October 2009 Archives

TWO assaults have took place outside the grounds of Brunel University this week.

The first took place on Tuesday at 4am, with a man taken to hospital by paramedics.

The second occured during busy rush hour on Wednesday at 5.45pm, where a man in his 20s was left unconscious and taken to hospital after being set upon by a group of attackers.

It is unclear at this stage whether or not the attacks are linked, but the escalation in violence has shocked those living in the area.

One resident, who asked not to be named, said: "There's a bad underlying feeling around here, things have been building up and it is spiralling out of control."

What do you know? Did you witness either attack? E-mail dancoombs@trinitysouth.co.uk or leave a comment

UNSUNG heroes are invited to step into the spotlight as the Uxbridge Gazette and Leader series, together with Uxbridge College, is once again seeking inspirational people who have made an outstanding contribution to the community.

The eighth annual Local Heroes awards, which launches today (28), acknowledges the hard work, dedication and courage shown by ordinary people from Hillingdon borough who have put others first or overcome adversity.

There are five categories in this year's awards: Outstanding Young Person, Star Carer, Community Champion, Courageous Citizen and Fabulous Fundraiser.

Entry is open to anyone who lives, works or volunteers in the borough, so if you know someone who deserves credit for doing a good deed, nominate them now!

The closing date for entries is Monday, December 14, and the judging panel will make its decision on the following day.

Short listed nominees are invited to attend a gala awards night with music from Perry Parsons MBE and The Vyners Swing Band, held on Thursday, January 28 at Hayes Community Campus in Coldharbour Lane, Hayes.

Category winners will each receive a trophy and £250 cash, and the person named overall Hero of Hillingdon will pick up an extra £500. Runners up will each receive £50.

Last year's awards saw Multiple Sclerosis sufferer, Nimira Patel, crowned a Hero of Hillingdon, after voluntarily running Little Angels playgroup at Harlington Baptist Church in High Street, Harlington.

She was also recognised for her efforts to support others in the community by offering a listening ear and giving helpful advice, as well as looking after people's children and making sure they get something to eat.

Choose from the following categories:

Outstanding Young Person: Anyone aged 16 or under who has made an outstanding achievement or impressive effort, supported others or enthusiastically taken part in sports or an event.

Star Carer: Someone who has selflessly looked after a friend, relative, neighbour, or others.

Community Champion: An individual, group or organisation which has helped or supported the community.

Courageous Citizen: Someone who has triumphed over adversity, achieved something against the odds, or shown courage or determination.

Fabulous Fundraiser: An individual, group, organisation or business which has raised money for a deserving cause.

Email Gazette reporter Siba Matti at sibamatti@trinitysouth.co.uk with the name of the category and contact details for both the nominee and the person who is nominating. Alternatively, see the Gazette each week for a nomination form.

*Please note that, under competition rules, staff from the Uxbridge Gazette and Leader series, and students and staff from Uxbridge College, cannot be nominated.

Shujaul Azam: I am the multi-media content manager for the Uxbridge Gazette, Harrow Observer, the Bucks Examiner and Buckinghamshire Advertiser newspapers and websites. I've been a journalist most of my working life and have covered areas as diverse as the rural idylls of Shropshire, to the gritty hard news areas of south London. My aim is to provide a comprehensive news service and ensure our news is relevant to the communities we serve. So, if you wish to discuss anything concerning the above titles please contact me on 01895 451000 or Email me

Charlene Mitchell: I cover Ruislip and Eastcote and have lived in the area my whole life so I know my patch very well. I studied journalism at the London College of Communication and this is my first reporting job. I have been at the Gazette since January 2008. If you have a story - little or large - call me on 07795 811367/01895 451 047 or email

Dan Coombs: My patch covers the Heathrow Villages, West Drayton, Yiewsley, Cowley, Uxbridge, Hillingdon and Ickenham, and since April 2008 I have been the reporter for Harefield too. I am a sports fan and write a football blog for the Gazette website and take pictures too, so feel free to contact me with any news, big or small, serious or light-hearted. Email me

Siba Matti: I am a senior reporter dedicated to covering the recently launched Northwood and Rickmansworth Gazette. I joined the company almost three years ago but was working in the central features unit in Surrey until about a month ago. I am getting to grips with my new patch but I can't be everywhere at once so if you have a story in the area, I look forward to hearing from you. Call me on 07788 567259 or
Email me

Jack Griffith: I am the reporter for the Hayes and Harlington area. I graduated from Sussex University in 2006, and have worked in media planning and PR before pursuing a career in journalism. I am new to Hayes but I look forward to hearing from you all about the things that matter in you area. Please feel free to email me or call 01895 451 000.

