Massive turn out on Isleworth march to Save Our Library and Public Hall in spite of rain!
When I woke up this morning and looked out of the window I would have settled for a couple of dozen hardy souls turning out.In the event at least 300 people (estimates ranged from this figure up to nearly 500) marched from Isleworth Library to Isleworth Public Hall in the rain to demonstrate their opposition to closures. When the front of the march reached the Public Hall marchers at the rear were still turning into South Street by the War Memorial.This community-led activity was backed by the (Conservative) MP for Brentford & Isleworth, Mary Macleod, and by all three (Labour) ward councillors for Isleworth. We are grateful for their participation and support, and the sight of the four of them alongside ICG leader Ian Speed and Christine Diwell of The Isleworth Society (TIS) at the head of the march sends a potent message about the capacity our community has now developed to organise across political boundaries when the occasion demands.The march finished at the Public Hall and we had quite deliberately adopted a "play it by ear" approach to what was to happen when we got there. In the event the numbers involved were so hugely beyond everybody's expectations that we could only squeeze people into the various rooms and refresh them with tea, coffee and biscuits as even the hall would have been nowhere near large enough to have staged any kind of meeting.I am so intensely proud of my community today. I hope I am not being presumptuous nor tempting fate when I say that I cannot see anybody threatening to close or restrict these facilities any time soon, not next year nor the year after that.A big well done and thank you to everybody who supported this wonderful event, to those who helped by leafleting and spreading the message, and to the SNT PS Charles Ehikioya whom I know went the extra mile, along with his excellent team of officers, to make this work. Also to the St. John's Residents' Association and the Four Roads Residents' Association, to Delicacies and Jospeh's Patisserie who both supplied refreshments, and to everybody else involved.The message from Isleworth reverberated loud and clear today - Hands Off Our Community!!
Phil Andrews ● 5554d4 Comments