|
News & Events
September 2008
TimeLine was happy to take part in the Hackney Day Limmud, a day of learning organised by the Jewish community in Hackney. We organised an exhibition of images of the history of Hackney (many provided courtesty of the Hackney Archives Department), and arranged a stall where visitors to the day could take part in the Where in the World? Heritage Chart project.
July 2008
To celebrate lots of different things - including Hackney becoming a Fairtrade Borough, local history, Big Dance Week and our own third birthday, we had a brilliant Heritage Fair. There was the Where in the World? Heritage Chart, Nonsuch Dance, John Hegley, George Alagiah, fair trade lucky dip, and a great raffle, thanks to lots of local businesses. A huge thankyou to all the people who helped make it a really fun day, and to help us raise funds to for future TimeLine projects.
June 2008
We had so much news from the last months that we didn't have the time to keep this section of our website up to date - very sorry about that. So we are going to catch up on some of it now. The first thing to tell you is that in March George Alagiah OBE did us the honour of agreeing to become a Patron of TimeLine, so we now have seven Patrons, one for every day of the week! You can read about them all here.
In May Issue 18 came out, which was the special edition of TimeLine about Tesco, and how it started right here in Hackney. It seems like that was our most popular issue so far, so it feels like we are going in the right direction.
We decided that we wanted to have a really huge fundraising event in the summer, to celebrate three things - local history, fair trade (which has links back to Hackney to the time when lots of local people were involved in the slave trade - some of them making pots of money out of the poor people who they treated as their slaves, and some who worked so hard to stop slavery) - and TimeLine's third birthday.
So we have been planning our Heritage Fair, which will be lovely TimeLine Live! event, based in Abney Public Hall on Sunday July 13th. We think that if you like reading TimeLine, you will really like our Fair: you can read more about it if you click here, and there is lots more about it in Issue 19. There are going to be loads of fun activities and events (you can see the draft timetable here) and you will probably meet lots of our fantastic friends - grown ups and children, some who you will know because they live near you, or because you went to school with them way back when, or even because you've seen them on the TV. It should be lots of fun, with fancy dress for anyone that feels like it (the two themes are history and fair trade) and will end up with Nonsuch History & Dance performing a totally unique dance event to celebrate the London Big Dance Festival - first in Abney Park Cemetery and then in the 18th century building which nowadays is the home of yumyum Thai restaurant.
So many people have been supporting our Fair in lots of different ways, and we hope that it will mean that everybody should have a brilliant day. And if you would like to get a 15% discount at some local shops and restaurants on 13th July, don't forget you can buy a TimeLine Card in advance from 1st July for £5.00 at either Ved News (at 117 Stoke Newington Church Street) or Hamdy's News (at 167 Stoke Newington High Street) - or buy it at the Heritage Fair on the day. You will be able to get discounts at lots of the fantastic shops and restaurants, and enjoy the day even more!
The Heritage Fair will be just over three years after the very first issue of TimLine came out, so we are celebrating our birthday. When it all started, we could not have imagined what would happen. Some of the things we are really pleased about are:
There have been eighteen issues so far - altogether over 90,000 actual magazines have been distributed about Hackney history! It is estimated that 20,000 of all sorts of people read each issue of TimeLine, and enjoy finding out more snappy snippets about the history of Hackney. It is read by children and their families, commuters read it on the bus, and other people pick it up at the gym, and lots of older people who have lived in Hackney all their lives. We keep hearing from people who have been enjoying reading it and doing the games and quizzes, so it must be doing something right!
It is also great that we have been able publicise - and help support - dozens of other charities and not- for-profit organisations on the website and in the magazine. We have also helped lots of different Hackney people tell their stories and share their memories, so that thousands of other people can read about them and their loved ones.
Thousands more people look at our website every month: the average number of visits daily in May was 123: our very favourite statistic is that if you search for "TimeLine" in Yahoo!, our website "TimeLine Magazine ... Fun and Facts about Stoke Newington & Hackney ..."
comes at number seventeen out of 183 million! So our charitable purpose, which is to "educate the public in the history and heritage of Stoke Newington, Hackney and neighbouring areas" is definitely being fulfilled - and lots of people are having fun reading the magazine and doing projects with us along the way.
