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PCA Newsletter 30 - June 2008 |
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Party In
The Park
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Pray for good weather on Sunday 29th June. This
year’s party is probably the most innovative for
many years; unfortunately much of the new stuff
can’t be covered so we’re going to need a bit of
help with the conditions. John Dutton, well-known
local loft converters, are supplying a skateboard
‘half pipe’ and a couple of top-class skateboarders
to demonstrate their skills. Solicitors Prince Evans
are providing a ‘Gladiators’ contest, basically
consisting of a platform on which you bash your
opponent with a ‘pugil stick’ until he or she falls
off. |
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Continuing the mindless violence
theme, Arena events include a Sumo wrestling
competition in which kids and adults don fat suits
and roll around pretending to fight but actually
just looking silly. More
constructively, the Fit For Sport Family Fitness
Challenge will also be held in the Arena: the family
group that covers the most circuits of our obstacle
course in three minutes gets something impressive
for their mantelpiece. The old-time Carousel
(sponsored by the Pitshanger traders) will be back,
together with a smaller train ride for younger
children. Fit For Sport will be running kids’
sporting activities, penalty shootouts and the like.
On stage the formal opening at 1.30 by BBC News
legend John Sergeant will be followed by the
250-strong spectacle of Gill Wellman’s Dance Gallery
dancers. At 3.15 the ever-popular dog show gets
going – they don’t do ‘waggiest tail’ at Crufts but
we do! The immensely successful Pitshanger Popstar
competition (pictured) reaches its conclusion in the
beer tent, where the party will end to the sound of
the Copycats. If all this makes you hungry there’s
plenty of food, ice cream and cold drinks on site.
Entrance is by programme, price £2 per adult – kids
go free! |
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4-Year-Olds Please Read On…
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High
School Musical
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…because it will be you who benefit
from the new secondary school in the borough planned
to open in 2015, providing 1200 places. Consultation
is underway and two potential sites – one in
Perivale – are being explored, as are questions such
as the school’s specialism, site design, facilities
and who might manage it.
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Another reason to get your raffle
tickets back ASAP before the draw at Party In The
Park – an extra prize of three tickets for the hit
show, High School Musical. Organiser Karen Jacks
tells us that pretty much all the girls in the area
under the age of 13 would kill for these. We’ve also
got an iPod Shuffle to give away. Any further prize
donations would be welcome: please contact Karen on
8566 7383 or
karen.jacks@pitshanger.org.uk.
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Fit For
Sport
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Fit For Sport this, Fit For Sport that – seems
like every issue of the Newsletter has a mention of this
ubiquitous organisation. Led by PCA Committee member Dean
Horridge, they’ve been running kids’ activities at Light Up The
Lane and Party In The Park since when we can’t remember, adding
the Fun Run to the list in 2005. Eventually your Committee
realised just how much Dean was spending out of his own pocket –
several thousand pounds a year – so we think he at least
deserves a mention! When he’s not impoverishing his
family Dean and his team of like-minded spirits are running PE
classes and after-school clubs in over 40 London schools, and
operate OFSTED registered healthy lifestyle holiday Kids Camps
in more than 38 locations, one of which is the Trailfinders Club
in Vallis Way. You can get information from Fit For Sport on
0845 456 3233 or at
www.fitforsport.co.uk. To get a 10% discount, book by 20th
June and quote ‘BANANA’. |
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PC Steve
Robinson
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Use It Or Lose It |
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They’re letting Steve, a member of our
Safer Neighbourhoods Team, down gently. To win the
Pitshanger Fun Run you have to run 5 kilometres in
roughly 17 minutes: ten yards in 72 seconds waving
your hands in the air doth not a winner make. Great
photo though – enlargements free to all police
canteens. |
Our campaign to persuade members to use local shops
wherever possible gets a boost from some positive
feedback. One member opines that The Village
Pantry’s prices are “generally lower than Waitrose”
while another marks our card about the “delicious”
vine tomatoes in Ray’s Fruit Bowl. Let us know what
you’ve found locally – shop in Pitshanger and save
time, fuel, and the planet.
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Lynda’s
Army
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Volunteer organiser Lynda Pullman would like to
say thanks to “the little army of helpers” who made her recent
return to the PCA team a success, particularly the raffle
distributors. She still needs help with specific roads,
including Curzon, Selby, Lindfield, Denison and Mount Avenue.
