A LOBBYING group for South Harrow pensioners that is working with less than a quarter of the funding of its predecessors is to meet next month.
Three separated organisations with a combined subsidy of £60,000 - the Partnership with Older People panel, the Older People's Reference Group and the Harrow Pensioners' Forum - were replaced with a single body, the Harrow Older People's Assembly, and a grant of just £13,000 from Harrow Council, at the end of last year.

A COUNCILLOR wants to raise money for serving soldiers and war veterans living in Harrow and their families.
Labour councillor for West Harrow, Kareema Marikar, launched a new Harrow sub-committee of the Army Benevolent Fund - The Soldier's Charity at the Mayor's Parlour at Harrow Civic Centre in Station Road, Harrow, on Monday January 17.

PASSENGERS had to do a double take when they spotted Santa Claus behind the controls of Metropolitan line services in the fortnight up to the Christmas Day.
However, it was in fact Tube train driver Ian West, 56, of Waverley Road, South Harrow, who dressed in a red jumper and a Father Christmas hat while operatings trains in the two weeks up to the holiday to raise money for Cancer Research UK.

OLD and broken gardening tools can be swapped for new ones next month during a 'garden tool amnesty' running at Harrow Garden Centre in Headstone Lane for the fourth year running.
Trowels, spades, hand and garden forks, hoes and rakes but not electricity or petrol driven tools left between Saturday February 12 until Sunday February 27 will be passed to The Conservation Foundation for repair and refurbishment by prisoners.
In return customers will receive a 20 per cent discount voucher to redeem against new tools from a selection of brands.

A SOUTH Harrow market is reaping the rewards of a major revamp which the manager says is bringing more custom than ever before.

Italian Max Quagliozzi gambled on the dying market two and half years ago after successfully boosting interest at other shopping halls across London.

He has helped to expand the units within the market in Northolt Road, installed 24 hour surveillance and most recently glass shop fronts to make it more like a mall and Mr Quagliozzi says the centre is thriving and the waiting list to open a stall is ever growing.

The 39-year-old said: "When I first came here two and half years ago only five of the units were being used.

"By the end of this month we will have 30 traders using all of the 53 units available here.
"It has grown very quickly and the feedback I am getting from traders and shoppers is incredible.

"It was tough when me and my business partner Colin Marner decided to take on the market because it was really struggling. There was a lot of crime around the area and it just didn't look too appealing.

"Now we have people with market stalls in Notting Hill wanting to set up here because the turnaround has been incredible.

"We try and do our best to help out all the traders, not just with these refurbishments and money but with advice and input whenever they need it.

"It has really helped to develop it into a big family where everyone looks out for each other.

"We have got rid of the crime, the drug dealing and the anti-social behaviour with CCTV and by working with the police and it is becoming a real shopping centre that people want to come to with such a wide range of stalls and services."

Having left his native Naples, Italy, 10 years ago Mr Quagliozzi moved to England and soon helped manage stalls in Holloway, north London, and Tooting in the south.

He took on the lease and management in South Harrow in 2008 and has even started giving talks to children at schools in the area on how to be successful in business.

Paul Drummond, of Imperial Drive, uses the market to buy groceries and a coffee every now and again but says he would have walked straight by it in the past.

The 44-year-old said: "Because it is so conveniently placed by the station it always seemed like it should have been a lot better and more inviting.

"Now that it is a bot more pleasing on the eye and lot busier it is very handy to have so close to home.

"It's great that someone has put in the effort to make changes to it because it means that we don't have to go further afield to shop."

SPORTS facilities at the new Whitmore High School in Porlock Avenue in West Harrow
could stay open to the public longer if a change to its planning permission is approved by Harrow Council.
The current restrictions are 7am to 10pm on weekdays and 9am to 9pm on weekends but the school wishes to extend this to 11pm on Fridays and to 9pm on Saturdays.

From January 8, the branch of HSBC in Northolt Road is to open on Saturdays between 10am and 3pm as part of the company's ambition to increase the number of banks open on Saturdays nationally from 330 to 500.

A TEENAGER who 'was within an ace of killing' a South Harrow man when he stabbed him multiple times in the street was last week sentenced to two years in prison.
Harrow Crown Court heard how 18-year-old Elias Dehimi chased his victim Scott Blundell through the streets of South Harrow on August 4, this year, before puncturing his lung, slashing his wrists and stabbing him just inches from his heart.
Mr Blundell, 19, required repeated surgery following the attack in Treganna Avenue, including heart operations, stitches to his face and staples in his head, and described in a victim statement how he realised he 'was lucky to be alive'.
Although the victim refused to report the incident to police, officers investigated the incident and Dehimi, of Shaftesbury Avenue, South Harrow, pleaded guilty to one count of wounding.
It emerged that Mr Blundell had gone out with his brother and a few friends after discovering he had earned an interview to be a lifeguard.
Later on in the night a Police Community Support Officer overheard Mr Blundell say 'I'm going to do something violent' before he was chased down the street by Dehimi and others who were head shouting 'grab him'.
Fearing for his safety Mr Blundell ran and picked up a glass bottle to defend himself.
When he stopped running, assuming he had lost his attacker, Dehimi was seen drawing something from his waistband and witnesses heard the victim shout 'I have been stabbed'.
Speaking about the attack during Dehimi's sentencing on Friday, November 12, Judge David Mole QC, said: "During this attack your victim had a stab wound that almost pierced his heart he required extensive and repeated surgery and you were within an ace of killing him.
"I accept that your victim was armed but you went much further than self defence and this is no excuse.
"This is so serious that only an immediate custodial sentence would be appropriate."
Whilst Mr Blundell was in hospital undergoing extensive surgery the Observer spoke to his mum Lorraine Blundell who said: "He has had to have two heart surgeries and to be honest he was minutes away from not making it.
"We are very grateful to the police officers who were on the scene straight away and acted to save his life by minutes."

PAY-and-display machines could be installed at a South Harrow public car park to help raise £80,000 a year for the public coffers.
Harrow Council believes it could get away with charging drivers to park at the small but popular free car park behind Northolt Road Community Centre in Northolt Road and the 30 current spaces could be redrawn as 40 bays to make the site a little more lucrative.

A GUITARIST has arranged a second benefit gig for a professional drummer friend who played with bands such as Led Zeppelin before they hit the big time.
Gavin Barnett, of Rayners Lane, South Harrow, organised the first event at Harrow Borough FC's Earlsmead Stadium, in Earlsmead, South Harrow, in May on behalf of Mac Poole, who took the stage with numerous rock acts back in the day.