A GARDEN and knitting enthusiast has reached her milestone 100th birthday.

Kathleen Butler marked her centenary on Wednesday with a party with her neighbours, friends and family.

Mrs Butler was born in Hendon and then moved to Kingsbury. She then lived in Northwood for approximately 40 years before moving to the Carlton Care Home in The Avenue, Hatch End, when she was 98.

Her daughter, Lesley Young, 70, who now lives in Scotland, she said: "My Mum loved her garden and she loved reading and knitting.

"She has done very well. She has lived until 100 and she only had to move into her home at the age of 98.

"Until then she was fine, but she has lost a bit of her sight now.

"The home she is in is great and she is so well looked after. They organised a great party for her, there were cakes and loads of her friends and family around her."

Mrs Butler had two children with her husband, Sydney Butler: their son who sadly died from cancer five years ago and their daughter Lesley, who went on herself to have Katherine Butler, 37, who is an airline pilot.

Lesley said: "My Dad worked in Wealdstone as an engineer in the Kodak factory and Mum worked as an organising secretary for the Hendon Old People's Welfare Community.

"She was really excited to receive the telegram from The Queen and we all took pictures of her with it.

"I think she had a lovely birthday and the party was great fun."

Mrs Butler stays up to date with current affairs and loves listening to LBC and other stations on the radio.

FRAUDSTERS persuaded woman to hand over £10,000 by concocting a scam story about a lottery win.

The 62-year-old victim was approached by a female confidence trickster in High Street, Wealdstone, on Wednesday last week who was pleading for help.

DISSATISFIED left-wing councillors have "regrettably" split away to form their own faction within Harrow's council chamber.

The Independent Labour group has been created in the wake of the election of Councillor David Perry as the new leader of the ruling Labour group at its annual general meeting on Monday April 15.

This new nine-strong group announced its formation with Councillor Thaya Idaikkadar, who was deposed by Mr Perry but remains the leader of Harrow Council at least until the Mayor-making annual council meeting on May 21, as its leader today.

Councillor Krishna James, the Independent Labour group chairwoman, said: "It is with great regret that we have to form the Independent Labour Group. It was impossible to ignore the lack of fairness, equality and justice, and attempts to resolve matters have not been successful.

"The Independent Labour Group subscribes to Labour values and its members remain members of the Labour Party."

Nine councillors in total have joined the breakaway faction.

The current Mayor of Harrow, Councillor Nizam Ismail, and the Deputy Mayor of Harrow and new mayor-elect, Councillor Nana Asante, are also among the rebels.

Twenty-five councillors are left in the 'ruling' Labour group - the same number as the Conservative opposition.

Consequently no one group has overall control of the council and throws into question the future administration of the authority.

Mr Akhtar said: "At the end of the day what matters is the residents of Harrow.
"We will welcome any positive suggestions. This is something that we have to work out, and it is ongoing.
"We want to have a key part in an administration. We are very open minded."
Conservative group leader Councillor Susan Hall said: "Knowing the members of the new group as well as I do - some of whom informed me of
their desire to split a few weeks ago - I know they have not made this decision lightly.
"Conservatives believe in fairness and transparency; qualities which appear not to exist in the Labour group.
"We therefore support and welcome the decision of these councillors to form their own group, to make their voices heard, and to take a stand."

INDEPENDENT LABOUR:

Thaya Idaikkadar

Krishna James

Husain Akhtar

Asad Omar

Nana Asante

Zarina Khalid

Raj Ray

Nizam Ismail

Mano Dharmarajah

HARROW COUNCIL'S POLITICAL MAKE-UP:

Labour 25

Conservative 25

Independent Labour 9

Independent 3

Liberal Democrat 1

The charity, Frustrated Communication has been chosen by Waitrose for it's Community Matters boxes in two stores, one in Harrow Weald and one in Northwood.

The Pinner based charity will use whatever money is raised to go towards grants for local organisations.

The boxes are in the two stores during May, when you buy something you need to ask for a green token and pop it in the Frustrated Communication's box. They help people who suffer from communication difficulties, cancer or diabetes.

