News

On the May Day Bank Holiday Monday the Manor House, the Tithe Barn  and the Museum formed the centre piece for the May Day celebrations when there was entertainment provided by the Lady Morris Dancers, a host of stalls, donkey rides for the children and dancing round the Maypole which provided the opportunity for a host of youngsters to get entangled in an assortment of Maypole ribbons. On the more sombre side there was a WWI re-enactment display of various features of life in the Army in WWI.

Who’d be a Tommy

The traditional parade of the mounted St George was enjoyed by a vast crowd in fortunately good weather until late afternoon. The Mayor of Harrow attended the proceedings her car being escorted up the High Street by the mounted St George and an escort of scouts who subsequently renewed their Promises in front of the Mayor.  Entertainment was provided by the Merrydowners, who are a ‘must’ at any local event, a Punch and Judy show, popular songs by Gemma Turner, and rounded off by the annual wheelbarrow race which was well contested.

                                                                     The Mayor of Harrow in attendance

         Local Charities were represented and also sponsored by entrants to the Wheelbarrow Race

After a struggle the Dragon was banished ignomiously to an alley off the High Street.

                                                                                                 Before

                                                                                              After

The Good Friday Walk of Witness through Pinner began as usual at Little Common and wound its way through the Village ending up at St Luke’s Church in Love Lane.

 

On April 16 the Pinner Association held its AGM, which followed its usual course and was followed by a “Save our Shops ” presentation by Kara lines and Amina Sadiq of the Pinner Independent Traders’ Association (PITA) who presented their Pinner Pledge which  all were urged to follow.

Tim Owen (Hon Treasurer), Keith Schofield(President), Bruce Watson (Chairman) and Ruth Boff (Hon Sec)

                                            Amina Sadiq and Kara Lines of PITA presenting the Pinner Pledge

For more information about PITA and the Pledge etc see www.visitpinner.co.uk or if you twitter go to @visitpinner.

In the Open Forum there was yet more discussion about ‘Turning Right’ (No political implicatioms!) at the Pinner Green cross-roads, when it emerged that the confusion was due to the one time arrows on the road having been initially wrongly located – hence not following the safer method  recommended in the Highway Code. See March  2014 edition of the ‘Villager’ magazine (p33)

Two public meetings are to be held so that people can find out more about a bid to open a new free school in Pinner.
Andrew Wilcock, Headteacher of Bishop Ramsey Church of England School in Hume Way, Ruislip, along with the school’s governing body and the London Diocesan Board for Schools, is putting together a bid to open a religious free school on the Heathfield School site in Pinner.
The Heathfield girls’ school is to merge with Northwood College in September, leaving the Pinner site vacant.
The bidding group is holding two public open meetings to share its plans for the new secondary Church of England free school and hear the views of people living nearby, on March 26 at 7.30pm at Pinner Village Hall in Chapel Lane or on March 27 at 7.30pm at Pinner Free Church in Paines Lane.

 

 

On Tuesday4 March advertising took over both the Chapel Lane and West House Car Parks as well as part of the Memorial Park as a film set, featuring a screaming bride. Sadly the lake in the park did not look at its best due to refurbishment of the fountain installation, which involved draining part of the lake.

                                                            The film set
                               Some of the accompaniments in the West House car park

                                                                The sad lake

 

Over the week end to 2 March Nower Hill College mounted an extremely talented display of paintings and photographic work in the West House Gallery.  I hope you didn’t miss it:

 

 

 

The Pinner Association has been made aware that only one ticket machine is working in the M&S/Pinn Medical Centre car park. As a result there are very long queues. Not nice at any time but awful in the present weather. Because of this an elderly lady missed her appointment at the Pinn Medical Centre and had to be taken home again.

