HAREFIELD High Street's dispersal zone has received an initial thumbs up from one of the village's PCSOs.

The zone was brought in for the second year in a row because of a rise in anti-social behaviour in November and December.

A HEADTEACHER who has overseen a generation of children's education has announced she is to retire after 22 years.

Vicki Williams will leave Harefield Junior School in Park Lane at the end of summer term, having taken on the headteacher role in January 1990.

She said: "More than 40 pupils who were there in the early years now have children at the school themselves. I have had a lot of very happy times at the school."

Updated at 3.05pm
The Metropolitan Police has confirmed the incident at Londis in Moorhall Road this morning [Thursday, January 5] was an attempted cash-in-transit robbery.

It said as a security guard was filling up the ATM outside the store with cash, a lone suspect challenged him to hand over the money.

Police were called and the suspect fled in a car without securing any money.

The Met is circulating the man's description and a description of his vehicle to neighbouring forces in Hertfordshire and Thames Valley in an attempt to trace him.

They were not prepared to tell give the Gazette that information but said investigations continue.

HAREFIELD Tenants' and Residents' Association is to hold a special meeting to discuss its future and how the association can progress.
It will be at the Harefield Village Centre in Park Lane at 8pm on Monday, January 9.
All residents are invited to attend.

REGULAR users of of a road prone to icing up have been told the problem is being tackled as part of an upgrade.

And with 'ice season' here, the timing of improvement works at Harvil Road could be crucial in preventing accidents.

Water running off nearby fields has been blamed for turning the country road between Ickenham and Harefield into a skid pan during freezing conditions.

One of the worst accidents took place almost two years ago when a driver skidded on ice and her car somersaulted into a field.

HAREFIELD'S Christmas tree was lit up on Friday - but celebrity Russell Grant could not make it along to do the honours.

Instead the tree was switched on by Councillor Henry Higgins and the mayor of Hillingdon, Councillor Mary O'Connor.

The astrologer and former Harefield resident took to social network site Twitter to make his apologies.

He tweeted: "Gutted I can't switch on the lights at my childhood village, Harefield.

"Stuck at hospital at home in Wales for more knee pre-op."

Just 24 hours before, the Strictly Come Dancing star had attended a nursery in Denham, Bucks, to join their festive celebrations.

Saxophonists from Hillingdon Music Service performed at the event to a crowd on Harefield Village Green, and the St Mary's Church choir also sang.

STAR of Strictly Come Dancing, Harefield's own Russell Grant, has donated a cummerbund to a church to raise funds.

The sash was worn by the dancing astrologer when he performed the paso doble.

Once a choirboy at St Mary's Church in Church Hill, he still maintains strong links with the village.

The vicar of St Martin's, the Reverend Martin Davies said: "This specially signed cummerbund will be coveted by Strictly fans. I'm really grateful to Russell for his kindness in donating it to raise money for St Mary's Church."

AN ARTIST is holding his first exhibition at the age of 60.

Pete Wane, of Hill End Road, Harefield, has been displaying what he calls his 'anything goes' collection at Uxbridge library over the past week.

He said: "The reaction so far has been very good.

"Many of these paintings have just been sitting in the loft and it has long been an aspiration of mine to host an exhibition, just to see how it goes.

"I have always believed people are interested in local artwork."

Mr Wane has been an art enthusiast since his schooldays, and while he dabbles in watercolour, his style of choice is pastels and oils.

He is now retired and able to devote more of his time to his art after working as a graphic designer for the BBC.

His work with the corporation included the opening titles for the sitcom, One Foot in the Grave, and Carla Lane's Liverpool-based comedy Bread, among others.

His wife, Tina, is chairwoman of Harefield's Save the Medi Parc campaign group, involved in an often bitter fight to preserve an open space for the community that is threatened by housing development.

"Art is a bit like a refuge, this is my way of hiding away from the madness of the world," he said.

He still attends art classes, in London and at Brunel University in Kingston Lane, Uxbridge.

"I'd recommend art classes: life drawing is really important to learn the disciplines.

"I grew up in a working class agricultural background in Yorkshire, and the thought of working in factories frightened the life out of me.

"We had a youth employment talk at school when I was younger and we were shown around a few.

"It made me determined to focus on art where I believed my talents lay, and I am lucky that in my career was related to that.

"As far as my art work goes, I am what I am.

"I leave it to others to think great or bad things of me."

The exhibition is open today (Wednesday) and tomorrow at the library in Uxbridge High Street.

THE decision on HS2 has been postponed until the New Year.

The announcement came in the same weekend it was mooted that new transport secretary Justine Greening MP is considering a £500 million tunnel underneath the Chilterns.

Doreen McIntyre, vice-chairman of Harefield Against HS2, said: "We are pleased that Justine Greening is prepared to take the time to consider things properly and not rush her decision, but we fear that a couple of weeks over the Christmas break will be nowhere near enough time to do the massive amount of work that is still needed to address all the holes in the economic and environmental arguments."

She has also suggested that Harefield's MP Nick Hurd (Con) invites Ms Greening to Harefield to examine the impact HS2 will have on the village and its surroundings.

One of the stars of BBC's Strictly Come Dancing show, Russell Grant, could soon be dancing round Harefield's public Christmas tree.

The one-time Harefield villager and renowned astrologer has been asked to switch on the Christmas lights.

If work commitments allow, the pint-sized celebrity who made millions of new fans with his dance-floor escapades in this year's BBC1 show, will be there to throw the switch on Friday night at 6.15pm.

This year's tree is shorter than the two since the Gazette led a campaign, in 2009 to 'Give Harefield A Tree', to bring festive cheer to the village green. Councillor Henry Higgins (Con, Harefield) blames rising prices. When the supplier was asked for a tree at the same price as last year, he came produced a shorter one, which the village has to settle for, he said.

If Mr Grant, who lives in North Wales, cannot make it, the Mayor of Hillingdon, Councillor Mary O'Connor, will take his place. St Mary's Church choir will also sing.