Culture in 2023 and Looking Forward to 2024

Chiswick Homefields councillor Gerald McGregor reports back

Cllr Gerald McGregor

December 24, 2023

Reporting Back: Council Work

Holding a surgery last Saturday led to a set of follow ups and concerns this week. Social welfare issues still predominate and the odd quirky cry for help (when in doubt ask a councillor) can cause a huge amount of concern at the plight of the individuals concerned.

This week’s case load included a request for a disabled parking bay, the need for physical road speed restrictions, parking issues generally and the problem of camera led road traffic offences and penalty appeals, a range of repair issues to council houses and a desperate plea for assistance over a truly overcrowded flat. Graffiti and substance abuse issues and street dealing are in the remit of the community police officers, who I talk to at every opportunity. Local councillors pick up a lot of street information in this way; information is quickly shared with colleagues and council officers where appropriate.

Giving support to the Metropolitan Police Service and their officers is another area where good intelligence and co-operation leads to better briefings and action by the local police team, who have worked their socks off this year under Sergeant Cope.

Otherwise, there are a continuing number of longer-term help and support issues for the case workload in the remit of Hounslow Borough Council that cannot be fixed quickly. This includes school referrals that become part of an education cycle for SEND and EHCP, or a housing issue, or planning issues at domestic, ward or borough wide criticality. The homeless issue is another long-term problem that demands carefully managed structural solutions. There are several houses in Chiswick that need to be brought back to a habitable state, releasing much needed accommodation. I am working on two of these; officers absolutely share my concern but the solution is hard to get to (no budget available!).

Trying to put in place relief or emergency shelter provision over the Christmas break is not easy. Details of Emergency numbers and services for the period 5pm on Friday 22 December until Tuesday 2 January 2024 are shown below.

Local Conservative Councillor surgeries are re-commencing on Saturday January 6 th 2024.

Many residents believe Councillors, like an MP, are full time and paid a salary. This is not the case. All local councillors are elected ward by ward, and are not in full time employment with the Council. We invariably continue to work hard for residents and council tax payers when the requirement or opportunity arises but the Christmas break is very welcome.

Other Important Meetings coming up

The budget meeting this year at Hounslow Council is the 27 th February. Amongst a range of issues, I will continue our campaign for greater clarity on school admissions and exclusion policy and in supporting special education needs (SEND) and the education and health care plans (EHCP) required by an increasing number of children and young adults in Hounslow.

Talking about Culture in 2023 and looking forward to 2024. Community activities and organised seasonal cultural events are very much alive and well in Chiswick.

Street Carol singing has taken place in many locations in Chiswick during much of Advent, the season before Christmas day. Advent carol services in all the local churches have been well attended as have the usual range of church concerts.

St. Nicholas Church, Church Street, Chiswick, held an evening concert with a fabulous trio of Ben Goldscheider, Horn, Richard Uttley, piano and Callum Smart, violin playing the highest quality classical music.

St. Michaels Centre Elmwood Road hosted the St Michaels Players (one of London’s oldest theatre groups) performing the pantomime Mother Goose over four days and five performances Wow!

On Wednesday December 20th a Christmas Concert was performed by Mark Viner in St. Michael & All Angels Church, Bedford Park, it was a musical event of the highest quality, and following the performance of the Messiah a week earlier is continuing to cement music, literature and the performing arts firmly in Chiswick.

The vicar, the Reverend Kevin Morris is involved heavily in the arts and culture programmes of Chiswick, including the Bedford Park Festival (every June) and the Chiswick Book Festival (every September) both based at the Church, and the local WB Yeats project, where the poet was a congregant of the church before the first world war. We are blessed with such energetic and committed participants.

Culture in Chiswick

Theatres

As a thriving area supporting the performing arts, the Theatre at the Tabard, Bath Road, Bedford Park (50 yards from Turnham Green Station) has enjoyed a new lease of life with well attended performances.

The Andrew Lloyd Webber theatre is inside the Arts Education School and College but acts as a community hub on regular occasions. The performing arts and the public generally owe a big debt of gratitude to an establishment so committed to the next generation of performance artists.

Cinema

The Chiswick Cinema on Chiswick High Road

The first cinema in Chiswick since 1934! And now a big supporter of local festivals and a great venue for meeting people and enjoying some of the latest films from around the world. A great experience in comfort and ease.

Chiswick Book Festival

Alan Titchmarsh and Rosie Fyles, head of gardens at Chiswick House & Gardens, who spoke at Chiswick House in 2023

Next year,s Chiswick Book Festival Dates September 11th-18th 2024.

