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PCA Newsletter 35 - February 2009 |
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Childhood memories of snowy days off school mingled
with adult anxieties about getting to work as the
first Monday in February brought the heaviest snows
for nearly 20 years. Today’s kids – and a
suspiciously large number of off-work adults – took
themselves down to the park to see it
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transformed into a Christmas card
winter wonderland and to roll unfeasibly large
snowballs. Many thanks to Maggie Stevens for the
photos. |
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Solar
House
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Take a stroll down Bellevue Road and on the left
you’ll find the des res of members Doig and Ruth Simmonds, made
even more des by having a solar heating installation on its
roof. Doig explained how and why. “Worried about
the rising cost of energy bills? You might consider an
investment in solar panels for heating water (does not do
central heating). The system I have installed is not likely to
pay for itself in my life time – I'm too old to worry about
that. (It does raise the value of the house or you can take it
with you when you move). What it has already done is reduce the
activity of the boiler during any sunny or near sunny periods,
winter or summer. There is a lot of calculation to consider: how
big is your hot water demand? It is not likely to cope with
using a washing machine every day unless you have double the
panels I have (I have two, about 8 feet square in total and no
washing machine). There are a lot of cowboys out there offering
cheaper systems. I used Solar Home Energy who supply
state-of-the-art German equipment. Mine cost around £3500. A lot
depends on the orientation of your roof and where your storage
tank is placed – you have to have one. Anybody wishing to come
and see our system is welcome. Just contact me at
doig.simmonds@ntlworld.com.” |
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Attempted Child Abductions
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Rotary
Quiz Night
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We have been told by the Council of at
least two attempted abductions of toddler-age
children in central Ealing. A 16-19 year-old girl
approaches the children as if she knows them and
encourages them to go with her. One of the children
was with her childminder at the time who reported
the incident to the police. Please spread the word.
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Haven’t they got homes to go to?
Hanwell & Northfields Rotary are holding yet another
event at the Brentham Club. This time it’s a Quiz
Night, scheduled for Friday 27th February starting
at 7.15pm. Tickets, which include a bangers’n’mash
supper, are £11, and the winning team will receive a
cheque for £200 in favour of their preferred
charity. Details and tickets from Rod Prangnell on
8579 4541 or 07958 930877.
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North
Ealing School Expansion
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Previous newsletters have charted the progress of
the school’s plan for a 50% increase in its annual
intake, from 60 to 90 pupils. Despite the
disapproval of 59% of the 328 respondents to its
public consultation exercise, the school’s governing
body accepted the Council’s statistics on local
population growth and approved the proposals.
Particularly compelling among the statistics are the
102 children already living within the school’s
catchment area who will be reception age in
September 2010. The Council has now published the
required statutory notices,
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and outline plans (including the
accompanying ‘artist’s impression’) were unveiled at
a sparsely attended public meeting on 21st January.
The next stage will be a planning application
submitted through the usual Council channels.
As well as keeping you informed of progress with the
school expansion, the PCA Committee will be keeping
a close eye on the proposed temporary adoption of
part of Pitshanger Park as part of the construction
site, and on the arrangements for access to the site
for construction traffic. |
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No
Hoodies
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Membership Campaign
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Sometimes this job is just too easy.
Among the items sent in for this edition is the news
that Ealing Trailfinders Rugby Club (at the end of
Vallis Way) are looking for “social rugby players”.
You might well feel this is a contradiction in
terms, but just in case you’re the sort of person
who says “Awfully sorry!” after gouging an eye in a
scrum or “Do excuse me, old chap!” when scraping
ears with your studs, contact Bill on 07939 552566
or Brendan on 07958 433220.
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Yep, it’s that time of year again and
the annual round of stuffing envelopes and sticking
them through doors looms on the horizon. Previous
volunteers are requested to confirm (or otherwise)
their availability this year whilst new recruits are
always welcome. Whichever, you have the choice of
two fantastic opportunities – a) sticking membership
materials into envelopes, or b) delivering them in a
particular road. Please email membership secretary
Barbara Boyle on
membership@pitshanger.org.uk and let her know
what you’d like to do.
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Pitshanger Versus The Aussies – No Contest!
