I've noticed a few nice bits of brickwork when I struggle around the block... I think these patterns all have proper names in the building business and maybe somebody knows about them?

These bricks below are on the corner of The Drive and, I think,  Blake Road.  I think they look really lovely, and someone's gone…

Four years ago, one of the aspirations that Achilleas, Yasemin and I had was to try and get more GPs to come into the area. This was based on analysis that the number of surgeries per capita was below average for London. Quite a bit below in fact.

We started negotiating with the PCT for the area (up in Cockfosters at that time). Things looked good - they accepted our statistical evidence. And then... and then the new Government got rid of the PCTs. Which can be critiqued on some other…

After the Community Garden plant sale last weekend we went to see what Wolves Lane Nursery had for our garden. There are tons of plant bargains to be had at present. We got 12 allysum plants for £3.50 (pictured planted up in our yard) and there were lots of different species on sale at the same 'double pack' price.

A couple of their…

On my walk round the block I always stop at the bottom of Wroxham Gardens and look across Durnsford Road -  and imagine I am in Halifax or Burnley.

Well, it's a huge leap of the imagination, but you have to admit that the strange industrial chimney and the way the houses behind climb up the hill could fool you into…

Thank you Richard for announcing this meeting. Tory MP David Burrowes. is creating false divisions in our community for reasons that are pretty obvious. The reality is that we can and do support both our local shops AND our local cyclists - it is wrong to pretend, as Mr. Burrowes does, that we must choose between one or the other.

Go back to the Mini-Holland award - a…

Here's a beautiful and interesting blossom tree on Bounds Green Road which bears both pink and white blossoms.…

...I go up Cline Road and at the top there's a factory  called 'Textile Team - Bianca'.  It's a nice building, and I love the door and the whole entrance bit.   !   Am I crazy?   I just think it's got that special design  'something'!

Woops - I'm afraid I chopped the top off!…

Been worried about air quality for years. As a kid in the city where I grew up, the school authorities used to force us to cancel afternoon sports practices due to smog. So it's been awful witnessing the same thing again in Bowes.

A few years ago I had Enfield Council's Sustainability scrutiny look at the existing air quality sensors. They really weren't good enough. So went out a while back (ostensibly as part of a "smart cities" agenda) to doorstep Intel. And wangled about…

Here is what the officer wrote us

Dear Councillor

Thank you for your email dated 19 March 2014 regarding the above.

Following enquiries from both residents and Councillors in previous years, the area Arboricultural Officer surveyed Brownlow Road to identify suitability of the road for new and replacement tree planting, however he reported that there are no suitable sites to accommodate new trees within this road.

On receipt of this latest…

....  on Blake Road, the humble art of cementing  elevated to a higher dimension:…

This Thursday 20 March, starting 7.30pm at Trinity at Bowes Church, Palmerston Rd

See you there!

Dear resident

Following your Bowes ward councillors’ repeated representations to the Deputy Mayor for Transport (Isabel Derdring) and other Transport for London representatives, we have just received TfL officer Nigel Hardy to negotiate solutions to the unacceptable traffic congestion faced by residents of Warwick Road.

TfL is unwilling to reintroduce the right turn from the North Circular Road into Brownlow Road, which is currently banned for all vehicles apart from…

I have just been listening to a programme on Radio 4 Extra which is being repeated because one of the men in it, Alan Coren,  has died recently.  He was a great broadcaster.

The programme  is called The Sage of Cricklewood and together with his friend, Christopher Matthew, they go on a trip across North London with their Freedom bus passes.  The conversation is sparkling as they pass through Camden Town,  Wood Green, in an effort to get to Palmers Green and on to…

Fantastic news for borough although Bowes ward won't get any direct benefit since the scheme is meant to link Enfield Town to Edmonton (the specs being to expand cycle use to deprived populations that have cycled less up until now).

But as a committed cyclist (about 5/6 days a week for last 9 years), I think it's great to generalise usage. If only for air quality reasons...

The meeting at the Bowls Club this Friday is the result of discussions we've been having with a local resident justifiably concerned about rise in burglaries in the area. Subsequently the MP was invited, the police too. Here is the problem

1) Police numbers may be up from their 2012 lows but they remain - certainly in Bowes/Southgate Green - well below the numbers we had been able to achieve beforehand. But don't mention the cuts.

2) The recent rise in police…

Most economists are VERY concerned that the current "recovery" is anything but sustainable. It seems to be built on the basis of an asset bubble (property, shares) but business lending is lower and lower, limiting companies' working capital (jobs!) and investment in fixed assets

So our Administration is trying to do something about it. 

Monday 10 March, from 10am-2pm at Dugdale Centre: Access to Finance event

PLEASE COME

The programme is…

Huge event today at GLA City Hall run by our Administration (Del Goddard as Lead for Regen, also Doug Taylor) with speakers including Rosie Boycott, people from Capel Manor, reps from Growing Communities, school teachers, etc. etc.

It's too long to write about extensively this late at night. Can do if friends are interested. For the moment, a couple of websites give an idea of what we're doing.

Garden Enfield: …