Blog 541 20th July 2026

This has been a quiet week - perhaps everybody is on holiday!.

OK I started with an evening meeting on the thorny problem of Holly House. I attended a session at our friendly local University in a room I am becoming very familiar with - perhaps I can claim some qualification?

There were two representatives from the builder Niblock, 3 (I think) from the council housing team, 4 tenants and one councillor. Usually there are more residents but the usual very active leaseholders are on holiday and, I surmise, the visible progress since Niblock started and what seems to me to be a 'can do' approach by the contractor and I think the council team, is reassuring everybody that this work is finally on track. I am certainly much more optimistic now and I thank lead member Sue Sampson and the leading officers Rory Prendergast and Sean Good for showing some determination to make this happen.

The contractor is on course to finish on site on 25th September.

I asked who was going to provide the caviar and champagne. Well, probably nobody, but the Niblock boss did suggest a drink and nibbles in the local pub to mark the end of this project. Sadly I will be in Italy when that happens so my pizza and prosecco will be with other friends!

I took two positive statements made by the contractor: their ambition is to see "A smile on everyone's face" and that residents will be "proud of the place you're living in". This surely should be the ambition of every contractor (and council officer and councillor) but it is too often out of fashion to believe in this.

On Friday I dropped into the (closed) library to check out the 'Community Hub' which applies on Fridays between 10am amd 2pm. I drop in when I remember and usually find it very thinly attended - a bone I am picking with the council. Today there were 4 people waiting for attention (I have never previously seen more than one) and a council officer emerged from the library having dealt with one person. The actual Community Hub area was sparsely staffed and there was no 'customers' in there so I didn't investigate any more. But I did go upstairs where there is some kind of textile activity and it was great to see that lively and well attended. How they know about this is a mystery, because it is not mentioned on the council website, and the notice board outside online has pictures of our gorgeous local councillors such as me (and nothing else!). A friend of mine was there so I must ask her how she knew about this.

On Saturday I had nothing in my diary until the evening so I thought a dose of old cars would be fun. One of the UK circuits I had never been to was Mallory Park in Leicestershire. Turns out to be in the middle of nowhere (where car circuits often are - less natives to upset) and it had a VSCC (Vintage Sports Car Club) meeting which I had never visited either. So off I went. It is a lovely setting with two lakes (full, and one containing two parent swans and 5 teenage cygnets). There were a plethora of old crocks both in the spectator areas and the paddock and circuit, and some of the cars were old too.

I counted about 15 pre-war Frazer Nashs, every one manufactured in Isleworth (where Frazer Nash Close is now) and given they only built about 350 of them it's fantastic that so many have survived, mostly around 100 years.

But my favourite was this Alvis

Apparently it is a Speed 25 which seems to make it late 1930s. It is however in what appears perfect condition. I'd like one but I don't have over £100K spare and in any case it would offend the ULEZ I am sure. Jim Prideaux in Tinker Tailor says Alvis is the best car ever made, and I incline to agree with him. But he says it was killed by socialism, where I disagree - the natural decline of a capitalist company which failed to invest in its future. A lovely day out, though the brownness of the countryside. The song Jerusalem (which I love) is full of dubious claims, but I always accepted 'England's green and pleasant land'. Not at the moment.

By the way, the fact that circuits always said when I was a kid that Motor Sport IS dangerous, seems to have been downgraded to 'It CAN BE dangerous'. However this sun seems to have meant been 'dangerous' has faded to invisibility.

As I say, a quiet week but I made another visit to my old friend who is currently in a care home in Walthamstow. Not the easiest place to visit but the Mildmay line takes me to the pleasure dome called Dalston Kingsland station.

I learn various things about that part of London which makes me grateful about where I live. Some of the graffiti is a lot more impressive than any I see hereabouts but in truth flytipping, litter, overflowing bins and general filth is accompanied to masses of empty shops with every metal shutter (there are hundreds of them) all covered in graffiti. At least the couple who were camping (with a tent) in the car park of the closed DIY store next to the care home had moved on and replaced by Heras fencing.

BAck in Brentford, I strolled up to Brentford Lock basin and was struck that our green and pleasant land lives on, though it is no longer land, but water. Somebody says this is very toxic to dim dogs who mistake this for a lawn. The state of the environment is truly alarming, even without seeing the Chris Packham film https://www.nebriefing.org/peb

I have seen this twice and it doesn't get any more reassuring

I have the usual bits of casework working through the system. Some get a helpful response, some don't.

When I was canvassing back in March or April, a lady who lives I think in Avenue Road observed she has given up shopping in Brentford because there is nowhere for her to sit down by the bus stop outside St Faith's Church for the E2 which would take her to Brilliant.

So she crosses the road to the west side and catches the E2 up to Ealing, simply because there is a perch (can't really call it a seat) in the bus shelter which lets her take the weight off her feet.

I have been trying to move this forward ever since, and finally got a response yesterday from traffic. "Not our problem, pal - take it up with TfL" I don't think that is even true, but it is certainly extremely unhelpful. So I have taken it up with my contact at TfL and with the lead member for transport. If TfL won't play ball (why wouldn't they?) there is ample space for a traditional bench on the wide pavement there, though perhaps we would have to find someone who died to remember with a bench. Sometimes being a ward councillor is very frustrating.

Really, what is their problem. I think virtually every other bus stop in Brentford has a seat of some kind.

Enough from me. I have a meeting (I will do it on Teams) with the leader who phoned me yesterday and wants to discuss matters which may be confidential but fill me with foreboding. Next week I may be able to tell all!