News

Despite appalling weather the first of the ‘Summer’ Band Concerts went ahead in front of West House on 26 July thanks to the dedicated band of Association stalwarts .  The Harrow Steel Band played most enthusiastically throughout the afternoon and the rather small crowd greatly enjoyed the performance.

In contrast with the previous week,  on 2 August we were blessed with perfect weather when we were entertained by the Fats Rollini Jazz & Blues Band.  A ‘swarm’  of  loyal supporters descended on the Memorial Park  and had a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Any umbrellas to be seen were to fend off the sun’s rays rather than the rain showers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The spell of fine weather continued into the third week when Grimsdyke Brass entertained the capacity crowd – we ran out of seats to hire.

 

 

 

 

The Season concluded with a scintillating performance by the Stardust Big Band which entertained the large crowd to a wide range of swing music.  The crowd demanded a return in 2016.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the record the Pinner Association arranges all the Band Concerts and pays for the Bands, while the proceeds from bucket collections in the interval go to West House.
A total of nearly £2,000 was raised in aid of West House over the three recent week ends.

The Stitch mounted an imaginative exhibition at West House on 4th July 2015.

For details of the exhibition see: www.westhousepinner.com

 

Find the club at: http://www.stitch-london.co.uk/

A rare visit by HRH The Duchess of Kent made the 30^th Anniversary celebration extra-special for patients and staff of Paul Strickland Scanner Centre. A local charity with its mission to provide vital, state-of-the-art scanning for the early diagnosis, monitoring and research of cancer and other life-limiting diseases, the Centre is based on the Mount Vernon Hospital site in Northwood.
Established by Dr Paul Strickland in 1985, the Centre marked this milestone with the launch of an Appeal to raise funds for a new CT scanner. During her welcome to guests, Claire Strickland, Chief Executive and daughter of the Centre’s founder, explained, “We do not receive any direct government funding, so we rely entirely on donations to fund our scanner replacement programme”. Ms Strickland continued “We have fantastic local support, however high-level scanners cost upwards of £1 million. This is why we desperately need continued support if we are to carry on giving our patients the very best diagnostic facilities. My father was incredibly proud of the Centre and its achievements and I can think of no better tribute to his work than to mark our 30^th anniversary by funding a new CT scanner”.
Centre staff were joined on the day by supporters, sponsors, and special guests including the Mayor and Mayoress of Hillingdon, Cllrs George and Judith Cooper, our local Patron Wing Commander Edna Partridge and Bruce Houlder, Representative Deputy Lieutenant for the London Borough of Hillingdon.
Guests were treated to music by the Harrow Apollo Male Choir while they enjoyed canapés and refreshments on the lawn, before the arrival of HRH The Duchess of Kent. The Duchess was presented with flowers by Eve Melsome (aged 3½) and spoke with patients and their families before unveiling a commemorative plaque. She commented, “I was honoured and grateful – on the 30th June 2015 – to have the opportunity to meet patients and their families at the launch of the Scanner Centre ‘s 30th Anniversary Appeal.”
As she was touring the facilities, HRH The Duchess of Kent also noted, “I am overjoyed to see the development of this extraordinary place since my last visit and to witness personally the very high quality standard of care to all the patients that come there for treatment.”

For further information, please contact Caroline Wren on 01923 844290 or [email protected]
Please  note:
Paul Strickland Scanner Centre is an independent medical charity based at the Mount Vernon Hospital in Northwood, Greater London.

• The Centre’s founder and Honorary Life President, Dr Paul Strickland OBE MB BS FRCR FRCP, was convinced that early scanning could save the lives of patients with cancer and other serious diseases.  He captured the imagination of the public and sufficient money was raised to obtain a CT scanner and an MRI scanner and the building to house them and in 1985 the Paul Strickland Scanner Centre opened its doors.
• On average the Centre carries out more than 14,000 scans a year.  These scans provide clinicians with vital information which helps influence and monitor effectiveness of treatment.  In its 30 year history the charity has carried out more than 250,000 scans.
• Anyone wishing to donate to the CT scanner appeal or take part in one of our fundraising events should contact the Appeals office on 01923 844290 or [email protected]

 