Other Useful contacts:

Steve Bax, websites contact
Paul Bishop, Sports Editor
Chris Berry, Photographic

TWO teenagers have been handed community orders and made to pay compensation after they pleaded guilty to assaulting a man at a pub.

Brandon Doubleday, 18, of Falling Lane, West Drayton, and Jack Page, 18, of Dellfield Crescent, Uxbridge, were charged with assaulting a man causing him actual bodily harm (ABH) at The Fig Tree pub, in Windsor Street, Uxbridge.

Yesterday (26) at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court, Doubleday was given a community order with a four month curfew and 200 hours unpaid work and was also ordered to pay £350 compensation and £330 court costs.

Page was also given a community order with a three month curfew, 200 hours unpaid work and ordered to pay £150 compensation and £70 court costs.

AN UXBRIDGE man has been charged with possessing cannabis and cocaine.

Dean Richard Ransom, 35, of Midhurst Gardens, allegedly had 1.6 grams of cannabis and 28.5 grams of cocaine in his possession in Station Road, West Drayton, on August 21.

He was also charged with driving without insurance and a licence.

He is due to appear at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court on Thursday (29).

A WOMEN'S only fitness club held a week of fundraising events in aid of Breast Cancer Awareness.

Curves, in Redford Way, Uxbridge, raised more than £600 in a jam packed week of fun activities for the members to take advantage of.

These included beauty treatments, reflexology, a raffle and a tea and coffee morning.

In addition to this the franchise froze their one time service fee for the whole week, allowing new members to sign up for free.

The week ended on a high note, celebrating Pink Friday where all the members wore pink.

The club would like to thank all the members who contributed to this fantastic cause, as well as local businesses who donated a range of gifts.

A DRIVER believed to be in his 40s was taken to hospital after crashing into another car during the rush hour in Uxbridge this morning (23).

The emergency services were called to The Greenway at the junction with Cleveland Road just before 9am.

The London Ambulance Service sent two ambulance to the scene of the crash and two fire engines from Hillingdon Fire Station and a fire rescue unit from Heston also attended.

The two cars involved were a blue Land Rover and a red Toyota Avensis.

The fire brigade had to cut the roof off of one of the cars to get the driver out on to a spinal board.

He was treated by paramedics before being taken to Hillingdon Hospital, in what was believed to be a non life-threatening condition.

The Greenway was closed off from 9am until 10.30am.

A DEVOTED and hard working bodybuilder is celebrating after a landslide victory in this year's British Championships - and he is also fluent in seven languages.

Bobby Khan won the 'Classic Bodybuilding Class' in the championships on Sunday (18) after training for three hours a day seven days a week at Panthers Gym, in Packet Boat Lane, Cowley.

The 28-year-old, of Zealand Avenue, Harmondsworth, said: "I was over the moon. It was just so surreal and I'm still trying to come back to reality now.

"After the show I was approached by the president of the UK's Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (UKBFF) who asked me if I wanted to represent the UK in the world championships in December next year.

"The British Championships were tough but that is going to be really tough. I am very positive though and I believe in myself and the people behind me."

Mr Khan was born and raised in Denmark and entered his first competition when he was just 18, coming third out of 18 competitors.

He said: "When I was a little kid I saw a Rocky film and after watching Sylvester Stallone and seeing his physique I was hooked.

"I used to do martial arts when I was younger and from there I went into weight training to get a bodybuilders body.

"People told me I had potential and that I should enter competitions."

In 2002 Mr Khan moved to the UK where he entered two more competitions, the second of which he won, but then people started telling him he would have to move up in weight.

He said: "I wasn't going to sacrifice my health to get bigger so I went back to doing mixed martial arts (MMA) to work on my stamina and I also did mountain biking.

"However, earlier this year I was sitting with my friend at a show called classic bodybuilding and my friend explained what it was to me."

This class was introduced by the UKBFF in 2006 to bring back the classic physique of a bodybuilder, with wide shoulders, narrow waist, aesthetic symmetry and proportions.

