Chatsworth Road coffee conurbation

 Cooper and Wolf opens up at the north end while 46b espresso hut opens to the south.
Both maintain the Chatsworth Road grey theme and could add to the road's reputation as the frontline of Hackney's gentrification.

UPDATE: Mabley Green travellers now on Millfileds?

(UPDATED  with meeting details) Travellers moved into Millfields Park this week and the number of caravans on the site has increased since the first wave on Wednesday.

Hackney Purim, unemployment up again

GOOD PARTY: Apparently this week's market on Chatsworth Road was a happy success but the big Hackney party was going on up in Stamford Hill. A lot of drinking, dancing and fancy dress for the Purim festival.

BAD PARTY: The latest Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) statistics for Hackney show 250 new claimants signing on in February (figures released on 17 March). The number of JSA claimants in Hackney is now 10,482.

The last time the number of JSA claimants broke 10,000 was in February 2010.

The latest figures show job losses in Hackney South had accelerated (172 in Jan, 178 in Feb) but slowed in Hackney North (down from 158 to 71).

Meanwhile the question remains how vulnerable will Hackney be to cuts? This week's Hackney Gazette reports Brian Debus from Hackney TUC saying 400 Hackney Council employees would lose their jobs this year and that 200 have already taken voluntary redundancy.

The borough's latest economic factsheet shows that the working population is 58% in managerial, professional, associate professional and technical occupations with just 8.5% employed as cleaners, security wardens, postal workers and couriers, hospitality workers and elementary sales.

Hackney's politicians have voiced a number of views on how dependent Hackney is on public sector jobs and the effect the cuts may have on the borough. The composition of the borough's working population may make it hard to predict what economic scenarios are good or bad for the level of unemployment in the borough.

HACKNEY BOROUGH

JSA CLAIMANT FIGURES:

2011

February: 10,482 (6.9%) - (10,482/0.069=151,913) (+250)

- January: 10,232 (6.8%) - (10,232/0.068= 150,470) (+329)

2010

December : 9,903 (6.6%) - (9,903/0.066=150,049) (-92)

November: 9,995 (6.6%) - (9,995/0.066=151,439) (+8)

October: 9,987 (6.6%) - (9,987/0.066=151,318) (+60)
September: 9,927 (6.6%) - (9,927/0.066=150,409) (+136)

August: 9,791 (6.5%) - (9,791/0.065=150,630) (+325)
July: 9,466 (6.3%) - (9466/0.063= 150,253) (+60)
June : 9,406 (6.5%) (9,406/ 0.065 = 144,707) (-210)
May: 9,616 (6.7%) (9,616/.067=143,522) (-47)
April: 9,663 (6.7%) (9,663/.067=144,223) (-183)
March: 9,846 (6.8%) (9,846/0.068=144,794) (- 198)
February: 10,044 (7%) (10,044/0.07=143,485) (+139)
January: 9,905 (6.9%) (9,905/0.069= 143,550) (+162)

2009
December: 9,743 (6.7%) (9,743/0.067=145,417) (-52)
November: 9,795 (6.8%)
October: 9,827 (6.8%)
September: 9,884 (7%)
August 9,826 (6.9%) (+276)
July: 9550 (6.7%) (+242)

June: 9,308 (6.6%) ()
May: 9,377 (6.6%) (+379)

April: 8,998 (6.3%) (+373)

March: 8,625 (6.1%) (+ 471)

February: 8,154 (5.7%) (+ 804)

January: 7,350 (5.2%)

2008

December: 7,245 (5.1%)
November - 7,013 (4.9%)

October - 6,982 (4.9%)

September - 6,942 (4.9%)

August - 6,803 (4.8%)

July - 6,454 (4.6%)

June - 6,440 (4.6%)

HACKNEY NORTH

JSA CLAIMANT COUNT

2011

Feb - 4,929 (6.4%) - (4,929/0.064=77,015) (+ 71)

Jan - 4, 858 (6.3%) - (4,858/0.063= 77,111) (+158)

2010

Dec - 4,700 (6.1%) - (4,700/0.061=77,049) (-94)

Nov - 4,794 (6.2%) - (4,794/0.062=77,323)(-5)

