Good Morning Neighbour! ☕
Four Sundays of brass, Bollywood and big band wind down to a tidy close this afternoon, the Lion Dance Sunday school returns to Harrow Arts Centre for its penultimate session, and the council is still politely off-air for the week. Picnic, drumroll, retiring collection.
In today's Good Morning Pinner:
Simply Gray closes the Pinner Memorial Park summer concert series this afternoon
The Lion Dance Sunday school lands at Harrow Arts Centre for session five of six
TfL engineering works are pencilled in for the Piccadilly and Metropolitan lines next Saturday
Let’s dive in.
- Chinar
If someone forwarded this to you, you can get the Pinner updates every Sunday at goodmorningpinner.com.
This Week in HA5
Simply Gray closes the Pinner Association's summer concert series this afternoon at 2:30pm. A 60s-and-70s tribute band to send the four-Sunday run off in style, with the usual chair, picnic and loose plan to make friends. Free entry, retiring collection for the Pinner Association (Charity No. 262349). A nice, tidy way to round off the August. Pinner Association
The Sunday Lion Dance school returns to Harrow Arts Centre this afternoon, 1-2:30pm. Session five of six for children aged 8 and above, working through the footwork, drumming and rhythm ahead of the showcase. If you missed the earlier sign-up, it is still worth asking around the parents' group to see if a late spot has opened up. Sign-up form
Meet the Lovely Humans
Know someone local with a brilliant story, unusual side project, or wonderfully niche obsession? Hit reply with their name and one line about them, and we will slot them in next Sunday.
Local Business News
Nothing fresh and substantial from the high street this week. Some recent news from previous issues - Lawrance's reopening, Pascucci's expansion into the old Hatch End Post Office, the new NEXT landing at South Ruislip.
If you have spotted a new opening, a refurb, a hygiene-rating change, a local offer or a shopfront mystery, hit reply and send it over. Bonus points if it involves a sign going up and half the high street quietly trying to work out what it means.
What’s Happening This Week
Events with (£) are paid.
General
Junior Parkrun | Pinner Village Gardens | Sun 16 Aug | 9-9:45am - A free, friendly 2km for under-17s (and their grown-ups on the sidelines).
Concerts in the Park: Simply Gray | Pinner Memorial Park | Sun 16 Aug | 2:30pm - Closing Sunday of the Pinner Association's summer band series.
Lion Dance Cultural Experience | Harrow Arts Centre | Sun 16 Aug | 1-2:30pm - Fifth session of the six-Sunday school.
Board Game Mondays | Queen's Head | Mon 17 Aug | 7:30pm - Free entry, bring your game face.
Crafternoon Time | Roxborough Heights, HA1 | Mon 17 Aug | 11am (£) - Weekly family crafts and activities.
Kids Kung Fu | Harrow High School | Tue 18 Aug | 5:45pm and 6:30pm (£) - Two age groups for 4-6 and 7-13 year olds. More info
Quiz Night | Queen's Head | Tue 18 Aug | 8pm (£) - £2 entry, with £1 going to Mount Vernon Cancer Centre.
Slimming World | Pinner Green Social Club | Wed 19 Aug | 7pm (£) - A warm weekly group with real food and ongoing support. From £6.65.
Quiz Night | Three Wishes Pinner | Thu 20 Aug | 7:30pm (£) - £3 entry per person, with a £50 bar tab for the winning team.
Quiz Night | The Ascott | Thu 20 Aug | 8pm (£)
Speed Quiz | The Whittington | Fri 21 Aug | 8pm (£) - £3 entry, with cash prizes on offer.
Ruislip Country Market | St Martin's Approach Car Park | Fri 21 Aug | 10am-12pm
The Welcome Space | Pinner Village Hall | Fri 21 Aug | 2pm - Free Friday drop-in for older neighbours and carers.
Futsal Class | Barnhill High School | Fri 21 Aug | 5:30pm (£) - Weekly session for all abilities.
Yoga with Nikky | Eastcote House Gardens | Sat 22 Aug | 8am (£) - Vinyasa flow, with class packs and drop-in options.
