Your Pinner News Launch Issue

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Clinton Cards in Bridge Streetclosed its doors forever onFriday, July 27, as no last

minute buyer was found to save theretail giant.

The closure has sparked a debateabout what villagers would like to see

take its place in what is a primelocation in the centre of Pinner.

Alison Clarke, 23,of Murray Crescent,said: “I’m not sad atall about ClintonCards shutting. I’drather see the indep-endent stores do wellthan chain stores.”

The store com-mands a rent of£67,500 per year andis more than 1,800square feet.

Darragh Allen, 28,of Pinner Hill Road,believes the largespace could beused in a creative

way. The graphic designer said: “Itravelled in the USA and came across

a co-operative that would lease bigstore units and then sub let them tosmaller businesses so that customershad more choice and it wasn’t justchain store, chain store, chain store.I’d love to see something like this inPinner. This would steer the villageaway from being a commercial cloneof others.”

Sue Hutton, Commercial Managerat Andrew Pearce Property Cons-ultants, in Bridge Street, gave heropinion on what kind of companiesmight be attracted to the store. Shesaid: “The rent is probably too highfor independent retailers so thatwould mean bigger companies couldmove in.

“There is also a possibility thatthe store could be made into twounits which would widen the marketfor potential tenants. I think it’sprobably a bit too small for thelikes of Waitrose or any othersupermarket.”

picture by

shahin najafipour

What next after Clinton Cards’ shop closure?

The store’s closure leaves a primeshopping locaTion empty

Please mention pinner news when responding to adverts 5Your

Police have taken action againstillegal ‘charity’ collectors who aretargeting villagers’ generosity.

At around 12.30 on Monday, July 23,officers swooped on a male dressed as

Superman who was claiming to becollecting for a charity called LSZ Trustwhile standing in Bishops Walk.

Police confirmed the man did nothave permission to be collectingthere and was acting illegally beforetelling him to leave.

He had earlier been moved on bythe management of Sainsbury’sbecause he had been trying tocollect, again without permission,at the entrance to Barters Walk.

Since May the village has attractedcharity collectors who wear fancydress such as the Superman outfitand a crocodile costume. Othercharities which have broken the

law by collecting withoutthe correct licences includeFamilies for Survival UK and Give

me a Hug.A Sainsbury’s spokesman confirmed the

colourful collectors do not have its permission. Hesaid: “We have reported the individuals involved toboth the police and to the Charity Commission inan attempt to stop them returning to our store.”

Harrow Council said it can only move thecollectors if they are on council owned land andwithout the necessary permissions.

A spokesperson for Pinner Rotary Club whichcarries out legal charity collections within thevillage said: “These collectors damage thereputation of legitimate charities. They have nopermission and collect so regularly that it causesthe public to wary of all collections. People needto be aware that these characters do not have thecorrect licences to carry out street collections anddo not deserve donations.”

Your Pinner News tracked down one of LSZTrust’s directors, Adam Abraham, who claimed:“We did not know this collector had gone toPinner. He didn’t have permission and we willmake sure this doesn’t happen again.”Give me a Hug and Families for Survival UK did notrespond to our attempts to contact them.

Illegal charity collectors not so super

Got a story or issue in the

village you want us to investigate

call Jerry on 020 8429 6884

illegal charity collectorcaughT on camera


Areligious leader from Pinner isputting his musical talent togood use in an attempt to

unite people of all faiths.Rabbi Danny Bergson, of the

Pinner Synagogue, in Cecil Park, is amember of a new six-piece band

which includes a Buddhist nun, aCatholic Priest and devotees fromthe Hindu, Muslim and Christianfaiths.

Aptly called All Faiths, the groupproduces western pop with a mix oftheir own cultural influences andhave received praise from worldleaders including President BarackObama.

Rabbi Bergson, a 34-year-oldfather-of-four, told Your Pinner Newsmore about the group. He said: “I ampassionate about music and thisproject is a great way of bringingdifferent faiths and beliefs togetherusing the love of music as ourcommon ground. We come togetherwith one message. A message ofunity, peace and tolerance.

“We release a single in the autumncalled Faith Unites Us All and we areworking on an album. God giveseveryone a talent and it’s importantthat they work on making the most

of that talent whatever it may be.”The talented guitarist and singer

has musical influences ranging fromJeff Beck to the man he describes as“the Bob Dylan of Jewish music”Shlomo Carlebach.

Rabbi Bergson has cause foranother celebration this month whenhe, his wife Anna and their fouryoung children celebrate their firstyear at the Pinner Synagogue.

Rabbi Bergson added: “We havereceived a warm welcome in our firstyear from all sections of thecommunity, religious and secular.

“I’m very keen to promote the factthat the Jewish community in Pinneris not sealed off and insular butwarm, welcoming and open. Iencourage much more interactionbetween the faiths in the village as Ibelieve we all have our part to play inmaking life better for everyone.”

To find out more about the projectvisit www.allfaiths.org.uk.

pinner Synagogue’s rabbi bergsonis part of a popular mixed faith band

By Jerry Lyonseditor

Rocking Rabbi unites all faiths with music


When Sally Pettitt wascontemplating returning towork after the birth of her

son Sean she faced a number ofchallenges.

She was suffering from post nataldepression, her boss was offering hervoluntary redundancy and herrelationship was breaking down.

But rather than let these dilemmasstop her achieving her dreams, Sally,31, turned her life around.

She set up her own business, TheMother Factor, which is based in thevillage and offers mums one-to-one

coaching and business and personaldevelopment workshops along withbusiness networking opportunities.

The company has only beenrunning for 18 months, but is wellestablished in the Pinner area. Sally,a former account manager, said:

“When I was looking for help tocope with post natal depression Istruggled to find the kind ofhelp I wanted.