Mr Khan thought it would be a good idea to try this out and started training for the British Championships, which he went on to win.

As well as being a bodybuilding champion, he also has a natural flair for languages, being fluent in Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Spanish, Hindi, Urdu and English.

Mr Khan would like to say a big thank you to Sean and Helen O'Reilly (owners of Panthers Gym), his training partner, Wade Stafford, and his parents.

YOUNG people across Hillingdon are being encouraged to make the most of this half term and get involved in a whole range of youth activities.

Hillingdon Council's Point youth bus will be offering a free half term programme for 11-19 year olds with activities to suit everyone, including basketball, football, cheerleading workshops, DJ skills and urban art.

The bus will be located in Mandarin Way, Hayes, UB4 9TU from 11am-4pm for the duration of half term.

This is in addition to all of the activities that will be held in the borough's four youth centres in Ruislip, West Drayton, Uxbridge and Harlington.

The youth centres have loads of facilities including music studios, internet cafes, dance studios, computer consoles, table tennis and pool.

Tom Murphy, head of Youth and Connexions said: "There is no need for young people to be bored this half term when there is so much on offer in Hillingdon.

"I would encourage all young people to find out what is going on in their local area and get involved in these activities, meet new people and most importantly have fun."

For more information call 01895 671 983 or go to young.hillingdon.gov.uk

MOST people in their 20s are only just getting their foot on the career ladder but Hayley Medwell is certainly the exception to the rule.

The 26-year-old is about to use all of her experiences in the film industry to open her own performing arts school in Uxbridge under her company, OnRoute Entertainment.

She said: "Kids can come here and learn everything about performing and the entertainment industry.

"At most performing arts schools you can only do one or two things but here you can come in and do the whole lot. You can sign up as a member and do unlimited classes."

The school, in Wallingford Road, is holding its official open day on November 2 to invite people to come in and see what they do.

It will offer courses in all different types of dance, singing, acting, post production, music, film making, music producing, creative writing classes and stunt training.

Next month, Hayley, who lives in Tudor Way, Hayes, is also planning to start a beginners course in free running.

Although the school is aimed at children and adults, Hayley is also adamant that it will be open to everyone.

She said: "We're going to hold adult classes in the evenings and I've also been approached by a young offenders group who want to come here in the day time.

"We've got wheelchair access to the school as well because we want to work with special needs children and I want to hold classes for the over 60s.

"We don't want to isolate anyone."

There will also be a careers advisor on hand at the school because Hayley is keen to encourage all her students to go into further education.

"I strongly believe that if you want to do something in life then do it. There's no stopping you. As long as you put the time and work in, you're guaranteed to get something out of it," said Hayley, who is a shining example of this.

Five years ago she took herself off to Los Angeles to study at the New York Film Academy based at Universal Studios for three months.

"It opened my eyes to the industry. I wanted to write films and direct and going there made me realise I could do it. It encouraged me and pushed me on," explained Hayley.

"I've always wanted my own performing arts school and film and production company so I could provide opportunities for others.

"Last year one of my feature films was going to get made, but that fell through. I learnt from that and took it upon myself to open up my own company.

"There are a lot of talented kids out there and no where for them to go.

"The school will give them the opportunity to find out if they want to pursue a career in the entertainment industry before they decide to go further with it at school."

For a 26-year-old, Hayley has achieved a lot on her life, but she says you have to do things when you are younger because you have no commitments.

She said: "Hopefully the school is more appealing to people because I am young. I wanted to do it now because I'm not tied down to anything. If I was older, I think I would have been more nervous about doing it. When you are young you just bite the bullet and go for it.

"My five year goal is to have schools set up across the UK and I want to get it over to the States as well.

"I'm just going to grab the bull by the horns and run with it."

On Sunday (25) Hayley and her students were given the opportunity to perform in Uxbridge town centre as part of Hillingdon BIGFest, an annual celebration of music and arts in the borough.

The school will be open to everyone and anyone from the age of five upwards and will also be open every day.

The official opening is being held on November 2 from 4pm to 7.30pm at Victory House, in Wallingford Road, Uxbridge.

"I am really grateful for the support I have received from all my team members over the last few months," added Hayley.

For more information call Hayley on 07762 745362, email her at info@onrouteentertainment.co.uk or go to www.onrouteentertainment.co.uk.