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HEALING IN CHISWICK

Another year!  Our first session for 2011 will take place at the London Buddhist Vihara, The Avenue, W4 1UD between 11am and 1pm and we look forward to seeing anyone who would like some healing, either just for an energy boost, stress or a physical illness.Although the centre takes place in the Buddhist Temple the healing is NOT related to any religion, it is totally non-denominational everyone is welcome.No charge is made for healing however a donation is most welcome - all donations are given to the Vihara for the use of the hall.No appointments are necessary.  For any further information please give me a ring on 0788 189 6449.

Pat Smith ● 5740d5 Comments ● 5739d

Julian Bell Warns of Further Cuts to Come

One can but wonder which world our esteemed Council Leader lives in? Frontline services are being cut left, right and centre while the Ealing Skateboard project goes on. Surely the lives that are helped and saved by saving just one care assistant job are worth more than a skateboard park? When will Ealing's politicians realise that people are MORE important than vanity projects and vanity services?

Jeff Belsen ● 5765d31 Comments ● 5742d

St Helena's Home 51 Drayton Green - likely to be demolished

From our news section.'110 year old site in West Ealing to be redevelopedFrom the WEN websitePreparation work has begun to demolish a historic building in Drayton Green.However objections have been raised about the plans by Notting Hill Housing Trust (NHHT) to build 30 flats and 6 town houses on the site which occupies almost an acre.St Helena's Home was built in 1896-7 and was run as a women's reformatory by nuns until 1940. It then became a girls' remand centre until 1965. The Chinese Government took over the place until NHHT bought the site for some £3.5 milliion a few years ago.West Ealing Neighbours (WEN) Ealing Civic Society and a number of residents have written to the council objecting to the building being bulldozed.The Council's web site is now showing the words 'Objection Raised' alongside the word 'Decision' in the Planning Application details (PP/2010/1733).WEN and Ealing Civic Society had tried to get English Heritage to list the building and protect it but weren't successful.However the original St Helena's Chapel Chapel now at 53 Drayton Green and owned by the International Presbyterian Church was listed earlier this year.The Chapel was designed by John Ninian Comper and was built in 1912-3' 65-79 it was a convent until IPC bought it. NHHT was offered the big block which IPC could not afford to keep but they did not proceed with alacrity and the Chinese communists bought it. AFAIK it was then unique, a communist embassy with a cross in the front.EH have indeed listed IPC's chapel, something I as a trustee wished the church to contest as I do not believe we were given statutory notice of intent by EH which gives one the time one need s to........So folks please object IPC will be submitting its own proposals for its share of the site but we are hindered by a listed building now.

Graham Weeks ● 5938d12 Comments ● 5742d

Telco Xmas tree...next the eggs

ive just realised that for the second year Tesco Hoover building hasn't bothered to have the usual traditional 20ft tree outside the store. Poor things, times must be hard. Even the tree inside the store by the customer service desk had gone by Boxing Day. Guess it had served it's purpose...the Easter eggs will be on display soon. NO wonder the year spins round so fast!

David Archer ● 5747d6 Comments ● 5743d

Ealing library free download service

When I was a 10 year old, I loved my local library. I spent many a happy hour there discovering new books. Sadly I don't find much time to visit now so it was a nice surprise to see that Ealing Library is offering free downloads of e-books and audio books. What a great idea. I have signed up today and I hope that this service will be a great help to people who find it difficult to visit the library.

