Good News and Bad News in the Cabinet Shuffle

Brentford West councillor Guy Lambert reports back

Cllr Guy Lambert

May 24, 2024

So we had our Labour Group meeting. It seems my friend Raghwinder Siddhu is taking my place on the cabinet. A decent choice, not least because he did work as my cabinet assistant in the previous administration so should know which way is up! He is also capable and personable so you can’t really ask for anything better.

The bad news, in my opinion, was Katherine Dunne being no longer the Deputy Leader.

Tom Bruce who will take up that role is a very experienced councillor who also knows which way is up, but losing Katherine’s leading role is a disappointment to me. At least, I believe she will continue to do the very important work she is doing around moving the council towards net zero emissions and that is a difficult role that needs a lot of attention. I will continue to offer support (and where appropriate, challenge) to those on the cabinet, if they think I can add some value.

Before all that I had a sniff around Boston Manor Park and in particular the top of it and the interminable road works being undertaken by Cadent, allegedly making a new gas main. Often when I look there doesn’t seem to be much going on but I see, and people complain about, a lot of mess hanging around, making negotiation of Boston Gardens in particular very different to negotiate in a car (or on a bike for that matter). Might make a decent sand pit but I have suggested it is taken away, fastly.

I was also delighted (not) to find the cycle lane on Boston Manor Road completely blocked by a parked juggernaut related to these works. At least there were two blokes there. Looking at me with hostile faces.

Then it was Saturday and I was planning to go to the Musical Museum for an event called Celebrating Black Men of London. This is related to a charity called 100 Black Men in London which is itself an offshoot of an American charity. Just as I was preparing to go I had a call – could I go to Brent Lea and pick up James Barnor? I know James a little and had given him lifts once or twice because he’s such charming company and because he needs help over long distances. James is a photographer, born in Ghana but in Brentford for many years. Several years ago he gave me a postcard of one of his photos (I suspect taken in Ghana rather than Brentford) and it’s been on my bookcase ever since. Every time I see it I am infused with the joy shown by these young people.

Anyway, it turned out James was being featured in a short video, and this was (in part at least) because he is shortly off back to Ghana at the invitation of the High Commissioner to celebrate his 95 th birthday. Yes, that is not a misprint, though James pretended at one point he was an 84 year old stripling.

It was a privilege to attend this event. Lovely music from a steel band dup to greet us, tasty Caribbean (I think) food and lovely company. Proud to have both James and this event (and the Musical Museum) in Brentford. It was good to see the other jewel in Brentford’s crown, the Museum of Water and Steam, all steamed up and the big wheel pounding round on Saturday.

That aside I had quite a relaxed weekend, though on Sunday I met with my new ward partner Emma for a meeting in the sun, at Boston Manor Park. The Potting Shed was packed and we spoke at length about various matters about the ward and about politics, both of which are quite important to both of us. It was good to find that we have very similar opinions, and I think we’ll make a good team.

On Monday I had a zoom call with people from the new owners of the old GSK building, Hadley property, and people from the FoodBox, who the new landlord is keen to support. We asked for lots of money, lots of food and lots of volunteers. Our ops manager will send a more defined request and we’ll see what eventuates. Of course, they are a developer and a landlord so they will not have a large team on site but I hope they can get the ball running for people who will live or work there. I’m also to have another go at improving the canal towpath. We started something with local businesses a while ago but it seems to have fallen by the roadside. Or the canalside, even. I’m thinking that a developer will see it in their interest to make a big improvement for their residents and businesses, They told me they were already engaging with planning and had met them twice, so I’m trying to find out more, though it’s early days and I have to be careful about confidentiality.

Talking of which, the landlords of the old Morrisons have told me that the mystery supermarket tenant of the old supermarket is going to sign the new lease this week. Fingers crossed, because we’ve been close to this before.

I also cycled around the ward (isn’t it nice occasionally to have sunshine) and decided to update on what is happening with Holly House, where we uncovered some problems when canvassing, by talking to a resident, if I could find one at home. I found a couple and talked to them for a while, but the progress there is disappointing both them and me. So I’m back doing casework, looking to ginger up the people who are trying to fix things there.

In the evening I visited the Memorial Club in Chiswick, previously a place of some mystery to me, for a meeting of the Brentford and Chiswick History Society. A lot of the discussion was about the accounts and subscriptions but did not engage me much but there was a presentation by Janet McNamara on the history of Boston Manor and she encouraged us all to make a proper visit, which is well worth some time.

This fine looking chap owned Boston Manor (and probably a sizeable chunk of England) but if you’re looking for a husband you’re too late, as he snuffed it in 1727. He has an island and a road named after him.

But I think he is not related to the Clitheroe Kid, a great radio star in my yoof, though there is a certain resemblance.

I bet you didn’t expect to see a picture of the Clitheroe Kid here, did you? But a feller has a blog to fill.

On Tuesday, with considerable difficulty I eventually found my way into an online discussion with transport gurus about what we might do in Hounslow to encourage walking and wheeling (which covers anything not powered, from a bicycle to a pram) which is a policy objective at all levels of government. We concluded (or maybe it’s me projecting my own opinions!) that there were two different things to think about – making it safer and more practical to walk/wheel around the borough as part of your daily life – to work, the town centre, kids to school etc – and make it more pleasant and inviting to use it for recreation. Actually, many interventions will work for either purpose, and it was an interesting debate which should inform future plans.

Hmm. I just lost a passage of honeyed prose due to either an evil-minded PC or a cack-handed author. I blame Big Government and Green Lizards. And Mike Pence. Anyway, I was referring to my latest doctoring. Apparently I don’t have osteoporosis but I do have thinning bones. Apparently normal when you’re old like wot I am, but unfortunately it doesn’t apply to bottoms. Equally, I don’t have a growth on my ear nerve (whatever it’s called) but something to do with my sinus. Not your normal sinus but one further up your bonce where he can’t easily reach. I asked him about a Heineken cure on the basis that it reaches parts that other beers don’t reach but he didn’t seem convinced. I might still need to get that head transplant.

Then we had an online meeting about how to do a more effective area forum. It worries us councillors that we are not reaching parts of the local population we can’t reach (am I repeating myself?) such as people who are not white male pensioners (noble as that class of people is). I don’t think we came to a conclusion but will be working on it.

In the evening, Emma and I were both up at the Boston Manor Residents Association AGM. This is in a boxing club in Hanwell (the Association spans two boroughs) and naturally being a councillor sometimes encourages people’s ambition to be a pugilist, particularly if the partial closure of Swyncombe Avenue is discussed. Aside from the discussion about subscriptions (which are actually miniscule) there was a lively presentation about the Brent River Park. It’s always impressive to hear people who are so passionate about something which I suppose is their hobby. Certainly, there are parts of this which are beautiful, though I had no idea how far it stretched.

Thursday, not much going on except the inexorable flow of emails and a coffee with a friend. The rain has stopped and it reminded me of earlier in the week. My peaceful day was interrupted by the noise of raised voices of people on small boats. I was getting ready to ring Rwanda when I realised it was a bunch of children, no doubt encouraged by Team Keane, fighting a rerun of the Battle of Jutland in Brent cut.

Which reminds me, they are under imminent threat of being evicted from their indoor place, within the Max Factor building as we know it around here which would be a minor tragedy. They have become very successful in bringing our local young people on to the joys of the river for what I understand are very affordable costs and we are often concerned there are not enough activities for children and teenagers. Trying to help, but not yet at the bottom of what’s going on or what options we can find.

Councillor Guy Lambert