Forum Topics

Energy saving? condensing boilers

Some of you will recently have had installed at great cost new energy saving condencing boilers (a legal requirement in the UK). Just how much do these boilers save in running costs/gas consumption? During this spell of very cold weather my friend asked me to call because his  boiler had stoped working. Less than two years old and guaranteed by you know who, they were unable to come out until the Monday and this was Friday evening. The problem was that the condensate pipe had frozen and it was a relatively easy job to get the boiler up and working within minutes that same evening. Now the condensate was being delivered not to a frozen/blocked pipe but to a bucket placed below the boiler...as an interim measure. After the said large company had visited I asked friend how much condensate had been collected in the bucket. Answer after three days heavy boiler use....barely a cupful. Condensate=recovered heat. Little condensate=little recovered heat. So have we as a nation been "sold a pup"? Anyone with any info out there?

Arthur Breens ● 5791d3 Comments ● 5779d

Sir John  Soane Cancels Fishing Trip.

I spoke to Sir John Soane this morning. Many of the fish in the "Swan Lake" in Walpole park died yesterday. As a result he has had to cancel the fishing trip he had planned. I spoke to Mrs Akor Morant, her Ron and other residents near the lake today. They were outraged that the fountain had not been working for weeks and said that had it been working it would have oxygenated the water and may have prevented not only the nasty smells but also the mass fish death. They had complained but nothing was done. Hundreds died yesterday many 100mm long. Sir John has taken to his bed in Pitzhanger Manor House after sacking his park manager (Mr Ealing) for ignoring his requests to sort out the fountain.

Arthur Breens ● 5924d7 Comments ● 5780d

Why are Council Tax Payers Subsidising Festival Goers?

My simple question is why in these tough times are Ealing's council tax payers subsidising Ealing festival goers by over £2 a day? With Ealing Council saying that it may have to put up an Ealing festival day ticket up from £2 to £4 next year because of the cuts my simple maths tells me that this means that council tax payers are subsidising the festival goer by over £2 a day each. Why are council tax payers having to do this when day centres looking after the ill, disabled and vulnerable are being closed to save some money?

Maggie Tomlinson ● 5797d15 Comments ● 5780d

Who has made a positive difference in Ealing?

Hi allPlease send nominations for a person/ group that has/have made a positive contribution to life in Ealing. If you haven't already seen the details on the front page please see here: http://www.ealingtoday.co.uk/default.asp?section=info&page=eadifference001.htmA bottle of bubbly for the winner.Happy New YearAnnemarie

Editor ● 5783d2 Comments ● 5780d

New Years Eve in Ealing

Any events planned??Don't fancy going into the City tonight!

Samantha Tubbritt ● 5783d0 Comments ● 5783d

refuse collection

Has anyone had their black bags, food boxes or green boxes collected today?  I phoned the council to ask if the refuse would be picked up today and was told the side roads were too slippery. I told the lady the white bags containing plastics were emptied, the truck had no problems with the roads and yesterday (Sunday) the gritters came down our little close and gritted the pavements (not the road!!)I was told that they would therefore be collected today. Still nothing.

Jaz Brown ● 5794d13 Comments ● 5783d

Mystery Brentford-Northfields Bus

I keep seeing a bus driving on Northfields Ave that just says 'Brentford-Northfields'. It is ALWAYS empty. Does anyone know what it is/who runs it/why ?

Katharine Brooks ● 5791d5 Comments ● 5784d

The Snowman Theatre tickets

We have bought 6 tickets for The Snowman at the Peacock theatre, Portugal Street WC2A 2HT for Friday 7 January at 11am, which unfortunately we now cant use. The tickets are in Row J of the stalls (great seats for snow!) and cost £15 each. Its a wonderful magical production - which any age would enjoy. Please email me on blake3@which.net if you would like to buy some or all of the tickets

alison blake ● 5796d2 Comments ● 5784d

Ealing Council/Labour Group prioritises skateboards over disabled centre

I have followed the discussions elsewhere in this Forum about the Ealing Council Labour cuts and I found the facts about the skateboard park funding not being pre-allocated in any concrete way as "unveiled" made by Councillor Phil Taylor very worrying. It would appear that the £60,000 earmarked for the skateboard park is not ring-fenced (in spite of what other people have propagandised) and could be spent on the two day centres that are being closed. Surely £60,000 is a non-trivial sum of money that could be spent on bringing the day centres up to scratch if they are indeed "not fit for purpose" as the Labour Group would have us believe? Why are we taking money from humanitarian activities like disabled support from the dand putting it into entertainment, which is surely what a skateboard park is?

Maggie Tomlinson ● 5794d7 Comments ● 5788d

Christmas Eve Shopping/Activities Act at Ealing Town Centre

Tesco open till seven.Crispins Wine Bar (where real film people and real Ealing people go) is open 'till late (opposite Pitzhanger Manor down fromt the Oxfam bookshop).St Mary's Church (350 yards to the south of Crispin's has midnight communion at 11:30 (23:30). St. Mary's tends to be pretty ecumenical so Christian denominations other than Anglican are also welcome.Ealing Abbey (Roman Catholic) 350 yards in opposite direction from Crispins of the top of Eaton Rise north of Haven Green starts to function at  11.00pm with Matins Morning Prayer of Christmas Dayled by the Monastic Community with Carols at 11.30pm with the Ealing Abbey Choir followed by Midnight Mass 12.00/midnight. This huge church is usually packed by 11:00pm so if you want to sit down get there at 10:00!!!For those of you who need some some minute shopping tonight Tesco in the shopping centre closes its doors at 7.00 pm (19:00). Do not go past Ealing Broadway Station by car as there is a burst watermain which is slowing things up somewhat. The burst main was flooding the road yesterday and Thames Water deined to attend this afternoon!. The main is quite a large, definitely six inches diameter if not seven or eight. One wonders which Thames Water did not do anything sooner as if this had gone completely it would have washed out quite a few shops if not the railway station itself. The leak appears to be in a welded joint between two pipe sections.Happy Christmas!Maggie.

