MR STINK

Residents of Ickenham’s Ashbury Drive were surprised in October to see the Earl of Grantham walking down their road with Pudsey on a lead.  (That’s Pudsey, the little white dancing terrier who won £500,000 on this year’s ‘Britain’s Got Talent’).  Not only that, a week later, the same pair were to be seen in the same road, which was now covered with snow! 

Actually, it wasn’t really the Earl – but it was ‘Downton’ star Hugh Bonneville, who has come down in status somewhat to play his latest role - ‘Mr Stink’, in the TV adaptation of David Walliams’ children’s book of the same name.  In the book, 12-year-old Chloe befriends the homeless Mr Stink and invites him to live at the end of her garden. 

The BBC plans to broadcast the film on television over Christmas and they claim it will be “heart warming, nose clenching and funny and will appeal to viewers of all ages!”  I’m not too sure about the nose-clenching bit!  However, with the combined popularity of its stars, which also include Nell Tiger Free as Chloe, as well as Sheridan Smith (from TV’s Gavin and Stacey, and west end musical Legally Blonde) and comedian Johnny Vegas - it should prove to be a hit.

Incidentally, in case you wondered, some 800 kilograms of biodegradable synthetic snow were used to help bring an early Christmas to Ashbury Drive. 

AFN

 

PUMP RESTORED

Following the incident in September when a car accidentally ran into Ickenham’s famous Pump, it has now been restored to its former 19th Century glory, under the direction of Hillingdon Borough Council. 

As a Council spokesman told ICN, “The pump canopy was very badly damaged and the main supporting, carved columns were broken in two.  The repair was obviously a job for a specialist so we called in the company who had previously restored the pump five years ago – ‘Lillysee Wood Carving & Design Studio’ from Beaconsfield.  They got on with it straight away which is why the repair was completed so quickly. 

“The impact had shaken the whole structure, necessitating work not only to the woodwork but also to the roof tiles and the stone base.  When we came to touch up the paint we found that the sun had changed the colour so we had to repaint most of the woodwork.”

Charlotte Gell, the pump’s benefactress a hundred and fifty years ago, would have been delighted! 

AFN