National Storytelling Week marked in Pinner and Harefield

IN CELEBRATION OF NATIONAL STORYTELLING WEEK (sfs.org.uk), a cornucopia of storytelling locally.

WEDNESDAY 4th FEBRUARY 7.30- 9.30
West House, Pinner Memorial Park, West End Lane, Pinner
STORYTELLING FOR GROWN UPs 2,
following the success of the session during Pinner Arts Week.
Join our group of storytellers who will delight you with a story or two and
YOU ARE INVITED TO BRING A SHORT STORY  TO TELL!
£4 (nibbles included) Adults 14+
For Heath Robinson Trust charity at West House

SATURDAY 7th FEBRUARY 2.30 – 3.30 pm
Pinner Library, Marsh Road, Pinner
FAMILY STORYTELLING FOR 4 – 104 years!
Join Pippa and Consuelo and more friends for interactive storytelling and
YOU ARE INVITED TO BRING A SHORT STORY OR POEM TO TELL!
Free event

MONDAY 9th FEBRUARY 7 – 9 pm
Harefield Hospital, Hill End Road, Harefield, Middlesex UB9 6JH
TAFFY THOMAS MBE, STORYTELLER EXTRAORDINAIRE,(taffythomas.co.uk) is coming to HAREFIELD HOSPITAL for an evening of storytelling, along with DEL REID and RACHEL ROSE REID

Free event, donations for Harefield Hospital welcome

Planting Snowdrops

IMG_3116 IMG_3118There was an appropriate Snow Drop just before before a doughty band of Volunteers embarked on planting out the 1500 snowdrop bulbs donated by the Pinner Association for decorating the Memorial Park.    About half of the bulbs were planted on the morning of Saturday 31 January and the remainder the following day.

Here is the photo of Jackie Lindop about to plant the last of the
snowdropsImage144

 

Marie Curie – Great Daffodil Appeal – Volunteers needed in Pinner

Each March Marie Curie holds it Great Daffodil Appeal to raise funds to help care for people with terminal illness all over the UK. This year alone, Marie Curie will provide care for more than 40,000 people across the UK with a terminal illness, and our nurses will care for more than 2,019 people in their own homes in London. In London, we hope to raise over £180,000 this March to provide almost 9,000 hours of care, but we can only do this with local help.  In the Pinner area we are looking for volunteer collectors for the following collections:

  1. Tesco Pinner, 1 Ash Hill Drive on Friday 27th February, from 10am – 6pm.  A maximum of 2 collectors per 2 hour shift (10-12, 12-2, 2-4 & 4-6pm)
  2. Hatch End Morrisons on Friday 13th March, from 10am – 6pm.  A maximum of 2 collectors per 2 hour shift (10-12, 12-2, 2-4 & 4-6pm)
  3. Pinner Street Collection on Saturday 14th March 2015, from 10am – 6pm.  A maximum of 4 collectors per 2 hour shift (10-12, 12-2, 2-4 & 4-6pm)
  4. Pinner Sainsbury’s also on Saturday 14th March, from 10am – 6pm.  A maximum of 2 collectors per 2 hour shift (10-12, 12-2, 2-4 & 4-6pm)

If you would like to sign up to collect then please visit www.mariecurie.org.uk/daffodil  or call Jane on 020 7599 7774

 

 

Crime Warning

 

Information has been sent from Harrow Police today and this item relates to our area:
Message from Harrow Police on 26th January 2015:
There is a small emerging issue in Pinner near the borders of Hillingdon where burglars have targeted the rear doors of houses. In one of the burglaries a Blue Vauxhall Insignia was used. The offences are occurring in the early evening so keep your houses lit when it starts to get dark to give the impression someone is in. For more details on how to protect your home visit: http://content.met.police.uk/Site/crimepreventionbumblebee

 

 

Harrow Council Cuts – Consultation

 

To those interested in “green and leafy Pinner”:

Anyone who has yet to complete an on-line response to the current Harrow Council consultation on proposed budget and hence service cuts to “Environmental Services” has only two days to do so before the deadline.  We have been told that as this consultation is a “tick box” type the number of individual responses will be added up to give the results of the consultation – therefore your individual responses will carry more weight than a discursive response from the Pinner Association.

The information about the “Environment and Enterprise Savings Proposals” is available here:  http://www.harrow.gov.uk/environmentconsultations

And the on-line survey is here:  https://www.snapsurveys.com/wh/s.asp?k=141874954240

The Association is going to send the Portfolio Holders for the departments involved, and the Leader of Harrow Council, a copy of our responses to the relevant sections of the previous budgets cuts consultation to ensure that they know the Pinner Association’s views on these proposals.

Recycling Electrical items

Help us reduce the volume of electrical items being sent to landfill by recycling unwanted items.