The book festival sponsored the recent academic lecture on the centenary of the Nobel Prize awarded to Yeats. The well attended lecture was held in St Michael and All Angels Church

Bedford Park Festival

Next year’s dates 7th to 23rd Junewith Green Days on 8th and 9th June 2024 on Acton Green.

The Bedford Park Festival is Chiswick's biggest arts and community event, attracting thousands of people from the local area and further afield. Like the Book Festival it involves lots of volunteers and supporters. Supporting a stall, or an event, as a steward or helper is a great experience. Please use the website for details if you would like to lend a hand and join the festival team.

Public House Entertainment and Live Performances

Across Chiswick, public houses have daily evening and weekend gigs for a wide variety of musical and stand-up comedy tastes. Watch the bill boards. Local web sites frequently provide details of acts and bands

Tourism, Travel and Cultural History in Chiswick

The River Thames makes an ideal highway for tourists to follow; there is a riverboat stop at Kew with cruises to Westminster pier organised by Thames Cruises. Easy access is available to Chiswick by Underground and Overground railway. London Buses and Taxis are plentiful but sometimes painfully slow (beware of all day traffic hold ups on most roads in Chiswick when planning your journey) so there is scope to provide the visitor with decent accessibility.

Chiswick House and Park are an obvious draw to Chiswick for the beauty of the architecture and the delightful park itself. Another historic landmark close by is Hogarth House. The improvements being made in 2024 should make visiting an even better experience.

History drips along Chiswick Mall and Chiswick Parish church - St Nicholas in Church Street, Turnham Green hosted a civil war battle. Strand on the Green is another gem. WB Yeats has his modern artwork memorial outside St Michael and All Angels church which itself pays a living testament to the late Victorian Arts and Crafts Movement.

Back to Important Current Local Issues

Christmas and New Year Emergencies :

The Council will be operating a reduced service over the Christmas and New Year period from 5pm on Friday 22 December until Tuesday 2 January 2024.

During this time, residents can still access council services online or via emergency numbers:

To inform the council of an emergency, please call 020 8583 2222

CHISWICK COUNCILLORS’ SURGERIES HAVE TAKEN A BREAK

Chiswick: Every Saturday from 9.30am to 10.30am at Chiswick Library (the eight Conservative councillors take this surgery in turn). Recommencing on January 6 th 2024

Councillor Gerald McGregor

gerald.mcgregor@hounslow.gov.uk

07866 784821

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY 2024

Tuesday, 16 January 2024 at 7:00pm Cabinet 6th Floor, Hounslow House, 7 Bath Road, Hounslow TW3 3EB

THEN:

6th Floor, Hounslow House, 7 Bath Road, Hounslow TW3 3EB

Tuesday 27 th February 2024 at 7:30pm – Council Meeting

(The Budget Setting Statutory Meeting of the Borough Council)

THEN:

Tuesday 26 March 2024 7:30 pm

Tuesday 21 May 2024 7.30pm

(The Annual Statutory General Meeting of the Borough Council)

6th Floor, Hounslow House, 7 Bath Road, Hounslow TW3 3EB

Open to the Public

Thursday, 15 February 2024 7:00pm Overview and Scrutiny Committee

6th Floor, Hounslow House, 7 Bath Road, Hounslow TW3 3EB

CONSERVATIVE COUNCILLOR SURGERIES

CHISWICK COUNCILLORS’ SURGERIES HAVE TAKEN A BREAK

Recommencing on January 6th 2024

Chiswick: Every Saturday from 9.30am to 10.30am at Chiswick Library (the eight Conservative councillors take this surgery in turn).

Gunnersbury: First Saturday of the month from 10am to 11am at The Gunnersbury Triangle Club, Triangle Way, off The Ridgeway, W3 8LU (at least one of the Chiswick Gunnersbury ward councillors takes this surgery). 

CONSERVATIVE COUNCILLORS and CONTACTS

Chiswick Gunnersbury (was Turnham Green) ward

Cllr Joanna Biddolph joanna.biddolph@hounslow.gov.uk 07976 703446

Cllr Ranjit Gill ranjit.gill@hounslow.gov.uk 07976 702956

Cllr Ron Mushiso ron.mushiso@hounslow.gov.uk 07976 702887

Chiswick Homefields ward

Cllr Jack Emsley jack.emsley@hounslow.gov.uk 07977 396017

Cllr Gerald McGregor gerald.mcgregor@hounslow.gov.uk 07866 784821

Cllr John Todd john.todd@hounslow.gov.uk 07866 784651

Chiswick Riverside ward

Cllr Gabriella Giles gabriella.giles@hounslow.gov.uk 07966 270823

Cllr Peter Thompson peter.thompson@hounslow.gov.uk 07977 395810

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