Speak Out in Hounslow Reclaims YMCA Song from Trump
Brentford West councillor Guy Lambert reports back
Brentford West councillor Guy Lambert
November 28, 2025
Well, as predicted, I went to the Holy Trinity Church in Hounslow to recognise Disabilities Day. The attraction for me (am I becoming aging groupie?) was not the speech from the always warm Ajmer Grewal or from the equally pleasant council officer who looks after these matters, nor even the speech from Louise Murphy from the highly respected independent thinktank Resolution Foundation.
No, the attraction was the people from Speak Out in Hounslow. I find it impossible to see these diverse people performing with so much exuberance and evident joy. I can't stop myself grinning and my day is greatly improved! Here they are doing YMCA. Donald Trump eat your heart out. He is probably too busy eating other people's hearts and taking flattery from his besties Nigel Farage and Vladimir Putin.
Louise gave an erudite presentation about disability benefits. If I was more academical I would properly study the matter but that was never my strength and there is always parking and dodgy fines to follow up.
I dropped into Metro Bank but my contact wasn't there. She phoned me a few days later saying she had been trying to contact me - strange I had no missed calls, texts or emails - but she will now take advice from head office about my taxing residency history. To be fair, I have only lived here for 12 years.
In the evening it was my first panto of the season, at Isleworth and Syon school. I confess I knew little about Dick Whittington. I am still no expert and to be perfectly honest I only lasted the first half. Couldn't really hear but I wanted to support the players (who are very good). They had given me a freebie, but I am against freebies for councillors so I made a donation instead.
On Friday, recurring problems with my antiquated boiler. My excellent local Brentford plumber Jason came and looked. Identified a dodgy valve. He did not have a spare and it's like getting a new part for a Model T Ford but as usual he has tracked one down. Of course, it should be replaced but as you know I am a) a skinflint and b) prefer to keep things going even if they are a bit past their use before date. He will fix it when he's back in town.
More pantos in the evening. Decided to drive to Hounslow (probably a mistake) and entry to the theatre in the Treaty Centre is reminiscent of entering Fort Knox. Anyway, I got in. Accepted another freebie and made another donation, and again lasted for the (again excellent, but semi-inaudible to me) first half of Mother Goose. Escaping was even more challenging than getting in but I made it in the end.
On Saturday I went up to Somerset House to meet a friend. For a while I worked more or less next door in Brettenham House, which is now covered in plastic and being refurbished. It was rather a splendid place though rather dated inside.
The developer says (don't they all)
Available Q2 2026, Brettenham House will combine characterful heritage with cutting edge smart building technology to deliver a stunning headquarters building rooted in the past yet firmly facing the future.
Well, I hope it unwraps as well as it used to look. When I worked there they started doing skating in Somerset House courtyard. My colleagues, including Les who was even older than me and a bunch of IT geeks from Bangalore who had never seen snow before took to the ice. It was hilarious to watch. I decided I was too precious to risk myself but took pictures which I can't find. But found this, my chair Emeritus Professor Derek Law celebrating the demise of our company a few months later.
On Sunday I was up and out at an ungodly hour - 9am!! - to help out briefly with the build for the Christmas market in the square. The weather god was having fun with Brentford. I helped toting some things around and put up some bunting. Sadly, my dodgy shoulders don't make it easy to do things above my head but I managed, with a bit of discomfort. Then a few provisions and time for a ride to keep me relatively sane. Made it to Chiswick where I always enjoy the Flower Market without usually buying anything. Bumped into Cllr. Ron Mushiso who often supports the market (well done Ron) and was sporting Green trilby.
He denied that he was beginning to see the light about the Blue Party but he denied it. He lent me his titfer and took a picture of me for posterity.
Talking of keeping things going. That leather jacket was bought about 20 years ago at Rochester Big and Tall in Knightsbridge. I used to go there in January when the sale was on because they had trousers etc that fitted me. They had this jacket on a 'reduced' rail - my size and £700 (!) reduced to £140 ( 😊). Still well above my normal budget, but even a skinflint knows a bargain when he sees one. I have sung this song to the jacket many times over the years but like Leonard Cohen I can't leave it. For clarity I do not ever go to bed with this jacket or make love to it. Its latest challenge was the trip to the Beeline a couple of weeks ago when it was savaged by a bramble. It has been professionally fixed by yours truly using advanced repair techniques (gorilla tape).
In the afternoon it was a convivial (they always seem to be convivial) meeting with fellow greens in Isleworth where we plot inevitable world domination, albeit probably not next year.
On Tuesday morning I had a Teams call with people from Housing about progress (such as it is) on the refurbishment of Holly House which has been due for improvements from I think 2018 but stalled when the contractor went bust last year, leaving everyone who lives there in a Brentonian version of hell. Turns out the subcontractors who did most of the work had not been paid, so the council officers have been negotiating with them and the liquidators to sort out a way forward. It has taken far too long and we still don't have a real solution, but they promise progress in January. Waiting for a written report for me and (much more importantly) for the tenants and leaseholders.
Later I had arranged to meet a friend at the Royal Society of Arts in Piccadilly. One of the many places in London I really should have seen but hadn't . A lovely courtyard with a statue of Sir Joshua (or Joshva as they have it) Reynolds but also the chemists, antiquaries and astronomers have buildings in the same square. Does that make this an HMO? well, not in Hounslow so I'll let it pass.
Across the street was Fortnum and Mason, where those who have been paying attention I have been hoping to attract to Brentford. At present it would be a triumph if we could get Wimpy to start a place here. Anyway, Fortnum's is not really my bag, especially on a Tuesday morning in December. More like Eurodisney than the genteel place where Dr Jekyll and Queen Camilla frequent.
Rather splendid but a box of biscuits would cost about the same as a new boiler.
On Wednesday I was supposed to attend a 'pre-meeting' of the Improvement committee to which I have been appointed by the Local Government Association as an Independent. I have written to ask if I'm still eligible but no answer has emerged. Anyway, I booked into the Teams address but I was alone. I gave up after a while.
The real meeting is on Friday so I will be going to Smith Square and hoping they will let me in!
Well that was The Week That Was. More exciting episodes next week.
Councillor Guy Lambert
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