Forum Topics

West Ealing Station

To Paddington today at 1:30pm via the old station and back at 4:30pm and out through the new buildings.Nothing lavish but seems modern, bright and functional. And of course with the option of step free to the platforms.

Philip Coe ● 1998d11 Comments ● 1888d

Any GOOD table tennis or chess players here

club level , say hello

Paul Taylor ● 1888d2 Comments ● 1888d

Freedom Pass found in West Ealing

If you know of a Timothy Omeara who has lost his freedom pass near Sainsbury’s in West Ealing, I’ve found it. I’ll be posting it to the “lost and found” address in a couple of days if no one claims it.

Andy Hamm ● 2045d1 Comments ● 1888d

Website For Offering Household Items For Free Locally

Looking to dispose of some unwanted, but useful, household items.  Can anyone please kindly remind me of the name of a local website previously recommended on this forum?  Thanks

Philip Coe ● 1929d4 Comments ● 1888d

Rupa Huq vote Labour feature

As someone who would not vote for either this rubbish council or that small non entity of a mayor, can we have an even hand please? Free publicity for people who are widely despised by some of us in Ealing should extend to every party surely?

peter king ● 1956d5 Comments ● 1888d

Which nightclub did this terrible thing happen in?

This was a terrible thing, but, which nightclub did this take place in?This is not mentioned in the Ealing Today article: "Woman Gang Raped By Men She Met at Ealing Night Club Perpetrators receive lengthy jail sentences after expressing no remorse".

Marc Yonder ● 1948d14 Comments ● 1888d

Around Ealing and its pointless existence

The latest issue of the Council propaganda sheet thudded onto my doormat today. Lots of guff about the new Commissar and his loyal minions, all pledging to be inclusive. So inclusive that they removed the pages with all the councillor contact details from the back of the magazine.Maybe that was because they don’t want Bell’s smug mug in there, or it might be because all that information is ‘available online’ (which it is, of course). But then all the other information in Around Ealing is available online, which begs the question why keep the print edition? I was told by the former Commissar that it was for people who can’t access online information, yet there’s nothing in its glossy pages that indicates it’s £100,000 of our cash spent wisely every year.

Simon Hayes ● 1914d18 Comments ● 1888d

Julian Bell fights back claiming LTNs were popular

Interesting article in the Guardian featuring 'analysis' from Julian Bell about the Mayoral election results and what they tell us about LTNs. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jun/02/cycling-schemes-popular-with-london-voters-analysis-finds He seems to be getting a very obvious dig in at Peter Mason as the Commonplace consultation system presented a very different picture. Although the central claim of the piece, that the LTNs were actually popular and a vote winner for Labour, is nonsense the analysis does raise some very interesting points. You can reach a definitive conclusion about the popularity of LTNs based on Mayoral results. People will have voted on a whole range of issues and, time and time again research has confirmed that national politics determines how a large proportion of people vote in local elections. The LTN wards were also the Remain supporting, predominantly middle class professional wards that did so well across the country for Labour so it is a huge leap to say the result was an endorsement of the former leader's policies particularly as he was actually implementing it in partnership with a Conservative government. However, it cannot be denied that there is no evidence of a significant swing away from Labour as a result of LTNs. While it can't be claimed that the results show that LTNs are popular it also is clear that they aren't the main issue most people in the borough are concerned about at the moment. The only firm conclusion these results can really bring us to is that it is wrong to be distracted by noise made by people on social media.





Gordon Southwell ● 1930d56 Comments ● 1888d

20-metre high 5G Tower at Gunnersbury Park

Are people aware of Ealing Planning Application no. 213916PNT for a 20-metre-high 5G Tower to be erected at the Popes Lane/Lionel Road entrance to Gunnersbury Park? It does not appear to have been widely publicized (what a surprise!). I've only just heard of it through a neighbour and the closing date for objections is 1st July. So, unless you're happy to have a monstrous eyesore, twice as high as the houses, visible to the whole neighbourhood, with the attendant health and nature concerns over 5G, at the entrance to a Grade II Listed Park, register your objection quickly at:tinyurl.com/44vn6wyn

bela cunha ● 1903d9 Comments ● 1888d

Ealing Council falling apart (uncut grass, garbage dumping, vehicles on pavement, you name it)

The grass is not even being cut in the Ealing parks.This makes it harder to socially distance from people.People all trying to pass each other on the narrow paths surrounded by waist-high grass.Children play on the same paths because the grass is too high around them.People with buggies cannot pass-by head-on because the paths are too narrow and the grass is too high to go onto.The rats (!) love the long grass.The long grass hides rubbish too.Sometimes even broken glass. And dog poo and much worse.Where are the children to play and the adults to exercise in Covid?You would think the council would try and keep the green spaces usable in Covid so you could walk about?

Waldemar Baran ● 1920d32 Comments ● 1888d

Gotham City moves west to Hanger lane now

A chancer has put forward proposals to build some more skyscrapers on the edge of Westgate just over the gyratory system but still technically in Ealing. Almost next door to the conversion of the Westgate office block into flats, the proposed development will be an eyesore from any angle. It will stand out like a sore thumb over the A40 from the Brunswick, Haymills and Brentham estates as the eyesore that is the north Acton station area moves west. The nearby Hanger Lane station struggles to cope on the Central line as it is, add in the Westgate development and now this monstrosity and it will collapse in the rush hour. There will also be even more cars on the gyratory at peak times which will result in gridlock. Those of us who saw this coming with unchecked immigration are not suprised, stop it now!

peter king ● 1937d3 Comments ● 1889d

Looking for feedback on real estate project - Under Garden apartments built by Robots

Hello everyone,I am currently on an internship for a company that is looking to help solve a number of problems related to housing in London, many of which have been exacerbated by the COVID pandemic:(1) The availability and affordability of property for those looking to relocate closer to loved ones - made all the more pressing where they may have lost a partner as a result of the pandemic.(2) New ways in which people can release value to their homes without having to sell up.(3) Solutions which might work for those living in one of the many conservation areas in Dulwich and other parts of London.(4) Something that will appreciate in value - as opposed to that of garden buildings that will depreciate over timeThe company has come up with a way (excavation robots and a sinking concrete shell) to create living/working space underground allowing the vast majority of the garden to remain in use. They are starting off by building a self-contained under garden apartment with a sunken courtyard garden, providing natural light to the whole apartment. The apartment should work as a home for elderly parents or grown up kids that would be closer to loved ones and significantly less expensive than trying to buy a property off the open market.What do you think of this idea?What problems do you see or concerns do you have?Is it something that you or someone you know might be interested in?Thank you in advance.

