Ray Gipson’s diary of Geezers Club Visitors
January 2018
Tuesday 9th January 2018 –No Visitors today at first meeting of 2018
Tuesday 16th January 2018 Visitor today was Rachel Mills-Powell, who was an architectural student looking into lost pubs and designing a community based pub building.
Ray and Barrie showed her lots of Where’s My Boozer Gone? Photos, literature and the Facebook picture gallery, she sat with members and spoke individually with them regarding their memories of East End pubs.
Amaro Guevara from Age UK Link Age Plus came in with some literature regarding upcoming events at Caxton Hall, including Advice and Advocacy.
Tuesday 30th January 2018 Caroline from Age UK East London’s Caxton Hall visited the club and told The Geezers that she would be looking after The Geezers. John McLaughlin attended today for his first attendance in 2018.
February 2018
Tuesday 6th February 2018 We had Jamil from LBTH Compass Well Being talking about Talking Therapies and Living Well in later life. He will be booked again for future visits.
Tuesday 13th February 2018 Visitor today Susan Rance of Social movement for life – Men’s Health Network evaluation. She is doing an outside observation of the work that Bromley By Bow Centre were doing in conjunction with The Geezers and wanted to check how satisfied we were with their input to our Men’s Health project that we instigated, checking available resources and assistance that we had received.
Tuesday 20th February 2018 Visitor today was Fiona Fieber of Space Studios spoke about a thirsty plant detector project she was involved and wondered if we would like to be involved in several workshops in the grounds of Vic Johnson, she also told us about an exploration scanning project, assessing what is or was on Carpenters Road Stratford before Olympic Gentrification.
We requested that people came in in the future to talk more specifically about the two projects.
Tuesday 27th February 2018 The Geezers Club AGM, so no visitors today
March 2018
Tuesday 6th March 2018 –Visitor due today did not show up, so no Visitors.
Tuesday 13th March 2018 Visitor today was Nicola Humberstone of Tower Hamlets GP Care Group Patient Experience Capacity Building DI Team. She visited to get The Geezers members personal experiences of dealing with their GP Practice, to try to improve this experience and GPs Practices efficiency.
Tuesday 20th March 2018 Visitor today was Max Colsen a film-maker from London who wanted to investigate the club members memories regarding the Carpenters Estate in Stratford area, combined with a 3D scan of area using a Lidar Scanner from days pre renovation, The Geezers were interviewed to be included in a film Max Colsen was making that would combine animations of the Estate, this was to ascertain the relationship between community, memory and the architecture of the area.
Tuesday 27th March 2018 –Visitor today was Andrew Porter where he presented to The Geezers club a mixture of films/ videos from the London Community Video Archive and films made with The Geezers themselves.
April 2018
Tuesday 3rd April 2018 No visitors as Malcom Barr-Hamilton was unable to attend due to staff illnesses at Archive Library.
Tuesday 10th April 2018 A busy day. Graham Barker came in with more Beer Barrels & Brewhouses brochures, the club spoke to him about Where’s My Boozer Gone? They were asking about getting him involved in producing a brochure for this made up of lost pubs in Bow. He was very keen having seen what we had done previously, but wants to run a committee with approx. 6 of The Geezers. He said he would apply to AFB for funding. He was informed that Andy Porter did all our funding applications and he was going to contact him.
Alkhad Ali from Neighbours In Poplar in re Poplar Any Old Irons which has organised 5 consecutive weeks incl. match tickets and a boat trip started Wednesday 18th April 2018. He took a list of who was interested in attending these free West Ham United events for over 65s.
Two people came in from Compass Wellbeing talking about sleep patterns. They are coming again in May to talk about relaxation.
Tuesday 17th April 2018 No Visitors today as Alzheimer’s Society person due to attend failed to arrive.
Tuesday 24th April 2018 Visitors today Malcolm Barr-Hamilton ‘Images of East End’ slide show, and Anu Bopara a UCL Student who wants to make a documentary film about The Geezers, and Amparo Guevara of Age UK East London, enquiring how they could help us organise Events including coach trips.
Please note today was the last week at Vic Johnson House.
May 2018
Tuesday 1st May 2018 First day at new Geezers base The Tredegar Community Centre.
Visitors today were Anu Bopara again re The Geezers Documentary and a Bow Labour councillor who came in about the upcoming Local Council and Tower Hamlets Mayor, elections on Thursday 3rd May 2018
Tuesday 8th May 2018 Visitors today were Anu Bopara again re The Geezers Documentary. The main visitor today, Jamil Ahmed, from Compass Wellbeing who showed The Geezers 5 Relaxation techniques, mostly breathing and tension release, like Buddhist Mindfulness.
Tuesday 15th May 2018 Visitors today were Anu Bopara who returned again and announced that her documentary of The Geezers proposal had been delayed until September 2018 when she would return again.
