Chestnut tree beside the public bridleway woodland path, part of the London Capital Ring at the junction of Wood End Road, Orley Farm Road and South Vale, Harrow this afternoon |
The Willesden Herald
all the news that's unfit to print
Thursday, April 18, 2024
Chestnut tree beginning to bloom, Harrow
Sunday, April 07, 2024
Friday, April 05, 2024
Short Story of the Month, April 2024
This is a story that will linger in your mind and make you think about people past, present and future. They are out there. Ed.
The Willesden Herald Story of the Month
April 2024: April 2024: “With Every Choice Something is Lost” by Mike Fox
“She was there most days, though it took me a while to realise. Still and unobtrusive, I began to notice her small figure, always in a white blouse part-concealed by a faded grey mac, standing in what seemed to be contemplation. Before long, as I passed through the churchyard, I found myself looking in the hope of seeing her.”
Mike Fox |
Sunday, March 31, 2024
Grove Farm view
Wednesday, March 13, 2024
Two billboards outside Greenford
Monday, March 11, 2024
Three poems from Day of the Flying Leaves (audio)
Bookmovie from Fonoteca de Poesia - Stephen Moran
- The Hunter-Gatherer Children of Dublin
- Eleven Homes
- Visiting Molly
Sunday, March 03, 2024
Short Story of the Month, March 2024
I love a story where you have to ask yourself "What is happening here?" And by the end you think you might know. (Ed.)
The Willesden Herald Story of the Month
March 2024: Outlaws by Neil Brosnan
It’s bizarre; four women travelling together and not a single word being exchanged between us. It’s not as if we’re not all acquainted: his sister is driving, my sister is the front-seat passenger, and the driver’s daughter is sitting beside me in the back – doing something on her iPhone.
Neil Brosnan |
Friday, February 09, 2024
Mobile NHS Covid-19 Vaccine Van at Sudbury Hill
"NHS Health Review - Make Every Contact Count Worried about your health? Come and talk to us." |
"NHS Covid-19 Vaccination Service Walk-in vaccines available here today ..." |
Two parking spaces have been reserved for the mobile NHS vaccine van, seen here. Greenford Road, North Greenford, next to Sudbury Hill station, outside Iceland supermarket. |
Thursday, February 01, 2024
Short Story of the Month, February 2024
For February we have a story that touches on respect for local history and traditions and aspects of behaviour at home and abroad and people who are wonderful. So for once I have nothing funny to say in this intro. But I can assure you that it has nothing to do with interior design. (Ed.)
The Willesden Herald Story of the Month
February 2024: "My Yellow" by Amanda Huggins
... Avril shakes her head. ‘I understand the thinking behind it – I know they don’t want Davy to be frightened of the sea – but sending the young bairn out there in this weather isn’t quite the same thing as getting back on a horse after being thrown. And the clothes? He’ll catch his own death dressed like that.’
I turn away from her for a moment, clenching and unclenching my fists as I try to hide my irritation. ...
Amanda Huggins |
She has won several awards, including the Kyoto City Mayoral Prize, the Colm TóibÃn Short Story Award, the BGTW New Travel Writer of the Year, and three Saboteur Awards. She has also placed in the Harper’s Bazaar Short Story Com-petition, the Costa Short Story Award and the Fish Short Story Prize, and been shortlisted for the Bridport Prize.
Wednesday, January 24, 2024
Tuesday: The magnificent trees of Westbourne Terrace
TRAID charity shop, Shepherd's Bush
Three shop window mannequins dressed somewhat bizarrely |
Wider view of TRAID shopfront |
"TRAID is a charity working to stop clothes from being thrown away. We turn clothes waste into funds and resources to reduce the environmental and social impacts of our clothes."
Visit TRAID Shepherd's Bush for more details and how to donate or arrange a collection.
Monday, January 08, 2024
"Open storage," Wood End
Monday afternoon |
Sunday, December 31, 2023
Short Story of the Month, January 2024
Our first Story of the Year 2024 is about a quest, a journey in a narrowboat over days and months, meeting a cat and people known and unknown along the way and asking them a question. Not the cat, the people. (Ed.)
The Willesden Herald Story of the Month
January 2024: Cranes by Alex Barr
Fidler took early retirement and spent a year restoring a narrowboat, but when the year ended was filled with emptiness and horror.
His daughter came to stay and was shocked.
‘You look terrible, Father. You’re not yourself.’
‘Who am I then?’
‘Why aren’t you out on the boat on the canal? Why restore a boat if not to use it?’
Alex Barr |
Wednesday, December 27, 2023
New cake shop, Sudbury Hill
CakeCo "Honestly Delicious Cakes" cakeco.co.uk |
Saturday, December 23, 2023
Burnt-out car update
"Abandoned car notice" stuck on burnt-out car |
This was reported to Harrow Council on 3 December. They've now stuck a notice on the burnt-out car. "To the owner of the car with registration number PE18*: This car appears to have been abandoned." No kidding!?
