The Councillor Who Cried Wolf on the Junction 2 Festival

Brentford West councillor Guy Lambert reports back

Cllr Guy Lambert

July 28, 2023

Well now, it's dangerous to put too much faith in predictions in this world. Anyway some work out OK such as I really didn't get to the Lampton Homes board I was supposed to go to on Thursday afternoon. Too busy talking to doctors in the West of Middlesex. The conversation was completely predictable.

On Friday my first engagement was with the leader and the chair of Lampton group where some changes that are about to be happening soon. Interesting and it's good to see the progress we have made with the companies. They're all grown up now and the much more active Involvement from the leader and the top management within Hounslow are all certainly good news, though there's a part of me that feels a bit of a loss, a bit like when a child makes their way in the world and leaves the parents behind. I like to think that I can stay as a friendly uncle!

Later that afternoon Lara and I had a chat with some people in housing who are working on changes that will improve the environment and parking near Brentford station. Then a quick catch up with my various councillor colleagues from Brentford and Syon to reflect on the area forum that took place earlier in the week and make sure that we consider any learnings and feed them towards future meetings.

While all this was going on the dreaded Junction 2 was starting and based on experience from previous years and a few emails I'd received I was expecting a busy weekend with a lot of upset. In fact it was eerily quiet to the extent that I didn't even get round to go up to Boston Manor Park for a sniff around to see if I could smell anything that had a suspicious aroma. I really didn't hear a thing and given that I had some personal physical problems going on I still haven't been up to Boston Manor as yet, but still no emails or phone calls. I guess it has gone off very well. I did see some pictures of the site after finished and touch wood it looked pretty well OK which might make me look an idiot given the dire warnings I'd been passing around.

I was busy on Saturday morning anyway with Ruth’s coffee morning for people from Brentford West. This was well attended at the digital dock and it was lovely to see lots of people from the ward, some of whom I even remembered (not my strong point) but that was probably more than the few that I could actually hear. I picked up show new casework which I'm working through and some comments, friendly and otherwise but many things I couldn't do anything about anyway.

Saturday had been mooted for my collarbone operation but it actually got postponed to Sunday which I thought was quite impressive. I was told to report to the West Middlesex waiting room at 7:30 AM which was a bit alarming. But in reality the waiting room was locked though somebody did let me in but it took a while to get in contact with anybody medical. Nurse said I wasn't on her list. She looked at her list again and searched. “Oh no you’re trauma.”

After a bit I went through the old what's your name, date of birth, what's your blood pressure routine with a very nice nurse then a young doctor came spoke to me briefly. Then another one came, asked about my medications and a few minutes later a consultant type doctor came together with a chum who was not introduced. He asked me about pain which was very modest and then did some poking around my shoulder. In the end he said it was dubious whether doing this operation was necessary because he says my problem will sort out on its own In a few weeks. He said I could drive and even ride a bike as long as it didn't hurt too much. He told me I wouldn't do any damage and I didn't need to carry on wearing the infernal sling if I didn't feel like it.

Well there I was, free. Got the bus home without having to trouble friends who had offered to give me a lift and take care of me. So that was that, though he has booked me into his clinic a week on Wednesday. It seems to be improving quickly. I can drive OK and cycle very gingerly so what's not to like?

We are now beginning to get towards the season where sensible people are making plans to get in the charabanc and going off to Morecombe or the Rolls Royce to Cap Ferrat but I cancelled my plans for Greece when I thought I was going to be a complete cripple and given what's happening in Greece that was probably lucky. Anyway council work gets a bit lighter for the next month or so, though not necessarily for the residents.

On Monday and Tuesday afternoons I have Lampton boards. On these occasions it’s Leisure then Services. Both are doing really well which is very encouraging. On Tuesday morning I also had an online meeting with TfL. This was officially about bus routes where they have a couple locally they are talking of extending to better serve the three new secondary schools in Osterley and Isleworth. We did talk about these and we thought they were good plans but I can't talk to TfL at the moment without banging on about Ealing Road and its junction with the Great West Road. I'm still furious about this as lots of people local are including the MP. But thus far TfL have been unwilling to make any change. We will keep pushing as hard as we can.

In the evening I went into Hounslow for an informal cabinet meeting when we talked about various proposals (broadcaster in down and someone she hung - Microsoft dictation’s interpretation of me saying Katherine Dunne and Salman Shaheen). You must admit but their version is much more fun. There were more discussions but nothing very earth shattering.

On Wednesday morning I had quite a long interview with a resident who has a housing problem. She also has really tough health problems with her kids. She has a session with housing tomorrow and I sincerely hope they can help her. Wednesday lunchtime was time for our quarterly session with the senior management of Hounslow Highways. They have made progress in various areas but there remain things which I'm really unhappy about so they're not the most friendly meetings I have, though usually courteous. I do give them credit for doing their very best and I think they are turning a corner.

This meeting clashed with the Lampton group board much of which I missed, but the tone was very positive so I'm glad I got along for some of it.

This Thursday morning I popped up the Great West Quarter and was pleased to see that the 235 was running again: yesterday I saw it lurking behind Morrisons which is always a bad sign. The people from A2 Dominion, the housing association that runs many of the flats there was having a kind of open day when the housing Team, handyman, people from the council’s community team and someone with a huge skip to help anybody who needed it. I thought it was a very good idea from a housing association who often get criticism.

In the afternoon the two Crocks, Katherine with her broken ankle and Guy with his clavicle went down in Guy’s car to our regular meeting at Mogden. People from Thames Water put on a good show for us and various residents who are engaged with them but I confess I come away from these meetings feeling I haven't learned a lot, such as when are they planning to stop dumping sewage in the Thames. They have very inspiring mottoes but when I challenged them my silent conclusion was “no substance”

So that's the week except perhaps for a few photographs when I find them.

Some ideas about Brexit a friend of mine compiled from apparently 100 local Brexit enthusiasts. So I guess enthusiast is possibly a misnomer. I will be examining them myself next week well I hope they will be easier to decipher

What seemed to me to be a very strange dog food advert seen on all bus stops round here. At first sight I thought the nose belonged to a rat. I am not a dog owner and hasn't been for many years but I would not be tempted to buy this concoction for my beloved pooch. I suppose I could buy it for Boris Johnson – will be handy for next time he’s in the dog house with his wife.

Councillor Guy Lambert