Finding an Imperial Death Walker in a Brentford Workshop

Brentford West councillor Guy Lambert reports back

Cllr Guy Lambert

March 22, 2024

On Friday, I heard from the estimable John Todd who told of a massive pothole on Chiswick High Road. A good excuse for a cycle ride Eastwards and I was quite alarmed by the hole, which was in the middle of the road. It wasn’t big enough to swallow this Audi and the Audi positioned itself to minimize any panic you might have had at seeing all of it. I’m afraid I saw it in all its glory but managed to avoid contracting PTSD.

The rather inadequate picture winged its way to Hounslow Highways and they were very quickly out to do a temporary fix which will avoid any disasters whilst they work out the proper solution. As it happened, I passed it on Monday morning when a Hounslow Highways expert was looking at it from various angles and stroking his chin, as experts do. He agreed with me that it looks like there has been some kind of subsidence well below the surface. Fixing it in such a busy place will be tricky.

On Saturday I pedalled my car down to Suburbiton. I know, I should not be so rude. It’s a place that I have frequently passed by on my bike but I’m more cautious with my cycle routes these days, though my fitness is gradually improving.

Why Surbiton, you ask? Well, it was the launch of the campaign by Marcela Benedetti to be our new Labour member of the GLA representing South West London, ie Hounslow, Richmond and Kingston. This apparently are some of the Islamists who control Sadiq Khan, though to me it looked like a bunch of Londoners of all ages, creeds and ethnic backgrounds who like Sadiq to continue as our mayor, and Marcela to become our local representative.

There’s the two of them (not very flattering of Marcela) and Sadiq made a brief speech. We have a decent chance of having our first Labour member for the South West. It has always been Conservatives, including Tony Arbour who clearly was well in tune with local concerns and remarked that most people in London didn’t use public transport. Nick Rogers was a marginal improvement but he’s given up trying to defend the Tory party, so your Conservative choice is now Ron Mushiso. He’s a personable man but if he has any talent for local administration or grasp of politically important matters he has kept it well-hidden whilst a councillor in Chiswick, though a source of mirth when he speaks in the council.

On the way home I took a look at the ‘work’ going on by Cadent to mend the major gas pipe that spans Ealing Road. It was supposed to be finished on Monday but I was sceptical. Don’t blame me for being ‘told you say’. As of today the expected finish is 25th March. This year I hope.

On Monday as I mentioned I cycled to Chiswick where my doctor abides. Not sure I mentioned it before but I was scanned for lung cancer in a portakabin in a golf course car park in Hanwell – wonder if that is one of Boris Johnson’s new hospitals – and I had the news last week that I don’t have lung cancer (good) but had 3 other things wrong with me (bad). Doctor was not worried (good) but prescribed me a course of antibiotics (OK).

In the afternoon I went to Hounslow for (first) a discussion about my portfolio of services. They are all challenging, mainly because we are saving money and this will inevitably impact on what we can do, but the main pledges we made will proceed.

Then we had a discussion about ‘No Mow May’. We started doing that last year but we didn’t think we communicated it very well. We’ll be doing a more organised version this year and I await the details. On housing estates a lot of it will be ‘no mow all summer’.

In the evening it was cabinet, with a very long agenda. We discussed Gunnersbury School’s application to become co-ed. The council refused this proposal, because other local schools objected and there are concerns of the change jeopardising the success of other local schools. I do not claim to be an expert on school places, but I do know there are fewer students at primary schools than recently and I believe this is feeding into the secondary world.

There were three proposals involving Lampton companies which I would once have been the main person but now am peripheral. I was central, though, to the Hounslow Health Prospectus, the first real part of our work to improve cooperation between the NHS and the council. This will be a big exercise over coming years and focus largely on how we support the increasing cohort of frail people, and some more strategic matters as health services adapt to new technologies etc.

That was a late one, and next morning I was out to the FoodBox for a quick catch up with the team. Then a Teams meeting with a couple of the senior people at West London Waste about various changes we are planning to make things more effective, better service and save some money.

On Wednesday I agreed to go overseas, well, over the bridge to Lots Ait to meet with the people who work there. It is an amazing place with some activities I never imagined. I mainly went to see Studio Flox, who work with upholstery and other fabrics but there are a variety of small companies over there. One man is restoring or making this metal monster which apparently is destined for a museum in Germany. Vorsprung durch Technik.

This boat was in a Bond film.

One of these I reckon, but no guns seen. They are apparently coming from Russia, but perhaps not with love apart from of guns.

Coming back there were lovely views of Brentford from an angle you normally miss.

The meeting had been about the endless search for meantime space. Lot’s Ait is good, but the sheds are on their last legs and people are always trying to develop new housing buildings. I think that would be a terrible shame but there’s so much money in it it may not be possible to resist it, given the way planning law works. Nothing imminent, I think.

In the afternoon I had Lampton Leisure and the highlight was a presentation about Health and Wellbeing. This is a key objective and what they are doing blows my socks off. They are doing so many activities and so well with young and old, fit and fat, disabled and every ethnicity. Proud of them.

I’ve rambled on this week but there are 4 important things I must mention.

First is Steve Curran MBE. For me personally (others have focused on his wider achievements). His influence was fantastic. He was a tough and driven man and not always popular but tough decisions have to be made and he took the time to explain to anybody who would listen – and some who wouldn’t. I spent a long time on planning, which was close to his heart and he was never shy in sharing his views but he always respected that committee members had to use their own minds and he never once tried to give me instructions or grumbled after when I didn’t take his advice. If I needed to talk to him, he always did, and having a boss like Steve was inspiring and fulfilling. I’ll miss him, as all of Brentford will, even if some don’t know it.

One of the things we talked about a lot was the Watermans centre, and Steve was steadfast doing everything he could to make a new centre available. A pandemic, a crumbling economy, austerity bearing down on any public expenditure in councils and the Arts Council, a call in of the planning decision to a public enquiry delayed everything and made it hit strong inflation and enormous interest rates, so the vison we shared for Brentford has not yet been delivered, But it’s still alive, even if Watermans is much reduced from now on until it’s reborn.

Then Lara. She arrived in Brentford West ward like a fantastic warm breeze, full of passion and determination and care for her colleagues and her constituents. None of this ever faded but the war in Gaza was a massive issue for her and as ever she was on the side of the little people in Gaza who were not killing anyone but were caught in the crossfire, often literally. The Labour party took a moderate position because the Gazans are not the only victims but Lara is above all a campaigner and had to march, which caused some consternation at Labour HQ. She resigned from the party but carried on unabated doing her job as a councillor. Her day job, a year ago very precarious but now very busy meant it was time to move on, something she did in a dignified way. I will miss her enormously – a real friend, and a powerful presence who will be missed by her residents nearly as much as her colleagues. I hope Emma Yates, the new Labour candidate, will get elected and keep on with the work Lara started. She will be another outstanding councillor.

Finally – on Sunday between about 11 and 4 I'll be at the Brentford Market. If it’s as good as the last one you really shouldn’t miss it. I’ll be there a lot of the time, mainly around the FoodBox stand. Hope to see some of you but don’t be offended if I forget who you are.

Councillor Guy Lambert