This picture of members of Middlesex Battalion 'A' Company Home Guard was taken before the first five houses in Almond Avenue were built. This site, and land adjacent belonging to Church Farm, were used by the Home Guard for parades and practice during World War II. Their Headquarters were in the farmhouse, which stood where the Shell garage now stands.

Inevitably, a comradeship built up and, after the War, in order to preserve the 'esprit de corps' the Swakeleys Home Guard (1944) Association was formed. They moved to No 1 Swakeleys Road in 1946 and subsequently, in 1954, to their present, purpose-built premises rear of the Village Hall.

Today, we have some 120 Members, (their wives are all automatically Associate Members), few of whom have direct connections with the original Home Guard. The Members run the comfortable clubhouse and bar on a purely voluntary basis. We meet for a convivial drink, friendship, good conversation and the occasional game of darts or cards.

The trophy cabinet contains the cup, which the machine gunners in the picture are proudly displaying over 60 years ago. It was awarded for rifle shooting. A number of charities are supported from Association funds.

Every Remembrance Day, a new poppy wreath has been placed beside the Home Guard memorial window since its 1951 dedication in St Giles' Church.

The club is open on Tuesday and Friday evenings and Sunday lunchtime. We also hold occasional barbeques, quiz nights, outings and other events. New enquiries about membership are welcomed, so, if you are interested please call Bryan Pearson on 232456 or me on 636736.
Alan Noad (President SHGA)

The results of extreme poverty in sub-Saharan Africa, and other Third World countries is totally heart rendering. Their suffering and urgent need is unpublicised and too often unknown and ignored.

Ickenham people were deeply touched by compassion for the victims of the tsunami. They dug deeply into their pockets and wallets to fill the many tubs in local shops and collecting plates in our two churches. They also responded generously by phone or on the Web. Record sums were raised. The hearts of Ickenham went out for our fellow human beings in dire need.

The tsunami waves took more than 200,000 people, and wrecked the homes and livelihoods of many more. The compelling and accessible television viewing and press coverage demanded attention and made it easy for us to empathise and identify with the terrible tragedy of our far eastern neighbours, who feel pain and grief just like ourselves.

The largely silent disaster of abject poverty in the Third World takes the lives of 50 million people each year – six times the population in London. 30,000 children die every day (the equivalent of a tsunami every seven days). They die from hunger and lack of clean water. They die from preventable diseases such as measles and malaria or a simple, easily treatable malady, such as diarrhoea. They die from AIDS, often contracted from their mother's milk. They die the day they are born, because there is little basic natal care. In parts of Africa, a quarter of the children die before their fifth birthday. This is an outrage we can do something about, but is largely ignored.

Two thirds of the world survives on less than two dollars (£1.20) a day. That is not enough to pay for education for your children or even basic medical care and medicines. Quality medical care and quality education, clean water and a plentiful supply of nourishing food are freely available throughout the UK, where there is state support for the needy, the unemployed and those who have retired.

The carnage and misery caused by extreme poverty is morally unacceptable. It can be remedied by the actions of those in the West, who live in comparative comfort and luxury. The compassionate people of Ickenham want to MAKE POVERTY HISTORY by simple actions that encourage our government in the move towards further Third World debt relief, fairer trade, and by increasing aid to developing countries. Additionally, people can dig deeply into their pockets and wallets once again, to support Christian Aid, Tearfund, CAFOD, Save the Children, Oxfam, Comic Relief and the many other charities dedicated to poverty relief and developmental projects in the Third World.

“As long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest.” Nelson Mandela at the Trafalgar Square rally.
Bernard Pearce

Congratulations to our Churchwarden, and Festival of Ickenham Chairman, David Millen, who was the winner of the Hillingdon Local Hero Award in the Community Group category.

The Festival of Ickenham Committee, which has thrived for more than 30 years through the dedication of its founder member, found further success by winning the Com-munity Group category.

Ickenham Festival has had many faces on its com-mittee throughout its life, but one has always remained constant - that of David Millen of Woodstock Drive, Ickenham.

Although the win has still to sink in for David, he says he already has plans to put the £250 prize towards the next festival in 2006. Planning meetings for this event are already taking place.

Mr Millen, who was nominated by fellow com-mittee member David Edington, said: “I am totally surprised by all of this…..especially since there were so many heroes who deserved recognition.”

“There have been so many people who have helped me organise this festival in the past and 1 can't possibly name them all. Suffice to say 1 could not have done it without them.”

“At the end of the day, the Festival is held in Ick-enham and its nine days and 50-odd events are for Ickenham people. If they didn't come, we could not have existed as long as we have.”

“What started out as a simple little idea to cele-brate what is good in the village has grown into a wonderful phenomenon, and it has been a privilege to see such a transformation take place.”
With acknowledgements to Uxbridge Gazette - 26th January
Speaking exclusively to ICN David said “It was a total surprise to find that I had not only been nominated (at the time by an unknown supporter) but had been shorlisted for an award. To actually win the Community Group Hero award was a privilege and an honour. We have a unique community spirit alive in Ickenham, and the Festival, and the increasing number of social events the Festival Team are now involved in organising, reflects this. However, none of them would be possible without the continued support of both residents and activity groups. Long may it continue.”