Oct - 4,801 (6.2%) - (4,801/0.062= 77,435)(+29)
Sept - 4,772 (6.2%) - (4,709/0.062=76,967) (+63)

August - 4,709 (6.1%) - (4,709/0.061= 77,197)(+171)

July - 4,572 (5.9%) - (4,572/0.059= 77,491)(+34)

June - 4,538 (6.0%) - (4,538/0.06= 75,633)(-99)

May - 4,637 (6.2%) - (4,637/0.062=74,790)(-90)

April - 4,727 (6.3%) - (4,727/0.063=75,031)(+391)

March - 4,336 (6.2%) - (4,336/0.062=69,935)(-114)

February - 4,450 (6.4%) - (4,450/0.064=69,531)(+48)
January - 4,402 (6.3%) - (4,402/0.063=69,873)

2009

December - 4331 (6.2%)

November - 4386 (6.3%)

October - 4365

September - 4,338

August - 4,331

July - 4206

June - 4,118

May - 4,081

HACKNEY SOUTH

JSA CLAIMANT COUNT

2011

February - 5,537 (7.8%) - (5,537/0.078=70,987) (+178)

January - 5,359 (7.6%) - (5,359/0.076= 70,513) (+172)

2010

Dec - 5,187 (7.3%) - (5,187/0.073= 71,054) (+4)

Nov - 5,183 (7.3%) - (5,183/0.0.73=71,000) (+19)

Oct - 5,164 (7.3%) - (5,164/0.073=70,739)(+24)
Sept - 5,140 (7.3%) - (5,140/0.073=70,410)(+84)

August - 5,056 (7.1%) - (5,056/0.071 = 71,211)(+185)

July - 4,871 (6.9%) - (4,871/0.069= 70,549)(+20)
June - 4,851 (7.0%) - (4,851/0.07= 69,300) (-108)

May - 4,959 (7.2%) - (4,959/0.072=68,875)

April - 4,908 (7.1%) - (4908/0.071=69,126)

March - 5,510 (7.6%) - (5,510/0.076=72,500)

February - 5,594 (7.7%) - (5,594/0.077=72,649)

January - 5503 (7.6%) - (5503/0.076)=72,407)

2009

December - 5,412 (7.5%)

November - 5,409 (7.5%)

October - 5,462

September - 5,546 (7.8%)

August - 5,495

July - 5,344

June - 5,190

May - 5,296

Chatsworth Road Market pics

A busy day on Chatsworth Road. Congratulations to any one involved.









I bought a pie and some jam. There were lots of people hopefully buying more than just pie and jam. Here's a review from another blogger at Clapton Is Good: http://claptonisgood.tumblr.com/post/1509562096/chatsworth-rd-market

Good luck with the next one.

FT sceptical about Iran and Chatsworth Road juice bar

Hackney-based FT and BBC economist Tim Harford described the changes on Chatsworth Road here. He said that while it might look like all this gentrification was inevitable - as the demographics of the area have changed - it wouldn't have happened without the risk-taking entrepreneurialism of places like Venetia's.

"Given the restaurants, cafés and delis which line Stoke Newington Church Street a mile or so away, it might have seemed obvious that it was possible to run similar businesses on Chatsworth Road. But somebody had to demonstrate that it could be done."

He added: "there is also some kind of juice bar, which I view with scepticism but am told is excellent".

I've had a couple of 'juices' in Lumiere. I don't think either of them were strictly healthy - one was rhubarb and custard, the other was mostly sugar puffs and sugar - no need for sanctions, they were very good.

Chatsworth Road shopfront update

After noticing a Chatsworth Road shopfront theme a couple of weeks ago, there's more going on. The Chinese takeaway - the scene of an injury-free but alarming drive-by shooting - looks like it might be getting a facelift. The process has revealed 84 Arthur Tom. Down the road there's more... and some random street party.


The Chinese as it was:



As it is now:

This place was the long-standing home of a chewing gum landmark.

Creperie confirms Chatsworth Road has a grey economy

It looks like Chatsworth Road is becoming the capital of Clapton's cafe culture with two coffee shops/delis, a juice bar, a 'kitchen' and now a creprie. For some reason four out of five of these new places have grey shop fronts.

