October 2009 Archives

A Christmas Event organised by Harrow Council will take place in the Council Chambers on Monday 14th December.

A TEACHER from Harrow accused of a two-year fondling campaign involving two 11-year-old boys is to stand trial next year.

Bearded and bespectacled Michael Gordon, 55, of Thrush Green, faces 14 specimen charges of sexually touching the pupils on various dates between September 1 2007 and April 9 this year, contrary to the Sexual Offences Act.

The French and Latin teacher pleaded not guilty to the charges - which carry a maximum sentence of 14 years in jail - at Southwark Crown Court in south-east London on Tuesday last week (27/10).

His trial was fixed to begin on January 25 2010 at the same court and had been given bail in the meantime.

The Brent Jazz Orchestra are appearing for the first time at Freddy's (190 Station Road, Harrow, Middx, HA12RH) on Wednesday 4th November from 7.30pm.

STENCILLED graffiti has started appearing around the borough, mimicking the style of Britain's most famous 'guerilla artist', Banksy.
The works - almost all in black and white - are signed 'Matey' and are similar to the kind of irrelevant or tongue-in-cheek murals produced by the anonymous and popular street artist.
Quite how many images 'Matey' is responsible for is unknown but it does seem plausible there may be more than the three the Observer has seen.
The presence of the street art reignites the 'Is it really art?' debate about graffiti about which one local councillor commented some months ago: "This isn't about any kind of street culture, it is vandalism pure and simple."
One of 'Matey''s pictures is of a policeman who is seemingly unaware a pigeon is perched on top of his hat apparently smoking a cannabis joint.
This spray-painted sketch lies in a whitewashed alleyway between shops that connects Station Road, Harrow, with Greenhill Way Car Park.
There is another, smaller, design on the bottom right hand corner of a green telephone exchange cabinet at Shaftesbury Circle in West Harrow: a black and white tortoise and artist's signature on a patch of white paint.
The third spotted by the Observer is on the side of AVS Ltd, a MOT garage in Roxeth Green Avenue, South Harrow, which is of a cat holding a paint brush from which a trail of red paint appears to run off the wall and along the pavement.
Paul Williams, manager of AVS, said he and his colleagues have no idea who the mysterious artist is.
"It appeared on Friday night," he said. "He's name's 'Matey' and I reckon he's painted a cat to be a copycat of Banksy.
"It IS art but it's still graffiti since you're painting on somebody else's wall. It looks good but we will have to paint over it at some point."
Paras G, who runs a London graffiti appreciation website, said: "While I can't be completely sure of whether any of these stencils is a Banksy, I have a feeling that they have been done by someone trying to emulate him.
"For one, the quality of stencilling on these three is fairly average, indicating a lack of experience.
"The subjects too, seem to have been chosen without much thought to the message they convey and lack the characteristic humour of an original Banksy, except maybe that of the cat.
"Even there, I would have expected to see a speech bubble inscribed with a funny observation and not the 'Matey' tag."
However, the Metropolitan Police views graffiti dimly since it constitutes a crime if the artist does not have permission of the owner of the wall: in July officers from Harrow arrested four 17-year-olds in morning raids across Pinner, Burnt Oak and Northwood Hills.
At the time Councillor Susan Hall (Conservative), portfolio holder for environmental services, said: "Graffiti has a corrosive effect on the quality of life for ordinary people.
"This isn't about any kind of street culture, it is vandalism pure and simple."
n Do you know where any more 'Matey' originals are and do you have photographs? Are you 'Matey'? Contact Ian Proctor at ianproctor@trinitysouth.co.uk or 07795 811230

WHAT role does religion and ethics have in creating peace between families, communities and nations?
That was the central question at a gathering held at Harrow High School in Gayton Road, Harrow, on Sunday (25/10) by Faith In Peace.
The keynote speaker was Pinner resident and former hostage Professor Norman Kember, who spoke about "The limits of violence and non-violence", in which he put forward the idea that violence creates more problems than it solves and that ultimately solutions can only be found through dialogue between conflicting parties.
The meeting included a discussion on the main theme as well as prayers for peace and reconciliation from representatives of the Buddhist, Christian, Jain, Jewish,Muslim, Hindu and Sikh religions.

