Isleworth: Remembering our History, Defending our Future

Christine Diwell and ICG Chair Ian Speed lead a 
massive residents' campaign to save Isleworth Library

I spent an interesting few hours last week attending the Annual General Meeting of The Isleworth Society (TIS) at Isleworth Public Hall. Although I have been a member for many years it was the first AGM that I had been to for quite a while as it almost invariably seems to clash with something else in my chaotic life schedule.

AGMs in general are, as a rule of thumb, fairly mundane affairs in which the business of electing a Committee and of hearing last year's minutes is conducted to the exclusion of anything remotely interesting to any but the anoraks. TIS AGMs, however, do not follow this rule. Instead once the routine business is done there are tea and snacks, a raffle, and then a "Part Two" which is an integral feature of the meeting.

The elections to the Committee confirmed the current incumbents in situ, which now includes Paul Fisher who was co-opted a few months back and whose continued membership of the Committee was unanimously supported. Although he is not the first ICG member to take up office in TIS he is undoubtedly the most high profile, and his welcome elevation would appear to endorse the ever closer working relationship that the two groups enjoy. A relationship which one must say is something of a "no brainer" when one considers the convergence of interests that exists between us.

On this occasion "Part Two" comprised a fascinating talk by TIS Secretary Christine Diwell, whose great talent for holding an audience seems to grow with every presentation she makes. Even though I had heard much of the talk on a previous occasion my attention was as undivided as it had ever been.

I could not help but be struck by the sheer size of the meeting and the support that it drew from around the Isleworth community. Although the ICG is the larger of the two groups in terms of core membership we could only dream of bringing out half the number for one of our AGMs that TIS achieved last week. That TIS was also able to use the event to generate probably a three figure sum for its funds only served to underline the professionalism of the whole enterprise.

It would also be fair comment to say that the attendance was from the senior end of the age scale, and whilst both TIS and the ICG aspire to recruit more active young people I feel it would be wrong to underestimate the power of the grey activist base - retired, affluent by comparison and, in this day and age, still surprisingly capable when it comes to pushing out leaflets and participating in such things as community clean-ups as well as relentless lobbying.

It occurs to me that the ICG would appear to have morphed organically into an "action arm" of a wider movement, a movement that is given depth and meaning by the activities and the powerful presence of civic organisations such as TIS. It provides a potent combination, and in my view is a model that communities around the borough that find their independence and their unique character under threat from the soulless and unrelenting attentions of the planners and the politicians should seek with some urgency to replicate.

Some Dates For Your Diary

Two important events will be taking place in Isleworth this summer:


Monday 18th July: 6.30 for 7 p.m

Talk by Christine Diwell - An A-Z of Isleworth at Isleworth Library

Start off with tea/coffee and a 10 minute presentation by Sanda Connolly (an outreach worker for library services), followed by an informative talk by the Secretary of The Isleworth Society.

Saturday 13th August: 11 a.m. from the Library

Guided Walk

Theme - "Following the TV series Filthy Cities, explore Isleworth's own grimy past from the smoke of steam trains to odours of pigsties, a soap factory and Mogden Sewage Works".

A 90 minute walk led by Christine Diwell, ending at the Library for coffee.

£1 entry will be charged.


At a time when Isleworth's community is under threat from all sides it is important that residents turn out to demonstrate their solidarity with local groups such as TIS and the ICG, who are fighting to preserve our local facilities. As both these activities are taking place at or around Isleworth Library it is particularly essential that they are well-supported, and that the right message is sent.

Please put these days in your diary and come along and give our tireless local campaigners the backing they deserve.

Celebrating Isleworth (in pictures)

As promised, here are some photos from this event held over the weekend. I think they are all self-explanatory but I have added a few comments anyway:


The Isleworth Society (TIS) is 50 years old this year. Deservedly it had pride of place at the exhibition.



TIS Chair Mike Derham introduces the Mayor of the London Borough of Hounslow to attendees. I tried about seven times to get Mike to look at the camera. Maybe he's just shy.



ICG Treasurer and former Syon ward councillor Shirley Fisher with the Isleworth Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT).



Isleworth Town School was well represented at the event. Attendees included head teacher Eileen Sheedy.



Our local coat of arms. The previous Mayor Paul Lynch said we could keep this in Isleworth. Colin Ellar referred to it in his speech, let's hope he honours his predecessor's promise.



A well-stocked stall from the Friends of Osterley Park. The park is a great local asset, let's hope it has all the friends it needs.



The popular Isleworth Bowling Club. Johnny Rahman, centre, talked me into joining. I used to think only old people played bowls (no comments please!).



Christine Diwell and Mike Derham from TIS share a joke with The Worshipful Mayor Councillor Colin Ellar (where do they find these absurd, anachronistic titles?).



First prize for the most decorative stall would probably have gone to St. John the Baptist Church. Sean and Michael were too bashful to appear in the photo alongside their excellent work.

An engaging day at the office

One meeting either side of lunch had me effectively marooned at the Civic Centre for most of the working day today, and both of them impacted greatly on the Community Group's drive to engage the communities we serve.

Before lunch I accompanied the indefatigable Christine Diwell, Secretary of The Isleworth Society (TIS), at a lengthy meeting with a senior officer of the council to discuss a matter of serious import to the Isleworth & Brentford Area Committee (IBAC), of which she is a co-opted member.

It is by no means unknown to me that there are still officers who resent having to interact with and explain themselves to "ordinary" members of the community - be it TIS, MRAG or whoever - but at a council which takes Community Empowerment seriously this mindset is shortly to change, drastically and for the better. Following a long discussion Christine and I were able to gain a better understanding of the issue at hand, and at the same time were able to express some valid concerns about process.

Then after lunch I had the pleasure of a frank hour-long discussion with two ladies who were part of a team provided by the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) to help assess our approach to Community Engagement as a local authority. The team will be interviewing councillors from across the political spectrum who volunteer to take part in the project, and its findings will be published in a few weeks' time.

It will be interesting to have an outside perspective on what we already do to consult and include the people who elected us to office in the process of local government, and how we can improve things in this respect. Any advice received will be fed into what already looks to be shaping up as an exciting and innovative programme under the portfolio of my Community Group colleague Councillor Paul Fisher.

I am very much looking forward to the year ahead and to the opportunities which at last seem to be falling into place to change the culture of our local authority and engage with our communities in a way that we've never done before.

"To The River" Website

Stalwart Isleworth conservationist and activist Christine Diwell has just sent me the link to an excellent website published by The Environment Trust for Richmond Upon Thames and local web wizard John Inglis.

Described as "a unique photographic record of Richmond's riverside at the Millennium", it came about as the result of an idea by the late Councillor Michael Jones, who was Mayor of Richmond in the year 2000 and to whom it is dedicated.

Follow the link marked "To The River" and click on "Isleworth" for a guided tour along the upstream reach of the Isleworth riverside.

The Mayor of Hounslow, Andrew Morgan-Watts, attanded the launch of Isleworth's inclusion in the project last Friday (May 2nd) at the London Apprentice.