Forum Topics

Fuller Smith and Turner's Ecological Hypocrisy in Rose and Crown South Ealing's Plastic Lawn

Friends of mine continue to be shocked by the petroleum product based plastic lawn that now carpets the garden at the back. Not a living blade of grass. Not a living thing.Few who went into the Rose and Crown last summer were not shocked by the appearance of acres of plastic lawn. Home of the Hanwell and Ealing Allotment Group, the Friends of the Ascott Allotment, and even Transition Town Ealing (not to mention Ealing'g green vicar, Steve, next door in St Mary's Church with his own ecological movement) one could not fathom Fuller's rationale behind this, clearly it was not going to grow the business by dumping a ton of petroleum-sourced chemical grass in the back garden, was it trying to distance itself from the ecowarriors?Not according to Fuller's website:https://www.fullers.co.uk/corporate/csr/environment"Environment"Fuller’s is committed to a programme of continuous environmental improvement, constantly investigating new ways to cut carbon emissions, reduce waste and save water."By targeting high-energy areas of the business, including kitchen extract, refrigeration and the lighting and heating of our pubs, we aim to match or exceed the UK Government’s long-term carbon reduction targets."The Government targets came into effect in 2008, and seek to reduce the nation’s overall emissions to 2,782 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e)"There is much on the Fuller's website about environmental responsibility and in the annual report too.What has gone wrong here at the Rose and Crown in South Ealing, a rogue establishment creating a blot in the Fuller's eco-copybook and eco-play. How can the local environmentalists cope with this sacrilige of theire favourite (once eco) venue?

Mark Julian Raymond ● 2442d4 Comments ● 2441d

Perceval House Public Exhibition

Hi Folks, Did anybody manage to attend this exhibition in the Ealing Broadway Centre and if so any views/comments on this proposal which includes 236 affordable homes and our new library etc

Simon Swinn ● 2443d13 Comments ● 2441d

Beware of new NO ENTRY sign on Manor Road, West Ealing when picking up your parcels

In November my wife got two PCNs for ignoring a brand new NO ENTRY sign on Manor Road which stops you going straight back out to Argyle Road after you have picked up your parcels from the Post Office depot on Manor Road.  Talking to the bloke in the enforcement van/car this new restriction has been in place for three weeks and they are giving out lots of tickets.  My wife is not the type to ignore street signs but she is the type to not notice that the road layout has changed if it is only discreetly signed.   There is no NO LEFT TURN sign on the adjacent Drayton Road and there are no yellow additional information signs of the type the council was forced to put up when they changed the layout around the Town Hall.  It is a bit of a trap for the unwary.  I will post some photos underneath.  The council must know that Manor Road attracts infrequent but regular visitors who are likely to get caught by a change in the road layout.  I did ask the guy behind the counter in the Post Office if they could put up a sign to inform their customers but he was practically indignant that I should suggest such a thing.  Jobsworthism still alive and well in the privatised Post Office parcels business.  In passing I asked a CEO (traffic warden in old money) why they didn't ticket the Post Office vans on the single yellow lines outside the Post Office.  Apparently the parking managers insists they wait 20 minutes!  So one rule for the Post Office and one rule for everyone else.

Phil Taylor ● 2508d12 Comments ● 2444d

Free healing on Monday 10th February

Free healing on Monday 10th FebruaryThe monthly healing centre at the London Buddhist Vihara, The Avenue, Chiswick, will be open on Monday 10th February from 10.30am and 12.30pm. Healing helps any condition, from stress right through to physical illness. There is no charge made for the healing (all the healers are working on a voluntary basis), although a donation would be welcome and will be given to the Vihara.

Chris Edwards ● 2445d0 Comments ● 2445d

Ealing Park Tavern

Is the Ealing Park Tavern otherwise known as The Flys' Home closed for good or for refurbishment? Thanks.

Pat Kingham ● 2446d6 Comments ● 2445d

Large Capacity Tumble Drier - North Ealing

I was planning to wash some of my pillows and it has been recommended to me that I should use a large capacity tumble drier which can be found in some launderettes. Can anyone suggest one in the northern part of Ealing or perhaps around Pitshanger Lane?

Tricia Arbuthnot ● 2452d1 Comments ● 2445d

Heathrow – harassing residents again?

I see Heathrow is up to its tricks again. I’ve just received another one of those noxious “Land Referencing” letters, complete with a map of my street with my house coloured in. I’m pretty confident that this letter belongs in the bin. All the same, it’s a bit alarming. Is Heathrow trying to intimidate people? It certainly looks like it.

David Marshall ● 2454d22 Comments ● 2445d

Warren Farm

https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/protect-warren-farm/?utm_source=backer_social&utm_campaign=protect-warren-farm&utm_reference=4fd28d1c5bc787e0b97b5f0f06635251&utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_content=post_pledge_pagePlease help if you can, let's not loose this valuable piece of land  

Paul Franklin ● 2466d20 Comments ● 2449d

What are the hidden secrets of the Victoria Hall Trust? Will the trust deed ever be published?

