For the first time, this will be held in Canbury Gardens, now that there is a community centre there. All local residents are welcome, whether CARA members or not. We would especially like to welcome those who have recently moved into the area – come and meet the neighbours over a drink and find out what’s going on in the area.

We would also welcome new committee members – we meet for a couple of hours or so about every 6 weeks, usually on a Monday evening. It’s very informal – we just ask that committee members attend 4 meetings a year and the AGM. If you’d like to find out more (with no obligation!), please phone Penny D’Souza on 8549 5331.

We’re very lucky to have as our guest speaker this year Tim Darwen, Head of Neighbourhood Services at the council. Some of the areas for which he is responsible include recycling, graffiti, refuse collection and parks maintenance. He will be telling us about his role and some of the achievements and challenges in our area – and he’ll be listening to our views and our suggestions for the future of where we live.

We’re putting forward a resolution this year, to end the facility to pay membership fees to CARA for several years in advance. This is because of the difficulty in administering this and accounting for it correctly. If you have a resolution you’d like to put forward, please phone Penny by 13^th October, with the name of a proposer and seconder.

As you probably know by now, the old bowling pavilion in Canbury Gardens, which was due to be demolished, has been rescued and renovated by a dedicated group of local residents. Trevor Willis, Neil Burton, Paul Stafford, Chris Ford, David Nutt and Ueli Lehmann formed the Canbury Community Trust, raised funds and with much help and hard work from other residents transformed this lovely but much neglected old building.

The Community Centre was finally opened on 17^th August by Mayor Dennis Doe, who has been closely involved with the project. In his speech he paid tribute to the trustees and ‘their imaginative proposals, their professional commitment, their amazing energy, their patience in dealing with the local authority, their faith in the project, and their successful outcome’.

The community centre is now available for hire with rates from £10 per hour. For enquiries or bookings, please contact Trevor Willis on 07889 731264 or email trevorwillis@london.com

You will no doubt have noticed the recent introduction of ‘rumble strips’ along Richmond Road and maybe the letter in the local press pointing out the sad but true fact that the faster you drive over them, the less vibration they cause – therefore encouraging motorists to speed up rather than slow down. They were also very noisy when lorries or buses drove over them. These ripple pads were introduced on a 6 month trial basis, but following complaints from local residents this review was brought forward. The Kingston Town Neighbourhood Committee meeting on 3^rd September voted for the pads to be removed, on the basis that they were unacceptable to local residents. As a separate item they approved the installation of two speed cameras on the Richmond Road. RBK – the listening council!

Please remember to report all criminal incidents, vandalism and Canbury Gardens disturbances to the local police – it is evidence of the need for community policing in this area.

A gentle reminder that unless you have prepaid 2003-04 CARA membership, renewal of £5 per household is due on 1^st November.

______________________________________________________________

To: Huw Rees Membership Secretary CARA, 12 Woodside Road

I enclose my membership subscription of £5 per household to CARA for 2003-2004

I do/do not require a receipt (please delete as applicable)

Name:

Signed and dated:

Address, phone and email: