January 2009 Archives

A POPULAR Ruislip man who died of a heart attack will be buried in Leeds on Tuesday (3).

Paul Swallow, 58, who died after having a heart attack in Shenley Avenue, Ruislip Manor, on January 23, will be buried at Harehills Cemetery, in Kimberley Road, Leeds, at 1.45pm on Tuesday.

Family and friends are meeting at Hughes Funeral Services in York Road, Leeds, at 12.45pm before making their way to St Agnes United Church, in Shakespeare Close, Burmantofts, Leeds, LS9 7UQ, for the funeral at 1pm.

A memorial service is also being held at the Church of the Most Sacred Heart, in Pembroke Road, Ruislip Manor, at 10am on February 14.

GYM and pool members are angry at the possibility their leisure centre will be taken over by private contractors because of fears it will go downhill.

Hillingdon Council are considering letting private contractors run Highgrove Pool and Fitness Centre, in Hume Way, Ruislip, and Queensmead Sports Centre, in Victoria Road, South Ruislip.

Jean Palmer, director of planning and community services at the council, said: "We are currently looking to put in place an operator to run the new facility at Botwell Sports Centre when it opens in early 2010 and as part of this process we will be reviewing arrangements for operating our leisure facilities at Highgrove and Queensmead to ensure all our leisure sites continue to provide excellent services to our residents."

However, Allen Bergson, of High Road, Eastcote, who has been using the gym twice a week for four years is against the proposals.

He said: "As far as public leisure centres are concerned I think Highgrove is one of the best I have ever been to.

"The staff are very accommodating, it's normally very clean and tidy and there's never any trouble with bad behaviour.

"I can't find a logical reason why the council would privatise it and I have a funny feeling they will agree to renovate it and then let someone else run it.

"I have asked Henry Higgins, cabinet member for culture, sport and leisure, and Leader of the Council, Ray Puddifoot, why they are doing this but I still haven't received a reply.

"When private contractors take over you find they employ less staff because they want to make a profit and the prices normally go up.

"If the council can tell me Highgrove isn't profitable then I would understand it."

Another member of Highgrove, who has been using the pool at least three times a week for five years, said: "It's run so nicely now. It's so clean and the staff are so friendly.

"When something like this is privatised it always falls down because they are too interested in making money.

"I think the council are wrong not to tell the public about their plans and I am just speechless that they can do this."

Post your comments below.

SOUTH Ruislip Safer Neighbourhood Team are holding community events to talk to residents about their concerns.

Members of the team will be on hand at Goals in Victoria Road tonight (Fri) and on Sunday (1) between 5pm and 7pm.

They will also be holding a drop-in surgery at South Ruislip Library, in Victoria Road, tomorrow (Sat) and Sun (1) between 11am and noon.

A COMMUNITY event is being held by Ruislip Manor Safer Neighbourhood Team.

Members of the team will be on hand to talk to the public about any concerns they have at Ruislip Manor Library, in Linden Avenue, between 3pm and 6pm on Wednesday (4).

WRESTLING stars are coming to Ruislip for a night of family entertainment.

The top stars of LDN Wrestling are coming to Winston Churchill Hall, in Pinn Way, Ruislip, on February 19.

The event, which will be filmed for SKY TV, will see LDN promoter, Sanjay Bagga, make his professional wrestling debut in a special six man tag team contest.

Ringside tickets are £15, general admission is £10 and concession tickets are £8.

Call 0871 220 0260 for tickets or go to www.LDNwrestling.com for more information.

A TODDLER has used her excellent creativity skills to help her nursery win a coveted award in an art competition.

Chelsea Okulaja's artistic eye helped Little Wings Day Nursery, based at RAF Northolt, in West End Road, Ruislip, to win a Highly Commended award in Mini Me Card Company's nationwide Christmas art competition, which had more than 7,000 entries.

Carys Williams, manager of the nursery, said: "We really enjoyed doing our artworks which were made into wonderful greetings cards and whilst we thought they were good we never expected to get into the finals and then to actually win an award."

FRIENDS of a former restaurant owner who lost contact with him after he closed his business in Ruislip are trying to find out his whereabouts.

Paul van der Maas and Wim Knijnenburg are looking for Issam Al-Hajali who owned the Lebanese restaurant, El Nomad, in High Street, Ruislip, before it closed and reopened as Temptations Indian restaurant.

Mr van der Maas said: "My friend Wim and I have been long time friends with Issam Al-Hajali and until 2005 we would visit his restaurant every year to see him and have dinner there.

"Back then, during our last visit, he told us he was planning to move his restaurant to a different location.

"Sadly enough we lost touch with him, due to the closing of his renowned restaurant and his consequent departure.

"I have undertaken various actions to find him, such as contacting Ruislip Chamber of Commerce, Ruislip High School, and Specsavers which was next to his restaurant.

"I know he was married and that he has two children, still bearing his name."

Call the Gazette on 01895 451 029 if you know Mr Al-Hajali's whereabouts.

A SOCIAL club is holding gig nights every week featuring local bands.

Ruislip Social Club, in Grosvenor Vale, Ruislip, is holding their first gig night on February 6 featuring local bands, The Fullertones, Kerfew and Lost Without Cause.

Tickets are £5 and doors open at 7pm and there are no age restrictions.

Go to www.myspace.com/thevaleruislip for more information about the gig nights.

SECONDARY school children have helped to design an all weathers shelter for a park which can be used by the whole community.

Ruislip High School, in Sidmouth Drive, Ruislip Gardens, have come up with a questionnaire to ask people their views on introducing the shelter in Shenley Park, Shenley Avenue, Ruislip Manor.

Through Hillingdon Council's Youth Opportunity Fund, the school hopes to provide the free facility, which can be used as a stage or band stand or even just a sheltered meeting place.

The school is also looking to introduce exercise equipment in the park that can be used by a wide range of people of all ages.

To comment on the proposals, which can be viewed in Ruislip Manor Library, in Linden Avenue, Ruislip Manor, email Penny Maas at office@ruisliphigh.com.

HUNDREDS of traders and shoppers have signed a petition to get a cash point installed in Ruislip Manor.

The 712-signature petition to install an ATM in Victoria Road was organised by Ruislip Manor Chamber of Commerce and handed to Manor councillor, Douglas Mills, at their annual general meeting last night (Tuesday).

The petition was a result of a previous unsuccessful petition presented to Ruislip-Northwood MP, Nick Hurd, in July 2007 to get a bank to open a branch in the Manor.

Les Drussel, chairman of the chamber of commerce, said: "Abbey National closed their cash point in July last year and even though there is now one at Tesco in Park Way, shoppers don't want to walk all the way up there and they can't park there so they shop elsewhere.

"You have to pay to get money out at all the other cash points and people don't see why they should pay. It has affected the Manor a lot."

During the meeting parking issues were also discussed and the traders agreed to submit a proposal to Hillingdon Council to introduce a stop and shop parking scheme in Victoria Road.

A petition to remove the yellow lines in Park Way and Windmill Hill was also submitted to the council last year and a meeting is being held to discuss this in Committee Room 3a at the Civic Centre in Uxbridge tomorrow (Thur) at 7pm.

Proposals to install a crossing and yellow lines in Cornwall Road have also been put on hold until a meeting has been held with traders after they submitted a petition against the plans.