“So I started to read a lotof self help books, andhelped myself. I thenwanted to use the skillsand ideas I had to helpother mothers.”

Some of the women Sally workswith are mums wanting to start theirown business, others just need helpto overcome low self esteem.

Sally said: “I think what oftenhappens is women become verygood at being mothers while onmaternity leave, but they start to loseconfidence in their other skills.”

Sally said the best thing aboutrunning her own business was theflexibility.

She said: “I get to spend more timewith my son Sean, who is now five.

“For me that is the most importantthing.

“My advice to new motherswould be if there is something

they have always dreamed ofdoing, they should use theirtime on maternity leave toinvestigate the possibilities.

They should just go for it.”For more visit www.the

motherfactor.com or to readThe Mother Factor blog log onto www.themotherfactor.wordpress .com

By Bronwyn BidwellSenior reporter

Mum’s the word for successful Sally

young mum and entrepreneursally peTTiTT is helping women

adjust to motherhood

robsonsweb.com

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He has made more than200 film and televisionappearances alongside some

of cinema’s most famous faces,but Gurdial Sira is happy to call

Pinner home.The unassuming 72-

year-old lives in CrossWay, in a flat crammedwith acting awards andfilm memorabilia.

Gurdial has workedwith the likes of RogerMoore, Sean Connery,Christopher Lee andMia Farrow as well asBollywood superstarsAmitabh Bachchan and

Shahrukh Khan.He said: “It is true

what they say, some-times the bigger the starthe nicer they are.”

His list of credits includesOctopussy, Ghandi, City of Joy,Spies Like Us, The Bill, Casualtyand Spooks.

Indian-born Gurdial grew up inUganda with parents eager to seehim follow in his father’s foot-

steps and work inengineering.

“But I had otherideas,” he said. “Ihad always drea-med of being infilms. I wanted tobe known. What isthe point of beinga millionaire, but

nobody knowing your name?”At the age of 20, and facing an

arranged marriage, he fled to Bombay.“I worked as a salesman which was

very good acting training as you haveto have a thick skin,” he said.

He met and fell in love with Ashaand in 1965 they married. The sameyear, frustrated with his professionalprogress, he moved to London.

The pair had two sons, Sonesh andPuneet who both now work in thefilm industry.

England in those days was adifferent place and Gurdial facedmuch prejudice. But his luckchanged when film director TonyRichardson cast him as a Romaniangypsy in a film.

The rest, as they say, is history andGurdial went on to gain a steadystream of acting work meeting filmlegends along the way.

Gurdial said: “Sean Connery wasso friendly, he didn’t have airs andgraces. I had dinner with him acouple of times.

“I learned a lot from the Westernactors. They had such a professionalattitude and they were always ontime. Bollywood stars are never ontime.”


gurdial sira has rubbed shoulders withfilm legends in his long acting career

picture by

shahin najafipour

An actor’s journey from Bond to Bollywood

Afamiliar face to coffeelovers in the village willbe pushing his body to

the limit in a bid to raise moneyfor charity.

Fernando Gioia, 38, isthe popular manager ofStarbucks in the High Street

and has taken up a triathlonchallenge to help young

people improve their lives.Fernando, who has worked

at the store for 18 months,is taking part in the Virgin

Active London Triathlon onSeptember 22. He is training hard

for the event which involves a1500m swim, followed by a40km bicycle ride and then agruelling 10km run.

He said: “It’s a big challengefor me but because it’s forthe charity, UK Youth, it’sa challenge I am reallyenthusiastic about. I love

helping people in whatever way I canand the work which UK Youth do ingiving young people a chance todevelop and make better lives forthemselves is very inspiring. I believethat whatever you do you have to putyour heart and soul into it.”

Uruguayan born Fernando haslost more than 17lbs since beginningtraining 6 weeks ago and regularlycycles to work from his home.

He added: “I’ve had a lot ofencouragement from customers andwould like to thank everyone whohas helped me so far especiallyAudrea Emery who hired a bike forme to use. My mum is my hero andshe has been motivating me andtelling me how well I’m doing. Icannot wait for the event and hopeto raise lots of money.”

Fernando is aiming to raise £750.To sponsor him donate at the storeor visit: www.Virginmoneygiving.com and search for Fernando Gioia.

Starbucks’ manager Fernando gioiais doing a triathlon for charity

picture by

shahin najafipour

Barista gets on his bike



Bells toll for the OlympicsThe bells of Pinner Parish Churchrang out loudly and proudly on July27 to mark the start of the LondonOlympic Games.

The church in Church Lane, joinedin with hundreds of churches acrossthe UK to celebrate the historic event.

Got a Pinner story? The editorial team at Your PinnerNews loves to hear from you. If youhave a story, an event or issue youwant us to cover please contact thenews room on 020 8429 6884 oremail [email protected].

Busy times for sketch clubPinner Sketch Club’s SummerExhibition of local artists at PinnerParish Church Hall is happeningbetween August 18 – September 1.

The annual free event drew morethan 1500 art lovers last year to viewa display of 200 original artworks.

Added to that is the Art in theVillage project which sees memberspaintings displayed in the windows ofshops and businesses in Bridge Streetand High Street throughout August.

To complete the hat-trick there isa mini Summer Exhibition at Pinner’snew art gallery The Attic, upstairs atLines of Pinner in Pinner High Street.On show at The Attic Gallery will be40 original affordable artworks in avariety of media.

For more information visit: www.pinnersketchclub.co.uk

New Group wants PinnerentrepeneursA new business networking grouplaunches next month and hopes to

help local businesses prosper duringthese tough economic times.

BNI Byron is part of the globalBusiness Network International and islooking for a range of trades andprofessions from accountants tosolicitors and trades people includingbuilders and plumbers.

