“A nice mixture of dance styles, poetry and comedy. Well done 1 year old Library”
“Very good – John Hegley very funny – brilliant music great atmosphere. Great dancers – Norlington School”
Harrow Green Community Library celebrated its first birthday with dance, music and great comedy, and a very appreciative audience at a free event held at the Epicentre on 9 May 2014, welcomed by our Honorary President Vi Gostling MBE. Feedback comments, some of which are interspersed through this article, show how much the evening was enjoyed.
“It was very good to see the young people doing something creative”
Local professional dancer Theo Oloyade, AKA Mr Godson, a finalist in the 2013 TV’s Got to Dance, led a performance by boys from the local Norlington School – so good that the audience asked to see it again! Theo had attended the School in his younger days and been inspired there to take up dance and is now keen to give something back to the School and his local community via his tuition and inspiration. He also performed solo and answered questions from the audience on how he’d got into dancing, where street dancing came from, and differences in reactions to his dancing in the many different countries he has danced in. Theo even managed to teach the audience a few arm and leg moves which we performed in a reasonably co-ordinated way (well at least without causing damage to ourselves or our neighbours!).
“Absolutely fantastic to see such great talent in Leytonstone”
“Loved John Hegley! Thank you”
John Hegley had us all intrigued and laughing with his unique humour, and use of words, music and movement. In the afternoon he performed to almost 100 local school children, with inventive participation from the children who clearly demonstrated the power of childhood imagination that is such an integral part of John’s stories and poems. Audience participation was also important for the evening performance though the more adult audience needed a bit more tuition and guidance! Music and song figured large with John playing ukulele and a mandolin, and accompanied in the evening by local musician, Eleanor, on the violin and by local singer-songwriter, Nick Pickett.
And we learned why people who wear spectacles, as does John, are such special people ……!
Both Theo and John, and his accompanists, very generously performed for free and other costs were supported by funding from Waltham Forest Street Party grants.
“It’s absolutely lovely! Very happy about the community library”
“It’s a great way to promote the Epicentre library”
There was plenty of opportunity for those attending to see the Community Library that is based, with support from the CBHA, in the Epicentre and to enjoy the refreshments provided. There was a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere to the evening. So a big thank you to all performers, to all involved in promoting and running the events, and to all those who joined us in celebration of our first year of being open.
“Very relaxed and entertaining – and appropriate”
Please continue your support for the library – it’s vital if we are to reach our second year!
“It’s wonderful – thank you and many congratulations!”
For more about Theo and his dancing activities see him on Twitter @Godsoncertified
See also Waltham Forest Guardian
For more on John Hegley see his website