We have always been struggling financially because we still do not receive any funding to pay for the printing of the magazine, or to help us make this website: all of our applications for grants have been turned down in the last year - we think it might be because it is difficult to understand what TimeLine is all about if you don't see it - or maybe people think we secretly have loads of money tucked away, which we don't. The people who make TimeLine do it because they are committed to improving sharing their skills through a lifeline learning project - and have to manage without earning any money. So, if you want to support TimeLine, here are some of the things you could do: make a donation to our charity, using Gift Aid if you are UK taxpayer; complete a feedback form - and come and enjoy our Heritage Fair. There are lots more ideas on the Support Us page of this website.
So, here's to TimeLine's fourth year!
FEBRUARY 2008
There is lots to report from February. Some of it is good news and very exciting for us, some of it
is not so positive and there is one piece of really terrible news. It is so sad that it is hard to write it:
on February 21st our wonderful friend and brilliant artist Tony Hall died of cancer. He did cartoons
and pictures all of his life, often for some of the most famous newspapers and magazines. We feel
very lucky that he teamed up with TimeLine to make the wonderful picture stories about John Howard,
Olaudah Equiano and Anne Frank, as well as lots of drawings you can see on the website, and
endless picture jokes and fun for our Art Editor. We miss him dreadfully, and send our very best
wishes to Libby, who shared Tony's life for 42 years. In the next issue we will put some more of
Tony's pictures that we think you will like.
 Tony loved Hackney, and he took thousands of photographs and did hundreds of
drawings of places in Hackney: in issue 17 there was a page specially for Tony, that we called
Word on the Streets. It was all about one of Tony's heroes, Henry Mayhew, who wrote about
the poor of London. We were very sad that Tony did not live to see the page that was inspired by
him, full of the voices of Hackney people from Victorian days. Just like those people, we are sure
that Tony's voice will live on - through his pictures.
So, apart from that very bad news ........ well, it is great to be able to say that TimeLine is now a
Registered Charity (Charity Number 1122520), and we are so lucky that our Patrons have publicly
given their support by lending their names to TimeLine. You can read more about Nicola Baboneau,
Revd. R. Gualter de Mello MBE, Professor Lord Desai, Jonathan Freedland, Catherine McGuinness
and Professor Morag Shiach here.
And .... we did go along to the Educators' Awards Ceremony, and were ever so pleased that we
had been shortlisted for one of the trophies. We did not win - a fantastic organisation called
Reach Out!, which does brilliant work in Hackney came first. But coming second or third out of
all the community groups in Hackney, having fun at a huge party and meeting lots of lovely people
who are all working for education in Hackney was quite special for us. You can find out more about Reach Out! if you click here.
Lastly, it is important for us to say something about the way that TimeLine is used. Making
TimeLine involves a huge amount of research and other work (which is largely done by volunteers).
As we have made clear, the copyright of what appears in TimeLine belongs to TimeLine. Of
course we want lots of people to learn more about Hackney by reading our magazines and this
website, and we are delighted when individuals or organisations builds on our work, for example
as the Hackney Shed Theatre Group has done (see issue 17) but you must please ask us first.
People are not allowed to copy what they find here without our permission. So, if you want to
use something we have written, or base something you are doing on information you found out from TimeLine, please make sure to e-mail (
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
) or phone us (07947 667652)
first. We will almost certainly say yes, but we may also need you to credit us: we need to know how TimeLine is being used to measure its success - which will in turn help us attract funding so that we
can make more TimeLines for you to enjoy.
And, if you have a website: if you enjoy TimeLine, something else you can do help other people
get the best out of it too is to put a link to our website on your own. Thank you!
JANUARY 2008
We have had a really fun start to the New Year, with lots more ideas for TiimeLine, nice messages from people who are enjoying TimeLiine online, and telling us their Hackney stories, which we can pass on to readers. And we have had a letter from The Learning Trust to tell us that TimeLine has been shortlisted for the Community Organisation Award, which is part of their 2008 Educators' Awards: TimeLine has been selected for its "outstanding contribution". So that's nice!