The group’s director consultant,Adam Baetu, said: “We want to hearfrom Pinner businesses that want toget more customers. Belonging toBNI is like having a sales team readyto promote, refer and recommendyou to their contacts, enabling you toreach a far wider audience for yourservices.”

For more information and aninvitation to the first meeting onSeptember 5th in Harrow pleasecontact Adam on 020 3589 6028 [email protected]


Afamily-run Pinner business isbacking the bid to help a sixyear-old girl learn to walk for

the first time.T A Ellement & Son Funeral

Directors, in Bridge Street, is supp-orting the appeal to raise £50,000 tohelp little Mia Ferreira, who hascerebral palsy, travel to the USA foran operation and intensive physio-therapy which will give her achance to take her first steps.

A skydive on Saturday,September 8, will add to the£30,000 already raised towardsher treatment.

Victoria Carnague, who runs thecompany, said: “As the mother of a

baby boy, my heart goes out to Mia’sfamily. My partner Frankie is takingpart in the skydive and as a companywe will be giving the event our fullsupport.

“Frankie is nervous about jumpingout of a plane but it’s for such awonderful little girl that he is going tobite his lip and take the leap.”

Mia’s grandmother, Tessa Bastien,said: “Words cannot describe what itmeans to us as a family to receive thislevel of support and kindness. Peopletake walking for granted but for Miathis operation would improve herquality of life immeasurably. She isalso deaf and cannot speak but sheis a beautiful brave little girl.”

To donate visit: justgiving.com/Mias-Missouri-Mission or [email protected]

little mia Ferreira needs to raise £50,000to pay for life changing treatment in the usa

By Jerry Lyons

Little Mia’s mission of hope


One of the stars of this year’s hit TV series The Apprentice came to Pinner last month toshare behind the scenes secrets of the programme which sees Lord Alan Sugar judgeentrepreneurs.

Contestant Stephen Brady, 33, got through to the final six of the show and held aquestion and answer session at Evans House, in Marsh Road. His appearance was

linked to a presentation promoting the importance of small and mediumbusinesses taking young people on as apprentices.

Stephen told Your Pinner News about his experiences on the prime timeshow: “The Apprentice was incredible for me. I learned a hell of a lot aboutmyself and about business. It was six weeks of constant pressure and whenLord Sugar fired me there was a slight feeling of relief. I’m still in daily contactwith the other contestants and loved my time on the show. For every hourshown on TV – 900 hours were actually filmed so that gives you an idea ofhow much editing is done.”

He continued: “The editing can make people look a lot more ruthless orhard nosed than they actually are. We only met Lord Sugar in the boardroomso we didn’t get to know him really. When you see the boardroom sceneson TV they show 20 minutes footage but in reality the contestants have been

in there for up to four hours.”Maria West, Centre Manager of Evans House, who organised the event, said:“The morning went brilliantly. At Evans Easyspace we are keen to supportlocal businesses and give them as much encouragement as possible.”

Stephen was also promoting his new business Box Clean which offers adry cleaning service suited to people’s busy lives. For more information visit:www.boxclean.co.uk

sTephen brady made the finalsix of this year’s the Apprentice

show on bbc1

You’re Hired – The Apprentice star visits village


Local businesses are beingurged to support this year’sPinner Pantomime Evening by

stepping forward to help out withsponsorship.

The Pantomime Evening on 29thNovember is one of the highlights ofthe village’s social calendar and isnow in its 15th year.

The night sees shop windowsand shop owners dressed to fitthe pantomime theme. More than10,000 people flock to the village onthe evening providing a big econ-omic boost to the area. There arerides for young children, streetentertainers, the switching on of theChristmas lights and a large fireworkdisplay.

Chairman of the Pinner PantoEvening committee, Ian Archer, said:“All the organisers are volunteers and

the event costs around £7000 to puton so we need local businesses andcommunity groups to support us if

they can. The costs that need to bemet include road closures, thefirework display, street entertainers,a sound system and St John’sAmbulance.

“Last month we launched awebsite to encourage communityinvolvement and to give businesseswho sponsor the event another wayof getting noticed. We also have afree programme which businessescan advertise in and is given out tothousands of visitors.”

The event does not receivefinancial support from HarrowCouncil and is kept alive purelythrough donations and sponsorships.Sponsorship packages start from£80 up to £1500.

To find out how you or yourbusiness can help the Pinner PantoEvening call Ian Archer on 020 8866

2144 or Chris Marland on 07960174059. For more information visitwww.pinnerpanto.co.uk

By staff reporter

Support the Pinner Panto night

the ladies from Visage hair andbeauTy in the High Street in fancy

dress outfits last year

picture courteSy of

www.pinnerlocal.co.uk


Will Unwin, 41, who carriedthe Olympic Torch on July25th said: “Pinner is a historicvillage and I’d hope touristswould be attracted to visit here.We need to take advantage ofthis historic moment and buildupon it. We will get out of it whatwe put into it.”Louisa Delling, 16, of CannonLane, said: “I don’t know if it willimpact on Pinner as a place but Ithink young people will be moreencouraged to get involved withsport. A lot of my friends havebeen talking about sport for the first time because it’sbeen in the news so much.”Brian Eisenberg, is full of enthusiasm for the Games.He said: “The village is served by the Metropolitan Line

so within just over anhour we can visit theOlympic site and getinvolved. Wembley Stad-ium is just minutes awayso we can all get achance to absorb theOlympic atmosphere. Ithink there will be fringefinancial benefits toPinner through visitorsand people stayingwith friends to see theGames.”

