Yeading Brook flows under the Grand Union Canal just outside the Town Centre but at that point it is a bit of an unknown local river. £255,000 has just been secured from the Mayor of London's Green Roots Fund to help restore habitats along other lengths of the Brook with planned improvements at Grange Park in Yeading and Queens Walk in Ruislip. It is part of a £12 million fund, which is being invested in greener, healthier spaces near rivers across London. The work will help restore wetlands and natural habitats, improve water quality and make the area more resilient to flooding, while creating cleaner and more attractive green spaces for residents to enjoy. It is part of the overall plan to adapt to climate change

Bassam Mahfouz, London Assembly Member for Ealing and Hillingdon said

“After seeing this funding help bring beavers back to London in nearby Greenford, it’s fantastic to see more than £250,000 being invested in Hillingdon’s green spaces. Yeading Brook is a much loved and important part of our local environment and this funding will help restore wildlife habitats, improve water quality and create cleaner, greener spaces for local people and families to enjoy. We’re proud of our green spaces locally, and this investment shows the Mayor’s commitment to protecting and improving them for future generations.”

He is pictured (right) at the Brook along with new Yeading Ward Councillor Hedson De Castro on the left

The popular annual Botwell Summer Fayre will take place on Saturday 6 June between 12 noon and 4pm. It will held on the green between the Catholic Church and Botwell House School in Botwell Lane and as usual it will be open to all

Attractions include a funfair, DJ, BBQ and international food plus arts, crafts and games - but not forgetting teas, coffee and cakes and lots of ice cream. The famous raffle will this year offer a top prize of £500 with five other prizes of £100..

This is a reminder that also on Saturday 6 June Hayes End Methodist Church on the Uxbridge Road will be holding its afternoon of summer fun. There is no intended competition with the Botwell Fayre - the Methodist event runs from 2pm to 5pm and with a bit of careful planning there is still time to get to both.

Aimed at children with energy to burn there will be bouncy castles and crafts, but also space for parents and grown-ups to sit down and rest their weary feet. All are invited to go along with family and friends and have some fun. Entry and activities are all free.

With the end of the hot weather being forecast it might be a good time to catch up with some brain exercise. On the evening of Saturday 6 June the Hayes & Harlington Community Centre will be hosting a quiz. All are welcome.

It costs £2 to take part and there is a maximum team size of six. The winning team will receive a prize.

The Centre is at the junction of Station Road and North Hyde Road opposite the Asda store. Doors will open at 7pm and the quiz gets under way at 7 30pm

Chatting last week to various people in the Town Centre and to shop staff I learnt of a number of incidents allegedly involving a particularly unpleasant street drinker and beggar. He is said to spend lengthy periods sleeping on the pavement under the scaffolding over Costa Coffee (pictured)

Officers of the Hayes Town Ward Safer Neighbourhood Team are aware of the individual concerned. They emphasise that they are always keen to hear from the public if you become victims of any kind of abuse or harassment or see any incidents involving others. Use 999 if a crime is taking place or the person responsible is still present or nearby at the time of your call. Otherwise use 101 or the Met Police website.

There is still no date for the completion of the roadworks that have caused major disruption in the Town Centre for many weeks. The Council said originally that gas company Cadent had informed them that those in Coldharbour Lane were due to finish on Friday 1 May with East Avenue being affected until Monday 25 May.

Bus users have been especially badly affected as a result of the closure of stops and no temporary replacements. Traders are angry about the adverse effects on business with no legal provision for any sort of compensation. Despite several requests there is no information at the time of publication about an end date.

On a more positive note, it is good to report that the new steps between Station Road and the station car park are open at last (as pictured).

They were closed more than two years ago because of safety concerns. Eventually a new set of stairs were constructed but work suddenly stopped before a connection was made to the street. I started writing to Network Rail about that in February this year. No explanation was ever made but finally they promised to accelerate the work and the barriers at top and bottom have been removed.

