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PCA Newsletter 14 - June 2006 |
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Tragedy
On The Lane |
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Members will no doubt be aware of the
awful event that took place on Thursday 8th June at
St Barnabas Church when two-year-old Oliver Ladwa
was crushed to death by an ambulance during a ‘show
and tell’ session at the playgroup. The ambulance
been parked on the sloping path when it started to
slowly roll backwards. Unfortunately Oliver could
not be saved, but heroic members of the playgroup
staff managed to pull other children clear. Members
of the PCA, indeed anyone with even the slightest
connection to Pitshanger, will join with your
committee in sending our deepest sympathy,
condolences, thoughts and prayers to the Ladwa
family, and perhaps muse on how a lovely summer’s
day in this nice part of the world can change, in
seconds, to tragedy.
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Street
Coordinators Wanted |
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The PCA is to set up a network of
Street Coordinators to cover the whole of the PCA
area. The plan is to have at least one person in
each road who would act as the point of contact for
PCA mail distributions of such things as raffle
tickets and hard copy newsletters. Additionally,
Street Coordinators would look out for new
neighbours moving into the area and could issue PCA
welcome packs (provided by the PCA membership
secretary). If you fancy becoming a Street
Coordinator please contact membership secretary
Barbara Boyle on 8810 4405 or email
barbara.boyle@pitshanger.org.uk. |
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Tuesday 11th July is the date of the PCA’s most
ambitious public meeting ever. We’ve got every heavyweight in
the area just waiting for your devastatingly incisive question
to ruin their careers. Here’s the lineup:
• Colette Paul, Borough Commander of Ealing Police;
• Marion Saunders, Chair of the Ealing Primary Care Trust;
• Steve Pound, MP for Ealing North;
• Darra Singh, Chief Executive of Ealing Council;
• Ian Gibb, Deputy Leader of Ealing Council. |
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Doing his David Dimbleby impression will be Kieron
Gavan, former Mayor of the Borough of Ealing. Admission will be
by ticket only as places are limited, but tickets are free and
available on a “first-come-first-served” basis. Please email the
organizer, PCA committee member Robert Jones, at
robert.jones@pitshanger.org.uk
or write to him at 15 Queens Gardens, Ealing, W5 1SE, or phone
8997 7191.
The success of the event will of course depend
upon questions from members of the PCA. We want questions that
will challenge our panel on the strategic issues that affect all
of us who live and work in the Pitshanger area of Ealing. These
could be questions about local policies, or Council development
plans, about law and order and social issues, about healthcare
development in our district, or about the way national policies
affect life in our locality.
Questions must be submitted in advance and we’ll
be doing our best to select those that will have a wide interest
for our audience. Send your questions to Robert as above. We’ll
let you know in advance if your question has been selected, and
on the night you will be invited to put your question from the
floor. |
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Attempted Rape |
Sponsorship |
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You may have seen the signs on the
south side of the Lane asking for witnesses to a
‘serious assault’ in Glencairn Drive on Tuesday 30th
May. This appears to have been an attempted rape on
a 13 year-old girl at 4.50 in the afternoon. A man
has been arrested in connection with the offence. |
The PCA is to sponsor Ealing Choral
Society for the next two years. A sum of £2000 has
been given to help enable the survival of this
important local group. PCA members will receive
concessionary ticket prices for advance bookings,
and you’ll see the PCA logo on all the society’s
publicity. |
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Brentham
Blabbers |
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Did you know that Brentham now has its own email
news and discussion group? The new Brentham Forum is free and
open to anyone interested in exchanging emails on a Brentham
theme (you don’t have to be a Brentham resident). Recommend a
plumber, express views on conservation, or share an anecdote
about the history of your house. Visit
www.brentham.com to find out more. |
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Peter Bowes Goes |
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He came, he saw, he blasted fresh air into the
nether regions of the PCA committee and raised God knows how
many thousands of pounds from the traders… And then
he went. Peter Bowes, owner (with his wife Hala) of Oscars café,
is retiring to Ascot and Italy. It’s not much more than a year
since Peter joined the PCA committee as Trader Representative
