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BRENTFORD CARNIVAL

I have lived in brentford all my life and we used to have a good carnival years ago and i think the last one was 2000. I tried getting on the commitee but they were very unhelpful.Its a shame we have lost our carnival many other towns like hanworth and hanwell have great carnivals and go to great length with them so why cant we.there are many talented people in and around brentford it could be fantastic esp the parade.I have been talking to different people around brentford and here is some of there views.1.The carnival should be before the kids break up for the holidays so that each and every school could take part by teacher nominating 2 pupils from each class to enter for the beautyqueen/princess or stud/king of Brentford which could be judged at the watermans art centre .and for every school to make a float and costumes to be in the parade with the best school winning a prize. and all the brentford residents to be invited to dress up in costume to add to the atmoshire and be in the parade. the parade is the most important part of carnival.2.All the pubs and clubs to take part with a float from there brewrys and to have teams for  tug of war between the pubs thats what we used to have years ago. and the shops to take part would be great and free advertising for them.3.Lots of competions with prizes and certificates Animal, Bouncing Baby, Dancing Best D.J best Break dancer five aside football etc some of the competions to be judged at the watermans a month before and the winners to perform on the day. and small prizes to go to all that attend the cometions to say thank you get all the local news papers involved on the day.and a disco with local d.js 4 The parade to be more colourful and flambouent costumes and proper canival calipso music little a mini notting hill and milatry bands and drummers and dancing in the streets whistle blowing and horns beeping like it used to be.5 A carnival workshop to make costumes through out the year and to meeting at.the Football ground,  watermans art centre,clayponds hall or mission hall would be good for this. Free advertising in all the local paper in the shops and schools not days before but a good month before.6. Volentry security of brentford people for the day. famous brentford person to open the new carnival.Stalls to be only £5 so everybody gets a chance to come and sell things and craft and art stall by local brentford people would be great. which could be done at the  carnival workshop. all clubs eg brownies guides scoutes and classes to be involved and all the local shops to donate money or goods for raffles and tombolas.7. Proceeds from the carnival to go to the special care premature baby unit at west middlesex hospital many of us are greatfull to the special care our babys born early recieve at west mid i have had 2 of my own children in the unit they are fantasic and need funding for more incubators and when you have had a premature baby born early you appricate all they do there without them my babys might not have survived. Also putting some back in to making the carnival suceed for the following year.8.To hire with the donations a bouncey castle and small fair rides and candy floss and popcorn machine  so we could charge a small amount rather than £1.50 for a candy floss many people said it was always to expensive at the carnival. when you have more than 1 kid its very expensive. pony rides 50p9. a news letter just about the carnival for school and groups and local places 2 months before and for stall holders. volunteers for all aspects of the carinival. The route and the time is very important people always want to give small change as the parade goes past so buckets would be helpfull or collection pots.10.To end the evening at the watermans art centre with a carnival themed costume ball  with balloons and decor done by myself  as im a qualified balloon artist and florist and costume maker, for cinderellas and princes allowed out past midnight and prizes for the best costumes and proper carnival soca , reggea salsa music for all who want to party through the night. After the carnival photos and costumes to be displayed at the watermans art centre for all to see what fun us BRENTFORD people can really have A big good Luck to Brentford Football club in ther games to come.If anyone has any views on the carnival or would like to do anything with me on it please do hesitate to get in touch i would be interesed to see if any one could get this off the ground.all the best and thanks for readingDebbie Dewar

