Boules in Boston Manor Park and Sad Trees on Whitestile Road

Brentford West councillor Guy Lambert reports back

Brentford West councillor Guy Lambert

August 14, 2025

On Friday morning I was over to 'my' lodge - Lambert Lodge. I have still drawn a blank about how prescient council officers in the 1960s (I presume) had the grasp to name a home after me before they had even heard of me.

The meeting was with council officers and the contractor everyone refers to as T.Brown. That is what their vans used to say, but now they call themselves TBG. I have never been a fan but I have fewer council properties in my ward these days so don't hear of them so often. They are highly regarded by their customers (not) if you rely on the reviews in Trustpilot.

They don't come out too well in GlassDoor which tracks employees' opinions either.

Anyway, a couple of people from TBG were there, with their banner. There was a very good attendance from residents who were mostly there.

People were not very impressed with what's going on, but at least they will appreciate a councillor, an MP and a number of officers from council and contractor turning up.

I had a bit of difficulty catching all of the messages (hearing problem ☹️) but I got the gist I think. One lady said she had a radiator in her small kitchen. The officers don't want to remove it because it may be needed when it is cold. Fair enough, assuming turning it off works. But the hot water for the Lodge and some of the adjacent flats comes from the same communal boiler as the heating so there are likely to be hot pipes. I doubt replacing that is practical but as Ruth pointed out, these problems if not addressed will only get more severe as global warming continues. There was talk of air conditioning. I left a number of cards and encouraged people to contact me individually when I can usually hear!

Whatever, I will continue to track this by attending their coffee mornings and harassing officers. The man who alerted me to this and has had repeated hospital sessions and a life-threatening condition has written to officers saying he is contemplating legal action.

On Saturday I was attracted by all the summer activities in Boston Manor Park. I went up to have a look at Boules. I hadn't even realised there was a boules 'court'. I played a few times in France when all the ones who played were fat male pensioners with flat caps and Gauloises dangling from their lips. Just like me, really except I have stopped the Gauloises. I didn't really expect to compete but I was railroaded to joining three others. They seemed to know what they were doing but I with my dodgy right shoulder was playing southpaw. Actually, I was not noticeably much worse than the others and 'my' team of two brought home the trophy.

It was actually great fun on a lovely afternoon.

In the evening, I went briefly to a very cool party at Anima very near where I live. I can never really work out what Anima is for but on Saturday it was full in and outside with beautiful people. Beautiful as I am, I felt a bit old and deaf and had seen a bunch of ladies who are friends knocking back drinks outside the Galata Pera restaurant. I applied to join them and had a few drinks there. A nice day all through.

Sunday it was our collective surgery at the Digital Dock. It had slipped my mind but Katherine Dunne called ‘Raus’ and I zoomed down there. There was a couple from Boston Gardens who wanted to speak to me about Paradise in the City and Junction 2. They live just outside the park and the scene outside their house on the Saturday night had been bedlam. I will not try to list the calumnities but there were a lot of them and it was a disgusting story, including at least one arrest.

Whilst I had heard a lot of distress from Boston Manor Road, The Ride, Clitherow, Swyncombe I had heard nothing before this from Boston Gardens. We have been talking to the organisers and council officers but I (and the residents!) are seriously cheesed off with the responses. As I have said before (probably ad nauseam) I have worked for several years with Junction 2 and had got it to an acceptable state, having started out far from it. This year has undone all the progress and I am now seriously convinced we need to at least cut this to size, or relocate it. We have a meeting online with the organisers and a representative of each affected street. Who, if any, from officers and the cabinet remains to be seen.

After that I saw the door to what will be Bia's salon was open so Katherine and I went across and said hello. She and her compadre were hard at it fitting out the interior. Something they should have been doing last year but they were not allowed to. Who is going in (if anybody) is still a state secret but I have spies everywhere. Bia thinks she has a few weeks until she can open so my hair will get out of control again unless I find my way to Isleworth.

The rest of the week has been very quiet. I had an online session with a university researcher who was assessing the renovation of Boston Manor and its park. The changes were very controversial at the start and there were a lot of people complaining. One or two still do (aside from festivals) but my own view is that the house and park have been greatly improved. There are many more users in the park and I rarely get any complaints I have a couple of my own. I was moaning about the cafe in the house which seemed moribund, compared to the very successful (and deservedly so) Potting Shed. I have known for several months the Potting Shed team have now taken over the other cafe. I have not tried it yet (note to bucket list) but there are visibly more people using it. Actually, as a mere ward councillor nobody tells me anything and when I ask, I'm told it's being considered by the grown-ups but they won't tell me. Fortunately, I have spies who tell me what's going on. But some of them are not allowed to tell me because the council have told them it is against one decree or another.

The secrecy and abolition of normal democratic practices that bedevils this epoch of the council infuriates me and I fear that this will lead to unpleasant surprises for Labour and fellow travellers like me when the election comes next year. If so, it will be a tragedy for the majority of Labour councillors who are doing a good job, and a tragedy for the residents and the borough overall.

Things wot I noticed around the Ward:

• They have permission to demolish that little industrial site on the corner of York Road and Brook Lane North. Nobody told me - presume they may have told neighbours - but this is a 'prior approval' over which the council have no real say. I have written to planning to see what I can find out.

• I can't even remember where this was, nor whether I reported it to Hounslow Highways. Is it still there? Does anyone know?

• Another Goddards van in a place I hadn't seen one before (the end of The Ride) It is legal until October but has now been hidden away in the nearby garden behind the brown gates. There are two more and a car in the front garden. But I think that makes it Ealing so I can sleep easily

• The welcome trees on the Whitestile Road barrier are looking a bit sad.

Someone told me she was watering but it obviously needs more. There is a 'hydration bag' attached but it says has to be filled every 3 days. Will mention to Hounslow Highways but does anyone local have a gourd?

• A friend of mine reported this broken telco box to Hounslow Highways. It is the property of BT or Virgin or somesuch but HH make it safe using high tech Sellotape. Typically, that stays there forever, a bit like a redundant street sign. It is hard for HH because the telcos don't give a flying fig (I'm being polite today) and for over a year I have suggested we improved these horrible boxes with some art and get the Mexicans to pay for it. Sorry I meant BT.

But not happening yet even as an experiment. People send me pictures of pretty boxes in Netherlands or somewhere and I retort with the ones The Melvinator initiated in exotic Haverfield estate. I'm all for a bit of civic pride.

I had an update from Hadley, who own the GSK site. They have put in their planning application and have invited me to meet them and understand where they have got to. Yes please. I must say, Hadley have been very good at keeping me (and residents) up to date, and I'll update soon.

Enjoy the summer. It may not last long.

Councillor Guy Lambert