News

We have been informed that the works to relocate the pedestrian crossing at the bottom of the High Street and the adjacent pedestrian crossing at the bridge at the bottom of Bridge Street will finally be completed within the next two weeks (hopefully starting on the 24th October).

The long delay in completing these works has been due to the damage that was inflicted to the frontage of “Swags & Tails” when a car ran into the building in the summer of 2015. The damaged building had to be stabilised before it was safe to carry out the required works to complete the relocation of these pedestrian crossings, and it has taken this long for that necessary task to be done.

 

BENTLEY PRIORY MUSEUM – Battle of Britain Memories

Do you have memories of the Battle of Britain?

Bentley Priory Museum is keen to speak to people from around Stanmore and nearby areas who have memories from the Battle of Britain period.

Staff at the museum have collected stories from people who worked on the RAF base and are interested in the recollections of people who lived nearby.  Did you live in the area in 1940?  Perhaps you knew someone who worked on the base. Or had air force personnel billeted in your home. Maybe you remember seeing planes flying overhead and hearing reports of the battle.

The museum is developing resources linked to Remembrance Day for schools and community groups.  The resources will explore the stories behind Remembrance and how we remember the past.

Museum Director, Eleanor Pulfer-Sharma said: “Bentley Priory Museum was created as a Commemorative Museum, and it’s important that we remember all those involved in, and impacted by, the Battle of Britain.  The new school resources provide an invaluable opportunity to collect stories and memories from local people.”

Between 10 July and 31 October 1940 the Battle of Britain was fought in the skies above southern England, between the fighter planes of the Royal Air Force and the German Luftwaffe.  Bentley Priory was the RAF’s Headquarters Fighter Command during the battle, communicating vital information between observers on the ground and the fighter squadron HQs. The victory successfully halted Germany’s plans to invade Britain.

Long the spiritual home for veterans of the battle, Bentley Priory Museum opened to the public in 2013 to tell the stories of the heroic aircrew and the dedicated men and women who supported them. It continues to act as a place of remembrance and welcomes visitors from all over the world.

Anyone interested in sharing their story can contact the museum on 020 8950 5526 or email:   [email protected]

See the website for more information about the museum and visiting: www.bentleypriorymuseum.org.uk

The Pinner Association was pleased to be invited to the Grand Opening of the new Heath Robinson Museum in Pinner Memorial Park.

The rain held off and a large crowd gathered at 2pm on Saturday 15th October to observe the ceremony which was MC’d by a Pinner resident Daniel Edward, and at which Cynthia Wells, Acting-Chairman of West House & Heath Robinson Museum Trust, Cllr. Rekha Shah, the Mayor of Harrow, Stuart Hobley, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund London, and Peter Higginson, Chair of the Heath Robinson Trust, all spoke to thank the many volunteers who had worked so hard for so long to achieve the creation of the first purpose built museum in London for the last 40 years.  The Heritage Lottery Fund was thanked for the grant of £1.3 million and the National Heritage Memorial Fund and Art Fund for the funding to purchase additional works by William Heath Robinson.

Michael Rosen, the well known writer and broadcaster, who was brought up in Pinner and who attended West Lodge School, then formally opened the new Museum, with the help of an ingenious contraption designed and built by the “Heath Robinson Inventors’ Club” of St Helen’s School:

 

After the formal opening ceremony the museum opened its doors to its first paying customers, who on this special day benefited from a half price entry fee and who received a “golden ticket” to commemorate being one of the first visitors to the Heath Robinson Museum.   In the park the crowds were entertained by the Harrow Steel Band and the Merrydowners Morris Dancers, there was storytelling and activities for children, and refreshments were supplied by Carpentier & Co and Daisy’s in the Park.  A great time was had by all!

The Museum will be open on Sunday 16th October 11am-4pm and then for the same hours on Friday-Sunday until mid-November.  Full information may be found on the Heath Robinson Museum website:  https://www.heathrobinsonmuseum.org/visit

 