Recycling Officers and West London Waste are holding a recycling event for small electrical items on Monday, 12th January 2015 from 9am to 5pm at the Civic Centre main reception area.

If you have any small unwanted electrical items that you have been wanting to get rid of then stop by and bring along your broken or unwanted electrical waste so the recycling team can get rid of it for you. The electronic and electrical items can be anything from a toaster or hairdryer to a radio, old video recorder or even microwave oven.

The event aims to encourage people to recycle their unwanted electrical items as around 1 million tons of WEEE was sent to landfill last year and it is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the UK.

Fridges and freezers, commercial or industrial items and large items that cannot easily be lifted will not be accepted.   

For further information please contact Codi Shepherd – [email protected]

 

Help us reduce the volume of electrical items being sent to landfill by recycling unwanted items.

Recycling Officers and West London Waste are holding a recycling event for small electrical items on Monday, 12th January 2015 from 9am to 5pm at the Civic Centre main reception area.

If you have any small unwanted electrical items that you have been wanting to get rid of then stop by and bring along your broken or unwanted electrical waste so the recycling team can get rid of it for you. The electronic and electrical items can be anything from a toaster or hairdryer to a radio, old video recorder or even microwave oven.

The event aims to encourage people to recycle their unwanted electrical items as around 1 million tons of WEEE was sent to landfill last year and it is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the UK.

Fridges and freezers, commercial or industrial items and large items that cannot easily be lifted will not be accepted.   

For further information please contact Codi Shepherd – [email protected]

 

Be prepared for Power Cuts should they come your way!

It seems that the powers that be have at last realised that the wind may not blow at times of peak  electricity demandand that all these expensive wind turbnies will be able to contribute and are therefore contemplating power cuts.  One of our members has already suffered and offers the following suggestions for being prepared in the event of others becoming victims:

  • Keep a supply of candles, candlesticks and matches together and remember where they are kept
  • Make sure you always top up the battery on your mobile phone as some landlines only function through an electrical power point
  • Remember that when the power goes down, WiFi is lost, but a well charged mobile can connect to the internet via 3G or 4G. 
  • Call UK Power Networks who are the “governing body” for all electrical supplies throughout the UK.  They are easy to get through to and they are able to give you information on a continuous basis, with updates of when to expect the power to return.  They send texts.
  • Follows UKpowernetworks on Twitter as they respond very quickly to tweets if you have had a power cut https://twitter.com/ukpnnews ;  they will direct message you back or even phone you.

Santa a great hit at West House

2014_12_13SmallgirlmeetsSanta

2014_12_13Duck Santa’s Grotto at West House, Pinner attracted over 150 children on Saturday 13th December. The event, sponsored by Alexander Watson Estate Agents, has taken place for many years and is organised by the Friends of West House.

Lucy Patten, organiser, praised Santa’s Elves who had staffed the stalls and ensured that Santa saw a regular stream of excited children. ‘Everyone pulled together and made sure the children had a wonderful time. As well as thanking our regular volunteers, I should like to welcome Niamh McEnery and the HAWI who were helping for the first time.’ The favourite stall was ‘Hook a Duck’; others included Spin the Needle and Bauble Decoration.

Commenting on the event, Niamh McEnery said, ‘I really enjoyed it and I believe the others did too.’ One parent posted on Facebook, ‘Who knew FC has a steam powered computer, I learnt something! He was a brilliant FC and no queues or ridiculous attempts to flog over-priced merchandise. Win win!!’ Other parents praised the warm and friendly atmosphere and quality of Santa’s presents.

As well as providing a local Grotto for families, the Friends of West House were raising money for the Heath Robinson Museum, due to open in the park in 2016.

 

Closure of Harrow Libraries

The planned closures of some libraries in Harrow was publicised in an article in the Harrow Times. Many local residents went to Pinner Library  9th December to a ‘Consultation’. The chief hatchet woman whose job is to close libraries was there.
The meeting  was very well attended, including some pupils from West Lodge School with their teacher.  Due to popular demand a proper meeting was held, rather than a one to one “drop in style” meeting.  From Harrow Council two senior officers were present, Marianne Locke, Divisional Director for Community and Cultural, and Tim Bryan, Service Manager, Libraries, Sport and Leisure, but no elected representatives.  Questions ranged from the reason for the need for Harrow Council to make such severe budget cuts and how the Council could save money on their own administration, to why Libraries were so important as centres for information and contact with the Council, and how much Libraries are valued by school pupils.
It was agreed that another meeting would be arranged at Pinner Library after Christmas, to held in the evening when a wider cross section of Library users may be able to attend, and that a senior elected representative from the Labour Party (in administration on Harrow Council) would be at that meeting to answer questions.