David Archer ● 5744d0 Comments ● 5744d

Please urge Angie Bray to speak up for Human Rights

Please note that the Coalition government is proposing a change to the law (Police Reform Bill) that will make it harder issue an arrest warrant in the UK for suspected war criminals and those who committed crimes against humanity. However, there is currently an Early Day Motion (EDM 108) in the house opposing this change to the law. This EDM is supported by 121 MPs which includes 32 Libdem MPs, 82 Labour MPs and the Green Party MP. I am happy to see that our two Ealing Labour MPs Stephen Pound and Virendra Sharma have signed this important EDM. However I note that there is only 1 Tory MP supporting the EDM which is Anne Main but unfortunately not our Ealing Central and Acton MP Angie Bray. According to Amnesty international there is simply no need to change the law and it seems the Coalition is motivated by political rather than legal concerns in pursuing this change.  It is important that the UK continues to stand up for human rights, but this change is giving the wrong signal about our position. We should not make it more difficult to arrest people like the Pinochets or the Milosovics of this world, wherever the crimes take place be they in the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, Gaza or elsewhere in the Middle East. Can I urge people to write to Angie Bray MP asking her if she could speak out against clause 151 in the Police Reform Bill during the debates and to table amendments to this bill. For further information please see the Amnesty International website at www.amnesty.org.uk/actions_details.asp?ActionID=676 ORhttp://conradbryan.blogspot.com/2010/12/angie-bray-mp-should-speak-up-for.html

Conrad Bryan ● 5758d6 Comments ● 5744d

Swine flu in Ealing?

Just wondering if anyone has heard of any confirmed Swine Flu cases in or around Ealing?

Samantha Tubbritt ● 5753d7 Comments ● 5745d

Vouchers Found

My wife was shopping in Ealing this morning and found some vouchers that someone has obviously dropped. Let me know if this could be you.

James Brown ● 5745d0 Comments ● 5745d

Energy saving? condensing boilers

Some of you will recently have had installed at great cost new energy saving condencing boilers (a legal requirement in the UK). Just how much do these boilers save in running costs/gas consumption? During this spell of very cold weather my friend asked me to call because his  boiler had stoped working. Less than two years old and guaranteed by you know who, they were unable to come out until the Monday and this was Friday evening. The problem was that the condensate pipe had frozen and it was a relatively easy job to get the boiler up and working within minutes that same evening. Now the condensate was being delivered not to a frozen/blocked pipe but to a bucket placed below the boiler...as an interim measure. After the said large company had visited I asked friend how much condensate had been collected in the bucket. Answer after three days heavy boiler use....barely a cupful. Condensate=recovered heat. Little condensate=little recovered heat. So have we as a nation been "sold a pup"? Anyone with any info out there?

Arthur Breens ● 5758d3 Comments ● 5746d

Sir John  Soane Cancels Fishing Trip.

I spoke to Sir John Soane this morning. Many of the fish in the "Swan Lake" in Walpole park died yesterday. As a result he has had to cancel the fishing trip he had planned. I spoke to Mrs Akor Morant, her Ron and other residents near the lake today. They were outraged that the fountain had not been working for weeks and said that had it been working it would have oxygenated the water and may have prevented not only the nasty smells but also the mass fish death. They had complained but nothing was done. Hundreds died yesterday many 100mm long. Sir John has taken to his bed in Pitzhanger Manor House after sacking his park manager (Mr Ealing) for ignoring his requests to sort out the fountain.

Arthur Breens ● 5890d7 Comments ● 5746d

Why are Council Tax Payers Subsidising Festival Goers?

My simple question is why in these tough times are Ealing's council tax payers subsidising Ealing festival goers by over £2 a day? With Ealing Council saying that it may have to put up an Ealing festival day ticket up from £2 to £4 next year because of the cuts my simple maths tells me that this means that council tax payers are subsidising the festival goer by over £2 a day each. Why are council tax payers having to do this when day centres looking after the ill, disabled and vulnerable are being closed to save some money?

Maggie Tomlinson ● 5764d15 Comments ● 5746d

Who has made a positive difference in Ealing?

Hi allPlease send nominations for a person/ group that has/have made a positive contribution to life in Ealing. If you haven't already seen the details on the front page please see here: http://www.ealingtoday.co.uk/default.asp?section=info&page=eadifference001.htmA bottle of bubbly for the winner.Happy New YearAnnemarie

Editor ● 5749d2 Comments ● 5747d

New Years Eve in Ealing

Any events planned??Don't fancy going into the City tonight!