We have taken up the matter with local Councillors and officers and, as a result, we have been assured that charges are not being enforced and notices have been put up to this effect.
Council reply from [email protected]: “I am aware that there is only machine working in Love Lane M&S section. I now have a spare machine which I can have installed, which I will endeavour to have completed this weekend (15-16 Feb), contractor and weather permitting.”

 

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The Festival starts on Tuesday 3rd June and is supporting the St Mark’s Foundation ‘Beating Bowel Disease Saving Lives’ Charity.
Tuesday’s concert will feature the Church Choir and Musicians
Wednesday Guy Johnston (Internationally famous ‘cellist) with Alasdair Beatson (piano)
Thursday lunchtime (1.00pm) – Harrow School
Friday – David Briggs (International organist) providing live accompaniment to a screening of silent movie ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hide’
Saturday – Festival Choir and Orchestra – Vivaldi’s Gloria, Vivladi 2 cello concerto and a Handel Organ Concerto.
All evening concerts start at 7.45pm, tickets from Kitts Travel, Insight or alexander Watson homes.

The Tory-led council believe they can deliver free parking to Harrow in a way that is not open to abuse, and is affordable.

Ms Hall was excited to announce the plans on 3 February.  Free parking  (20 minutes only and on-street not in car parks) is coming to Harrow  on in a move to deliver a boost to the local economy. Conservative leader of the council Susan Hall made the announcement on Monday following months of debate with Labour and Independent Labour on how best to deliver free parking. Opposition parties have been pushing a plan to bring 20 minutes free parking to Harrow since October last year, but a trial scheme in Rayners Lane showed that it could cost up to £1million annually – the equivalent of a one per cent rise in council tax, which is the reason Tories shot the plans down. Ms Hall said: “When we did this, we wanted to do it right. We had to come up with a system that people could use, but could not be abused.” The system, which will be rubber stamped by the Tory cabinet on Thursday next week and is hoped to be rolled out within the next four months, will give each motorist in Harrow 20 minutes free parking once a day. After typing in their vehicle’s registration number, they will then receive a ticket and not be able to get another one until the following day. Harrow Council estimate that replacing machines for the new system across district centres will cost £436,000 while the loss in revenue from parking income will be £296,000. Ms Hall said: “We have a responsibility to taxpayers to deliver services in a way that is sensible and affordable. Previous plans have just not been thought through.” Businesses across Harrow would have been disappointed that the plan did not come in time for Christmas, however Ms Hall has been consulting with officers for months on this plan which she claims is foolproof. Free parking is coming to Harrow in a move to deliver a boost to the local economy. Conservative leader of the council Susan Hall made the announcement on Monday following months of debate with Labour and Independent Labour on how best to deliver free parking. Opposition parties have been pushing a plan to bring 20 minutes free parking to Harrow since October last year, but a trial scheme in Rayners Lane showed that it could cost up to £1million annually – the equivalent of a one per cent rise in council tax, which is the reason Tories shot the plans down. Ms Hall said: “When we did this, we wanted to do it right. We had to come up with a system that people could use, but could not be abused.” The system, which will be rubber stamped by the Tory cabinet on Thursday next week and is hoped to be rolled out within the next four months, will give each motorist in Harrow 20 minutes free parking once a day. After typing in their vehicle’s registration number, they will then receive a ticket and not be able to get another one until the following day.

Harrow Council estimate that replacing machines for the new system across district centres will cost £436,000 while the loss in revenue from parking income will be £296,169. Ms Hall said: “We have a responsibility to taxpayers to deliver services in a way that is sensible and affordable. Previous plans have just not been thought through.” Businesses across Harrow would have been disappointed that the plan did not come in time for Christmas, however Ms Hall has been consulting with officers for months on this plan which she claims is foolproof. As for traders who were left waiting, Tory cabinet member for finance Councillor Tony Ferrari said: “Now they will have free parking for many Christmases.” As for traders who were left waiting, Tory cabinet member for finance Councillor Tony Ferrari said: “Now they will have free parking for many Christmases.”