but in that time he’s redefined and re-energised the
relationship between the PCA and local businesses. |
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For example, he persuaded them to pay £50
each so that we could have free Carousel rides at Party in the
Park. Oscars will continue under new ownership, and we can but
hope that the next Trader Rep is as effective as Peter. As one
of the Lane’s ‘characters’ he will be much missed, although he
intends to maintain business links with the area. Reaction
from Peter’s fellow traders was varied. “Maybe now I can afford
to eat!”, said one. “Will I get the negatives back?”, enquired
another. After rejecting an offer from a national café chain
(“it would spoil the character of the Lane”) Oscars will, from
August 18th, be owned by a local family – “the nicest people you
could imagine”, says Peter. |
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No Welcome for
Welcome Signs? |
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Not everyone thinks the new ‘Welcome’ signs are a
benefit to the area. Member Peter Haisman writes to question
whether we need “yet more extraneous street furniture…the signs
are as unnecessary as the speed camera signs for the
non-existent street cameras”. He observes that the sign by St
Barnabas spoils the view looking east from the bus stop, and
inevitably has become a target for graffiti. “In my view these
notices not only serve no useful purpose, but actually detract
from the pleasant views of the Brentham Estate over which we all
enthuse”, he says. Is there anybody out there who has been
impressed? |
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James
Bowles - Marathon Man |
Central
Library |
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As we approach the anniversary of last
year’s July 7th bombings, spare a thought for
Meadvale Road resident James Bowles, whose sister
Emily died in the blast at Kings Cross. James,
together with his half-brother Barnaby, ran in this
year’s London Marathon, raising £30,000 for Great
Ormond Street hospital in memory of Emily. James
also logged a very creditable time in the Pitshanger
Fun Run (picture). |
The Council is undertaking a
consultation exercise prior to the refurbishment of
the library in the Broadway Centre later this year.
If you have any comments on this, particularly as to
how the library could encourage new users, contact
Sandra Wichelow on 8825 5162 or write to her in the
Libraries, Information and Learning section at
Perceval House, 14-16 Uxbridge Road, W5 2HL. |
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Pitshanger Party In
The Park |
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Summer has finally arrived, and that means Party in the Park,
sponsored by John Martin Estates, is almost upon us – it’s this
Sunday from 1 p.m. Most of your favourites will be there but
some have been relocated, so have a good wander round to find
the hidden delights. This year’s big new attraction is ‘Pits
Idol’, Pitshanger’s answer to all those TV Pop Idol shows. Local
under 16s will be attempting to win recording studio time in
which to produce their own record. Heats will be held on the
main stage during the afternoon, with the final in the music
marquee (beer tent to you) in the evening. |
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Also this year we will be launching our own
coloured wristband to raise funds for local charities. Please
buy one (or several) as they are an excellent way of showing how
much you care about our area. We live in a very special place, and it’s the PCA
that makes much of the difference. We can only do this with your
help and support throughout the year, but it’s particularly
needed for the events we organise. Come down on Sunday morning
and help set up, give us an hour during the event, or help pack
it all away at the end of a great day. We guarantee it’ll make
your experience of the day even better, knowing that you helped
to make it what it was.
There is a PIP 2006 preview page on the PCA web
site here. |
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The
Raffle – The BIG One |
Cooperative Tree |
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Quick! Check!! Have you got those
ticket stubs back to Debbie Edwards yet? A thousand
pounds of tax-free cash – donated jointly by Oscars
café and local business people – awaits the first
prize winner, and second and third won’t have much
cause to moan either: a £250 travel voucher from our
good friends at Leisure Fare, and a £50 Pitshanger
Lane restaurant voucher. And this year, to help you
save time, instead of having to write your name and
address on ten stubs in a book you now only have to
fill out five. We’re just too good to you! |
A large tree outside Robert Dyas came
crashing to the ground on a recent weekday
afternoon, injuring no-one. A couple of parked cars
were lightly brushed as the tree fell lengthwise
along the pavement. By the time your newshound had
found the camera the council had sawn it up and it
was removed by the following day. |
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