East Ender Eddie backs campaign to restore chapel as theatre space
Bust City bar is fined for fly-tipping
ACTOR Eddie Marsan is backing a crowdfunding scheme to uncover one of the East End’s lost Victorian gems.
The Ray Donovan star, 48, is supporting attempts to raise £25,000 to restore the chapel in Bethnal Green’s Grade II listed Oxford House, where he took some of his first steps on the stage.
Built in 1884 as part of the Settlement movement, which encouraged Victorian volunteers to work in areas of great poverty, the building is now home to about 30 charities and community organisations.
Its third-floor chapel has been largely unused for more than a century and was recently badly damaged by flooding. This led Historic England to put the building on its at-risk register but campaigners want to repair the damage and turn it into an intimate venue for gigs and plays.
Marsan, who began his career in theatre, was nominated for the
London Film Critics A CHAMPAGNE bar in the Square Mile has been fined more than £20,000 for fly-tipping.
But the City of London Corporation could be waiting a long time for its money — the company that owns 37 Jewry was put into liquidation two months ago. The basement bar in Old Circle award for best supporting actor, for his role in Mike Leigh’s 2004 film Vera Drake. He went on to win the prize in 2009 for Leigh’s Happy-Go-Lucky.
He said: “Oxford House has played a central role in the childhoods of thousands of East Enders, including my own. It was one of the places that my creativity was allowed to flourish, giving me the confidence and skills to be able to begin my career in acting. This campaign is a chance to take what could be a tragedy, and transform this stunning chapel into a new creative space for generations to come.”
Oxford House’s boss John Ryan said: “We want to carry out specialist carpentry repairs to the damaged wood, which dates from the Victorian era. This includes conserving the wonderful carved tribute to those associated with Oxford House who were killed in World War One. We will also fit sympathetic new lighting that highlights the historic features and inst all new audio-visual equipment and a power supply so we can hold community events.”
crowdfunder.co.uk/ restore-oxford-housechapel Jewry Street was prosecuted for dumping up to 40 bags of refuse at a time in the area on three occasions, starting in November 2015. The owners, Empire Inc Ltd, were fined £20,000 with £1,756 costs at City of London magistrates’ court last month.
They owe about £264,000 — including nearly £57,000 to the City in unpaid business rates.