February 25th, 2009 by Sheila Smith-Pryor
Comment?
In its first year attending the London New Years Parade Waltham Forest came 11th, out of the 23 London Boroughs, in The Let’s Help London Challenge earning the mayoral charities fund £1,000 in addition to the £270 collected on route.
The 23rd New Year’s Day Parade has been hailed as a massive ‘global triumph’ – giving London a much needed spotlight on the World stage.
Massive crowds, estimated at more than 550,000, packed the 2.2mile route – the biggest since the Millennium event.
Waltham Forest’s Mayor, Cllr Shelia Smith-Pryor said:
“It was a fabulous day
and I’m delighted my chosen charities, Branches and MS Action, will benefit from the prize money and collection. I hope future Waltham Forest Mayors will carry on where I have started.”
Cllr Smith-Pryor was presented with a cheque for £1000 and an award for being a winning entry in 2009 New Years Day Parade by Bob Bone, organiser of the London New Years Parade in her parlour in the Town Hall.
December 2nd, 2008 by Sheila Smith-Pryor
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Former Lib Dem national President and Southwark MP, Simon Hughes, visited Hale End and Highams Park ward to lend his support to the two Lib Dem by-election candidates, Nick Bason and Jane Morgan.
Along with Hale End and Highams Park Lib Dem Councillor, Sheila Smith-Pryor and other Waltham Forest Lib Dem Councillors, Simon Hughes toured the ward and visited the Aldriche Way Estate to meet with tenants and leaseholders.
“I am confident Nick and Jane are fully committed and skilled to carry on the tremendous work of former Hale End & Highams Park Councillors, John Beanse and Noel Penstone following my discussions with local residents. Hale End and Highams Park ward can only benefit from having Lib Dem Councillors” said Simon Hughes MP.
Cllr Smith-Pryor added: “I look forward to welcoming Nick and Jane to the Lib Dem Group on Waltham Forest Council after the count this Thursday! They will be valuable assests not only for the Lib Dem Group, Hale End & Highams Park ward but also for the borough as a whole. On the doorsteps residents have said that they want Nick and Jane to be their Councillors to ensure they are heard in the Town Hall”.
Following the 2006 elections the Liberal Democrats are the only Party to have Councillors in all parts of Waltham Forest.
Printed and Promoted by Henry Boyle and the Liberal Democrats both of 105 Beresford Road, Chingford, E4.
October 19th, 2008 by Sheila Smith-Pryor
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Mayor of Waltham Forest, Cllr Sheila Smith-Pryor, met people with special needs and carers who attended the annual dance of the Waltham Forest Catholic Handicapped Fellowship.
The Fellowship, in its 41st year, celebrated the achievements of two of its founders, Benny and Ann Scott, and in their absence committee member, Phyllis Flynn, was presented an award from the Mayor in recognition of their dedicated service to WFCHF.
Cllr Smith-Pryor said: “Waltham Forest is full of people like Benny and Ann and it is right that we should recognise their valuable contribution to our community.”
For more information about the Waltham Forest Catholic Handicapped Fellowship click here.
October 17th, 2008 by Sheila Smith-Pryor
Comment?
The Mayor of Waltham Forest was joined by the Mayors of Barking & Dagenham, Camden, Ealing, Haringey, Havering, Islington and Redbridge to celebrate her civic service at St Thomas of Canterbury Church, Woodford Green. Waltham Forest Liberal Democrat, including Cllr James O’Rourke, and Conservative Councillors also joined the celebrations.
Cllr Shelia Smith-Pryor said: “I am delighted my civic service was so well attended and would like to especially thank my friend, the Mayor of Redbridge, Cllr Loraine Sladden, for allowing me to hold the service in her borough. It was humbling to stand alongside representatives of other faiths at a catholic service.”
Mass was led by the parish priest, Fr. Isidore Faloona, and a reception held in the Becket Centre next door.
Click on the picture for a full size version and click here to get a list of mayoral attendees.
Tuesday, October 7th, 2008 by superadmin
Liberal Democrat Councillor John Beanse, who represented the Hale End and
Highams
Park ward, has died suddenly at the age of 61 after a short illness.
John Beanse lived in the Chingford area all his life and was educated at Sir George Monoux Grammar School, where he very recently attended a reunion of ‘Old Monovians’. He went on to study Modern Languages at Cambridge before training to be a teacher at Goldsmith’s College. He enjoyed a distinguished career as a languages teacher and taught in the local area.
John became an active member of the Liberal Party in 1974 and was a regular attendee and contributor at party conferences and events. He was also an accredited speaker for the Electoral Reform Society. Until recently he was the Chair of the Chingford and Woodford Green Liberal Democrats, where he stood as the parliamentary candidate in the General Elections of 2001 and 2005.
A hard-working community activist prior to his election to Waltham Forest Council in 2006, he served as a Governor of two local schools and was previously the Chair of the local Community Health Council.
As the editor of the popular local ‘Focus’ leaflets he used advice surgeries and his long-running ‘Chingford and Woodford Green Blogspot’ webpage to keep residents up-to-date with local news.
Cllr Beanse took a keen interest in health issues, and after his election in 2006 he served on the Council as the Vice Chair of the Health, Adults and Older People Overview and Scrutiny sub-committee.
Amongst his other Council commitments, he chaired the Council Joint Consultative Committee and also sat on the Performance Improvement Committee, the Teachers Joint Committee and the Waltham Forest Tenants Council.
In his spare time he enjoyed travel and walking holidays, and he regularly gave talks to various travel groups.
The Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Waltham Forest Council, Cllr John Macklin, said that the news had come as “a huge shock to all of Cllr Beanse’s many friends and colleagues”.
Cllr Macklin continued:
“John was an incredibly hard-working and committed community activist both in his time as a councillor and as a lifelong local resident.
“He always had residents best interests at heart and his local knowledge and enormous abilities as a councillor will be hugely missed by the Liberal Democrats, Waltham Forest Council and the residents on whose behalf he worked so conscientiously”.
Tuesday, August 12th, 2008 by superadmin
As part of the Hale End Road Safety scheme (between the railway crossing and Wadham Bridge) – funded by Transport for London – various safety features such as built out kerbs and islands are now a feature. Particularly welcome to many local residents are the THREE new pedestrian crossings which are now in operation:
1] at the Hale End Road/Wadham Road junction
2] at this same junction on Wadham Bridge itself
3] part-way along Hale End Road near the junctions of Forest Mount Road on one side and Malvern Avenue on the other.
In addition to these measures, there has been re-surfacing and there are fresh markings.
It is hoped that all these measures will improve safety for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians - and that above all, there will be fewer problems with speeding traffic.
