Please note this was posted on April Fools' Day - apologies to anyone who suffered a heart attack or high blood pressure on first reading (that includes the fictitious Cllr Jimmy Ponderous!)
In a surprise joint press release over the weekend Brent Council and Galliford Try have announced that the £10m cultural centre that will replace the Willesden Green Library, Willesden Bookshop, Library Centre Cinema, Cafe, the Brent Museum, Brent Archives, Willesden Green Open Space and the Library Centre car park, will be named after Cllr Ann John, OBE.
Cllr Jimmy Ponderous, (Newish Labour, Kensal Cemetery) who more modestly will have the suite of council offices named after him, said
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| Artists's impression of the new cultural centre |
Cllr Jimmy Ponderous, (Newish Labour, Kensal Cemetery) who more modestly will have the suite of council offices named after him, said
Ann John, OBE came into office in 2010 with a vision to transform the cultural landscape of Brent. The closure of half the borough's library was the first step in a radical plan that will culminate this year in the rebuilding of the Willesden Green Library and the opening of the Wembley Library at the Civic Centre.
The Ann John Cultural Centre will be a fantastic addition to the cultural offer in Willesden and will include a Costas Coffee outlet and a Tesco Metro. Customers will be able to pick up their groceries along with their DVDs. The new Wembley Library will be a major attraction for football fans and concert goers attending matches at Wembley Stadium or performances at the Arena.
These twin beacons of hope and enterprise were only made possible by Ann's determination to fight the enemies of regeneration and promise who litter the cultural landscape of Brent with their special pleading, whining and outmoded attachment to old-fashioned 'cardboard and paper' books.