Mary Duggan, 65, ofGreenway, said: “It’s great for the young people. Thiswill never happen again so I’ll try to enjoy it. I will behaving visitors over from Ireland who are coming toPinner for the first time as they are going to the Games.”

in this regular feature we give the people of pinner the chance to air their opinions about what’s making thenews. the question we’ve asked this month is what impact will the London olympics have on the village?

team Gb olympian - sir chris hoy


Your Pinner News has pledgedto give 10 per cent of itsprofits to local community

organisations.Jerry Lyons, the editor of Pinner’s

new monthly community magazine,said the promise was designed toboost the area’s local charities,particularly smaller groups that don’thave the fundraising firepower ofsome large organisations.

Jerry said: “I believe that allbusinesses, large or small,should support the comm-unities they serve. The mosteffective way of showingthis support is by puttingyour money on the tableand giving back financiallywherever you can.”

Although the magazine isstill in its infancy and yetto generate a profit, Your

Pinner News has already made somekey donations to local groups.

The magazine recently presentedPinner Hill Community Centre with acheque for £150, which was used toreconnect internet services.

Other organisations to benefithave included the Pinner PantoEvening (£150), Pinner Cricket Club(£50) and Pinner and Northwood

Business Club’s charity golf day(£100).

Jerry said: “Last month’s donationswere a way of saying we really meanwhat we say – we will do our bit tohelp the community. I’d like to saythank you to our advertisers becausethey make these donations possiblethrough their support of ourmagazine.”

For clubs and groups to be eligibleto be considered for support, theymust serve the people of the Pinner.

Jerry added: “I am also keen tohear from budding young journ-alists and photographers who arelooking for work experience. Wewant to do our bit to encourage theambition of young people.”

Your Pinner News’ editor Jerry lyons at arecent charity event at pinner Hill Golf club


The community magazinegiving back to the community


Pinner Sketch Clubcelebrates its 70thanniversary this year and

continues to attract a diverserange of talented artists andart lovers of all ages fromacross Harrow and beyond.

Currently 120 members enjoy a lively programme ofpainting opportunities, workshops, demonstrations, guestlectures, regular “crits” and a variety of social events.

During the summer months members paint in outdoorlocations, all day most Wednesdays and on someThursday evenings.

Otherwise weekly meetings are held on Wednesdayafternoons at St Luke’s Catholic Church Hall, Love Lane,Pinner, and on the first and third Thursday evening ofeach month at Pinner Methodist Church Hall, AvenueRoad, Pinner.

Non-painters may join the club as associatemembers. This entitles them to attend all meetings other

than painting sessions, enjoy social occasions and havethe opportunity to help run the club.

Some Pinner Sketch Club members are disting-uishedartists in their own right and have exhibited at the RoyalAcademy Summer Exhibition, the Mall Galleries and otherprestigious London art galleries.

If you are interested in joining Pinner Sketch Clubplease contact membership secretary Desmond Sloaneat [email protected] or call 07814 306661

Our popular summer exhibition of 200 affordableoriginal paintings and sculpture is held annually in PinnerParish Church Hall, attracting large numbers of art loversfrom across the region.

Visitors to the exhibition have the opportunity to votefor their favourite artwork and enter a raffle to win amember’s painting. Our 70th Summer Exhibition openson Saturday, August 18, until September 1.

Summer 2012 exhibition venue: Pinner ParishChurch Hall, Church Lane, top of High Street,Pinner HA5 5PW. Open 10am to 6pmMonday to Saturday; noon to 6pm Sundays.www.pinnersketchclub.co.uk

painting by George Lyles

By ann KopkapSc


By the time you read this, thePinner Association BandConcert season should be in

full swing. So, if you haven’t alreadyjoined in (and if you have), we hopeyou will come to the remainingconcerts.

The concerts have been held inPinner Memorial Parkfor the last 10 years. Theywere the brainchild ofTed Hayden, now aLife Vice president ofthe Pinner Association,and I have to confess Ithought we would be lucky if theyattracted more than three men and adog. How wrong can you be. Onsome Sundays we have had up to athousand people sitting on their

chairs and rugs and enjoying themusic. People have even broughttheir picnics and celebrated specialanniversaries with their friends to thesound of music. And even on the

very few occasions we have had poorweather, over a hundred peoplehave sat defiantly, umbrellas up,listening to the band. As onemember of the audience told me

afterwards, “We had to come. Youmight have stopped doing them ifwe hadn’t!”

This year the Rotary Club ofPinner is helping the PinnerAssociation, which meets all thecosts, with the organisation onthe day itself. There is no charge

but, as always, there will be acollection. It will as usual be forWest House but this year it will beshared with a charity chosen byPinner Rotary.

By cynthia wellstHe pinner ASSociAtion

Come and listen to the band

The concerts are held on four sundays at 2.30pm. The programme is:5 august – yiewsley & West drayton band

12 august – stardust big band19 august – british airways brass band


The past monthhas been a busyone for local

police. Despite theappalling weather thissummer we haveseen a seasonalincrease in shedburglaries across theborough. Pleaseremember to lockyour garden shedsand outbuildings and store yourgarden tools.

We also need to remind motoriststo make sure their vehicles are lockedand that all valuables are removedfrom view. Thieves are opportunists– let’s work together to make lifemore difficult for them.

More than 100 people attended aconference about tackling gang

culture held at Old HarrovianRoom at Harrow School onMonday, July 16.

The conference wasorganised, with the help ofHarrow Police and HarrowCouncil, by local mothersworried about the growinggang culture among youngpeople. Speakers includedformer gang members,parenting experts and a

senior officer from the MetPolice’s Trident Murder InvestigationCommand.

A founder member of MothersAgainst Gangs, Ifrah Ismail, said: “Thisevent has been very positive. Themessage we heard today from theformer gang members was thateducation is a vitally important way

of helping youngpeople to stayaway from crimeand violence.”

