Author Archives: David Tebbutt

65th Commemoration Service at Polish War Memorial

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65th Commemoration of Fallen Polish Airmen at the Polish Air Force Memorial in London
The Polish Air Force Memorial Committee (PAFMC) will hold the annual and 65th Commemoration of Fallen Polish Airmen on Saturday, 29th August 2025, at 11.00, at the Polish Air Force Memorial, South Ruislip. The ceremony will be conducted in English and Polish and everyone is welcome.
It will be streamed live on the PAFMC’s Facebook page here. 
https://www.facebook.com/PAFMemorialCommittee

The ceremony will open with the marching in of the replica Polish Air Force Standard by Officer Cadets from the Polish Air Force University, Dęblin and the Silk Ensign of the RAF.
PAFMC Chairman Krzysztof de Berg will follow with an opening address. This will be followed by the Polish Roll-Call of the Fallen, carried out by the Polish Air Force Officer Cadets.
After prayers in Polish the invited dignitaries will lay wreaths on the Memorial to be followed by the last remaining veteran and descendants of the Polish Squadrons and Units commemorated on the Memorial that flew alongside the RAF from 1940 to 1945. Concluding Prayers will be led by the Chaplain of RAF Northolt, followed by the Last Post and a minute’s silence ending with Reveille.
The ceremony will end with the Polish and UK national anthems and the playing of ‘White Roses’. Personal wreaths will be laid after the ceremony ends.  Music will be provided by musicians of the RAF Central Band with the kind permission of the Air Force Board of the Defence Council.
Local residents are welcome to attend
 

Piccadilly closures from today

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Londoners face three days of major Tube disruption as a large section of the Piccadilly line shuts. The closure, which began on Tuesday, August 18, is affecting the route between Cockfosters and Uxbridge as Transport for London (TfL) works on upgrading the line for a new fleet of trains. While this section remains closed until Thursday, August 20, trains are still running between Acton Town and Heathrow. TfL is advising passengers heading towards Uxbridge to use the Metropolitan line between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge.   District line services between South Kensington and Ealing Common are also advised for affected travellers. To help ease the disruption, three replacement bus services have been put in place. Replacement buses operate:
Service PL4: Acton Town – Ealing Common – North Ealing – Hanger Lane (for Central line and Park Royal) – Alperton (Bridgewater Road) – Sudbury Town (Whitton Avenue East) – Sudbury Hill – South Harrow – Rayners Lane;
Service PL5: Finchley Central (for Northern line) – Arnos Grove – Southgate – Oakwood – Cockfosters;
Service PL6: Finsbury Park – Manor House – Turnpike Lane – Wood Green – Bounds Green – New Southgate (National Rail) – Arnos Grove;

Upcoming piling works near West Ruislip

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FROM HS2

What we are doing

From 1 September to 1 October 2026 at our West Ruislip Portal site, we will be installing sheet piles parallel to the Chiltern Line to prepare the ground for the excavation of shafts, as part of the Ickenham Stream Diversion works. The installation works will be carried out during rail possession hours (1am to 5am Mondays to Fridays and 1pm to 8am Sundays), when no trains are running. In addition, we will be doing preparatory works (from 6pm to 8am Mondays to Sundays) either side of the rail possession hours.

HS2 is undergoing a comprehensive reset to ensure it can be built efficiently and for the lowest reasonable cost. This work is being carried out in stages and will be completed in 2026.

We will provide you with updates on the reset and what this means for our plans to build the railway in your area.
more info
https://assets.hs2.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AWN-Sheet-piling-at-West-Ruislip-Portal-site-1.9.26.pdf

New Hillingdon First card parking rules

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Yellow labels are appearing on car park ticket machines saying that Hillingdon First cards can only be used once per day.
this applies to individual machines / car parks as per the rule below

30 minutes free tickets with a HillingdonFirst card
Most of our pay and display machines offer 30 minutes free tickets with a HillingdonFirst card.
You must purchase your ticket or get your 30 minutes free ticket with your HillingdonFirst card at the initial time of parking. You’re not allowed to get another free ticket or buy an additional ticket to extend your period of parking beyond the initial time.


you can still use it in a different car park

HS2 West Ruislip permanent access road

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from HS2

What we are doing

We need to construct our new permanent site access off Ickenham Road. To do this, we will limit the use of our current temporary access from 1 September. You may notice an increase in vehicles using our other approved lorry route and gate on Breakspear Road South.

HS2 is undergoing a comprehensive reset to ensure it can be built efficiently and for the lowest reasonable cost. This work is being carried out in stages and will be completed in 2026. We will provide you with updates on the reset and what this means for our plans to build the railway in your area.

Download information relating to these works

https://assets.hs2.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AWN-Permanent-site-access-construction-at-West-Ruislip-Portal-1.pdf

HS2 West Ruislip works

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Concrete & Drainage installation works at West Ruislip Portal for Ickenham Stream Diversion – Extended Hours Mon 10/08 to Fri 09/10
 
HS2/SCS will be carrying out several activities at the West Ruislip Portal Site to facilitate the permanent Ickenham Stream Diversion over the coming months, with the installation of Sheet Piles between the Network Rail Line and the Golf Course (adjacent to The Greenway) now completed (1 month ahead of schedule).
 
HS2/SCS now need to pour concrete to form the base slab, walls and roof slab that will surround the pipe, and install drainage. These works will take place using Extended Hours between 8am & 10pm Monday to Saturday between 10/08 and 09/10.
 
These activities are not expected to be noisy but with the Extended Hours there will be working in the evening through to 10pm.
 
 Below is a Programme showing the activities taking place relating to the Ickenham Stream Diversion:
  Excavation works (completed July 2026) Drainage and reinforced concrete works (August 2026) Pipework installation (September 2026) Backfilling and sheet pile removal (October 2026) Shaft construction (November 2026)  
There will be further updates as the works progress and if any of these activities require outside of Core Hour Working.