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September 2005
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BRACKENBURY ESTATE GETS NEW CHILDREN’S PLAYGROUND
Following many comments by local residents that young children on the Estate had poor play facilities, Cllr Philip Corthorne took on the challenge of improving significantly the playground area in Brackenbury.
The idea for a complete refit emanated from Charles Greenfield (now sadly deceased) who lived nearby and brought the matter to everyone’s attention.
Hillingdon Borough’s Andrew Kaufmann organised the refit and it looks very smart. Let’s hope it was well used, during the summer holiday, by all the youngsters living nearby.
‘ALL ABOARD’ HOLIDAY CLUB 2005
 Another year and another Holiday Club achieved – only this time it was a first time for me as co-ordinator….but that made little difference as this is a well oiled machine that has been running successfully for 37 years!
This year we had the usual ‘over 200 children’. There were one hundred and seventy one 7-11 year olds registered in the main Holiday Club, and fifty under 7’s in the Jumbo Club (a crèche for the children of helpers).
Our theme for the week was ‘Journeys’. We explored five stories from the Bible and linked them with the idea of a train travelling perpetually taking us on our journey of life.
Each day we had a different person to tell the stories to the children. Gladys the cleaner (a.k.a Ali Whittall) delighted the children with the story of Noah; Colonel Dennis Dove had them marching with the soldier Naaman, healed by God’s prophet. Dr No-No (a.k.a. Marc Jacobs) performed an operation on David Beckham’s heart and linked it beautifully to the story of ‘The storm on the Lake’. Thursday saw Jeremy Day walk the road to Jerusalem, whilst telling the story of the ‘Good Samaritan’ and on Friday a character from the wilds of Tennessee (a.k.a. The Rev. Scott Blair) linked all the stories and gave his own wonderful version of the story of ‘The Road to Emmaus’. I shall enjoy the memory of his ‘Jesus Lives! Ye Ha!’ for a long time.
 The story themes were developed as the children worked in groups. Each made a model to show a scene and a carriage for the Holiday Club train, which was made by the oldest children. The models, using only the clean rubbish that you sent, were amazingly detailed and accurate.
In addition, each child had made a self-portrait and placed it in their carriage, so that by the end of the week, we were ‘All Aboard!’ the Holiday Club train, which was great! The mornings went by in a flash.
The afternoons were equally busy. The children went on trips to Hillingdon Outdoor Activities Centre; bowling; skating; to Quasar; and to Syon Park to the Tropical Experience and Snakes and Ladders. Others sampled a range of 19 different crafts and games activities and a small army of helpers devoted their time and talents to making this successful! The exhibition at the end of their week was quite awe inspiring in its range and quality, as I am sure those of you who saw it, will agree.
 
I could continue in praise, but at the Finale in the Rectory garden at the end of the week, I moved from praise to thanks. Thanks to everyone involved in making this work.. Thanks to the 170 helpers who worked so well together, before, during and after the week. Thanks to the children for their co-operation and enthusiasm. However, the greatest thanks go to God for giving each of us the particular skills and talents to share, and for guiding us through the week in patience and love. A wonderful week!.
Anne Whitlam
PS Don’t forget next year dates for your diary: 24th -28th July 2006!
‘BACK FROM HOLIDAY’ FORECOURT SALE AT THE URC!
Why not wipe away those back-to-work blues with a visit to the URC forecourt between 10 a.m. and 12 noon on Saturday 3rd September? There’ll be books, toys and games, CDs, records and tapes, and quality bric-a-brac. Admission is free! For further details or if you have items to donate, please contact Richard Piper on 01895 634348.
TAGGING, LITTER AND DUMPING
Dear Editor
After several years of clean walls Ickenham suddenly found itself in the centre of a ‘tagging’ blitz by one individual. Photographs of the offending marks, and a possible name, were passed onto the local police. LBH made sure that all affected walls were cleaned as soon as possible, and on several occasions.
A problem of dumping, in Community Close, bound packages of copies of the Leader local paper has arisen recently. If you spot the miscreant report the incident to LBH and tell Gazette newspapers. That goes for empty cardboard bottle boxes regularly left lying on the ground around the area of the recycling site.
With respect to the copious amounts of litter found, in the Village every day, please don’t ignore it or leave it for someone else, but pick it up yourself and dump it in the numerous bins provided! Lots of people do this already in order to try and help LBH keep our streets, parks, and pond, looking neat and tidy. Surely it’s one of those community matters in which we should all participate.
Name supplied
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