2009: A year in the Bush

This bit in between Christmas and New Year is always a bit weird isn't it? That tree starts to look a bit out of place and the big day which we've all been building up to for the best part of a month is over in a flash! But what else has gone before? I started this blog in November 2008, and just for fun I thought I'd ape what the BBC and Sky are trying to outdo each other with at the moment with a review of the last 12 months, but this time of things from the Bush. So what were the highlights in W12?

• In January our MP Andy Slaughter resigned from the government over their support for expanding Heathrow, which is set to be a dominant local issue at next year's election and beyond. I also photographed the local rat population on the Green which seemed to be growing thanks to a general lack of upkeep on the part of the Council


• In February another youth stabbing took place on the Uxbridge Road


• In March a cyclist was dragged under a lorry at the notoriously dangerous Uxbridge/Askew Road junction, while Shepherd's Bush Police Station mysteriously flew their flag at half mast for a few days prompting speculation about what they were in mourning about. Much more speculation followed the by now infamous trip Conservative councillors took to see a fair of property developers in the South of France resort of Cannes. In hindsight this was a theme we returned to again and again.


• In April some of our finest local morons stoned some central line tube trains bringing the line to a halt


• In May we were treated to hot weather and the Japanese Garden Party in Hammersmith Park, complete with Met Office predictions of a 'barbecue summer', prompting me and others to choose a 'staycation' this year


• In June the Shepherd's Bush Festival took place, but the weather was slightly hit and miss, and local people used this blog to pass information to each other about another stabbing which the local press had failed to pick up on completely. In the end they caught up but this was one example of what the dire gap in our local media reporting on W12 can mean.


• In July Cllr Anthony Lillis sadly died, while on a lighter note QPR held their first family fun day which was great despite the weather which was now in freefall. Council Leader Stephen Greenhalgh launched a fightback against his critics who claimed he was intent on driving poor people out of the Borough with the help of the property developers he had been meeting in Cannes.


• In August I profiled a local business and some historic local sites in and around W12 with a Historic Bush series of posts which proved quite popular with readers


• In September the new Shepherd's Bush Library opened its doors in the Westfield Centre and the first of several controversial planning decisions were made. I told you that meeting in Cannes would come back to haunt us.


• In October the BNP came to town and Katie Piper, the girl attacked with acid by two of the Bush's most disgusting local thugs spoke out about her experiences. She would later give the Channel 4's alternative christmas message this year.


• In November our Council seemed to go a little crazy with the Leader claiming that his own party couldn't 'run a piss up in a brewery' while conservative candidate for our constituency had a less-than-stellar appearance on the BBC Politics Show on the subject of the Thames Tunnel, or "Super Sewer Crater" as our Council like to dramatically call it


• And in December 'Mad Dog' Magilton left QPR to join a long list of has-beens while yet another planning decision was controversially made against the express wishes of local residents, and in favour of the property developers.

So that was the year that was! I'll post a set of predictions for 2010 in the coming days, will be interesting this time next year to see how many come true!