Chestnut tree beginning to bloom, Harrow

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

Brutally pollarded tree

Wood End Lane, Ealing today

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

Mike Fox has co-authored a book and published many articles on the human repercussions of illness. Now writing fiction, his stories have been nominated for Best of Net and the Pushcart Prize, listed in Best British and Irish Flash Fiction (BIFFY50), and included in Best British Stories 2018 (Salt), His story, The Violet Eye, was published by Nightjar Press as a limited edition chapbook. An illustrated collection of new stories is being prepared for publication by Confingo Publishing in 2024. www.polyscribe.co.uk

Grove Farm view

Grove Farm local nature reserve, Ealing. View from steps at the southeast corner, Easter Sunday 2024

 

Two billboards outside Greenford

Corner of Cavendish Avenue and Greenford Road, Harrow

Two billboards on a gable wall. The top one from The Woodland Trust, advertises "Feeling crisis-y about the climate? Plant more trees". The one underneath at street level is a palimpsest of bits of old posters stripped away. Setting, corner of high street, people about 1pm, shops, a car, shadow of chimney pots from opposite building behind viewpoint. (Photo 24 March 2024)

Three poems from Day of the Flying Leaves (audio)

Bookmovie from Fonoteca de Poesia - Stephen Moran

1. The Hunter-Gatherer Children of Dublin
2. Eleven Homes
3. Visiting Molly

The text is displayed smoothly to look like book pages turning. My reading, I don't know, not too bad. I'm grateful to Fonotexa de Poesia for this, which I consider an honour. (Steve)

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

From Listowel, Ireland, Neil Brosnan’s stories have appeared in both print and digital magazines and anthologies in Ireland, Britain, Europe, Australia, USA and Canada. A Pushcart nominee, he has won The Bryan MacMahon, The Maurice Walsh, and Ireland’s Own short story awards, and has published two short story collections.

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.

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

Amanda Huggins lives near Leeds and is the author of two novellas and several collections of short stories and poetry. Her work has appeared in, among others, Harper’s Bazaar, Mslexia, Tokyo Week-ender, The Telegraph, the Guardian, and on BBC radio.

She has won several awards, including the Kyoto City Mayoral Prize, the Colm Tóibín 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.

Tuesday: The magnificent trees of Westbourne Terrace

View down Westbourne Terrace from across Bishops Bridge Road waiting at a traffic light on red

On the point of action. The moment when an English traffic light turns red and amber.

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.

"Open storage," Wood End

Monday afternoon

This site beside the tracks used to be some sort of car breakers or suchlike. Then it was cleared and a sign went up and stayed for a couple of years, saying "Coming Soon - Clearview Homes." Now there's a sign outside advertising "Open Storage" with the number of square feet etc. The building just visible on the horizon is what used to be called Kellogg Tower, though it has a new name now it's been turned into flats. The intervening semi-wooded area is part of Grove Farm, a "local nature reserve". The railway is the Piccadilly Uxbridge tube line. (Wood End Road his afternoon)