February 2009 Archives

SHARPSHOOTING future Robin Hoods are being urged to join up the the newly launched Hillingdon Junior Archery Club.

The club, aimed at 10 to 17 year olds launches on April 19 and is running a six week 'introduction to archery' course.

The course will be held every Sunday from 11am to 2pm at Brunel University, and it costs just £25.

All children who complete the course will then have the chance to join the club on a permanent basis, with membership costing £20 for the year, plus £1 a week, and they will benefit from the expertise of fully qualified coaches.

Places are limited so early booking is advised and to book a place or for more info call Simeon on 07984 443335 or e-mail on simeon.keenan@blueyonder.co.uk

GIRLS aged five to nine are invited to take part in new coaching sessions at Hillingdon Athletics Stadium in Gatting Way, Uxbridge.

Middlesex County FA is setting up the project with the aim of providing a safe and fun environment for girls only, where they can learn the basics of movement, ball familiarity and decision making, with each session ending in a four-a-side game.

The sessions take place on the Astroturf pitch on Monday's, 5-6.30pm. Parents are encouraged to block book at a cost of £9 for six weeks but they can pay £1.50 each week.

See www.middlesexfa.com/Development/WomenAndGirls/ForthcomingEvents/ or call Sue Haynes on 020 8515 6909 for more information.

TRADERS are uniting against commuters who park in front of their shops all day who they say are costing them valuable business.

The shop owners in New Broadway, Hillingdon, a short distance from Hillingdon tube station, say they have been complaining to Hillingdon Council about the problem for over a year, and wish to get parking restrictions put in place to curb the issue.

Oruc Gocluer, 28, who works at Cafe Delight, said: "Nothing is going right with the council, there was a time I was down there every day complaining and still they've done nothing.

"There is free parking outside my shop and people just park here all day to go on the underground.

"Cars have been left there for weeks at a time."

Customers in his cafe who have been forced to park elsewhere because there is no room outside his shop have found themselves issued with tickets as they have parked in nearby roads with restrictions they are unfamiliar with.

"When my customers come they get tickets and so they don't come back and our trade goes down.

"All the shopkeepers feel the same, I've been trying to sort this out for one and a half years now.

"You can bet if you are one day late with your council tax somebody will be down here for it."

Hillingdon Council insisted it was aware of the parking problems and it was open to finding a solution to assist the shopkeepers.

Philomena Bach, director of environment and consumer protection, said: "We have received a petition from businesses in New Broadway, Hillingdon to introduce a controlled parking scheme in the road and a report will be presented to the cabinet member in March.

"The petitioners will also be invited to discuss their parking problems with the cabinet member and if necessary, we will carry out a consultation with residents and businesses in the area to establish support before a decision is made on whether to introduce a scheme."

TWO best friends have a mammoth task to climb as they set off to scale Mount Kilamanjaro.

Lynsay Kilbane, 19, and Hannah Birch, also 19, both from Pole Hill Road, Hillingdon, jet off today (18/2) for two weeks to complete the challenge to raise money for Breast Cancer.

Lynsay said: "We are really excited, the trek will last seven days but we'll be away for two weeks.

"We had a target to raise £1,000 but we have already reached that so we have set a new target of £1,250."

Lynsay works on the Uxbridge Trading Estate, while Hannah, her next door neighbour works as a team leader at the Odeon cinema in Uxbridge.

Lynsay added: "We always wanted to do something a bit crazy so we thought lets climb Kilamanjaro.

"Breast cancer care is a great charity so it is good to do our bit.

"We have packed quite moderately, we don't know what we will be eating when we are out there, but we expect to be collecting our drinking water from the streams on the mountain."

To donate money to the girls challenge visit justgiving.com/kilamanjarointhepink