Flattery can be a compliment, but only when it is well meant.
According to the June 2025 edition of Our East End News, Tower Hamlets are planning to invest in ‘An innovative food waste pilot project at the Town Hall, turning food waste into compostable soil on site which can then be used by the council or made available to community organisations to use for growing and planting.’
(See article £3.3m for climate emergency and sustainability initiatives on page 26)
The East London Garden Society has been promoting the benefit of food waste since 2022 including promoting the idea of a total organic waste recycling method. In 2024 we worked in partnership with the Queen Mary University to produce a report on people's attitudes to food waste.
Are Tower Hamlets giving us a compliment? Despite no consultation from our representatives!
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On 26 May 2025 we had a wonderful boat ride lasting over three hours along The Limehouse Cut to The River Lea, disembarking at Stratford.
The Link are the waterways in east London, probably the only part of London where you can get lost in nature moving from park to canal to river. If your eyes are peeled, you will see the beauty of our east London from the waterways.
We left The Limehouse Cut behind us at Ropemakers Walk, the park in Limehouse, and passed St Anne's, a grade 2 listed church. Early Spring each year the churchyard has a wonderful display of crocus and has a beautiful enamel window, having just been fully restored.
On entering the River Lea we saw a kingfisher, making its way up the river and swans with signets were on the move. Having passed the historic area of Three Mills, the grade listed mill on The River Lea, we had presentations about The London Highline, a forest in Bishopsgate on top of the rail arches, The Hackney Buzz Line, where nature uses the flora of east London, and Save Lea Marshes.
The Lea marshes encourage nature’s wonders in east London. Louis from The Roding Trust told us about his journey with The Roding Valley, and the protection the trust is trying to achieve for this once troubled area of industry.
The East London Garden Society hopes to work with others to make more trips in 2026.
St Mary's Secret Garden is situated on Pearson Street just behind Hoxton Overground Station. This beautiful garden creates an oasis in the area for all to enjoy, but it is closed owing to lack of money to maintain it.
To lose such an asset in an urban setting would be an injustice to us all. Hackney Council are now working with Hackney City Farm to ensure the garden continues to be available for all to enjoy in the future.
It will be under new management and open to the public on certain days. However, what will become of its educational facilities or its large working greenhouse? We wait to see.
We should all be thankful that St Mary's Secret Garden is saved, at least for the near future.
Of all the native trees of the British Isles, it is the elder tree which evokes our deepest affection. It is easy to be thankful for it for all its abundant herbal, magical and culinary gifts. The elder grows rapidly from any part, and so speaks to us of regeneration and the power of the life force.
It originates from southern Scandinavia in the north to the Mediterranean from Greece in the east to Portugal in the west and across the sea into Morocco and Algeria. It is also native to some regions of western and central Asia.
Along with the black elderberry, the red-berried elder, Sambucus racemosa, and the dwarf elder, Sambucus ebulus, are also native to the UK.
The elderberry's history is rich with medicinal and folklore traditions, dating back to ancient times. The plant, known for its berries and flowers, has been used for food, medicine, and even magical practices across various cultures. In Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, and Scandinavian traditions, the elder tree held significant spiritual importance.
Some believed the tree housed spirits and was associated with Samhain (Halloween), a time when the veil between worlds was thin. Elderberry and elderflower products, like syrups and teas, are experiencing a resurgence in popularity due to their perceived health benefits, including immune support.
Because raw elderberry products may contain elevated levels of toxic compounds, you should always cook elderberries before eating them. Preservation instructions also vary by type of elderberry, depending on the acid content of the fruit.
Some experts recommend elderberry to help prevent and ease cold and flu symptoms. It's also been used as a treatment for constipation, joint and muscle pain.
During the summer solstice an eve of fae magic and mischief takes place under the enchanting elderberry tree. This is the time of fire, when romance is in the air and a great celebration of new things to come. On this mystic night faeries dance in the moonlight sprinkling silver dust while smiling and whispering secrets in ears, as if to say, “come play now”.
This disused rail line in Paris has great potential to offer residents and visitors a place to escape from the hustle and bustle of Paris. It also gives the opportunity to act as a new way to navigate through Paris as it passes through every arrondissement.
The Petite Ceinture was the first urban transport system in Paris. The former railway line which encircles the city, runs inside the modern Parisian ring road and follows the route of the old army boundary wall. It has sections that are elevated and sections that go under the buildings of the city.
The railway line was closed in 1934, this was due to the introduction of the speedier and more direct metro system, which ran into the centre of the city.
Ever since its decommissioning, the majority of the railway has been slowly decaying, with the exception of a small section around the Gare du Nord, which is still in use today by the SNCF who own the complete railway.
Through the process of slow decay and having been taken over by the undergrowth, the Petite Ceinture has turned into what is today referred to as a green corridor.
It has become a haven for biodiversity with more than two hundred types of wild flowers and trees, including sweet clover, celandine, wild grasses, mullein, maples, baguenaudiers, wild vines, wild hops and elders to name but a few.
There are also at least sixty animal species that roam the tracks, from mini creatures to foxes and badgers. In 2007, the first stretch of track in the 16th arrondissement, was opened to the public for walkers, runners and thinkers. This section is accessible to everyone during opening hours.
People with disabilities can use adapted wheelchairs that are suitable to go over the uneven terrain. In this section, the track has been removed which helps to create a more natural environment.
I am totally with Benjamin who stated that in a city, decay was needed in order to understand modernity. I witnessed this clearly myself when Whilst walking around the complete route of the Petite Ceinture, you realise how modern-day society within Paris, has forgotten about the importance of this now derelict and hidden railway.
The city planners are missing an opportunity that could offer residents and tourists to escape the busy and polluted centre, as well as showing off some of the lesser-known parts of Paris.
Today, much of the Petite Ceinture resembles a wooded pathway which runs through, over and under Paris. Few Parisians or tourists are currently aware of its presence. The Petite Ceinture is often perceived by people as a place only the lone, slightly eccentric tourist or resident roams.
With only a few outsiders daring to enter the unknown tracks. Many perceive it as a no-go area, an opinion that was backed up by several tourists and residents.
Such undeveloped areas can offer a beautiful place of tranquillity. Along the line there are several areas that have been taken over by local residents, who have creatively used the space for the benefit of their communities. This includes space for performances, walks and the growing fruit and vegetables.
Walking along the Petite Ceinture can totally change your view of Paris and bring about many hidden benefits to the community including, improvements to health by exercising more, which in turn can help reduce disease.
It also provides a place for locals to relax and feel free from a city environment, which in turn it can help reduce crime and social unrest, and can provide ‘green lungs’ for the whole city.
When the weather turns colder and you find yourself in front of the fire, it's the perfect time to enjoy a glass of elderberry wine.
Patience is required for this recipe. Like red wine grapes, elderberries are high in tannin and so the wine needs time to mature. Be sure to wear rubber gloves, particularly when handling the berries as they can die your skin purple!
Pick the clusters by breaking off the large stem; they should snap off the branches easily. Shake off any insects. The easiest way to remove the berries from the stalks is to strip them using the prongs of a fork. If you can’t use the berries straight away, they can be frozen and used later.
Take care! Some people can be sensitive to elder when it comes into contact with the skin leading to irritation and rash. Although the flowers and cooked berries (pulp and skin) are edible, the uncooked berries and other parts of plants from the genus Sambucus are poisonous and may cause stomach upset.