Debbie Dewar ● 7338d20 Comments ● 248d

Dark menace? Comments due by 15 April

It's only rumours, but we have heard it said that a dark kitchen is planned for the old Sauki restaurant premises. I can't think of a more ridiculous site for a hive of delivery motorbike activity. On the High St opposite a listed building, no parking anywhare near, just railings and double yellow lines. Also a heavily residential location. There is no planning request yet and local councillor Katherine reassured me that there are some planning controls possible (I believe it depends on the harm to local residents). But there is an alcohol licence application I've only just seen, with a closing date of 15th April, on a Sauki window. It talks about wanting an alcohol sales licence, in and outside, every day to 11pm and mentions take aways as well as waitress table service. Imagine the noise til after midnight. But look at the the plan at the end of the application - see the Unit 8 Brentford Lock application via https://www.hounslow.gov.uk/info/20071/licensing/1998/pending_premises_licensing_applications It is really alarming. It shows a before-plan of an open restaurant area and an after-plan (no planning application for such a radical change of use) of a very large area of closed off space for kitchen, cold and freezer rooms, storage etc and only a tiny bit one end labelled "BAR" No sign of a restaurant and no room for a real one. Whatever you think do make your views about Unit 8 Brentford Lock, High Street, TW8 8AQ, known to the council via licensing@hounslow.gov.uk Personally I think it's been far too secretive to be anything but bad news for Brentford and does not seem to have been notified to many affected residents. Luckily we don't live in one of the flats above.

Eric Baker ● 353d29 Comments ● 349d

Why would an Estate agent give telephone numbers that don't exist?

The reason I ask is because there is a flat in Whitestile Road TW8  that has had their board outside for several months now. I had tried calling the phone number given on the board 8994 9886 and it goes 'dead'  Saw one of their boards put up recently in what appears to be someone's rear garden in a back alley behind Darwin Road W5/Junction Rd. I thought it was a strange place to place it especially as there isn't a board at front of said house. Knocked the front door on several occasions but no-one at home I tried to phone the number on this board too  - 8840 6666  but it also went 'dead'. They have a great website and appear to have won all these awards, (wonder how anyone managed to contacted them to let them know).  I tried Ealing Broadway - 8280 9600  Northfields  8840 6666. Pitshanger 8998 3311.  Pinner 8866 0000 , Stanmore 8954 1111 Even tried their Property Management office 01895 200 900  but all went 'dead'  Thought i'd struck lucky when  a number in Brentford 8022 4654 came up (albeit with an electronic voice) and it appeared as though it was going to connect when it too when 'dead'  I thought perhaps they had gone out of business but they appear to be recruiting and the flat on Whitestile Road has been sold by them and a different person turns up regularly to open windows for 5 mins before leaving again.This flat came up in early Summer and I had a relative who was interested. The day the board went up I tried to phone the number on their board but as stated earlier it just went 'dead'  I phoned every branch on their website that day but without success and eventually ended up contacting someone in their Ruislip office who after much discussion "it's not my area love" I managed to get the asking price, which I thought was great.  A few days later approximately 5 people arrived at the property and the next day a 'SOLD' sign went up .  Not 'Subject to' Just 'SOLD'. Yet I'm unable to find out anything about the property on their website or even on zoopla  My relative is still interested in the property hence my interest.  

Debbie Paradin ● 502d8 Comments ● 389d

Musical Museum survival appeal.

I'm a volunteer tour guide at the Musical Museum in Brentford, London. https://www.musicalmuseum.co.uk/It is a very satisfying role because I watch the delight and wonder on the visitors' faces when they see and hear the instruments used for music reproduction through the ages. We have musical boxes, polyphons (the precursors of juke boxes) self-playing organs and pianos including player pianos and reproducing pianos that play the actual performances of famous pianists of the past including Gershwin, Rachmaninoff and many others. There are phonographs, gramophones, juke boxes that play 78s and a mighty Wurlitzer Cinema organ in our concert hall. The collection is of national and international importance because it restores and preserves working examples of extremely rare instruments.Loss of income during the Covid shutdown followed by huge inflation in the museum's costs mean that the museum can no longer pay its way so this year, our 60th, might be the last. We have trimmed our costs to the bone but must find money urgently to keep the doors open as we change the way we operate.If you value a historic musical resource, you may wish to support the museum's survival crowdfunder but if it doesn't seem that important to you, I understand that and I apologise for the intrusion. Here's the crowdfunder link.https://gofund.me/5632515eIf you feel able to, it would be great if you can also pass on the appeal to anyone you think might be interested.

David Lusty ● 422d16 Comments ● 401d