The work involves delivering PCA communications in an agreed
area. Contact Lynda at
lynda.pullman@pitshanger.org.uk. |
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Scrutiny
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Back in January the PCA submitted a ‘scrutiny’ topic
to Ealing Council entitled “Stewardship and
Maintenance of the River Brent”. This has made it
onto the Council’s Transport and Environment
Scrutiny Panel agenda and is scheduled for
discussion in February next year. At the meeting
Councillor-members of the panel will consider a
report from Council officers, so this is an
excellent opportunity for the PCA to get in early
and influence the report. The Council takes
scrutiny quite seriously, so if we can convince the
panel that more needs to be done there is a real
chance of action at (Council) Cabinet level.
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In the meantime the mess in some
stretches of the Brent gets ever worse – a fallen
tree near the Bunny Park has created a river-wide
dam accumulating the flotsam of the retail and
restaurant trades. |
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Streets
for People Update
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The latest news on the Pitshanger Lane Streets for
People scheme is that TfL (Transport for London) has released
the funds needed by Ealing Council for development of the
detailed engineering design. This work is now underway in Ealing
Council’s Highways Department, with completion expected in the
Autumn. Council Officers have promised to maintain close contact
with the PCA during this important phase of the work.
In the meantime, a small but vociferous group of protesters has
been trying to delay the scheme or block it altogether.
Objections that have come the way of the PCA Committee (and
there haven’t been many) have been either outright rejection of
the scheme, a claim that some people didn’t receive the
Council’s consultation document in December, or the suggestion
that the design is flawed in some way. The PCA’s main point of
reference for what most local people really think is the result
of Ealing Council’s public consultation exercise, which covered
every postal address in quite a wide area around Pitshanger Lane
(over 3,000 addresses). Of those who responded, 77% were in
favour of the Streets for People scheme, 14% were against and 9%
did not express a view. The PCA Committee respects
the views of those who voted against the scheme, but we feel
obliged to back the very clear majority view. Councillors have
told us that the 865 replies received represents a higher than
usual response rate to Council consultations, suggesting that
the consultation documents must have reached most addresses in
the target area. As for possible design flaws, the PCA Committee
is confident that any that do emerge can and will be dealt with
during the engineering design phase. We will continue to keep
PCA members, and other visitors to the PCA web site, fully
informed of progress. Ealing Council’s plans are on display in
the library (bring a magnifying glass – Ed.), where there are
also copies of the PCA’s Streets for People fact sheet.
See the PCA's Streets for People
resource page or
fact sheet for further details. |
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Park
Problems
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Complaints are increasing about the state of the
playground in the park. The main entrance is always flooded when
it rains, meaning older children have to be lifted over the
adjacent fence. Buggies are then pushed through the water before
parents too traverse the fence. Inside the playground much of
the surface is old and loose, and at least one child has been
badly hurt in the last few weeks. Parents are also concerned
about crossing Meadvale Road to get to the park. Cars parked
outside the gates and (illegally) on the opposite corners impair
the view of oncoming traffic. There are no warning signs for
unwary drivers and at least one member thinks “it’s an accident
waiting to happen”. The PCA Committee will be raising these
concerns with the Council. |
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New
Sponsors
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Alongside the new attractions at this year’s Party
In The Park, the PCA is delighted to welcome a new
main sponsor, Northfields. To coincide with the
opening of their new offices in Pitshanger Lane, the
firm is providing substantial financial support for
the PCA’s flagship summer event.
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The PCA Committee and everyone
involved in Party In The Park would like to thank
previous sponsor John Martin Estates for their
support over many years. Indeed, John Martin
was one of the founders of the event in 2000 and
sponsored all but one of the subsequent parties. He
continues to be a firm supporter of the local
community with his continuing commitment to North
Ealing School. John has supported many other events
including our annual Christmas festivity, Light Up
The Lane, and the Fun Run. |
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Green
Homes Concierge Service
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This environmental management company will be
exhibiting at Party In The Park. For a fee of £199 they’ll
thoroughly check your property and highlight where energy is
being lost, suggest a programme of improvements to reduce both
your carbon footprint and your fuel bills, and offer you a
year’s guidance as to the best improvement options and how to go
about implementing them. They offer help with the practicalities
of obtaining grants and quotes, and can suggest the best
suppliers and products to meet your requirements. Catch up with
them at the party or go to
www.greenhomesconcierge.co.uk. |
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The Last
Goodbye
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So this is it. Do all the good times and laughter
we shared count for nothing? Do you really never want to meet
again? If you haven’t renewed your PCA membership this is it.
Finis! Perhaps it’s embarrassment – you’ve lost your form. No
worries, just call Pam Walker on 8177 9999 or email
pam.walker@pitshanger.co.uk and your form will be
miraculously restored. Otherwise, if you don’t renew we’ll sell
our side of the story to the News Of The World. |
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