A POLITICAL delegation from Harrow will meet the Home Secretary on November 4 in an effort to explore what powers he has to stop December's planned Stop The Islamisation of Europe protest.
Tony McNulty, Labour MP for Harrow East, confirmed to the Observer that he and his Labour colleague Gareth Thomas, MP for Harrow West, are to talk to Alan Johnson along with a cross-party group of councillors from Harrow Council and Councillor Navin Shah, Labour Assembly member for Brent and Harrow.
He said the meeting would take place on Wednesday next week at either the House of Commons or the Home Office.
Next month's proposed demonstration by Stop The Islamisation of Europe outside the replacement Harrow Central Mosque in Station Road, Harrow, follows an aborted protest on September 11 which drew an anti-fascism counter-protest up to 2,000 strong and resulted in nine arrests.
The Metropolitan Police said it cannot ban the December march because it is a legal static protest.

A CHURCH has said it will oppose an application by residents to register diocese-owned land in Harrow as a town green.
Kingsfield Estate Residents Action Group wants Harrow Council to give the designation to St George's Field in Pinner View, Harrow, which St George's Church Parochial Church Council has earmarked to turn into residential development.
Last week the action group Marion Garner-Patel told the Observer: "This field was once well used by tennis and cricket clubs and Guides, Brownies and Scouts and local children kicking a ball about.
"The neighbourhood wants its field back in use as before and as the PCC in 1923 intended."
In response, Reverend Stephen Keeble, vicar of St George's, said: "The land is, and always has been, private land. There is not, and never has been, a right of public access.
"The land was bought by the church council in 1922 for church use and is held for this purpose on the church council's behalf by the Diocese of London.
"The starting point for the current planning application is the planning inspector's report of last October.
"The inspector made no criticism of the scale or character of the proposed development but wanted more detail provided on how the retain private open space would be used more intensively.
"The revised applications meets this point with an undertaking to make the space available to local residents when not otherwise in use by the church, Scouts or other groups by arrangements."
In its application to be determined by the council, the action group will have to show:
n the land is mainly used by local residents rather than visitors
n it is used for legal activities such as sports and pastimes
n it has been used for at least 20 years
n people have not forced their way onto the land or used it in secrecy
n it has been used without the permission of the landowner
Meanwhile, the PCC has lodged a planning application to the council to redevelop St George's Field and create 15 flats and 12 houses, an extended access road, garages, a new car park and retention of 0.8 hectares of open space.
This follows the failure of the PCC's original scheme that was blocked by Harrow Council, a decision later upheld on appeal in October 2008.

VISITORS to Harrow Crown Court's open day can take part in mock court hearings, a fingerprinting exercise, a visit to the court cells, as well wear handcuffs, try on a judge's wig, and enter a children's drawing competition.
The event runs from 10am to 4pm on Saturday, October 24.

FAMILIES across Harrow celebrated the Festival of Lights - known as Diwali - by coming together for a vibrant and colourful weekend.
The day, which is an important and prestigious date in Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism, marks the triumph of good over evil in an individual with the use of hundreds of candles.
Saturday shoppers at St Ann's Shopping Centre in St Ann's Road, Harrow, were entertained by Bollywood dancers from Shri Academy of Dance.
Director Rajeshri Sheth said: "It was about getting everybody into the Diwali spirit.
"We held a dance workshop and people were joining in, and we gave out all sorts of savouries and sweets.
"For Diwali, people generally socialise and eat lots of nice food and give presents to each other and hold fireworks displays in the evening.
"It's quite a vibrant and colourful festival.
"Diwali itself was on Saturday but the celebration does carry on in schools and families if they can't get together for some particular reason."
Councillors and staff at Harrow Council held a ceremony on Friday at Harrow Civic Centre's council chamber that again included a traditional dance performance.
Councillor Husain Akhtar (Conservative) said: "It was a very good event which everyone enjoyed - especially the food!"
Worshippers at Shree Swaminarayan Temple in Wood Lane, Stanmore, attended special services to mark the Festival of Lights on Sunday evening.

TWO local restaurants are vying for a gong at the British Curry Awards along with nine others from around the country.
Curral Mahal in Northolt Road, South Harrow, and Mumbai Junction in Watford Road, Harrow, will find out if they have won on November 3.