Harrow Borough,Chief Superin-tendent Dal Babu,who opened theconference, said:“This is not onlyabout fighting

gang culture and criminality butproviding young people with a senseof direction and purpose.”

For more details please visitwww.mothersagainstgangs.com.

In other news, Harrow CustomerService Desk was launched onWednesday, July 11. It is based withinthe Grip and Pace Centre at HarrowPolice station. It has a dedicatedofficer whose role is to ensure thatall victims’ calls and queries areanswered efficiently.

The facility was developed aftervictims of crime voiced frustrationabout not being able to contactpolice when they wanted an updateon their case or had somethingfurther to discuss.

Direct access to the desk, which isstaffed 16 hours a day, is availableseven days a week between 7am and11pm.

If you would like to receive regularmessages from Harrow Policefollow us on Twitter @MPSHarrowSign up for Community Messages atwww.neighbourhoodlink.met.police.uk.

By roni doylepinner SerGeAnt

pinner police Sergeantroni doyle

picture by

Brian Brading


Aself-defence school based inStanmore is proving a big hitwith men, women and child-

ren who want to get fit and build selfconfidence at the same time.

Dynamic Self DefenceInternational offers people of allages and abilities a chance to learnmixed martial arts in a friendly, posi-tive and encouraging environment.

The classes are run by qualifiedand experienced instructors all

under the watchful eyes of GideonHajioff.

Gideon is a 5th degree black beltwith more than 40 years experienceof a wide range of martial arts andself defence techniques. He said:“Our style of self-defence trainingincludes elements of Krav Maga,which is an Israeli system designed tohelp people in real life situationswhen they come under attack.

“It’s group learning with a realemphasis on fun, fitness andlearning the ability to be able todefend yourself no matter what theworld throws at you.”

Classes are held on Tuesdaysand Thursdays at AylwardPrimary School, in Stanmore.

Special women only classes areheld on Tuesday evenings. Femaleinstructor Melissa, who is a qualifiedmartial arts and fitness instructorsaid: “We run the female only classesbecause some women do not like toexercise in front of men. For some it’s

a religious reason, for others they aremore comfortable in female onlygroups. We give women the confi-dence that comes from knowing youcan handle most physical threats. Wealso have mixed groups.”

The classes for children are sopopular that there is a waitinglist. Gideon explained why: “Myinstructors all have to have at leastfour years experience before theycan teach. We are all first aid trainedand CRB checked and parents knowtheir children are in safe hands whenthey are taught by us. It’s amazing tosee the development of a child whocomes to us having been bullied, butonce we’ve taught them techniquesto defend themselves they grow intoa confident, assertive young person.”

Dynamic Self Defence Inter-national is offering Your PinnerNews readers a FREE introductionclass with no pressure to sign up.Call 020 3286 9775.

gideon with assistant instructorsalisha and prianka

Self Improvement, Self Confidence & Self Defence


The Upstairs Gallery at WestHouse in Pinner Memorial Parkis available for hire. With its

large balcony overlooking the lakeand the park, it is an ideal locationfor many different types of function.

It has already been the venue forbusiness and local governmentseminars and meetings. Severalhighly successful study days have

taken place there, as haveart exhibitions, funeralreceptions and afternoontea parties.

Recently Stephen Doanegave a wonderful cello recitalin the Gallery and declaredthe acoustics to be perfect.As Stephen is Professor ofCello at the Eastman Schoolof Music in the States, andthe man who taught BBCYoung Musician of the YearGuy Johnston, this is indeedan accolade.

The Upstairs Gallery is furnishedwith comfortable seating andtables, and can accommodate upto 60 people. There is also akitchen equipped with a cooker, ahot cupboard, ample fridge spaceand food preparation counters. Thiscan be used either by the hirer oroutside caterers. The latter includesthe West House café, Daisy’s in the

Park. Bar facilities are provided byPADCA Social Club, which hasthe right to provide all alcoholconsumed.

West House is fully accessible bythe disabled having a lift andaccessible toilets. Sound equipment,a large projector screen and WiFi (byarrangement) are also available.

Travel to West House is easy as it isclose to buses and Pinner station,and there is parking for cars – limitedat West House itself, but ample in theChapel Lane car park which is only ashort walk from West House throughthe park.

To make an enquiry or toarrange a visit (appointment only)please call the Booking Secretaryon 020 8429 4320 or youcan email [email protected]

By cynthia wells

Look West for a new venue

WesT house is a great venue fordifferent events


2012 is theyear tobe British

and proud of it.We have seen our

Monarch celebrate herDiamond Jubilee andnow we’re hosting the

Olympic Games.At Yummy

Home we arereally supporting

Team GB witha selection of

products most of which are made in the UK andinspired by all things British.

No range of British inspired products would becomplete without something with the slogan of‘Keep Calm and Carry On’. You can think of anyproduct for the home and you can find it with thispopular slogan on it. The story behind the sloganis that on the eve of World War II the BritishGovernment printed 2.5million Keep Calm and Carry onposters.

The aim of this simple five word statement was toconvey to the country a message of reassurance for thetroubled times that lay ahead. The posters went unusedand subsequently destroyed at the end of the war. Some55 years later a second hand book dealer in the North ofEngland discovered a copy of the poster in a box ofbooks bought at auction. That find marked the rebirthand launch of the Keep Calm and Carry On message intothe 21st Century.

At Yummy Home we have a fabulous range of KeepCalm and Carry On Beverages, Tea, Coffee, HotChocolate all packaged in fabulous tins that not only lookfabulous, are functional and re-usable but also a greattalking point.

Our range of Made in UK, Puppy, Dog & Duck ‘UnionJack Doorstops’ are old favourites and have never

disappointed. These littleanimals add fun andfunctionality to any home.

