The summer months tend to be a bit more relaxing for many as families head off on holiday. As councillors, August tends to be a slower month for casework, but there’s still plenty going on as we continue to work hard for Hounslow.
A slice of Chiswick in Hounslow
This year, Bedford Park celebrates its 150th anniversary with a special exhibition documenting the history of the first garden suburb, organised by the Bedford Park Society. This week until the 14th August, the exhibition will be available to view for free at Hounslow House.
I was lucky enough to visit the exhibition during a special showing at St Michael and All Angels church in my ward, alongside Cllr John Todd. We were joined by the exhibition’s curator, Nick Mesquita, who talked us through each of the exhibitions panels, charting the history of the community and communities of Bedford Park from its earliest days in 1875 right through to present day.
I was particularly taken by a reference in the late 19th century to the ‘institution’ of a morning pint at The Tabard - in the spirit of the garden suburb’s 150th birthday, I wonder if we can convince the council’s licensing panel to reinstate this tradition?
It’s well worth going to see this excellent walk through history if you get the chance to pop along to the council offices over the next week.
Thank you to two long-term public servants
Many will have seen the news that my two Chiswick Homefields colleagues, Cllrs John Todd and Gerald McGregor, announced earlier this month that this would be their final term on Hounslow Council. I’ve been exceptionally lucky to work with them both since I was elected in 2022, and having two long-standing public servants as mentors is just about the best way to learn how best to serve as a councillor.
L-R: Linden Grigg, Cllr John Todd, Cllr Jack Emsley and Mike Denniss
Gerald has represented Chiswick for 22 years, since winning a by-election in 2004. He was lead member for finance and corporate resources during the Conservative and Independent coalition in charge of the council between 2006-2010, probably the last time our borough was well run!
John was elected for the first time in 2006, representing Homefields diligently for 20 years. He’s built a reputation for expert scrutiny of the council administration, and has championed a number of excellent local campaigns as well as routinely topping the pile for Chiswick’s hardest working councillor.
I caught up with the two new Chiswick Homefields candidates for next year’s election - Linden Grigg and Mike Denniss, at this weekend’s Chiswick Flower Market. They’re both exceptionally dedicated individuals who love our part of London and, voters willing, I’m excited to serve alongside them next year!
