I'm Not a Great Inventor from Scratch. What I Do Is to Use
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We Are Extraordinary We Are Extraordinary ISBN 978-0-9930773-7-1 First published in 2019 in the United Kingdom Text © Eleanor Levenson 2019 Illustrations © Farah Ishaq 2019 A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. The right of Eleanor Levenson to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyrights, Designs and Patents Act, 1988. The right of Farah Ishaq to be identified as the illustrator of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyrights, Designs and Patents Act, 1988 WORDS BY ELEANOR LEVENSON PICTURES BY FARAH ISHAQ Introduction In 1992, when I was 14, shortly afer object of much ridicule – that moment of shapes of buildings in the City of London. as those who have spent their whole lives the beginning of the academic year, I was seeing our town on the cool list in a And just a stone’s throw away, visible in Waltham Forest. on the bus from my school in Chingford magazine was brilliant. I even cut it out from the many hills of the borough, the Te people in this book are ordinary to my home in Walthamstow. A friend and stuck it on my bedroom wall. It was a modern architecture of the Queen people from an ordinary place. Tey and I were looking at a copy of Smash reminder that our ordinary lives need not Elizabeth Olympic Park, a reminder that walked down your streets, lived in your Hits, a pop music magazine. It had a list always be this way, and that ordinary hard work and dedication can push the houses and played in your parks. Tey of things that were ‘hot’ that week, and people from ordinary towns can do human body to its very limits, and that went to your schools and shopped in your things that were ‘not’. On the ‘not’ list was completely extraordinary things. countries can come together in shops. Tey are ordinary. But they are the city of Seattle, home to a type of Waltham Forest is an amazing borough. celebration of all that can be achieved. extraordinary too, creating art and music music called grunge, and on the ‘hot’ list Look in one direction and you see into One of the great things about London is that inspires, excelling at sport and was Walthamstow. A new band had a the vast swathes of Epping Forest and all that anyone can arrive here from changing the world though inventions single out. Tey were called East 17, afer the magic (and fear) that the forest can anywhere in the world and if they love and ideas. Tey are extraordinary and you the postcode of where we lived. Better yet, bring, from picnics and den building to London then London will love them back. too are extraordinary. we looked up and on our very bus was an real life historic highwaymen and You do not have to be born in London to We are extraordinary. actual member of East 17, whose picture imagined goblins and fairies. be a Londoner. Tat is why this book was in the magazine on our laps. Look in another direction and you can includes people who have worked here, Whether you liked them or not – and see the gleam of towers at Docklands. those who have studied here, and those they were both very successful and the Swivel round and you see the recognisable who only lived here temporarily, as well Eleanor Levenson The List Creativity Stuart Freeborn 1914 – 2013 Social Alfred Hitchcock Sport 1899 – 1980 Beryl Swain Change Music 1936-2007 Jenny Hammond Derek Jacobi Terry Coldwell 1894 - 1988 born 1938 Nasser Hussain born 1974 born 1968 Ada Maddocks Marion Foale Brian Harvey 1927-2007 born 1939 Lutalo Muhammad Science & born 1974 born 1991 Benjamin Disraeli Sally Tuffin John Hendy invention 1804-1881 born 1938 Roy Romain Vincent Crane born 1971 Clement Attlee David Bailey 1918-2010 Richmond Tony Mortimer 1883-1967 born 1938 Laurie Cunningham 1893-1930 born 1970 1956-1989 George Edwards Stella Creasy Matthew Bourne Damon Albarn 1908- 2003 born 1977 born 1960 Jade Bailey born 1968 born 1995 Edwin Alliott Patricia Scotland Roger Ascham Talvin Singh c 1515 – 1568 Verdon-Roe born 1955 born 1970 Bobby Moore 1877-1958 1941-1993 Thomas Gamuel George Gascoigne Michael Nyman c 1535 – 1577 Louisa Aldrich-Blake died c 1643 born 1944 David Beckham 1865-1925 born 1975 George Monoux Tom Hood Jammer Edward Atkinson c 1465 – 1544 1835 – 1874 Harry Kane born 1982 1881-1929 Thomas Hood born 1993 Edward Lloyd Lethal Bizzle 1799 – 1845 Morell Mackenzie 1815 - 1890 born 1984 1837-1892 Sol Plaatje Madge Gill Mandy Parnell 1882 – 1961 John Kemp Starley 1876 – 1932 born 1968 1854-1901 Muriel Lester Grayson Perry John Dankworth born 1960 Frederick Bremer 1883 – 1968 1927-2010 