Grey also seems to be the colour scheme for http://www.chatsworthroade5.co.uk/, the organisers of a Chatsworth Road market due to start sometime this month.

Is this a coincidence?

The oldest, Venetia's may have started the trend with a lighter grey but L'Epicerie is off the radar with brown:

How does this spurt of entrepreneurialism fit into Hackney Council's economic vision for the borough?

Blood and Property recently asked the council which documents Hackney politicians and council officers are supposed to use to get a good economic view of the borough.

The council reply: "As a council, we use a wide range of sources to gain an understanding of the borough and its economic landscape. This includes the Hackney Evidence Pack, which is available to view on the Team Hackney website, and the local labour market reports produced on a quarterly basis for the Economic Development Partnership."

There's not a great deal in the Hackney Evidence Pack about Hackney Businesses. But here are some bits:

This might explain some of the changes on Chatsworth Road:

In order to assess the existing level of entrepreneurial activity in the borough and the ‘appetite’ for self-employment amongst the population, the proportion of the working age population who are self-employed is a key measure:

11.9% (2008) of Hackney residents are self-employed. This compares with 10.6% for the London average; 5.8% for Newham; 12.1% for Islington. The percentage of Hackney residents who are self-employed has grown steadily from 9.7% in 2005. This proportion for Hackney is particularly high given the level of unemployment in the borough, and particularly the level of economic inactivity.

Business and Enterprise: Roughly 10,000 businesses operate in Hackney. Eighty-seven percent of London’s employing units have less than 10 employees. Hackney is no exception to this pattern, with 89% of its employing units and 100% of the borough’s transport and communications, manufacturing and construction employers operating from units of less than 10 employees.
Hackney has more than 50 large employing units with 200 or more employees. The sectors with the highest number of units employing more than 10 employees are banking, finance and insurance, and public administration, education and health.

Also, Mayor Pipe hopes Hackney's coffee shops will benefit from the Olympic legacy: Jules Pipe recently told The Economist that he is pinning his hopes on the media centre: "His main longer-term hope lies with the broadcasting and media centres in the Olympic Park. Hackney is home to lots of small firms in “creative” industries, from post-production work for Hollywood studios to printing and advertising, for which the media centre could become a new base. That in turn would spawn work in nearby coffee shops and so forth."

But, at the moment, house prices in Homerton and Clapton are amongst the fastest growing in London and very little of this seems to be related to the Olympics. Does this suggest that straight forward entrepreneurialism is still Hackney's best economic bet and not the Olympics?

Chatsworth chewing gum icon has disappeared

This nice photo of the Chatsworth chewing gum stack comes from here





But this Chatsworth Road landmark has now gone:



Ten years ago I remember these giant packets of Wrigley's chewing gum looking like they had been in this shop window for a long time. They were getting a bit sun-bleached even then. But sad to see them go... must be the dawn of a new era. Apparently the smashed-in door was the police trying to find out what had happened to the aged owner.




And just for a last taste of properly matured window dressing:



(When I first got here I thought the cobblers further down on Chatsworth toward Millfields was another shop that time forgot - it has a spectularly dusty/faded/cob-webbed window display but he's still in there fixing shoes... or was last time I looked)


I've been told that it's not a straightforward business trying to get hold of one of the many defunct properties on Chatsworth Road at the moment. One would be Hackney entrepreneur told me she'd given up trying after one lengthy attempt.

Another shop-keeper next to the bookies due to open on Lower Clapton road said that shop owners in Hackney hang-on in the hope of getting a higher-rate paying bookies to move in. Whether that's true or not, who knows?

Meanwhile the bullet holes in 'Friends' Chinese restaurant window are still there. Will they become the next icon of a long-lost Hackney past?

A very short Hackney crime story

Beginning: Yesterday my bike was stolen on Shoreditch High Street despite being locked, with a £70 lock, to a lamp post on a busy pavement next to St Leonard's church. The bike and the lock had both gone.

