Author: News Team

A man has been charged with murder following the fatal stabbing of a shopkeeper in Marsh Road Pinner early on Sunday, 24th of March.

Alexander Stephen Gunn, aged 31 and of no fixed abode, was charged on Thursday, 4th April with the murder of 54-year-old Ravi Katharkamar.  He was also charged with robbery.

Gunn appeared  in custody at Willesden Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 5th April.   He had previously appeared at the same court on Monday, 1st April charged with burglary, theft from a motor vehicle, possession of an offensive weapon and driving whilst disqualified.

This arrest follows an investigation by detectives from the Homicide and Major Crime Command, Metropolitan Police.

We commend the Metropolitan Police in making this arrest, and our thoughts continue to be with the family and friends of Mr Katharkamar at this tragically sad time.

The Pinner Association has been informed that the Waxwell Lane Car Park is being hired as a filming unit base (BBC – Silent Witness) to facilitate filming in the area as from 18:00 hrs on Thursday 28th March 2019 until 22:00 hrs on Monday 1^st April 2019.

Harrow Council have agreed that a row of bays in the car park will be made available to business permit holders and disabled parking badge car users during this time.  The production company have also agreed to release bays if they are not in use during the day if available.

Harrow Council apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and advise members of the public to utilise the Chapel Lane car park as an alternative parking option, or use the pay and display bays along nearby Bridge Street.

Harrow Film Service (Harrow Council) apologies for the short notice of this use of the car park,  which is due to the late confirmation by the production company and various schedule changes.

The Centenary of Armistice Day on which World War I ended fell on Remembrance Sunday on 11th November 2018.   The parishioners of the Parish Church of St John the Baptist had already decorated that ancient building with thousands of knitted poppies to commemorate all those from Pinner, and more widely, who fell during WWI.

The sun shone brightly on a huge crowd of Pinner residents and others who had assembled at the Pinner War Memorial at the top of Pinner High Street for the traditional Remembrance Sunday Service, which is organised by the United Services Club, assisted by The Pinner Association.  The two minute’s silence was observed during which the distance sound of maroons echoed the falling silent of the guns on the fronts of WWI exactly 100 years previously.

Clergy from local churches and synagogue participated in the Remembrance Service at which the youth of Pinner were represented by the Guard of Honor from the Sea Cadets, the bugler from Nower Hill School, and the representatives of local Scouts, Guides and schools who laid wreaths.  Wreaths were also laid on behalf of the armed services, and many national and local organisations.

The Pinner Association wish to thank Geoffrey Wheal and Caroline Ennis who undertook much of the administration of the Remembrance Sunday Service on our behalf.   An event which an estimated number of 1,000 people attended takes a great deal of organising and liaison with the local authority, local police and fire service, and St John’s Ambulance, all of whom the Pinner Association thank for their contribution.

Over 70 Parishioners and Friends of The Parish Church of St John the Baptist have been have been knitting poppies in Remembrance of those from Pinner who lost their lives during World War I.

The initial aim was to knit 148  poppies to represent one poppy for every Pinner person who did not return.  The 148 poppies were completed within the first two weeks of the project so the volunteers kept on knitting.   

With over 2,500 completed poppies there will be three displays seen from Friday 2nd November.   The display around the font will be to represent the 148 Pinner men, while the outside displays will be at the Lych Gate and the West Door.   

We will remember them.

“Lest we forget”

Wreath Laying Ceremony 

in the Peace Garden

 Pinner Memorial Park

2 pm for 2.15 pm, Tuesday, 30th October

As is done every year, The Worshipful The Mayor of Harrow, Councillor Kareema Marikar, will lay a poppy wreath on the Dove of Peace Memorial in the Peace Garden, Pinner Memorial Park, West End Lane, at 2.15 pm on Tuesday, 30^th October.  This is in remembrance of all those from Pinner and the Borough of Harrow who lost their lives in WWI and WWII and subsequent conflicts.

Pupils from West Lodge School will be present at this short, secular, Remembrance Ceremony, as will members of the Pinner Association, and all residents of Pinner are also warmly invited to attend.

 

The annual Pinner Fair is taking place today – Wednesday 30th May – in Bridge Street, Marsh Road and the High Street.  Despite the cloudy weather the streets were full of families enjoying all the fun of the fair this afternoon.

Many new large structures appeared in Pinner – it is amazing how all the attractions are erected and removed so quickly –  they will all be gone tomorrow morning.