Important information from the West House & Heath Robinson Museum Trust about the Opening Ceremony and Museum entry The Opening Ceremony will be held outside the Museum and West House at 2pm on Saturday 15th October in Pinner Memorial Park and is free to attend. There also be other activities and entertainment in the park and West House. LIMITED Museum entry Saturday 15 October   After the formal opening, there will be some limited public entry to the Museum from 3pm-5pm.  Museum entry on that day only will be at £3, half the normal standard entry price and you will receive the coveted Golden Ticket as a memento of your visit. Refreshments Refreshments are available in Daisy’s in the Park and in the stall kindly provided by Carpentier & Co. Photographers in the park  Volunteer photographers and film makers are recording the event for us. Please let them know if you do not wish to be photographed. Social media – join in and share your experience of the day! Please share your own record of the event using the hashtag #HeathRobinson Visitor information and help   Come to the Reception Tent to ask about the building project, join our newsletter list, make a donation, find out about volunteering opportunities, talk to our Media Team or book an event. Toilets, including accessible toilet, and baby changing, are in West House on the Ground Floor.   Museum opening Sunday 16 October  On Sunday 16 October, the Museum will be open from 11am to 4pm. Opening times after this weekend Following this weekend the Museum will be open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays 11am-4pm until mid-November.  We then hope to open more days but please check the website for details. We will also send out notifications about opening times in the newsletter.

The proposed relocation of the Pinner Post Office to WHSmith has been confirmed and will take place on the 17th November.

The information about the relocation from Post Office Limited is:

Relocated Pinner Post Office information sheet: 

Date of move:  17 November 2016

Address:  WHSmith   11 Bridge Street  Pinner  HA5 3HR

Opening hours:
Mon  09:00 – 17:30
Tue   09:00 – 17:30
Wed  09:00 – 17:30
Thu   09:00 – 17:30
Fri     09:00 – 17:30
Sat    09:00 – 17:30
Sun   10:00 – 14:00

Products & Services:  The same wide range of products and services will still be available.

Serving positions:  There will be three serving positions in total; one screened and two open plan.  The total number of serving positions has been based on current and future predicted business levels.

Access & facilities:  Level access into the store with both automatic and manual entrance doors.  Low level serving counters, a low level writing desk and hearing loops will be available.

How far away is it?:  Approximately 200 metres away from the current branch, along slightly hilly terrain.

Transport & parking:
Parking:  Chapel Lane pay and display car park with 154 spaces and 5 designated disabled bays is approximately 210 metres away. Two designated disabled bays on Bridge Street, approximately 110 metres away. A designated disabled bay on Love Lane within 100 metres and also on High Street, approximately 100 metres away

Buses:  There are regular buses serving the area with a bus stop outside WHSmith and also on the opposite side of the road. There is a zebra crossing approximately 50 metres from WHSmith.

For those of you who are members of the Pinner Association, November’s issue will be delivered a little later than usual. This is to ensure that news the Heath Robinson Museum opening event can be reported in The Villager.

If you wish to join the Pinner Association so that you can receive The Villager, please visit the following tab.

“Why Join?” –>  “Membership”

or click on the link below

http://www.pinnerassociation.co.uk/why-join-the-pinner-association/membership/

As some of you may have noticed this morning, the car park is full. This is partially due to a film crew having set up home for the next 5 days but due to all the people using the car park.

Utilising this car park for Film Crew’s is a revenue stream not only for Harrow Council but all for the business & people of Pinner. No film crew parking would result in adverts and TV episodes not being filmed in and around Pinner.

On the morning of 29^th September the Mayor of Harrow, Councillor Rekha Shah, accompanied by Cllr Keith Ferry, Vice-Chairman of Harrow Heritage Trust, unveiled a new carved wooden sculpture at the Chapel Lane entrance to Pinner Memorial Park.  The sculpture, donated to the park by Harrow Heritage Trust, is an original work by Tom Harvey, who previously carved the two chain saw tree sculptures in the park.  The sculpture was inspired by the work of William Heath Robinson and is intended to guide visitors through the park to the new Heath Robinson Museum.

Last night a meeting was held in the Methodist Church Hall about the future of Waxwell Lane car park.

 To summarise, the following options were displayed and the Council’s architects thoughts are below:-

• Keep the whole car park  –  Dismissed
• Build 8 –9 dwellings with 66 parking spaces retained – under consideration
• Build 18 –20 dwellings with 46 parking spaces retained – under consideration
• Build 30 – 32 dwellings with 21 parking spaces retained – under consideration
• Build 38 – 40 dwellings with no parking spaces retained  – Dismissed

 It is now official that the Harrow Council intend to build homes for commercial rent on at least a portion the car park, but the number and type of dwellings, and possibly some office spaces or other uses, and the proportion of the site to be retained as car parking, to include disable parking spaces, is still to be decided.  A part of the Residents’ Reference Group was formed from volunteers attending last evening’s meeting and they are to be regularly consulted on what number, type and style of dwellings / buildings are to be planned for the site.