New to Yummy Home is a range of products byBritish Designer ‘Victoria Eggs’. Victoria’s designs aresimple, quirky and eye-catching and celebrate a lovefor all things British. The products include Tea Towels,Aprons, Oven Mitts, Mugs, Bags, Screen Prints andT-Shirts; all designed to bring a smile to your face.

We stock the Aprons, Tea Towels and Oven Mitts,made of a high quality fabric, all are proving very popular.Customers love these fun products which brighten up

their own homes andthey are popular withvisitors to the UK wantingto take a little piece ofBritain home with them.

My colleague Deniseand I (pictured below)couldn’t resist thesymbolic London BusTea Towel in Black to

add something a little quirky and British to our kitchens.So support Team GB this summer and thanks for

supporting your Pinner based businesses.

keep calm and carry on Tea andcoffee Tins - £10 each

london bus Tea Towels - £10

By amina sadiqyummy Home

Team Yummy Home

union Jack puppy doorstop - £21

every month financial guru les conwayanswers your money related questions.


finance Gurules conWay

Q How do I find out if I was mis-sold Payment ProtectionInsurance (PPI)?

A The chances are people who were self-employed, or retired

when they were sold PPI, have a case. Also, if the company

concerned didn’t explain the terms and conditions of the policy

at the point of sale or only gave you a quote for the loan or

facility with the PPI premiums included, you should also stand

a good chance of success.

The regulator has instructed banks and insurers to write to anyone they think may have been mis-sold PPI. But

if you haven’t yet received a letter, don’t wait and write to them. Explain why you think the policy was mis-sold

PPI, asking for a return of premiums paid plus loss of interest on the same. Don’t be put off by rejection and

write again. They will inform you that if you’re not satisfied with their decision you can refer your case to the

Financial Ombudsman Service so do pursue.

To find out more or enquire about any other financial planning or advice issue feel free to contact us.

Les Conway DipPFS, Certs CII (MP & ER) is Director and Financial Planner of Essentially Financial Ltd and established

the firm with the aim of guiding clients along their lifetime journey as their financial partner.

Welcome to my monthly Q & a and here are some typicalquestions people ask me.

Q I’ve heard about income draw down but is it right for me?

A Annuities are historically a very popular option in retirement, with many

people looking for the security they provide. But income drawdown is

worth considering although it’s not right

for all and careful consider-

ation needs to be given

to the pros and cons.


APinner dancegroup were the stars of theshow at a photographic

exhibition held in France recently.The images, taken by Dermot

Carlin, were displayed at Harrow’stwin town Douai for a week in earlyJuly.

A photo of Pinner-based MorrisDancers, The Merrydowners, was themost discussed shot as Dermotexplained to Your Pinner News.

The 45 year-old, Harrow Councilphotographer, said: “I was invited totake my exhibition of portraits ofpeople from Harrow called je SuisHarrow (I am Harrow) by the Douai

Photographic Society. I washonoured to be given sucha wonderful opportunity andthe peoplethere reallymade me feelwelcome.

“I display-ed a number of shots,but the one of TheMerrydowners seem-ed to spark the mostinterest among theFrench who werefascinated by them.

“They could notquite work out whatthe dancers were asthey do not have the equivalent ofMorris Dancers in France. I think theysaw the group as representing thequirky, slightly eccentric side ofEnglish life.”

He added: “It was great to be able

to represent the borough where Ilive and show just how diverse andvibrant Harrow is.”

To find out more about towntwinning visit the website:www.harrowineurope.org.uk

dermoT carlin

The merrydoWners caused a stir in france

By Jerry Lyonseditor

Local photographer’s French success

39

Almost everything in thisworld now comes with aninstruction manual, or online

support. But whenyou have childrenyou suddenly aresupposed to knowwhat to do. Raisingchildren is one ofthe most important

– and sometimes challenging– responsibilities in our life.

If you worry about yourchild’s development orprogress at school you are notalone. But the question is howcan we help them?

The first step is to betterunderstand how your childperceives the world aroundhim. Observing our childrenand entering their world givesus important clues of how wecan interact better and moreeffectively with them.

Some children find itdifficult to follow morecomplex instructions. Theymostly complete the firstfew steps, but then forgetthe following instructions.Quite a few children do

not like to read,write slowly or havepoor comprehension.Others are poor atmaths but brilliant atarts.

Many of theseconcerns can havea single underlyingcause - we know it’sgood to exercise ourbodies, but what

about a work-out for the brain? Thebrain doesn’t have any movingmuscles and only represents abouttwo percent of our overall bodyweight, but consumes nearly aquarter of all our energy?

Thanks to modern neuro-science,we can exercise our brain withminimal effort and maximum results.As one father commented after hisdaughter took a three-week neuro-sensory course: “After strugglingwith maths and English for so long itis fantastic to see our lovely daughterhappy to tackle all her school workand really beginning to enjoylearning.”

Not a miracle cure but a simplemethod developed by a Dutcheducational specialist. Having livedin South West Hertfordshire mostof his life, Steven Michaëlis, thefounder of Sensory ActivationSolutions (SAS), travelled the worldto find out how to activate thepotential in our brains. His method isnow being provided to hundreds ofchildren each year. He commented:“Each time I see a child overcometheir limitations and start to developand blossom, my heart misses a beatfrom pure joy.”

You can find more informationand resources at the websitewww.sascentre.com

Help your child achieve theirpotential

Please mention pinner news when responding to advertsYour


Take an interest in the hottestsocial media trend

What drove more web trafficin January 2012 thanLinkedIn, Google+ and

YouTube combined? The answer isPinterest.

This platform is the hottest namein social media at the moment.Pinterest boasts more than 17 millionunique visitors every day. That isfifth in terms of social platforms withonly Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn andGoogle+ boasting more.

