Weekly Update From Councillor Guy Lambert

Has a really busy week serving the community and glowing

On Thursday you will be astonished to hear that I spent the morning writing a blog. In the afternoon I had a shortish meeting in Hounslow House where we went through the Lampton360 management accounts with the MD and the finance officer. All fairly smooth but I was able to make a couple of suggestions  which I hope will improve things.

In the evening I was going to go to the planning development presentation where developers present proposals to us before they are ‘set in stone’. Actually that only happens after they build them and it’s more likely brick or concrete round these parts. However, after intense negotiations with the Melvinator we agreed he would do that and I would go to Ruth Cadbury’s serious crime event at the Nishkam School in Osterley. This was quite well attended though it seemed like most of the questions were from people who said it wasn’t well advertised, even though they seemed to have made it. Interesting speeches from Ruth, coppers, and some other panel members who have special experience and/or expertise in crime. We can all get better at reporting stuff, joining neighbourhood watch and OWL and being security-conscious but at the end of the day crime results from an ill-functioning society and is facilitated by a dearth of police officers (and the like). Why is anybody surprised that crime is rising, alongside poverty and cruel cuts to support and enforcement services?

No meetings on Friday other than hanging around chez moi waiting for an obliging council officer to deliver Keep Britain Tidy bags and apprentice-sized litter pickers to support our efforts on Sunday.

Three visitors to my surgery on Saturday morning – one with a housing issue, one with benefits problems and one with a range of issues about (mainly) road safety. Then I was off on the winged horse to Bedfont Lakes Country Park, where the Joint Services Open Day was unfolding. On the way I was passed by a bunch of lazy comrades, Corinna Smart, Katherine Dunne and Unsa Chaudri who hooted at me, both with the car horn and derision, as they sped by on the A30.  At least they were only polluting with one small car between 3 of them. My own atmospheric pollution was confined to anybody who got too close to me when I arrived. Anyway I saw a dog rescue (dog rescuing human, for the avoidance of doubt)

The ever-faithful Dr Bike was in attendance, as were Recycle 360 and the council recycling officers and Hounslow Highways, running a competition for children to design for their vehicles – absolutely packed!

In the evening it was the Mayor’s inaugural reception and dance, up at Grasshoppers Rugby Club. Tony Louki does things differently from the average Mayor (he probably thinks ‘Smarter than the average Mayor’, does that make him Yogi Mayor?) so a more informal event than usual and a rather Greekish fork buffet – none the worse for that and I believe he raised £4000 for his charities, thanks no doubt to auctioneer Sue Sampson who kept recording bids from me I wasn’t aware of having made. Sadly I was outbid on everything but I did win a candle in the raffle. Just what I always wanted.

Sunday was litter pick day. Mel passed by intent upon a conversation with Him Upstairs in St Paul’s Church. I asked him to put in a good word. We were joined by a bunch of local worthies including Corinna and one pint-sized one so the short pickers were useful. As usual I forgot to take the traditional selfie so you’ll have to settle for this one of Martin Case proudly presenting our output.

Google photos (I think) helpfully describe this as ‘a person holding a fish’. I hope I never meet a fish like that when I’m swimming whether they think Martin is the person or the fish.

Corinna and I then made a fleeting visit to the Clayponds Gardens Fun Day - lots of people and more attractions than I remember in previous years.

It’s come round to Monday and I’m off to rural Berkshire for the funeral of an old colleague, then back to Hounslow House for a Labour group meeting. Afterwards some dodgy councillors accompany our new political assistant to a meal at the not posh but outstanding food Honey Moon in the centre of Hounslow.

Tuesday morning I get a panic email – a trustee required at Foodbox at 10 to see Ruth Cadbury, people from Green Dragon School, someone from the Watermans, and a family who have been helped by Foodbox. Well, that worked well, except that only the trustee and school turned up to meet our fabulous volunteers due to various diary malfunctions. Anyway, I’m delighted we’re supporting the school and its students during the long summer holidays: children get a free breakfast (courtesy I think of Greggs) and  a cheap or free lunch during termtime, and there’s a real threat of them going hungry in the long holiday. Here’s Charlie the teacher who thought of this and made it happen, and Jane, who does a wonderful job running the FoodBox every weekday as a volunteer.



In the evening we have Borough Council. As it’s so hot I weaken and decide to drive, taking a very happy Melvinator with me. Nobody asks me a question or moves a motion about my responsibilities, but I’m happy to make short statements about our plans for a Cleaner, Greener Borough and about Hounslow’s roads being the London champions.

Wednesday there’s an event at the Men’s Shed, which the Mayor suggested I might like to attend. Sounds good (as I have no idea what a Men’s Shed is) so I look up the address of the charity on the internet and cycle out to Hanworth. However the semi-detached house is not the shed and the garages out the back aren’t promising either. So I look on the LBH website and discover it’s actually in Isleworth Cemetery. So I’m half an hour late and miss the speeches (goodness how sad) but there are some fab old cars and motorbikes there.

The Citroen roadster with a surfboard ‘roof’ is probably the most unique, but the hand built Triumph Vitesse estate and the Mini-based Unipower GT are almost as rare.

In the afternoon there’s another FoodBox meeting. This time a formal meeting of trustees, and our new treasurer is setting a sharp pace indeed – I have trouble keeping up. Then it’s off to Hounslow House for interviews with potential non-exec directors for Lampton 360.  There are supposed to be 2  but only one shows – got another job. I make the mistake of taking the middle chair (you’d think I’d learn) so have to chair the meeting, a cross-party affair with Genghis Todd, me, Finance member Shantanu Rajawat and CEO Niall Bolger. Due entirely to my exceptional chairmanship I’m sure, we reach a unanimous decision.

This morning it’s a ‘glowing’ ride up to Gunnersbury to meet the CEO David Bowler and Chief Charity Panhandler aka ‘Yogi’ Mayor Louki. We agree. I think, some fundraising suggestions and discuss the general issues around the park. It actually looks pretty good now Lovebox etc have gone. A few brown patches in the grass etc but no real damage that I can see (no doubt I will be accused of blindness). Then I’m off to Boston Manor, where the aftermath of Junction2 was much more challenging. It is largely recovering, and grass slowly growing but we need some rain both to help the grass grow and to soften the ground to make it more amenable to rolling. A bit more work from the organisers then over to GreenSpace who will complete matters, paid for from the bond the organisers provide.

I have a meeting with Watermans, the Arts Council and the leader in the afternoon so I decide to get my cycling in early – I go to Hanwell, then down the canal, across Richmond and Kew bridges - and drive to Hounslow House as otherwise I will be glowing excessively in the meeting, even though I have now sorted out how to use the showers at H House. A very positive meeting. Not clear yet how this will play out with developers, Secretaries of State, Mayors of London etc involved but we have a constructive relationship and where there’s a will…

Hounslow Cycling meet at the Gunnersbury this evening. I’ll have to cycle even though I will undoubtedly glow wetly as it’s still 33 degrees. Apparently the wetness may be external later, judging by BBC weather and the rumbles I hear outside! 

Cllr Guy Lambert

July 25, 2019