Our History Club projects in partnership with Jubilee School are going nicely, with lots of work coming up. We are very happy to work in partnership with any Hackney school or community group - so if you would like to find out about ways we can help you do more fun history & heritage things, advertise achievements or publicise projects you are especially proud of, please contact us on: eb
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
DECEMBER 2007
Issue 16 came out in December - with stories about Dick Whittington and the panto at the Hackney Empire over the years; how three Hackney children got to try out the games at the fantastic new Launchpad at the Science Museum; Jack Whitehead and his new local history website, Rene Broider's prize-winning story called "The Letter". Plus, the online issue also has stories about Brooke House, and King Henry VIII; the Lea Bridge Roundabout, trees, chrysanthemums and the Rochester Castle pub. And lots of quizzes and competitions of course.
Our fund-raising plans for the Autumn did not work out well. So, although we have not been able to send TimeLine around to the schools this time, we hope that lots of people will find it in the local libraries, shops, museums, hospitals as well as online. If you, your school or organisation would like to receive printed copies of TimeLine, please remember that you can join a TimeLine Club (oh go on, you know you want to) - or if you can't do that, please put a link to this website on your own website, to help teachers, children and their families to access TimeLine online - and letters of support are always handy for us to show to potential funders.
Meanwhile, we have applied to register as a charity, and hope to be registered as a charity early in 2008.
So, seasonal greetings to everyone and very best wishes for a happy and peaceful 2008.
SEPTEMBER 2007
Issue 15 has come out: it is about lots of things that are to do with books and reading; coaches,
horses and lots of other animals; crime and criminals; circuses and clowns - with plenty of quizzes
and games of course!
A really important thing we have discovered is that we do not receive all the e-mails that are
sent to us through the website! Nobody can explain to us why that is, and it feels terrible that there
are messages you are sending to us that we cannot receive. So ...... PLEASE NOTE that it is best to
contact us by:
e-mail
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
telephone 07947 667652
letter PO Box 44684 London N16 0XY
We are really pleased to welcome Guadalupe Marengo to TimeLine (you can see a letter from her
in Issue 14). Guada lives in Stoke Newington is the Deputy Director for the America Program of
Amnesty International. She is committed both to working for human rights internationally, and
to improving the opportunities of people living in the richly multi-cultural communities here at
home in Hackney.
We are delighted - and a bit amazed! - to see that thousands of people are now using this website.
It shows hwhat a totally fascinating place Hackney is. We will make some more games and quizzes
to go on the site as soon as we can. If you would like to see your name on the website or in the
magazine - how about writing something for us (it could be a review of a show or an exhibition;
some memories of when you were growing up in Hackney - or somewhere else in the world; or
your journey to Hackney from another country; or about a project you are doing that people would
like to read about) or how about drawing us a picture or sending in a joke. We are always really
pleased o hear from individuals - or groups in Hackney - with their contributions.
Issue 16 will not be out until December, once we have done some other important jobs (especially
having another go at raising funds to secure TimeLine's future). It is sad for us when we have to
iss printing a planned issue, but if we don't have the money to do it, there is no alternative. We have
always survived, but the route has been precarious. So, if you would like to help TimeLine in the ways
we have described on the Support Us page of this website - please don't be shy!
Please contact us at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
JUNE 2007
You are looking at our big news right now – this website – which started just in time for our second
birthday. We are very excited about finally getting it started, and have to thank Awards for All for
giving us the funds so we could have a proper website. www.awardsforall.org.uk We are sorry if you
find it is slow, or the text not big enough - we are seeing what can be done about that. (Some people
find it is easier to set the "Text Size" to a higher level, or to use the "zoom" button on their own computer).
In the meantime: if you find a mistake please tell us. Please have fun trying out the website - there are
lots of things to do and to look at - and if you would like to send us a story or a picture we will be looking
for more things to put up on the website for lots of people to see. We would really like to hear what you
think of the website, so please contact us to let us know.
|
|
|
News & Events