Newsletter 16th May 2021

Are you ready for the grand re-opening of some of our favorite local Restaurants and Pubs on 17th May? There cetainly was a surge of cleaning/refreshing activity this week and some great relief and optimism from the business owners. Our local businesses really need your support now, as the available grants barely covered their running costs during their forced closure. Use them or loose them!

Most of our restaurants are re-opening for Dine in and our pubs for inside socialising. However, we have no news about the Juniper (Cock Tavern). We spoke to the owner of Small and Beatiful and sadly he doesn’t know when they can reopen because he is having difficulties recruiting staff.

We learned with great sadness of the permanent closure of Oval Eyes Opticians. Their Branch in Oval remains open.

New businesses in Kilburn are “Safeway”, no, not the supermarket…  Fireaway Pizzas at 306 Kilburn High Road to open soon,  “African Food Centre” at 73 Willesden Lane, Ranya expanding their food stores into the old William Hill premises, “Basil Bakery” at 222 Kilburn High Road.

Have you tried “The good stuff” in Kilburn Market? Did you know that Kilburn Cycles at 173 Kilburn High Road are part of the Cycle Scheme?

Very happy to see some attempts at greening or adding colour to the Kilburn High Road street scene. Love the new planters with flowers at the Brondes Age and the addition of greenery in front of Al Saha.

Speaking of greening, a local resident, Khoa,  is trying to set up a community garden in Grange Park. The first event is on the 22nd May in Grange Park by the Water play area from 1pm to 4pm. He hopes to meet interested parties and is organising a seed  and soil give away. All welcome!

Kilburn State of Mind, a charity run out of Watling Gardens by wonderful Alan and Kate, are holding a music and community event in Queen’s Park on 6th June. You can apply for a stall table to sell homemade items at the event.

So happy for our local bookshop to have received the visit of some acclaimed writers. Speaking about books, very proud that a local author, Gabriel Krauze is having his book “Who They Was” distributed in The U.S.. Well done!

We have been busy attending the “none consultation” events on the plans from Brent Council to build a large number of councils homes on existing Estates in our neighbourhood, ie on the green spaces of Kilburn Square, Windmill Court and Watling Gardens. This is a massive increase of population. It looks like Brent Council have chosen to build most of their 1000 Council Homes in our neighbourhood, by far the most densely populated area. We wrote a letter asking for more details on 4th May and still have not received a reply. Is there something they want to hide? Will be making a freedom of information request if the letter is not answered this week. Brent Council still claim that they do not build infills without support from Estate Residents and Local Councillors. Strange that, as we have yet to meet one Estate resident  in favour of the infills!

We have also prepared an application to the “High Steet for All Challenge“. We would like to create a Pop-up Community Market in Kilburn to animate the High Road and form a Kilburn Network for Businesses, Residents, Community groups and users of our High Street. Cross your fingers! We shall let you know more later.

The scaffolding went up in Priory Park Road, to create a “luxury” hotel.

Some of our open spaces are receiving an upgrade to play equipment. Maygrove Peace Park are gettting a refurbished adventure playground and the water play feature is getting upgraded in Grange Park.

Sadly a Police Officer was injured following a car chase in Netherwood Street on 6th May. At 2am on 11th May a number of residents were awaken by a very loud bang. The source of the noise is still a mystery.
On the 10th May, an elderly gentleman injured himself very badly after a fall due to our dangerous pavements. While we waited for the ambulance, a cyclist was also badly injured at the junction of Kilburn High Road and Willesden Lane. Still not a pound invested to make our pavements safer and our High Road safer! Yet Brent Council are planning to spend a huge amount of money on “Carlton Vale Boulevard”.

An ex- resident (1945 to 1955) of Kilburn Square contacted us and shared some of his memories. More about that in our next newsletter but here is the front page of a Kilburn Empire programme that he sent us. And if you like history, Dick Wreindling wrote about a scammer who established his business in Plympton Road.

Who knew that Billie Piper’s first flat was on Shoot-Up-Hill and that the Madness “House of Fun” video was partially filmed in Kilburn?

Thank you for the incredible response we got when appealing for help for a vulnerable resident. You are great!  Mattress was delivered within 2 hours and bed linen 2 days later.

We also discovered the work of a fantastic artist based in NW London and featuring Kilburn in his work. Absolutley love it!

Wonder where the “Please take me shoe” ended up.

And last but not least, it’s Andy’s Birthday on Monday! Wish him a happy birthday if you see him! He has worked all through the pandemic and has helped clean up Kilburn for more than 20 years. A local hero…


What’s coming up?

20th May-12th June- Exhibition at Kingsgate Project Space.
21st May 12th June- “Reasons you should(n’t) love me” at the Kiln Theatre.
6th June 11am – community gardening at Kilburn Tube station. All welcome.
6th June 12pm-5pm- Kilburn State of Mind Event in Queen’s Park
Check out the Fiddler’s
gigs