The Pinner Association, the amenity society founded in 1932 with the aim to conserve and enhance Pinner village, have this week agreed to donate the sum of £5,000 to the matched funds fundraising appeal by the West House & Heath Robinson Museum Trust for the project to build a Heath Robinson Museum at West House in Pinner.
The Heath Robinson Museum collection will be displayed at the new museum to be built at West House, Pinner Memorial Park, Pinner, in north-west London, currently due to open in April 2016. The collection includes rare rough early sketches and advertising commissions by the artist, who is well known for his humorous drawings and illustrations.
Following agreed funding for the museum project by the Heritage Lottery Fund in December 2013 of £1.1 Million, a further £150,000 is still needed to meet the partnership-funding target.
Supporting the Heath Robinson Museum and ensuring that the amenities enhance life for all in Pinner is the key purpose for this donation. The Association is pleased that the plans for the new building include features such as the interactive educational room which will be an asset for the community of Pinner and the wider public.

 

William Heath Robinson moved in 1908 to the village of Pinner in what was then rural Middlesex. A blue plaque marks the house in Moss Lane where Heath Robinson lived. The new Museum will provide a permanent home for Heath Robinson’s work, thus giving residents of Pinner and the public the opportunity to explore one of the country’s best loved artists and take part in varied cultural and educational activities related to the collection. The Heath Robinson collection will be an important resource for pupils from local schools to visit to cover aspects of the National Curriculum.

 

 

 

 

PINNER PARK FARM OPEN DAY

Sunday 7th of June 2015

12:30 – 14:00 (tour starts at 13:00)

All are welcome!

Pinner Park Farm are having an open day to show some of what goes on at the farm and to focus on the stages of growth of cattle.

They hope to have one of their vets on hand to [ultrasound] scan one of the cows, something that is done regularly on the farm to ensure cows are safely back in calf, and then progress to showing the young calves, moving through to yearlings right through to a senior cow and Bull.

Some of the cattle on the farm are prize winning Aberdeen Angus and so the farmers hope to have a demonstration of show preparation where the cattle are washed and dried and prepared for showing.

Please go to the open day and see for yourself the great work that goes on there, meet the farmers and get close to the beautiful cows and calves that live happily on Pinner Park Farm.

 

Harrow Open Studios

Media Release – 29 May 2015

Harrow artists open their studios to the public from 6 June

The eighth annual Harrow Open Studios event will take place from Saturday 6^th June to Monday 8^th June, Saturday 13^th June and Sunday 14^th June 2015. Admission
to all studios is free.
Harrow Open Studios is an independent and diverse group of over 38 artists whose main focus, each year, is to invite the public to visit their homes and studios for an exhibition of their work. Visitors will be able to meet the artist, ask questions, purchase work or arrange a commission. 

West Drive, Harrow Weald will see six artists exhibiting their work in June. Five artists based at The Stables are Zalina Dewan (ceramicist), Gordon Cookson (wood turner), Morag vanGeyzel (jeweller) and two painters – Jenny Oliver and Christine Spring. Artwork is very suitable for unique gifts, reasonably priced, and there are greetings cards produced by several of the artists. Commissions are undertaken. At the other end of the road, Luke Teague is a young artist known for his portraits and landscapes.

Close to each other in North Harrow are marine and landscape artist Brian A. Collins and artist Dow Pichaiwatkomol, who took up art seriously after a bad accident eleven years ago. She paints animals, landscapes, flowers and figurative work, including life drawing. Also, Batool Shoghi, a multi-skilled mixed media artist working across photography and digital imagery as well as printing, painting and collage.

 

Three Northwood artists in the same family are showing together at Chester Road. Lucy Davies’ paintings include beautiful images of Cornwall and its distinctive flowers and scenery, Mary Pelham focuses on marine subjects for her paintings, while Harriet Pelham works with glass.