1872-1941 Jack Cornwell William Morris Jackie Free 1900-1916 1834 – 1896 Harry Beck born 1932 1902-1974 George Mitchell Kenny Wheeler Fanny Cradock 1911 – 1944 1930-2014 1909 – 1994 Patrick Mullane Kenny Clare 1858-1919 1929-1985 Edgar Myles 1894 – 1977 Sport Nasser Hussain was born in India and moved to the UK when he was a child. He went to school in Walthamstow where he played cricket, going on to play for Essex and then England. He was made captain of the England cricket team in Te Isle of Man, an island in the middle 1999 and led the team for 45 Test matches of the sea between England and Ireland, is over the next fve years. Nasser started as known for dangerous motorcycle races a bowler until he grew so tall as a around its roads. In 1962 Beryl Swain teenager that this became a problem, so from Walthamstow was the frst woman he changed to being mainly a batsman. solo rider to compete in their TT races, During his career he achieved over 60 riding her 50cc Itom bike around the centuries in top level cricket, which is mountainous circuit. Te men who ran when a batsman scores more than 100 motorcycle racing felt so threatened by runs in a single innings. Nasser was a this that they introduced a minimum Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 2003 and weight requirement for competitors, so he now works as a cricket commentator that Beryl and other women couldn’t race and a school cricket coach. again – this lasted until 1978. She inspired many other women who came afer her to believe that motorcycle racing could be for everyone and to have a go themselves. Sport “When times “ are down, keep believing, Double Olympic medallist Lutalo Muhammad is a British keep working taekwondo athlete from Walthamstow. His parents came to the UK from Zimbabwe and his dad coached him in hard, and things taekwondo from early childhood. Tere “I won almost every race I did,” said was controversy when Lutalo was selected Roy Romain, who represented Great for the Olympic team in 2012, when the Britain at the 200m breaststroke in the will pick up.” games were held in London, ahead of a 1948 London Olympics, though that was competitor that many thought had more one of the few races he actually lost. At chance of winning. Lutalo proved them one point he was both British and wrong when he won a medal. He won European champion. Roy was one of the bronze in the 2012 Olympics and silver in frst people to swim the modern butterfy Harry Kane the 2016 Olympics. stoke, demonstrating it at swimming pool galas around the country. He went on to work as a lawyer, though swam competitively throughout his whole life, winning World Masters Swimming competitions in his 70s and 80s. Sport Jade Bailey is a professional footballer from Walthamstow. She started playing football when she was six years Laurie Cunningham was the frst old, playing for Interwood, a local team black footballer to represent England in coached and run by her uncle, and then any of their adult teams and the frst for her school boys’ team, Chapel End. Englishman to play football for Real She became the only female player for the Madrid. At a time when racism was very Waltham Forest Under 11s team, and was common in football, he was one of the made captain, but because the teams did prominent black footballers who not allow girls to join afer age 11 she had challenged this, on and of the pitch. He a trial with Arsenal and started to train was known for his speed and balance and with them instead. She was part of their his transfer fee to Real Madrid from West Women’s FA Cup winning side two years Bromwich Albion was the highest the running, later signing for Chelsea and club had ever paid at the time. In a game then Liverpool as well as representing World famous footballer David against Barcelona, a newspaper said he England at all youth levels. When London Beckham was born in Leytonstone “plays football like the angels” and at the hosted the Olympics in 2012 she was and went to school in Chingford, where When England won the World Cup in end of the match the Barcelona fans gave chosen to hold the Olympic torch as it he also played for local team Ridgeway 1966 the captain was Bobby Moore. the Real Madrid player a standing was carried by boat down the Tames Rovers. He captained the England Born in East London, he went to school ovation. Laurie began his footballing during the opening ceremony, watched by football team 59 times and is the only in Leytonstone before signing with the career at Leyton Orient in the 1970s, and one billion people English football player to have scored in youth programme at West Ham United.