For more information visit: www.frustrated-communication.org.uk

The Harrow Vaisakhi Festival, which celebrates the establishment of the Sikh community, known as the Khalsa, and marks the start of the New Year for Hindus, takes place on Saturday, May 11, between 5.30pm and 7.30pm at Harrow Teachers' Centre in Tudors Road.
The free event is ticket only and tickets must be obtained in advance from either the Academy of Punjabi Heritage, Brent Sikh Centre, Harrow Sikh Association, the Indian Association of Harrow, Sikh Network Harrow or Wishful Smiles.

A children's holiday sport camp is being held at the Grimsdyke School, Sylvia Avenue, from May 28 to May 31, from 10am to 4pm.

It is open to all children aged four to 12 and will include football, tennis, cricket, rugby, athletics, basketball and netball. Certificates are awarded daily.

For more information go to www.elmssportinschools.co.uk/ppa/holidays/grimsdyke.

KEEN walkers are being encouraged to take part in a 10km walk to help raise money for charity.

The Moor Park Lions Club would like families and friends to join in the event in aid of St Luke's Hospice in Kenton Road, Kenton.

The route passes through Moor Park estate and will start and finish at Merchant Taylors' School's playing fields in Sandy Lodge, Moor Park, on Sunday, May 12, at 10am.

Visitors can expect a bouncy castle, food stalls, henna tattoos, face painting and much more.

President of Moor Park Lions Club, Pravin Kukadia, said: "As a leading Lions Club in the area, we wanted to work with St Luke's Hospice to organise an event to raise money for a great cause.

"The hospice is locally renowned for providing 25 years of the best possible care to people during the final stages of their life.

"We hope lots of people will take part in the walk and come along to enjoy the fun activities we have organised in the park."

The walk costs £10 for adults and £5 for children or £30 for a family (two adults and three children) and each participant will receive a T-shirt and goody bag.

See www.stlukes-hospice.org/moorpark or call 020 8382 8143.

A NEW president has been elected to run the village's Pinner Association.

Keith Schofield has been part of the association for more than 50 years and will now take over the role of president.

He said: "I have been in the committee for 50 years and have done every other role in the Pinner Association.

"I would like better amenities in Pinner. It is changing all the time, we want to keep that character it has going."

Mr Schofield is taking over from Martin Verden who was president for three years.

A GREAT grandmother celebrated her 100th birthday joined by her family.

Kitty Elizabeth Parsons, who was born on April 19, 1913, was joined by her daughter Stella, of Hatch End, and her grandchildren, Alex, 32 and Victoria, 42, and her great grandchild Eve, two, on Friday last week.

A CHARITY auction is being held by a fundraiser in memory of her friend who died of pancreatic cancer.

Mark Eley died from the fifth most common cause of death, pancreatic cancer, on January 6, at his home in Pinner.

Gail McAlinden, 54, from Hatch End, was moved to organise the charity auction in memory of her friend of 30 years, in a bid to raise £1,000 for the Pancreatic Cancer Action charity and to raise awareness about the disease.

Gail said: "I wanted to organise this event because out of this loss I felt I wanted to make some good of it."

Mr Eley was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer only seven-and-a-half weeks prior to his death.

He left behind his wife and two children.

Pancreatic Cancer Action's aim is to improve survival rates through early diagnosis and to raise public and medical professional awareness of the symptoms of pancreatic cancer, a notoriously aggressive form of the disease.

The auction is at The Moon and Sixpence Pub in Uxbridge Road, Hatch End, on Wednesday, April 24, from 8pm.

Gail has managed to gather prizes to auction and raffle, including signed Watford and Manchester United football club pennants, restaurant and beauty vouchers, a spa day and tickets to see The Bodyguard musical at the Adelphi Theatre in London.

Harrow Male Apollo Choir will be providing entertainment during the evening.

n For more information about Pancreatic Cancer Action, or to make a donation, visit www.pancreaticcanceraction.org.