Middle: The old bike was resurrected this morning and, as I arrived at the bike shop on Chatsworth Road/Brooksby Walk, to get it checked over, so did about 20 cops. Apparently a Loomis security man was robbed on the other side of the street while filling the cash machine. By-standers said it took about 15 minutes for the cops to get there.

End: When I reported the bike theft I was told that iPhones are now the number one items being stolen on the streets of Hackney.

The moral: Should we be bracing ourselves for a busy criminal summer?

Is it healthy to ignore a drive-by shooting?

It looks like this drive-by shooting on Chatsworth Road was never going to be reported.
The police statement claims Trident detectives were appealing for information and witnesses about the crime but the crime had taken place over a week before there was any publicity.

My life could have gone on quite happily without knowing that this event had ever occurred. I live a block away from that takeaway and walk past it most days. I didn't notice the bullet holes until a friend - who was told about it by the dentist opposite - told me about it.

So what's my point? Just that there are likely to be lots of people around Chatsworth road who did know that this crime had taken place or may even have been affected by it. And whoever these people were, they might have been reassured if they had known that arrests had been made.

And that may well be the reason police did not publicise this shooting - precisely because arrests had been made. This means that there will be reporting restrictions in place to protect the rights of the suspects until a trial is held.

But this would not have prevented a statement being made - as it eventually was - explaining what had happened and what was being done about it.

At least I hope that is the reason why the police didn't high light this crime and automatically provide information about it to local papers like the Hackney Gazette.

Hopefully is wasn't the result of pressure to 'handle' crime publicity more positively in order to close "the reassuance gap" - (Apparently politicians and senior policemen are not happy at how slow the public are to cotton on to cuts in crime figures - as discussed here: Can Pipe push the police?)

An even worse excuse would be that these drive-by shootings are so common that we should all be used to them by now.

Drive-by shooting on Chatsworth Road

A police spokesperson told Blood and Property: "Trident detectives are appealing for information and witnesses following a shooting in Hackney.



"Police were called at approx 21.25hrs on Wednesday 17 February 2010 to Chatsworth Rd, E5 to reports of shots fired.

"Officers attended the scene - a Chinese takeaway - to discover shots had been fired at the location, causing damage to the outside and inside of the premises.

"It is understood a black car drove past the scene and one of the occupants fired shots toward a group of youths standing inside the shop.



There were no reports of any injuries. We retain an open mind re any motive at this time.

On the night of the incident three men - [A] 21 yrs; [B] 22 yrs; [C] 23 yrs - were arrested in connection with the investigation. They were taken to east London police stations and later bailed to return pending further inquiries. Next due on 11 March 2010.

Officers have yet to identify the youths inside the shop and as such are appealing for them to contact police.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Trident North East Shootings Team on 020 8217 7366. To remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Al-Qaeda history on Chatsworth Road

Today this piece on the Telegraph website says: "The al-Qaeda recruiting offices were two Islamic shops on Chatsworth Road in Hackney, east London. The first, the al-Koran Islamic bookshop, was run by Mohammed Hamid, who used the nickname Osama bin London and recruited and trained the failed suicide bombers for the attacks of July 21 2005.

"Hamid, who was later jailed for life for soliciting to murder and providing training for terrorism, met Yassin Omar, one of the leaders of the July 21 plot, at his bookshop in 2003. Opposite the bookshop was an unregistered charity called the Islamic Medical Association (Kosovar) run by Mohammed Patel which was used by the airline bombers as cover for their travel to Afghanistan from January 2003."

Back in June The Sun reported: Ali said he helped the Islamic Medical Association for up to two years after he was given a leaflet at his mosque.
He said he was joined at its office in Chatsworth Road, Hackney, east London, by co-defendants Ibrahim Savant, Arafat Waheed Khan and Tanvir Hussain.
He added: "They needed volunteers to go to Pakistan and deliver some of this aid and administer it and I volunteered to do that."
The jury was told that Ali travelled to Chaman, close to Pakistan's border with Afghanistan, for several months in January 2003.
Ali said two more co-defendants, Assad Sarwar and Umar Islam, also travelled to Pakistan at this time to help the charity.
He said the camps were "mucky and smelly", with desperate people living in "appalling conditions."