Glossy new buildings in Brent and Brussels

The new Europa building in Brussels (£215m approx)

Brent's new Civic Centre (£100m plus)

Many thanks to JC for pointing out the irony of David Cameron's criticism of proposals for the Europa building in Brussels (top above) in the context of Brent's new Civic Centre. UK taxpayers will contribute about £25m to the Europa building, one quarter of the cost of Brent's Civic Centre.

Cameron's comments may ring a bell:

I am less enthusiastic about the presentation we were given on the new building for the European Council. When you see a document being circulated with a great glossy brochure about some great new building for the European Council to sit in, it is immensely frustrating.

You do wonder if these institutions actually get what every country and what every member of the public is having to go through, as we cut budgets and try and make our finances add up.

Top classical guitarist in fund-raising line up tomorrow

I will be off down to my allotment early tomorrow to harvest globe artichokes, raspberries and black currants in preparation for Sunday afternoon's Brent Stop the War and Brent PSC's summer garden party in Willesden Green.

The fund-raiser takes place in a beautiful garden and the weather forecast is good. Apart from delicious food and a bar, entertainment is also provided by top names including classical guitarist Ahmed Dickinson (above). Other entertainers include Camilla Cancantata, queen of  the squeeze box; Jean Marc, story teller; Alan Johnson, folk singer and of course Ian Saville, socialist magician.

It is not too late to attend the garden party which starts at 5pm and finishes at 10pm. Ring Sarah Cox on

07951 084 101 or e-mail her scox05@btinternet.com for tickets.

Tickets are £12 wage/£8 unwaged in advance and £15/£10 on the door.

Library Campaign moves into top gear - more than half cash target met

A message from Brent SOS Libraries:

With another six  members joining our six month old Save Cricklewood Library Campaign last night and a visit from the Tokyngton Library campaign (who have submitted a 670 signature petition to Brent Council this week) I cannot remember a bigger  or more active Brent campaign in my 30+ years of living in this fantastic  diverse borough. Can anyone else? We are swamped with fundraising events, volunteers, supportive authors and have six very lively local campaigns underway .

We are now close to the legal hearing, which the Council is insisting is heard in July. This is our final push to raise money - together we are over half way to our £30,000 target .Many thanks to all those who have helped and attended recent events,donated books etc.

Can you help with one more push ?

1 Selling Garden Party Tickets - meet  at Cricklewood Library -MONDAY 27 June at 6.30pm

Join Anna, Edward and other supporters in a final push to sell Garden Party tickets door-to -door - at £5 it is a bargain and we only have 72 tickets left

2 Garden Party   Sunday 3 July   121 Anson Road  3-5pm

Tea, cakes and a beautiful garden - what more could you want ?

Come and meet Helen and the Save Cricklewood team - a must for your social calendar

3 Wear your T shirt with pride

Brent SOS Libraries T-shirts will be available from 30 June - just ring or text me on 07866616492 and I will deliver .Beautifully designed in tasteful red and white - certain to be this years fashion item.Only £10 each .

How many do you want? (only large available - but good for snuggling up with a book in  )

4 Philip Pullman

Yes the record -selling author is coming to speak soon in support of Brent SOS LIbraries.

Provisional date ( to be confirmed) 20th July at Queens Park Community School 

5 Preston Quiz - Monday 4 July

Return of the popular quiz - can Cricklewood go one better and win this time? Just turn up at 7.30pm at the Preston Pub, Preston Road .

6 Cricklewood Music Night

Tapping into the local classical musical talent Sonja is organising a musical evening later in July - contact sonjarobin@hotmai.com

7 Any more books ?

We still need book donations l Just let me know and I will collect .There is a picture of Sonja at our Glastonbury bookstall in the local paper this week

8 Protest and Survive

Soon we will be staging a peaceful protest at the court as the library hearing commences - watch this space.


Graham Durham

Seven Harrow schools opt for academy status

In a move that will raise fears of similar action in Brent,  seven secondary schools in neighbouring Harrow have decided to become academies from August 1st 2011.

The schools are Bentley Wood, Canons High, Harrow High, Hatch End, Nower Hill, Park High and Rooks Heath College. Whitmore High is the only non-faith community high school left as a result og the opt-out.