As far as I can determine the only published material excerpted from the Victoria Hall Trust key to the controversial sale of the old Ealing Town Hall to become a private hotel are:"A Declaration of Trust was made in respect of the Hall on 6th November 1893.The Declaration specifies that the Hall be made available for hire for the purposes of “Meetings, Entertainments, Balls, Bazaars, and other Gatherings Whether Social or Political...”. The Declaration further specifies that any rental income generated, after deductions for the upkeep of the Hall, must be applied “as the Trustees may think fit between and among any Charitable or Philanthropic or Charitable Institutions in the District of Ealing Local Board as the Trustees may think fit...”.This was aired at the Ealing Council General Purposes Committee in September of last year. Trustees of such trusts are under no obligation to publish any details of such a trust unless they want to. As far as I am aware nothing else direct has been published anywhere.Are there secrets that we are unaware of in the full text of the document itself?What does the rest of the document say?

Mark Julian Raymond ● 2455d1 Comments ● 2452d

Heathrow – harassing residents again?

I see Heathrow is up to its tricks again. I’ve just received another one of those noxious “Land Referencing” letters, complete with a map of my street with my house coloured in. I’m pretty confident that this letter belongs in the bin. All the same, it’s a bit alarming. Is Heathrow trying to intimidate people? It certainly looks like it.

David Marshall ● 2454d1 Comments ● 2453d

Is Expanding Durston House School good for everyone?

I should say from the outset I'm very much against private education in principle and would readily accept its prevalence in the UK is divisive and chronically undermines social mobility. However we have the education system that we have and lack the funds to build a perfect one. Therefore we have to consider what is best for everyone. The big argument for private education and the general good is that it takes the cost of education a significant number of children away from the state. The provision of a hundred extra places by Durston House will be one hundred fewer than the rest of us have to pay for. There are good reasons for people in the area around the school to be concerned about extra traffic but most of this is not generated by the school rather it is the result of council policy. Traffic caused by the school will be concentrated into two relatively short and predictable periods each day. Having lived near a school myself I know it is just a matter of avoiding unnecessary travel at these times to ensure the impact on your life is minimal. The current application seems to provide the option of more facilities that will be available to the local community. What people shouldn't forget is that ultimately planning applications are decided on the basis of whether or not they are within planning law not whether they have public support. The land belongs to the school and if expansion is turned down they might consider alternative uses that would be even less welcome.

Dennis O'Shea ● 2734d25 Comments ● 2454d

Avoid B&Q Chiswick it no longer has toilets for customers, practically no plants in thegarden centre

I have written to B and Q, meanwhile the nearest facilities are probably a tree Gunnersbury Park 200 yards up the North Circular Road over the railway bridge. Be prepared. The question that comes to mind is B&Q running the Chiswick store down to close it?To the CEO of B & QWhere have the toilets gone in B&Q Chiswick? Why has the garden centre got no seasonal stock like trees and shrubs? Are you closing the store?Mr Graham BellCEOB and QUK and IrelandDear Mr Bell,I make no excuses about contacting a man as busy as you are as I was absolutely stunned when I (somewhat painfully) found out that the B&Q Superstore on the Chiswick Rooundabout in London no longer has toilets for customers. When I asked where they were I was told: "We don't have any". There have been toilets there in the past, I know I have made use of them. Is this a new policy for the whole of B&Q or unique to B&Q Chisiwck Roundabout (2 Larch Dr, Gunnersbury Ave, London W4 5QL)?.  As more progressive retailers move towards more enlightened facilities such as baby change and feeding areas. I find this move on the part of your company strange to say the least. I note that on your list of facilitieson the B&Q website  for this store include-Portable induction loops available-Customer wheelchairs available-Disabled parking bays availableBut with all this why no toilets?There is a bathroom showroom showing toilet, you can buy a toilet in the store, but there are no customer toilets for use by customers.I had noticed on recent visits the almost complete lack of living plant stock (to my inconvenience) in the garden centre which should be filled with trees and srhubs that are planted between late Autumn and early Spring, however it is barren. I must ask, are you about to close this store? That is the only explanation that I can find in my mind for the removal of basic sanitary facilities and the abscence of relevant seasonal garden stock?Somewhat flabbergasted,I remain,Yours sincerely,Mark Julian Raymond

Mark Julian Raymond ● 2466d15 Comments ● 2456d

Volunteer to read with children!

Doorstep Library is a literacy charity that believes in the power of words to take children places, not just in their imagination, but in their lives. We want to see a world where all children can thrive in homes in which books are celebrated and a love of reading is embraced. With one in four 11-year-olds leaving Primary School unable to read or write properly, we recruit and train Home-Reading volunteers to go into some of London's most disadvantaged areas t help introduce young children (aged 0-11 years) to the pleasure of reading.   We run Doorstep Library projects in estates across Hammersmith and Fulham on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Monday and Tuesday projects run from 3:45 - 6:30 pm and Thursday projects run from 4:30 - 7:00 pm. If you're interested in finding out more please email volunteer@doorsteplibrary.org.uk to book into one of our monthly information sessions.

Daniela Cardoso ● 2459d0 Comments ● 2459d

L'Osteria del Portico

Has L'Osteria del Portico (Italian restaurant on Ealing High Street) closed permanently?  I know there was an issue with the owner and some VAT shenanigans a few months ago.