For details about artists and studio opening time download a brochure at http://www.harrowopenstudios.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/HOS-brochure-web.pdf
www.harrowopenstudios.com
t:@HarrowOpStudios   f: Harrow Open Studios

Media contact:

Ellen Teague 020 8954 6255 / 07956 317 338

 

 

 

Pinner went wild with its annual fair on 27 May and, as you can see, did it in style:

 

 

 

 

 

Response from The Pinner Association to the Proposal to build Retirement Apartments at the ESSO Petrol Station site in Marsh Road, Pinner

April 2015
The Executive Committee of The Pinner Association has considered the proposals outlined in the consultation document “Churchill Retirement Living Proposed Retirement Apartments in Pinner” and on the Churchill Retirement Living website:
http://www.churchillretirement.co.uk/planning/live-consultations/proposed-site-pinner/

and has the following comments, which are being submitted as a formal response to the current consultation:
The proposal by Churchill Retirement Living is for 30 one and two bedroomed apartments, with one guest accommodation unit, parking for 9 vehicles, two vehicular access points, one on either side of the site (one off a driveway shared with Evans House), and the main pedestrian access directly off Marsh Road. The new building is proposed to be four storeys in height with a traditional style pitched tiled roof.   The height of the new building would respect the heights of the adjoining buildings. A small area of landscaped amenity space and the car park are proposed to be located adjacent to the bank of the River Pinn which flows along the rear boundary of the site.

1. Currently this site in Marsh Road Pinner is used as a petrol station which has a small convenience shop and car wash on the premises.   This is an important amenity for many Pinner, Rayners Lane and North Harrow residents, as it is the biggest and most conveniently located petrol station remaining on the north side of Harrow.   The petrol station has a large forecourt which allows vehicles to queue for space at the pumps without spilling on to and blocking the carriageway of Marsh Road. This petrol station is very popular and is usually busy, and is a valued asset for the local community.
2. The next nearest petrol station is located north of Pinner at Pinner Green. That petrol station is located on the very busy Uxbridge Road, adjacent to a mini-roundabout allowing access to the entrance of a Tesco supermarket. The Pinner Green petrol station has a very small forecourt, and any more than a couple of cars waiting to use the pumps results in vehicles queuing on the carriageway of the A410 Uxbridge Road, which can severely affect the traffic flow of this main route at busy times.
3. Closing the Marsh Road petrol station would greatly increase the local usage of the Pinner Green petrol station, which could cause more frequent congestion and traffic flow problems on the A410 Uxbridge Road.
4. The nearest alternative petrol station to the south of Marsh Road is located in North Harrow, at 3, Station Road. This is a small filling station located on a very busy through route, and any traffic queues created by vehicles waiting to gain access to the pumps would inevitably would cause traffic congestion and delays. It would also not be convenient for many Pinner residents to travel out of their way and through busy traffic to use this petrol station. The next nearest petrol stations to those listed above are at Old Eastcote (which we understand has been sold and may be closed) and at Northwood Hills, and this latter site is again on a very busy and often congested through route and access to the forecourt is via a heavily parked and relatively narrow side turning, which could be easily blocked by a vehicle waiting to enter the forecourt.
5. Currently in this part of Marsh Road, Pinner there is granted planning consent (subject to legal agreement with Harrow Council) for a block of 25 one and two bedroomed flats on the vacant plot next to the railway bridge, and two previous office buildings (Evans House and Kingsbridge House) are being converted to 28 and 12 flats respectively under Permitted Development. This will result in a great increase in the intensity of occupation of this part of Pinner, with concomitant extra stress being placed on the local infrastructure such as health services.
6. In the last few years Pinner has lost one GP practice, and the subsequent large increase in the number of patients registered at the Pinn Medical Centre has resulted in a reported lower level of satisfaction of many patients using (or attempting to use) this facility. The extra residents of the many new flats in Pinner (not just those in Marsh Road, as there are 26 new flats currently being marketed at 71 Bridge Street and a block of 9 more flats has granted planning consent at 69, West End Lane, both close to Marsh Road) will further adversely increase the pressure on the local infrastructure.
7. The Pinner Association is currently in discussion with Cllr David Perry, Leader, Harrow Council, on the topic of ‘overcrowding in Pinner due to exponential increases in dwellings’.
8. Building even more new flats, albeit retirement flats, will merely increase the already overstretched local services and further increase the density of occupation of this part of Pinner. Additionally the closure of the petrol station will be a real loss of an asset important to the local and wider community.