Actress Joanna Lumley leads park visitors up the garden path with her audio guide

Visitors to Mile End Park in Tower Hamlets will now be able to stroll the grounds accompanied by actress and Ghurkhas campaigner Joanna Lumley.

As patron of the award-winning open space, Lumley, who is best known for her role as Patsy in the television series Absolutely Fabulous, has recorded an audio tour of the park.

The recording that covers a 1.5 mile route from the north end of the park to the south can be downloaded as a podcast for MP3 players and mobile phones. It could potentially help partially sighted visitors explore the area, as well as disabled, the infirm or those with prams.

Michael Rowan, the Director of Mile End Park, said he was delighted that Lumley had become involved: “It’s fantastic, she’s always been a good supporter of the park and we’re lucky to have her on board.” Rowan explained how the audio tour is broken down into sections, so visitors don’t have to walk the whole route at once.

Members of the public said how much they enjoyed the audio tour. Christine Reece, 23, of Lewisham, is a huge fan of Joanna Lumley: “I loved her in Absolutely Fabulous, I’d definitely recommend it [the guided tour] to my friends as a way of getting fit as well as learning more about the park.”

Similarly Alex Keithly, 38, of Tower Hamlets, was pleasantly surprised: “It was pretty good. My wife told me about it but I was a bit reluctant to go with her. It was interesting to listen to, it’d be good if they did it with more parks around London.”

Mile End Park was created in the 1940s, as part of a plan to offer city dwellers access to green spaces. Formerly home to industrial buildings and residential areas; sections of the park are separated by roads, waterways and rail links.

Situated in the heart of East London, Mile End tube station is the closest tube link. Buses 25, 277, D6, D7 and N25 pass close by and there is a dedicated cycle track through the park.

A Team Arts gets going Photo: A Team Arts

Teenagers in Tower Hamlets will today embark on a non-profit project that will help them gain experience of the performing arts.

The organiser, ‘A’ Team Arts turned 30 in 2009, and this summer will see a special performance to celebrate their jubilee. It will be stylized to fit the trends of the 80’s, 90’s and 00’s – the three decades during which the organisation helped youths.

The House of Talent project gives a rare chance for young people from the largely disadvantaged area of London to improve their skills, and make a step on the career ladder.

“Apart from learning skills associated with those different skills they can also get a Bronze Art Award alongside the project,” Geraldine Bone, the Youth Team Manager told ELL.

This is a nationally recognised accreditation, and although Bone claims the organisation has not produced any stars yet, the programme has certainly helped young people get jobs.

Although ‘A’ Team Arts works mostly with regulars, it is now open to recruit new members.

The necessary criterion for young people is that they are aged between thirteen and nineteen and live or study in the borough of Tower Hamlets.

A series of workshops will commence today and run through to the end of March.

The final piece will be performed at the Paradise Gardens in Victoria Park this June.

Young people will have a chance to gain some knowledge in music, dance, drama, and fashion.

Bedroom and en-suite in The Clearview mini-mansion Photo: MIAIM

It is commonly said that we are living in a small world. Designer Elaine Shaw from Brockley, South East London has just created an even smaller one.

Reverting to the style of Victorian dolls house traditions, Elaine has created a miniature hi-tech property, with all the mod cons that are part of our lives in the twenty-first century.

She says: ‘We have celebrated the Victorian era for so long and I think it’s time we started celebrating modern design. We all have iPods, YouTube and digital TV in our homes and I want to be able to bring that into the doll’s house.’

Elaine has named the house Clearview, it is the first of a series of homes that she has designed for her company Miam.

Clearview stands at 79cm (31in) high and boasts six luxury rooms. Potential tiny residents would enjoy a bedroom with an en-suite, glass sliding doors leading onto a balcony and a fully equipped kitchen to prepare for guests, who would naturally enjoy eating at a chic dining table, laden with roses and miniature crockery.

If only The Borrowers were still around now; their dreams have finally been answered.

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