Brent Civic Centre opening hit by line closures

The Brent Civic Centre was planned as a 'public transport destination'. Unfortunately the nearest tube station, Wembley Park, will be closed on Sunday when the grand opening ceremony takes place between noon and 7.30pm.

No Metropolitan trains are running between Aldgate and Northwood/Uxbridge and no Jubilee trains between Waterloo and Stanmore. The Overground will not run between Richmond and Camden Road via West Hampstead.

The Bakerloo should be running, albeit at its slow Sunday pace and there will be replacement bus services for the Met and Jubilee. South Brent people in Kilburn Park and Harlesden have the possibility of the 206 bus although it is not very frequent on Sundays. It stops close to the Civic Centre. Otherwise there is the 18 bus (alight at Wembley triangle and walk) and the 297, 83 and 182 stop at Wembley Park Station (walk along Olympic Way and turn right). There is a longer walk from  the 245 stop at Wembley ASDA via Bridge Park.

Competition for Brent young people to take part in Civic Centre opening performance

As regular  readers will know I have been a critic of the Brent Civic Centre since it was first planned, particularly on the grounds that it was too expensive and too grandiose at a time when the Council was closing half our libraries and other amenities and cutting jobs.

It is there now and I want to see it working for the people of Brent in the way County Hall and the Festival Hall worked at the time of Ken Livingstone's GLC adminstration: open to the public and groups and at the heart of the community.

I probably won't be able to stand the hype at the opening ceremony but here is what the Council is planning. It is a pity that this competition is advertised in the school holiday and closes before children return so the message is unlikely to get out as widely as it deserves:

The opening ceremony

We are celebrating the opening of the civic centre on 6 October 2013 with a grand spectacle of music, dance, arts and performance. Find out more

21 ambassadors for 21 wards

We are looking for young ambassadors to represent each of Brent's 21 wards at the opening ceremony.
The ambassadors will officially open the building with the Mayor and the Leader of the Council as well as feature in the spectacular finale.

How to enter

For a chance to win and play a central role in this historic event simply send your drawing/collage/ photograph or write a poem which illustrates:

"What you love about where you live!"

Please send your entry with your name, age, address and a contact number to competition@brent.gov.uk or post to: Competitions, Floor 4, Brent Civic Centre, Engineers Way, Wembley, HA9 0FJ.

You must be a Brent resident aged 7 to 16 years to enter the competition. Winners have to be available to attend the ceremony on 6 October 2013, as well as some dates during September for film/sound recordings related to the finale performance.

The closing date for entries is Friday 30 August.

For more information about Brent Civic Centre visit www.brent.gov.uk/civiccentre