Samantha Tubbritt ● 5749d0 Comments ● 5749d

refuse collection

Has anyone had their black bags, food boxes or green boxes collected today?  I phoned the council to ask if the refuse would be picked up today and was told the side roads were too slippery. I told the lady the white bags containing plastics were emptied, the truck had no problems with the roads and yesterday (Sunday) the gritters came down our little close and gritted the pavements (not the road!!)I was told that they would therefore be collected today. Still nothing.

Jaz Brown ● 5760d13 Comments ● 5749d

Mystery Brentford-Northfields Bus

I keep seeing a bus driving on Northfields Ave that just says 'Brentford-Northfields'. It is ALWAYS empty. Does anyone know what it is/who runs it/why ?

Katharine Brooks ● 5757d5 Comments ● 5750d

The Snowman Theatre tickets

We have bought 6 tickets for The Snowman at the Peacock theatre, Portugal Street WC2A 2HT for Friday 7 January at 11am, which unfortunately we now cant use. The tickets are in Row J of the stalls (great seats for snow!) and cost £15 each. Its a wonderful magical production - which any age would enjoy. Please email me on blake3@which.net if you would like to buy some or all of the tickets

alison blake ● 5763d2 Comments ● 5751d

Ealing Council/Labour Group prioritises skateboards over disabled centre

I have followed the discussions elsewhere in this Forum about the Ealing Council Labour cuts and I found the facts about the skateboard park funding not being pre-allocated in any concrete way as "unveiled" made by Councillor Phil Taylor very worrying. It would appear that the £60,000 earmarked for the skateboard park is not ring-fenced (in spite of what other people have propagandised) and could be spent on the two day centres that are being closed. Surely £60,000 is a non-trivial sum of money that could be spent on bringing the day centres up to scratch if they are indeed "not fit for purpose" as the Labour Group would have us believe? Why are we taking money from humanitarian activities like disabled support from the dand putting it into entertainment, which is surely what a skateboard park is?

Maggie Tomlinson ● 5760d7 Comments ● 5754d

Christmas Eve Shopping/Activities Act at Ealing Town Centre

Tesco open till seven.Crispins Wine Bar (where real film people and real Ealing people go) is open 'till late (opposite Pitzhanger Manor down fromt the Oxfam bookshop).St Mary's Church (350 yards to the south of Crispin's has midnight communion at 11:30 (23:30). St. Mary's tends to be pretty ecumenical so Christian denominations other than Anglican are also welcome.Ealing Abbey (Roman Catholic) 350 yards in opposite direction from Crispins of the top of Eaton Rise north of Haven Green starts to function at  11.00pm with Matins Morning Prayer of Christmas Dayled by the Monastic Community with Carols at 11.30pm with the Ealing Abbey Choir followed by Midnight Mass 12.00/midnight. This huge church is usually packed by 11:00pm so if you want to sit down get there at 10:00!!!For those of you who need some some minute shopping tonight Tesco in the shopping centre closes its doors at 7.00 pm (19:00). Do not go past Ealing Broadway Station by car as there is a burst watermain which is slowing things up somewhat. The burst main was flooding the road yesterday and Thames Water deined to attend this afternoon!. The main is quite a large, definitely six inches diameter if not seven or eight. One wonders which Thames Water did not do anything sooner as if this had gone completely it would have washed out quite a few shops if not the railway station itself. The leak appears to be in a welded joint between two pipe sections.Happy Christmas!Maggie.

Maggie Tomlinson ● 5756d0 Comments ● 5756d

MAJOR RETAILERS NOT PAYING THEIR TAXES

If the government say that we are all in this together, then clamp down on the tax cheats first before considering cuts to public services and public sector jobs.

DAVID SECKER ● 5757d0 Comments ● 5757d

Going grocery shopping in Ealing Mall today?

I went in just after nine and found the lifts out of order so no way to get a shopping trolley back to the car. Finally found that the small one round near the toilets was working. Maybe things have improved as it gets a bit less cold, but I thought I'd post this warning.

Susan Kelly ● 5760d13 Comments ● 5757d