Riarna Pinnock and Ruije Nessa the Local Area Coordinators from Bromley By Bow Centre came in to present a poster / joining flyer for several upcoming Communities Driving Change Free Events in Bow on 22nd, 24th and 29th May 2018, which The Geezers were invited to.
Neil Irons the Artist who will be working with The Geezers and Students from Bow School on the Prostrate Cancer Wicker Man Statue, he showed us the draft design proposal for the statue itself, plans were made to return in June to discuss the project, which would start with The Geezers/ Bow School students Tuesday 26th June, Tuesday 3rd July and Wednesday 4th July 2018 to produce the Intergenerational Men’s Health Statue.
Tuesday 22nd May 2018 –No visitors as at an Event in St Pauls Church
Tuesday 29th May 2018 –No visitors as on a Coach Trip to Maidstone/ Pole Hill.
June 2018
Tuesday 5th June 2018 Akhad Ali from Neighbours in Poplar came in to discuss organising a Boat Trip along Thames in July. Daren Gallery also came in for a quick visit re his food enterprise.
Tuesday 12th June 2018 The main visitor today was Neil Irons the Artist who will be working with The Geezers and Students from Bow School on the Prostrate Cancer Wicker Man Statue. He returned to discuss The Geezers input for the project, which would start with The Geezers/ Bow School students Tuesday 26th June, Tuesday 3rd July and Wednesday 4th July 2018 to produce the Intergenerational Men’s Health Statue. Steve Ross also attended as a recovering Alcoholic who was involved in a Men’s Health Seminar in 2017 and wanted to be involved with this project. Also attending were Kate Angus and Amparo Guevara Link Age UK East London re Coach Trip ticket sales.
Tuesday 19th June 2018 No meeting today as Coach Trip to Broadstairs.
Tuesday 26th June 2018 No meeting today as The Geezers were at Bow School for the Prostate Cancer Wicker Man project.
July 2018
Tuesday 3rd July 2018 No Meeting as The Geezers were at the Bow School Project.
Tuesday 10th July 2018 No Meeting as The Geezers were on a Boat Trip.
Tuesday 17th July 2018 No Meeting as The Geezers on a Coach Trip to Clacton.
Tuesday 24th July 2018 Visitors today Nicola Humberstone and Masuma Begum from Patient Experience Team, re Incontinence Survey results from previous visit. They also started Foot Health survey and wanted thoughts today from The Geezers on what is available in Tower Hamlets for foot health Service and their experience of using it.
Tuesday 31st July 2018 Meeting today was a Link Age Event at the Caxton Hall There were three speakers: Peter, Jessica and Elizabeth in a discussion about Safety at Home techniques.
August 2018
Tuesday 7th August 2018 Visitor Sam Dottin from Clarendon Housing, discussing Men’s groups and how The Geezers were established and why.
Kate Angus has now fully returned to Link Age. She gave a satisfaction survey out for all members to complete. Kate also brought a lot of literature for possible trips and events for The Geezers throughout the year – English National Ballet workshop, Docklands Musicals, British Museum Puppetry Exhibition, and seated Tai Chi.
Tuesday 14th August 2018 Alan Tucker gave the club an update of how the OurBow website was progressing and discussed a possible combined venture with Bancroft Road Archive Library.
Kate Angus came in and spoke about various available activities Discover London Walk in the city, checking who wanted to attend.
Tuesday 21st August 2018 No Meeting as The Geezers went on a coach trip to Ramsgate
Tuesday 28th August 2018 Kate Angus visited to take a list of attendees for Discover London trip on Tuesday 4th September 2018 and had tickets for One Object, an Ian Hislop programme at the British Museum.
Riarna and Rujie of Communities Driving Change at Bromley By Bow Centre came in promoting a Fun Day In The Park 31st August and Discover London 4th September that Kate had mentioned previously.
Andy and Ellie from RD Television Production Company wanted to talk to The Geezers about an idea they had to have older people from London with a good sense of humour who were isolated who had a spare room having a young lodger come to live with them, it was only an idea at present – they wanted our thoughts on the idea.
September 2018
Tuesday 4th September 2018 –No meeting as such as trip to Discover London Walk
Tuesday 11th September 2018 Sarah Noakes of City and Hackney Care Centre, dropped in to discuss a men’s group she runs in Hackney/London Fields called Hackney Brocals.
Sarah Timms Age UK Russell Square came in to discuss a Radio 1 DJ Dev visiting The Geezers to talk about the group and what we do, with Podcast. Date TBC
Tuesday 18th September 2018 No Meeting as The Geezers went on a coach trip to Southend
Tuesday 25th September 2018 Visitors today Lorraine from Tredegar Centre and Kate Angus about a visit to Bethnal Green Town Hall as they want to discuss doing a lecture about Where’s My Boozer Gone? Date TBC, also did Link Age forms.
