Recently in Newington Green Category
The Richard Price Annual Memorial Lecture ~ Unitarian Church, Newington Green N16
Frankenstein's Bodies Today
The annual lecture will be given by the influential author and psychoanalyst Professor Susie Orbach. The title of the lecture links Orbach's sphere of work, the Unitarian Church and one of the famous members of its congregation, Mary Wollstonecraft - author, early feminist and mother of Mary Shelley, the author of 'Frankenstein'.
Susie Orbach co-founded the Women's Therapy Centre in North London and has written a number of books exploring issues such as gender, women's psychology and eating difficulties. Orbach is well known for her first book, 'Fat is a Feminist Issue' (1978) and her latest book is 'Bodies' (2009).
If you are interested in the Alexander Technique you are probably interested in your own body and you may find it revealing and informative to learn more about our society's attitudes towards our bodies. Susie Orbach's lecture promises to be a fascinating evening and well worth attending.
Date: 27 January 2010
Venue: Unitarian Church, Newington Green N16
Further info and tickets:
http://www.new-unity.org/events/events-calendar
Frankenstein's Bodies Today
The annual lecture will be given by the influential author and psychoanalyst Professor Susie Orbach. The title of the lecture links Orbach's sphere of work, the Unitarian Church and one of the famous members of its congregation, Mary Wollstonecraft - author, early feminist and mother of Mary Shelley, the author of 'Frankenstein'.
Susie Orbach co-founded the Women's Therapy Centre in North London and has written a number of books exploring issues such as gender, women's psychology and eating difficulties. Orbach is well known for her first book, 'Fat is a Feminist Issue' (1978) and her latest book is 'Bodies' (2009).
If you are interested in the Alexander Technique you are probably interested in your own body and you may find it revealing and informative to learn more about our society's attitudes towards our bodies. Susie Orbach's lecture promises to be a fascinating evening and well worth attending.
Date: 27 January 2010
Venue: Unitarian Church, Newington Green N16
Further info and tickets:
http://www.new-unity.org/events/events-calendar
International Alexander Awareness Week 2009
Introductory Short Course
October 10; 17; 24
Newington Green N16
This three session mini course is designed to let you try out the Alexander Technique so that you can decide whether or not you would like to take individual lessons.
There will only be a maximum of 6 participants, so you will have a chance to have some 1:1 hands-on work - but you do need to book in advance to secure a place
Earlybird Reduction of £10 ~ available if you pay for the course before 25 September
Participants will also be able to have a special IAAW reduced rate private lesson at just £20.
Information and Application Form
Introductory Short Course
October 10; 17; 24
Newington Green N16
This three session mini course is designed to let you try out the Alexander Technique so that you can decide whether or not you would like to take individual lessons.
There will only be a maximum of 6 participants, so you will have a chance to have some 1:1 hands-on work - but you do need to book in advance to secure a place
Earlybird Reduction of £10 ~ available if you pay for the course before 25 September
Participants will also be able to have a special IAAW reduced rate private lesson at just £20.
Information and Application Form
The revised date for introducing the new Match Day Parking Scheme is August 2008
Please note there will be new parking regulations for Zone M. Saturday afternoons will be free parking whilst on weekdays, permits are only required until 5.30 each evening.
CPZ times for Zone M:
Monday - Friday ~ 8.30 am - 5.30 pm
Saturdays ~ 8.30 am - 1.30 pm
Arsenal Match Days:
Weekdays ~ 5.30 pm - 8.30 pm
Saturdays ~ 1.30 pm - 4.30 pm
Sun/Bank Hols. ~ 12 noon - 4.30 pm
Please check out Arsenal Home Match dates, before you park, particularly if you are attending an Alexander Technique Course or Workshop at the weekend.
Look out for Boundary Signs as you enter the area, as these will show the next match dates, a couple of days in advance. You can also visit www.arsenal.com for fixture dates.
Of course, you can always help the environment and leave your car at home.......
Please note there will be new parking regulations for Zone M. Saturday afternoons will be free parking whilst on weekdays, permits are only required until 5.30 each evening.
CPZ times for Zone M:
Monday - Friday ~ 8.30 am - 5.30 pm
Saturdays ~ 8.30 am - 1.30 pm
Arsenal Match Days:
Weekdays ~ 5.30 pm - 8.30 pm
Saturdays ~ 1.30 pm - 4.30 pm
Sun/Bank Hols. ~ 12 noon - 4.30 pm
Please check out Arsenal Home Match dates, before you park, particularly if you are attending an Alexander Technique Course or Workshop at the weekend.
Look out for Boundary Signs as you enter the area, as these will show the next match dates, a couple of days in advance. You can also visit www.arsenal.com for fixture dates.
Of course, you can always help the environment and leave your car at home.......
Ellen Graubart a local artist who, incidentally, is familiar with the Alexander Technique, held a solo exhibition which was well worth going to see. You can read about Graubart and see some of her work if you visit the URL below. I'll let the photos of the paintings speak for themselves but will add that they are even better in reality. It was an exciting and vibrant exhibition.