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Now, we know he likes his privacy so we won’t even
mention he lives in Lindfield Road when he’s not touring, but
after England have beaten the West Indies and retaken the Ashes
this summer we’re going to claim it’s all down to the new
England cricket captain, Andrew Strauss, and the mental serenity
he has achieved since moving to Pitshanger. Not that he needs
luck, but we’re going to wish him the best of it all the same. |
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Is It A
Bird? Is It A Drain?
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The River Brent – drain or wildlife habitat? What
are Ealing Council's legal obligations regarding
river maintenance? To what extent do Ealing and
Brent Councils co-operate over clearing rubbish from
the river? These were among the questions posed by
the PCA and discussed at a meeting of the Council's
Transport and Environment Scrutiny Panel on 4th
February. Having heard the report by Head of Leisure
and Green Space, Steve Marshall, Councillors at the
panel meeting agreed with the PCA that more work is
required, and the report will be re-
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-submitted in September. Among a
number of interesting snippets that emerged was the
revelation that the Council is currently spending
only £15k per year on managing the river corridor,
compared to the £80k per year budget of the river
maintenance team disbanded in 2006. What happened to
that £80k remains a mystery for now, as does the
fate of the current administration's manifesto
pledge to set up steering groups for the Borough's
open spaces. Along with our friends at the Brent
River and Canal Society we will be pressing these
and other points between now and September. |
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Pitshanger 100
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Planning for the Pitshanger centenary celebrations
is moving on apace. The PCA has taken on a ‘steering’ role,
helping a range of local organisations put on events to
celebrate the hundredth anniversary of the naming of Pitshanger
Lane. There’s now a Centenary area on the website with details
of events in the pipeline and the organisations involved. Click
here. Included in
the celebrations will be a photo exhibition, to be held at St
Mary’s Perivale in August. We’d be grateful for all
contributions, including video and film: please contact the
PCA’s Pitshanger 100 co-ordinator, John Waters, at
john.waters@pitshanger.org.uk or on 8997 5200. Why not ask
your long-time resident neighbours? It’s a great way for older
people to make a valuable contribution and show the rest of us
what it used to be like. John also wants to hear from people
willing to act as Street Co-ordinators to help with the proposed
street party on Pitshanger Lane and the “Street Wars” quiz
competition which will be going on later this year. |
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Use It
Or Lose It
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Our campaign in support of local shops might have an
unlikely ally in the new Westfield shopping centre
at Shepherds Bush. As Ealing Broadway is forced
down-market our shops are in an excellent position
to provide a quality local alternative. Traders are
beginning to recognise the opportunity and, many
years after the demise of its predecessor, there’s
talk of the Pitshanger Traders’ Association being
resurrected.
Meanwhile, McCreadies the butchers have noted a
marked increase in demand for pork belly following
Jamie Oliver’s TV
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programme on pig farming. All their
pork is English (raised to higher animal welfare
standards than in many other countries) but don’t
bother asking on Mondays – they’ll be closed that
day from now on. |
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Beethoven Piano Sonata Festival
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Coming to St Barnabas on Saturday 28th February
and Sunday 1st March is a classical spectacular – all 32
Beethoven piano sonatas played by 32 different pianists (and
following a substantial contribution to the Editor’s Beer Fund
no mention will be made of the PCA committee member who was
under the misapprehension that they’d all be playing at the same
time!). The festival will be in four sessions over
the two days, each costing £10 (or £25 for all four). Pay at the
door – no tickets will be issued beforehand – but with over 300
seats admission is “effectively guaranteed”, according to
organiser (and Sunday evening recitalist) Dr Hugh Mather, who
can be contacted on 8997 7691 or at
hmather@btopenworld.com. |
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Members’
Dinner
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Teaser
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Most years about this time we organise
a dinner for members at one of our local restaurants
and this year we’re planning an evening at the
Village Inn on Saturday 21st March. We’re not sure
of the price as yet but pre-booking enquiries can be
made to Michelle Scupholme at
michelle.scupholme@pitshanger.org.uk.
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We’re hoping to have a Celeb to start
the next Pitshanger Fun Run (sometime in May – TBC)
so, to get you guessing, he’s an ex-England football
star and TV presenter, and is said to be counting
the days as the world holds its breath until we
discover – will your Editor break last year’s World
Record for a PCA Newsletter Editor of 22 minutes and
41 seconds?
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