Age UK work closely with Age International who have recently revealed the results of a survey which shows that over half the people in the world hold ageist attitudes.

The United Nations has agreed to begin drafting a convention on the Rights of Older Persons. Age UK believes that this is an historic opportunity to create a foundation of rules to protect older people's rights - and to drive change wherever they live in the world. They want to hear from older people on what rights matter to them and they have devised a short survey which you can find here.

Last week's edition of Hayes Town News reported that Carers' Week was coming up and that Carers' Trust Hillingdon would be organising a 5k sponsored walk at Fassnidge Park in Uxbridge. Unfortunately I managed to get the date for that wrong. It is going to be on Friday 12 June between 10 am and 12 noon.

For more details of the event use this link. If you are unable to get along but would like to support this very worthy local charity you can make a donation by clicking here

2026 is the National Year of Reading and the ARC Business Park in Uxbridge has organised a book festival on Friday 12 June and Saturday 13 June to spread the message.

The programme features eight sessions covering a wide range of interests and ages. Details are here. Send an email to get a voucher code for free tickets.

A highlight will be provided by Sathnam Sanghera who has a new book about George Michael that publishes in June. The festival closes with an interview with Dalgit Nagra, Professor of Creative Writing at Brunel University of London, Vice President of the Royal Society of Literature and Lead Advisor to Poetry By Heart. Daljit’s new collection - Yiewsley - presents a spirited and stirring return to his boyhood and the town that made him.

The venue for the festival is The Clubhouse, Sanderson Road Uxbridge and the postcode is UB8 1DH. Details of how to get there can be found here.

By a weird coincidence of timing there is going to be another festival on Saturday 13 June. This one is a crime festival. Hearing about it might give supporters of law and order a bit of a funny turn but when you find out that it is being organised by Hillingdon Libraries you will not need many more clues to solve the mystery. Following last year's success, the Council's crime-writing festival is back for 2026 with its biggest line-up yet, as more than 15 bestselling authors take to the stage at the Winston Churchill Theatre. It will be a full day of live talks, book discussions and writing insights featuring a standout line-up of some of today’s most popular crime authors, including Tom Hindle, Sarah Yarwood-Lovett, TM Logan, Louise Candlish and Araminta Hall. 

The festival, which runs from 10am to 5pm, is part of a wider programme of events being held at Hillingdon libraries throughout 2026 to celebrate The National Year of Reading. Tickets cost £12. To purchase one use this link.

On Friday 29 May a team of bill-posters appeared in the Town Centre and plastered the former Barclays Bank premises with large banners announcing the opening of yet another gaming centre.

It was a sad sight for those who had opposed the granting of a gaming licence and the approval of a change of use.

The Council granted the licence as current licensing laws almost automatically require but it turned down the planning application for change of use of the building from retail. That decision was overturned by a Government-appointed planning inspector.

In September 2025 the Council agreed a proposal from then Councillor Peter Curling to join a coalition of 40 other Councils calling on the Government to give local authorities more powers to reign in the ever-growing number of gaming centres.

This is Volunteers Week. It runs from Monday 1st June to Sunday 7th and is a chance to celebrate the work of people who give their time and effort to help others.

In Hayes Town there are hundreds of people who help out at local churches, gurdwaras and muslim centres. There are numerous community groups that are run totally by volunteers plus school governors, friends of parks groups and the Hayes Town Ward Safer Neighbourhood Panel.

Only last Friday I saw the loyal band of volunteer litter-pickers collecting even more dumped rubbish from the canal towpath - 43 bagfuls this time.

I am sure that I have missed lots of groups but if you know any volunteers please take the opportunity to express your thanks - just a word will do in order to avoid embarrassment - but I am pretty sure that it will be well-received.

The H4All Volunteer Hub has lots information on groups that are looking for more volunteers and to see it use this link. The Council's web site also highlights a range of volunteering roles including in libraries and as parent champions and walk leaders. You can get more information here.