Art exhibitions are a time when many people end up with back ache, because they are standing for long periods without being aware of the way they are using their bodies. Looking up above eye level to see a painting, without awareness, can contribute to the problem if we contract our neck and the muscles in our lower back. This can create problems such as a hollow back, putting pressure onto the lumbar vertebrae and discs, which causes discomfort and even back pain.
So take yourself to art exhibitions and remember all you have learned in Alexander lessons; be aware of your use, look after your neck and back so that you remain freely poised and pain-free.
Sailing 2 - Ellen Graubart
http://www.millineryworks.co.uk/
Art exhibitions are a time when many people end up with back ache, because they are standing for long periods without being aware of the way they are using their bodies. Looking up above eye level to see a painting, without awareness, can contribute to the problem if we contract our neck and the muscles in our lower back. This can create problems such as a hollow back, putting pressure onto the lumbar vertebrae and discs, which causes discomfort and even back pain.So take yourself to art exhibitions and remember all you have learned in Alexander lessons; be aware of your use, look after your neck and back so that you remain freely poised and pain-free.
Sailing 2 - Ellen Graubart
http://www.millineryworks.co.uk/
Butterfield Green N16www.shakespeareneighbourhood.org.uk
There was a bulb planting session held at Butterfield Green in which bluebells, daffodils and crocuses were added to this increasingly interesting green space. The local community have been instrumental in creating changes there and have even planted an orchard.
When you are involved in activities such as planting, digging and general garden work, remember what you have learnt in Alexander lessons, think about your use and give yourself directions. If you remind yourself not to pull your head back and freely hinge forwards from your hip joints, adapting the monkey position, you will look after yourself and avoid the back pain that so often happens after bending and digging.
Equally, take care when you have to look up and reach up to prune trees and bushes. Make sure you allow your neck to freely maintain as much length as you can and undo any contracted muscles, once you have finished.
Enjoy your gardening and planting and look forward to a beautiful spring that you can enjoy, along with all the insects and other species that will appreciate having another food source early in the year.
This year, Newington Green has won the Green Flag Award for the second year running, plus the prestigious Green Heritage Site Award.
The photo shows Hilary King collecting both awards, on behalf of the Newington Green Action Group, a registered charity, along with Mark Rowe from Islington's Greenspace Team.
The Green Flag Award is given to sites that fulfil a set of criteria - they must have public access, be welcoming, safe and well maintained, must promote sustainability and the conservation of heritage, plus involve the local community. Anyone who knows how the Green has been regenerated over the last few years will know how much it has changed so that it can once again be used and enjoyed by the community. This is all thanks to the efforts of the Greenspace Team and Islington Council, plus those of the Newington Green Action Group (NGAG) and is a good example of fruitful interaction and co-operation between a community group and a local authority.
The Green Heritage Award, which is sponsored by English Heritage, was awarded to just 31sites in England and Newington Green is the only site in Islington to be given the award. Selected sites must be of historical interest, either nationally or locally and to have already achieved Green Flag Award status. The award is given where the heritage value of the site is understood and shared, the heritage value conserved and where efforts are being made to help the local community appreciate and be aware of their heritage.
Islington Council have promised that the Heritage Award plaque, above, will be framed and hung on the Green so that the public may enjoy seeing it.
The Green Flag was raised on Newington Green by the Mayor of Islington, who is seen here with Nicky Southin, the chair of the Newington Green Action Group, at a ceremony on Newington Green on 6th October '07.
The photo shows Hilary King collecting both awards, on behalf of the Newington Green Action Group, a registered charity, along with Mark Rowe from Islington's Greenspace Team.
The Green Flag Award is given to sites that fulfil a set of criteria - they must have public access, be welcoming, safe and well maintained, must promote sustainability and the conservation of heritage, plus involve the local community. Anyone who knows how the Green has been regenerated over the last few years will know how much it has changed so that it can once again be used and enjoyed by the community. This is all thanks to the efforts of the Greenspace Team and Islington Council, plus those of the Newington Green Action Group (NGAG) and is a good example of fruitful interaction and co-operation between a community group and a local authority.The Green Heritage Award, which is sponsored by English Heritage, was awarded to just 31sites in England and Newington Green is the only site in Islington to be given the award. Selected sites must be of historical interest, either nationally or locally and to have already achieved Green Flag Award status. The award is given where the heritage value of the site is understood and shared, the heritage value conserved and where efforts are being made to help the local community appreciate and be aware of their heritage.
Islington Council have promised that the Heritage Award plaque, above, will be framed and hung on the Green so that the public may enjoy seeing it.
The Green Flag was raised on Newington Green by the Mayor of Islington, who is seen here with Nicky Southin, the chair of the Newington Green Action Group, at a ceremony on Newington Green on 6th October '07.
The Blog
This is a new departure for me and for my Website. I hope that this Blog will enable me to keep pupils informed about term dates etc plus offer news and ideas from the world of the Alexander Technique. Sometimes pupils express the desire to connect with others who are learning the Technique and this Blog offers one way this can happen.