In a nutshell Pinterest boasts astrong visual nature which isespecially exciting as people preferlooking at pictures and watchingvideos than reading chunks of text.

If Pinterest lends itself to yourbusiness and you have enough visualcontent available to use it to build

your brand, then it’s a no brainer. So,how do we use it effectively?

Firstly, the clue is in the name.Pinterest. This social platform is allabout sharing what you areinterested in and following thosewho share your interests. The wayfor your business to be successfulon Pinterest is to create visuallystimulating content to grab theattention of your target market.

You have got to create boardsaround what your business standsfor. Where Pinterest differs fromother social platforms is that userswill not follow you to get an insightinto your prices or special offers -they will follow you becausesomething about your company fallsinto their interests.

Own a restaurant? Engage yourtarget market and food lovers bytaking pictures of your meals andchefs in action. Make short videosshowing cooking tips of quicksnacks/recipes.

Are you a designer? Pin pictures ofyour favourite designs and work. Pinworks of others that inspire you. Re-Pin other’s designs that you like.

Pinterest maps what is known asthe interest graph. This is scratchingan itch left behind by MySpace! Muchlike Tumblr, Pinterest is allowingpeople to enjoy content discovery.People want to connect with thosethat share the same interests.

Why not take a look and see foryourself. Check us out on Pinterest atpinterest.com/georgesome

By robbie GeorgepArtner

robbie and oliver George – owners of george social media


How strongly do you have to feel about a principleto spend more money on legal fees than theamount in dispute?

Why do people think “I’m not going to let them getone over on me?”

When the red mist descends what happens tocommon sense?

As a business mediator I’m often told “It’s not aboutthe money, but the principle” – so where do you drawthe line?

I believe there is a better way to resolve disputes,without having to go to court. It’s called mediation.

Mediation has been available in the UK for a long timebut it has become popular in the last 18 months. This isdriven by the recession, saving money and time, businesscommon sense and the Government’s cost cuttingagenda.

The reasons for mediation’s popularity go further.Often, a participant just wants to be heard or to hearanother participant apologise. Legislation allowing youto ‘say sorry’ without this meaning admitting liability islong overdue.

Next year the small claims limit will go up to £10,000.All cases under £5,000 will be automatically referred tomediation. The courts are already too stretched and willfind it harder to cope.

This combination of factors has presented the “perfectstorm” for mediation.

So what is mediation? It is a confidential, voluntaryway of resolving disputes without having to go to court.A qualified independent mediator helps the participantsto negotiate their own settlement. My experience is

mainly with business, property, neighbours, boundaries,construction, healthcare workplace, insurance andfranchise disputes.

The process equally applies to family and communitydisputes. In order to mediate, all participants to thedispute must agree to do so.

Mediation has a flexible structure and timetable andworks differently to "ordinary" negotiation Mediators usepractised techniques to open, or improve dialogue.Sessions are usually a half or full-day depending on thecomplexity of the case. The aim is to create a solutionthat is acceptable to all, and which is cost and time-effective.

A court-imposed solution risks an “all or nothing”outcome. A successful mediation gives a resolution thatall participants can “live with”. It is often said that the bestsolutions are those where the participants are equallyunhappy! That sounds paradoxical, but a good solutionis not about “winning” and “losing”. Ideally, each winssome concessions and gives something up. That’s life.

A mediated solution craft a solution that providessomething to each participant: Who knows, it maypreserve or repair a broken relationship.

Now that’s a worthwhile outcome.

By roger Levitt LLB QdrbuSineSS mediAtor And SoLicitor

Consider mediation toresolve your disputes


Full name: Paul Linden.

My business: Food for Thought, High Street, Pinner.

My profession: Professional chef.

Birthplace: London.

When I was young I wanted to be: A chef.

My first car: A black Ford Capri.

My hero when I was younger was: The chef, Marco Pierre White.

My first job: I had a newspaper round.

My favourite food: Italian.

My favourite UK holiday destination: I don’t really have one.

My favourite non UK holiday destination: Canada.

Favourite chef: Raymond Blanc or Marco Pierre White

My favourite TV shows are: The Sopranos andHomeland. Great shows.

My favourite movie: The Godfather

My sporting loves: Formula One

Most famous person I’ve ever cooked for?Prince Andrew and Margaret Thatcher.

Is there a celebrity chef you’d like to hit with a pan?Ainsley Harriott

My worst habit: I’m inpatient.

Most memorable moment: Going to 10 DowningStreet and meeting the then Prime Minister John Majorand Kenneth Clarke.

How long has your business been in Pinner?25 years.

My favourite part of Pinner is: I love the High Street.

What would I change about Pinner? The parkingregulations do not help local businesses.

My theme song would be: Always look on the brightside of life.

If I was stranded on a desert island my three itemswould be? A knife, an iPad and some clothes.

My attitude to life is: Positive, happy and upbeat.

professional chef - paul linden


Formed in 1934 we still continueour traditional ethos of being areally easy going, friendly

bunch, with one aim and that is toenjoy playing rugby. We play atShaftesbury Playing Fields offGrimsdyke Road, Hatch End andplayers of all abilities are welcomed.

As an inclusive club, we run eventsfor all ages, from Halloween andChristmas themed parties, fun daysfor all as well as plenty of nights out,dinners and social events for all clubmembers.

We currently run a First XV and2nd Pelican Team, who train on aThursday evening and play on aSaturday afternoon. The first teamcurrently play in the Herts/MiddlesexDivision 2 League after a successionof promotions. The seniors also entera number of 7s tournaments to

supplement summer training. This season we have three age

groups representing Pinner RFCYouth:

Under 13s, 14s & 15s (Years 8 - 10).All squads play friendly fixtures,participate in tournaments and enjoycompetitive rugby matches.

