Attendance at My Saturday Surgery Literally Doubles

Brentford West councillor Guy Lambert reports back

Brentford West councillor Guy Lambert

June 6, 2025

Thinking about it, even I am barely old enough to remember That Was The Week That Was. My parents, being staunchly conservative (with and without a capital letter) thoroughly disapproved of the sedition that TW3 demonstrated and we turned over the Tv to the other channel to watch something more wholesome like the Black and White Minstrel Show. Ah, the early 60s.

On Friday, an online meeting with people from Hadley, the owners of what was GSK. I asked to talk to them about support for the FoodBox and was joined by my Chair. Not the one I was sitting on, but that was also in attendance but reserved its right to speak. The real chair did not and in fact did much of the speaking. They are happy to help in a modest way, and that was much appreciated.

In the evening I was over to Boston Manor Park for the launch of the Great West Road centenary celebration launch. All of the local great and good were in attendance and I sneaked in whilst nobody was watching.

Free wine is always an attraction though the canapes from Sam's not to my taste - would have preferred Greggs but I'm Public School scum with no taste.

This picture might well have been taken from my desk in Honeywell .

I'd never heard of Pyrene except from local historians but blow me, I was watching Bangers and Cash on the TV (I know) and spotted this on an airfield Land Rover fire engine that was in an auction.

On Saturday it was my surgery at the library. To my delight I had not 1 but 2 residents seeking my help. One of them was expected - wanted help filling out a form for a taxi card. The other was a woman in one of the new council houses on Windmill Road. She says the flooring is defective and causing a lot of trips. I remember going there with Emma about a year ago after people first moved in and making the same observations. Nothing has been done so some casework follows.

After the session I went bikeabout and first thing I saw was this woman who had just been to the surgery conferring with 2 neighbours all of whom firmly backed up her complaint. Those houses are lovely, but you remember the old one about spoil the ship for a ha'porth of tar? In this case, for a ha'porth of glue.

I carried on up Windmill Road, though this is not very good for my blood pressure because the mess on the corner left by developers has still not been tackled by planning/traffic/developers and the trip hazard and the mess remains.

The 'retail' place on the corner still claims to be the London Hospital though there is still no sign of doctors. I think they are in the plastic surgery business (or will be) so perhaps they are hoping some accidents will generate some business.

Talking of which, whilst at the library I spotted this picture of the original librarian Fred Turner. He looks like he needs a bit of plastic surgery himself, but maybe he was ambushed by face painters.

I visited a resident on the way home. He had sent me copies of a lot of legal stuff which is too large for me to grasp but sometimes a visit helps someone who is having terrible trouble with his landlord. The rest of his flat was as bad, and he has no security at all. And people say we don't need new flats etc.

After this I visited the Blend Cafe near the station. The man who runs it is exploring a place in the council block on the High Street. He was originally told no so when at least one other tenant dropped out I suggested he be included. I believe he has been accepted now but of course this is all a state secret. Perhaps someone should leak it to Donald Trump so he can keep the papers in his toilet. Whilst I was there someone asked me about the classic car cavalcade. I had forgotten it but said I knew it was supposed at Kew Bridge at 12 and do laps around the GWR. I decided to try and find it and cycled along the A4 (a slightly dangerous escapade) and remembered a conversation I had had with a lady from Connect Plus, the contractors who are 'fixing' the M4 flyover. She observed I had accused them of never removing graffiti and I agreed to send her some pictures. Just one for your delectation - though to be fair they have for once in their life painted over some of them.

I failed to catch the cavalcade but I did see a lot of very jolly Afro-Caribbeans near the stadium. I asked them and they informed me it was the final of the Unity Cup which I believe was between Nigeria and Jamaica, though others were around including Trinidad.

Football has a poor reputation with some, but talking to these people was a joy.

Cycling home along the High Street I espied John Dale of Brentford TV and his now sweet-smelling pooch Barney. I asked him about the cavalcade and he couldn't tell me anything and seemed a bit morose. I realised later he and his useful Facebook page had been banned (I hope temporarily) by the oligarchs of social media, Meta, with no explanation. A number of us have joined a protest about this including my publisher BrentfordTW8.com who are a sort of competitor. I don't always agree with Brentford TV but I want free expression and this is outrageous.

Well done BrentfordTW8 (and ChiswickW4) for doing the right thing, and with some bite.

STOP PRESS: Brentford TV is back. Well done BrentfordTW8.com

On Tuesday I had a meeting with the man who will be providing some music for my upcoming 'party' to 'celebrate' me having got even older last month. Coffee at Gail's (our meeting, not the ‘party’).

Then later on an online presentation about the proposed Motorsport Campus which is mooted for the site of B&Q. I find this quite exciting (though I did vote against the proposal the came to planning several years ago because there was not enough affordable housing - probably why I was banned from sitting on the Planning committee under this regime, though I was told it was because I'm not a woman). I am still excited and I asked if they had any interest from Motorsports businesses. They told me they are in advanced talks with a prominent Motorsports company, so I am expecting McLaren or Aston Martin who were once in Hounslow. But I'm always an optimist. Link is here.

I then cycled up to Hounslow House for some training for the Scrutiny Panel for which I have apparently been selected (this used to be an election). After an hour I decided it was a waste of time. I will do my scrutiny off my own bat rather than spend my time in what I fell are pointless meetings, so I came home for more Bangers. And Bangers and Cash.

Today, Thursday, we had a session this morning with our helpful community liaison man at TfL and his chum who knows about buses. We were discussing the 114 (never heard of it) H91 (heard of it but nobody has raised it with me) 65, 235 (I am a veteran, especially with the 235). They are working to try and improve current issues: 235 is overcrowded at the Feltham end of its long route (don't think it is here, but we have intermittent loss of service usually to do with the dodgy bollards in Great West Quarter). For reasons known only to TfL it was known for years as North Brentford Quarter so I'm heartened to see it now has a recognisable name! 65 has had terrible problems at times, mainly allegedly because of difficult roadworks in Kingston, Richmond etc. They (TfL) say they are working closely with the operators and have their contracts expiring soon. I asked if there were any penalties for poor performance and he said yes, they don't qualify for bonuses. This is not quite the same 😁. To be fair, not always the operators' fault because they are affected by the caprice of privatised utilities like Cadent (aka British Gas) and Thames Water. I think at least meeting the people in charge gives us more chance of getting improvements.

Oh, my corner shop has reopened. It is now called Lidl but it's just as Big as Morrisons used to be. Absolutely rammed today including the bike stands overrun! Welcome to Brentford. Of course as a ward councillor and one who has been following this before the landlord would even tell me who the tenant was it was disappointing that everyone knew it was opening except me. My ward partner was there for the opening with the Mayor, and various other Labour trustys.

This evening I am going for a talk at the Museum of Water and Steam by Rob Casey who has written a book.

Must mention this site on the A4. There was an offer to buy it and one to lease it refused 10 years ago. Glad to see this council asset is still providing benefit to the residents having foregone the revenue of a sale.

Must mention the new menu I spotted at the Potting Shed. Yum yum

Councillor Guy Lambert