CHRISTIAN AID WEEK
Around the world, Christian Aid is giving people the tools to help themselves out of poverty. Join in this Christian Aid Week (13th -19th May) and let us show what the people of Ickenham can do to help. Be inspired – go to www.caweek.org and look out for the envelope dropping through your door next month.
READY FOR DIGITAL?
Remember that Ickenham is affected by the switchover to digital TV from 4th – 18th April, when changes to the Crystal Palace transmitter take place. Analogue channels will disappear during this time, and digital channels will be moved around (requiring a retune to bring them back).
In the February issue of ICN, (article ‘A Signal Success’) David Bolton of Ickenham Aerials recommended the Digital UK website at www.digitaluk.co.uk for advice on retuning. He also told us that, if you hadn’t yet ‘gone digital’ it might not be necessary to invest in a brand new TV: if you already have a good signal, you might just need a digital box, which can be purchased at most electrical outlets for around £20.
But if you have now got old TVs (big or small) that you want to dispose of – and if they were otherwise in working order – David tells us that Ickenham Aerials can provide a free disposal service. Just bring the TVs to him at 35 Wallasey Crescent. At his discretion, he can offer a free collection service for residents genuinely unable to deliver the TVs themselves.
See Ickenham Aerial’s advert on page 7 for contact details.
URC AUCTION COMING SOON
Note for your diary: the URC Bargain Day is on Saturday 12th May. As ever there will be plenty of buying opportunities, with a Plant and Book Sale in the morning and our famous Auction in the afternoon.
This will include the usual wide range of desirable or unusual items (as well as a few that are neither!) A particular feature will be militaria: we’ve got a WW2 helmet, some officers’ caps, flying gear, badges and WW1 uniform buttons (including some for the Royal Flying Corps) so if you are interested in this area, or know somebody who is, make a note or let them know.
We will be looking for donated items of all descriptions but we can also auction something for you on a commission basis. Speak to Henry Gardner for that on 01895 674074. All other enquiries or offers of goods should be directed to Richard Piper on 01895 634348.
POSH LAWRENCE
Have you ever walked through St Giles’ churchyard and wondered about the names on some of the old gravestones? Alan Noad has been collecting details about some of those resting there, from their descendents still living in the village. One such is James – known as ‘Posh’ – Lawrence.
James Lawrence was born in 1834, the son of a Ruislip farmhand. Known as ‘Posh’ on account of his dapper appearance, he too worked on the farm before being appointed gamekeeper at Swakeleys House in Ickenham. Unfortunately, he was badly injured when a poacher he was apprehending stove in his chest with the butt of a rifle; the poacher received 18 months hard labour for the crime, but the invalided Posh was left jobless.
Posh moved on to become gardener at the ‘Buntings’, the large and important house originally owned by Charlotte Gell, famed for giving the village pump and Ickenham Cottages to the people of Ickenham. In Posh’s time it was owned by Admiral Arthur Cochrane, the son-in-law of Thomas Truesdale Clark of Swakeleys House. (‘Buntings’ was eventually demolished and replaced in 1920.)
It seemed that much of Posh’s gardening wages were spent on beer at the Coach and Horses pub until his family put a stop to it! Perhaps it was this enforced abstinence that led him to becoming a Churchwarden at St Giles’. When he died, he was buried in St Giles’ churchyard and was joined later by his second wife Harriet; their daughter, also Harriet, was buried alongside them (see photograph).
Posh was married twice and had three children with his first wife, and then four more with the second, two of which were twins, James and George. At the age of 12, George was taken on by Lord Falkland in London as a coach boy and in his twenties was promoted to coach driver. But he lost this job on the arrival of his own third child, that being one too many for his Lordship’s estate. And so, in partnership with his uncle, he acquired a pantechnicon and set up in the removal business. Unfortunately, uncle drank all the profits! George stayed close to his father Posh until the latter died at the age of 69.
George’s grandson, Dennis Brownlie, still lives in Ickenham. After a career in engineering, Dennis now concentrates on his hobbies of painting and marquetry, examples of each he has displayed at recent Ickenham Festival craft exhibitions. And he has turned his hand to sketching in the faded portions of his great grandfather’s photograph!
AFN
JOLLY BOLLYWOOD!
Another memorable ‘Bollywood Night’ was recently enjoyed at Vyners School by 160 enthusiasts. The evening was organised by the Ickenham Festival team in conjunction with Ickenham resident Nidhi Uphall and raised an extremely welcome contribution to this Jubilee Year Festival funds.
Notable was the fine array of colourful dresses adorning ladies of all ages and the sheer energy put into the dancing to a variety of impossible-to-ignore music. This was well-reinforced by performances by members of the ‘Ickenham Dhol Players’and the ‘Dhol Squad’. The Indian-style food was well-received and the bar had to send out for reinforcements!
Star attraction for many was solo dancer Nikkita Chadha, (pictured), previously a Vyners pupil but now studying ‘A’ level dance at Bishopshalt. Her ambition is to be a West End star and she has already performed at Her Majesty’s Theatre and Indian weddings. She lives with her family in Swakeleys Road, and she previously attended Suzanne’s dance classes in the village.
The Festival team wish to thank Nidhi for the effort she put into helping to make the evening such a success.