Formed in 2007, our mini sectionhas grown year on year. We nowhave squads from U6’s to U12’s.With the emphasis on safety andenjoyment, we start and developyoung rugby players' rugby skillsthrough the RFU core values:Discipline; Respect; Teamwork;Sportsmanship and Enjoyment.

The club has recently achieved theprestigious RFU Seal of ApprovalAward. We are Club Partners withSaracens RFC, who offer AvivaPremiership match day experiences

and tickets as well as running half-term and school holiday Rugbycamps, at Pinner RFC.

All coaches are RFU Qualified andCRB checked. We are always on thelookout for players/coaches.

the club has a thriving junior section

Join the friendliest rugby club in the area

For details - www.pinnerrugby.comSeniors - Aaron Nicholas

07795 250706Youth - Steve George 07823 328818Minis - Jo Talbot 07960 333067

Pinner United is yourlocal youth footballclub. We are a

Charter Standard YouthFootball club, affiliated toMiddlesex County FootballAssociation.

As the club enters its 19thseason, we will run sides atUnder 7, Under 8, Under 9and Under 10 playing 7-a-side football in the HarrowSoccer 7s Combination. At11-a-side we have sides atUnder 12, Under 13, Under14, playing in the Harrow Youth Football League, andUnder 16 playing in the Bucks League.

In addition, we also run the Pinner United FootballAcademy for children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 allyear round. This is a very successful venture with morethan 30 children currently being coached by qualifiedcoaches, ideally suited to this age-group. Thesesessions take place on Saturday mornings.

The 2011/12 season was particularly successful withtwo of our sides winning their divisions and our Under9 side proving to be the top side in their age-group inthe Harrow Soccer 7s Combination. This side will run asecond side, as Under 10s, this season and this will becoached by the same successful coaches as the firstteam. Our Under 8s last season, Under 9s next, also

played in the top division butfound the going tougher.Nonetheless, the aim is alsofor them to run a second sidethis season if a couple moreplayers can be found.

The club is fortunate tohave some of the bestpitches in the area for bothour 7-a-side and 11-a-sideteams. We pride ourselveson being well turned outand this is due to thesponsorship we have been

fortunate to obtain.

Last season more than 300 players and familymembers attended the club’s presentation evening.

If you would like to arrange a trial or enquire onanything above, please email Dave Howes,[email protected], or call him on 0208933 1037.


pinner united’s under 9s Team from 2011-2012


Since 1924 Pinner Hill GolfClub has provided golfersfrom the village and beyond

a tranquil setting to enjoy thesport.

Designed by the legendarycourse architect J H Taylor thefairways and greens offer golfersa real test of their skills whilethe friendly atmosphere in theclubhouse allows players achance to relax.

With members ranging fromseven year-olds to players intheir nineties Pinner Hill GolfClub has something to offereveryone. As club managerAlan Findlater explained: “The peaceful atmospherewill make you feel a million miles away from thehustle and bustle of modern suburbia. We’re a veryfriendly and welcoming club and the majority of ourmembers are from Pinner but we attract players from

all over the country.”One recent overseas visitor

was former world number onegolfer Rory McIlroy. The USOpen winner came to the clubto shoot an advert for one of hissponsors in July 2011.

The club recently hosted thePinner & Northwood BusinessClub’s Golf Day which raisedmore than £2500 towards theappeal to restore the village’s

parish church and was held inconjunction with the Friends ofPinner Parish Church.

Alan added: “We’ve two ninehole loops of mature fairways

and undulating greens which will lift and challengeyour game. It’s an incredible golf course and the historicclubhouse has sections dating back to the 16th century.I’d encourage any local people to visit us so we canshow them what makes this club special.”

A group of players representing Gibbs Gillespieestate Agents at the pinner & norThWoodbusiness club’s chariTy golf day

picture by

isabel Beddison


We should currently bebasking ourselves inthe sun, enjoying the

cricket while gearing up forthe colts’ summer holidays.Unfortunately the weather hashad different ideas.

So far in 2012, Pinner CChas had 20 adult league andfriendly games cancelled. Thecolts’ section with even more,leaving all members highly frustrated.

Colts’ manger Daniel Langan said:“Cricket is a fair weather sport andunfortunately the weather is not beingfair to us this year.”

Despite the weather, the club is stillplanning more “drier” events for allmembers and residents of Pinner.

The colts’ season, which only has afew weeks left, will conclude with theannual fun day on Sunday, August 26.

The day kicks off with a colts versusparents cricket match, followed byPinner adult team entertaining KR

Ealing Park (charity team from Ealingsupporting the British Heart Foun-dation, Cancer Research and theMiddlesex Centenary Trust).

During the day we will be raisingfunds through raffles, cake stalls, atombola, book stall, face painting anda barbeque to contribute to the colts’end of year awards night along withmany other events. The licensed barwill be open all day as well.

The event is free and we would liketo encourage all local residents tojoin us and create a mini jubileeatmosphere at Pinner CC to bring the

curtain down on another colts’successful (but wet) season.

The season does not,however, finish here. The adultleague continues to the secondweek or September with anumber of friendly matchesbeing played to the end of theSeptember.Another charity event will take

place on Saturday, September 22,in the evening when we will behosting a quiz night with moniesgoing to Pinner CC and BritishRetinitis Pigmentosa Society (BRPS)in memory of a club member'srelative who passed away a fewyears ago.

Please free feel to attend either ofthese fantastic events, or even popinto the club just to say hello.

Up to date details on all clubevents can be found on the PinnerCC Twitter page @PinnerCC or theclub website www.pinnercc.co.uk.

club members celebrating in sunnier times

Your Pinner News Launch Issue

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