Mira Markova ● 1889d0 Comments ● 1889d

Proposed Uxbridge Road Cycling Measures

I don't travel along this stretch of the Uxbridge Road regularly enough to comment on the proposals which are detailed on the front page with any great authority but the thinking behind them appears sound. It is certainly the case that if you are going to be delayed on this road it will be in the town centres and therefore it doesn't seem to be too unbelievable that the dual carriageways represent spare capacity that can be better used and there is a big win if cycling can be made safer and quicker. It was interesting to learn that 80% of trips along this road are made by bus — presumably this is on a per person basis. What that means is that these changes could go badly wrong if they have an undue impact on bus travel times. The council seem to be saying that the changes will be scrapped if bus travel times are affected 'significantly' but this is not defined. My concern is that the more zealous of the pro-cycling brigade have often tended to quote quite misleading data when it comes to bus travel times when it comes to the recent Streetspace measures. We've seen statistics for whole routes for the whole day and then been told that any delays were minimal. The key data is for travel times within the affected sector of the route during the busiest parts of the day. A five minute delay in rush hour might be evened out over the course of the whole route but that is irrelevant to a bus user who has already got off. On a 20 minute trip that's a 25% increase in travel time which will encourage modal shift. As anyone who has ever used a bus can tell you, relatively short delays can lead to buses becoming very overcrowded very quickly. If the changes make travel slower and less comfortable for 80% of the users of the route then they are going to switch to other modes of transport but not all will take up cycling and many will use cars. In this case you risk the situation entering a vicious cycle — pun not intended — in which more traffic leads to fewer people using the bus. To avoid this the council needs to accurately survey the opinions of bus users and drivers and treat the data honestly not cherry picking to present an argument for a pre-determined course of action.



Gordon Southwell ● 1901d56 Comments ● 1890d

It's Plastic Free July and  "Hawaii: Message in the Waves" was made nearly 15 years ago

How far have we got?It is no longer unusual to Take Your Own Bag Shopping.  Some of us no longer forget to do so (or only very very rarely).  It is still a problem though even though single use bags now have to be paid for.The pandemic has meant that even more plastic packaging seems to have arrived around produce.  It makes it quicker to grab and go with our shopping but plastic actually retains the virus longer than other surfaces and we should wash our produce before eating it anyway.Many countries no longer want to take our waste plastic for processing.  Together with the USA we are the worst for plastic packaging/single use plastic. When we discourage it here it seems it just encourages marketers to use it in countries who have worse facilities than we have to deal with it.There has been a lot of lobbying by a pro-plastics lobby.We don't need it on lots of things and should find and use better and less damaging to the environment and to us alternatives.https://topdocumentaryfilms.com/hawaii-message-waves/#comments

Philippa Bond ● 1893d2 Comments ● 1890d

Agatha Christie

I was surprised to learn from a Channel 5 programme tonight that Christie would often come and stay in Ealing with a great-aunt in her youth. Oddly, whoever wrote the script claimed that Ealing was a model for Miss Marple's St Mary Mead. Ealing is many things but it's never been a quaint country village, not even in the 1900s.

Susan Kelly ● 1895d4 Comments ● 1893d

Ascott Allotments win an award at Hampton Court RHS Show

As my firm is at the show, visited yesterday in the rain.Delighted to see a rather nice display garden created by plotholders at Ascott Allotments in South Ealing.Whilst there they were given an award for their efforts. Great to see and well done them!

Raymond Havelock ● 1895d1 Comments ● 1894d

Scam NHS email

A warning to friends and neighbours. A VERY convincing-looking email is circulating this morning plastered with NHS logos and inviting you to apply for a digital passport to prove your inoculation status.  IT IS A SCAM. The web address resolves to a Brazilian website. It is however very convincing in layout and content.  Please delete it and warn less 'tech savvy' friends and family.

N V Brooks ● 1896d0 Comments ● 1896d

Two Million Pensioners Living in Poverty

A lot of people are not claiming the benefits that they are entitled to.  Age UK can do a benefits check for you and help you to fill in the forms necessary to claim.https://www.ageuk.org.uk/latest-press/articles/2021/number-of-pensioners-living-in-poverty-tops-two-million/

Philippa Bond ● 1913d4 Comments ● 1897d

Center for London is a bit out of touch

The Centre for London think tank wants us to stop converting shops into homes, why? Two many empty shops, not enough homes, SIMPLE. Why deny people decent home on the ground floor?

Ben Stallwitz ● 1926d6 Comments ● 1897d

Covert time lapse cameras being placed in Ealing

I understand that secret covert time lapse cameras have been placed in random street locations ( presumably as part of the 'covert' monitoring of LTN and the intent to reimpose a variant version.This is actually illegal without clear signage about the reason for image gathering in a public place.It has to be clearly notified as it captures images of people as well as vehicles and this a breach of data protection and privacy..

Raymond Havelock ● 1916d1 Comments ● 1897d