This year's Laburnum Street Party to celebrate the 101st birthday of Haggerston Pool will be on Sunday 3rd July from 12 - 6pm. There will be a big stage in the street with djs, mcs (including Haunted House from Kiss FM), r&b singers, elvis singalike, chinese childrens dancing and much more. Also lots of stalls with food, games, bric-a-brac, plus the playbus, bouncy castle, facepainting, clown and a football tournament. To book stalls or take part, please call on general number below.

Thanks to our funders so far, the Single Community Program, Canalside Housing Association, London and Quadrant Housing Association, UBS, Pinnacle Housing Asscociation, Whiston and Goldsmiths Tenants Association and Mouchel Parkman

We are holding a meeting at 75 Hebden Court, Laburnum Street (opposite the entrance to Jeger Avenue) on Tuesday 14th June at 7pm. This is for anyone to come along to who would like to help with the street party - distributing fliers, helping on the day, helping making posters or with anything else. There will also be more info about the developments at the pool.

Last year Pilot Publishing made the Laburnum Pilot magazine about Laburnum Street for the street party. This year Ella and Amy are making a film about Laburnum Street and what has happened in the last year. The film-making will take place at 75 Hebden Court in Laburnum Street - and will happen from 11am to 6pm on Sunday 19th June, Saturday 26th June, and every day from Monday 28th June till the street party on Sunday 3rd June. Everyone of any age who lives or works or goes to school in the area is welcome to take part, just drop into Hebden Court, or email laburnum_pilot@hotmail.com

Hackney Council have announced "Work has started to explore options to bring the pool and building back into use under public ownership.... A feasibility study has been started which, amounst other things will identify the regeneration potential for the building to be a catalyst for delivering Hackney's Community strategy priorities and to identify the mix of facilities within the building which would best achieve this".

Mike Coysh, Chair of Haggerston Pool Community Trust said "We welcome any moves to look at the possibility of re-opening the pool, but are disappointed that yet again a study has been commissioned without the involvement of the local community and the Pool Trust".

Haggerston Pool had been left as it was the day it closed in February 2000 - with the addition of the rubbish created by the parties held there while the building was squatted. It was completely infested with rats. The Council have finally cleared all the rubbish out and carried out some minor repair works, so the pool hall now looks as good as when we last used it.

Everything has gone quiet on Hackney Council's plans to re-open London Fields Lido. Following the consultation event the decision was made to include a seasonal roof on the lido - in the second phase of the development. Mike Martin, chair of the London Fields User group said "The Council are not keeping the user group and the local community informed of what they are doing".

Clissold Leisure Centre in Stoke Newington closed in November 2003 having cost £32 million and been open just 23 months. Hackney Council are aiming to re-open the centre in February 2006. A Clissold User Group has been set up from ex-pool users to meet in the time before the pool re-opens. Information on Clissold section of Council website

Clissold campaign website www.clissoldleisure.com

London Pools Campaign tries to stop pools closing and to improve the pools that we do have. LPC ran a "swimming detectives" campaign where swimmers visited every pool in London to check for cleanliness, good opening hours and friendly staff using a standard questionnaire. The winners were presented with their awards by Olympic gold medallist Duncan Goodhew at a ceremony shown live on BBC news in the historic Marshall Street Baths in Soho. The winning pools were East Ham Leisure Centre ("best pool"), the Porchester Centre in Westminster ('swimmers favourite') and Wandsworth Council ("best borough"). Hackney came third last in the borough awards having just one, not well rated lane pool and a leisure pool for 200,000 population. The "best borough" award was calculated using a combination of the amount of water provided for swimming per head of population and the quality marks for the pools involved. Wandsworth has 5 leisure centres and swimming pools, including the Tooting Bec Lido which is 100 yards long, making it hard to beat.