Notting Hill Carnival Sunday

The finale was absolutely outstanding. Hot sunny weather, fantastic floats and a really good atmosphere. Having said that one highlight was watching one guy in the crush, who was a couple of people in front of me and quite obviously the worse for wear suddenly erupt forth with his dinner. Not a pretty sight, especially not for those around him.

Compared to previous years this one I think had a much better atmosphere and special mention has to be made of the police who get to spend all day watching everyone else party.



For Bushers the fact that they opened the Westbourne Park tube at 1800 on both days was excellent for transport - I made it from Meanwhile Gardens to Uxbridge Road in about 20 minutes today - a record time!

I hope you all enjoyed this summer which, despite the incompetence of the Met Office with their dodgy weather predictions, was full of good things for W12. Just look at this, this and this for goodness sake. We're spoilt really.

On a personal note I am going back to Africa for my work for the next couple of weeks so will be updating as best I can from there. In the last few months a lot more people have started reading this blog so for those that don't know I work for this organisation doing things like this to avoid another repeat of this. It makes you appreciate how lucky we all are to live in somewhere like the Bush.

Notting Hill Carnival Day 1

Some pics and a couple of vids - a great day and more tomorrow!

It was really striking today that all of the floats seemed to disappear after about 1830. The police had announced that they were going to do this a while ago and to be honest I doubted whether they'd be able to do it, things that big just tend to go at their own pace but they certainly managed it today. I'm sure it made a lot of sense for security reasons and of course they have to come first but it did go very quiet all of a sudden!





With this in mind it might be an idea to find yourself one of those mini rave things they have dotted around the route if you plan on staying there into tomorrow night. There is one near Meanwhile Gardens but others all along the route.

Enjoy ...

[gallery]

Historic Bush No 5

Number 5 in the series, following Historic Bush one, two, three and four. This is the best yet by far, not least because in the act of photographing the building I met the current owner who gave me an impromptu interview, sharing some of the really interesting insights behind this building. Rene's the Tobacconist is on The Vale just after the Uxbridge Road/Askew Road junction in the direction of Southall.

As the sign suggests the original shop was a tobacconists. I've passed it, as have many Bushers on their way to the Tesco just up the road. Its actually just over the border in Ealing but Tescos draws many of us Uxbridge Roaders from the Bush so this counts as a Bush building in my book!

According to Ted, the current owner who should be congratulated for being in the process of renovating the bulding in accordance with its 19th century heritage - iron piping, proper windows etc - the buildings themselves were constructed in 1884. This makes sense since the Victorians' usual way of building was to construct a road and then build up it. In this case the buildings at the Bush end of Uxbridge Road were built in 1874 - so it took ten years to get that far up.

One of the best stories is that in 1912 a horse carriage drove straight into the front of the shop causing much damage. The "Rene's" shop front dates from that period and was covered by a succession of other more modern shop fronts throughout the 20th Century (which is where the damage to each side of the 19th century fronting comes from) but what you see now pre-dates all that.

Ted will eventually sell this property on and expressed his disgust with how other historic buildings are being redeveloped - I'm inclined to agree as I am sure do you. There is really no need to sacrifice these windows into our past when we can take care of them just as well and still use them for modern purposes. I think he's done a real service to our community for spending his own money looking after the place and renovating it properly - one piece of fading London saved.

[gallery]

Notting Hill Carnival 2009

Ever since I moved to London in 1997 the Notting Hill Carnival has been a mark of the year for me. As a result its one of those times in the year, beyond New Year, that I really take stock of how the year has gone. In fact I have gone every year with the first missed Carnival in 11 years last year when I had to be a long way away in Nepal for work. I remember ploughing through a really humid forest caught in the middle of a monsoon and beset with mosquitos realising that I should have been in Westbourne Park in the sun with beer!

This year should be the best yet - because it gets better every year, and having gone from the Bush the last few years my own tips for Bushers are simply thus -

• the best way to get into the mix without having to walk for miles around police lines is the H&C line from the Bush to Westbourne Park. Get off there and turn right down the side street you'll be directed down but then take the first left - and follow the crowd, it will put you on the route quickly.


• pace yourself and plan to end up around Meanwhile Gardens. At the end of the day (and you might want to walk all day or you might want to do just a few hours) if you stand in this park there are stalls selling cold beer and food, and you get to watch the floats go by without having to move. For the men the rear wall of the park seems to function as a mass urinal - so don't sit near there!


• You won't be able to get back in to Westbourne Park tube because it's exit only and all the others are shut, so .. from Meanwhile Gardens you can walk out of the back of the park, turn right beside the canal and it will take you to Harrow Road where there are buses to paddington and edgware road. And then H&C back to Bush.


• seriously watch out for pocket thieves. You're going to be crushed up against people so forget bags, especially handbags, and if you have any wear bottoms with zip up pockets. If not keep checking them or keep your hands close to them.

Enjoy! The Carnival home page is here and London Transport's special Carnival page for travel details is here.

Appeal for Catriona cyclist launched

Following this post, I wanted to help in some way with the appeal for information that Catriona's husband has just launched. With thanks to my fellow blogger at Stockwell news for the info, the appeal reads as follows:

My name is Anish Patel and I am the husband of Catriona. On Monday 29th June 2009 at around 0820, Catriona died as a result of a collision with a green tipper lorry at Kennington Park Road, at the junction with Harleyford Street.

I would like to make a personal appeal for anyone who was in the Oval area that morning, who saw Catriona or the tipper, to come forward as a potential witness.

Even if you did not see the incident directly, you may still have useful information on the lead up to, or aftermath of the incident. So, please, I urge you to come forward.

Any information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, may be crucial to the case. I and the entire family would like to understand what happenned on that day and you may have seen something that is relevant. Please contact the Collision Investigation Unit Witness Line on 020 8941 9011 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 if you have any information.

Many thanks, Anish.

Askew Road closed

The top of Askew Road this evening on the corner with Uxbridge Rd resembles a major incident, lights flashing and lots of noise. I hadn't really noticed the yellow signs that in fairness have been up warning that this was going to happen for the next 2 weeks.

So in case you're as unobservant as me the Askew Road will be shut from 2100 to 0500 every day from today for 2 weeks. For resurfacing apparently. Bugger.

If you're inconvenienced spare a thought for those unfortunate enough to be living next to that racket - it really is loud!

Accident on Shepherd's Bush Road

The eagle eyed among you will have noticed a rather large jam on Shepherd's Bush Road (the A219) this morning. It was a car accident, and was being run on BBC London this morning but details seemed to have disappeared from their site as I write this. I dont know how serious it was but it resulted in a lengthy closure so that's never a good thing.

Meet the police

Following this little episode I looked into how the community here can better talk to the local police. The first chance is to come along to one of the meetings the local Safer Neighbourhood Teams are holding in and around the Borough.

I've seen a proliferation of PCSOs in the last few years around this area and to be honest although its nice to see them always wondered what exactly they could do, other than act as eyes and ears. They don't have the same powers as fully fledged police officers and are not armed with a baton so unlikely to intervene in anything serious.

But the council has put a lot of money into to the local police and Shepherds Bush has been a pilot area for things like crack downs on street drinking which they deserve praise for. I will try and get along to one of these meetings and report back. Why not come along.

The meeting details are all here

Score bore draw for QPR

I wasn't going to go to Nottingham Forest after seeing this display on the opening day, but when I saw the hoops shirts milling around up and down Uxbridge Road I thought twice. Then on the 228 going past the stadium I thought thrice. But hearing about the game afterwards and seeing the report today my word I'm glad I saved my 30 quid. Here we go again...