Activities for Children
U9s Training and Trials | Parkfield Youth FC | Thu 20 Aug | 6-7pm - Contact Jason at 07772671464 before attending.
Weekly Classes
Boogie Knights | Bishop Winnington Ingram Primary School | Every Mon and Tue | 7am (£) - Dance themed fitness for all levels. Book here
Beginners Pilates | Pinner Village Hall | Every Tue | 9:45am (£) - Calm and friendly Pilates for beginners and returners. Book here
Tai Chi | Whitmore High School | Every Wed | 7pm (£) - Beginners Wu Style Tai Chi class. More info
Qigong and Tai Chi | Eastcote House Gardens | Every Wed | 10am (£) - Gentle movement and breath practice in the gardens. More info
Zumba classes | Harefield Community Center | Every Tues 7pm and Sat 10am (£) - The first class is free to try. Book here
Women Only Self Defence | Harrow High School | Every Thu | 7pm (£) - Self defence class taught by a female instructor. Book here
Plan Ahead
Lion Dance Cultural Experience | Harrow Arts Centre | Sun 23 Aug | 1-2:30pm - Sixth and final Sunday of the school, with a small showcase for parents.
Autumn Fair | Pinner Village Hall | Sat 29 Aug | 12pm (£2) - An afternoon of jewellery, crystals, art and craft stalls, holistic wellness treatments, psychic reads and a raffle. Refreshments on site, with local businesses at the heart of it. Book here
The events and activities list is growing as I speak with more organisers each week. Reply to this email and let me know what you'd like to see here!
Organising an event? Submit it here to get it added.
Community Corner
Hatch End Station's flower displays still need a few more hands through the summer. Friendly volunteers wanted to help with watering and tidying, with a flexible time commitment for anyone who lives nearby and has an hour to spare. A nice fit if you enjoy gardening and want to keep the platforms looking sharp for commuters and visitors alike.
Several over-60 friendship clubs around our patch are looking for new members. Reader-shared tip: groups meet weekly at local synagogues in Stanmore, Bushey, Edgware and Northwood, with music, speakers and trips for older neighbours who fancy more company. Bushey is at particular risk of closing on Mondays if more members don't come forward. Most clubs don't care about religious denomination, just respect for the venue.
Tudor Lunch Club in Eastcote has had a short reprieve from closing but still needs members and funding support. A quietly important resource for older neighbours in the area. Worth a mention to anyone you know who might fancy a warm lunch and good company during the week.
Seen a local sign, mystery shopfront, very specific noticeboard drama or useful community callout? Hit reply and send it over. These are the tiny things that make this newsletter much more fun than a spreadsheet wearing shoes.
Civic Updates
Another quiet week out of Harrow Council. The August admin cycle is still in holiday mode and the council's own messaging is, for now, mostly about enjoying the parks rather than announcing them.
If you have spotted something new on the streets we should cover, hit reply.
Transport
Good service on the Piccadilly and Metropolitan lines today and into the early week. Looking ahead, planned engineering works are pencilled in for next Saturday on both lines, which is worth a quick check before you set off if you are heading into town or the airport. The full breakdown is on the TfL live status page closer to the day.
Pet of the Week
Want your pet to take the highly unofficial GMP crown next week? Hit reply with one photo, their name, and the tiny household role they have appointed themselves to.
Inspiration from previous winners: Pepper the Glossy-Coat Inspector, the Junior Train Inspector at the Miniature Railway, or a certain Head of Roast-Chicken Diplomacy.
Whether yours is Chair of Afternoon Sunbeam Allocation, Head of Window-Ledge Surveillance, or Director of Sock Reallocation Operations, we want to hear about it.
Closing
Thank you for reading Good Morning Pinner today.
If you only do one sociable thing this week, take a chair to Pinner Memorial Park this afternoon for Simply Gray and send the four-Sunday series off properly. If you only do one curious thing, settle in for the final Lion Dance Sunday at Harrow Arts Centre next week. And if you only do one good thing for your local newsletter, hit reply with an event, a story, or a sign you have spotted in passing.
Got a story, event, local win, or random neighbourhood question? Hit reply. I read every one.
See you next Sunday, same time, same place.
P.S. - If you found something useful, please share it with a neighbour!