The blockage in Chapel Lane/ Ducks taking a "Tern"

For some weeks there has been a massive puddle in what was Woolworth's garden section, but now the side entrance to WH Smith.  This lorry was there most of today extracting stuff from the drain.  We had the misfortune to see the lorry/tanker move into Love Lane. It emitted a massive plume of smoke from the top, and I felt some liquid on my face, from a considerable way back from it.  The driver leapt out and looked at it.   Also between the shops and Swags and Tails in Bridge Street some drain cleaners were finding it heavy going getting congealed grease the size of footballs out of the drain there.  The restaurants and cafes in Pinner should hang their heads in shame for putting fat into the drains!

Also I am amazed to note that Subway were closed for a refit, and the shop from the outside looks entirely the same!  

Here is a shot of the lorry in action.  The company here is not very effective!

 

Today I also noticed how the Seagulls (Terns) looked so happy on the pond, they also give the appearance that they are ducks, they seem to be able to swim just like them.  The young children there seemed to be feeding more seagulls than ducks

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I hope that I am correct that these gulls are terns!  If not please use the comments below to correct me

Shock horror council spends £300,000 to learn how to cut £6000 have we voted for these losers?

The Harrow Observer has just published this news:

We should hear soon what council tax rate has been set for next financial year, but if you are interested in signing a petition to ask the government for a larger grant to offset a rise in council tax. Here is a link which will enable you to do this. http://www.harrow.gov.uk/fairgrant  Brent already have more than double per person in their borough.  They petitioned their town hall and they have had their council tax frozen.  I am considering changing my borough to Brent, wonder if you can do this by deed poll like changing your name. If everyone in Pinner changed their address and council to Brent......................

'Absolutely scandalous' - the £4m spent on consultants by Harrow Council

Feb 28 2013 by Ian Proctor,  

MILLIONS of pounds of taxpayers’ cash spent on consultants while public services are being cut and council tax is set to rise is ‘scandalous’, according to a councillor.
Independent Headstone North councillor James Bond used the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act to force Labour-run Harrow Council to disclose details of how much private companies had earned from advising officers and councillors.
He said since the May 2010 local elections, when Labour seized back power of the authority from the Conservatives, a total of £4,078,040 had been ‘frittered away’ on consultancy firms.
Mr Bond, who was voted on to the council at the same election, said: “The people of Harrow are entitled to ask why millions of pounds are being poured into the pockets of consultancy firms when there is absolutely nothing positive to show for it.

“It would be judged as an appalling way to spend public money even if we had a strong economy, but the fact that it is allowed to happen in these austere times is absolutely scandalous.
“The consultancy spend for the current financial year covers the five months to the end of September, when my FoI Act request was submitted, and it reveals that Harrow Council had already spent nearly £1m.
“This suggests the appetite by council officials to hire outside advisors shows no signs of abating and actual consulting spending could be considerably more than £4m.”
In the 2012/13 financial year up to September, children’s services was the biggest spending department on consultants at £357,126, while community and environment chalked up expenditure of £293,562.
Mr Bond said: “It can no longer go unnoticed that one of the biggest losers will be community and environment, which is about to make nearly £650,000 of ‘savings’ affecting street cleaning, rubbish collections and park maintenance, while with a touch of irony the same department has spent almost £300,000 in just 20 weeks acquiring outside advice on how to do things better.”
Harrow Council’s divisional director for human resources, Jon Turner, said: “Councils across the country use consultants when particular skills, knowledge or expertise are required from outside the local authority.
“Harrow Council will only employ consultants when it is absolutely necessary and will deliver real benefit.
“We are an efficient council, which is fit for the 21st century, and by 2015 we will have made savings of £75m to the council’s controllable budget.
“We have delivered these savings by reducing the number and pay of senior managers while protecting the lowest paid staff, making efficiencies in all departments, adopting a more commercial approach, improving procurement to get the most out of contracts and streamlining the way we make decisions.”
■ What do you think about the spend? It is necessary or ‘frittering away’ tax payers’ cash? Email your views to newsharrow@trinitysouth.co.uk.

Pinner observations

Horrendous increase of 2% on Harrow Council Tax, I wish that I had stayed in Hillingdon!  A lovely letter in the Pinner Observer today suggesting that the finance director only cut cut cut!   I am horrified to find that one of the cuts is in graffiti removal. I sincerely trust that they will put some effort into preventing it appearing in the first place.

I am amazed that the council have not proscuted people for littering railings in Bridge Street with notices. Mind you Harrow would never manage to provide us with a community noticeboard for free posting.

In the park today I saw a drunk sitting in the Peace Garden, he was drinking white cider, and had a packet of Lidl Prawns underneath the bench.  He was very polite however, but it would not have been such a pleasant experience for a young child or mother.  Where are the police during the daytime?

Good to see now that the church has emerged clean from behind all the hoardings - it looks brand new! Sorry that the picture is a bit blurred, I did not realise that I had taken the white balance off!

Bella Cafe is no more!   Caffe Fratelli is on its way, here you see the men fitting the new shop front. Let's hpe the prices do not go up!   The coffee wars are on.  The small CK cafe in Bridge Street should hang its head in shame they do not have any Earl Grey Tea!

Forget the horse meat scandal.  Sainsbury were marketing live pigeon on top of their vegetable display cabinets.  The manager and staff were slow to react to suggestions that they should get rid of the vermin.

This cat seems to have a strange affection for cars in the car park in Pinner. It spent some time rubbing its head and nose on the bumper and exhaust pipe.

Here is Memorial Park in the old days!

-Well actually here is the same shot in colour - taken today

Take some time out to say hello to the budgerigars that are in the park - there are some with amazing colours there - give them some time they would love to see you!

The dustmen did a good job this time, they did the collections in spite of the snow - thanks to one and all there!

Don't forget to pick up your free copy of the Pinner News - a fabulous A5 freebie!

Our local blockbuster is in the hands of the receivers, will it close soon.............................???

Give our local fish and chip shop support - they sell some of the biggest fish I have ever seen!  They do a small fish and chips much cheaper at lunch time. The guys there are very friendly and have a sense of humour.

The pedestrian crossing near to Swags and Tails, the curtain and blind shop, is in need of re-marking and resurfacing.  Come on Tfl get on with it please!  If it is left too long, one of us will fall down the cracks that are appearing in the road/crossing.