Olga Sidoryk ● 2467d15 Comments ● 2460d

Ealing's Permit Fine Amnesty - A Huge Victory for Residents

Thousands of people in Ealing borough owe huge thanks to people like Paul Cronshaw, Barry Gleeson and Ian Richardson who by not letting the issue go have finally forced Ealing to refund fines given to permit holders resulting from the council's own inadequate systems.There is no way that they wouldn't have given in without the persistent pressure from these people, and no doubt many others who have complained about this misuse of power behind the scenes. Credit also should go to this site and the others covering the borough for picking up on this issue and giving it due prominence. I'm not sure there are any precedents for this because in most other cases in which a council has admitted fault they have required people to apply for refunds rather than giving the money back automatically.

Mark Evans ● 2465d2 Comments ● 2464d

The Victoria Hall DOES NOT NEED SAVING, help Ealing people rather than mouldering victoriana

The Victoria Hall (part of the Old Town Hall) DOES NOT NEED SAVING, it is a piece of uneconomic Vistoriana (of questionnable architectural merit as Charles Jones who designed and builtit apparently started off training as an architect, but ended up qualified as an engineer) that without the investment of several million poinds cannot be used for anything other than as a draughty Victorian hall. As libraries close, disabled centres disappear, mental health support disappears we are left with a bunch of second-rate activists looking for a cause. Hey, if we need a theatre then put a plan together, raise the money and build one, if it is economically viable as the acitivists claim then they should put their money where their mouths are, get a great big mortgage, put up their houses and business as collateral and make a fat profit, if it is not profitable then why are the people of Ealing being asked to underwrite a fools errand?If the plan was to turn it into half-way housing, short term social housing, a disabled support facility, a multi-media library resource facility, even a soup kitchem, so many things that people could get behind to hekp others in Ealing, however, a subsidised entertainment facility with a bar?To me it makes more sense to shed the overhead of this relic (having preserved its architectural heritage (such as it is) which is happening, move on and spend the money saved from not having to maintain this decaying facikity along with the money earned through renting it out to a hotel into something USEFUL, social housing, a libray, a much, much better option

Mark Julian Raymond ● 2472d22 Comments ● 2465d

CPZ parking renewals

I was shocked this afternoon to discover that I had a parking ticket on my car parked outside our house. On investigation, I discovered that my CPZ permit had expired yesterday. I had no warning this was about to happen, although the Ealing Council states on its website "Attempts will be made to send out a form inviting renewal of an existing permit."Obviously, no attempt was made at all in my case, despite the council having my correct snail-mail address, email address and telephone number.I have now renewed the CPZ permit, but I will challenge today's ticket on the grounds that I should have been warned that the permit was about to expire, just as we all are when car tax, driving licences, car insurance and roadside assistance policies are about to expire.Anyone else had a similar experience?

Ian Richardson ● 2601d67 Comments ● 2466d

Energy audit  v  fines income

The council seem keen to make roads one way or no turn left or right.Always these restrictions if observed add extra miles to journeys. Extra miles mean more pollution. Conversely drivers are caught because these modifications always seem accompanied by secrecy in planning, poor signage and high levels of CCTV observation and fines.Manor Road, Gunnersbury Lane/Uxbridge Road, Longfield Ave L or R? Have the Highways Department heard of Global Warming or are they self appointed fund raisers for the Council coffers?

Arthur Breens ● 2466d0 Comments ● 2466d

CPZ parking renewals - update

Common sense has prevailed...After my initial challenge to my CPZ parking fine was rejected, I did a second challenge, and received this in today's mail:NOTICE OF ACCEPTANCEThank you for your correspondence about the above Penalty Charge Notice (PCN). Although the PCN was issued correcly [sic], We have looked at the case in detail and we have accepted your representations on this occasion. Therefore we have cancelled the above PCN. Please be advised permit reminders are sent as a courtesy and is not compulsory, as with vehicle tax, it is up to drivers to renew their permits. However, any similar or additional PCNs may not be cancelled and this decision must not be taken as a precedent. In light of the above the case is closed and no further action need be taken.---------For those who haven't been following the previous thread, I was fined for parking outside my house near Ealing Common one day after my CPZ permit expired. My complaint was that the council had failed in its declared duty to notify me that the permit was due for renewal. I have since learned that a great many people have been fined similarly.

Ian Richardson ● 2518d11 Comments ● 2466d

Wanted for Charity/ good causes - unwanted laptops/PCs

get a new one for Christmas?- then recycle your old one!I refurbish old PCs & laptops for local Charities & Good CausesAll discs are wiped to military standards and the machines are cleaned, upgraded if needed, and restored.Please Don’t bin them - refurbish them!This work is supported by St Thomas’ Church, HanwellI prefer win 7 ( or later) PCs with LCD screens / laptops as my space Is limited, but can manage XP machinesI can collect from W london.I prioritise people on benefits/Free school meals/GCSEs, resident in Ealing/Hanwell & elsewhere.Screens / accessories also welcomeReferences available.

Nick Robinson ● 2481d7 Comments ● 2467d