Maggie Tomlinson ● 5790d0 Comments ● 5790d

MAJOR RETAILERS NOT PAYING THEIR TAXES

If the government say that we are all in this together, then clamp down on the tax cheats first before considering cuts to public services and public sector jobs.

DAVID SECKER ● 5790d0 Comments ● 5790d

Going grocery shopping in Ealing Mall today?

I went in just after nine and found the lifts out of order so no way to get a shopping trolley back to the car. Finally found that the small one round near the toilets was working. Maybe things have improved as it gets a bit less cold, but I thought I'd post this warning.

Susan Kelly ● 5794d13 Comments ● 5791d

Re lifts in broadway centre

When are there going to sort out the problems with the lifts there are always out of order and not just for a few hours or a day there can be not working for days and when you speak to anyone there don't no what good is that I am disabled and in a wheelchair so I can not get up and down the floors any other way one of the lifts buy the library has been out of order for nearly a week and this morning when my wife and I went to get our order from M&S both lifts where out of order so I am going to right a letter to the centre manager and find out how much longer this is going on and also the ticket machine also on the first floor by the disabled bays is out of order more times then it is working and after all that I would like to wish everyone a very happy christmas

Harold John Ward ● 5791d0 Comments ● 5791d

Car Broken Into Milford Road

Our car had it's window smashed last night on Milford RoadNothing was taken but I think they had a look around insideDid anyone suffer anything similar?

James Green ● 5811d6 Comments ● 5791d

Empire moving at last?

See front page report that Empire have promised to start work on the cinema in the new year.

Susan Kelly ● 5792d0 Comments ● 5792d

One of the best Winter walks in the UK !

Who knew !The Guardian's list of the best Winter walks features Ealing !http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2010/dec/20/pubs-winter-walks-readers-tips?CMP=twt_fd

Mary MacInnes ● 5792d0 Comments ● 5792d

Car keys found

Set of car keys found in Clovelly Road, Wed 15th at 7 pm or so.

Caroline Cabraal ● 5798d1 Comments ● 5792d

My sheepskin coat needs cleaning

anyone know anywhere good? It's a lovely old vintage one with leather trim - I am worried it could go all stiff. I found a place in Maida Vale but they quoted 52 quid!

Viv Ellis ● 5792d0 Comments ● 5792d

Oyster Daylight Robbery ?

As its the season of goodwill I thought it best to warn everyone of the perils of using Oyster and assuming you are only paying the correct amount. Normally I have a season ticket, but as it finished last week and I have some holiday I decided to use pay as you go...put £30 on it on Sunday for 4 days travel - should be enough I thought....however by the time I had finished a busy days travel (zone 1-3) and started my journey this morning found that over £14 had been taken!Now I know that Oyster should only take up to the equivalent of a day travelcard (£8.60) - so I checked this when I arrived at Liverpool St station this morning and was told that I had not swiped out at the end of my homeward journey the previous night and been charged the princely sum of £6 (peak single jouney fare !!) for this. I can distinctly remember that the barrier I used to exit Ealing Broadway opened up when I presented my card, but also that the indicator light on the barrier remained red (not amber or green) so I can only presume that the barrier was faulty.I am sure I was one of over several hundred who used that one last night - making a nice Xmas bonus for someone!This morning - all the barriers were open to entry/exit. Inviting people to forget to swipe ?? Why is this done early morning / late evening ?? Definitely sharp practice in my book. On a very positive note - the ticket person at the station refunded me the fares over the total single day travelcard once I explained what I had done.

Niall Connolly ● 5793d5 Comments ● 5793d

Ealing Freegive Group

Reusing items saves money, reduces waste and is a way to do something positive for the environment. Items we throw away such as bed, television, clothes, furniture, printer, toys, sofa and computer can pass to someone in your community.If you haven't heard yet, there is a wonderful organisation called Ealing Freegive ( http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ealingfreegive ). Ealing Freegive Group connects people who are giving and getting unwanted items for free in the London Borough of Ealing. It's all about recycle, reuse, reduce and keeping good stuff out of landfills and, at the same time, helping someone in your community by gifting them the item you no longer need. Another benefit of using Ealing Freegive is that it encourages poeple to get rid of junk that we no longer need and promote community involvement in the process. By using Ealing Freegive, not only are you able to get rid of your item with the minimum of fuss; you will also be doing your part in stopping another reusable item ending up in a landfill. It's completely free to join.Visit Ealing Freegive Group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ealingfreegiveFreegive group is active in all London boroughs. Find a group near you at http://www.freegive.co.uk/londonfg.htmHow freegive group works: 1. You have a television or clothes or furniture or printer or toys you were going to throw out.2. You join your local Freegive group.3. You post an offer on your local Freegive group.4. People respond to you if they are interested.5. You pick a recipient and arrange for them to collect the item.6. They take the item away.7. You let your local freegive group know that the item is no longer available by posting an item TAKEN message to the group. Note: If you need an item you can request one on your local freegive group in the same way by posting an item WANTED message to the group and if someone has what you’re looking for they will contact you to offer it.This is a great idea! Encouraging people to reuse and recycle things by giving them away and not sending them to the garbage bin! Ealing Freegive is a great way to build a bond in the community and it's always good to recycle. Fantastic idea and everyone should join!

Amy Willson ● 5793d1 Comments ● 5793d