10 thoughts on Christmas

Ten people from Harrow give their thoughts on Christmas 2009. Check them out below…

Comment: Christmas in Harrow

Harrow on-the-hill was buzzing with shoppers this weekend as people scurried to buy their Christmas gifts just two weeks before. Despite the miserable weather, the town was showing a lot more holiday spirit than in previous years with a few new festive events.

For the first time ever, stall owners took residence in the street on St Ann’s Road to create the new ‘Harrow Christmas Market’ for the month of December.  The 14 stalls, made to emulate German Chatlets are selling a variety of Christmas things; from fun toys to adult essentials.  The most popular stall however appeared to be the ‘waffle shop’ from which sweet aromas wafted through the street.

Miss of the Century

Harrow Borough’s Rocky Baptiste has produced a miss which will go down in history.

There were eight goals scored, in an absorbing encounter last Saturday afternoon between Harrow Borough and Waltham Abbey. Harrow ran out 5- 3 winners on the day but there was only one incident on everyones lips.

It was labelled ‘The Miss of the Century”, now the name Rocky Baptiste will be forever held synonymous for the extraordinary goal miss. I remember watching it back and saying to myself, “My Grandma would have scored that, so how did a non-league football legend contrive to miss the target?”

Ironically the miss came about when Baptiste pounced on a mistake by the Abbey defence, he nicked the ball away after a slip from the defender to round a hapless Joe Taylor in goal before producing the moment of shock.

Interview with Nick DuGard

The Wealdstone whistle spoke to Nick DuGard, the press officer at Wealdstone FC.

Nick commented on the season so far, how the team have improved since last season, the impact new signings will have and bouncing back from the 5-0 defeat at Sutton United.

Interview with Nick DuGard

By Lynne Sloggett

Memorial plaque for Pete Townshend revealed

Harrow Council has unveiled a memorial plaque at the location where The Who’s Pete Townshend first smashed a guitar.

The Council placed the plaque on the side of Daltrey House, the former site of the Railway Hotel, which burnt down several years ago.  Councillor Barry Macleod-Cullinane, head of housing in Harrow said: “It seemed to us only right that music fans on pilgrimages around London can see another landmark associated with a true great of rock music.”

The hotel near Harrow and Wealdstone Station hosted the band in September 1964 where Townshend accidentally damaged his guitar on the building.  In an interview with Rolling Stone in 1968, he said: “It happened by complete accident the first time. We were just kicking around in a club which we played every Tuesday and I was playing the guitar and it hit the ceiling. It broke, and it kind of shocked me ’cause I wasn’t ready for it to go.

“And I was expecting an incredible thing, it being so precious to me, and I was expecting everybody to go, “Wow, he’s broken his guitar, he’s broken his guitar” but nobody did anything which made me kind of angry in a way, and determined to get this precious event noticed by the audience.”

Polyclinic proposals come under fire

An integrated care system that will be implemented in East Harrow next year, has been criticised for its financial failings and the potential inadequacy of service to Harrow residents.

At an Overview and Scrutiny Meeting on 8th December, councillors had an opportunity to raise concerns regarding an organisational restructure that aims to alleviate hospital accident and emergency wards.

Based on an American system where a clinic is a ‘one-stop shop’ for health, GPs would be with pharmacists, opticians and podiatrists amongst others within a hub.  Citing the prevalence of diabetes within East Harrow, Acting Director of Development and System Management for NHS Harrow, James Walters suggested education, assistance, check ups and medication could all be provided in a single convenient location.

Fabio Capello opens new Barnet FC grounds

Barnet FC pulled out all of the stops with their new training ground being opened by England manager, Fabio Capello. The Italian coach opened the new training ground alongside the FA’s director of football, Sir Trevor Brooking, in Edgware.

The £11m replacement was unveiled on Monday evening at the Prince Edward Playing Fields, Canons Park. The Hive, as it is known will provide facilities at a Premier League quality. This quality is achieved through the construction of 14 dressing rooms as well as two full size floodlit Astroturf pitches. 105 sprinklers will help maintain ten grass pitches in the best condition possible.

Other facilities included at the training ground are a fully equipped physiotherapist, a launderette, an office area, a meeting room, a large reception and a cafeteria.

The redevelopment of the site came about when Wealdstone FC began work on a new stadium at the playing fields back in 2004. The project collapsed when financial backers pulled out of the scheme, leaving the unfinished construction to fall into disrepair. It was not until Barnet FC decided to rescue to 44-acre site and build a new training ground that changes were made.

Business Improvement District proposal for Harrow

It may have been an informal meeting, but the agenda was clear from the start. Members from Harrow Council and a police officer met in the Training Room at Debenhams on Station Road on Wednesday 9 December as part of the Harrow Town Centre forum.

The meeting was to discuss a proposal put forward by the Harrow Town Centre BID Company that want to establish a Business Improvement District in order to cut costs, increase footfall motivate the need for companies to work together. There have been 17 other BID’s across London and all have been met with enthusiasm and have been extremely successful.

The BID would run itself with the occasional help and guidance from a Bid Manager. This post would be salaried and replace the post of Town Centre Manager. The new business plan is not well known by many companies at the moment. Certain businesses with a smaller rateable value that is less than £3000 would be exempt from the scheme and not be allowed to vote in favour or against the motion.

‘The Harrow Diploma’

The diploma will make students undertake a vast range of activities that could include playing on a sports team, acting in a play, cookery and doing community service.  Head Master, Barnaby Lenon is expecting the pass rate to be under 65 per cent, and I can’t see the point in Harrow School creating this educational farce.

There are several issues about the school and qualification that seem unfair, elitist or just plain stupid.

To begin, there’s the problem of the 35 per cent of students that fail.  Though they should get a respectable nine GCSEs and four A Levels (it is a public school after all), a student could easily drop the ball on any of the other six criteria needed to achieve the diploma.  Pressures from exams are already high, so adding more criteria for a pass seems like death sentence.  It is understandable when a student undertakes some of these activities by option, but by assessing every aspect of achievement, anxiety issues are inevitable.  Head Master Lenon seems pretty happy that many of his students will come away having experienced undue stress.

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland

© Helen Johnson

Being one of the most vibrant and exciting cities in the world, we would expect no less from London than to be the place everyone wants to be at Christmas time. With hundreds of things going on in and around the capital, one of the most exciting and fun-packed places has to be the infamous Hyde Park Winter Wonderland.

Christmas is most certainly a time for family and, if you’re expecting a big turn out this year, the most magnificent Christmas fun is definitely to be had at Hyde Park. With a brilliant array of new rides, attractions and games for the kids, it’s most certainly worth checking out. As well as all that, there is definitely something for everyone on offer around the German Christmas market; which has expanded dramatically since last year.