The academy conversion follow a consultation process which saw the local authority plead for the retention of the local authority family of schools and students from Nower Hill walking out in a protest against lack of consultation.

Strike Action is Direct Action

Fair Pensions for All Will Benefit Pupils

Click on image to enlarge

Next Thursday, June 30th, many Brent schools are likely to be fully or partially closed as teachers strike alongside other public sector workers, over government proposals to make them contribute more to their pensions and retire when they are older with a lower pension than they would get now.

As a former teacher and headteacher, and now a school governor, I fully support this strike action. The proposals if implemented would have a detrimental impact on pupils. One major issue that has not been fully covered by the media is that teaching is an intensive job that is physically and emotionally demanding.  Although there are people who perform extremely well into their 60s there are many who do not. I retired at 60 because I recognised that I was no longer performing as well as I should at a front-line job where the interests of pupils and parents required peak performance.

Imagine someone now having to retire at 66 years old, after more than 40 years in the classroom, not as dynamic as they used to be, having to deal with a class of 30 lively 5 year olds or 13 year olds. It would not be a positive situation for either children or teachers.  More damagingly a headteacher faced with an under-performing older teacher and under pressure from Ofsted, may have to resort to capability procedures in order to remove that teacher from the classroom. Such teachers would end, what otherwise would have been a successful career, labelled a failure and feeling dejected. Other teachers in the school would suffer a collapse in morale when they see a colleague forced to leave in such circumstances.

Although there will be short-term inconvenience to parents next week I hope that there will be recognition that if successful the strike action will be to the long-term benefit of pupils and parents.

NUT and ATL strikers and their supporters will be meeting at 9.30am outside the Torch pub in Wembley Park (opposite the Ark Academy) for a rally and will then travel together on the underground to Lincoln Inns Fields to join others from across the country.

How will students change the face of Wembley?

Victoria Hall opposite Wembley Park station, opening September 2011

Wembley Park will soon have more than 2,500 units of private student accommodation.  Some of the accommodation replaces plans for  family housing that has become less viable in the current recession.

Under Construction:
Victoria Hall (Wembley Park) - opening September 2011 436 beds
Quintain iQ (Planning area W05) - under construction, opening 2012 660 beds
Planning granted:
Dexion House, Empire Way - 661 beds
Yet to be finally approved:
Quintain NW Lands- up to 880 beds

Total beds:  2,636

The accommodation, run by private companies, will be aimed at students attending the University of Westminster's Harrow Campus and the central London universities such as Imperial College, Kings, SOAS and the LSE.  The Council argues that it will still be able to meet its housing targets.

The Dexion House scheme also  involves the construction of a community swimming pool on the site - a welcome addition to Wembley amenities.

The Council suggests that the presence of students will boost the local economy and put a figure of £4m on annual living costs and spending of Dexion House students.   Much will depend on whether the students use the accommodation as dormitories and socialise around their college or whether they do that around Wembley. If the latter  there could be considerable changes in terms of restaurants, cafes, pubs and bookshops. The council also argues that the students will contribute by volunteering in the community and will enhance the image of the area as a safe investment.

Politically they could make a considerable difference. Tokygnton ward in which all the accommodation so far will be situated only has a population of 11,800.

Can this be Wembley?

The Green Party has long campaigned against clone towns and domination of  high streets by multinational chains so I give a warm welcome to the Montparnasse Cafe which has just opened in Bridge Road, opposite the Ark Academy. A Patisserie Boulangerie Francaise makes a welcome change from the ubiquitous chicken takeaways and betting shops. I was passing recently and noticed an excited huddle outside the door avidly reading the menu. A young woman with shining eyes turned to me and said. "I can't believe it. This in Wembley! The old place is looking up."

The cafe has French staff: "If you want excellent French food you have to have French people preparing it," said the proprietor. The menu has salads, rolls, paninis, galettes, quiches and omelettes as well as mouth-watering cakes. The coffee and tart I had this morning were delicious. A welcome addition to Wembley's small shops and one in the eye for the coffee chains.

The cafe takes telephone orders and will provide catering and delivery to meetings: 27 Bridge Road, Wembley Park. Tel: 020 8904 3443