October 2018
Tuesday 2nd October 2018 –Visitors Kim Desisy from Age UK Tavistock Square and Dev Griffin Radio 1 DJ who interviewed various members of The Geezers individually for an upcoming podcast on Older People in the UK.
Tuesday 9th October 2018 –No meeting today as trip to Genesis Cinema to see Time of our Lives short film and Murder On The Orient Express.
Tuesday 16th October 2018 Visitors Emilie Giles and Fiona Feber of Space Studios about a Project re Salad/Herbs and Vegetables growing in pots with Solar Powered sensors to assess when plants needed watering. They wanted those interested to attend a workshop with young children to help build simple technology with soldering irons.
Kate Angus, Ray Gipson, Don Tomlin and Ricky Ayliffe visited Bethnal Green Town Hall Hotel to discuss doing a joint project re Where’s My Boozer Gone?
Tuesday 23rd October 2018 Visitors Kate Angus re Classical Music performance at Museum of Childhood on 6th December early evening, Bow Arts Steering Group Call out for materials/plastic on 12th December.
Alan Tucker explained the proposed Application of Heritage Grant for project re Bow Housing History. He asked who in Geezers would contribute, and there was a show of hands, he also wanted to combine it with Bow School , Mile End Archive Library etc. Ray suggested Alan Tucker Project Manager and allow a salary inclusion.
Dev Griffin Radio 1 DJ and Sarah Timms of Age UK returned again this time the Interviews of several Geezers were individually Recorded for podcast, Dev will attend Bow School Launch and return Tuesday 6th November 2018 to complete interview recordings.
Simeon Tubi of Bromley By Bow Centre and Dr Van De Merwe the scientist running the project they asked us to attend Over 60s Science Club on Thursday 8th November 2pm – 4pm at Bromley By Bow Centre which several of The Geezers agreed to attend.
Tuesday 30th October 2018 Visitors Kate Angus spoke about said about Zacharias Project 4 weeks 7th November on wards at Approach Road Methodist Church. Alan Tucker discussed how applying for a Heritage Lottery Grant would work.
Dev Griffin Radio 1 DJ who continued to record Geezers interviews in kitchen.
Helen Stack from Age UK East London, with Kayleigh Mowlavi and Richard Massey from Bethnal Green Town Hall Hotel, wanted us to do an on stage talk about Where’s My Boozer Gone? At Hotel on Tuesday 4th December 2018 6.30pm, they would pick us up 5,30pm at Tredegar Centre we agreed to do this, they would also like to help us produce the booklet, in association with local Micro Breweries etc, , they would do interviews onstage in the chamber and supply questions in advance so we knew the format.
November 2018
Tuesday 6th November 2018 No visitors to the Geezers Club, apart from Kate Angus of Link Age Plus.
Tuesday 13th November 2018 Visitors today were Kate Angus from Link Age Plus, author Kate Thompson and Patricia Holland, who relayed stories about the Stepney Doorstep Society book and a new book she wants to do about East End pub landladies. She asked Geezers for any anecdotes about these type of women.
Tuesday 20th November 2018 Today’s visitor was Peter Golds, Conservative Councillor for Millwall on the Isle of Dogs, and regular visitor. He spoke today about Armistice in WW1 and WW2, how badly East London was hit with V1 Doodlebugs, V2 rockets in the second world war. He spoke of size of London from the air – 600 square miles, the biggest metropolis in Europe. The size caused German bombers to misjudge targets. Peter spoke about the Hallsville Road Primary School Disaster in Canning Town, the Bethnal Green Tube disaster, the first ever Doodlebug and last ever V2 rocket which landed in the East End, along with other stories of World War 2 overseas events. He also briefly spoke about the Tower Hamlets Council situation.
Tuesday 27th November 2018 –Kate Angus Link Age Plus handed out a list of upcoming pre-Christmas Events to all Geezers Members and took names down for certain events in early December 2018.
Visitor today was Natasha Vickers from Bow Arts who was organising an Event about Plastic Industrial work on the River Lea, this follows Raw Materials Textiles and Wood and would be at The Nunnery Bow Road. She told us that plastic was invented in Hackney by Alexander Parkes, and asked if The Geezers would like to be involved, which some said they would, to keep East End heritage going.
December 2018
Tuesday 4th December 2018 Visitor today Lotje Sodderlant a film-maker who was making a part documentary/part fictionional film about carers of elderly people, and was looking for people who had a home help, for filming at their homes. The Carer would be an actor. None of The Geezers had home care, except for Simon Halliwell who was not present, so The Geezers were unable to be involved in the project.
Tuesday 11th December 2018 No visitors as the club was at Caxton Hall for a Carol Concert.
Tuesday 18th December 2018 No visitors as club was at their Christmas Lunch at The Eagle, Snaresbrook.