Labour Corps are buried.  The men were on the SS Mendi which sank on the 21st February. At the ceremony on November 4th at the cemetery they will perform a reading and lay wreaths and commemorate those men buried far away from home.

If you would like to take part in this initiative contact Yewande  sankofarisingnow@gmail.com There is no funding for the project. A return ticket from London to Littlehampton is about £30 but cheaper options may be available.

African soldiers of the Great War - Kingsbury Library Sept 26th

'WE ARE THE LIONS' Grunwick40 Exhibition opening soon. Can you help?

From Grunwick 40

We are the Lions Exhibition

October 19th 2016 to March 26th  2017
Open Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm; Saturday Sunday 10 am to 5pm

The Library at Willesden Green

Forty years ago a group of workers in a backstreet Willesden factory stood up to their unfair bosses and kickstarted one of the longest and most important industrial disputes in British history.  Led by Asian women, the strike challenged stereotypes, changed the face of white male trade unions and inspired others to speak out against injustice.

We need volunteers

• To sit in the gallery and oversee the space
• Where possible engage people in the exhibition and the activity space for families.
• Commit to at least 5 sessions between October and April.  A session can be all day or a half day.   The exhibition is open during library hours including weekends

We can offer:

• Briefing and training about the exhibition. ( First briefing planned for Oct 20th 4.30pm)
• Expenses up to £10 a session to cover out of pocket expenses 
• Museum work  experience and references where appropriate

Reply to G40Volunteers@gmail.com
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Free Harlesden family history course begins on February 6th

Plaque in Hazeldene Road - find out about YOUR family history

Harlesden Routes is a free family history programme LINK which will run between January to March 2013 to support local people in taking the first steps in learning and researching their family history. We are looking for committed individuals who live, work and/ or have strong family connections with Harlesden. Participants must be willing to develop a case study based on interviews and or research of an aspect of their family history which can be shared with others locally.

Harlesden is a culturally diverse area with many untold stories and experiences of local history and migration which makes the area a positive and inclusive place to live and work. Every Generation mission is to promote the oral and family heritage of the lives and history of local communities.

The Harlesden Routes Course will start on February 6th with all activities taking place on a Wednesday evening at the Unity Centre LINK. In addition there also be a trip to Brent Museum and Archives and the ‘Who Do You Think You Are’ family history exhibition at Olympia.

The session will cover different aspects of family history using local records and online archives, using photographs, social history, creative writing, interviewing techniques and the importance of DNA.

Harlesden Routes is a partnership which involves Every Generation, Catalyst Gateway, and Brent Museum and Archives. The projected is funded by Harlesden Community First and LIFT.

Place are limited so please email patrick@everygeneration.co.uk for an application form or further details.