* I've been trying to tell them it's "PE18 UXS" but I can't get through to them. Update: I did eventually. (Ed.)
Tuesday, December 19, 2023
Burnt-out car update
Burnt-out car, a black Toyota CH-R reg PE18 UXS, Cavendish Avenue, HA1 |
Tuesday, December 12, 2023
Willesden Herald Stories of the Year 2023
- January: This One-Trick Town by Amanda Huggins
- February: The Rings by Marion Urch McNulty
- March: The Paradox of Fossils by Michelle Christophorou
- April: Dr Takotsubo, and My Heart by Mike Fox
- May: Against the Grain by Anita Goveas
- August: Notes on a ‘Masterpiece’ by Ian Critchley
- September: Fresh Blows the Wind Homeward by Jaki McCarrick
- October: Living a Little by Jackie Morris
- November: The House on the Rio de San Polo by Georgia Hilton
- December: Shimmer by Alan McCormick
Tuesday, December 05, 2023
Street art, Kai Ohlsen?
Fulham Palace Road, Tuesday |
Street art signed KOHLSEN, possibly Kai Ohlsen (signs the same way anyway see kohlsen.uk ), paper poster on metal utility connection box today. Also written on by someone else "SY was here". But whether it's genuine/original/a print is open to question. Saatchi Art online lists some paintings by Kai Ohlsen.
Fallen tree overhanging footpath, North Greenford
Fallen tree resting on a fence and overhanging a footpath and the road. It's been like that for more than a year. Whitton Avenue West, North Greenford, London Borough of Ealing. Update: The tree has since been dealt with, cut up and sections left behind the fence to decay naturally.
Sunday, December 03, 2023
Burned out car, Cavendish Avenue, Harrow today
Badly burned out car viewed from the front, parked in an un-overlooked part of the street |
Interior snapped through open side window |
From another angle it's seen that the engine and front are burned but the rear is not. |
From the rear it is seen to be a Toyota CH-R Hybrid. The Reg plate has partly torn off. "PE18 ----". |
I reported this to Harrow Council today through their online abandoned car reports form. (Ed.)
Update 7/12/2023
The car is still there today. Noticed in the following photos that the missing part of the registration number plate is in the interior. It's possible to deduce from the photos that the reg is PE18 UXS and a check on the DVLA website shows that this car matches, i.e. a black Toyota hybrid etc. Harrow abandoned car reference: 723333.
Another view of the interior today (front) |
Wednesday, November 29, 2023
Short Story of the Month, December 2023
Having personally had a sad experience among the delirious people who speak in tongues that sound a lot like jazz scatting and are big into the laying on of hands, I can relate to this gripping tale of sex, mass hysteria, hallucination and snake oil. Oh, and love. (Ed.)
The Willesden Herald Story of the Month
December 2023: Shimmer by Alan McCormick
… I’d just dropped out of university – thankfully no question of ever going back home after that – when shag-a-rent landlord Nick spoke to me in my bed and hooked me in: ‘You ought to come and hear him speak. He’ll make you feel good about who you are, and help you do things you never thought possible.’ …
Alan McCormick |
Saturday, November 25, 2023
Submissions for Short Story of the Month
Just a reminder that we're always in need of new Short Story of the Month stories. There's no set deadline and when each month's story is selected, others in the inbox are released. Some may be carried over as possibles for a future month but generally turnaround is pretty quick, especially when compared to other publishers online.
There's no reading fee but we give a copy of one of our New Short Stories anthologies as sort of payment in kind. So although that's not cash, it's also not nothing - which is what many online publishers offer. At present we are out of copies of #12 but have a few #11 and some other back numbers.
Steve with mock-up WH in Gigi's. Photo by Vanessa Gebbie |
Please send your best wild or semi-tamed or even nice polite stories your parents would be pleased for you to marry to Willesden Herald Submittable and make my day. (Ed.)
Friday, November 24, 2023
Thursday, November 23, 2023
Autumn comes to South Vale
Tuesday afternoon: A few moments with hardly any traffic on a wet overcast street lined with trees, including magnificent old oaks with the leaves turned their autumn colour and a few other sorts still green. On the left side of the street, which has no footpath, are the trees and fence that form the southern boundary of Sir John Lyon School's playing fields known as Sudbury Fields. To the right on a little slope down from the road are some 1930s Metroland semi-detached houses. The verge in front of the houses is planted with newish Italian alders, some much older tall ash trees and further along some winter cherry. (South Vale, Harrow, HA1)
Wednesday, November 22, 2023
The Green Cabin - Sudbury Hill
The Green Cabin - café Greenford Road, HA1 |
Sign outside The Green Cabin |
"NOTICE
FREE MEALS FACILITY FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE UNABLE TO AFFORD THEIR MEALS.
TIME - 3 PM - 6PM
ALL NATIONALITIES ARE WELCOME (STUDENTS/HOMELESS/OTHER)
THE MANAGEMENT GREEN CABIN"
The Green Cabin is on the same block as Sudbury Hill underground station, Greenford Road.