Planning Application to build Flats in Pinner Memorial Park

A planning application has been submitted to demolish “West House Lodge” – the privately owned small house, once a part of the historic West House estate, next to the Heath Robinson Museum in Pinner Memorial Park – and construct a block of five flats in a building of two storeys with further flats at the roof level positioned further back on the site than the current Lodge and occupying the full width of the plot.   The new flats, which would be much higher and more massive than the existing building and would extend behind the aviary, well beyond the building line of West House and the new Museum, would be clearly visible from and overlook the Peace Garden, the children’s playground and the lawn terrace of Daisy’s café (see picture).

Pinner Memorial Park is a greatly loved and well used local amenity.   The part of the park that includes West House was purchased by public subscription in 1949 as a war memorial for those who had fallen in both World Wars.  In 1995 the Peace Garden was planted to be a haven of tranquillity and dedicated as a memorial to the 50^th anniversary of the ending of WWII.  The park is administered by Harrow Council as trustees of the registered charity the “Pinner Memorial Park Trust”, the charitable aims of which are:

“Land held in perpetuity as an open space laid out with a minimum of disturbance to its natural and rural beauty solely for the recreation benefit and use of the public in memory of the fallen of Pinner of both world wars ….”.

If you and your family use Pinner Memorial Park and enjoy the beauty and peace of this valued open space so near to central Pinner you may wish view and comment on the planning application to build flats within the park.  This can be done by visiting the Harrow Council Planning Services webpage:

http://www.harrow.gov.uk/info/200074/planning/443/viewing_commenting_online

and clicking on the link to “view and comment on planning applications” and then entering the reference P/0173/18 in the left-hand search box on the “quick search” page.

Get your dancing shoes on and join Harrow Borough on 1 January 2018 for the London New Year’s Day Parade.

Harrow’s going all out this year and their Moulin Rouge float is going to be the biggest showstopper, guaranteed to blow your mind and get everyone in the party mood!

That’s right they’re bringing the beloved Parisian cabaret into the heart of London this New Year and with the theme of ‘Showtime’, be prepared to be dazzled! Handcrafted by volunteers from Wiseworks and Nower Hill High School, there’s no way you’ll miss Harrow’s Moulin Rouge inspired float. It features the iconic red windmill at an impressive 6 metres high, flashing lights and dancers all dressed up in the fiery theme!

Volunteers from Wiseworks and Nower Hill High School have spent the last three months designing and building the float and are now adding the final touches to what promises to be a showstopper!  They will also be taking part in the parade and will be accompanied by Beverley School of Dance, the Kodak Football Club, and Cllrs John Hinkley and Jean Lammiman who have worked so hard in preparing and organising this year’s entry.

The London New Year’s Day Parade is a free event expected to feature more than 10,000 performers. It begins midday on Monday 1 January in Piccadilly and ends around 3.30pm at Parliament Street.

You can support Harrow’s entry by donating to the Mayor’s chosen charities Harrow Women Centre and Harrow Law Centre – for more information email The Mayor’s Office [email protected].

To find out more about the New Year’s Day Parade, the route and other things going on visit www.lnydp.com.

The next public consultation to discuss the future of Waxwell Lane Car Park, where it is proposed to use all or some of the car park for a housing development, will be hosted by Gort Scott Architects and Harrow Council:

Date: 11th September 2017
Time: 3.00 – 8:00pm, drop in
Venue: Waxwell Lane Car Park, Pinner, HA5 3EN

For more information visit www.waxwell.info

On Wednesday 31st May 2017 Pinner again hosted one of the oldest street fairs in the country.   Roads were shut and buses diverted from the evening before to accommodate the many colourful fairground attractions that made up the 682nd Pinner Fair.

There were large rides and attractions all along Bridge Street, in the upper High Street and part of Marsh Road.  People from all over the area were in Pinner and were having  a great time.

The cloudy weather did not keep the crowds away.  Some intrepid fair-goers braved the heights and must have had a great view!

The dodgem cars in Marsh Road displayed the style of driving of that  hopefully we do not usually see in that road.

Pinner Fair is organised by the Showmen’s Guild in liaison with Harrow Council, to which they pay a large fee to cover the road closures, removal and replacement of street furniture and the street cleaning after the Fair has been packed away on Wednesday evening.  It is amazing that all the huge rides and attractions are folded up and driven off overnight, leaving Pinner to become the quiet suburb that we all love for another year.

Pinner certainly would not be the same place without its annual Fair.