I also want to add new material to my site that includes other areas of interest - topics that are local to Stoke Newington and Newington Green, plus environmental concerns in particular. Why add these topics to a Website about the Alexander Technique?. Well, in A/T we learn to be aware of how we live and act in the world and learn to take care of ourselves in a specific manner, all the time becoming aware of the immediate environment around us. For instance, sometimes we will think about how we use a computer and as part of that process we will look at how well our equipment is placed for us, so that we can give ourselves the best chance we can to use our bodies well whilst typing - or reading this Blog, of course!
I want to take this approach out into the wider world - what can we do to help make our world a better, healthier place to live in? Our quality of life is affected by our environment and this impacts on our wellbeing. Discovering about our local area can help us to connect with it and to develop the urge to actively care for it. Contact with gardens and other green spaces is known to help reduce stress levels and to improve our health but city parks are all too often uncared for, or are so highly 'manicured' that they support no wildlife. All parks and green spaces tend to be in short supply and they will be even more so, if the government builds on those they can label brownfield sites.
The refurbishment and transformation of Newington Green has resulted in the Green being given various awards. This is an example of positive change that was brought about through local action, with the lead being taken by the Newington Green Action Group, who engendered public involvement and consultation with the Council. The Green has gone from being the run-down haunt of alcoholics, to the much enjoyed community space that it is now. The Green is still somewhat barren from a wildlife standpoint, with just a flock of 100 feral pigeons, an occasional visit from a blackbird and little else. However, with plans to improve the situation in the near future, biodiversity surely has to be increased. We are almost starting with a blank canvas.
With climate change increasingly being an issue we need to engage with the problems and cherish every outdoor space, to maximise their capacity to combat CO2 and pollution levels, to mop up excess water and to create spaces that are good for both wildlife and humans.
So often we can feel powerless when faced with such daunting topics as climate change but there are many ways in which we can act, that could contribute in a positive way to both the global situation and to our own health and wellbeing, plus our enjoyment of the area we live in. We can all do things that help - remember -
Every Action Counts
Quite how far this Blog will expand I do not know. Meanwhile I've gone from thinking about looking after our backs, to thinking about caring for the environment and the world of invertebrates, creatures that have no spine at all.
If you would like regular updates from my Blog, you can subscribe to the RSS Feed above.
Watch this space!
This is a new departure for me and for my Website. I hope that this Blog will enable me to keep pupils informed about term dates etc plus offer news and ideas from the world of the Alexander Technique. Sometimes pupils express the desire to connect with others who are learning the Technique and this Blog offers one way this can happen.
I also want to add new material to my site that includes other areas of interest - topics that are local to Stoke Newington and Newington Green, plus environmental concerns in particular. Why add these topics to a Website about the Alexander Technique?. Well, in A/T we learn to be aware of how we live and act in the world and learn to take care of ourselves in a specific manner, all the time becoming aware of the immediate environment around us. For instance, sometimes we will think about how we use a computer and as part of that process we will look at how well our equipment is placed for us, so that we can give ourselves the best chance we can to use our bodies well whilst typing - or reading this Blog, of course!
I want to take this approach out into the wider world - what can we do to help make our world a better, healthier place to live in? Our quality of life is affected by our environment and this impacts on our wellbeing. Discovering about our local area can help us to connect with it and to develop the urge to actively care for it. Contact with gardens and other green spaces is known to help reduce stress levels and to improve our health but city parks are all too often uncared for, or are so highly 'manicured' that they support no wildlife. All parks and green spaces tend to be in short supply and they will be even more so, if the government builds on those they can label brownfield sites.
The refurbishment and transformation of Newington Green has resulted in the Green being given various awards. This is an example of positive change that was brought about through local action, with the lead being taken by the Newington Green Action Group, who engendered public involvement and consultation with the Council. The Green has gone from being the run-down haunt of alcoholics, to the much enjoyed community space that it is now. The Green is still somewhat barren from a wildlife standpoint, with just a flock of 100 feral pigeons, an occasional visit from a blackbird and little else. However, with plans to improve the situation in the near future, biodiversity surely has to be increased. We are almost starting with a blank canvas.
With climate change increasingly being an issue we need to engage with the problems and cherish every outdoor space, to maximise their capacity to combat CO2 and pollution levels, to mop up excess water and to create spaces that are good for both wildlife and humans.
So often we can feel powerless when faced with such daunting topics as climate change but there are many ways in which we can act, that could contribute in a positive way to both the global situation and to our own health and wellbeing, plus our enjoyment of the area we live in. We can all do things that help - remember -
Every Action Counts
Quite how far this Blog will expand I do not know. Meanwhile I've gone from thinking about looking after our backs, to thinking about caring for the environment and the world of invertebrates, creatures that have no spine at all.
If you would like regular updates from my Blog, you can subscribe to the RSS Feed above.
Watch this space!
Hilary King - BA (Hons) PGDip Psychol. Dip Couns. MSTAT - Tel: 020 7254 9206
Copyright © 2004 - 2007 Hilary King, All rights reserved.