Oaklands Primary School, Oaklands Road, will be hosting the car boot sale in the playground from 1-3pm and there will be refreshments on sale throughout the event.

For more information, call 020 8567 5243.

With the promise of wholesome Iranian cooking and cabaret to keep you entertained throughout your meal, Shalizar is certainly a novelty dining experience which should be tried at least once, or as many times as your ears may be able to take the loud music.

While waiting for my two guests, it was plain to see that the restaurant, which takes up two shop units, had been tastefully decorated with warm autumnal colours, the rows of tables arranged as if expectant of Iranian families and the open grill was a nice touch.

It did take a few minutes to be given a menu though and I had to get the attention of one of the many waitresses to order a coke.

My partner arrived and we ordered calamari, mahi-e-kilka or whitebait, and hummus with nan on the side for our starter and a bottle of red wine which we hoped our waitress was able to hear over the loud music and stereo hanging just above our heads.

The dish portions were so generous and neatly presented, the nan came in a silver-wired basket, the hummus drizzled with oil and the fish dishes each had a lettuce leaf with a yoghurt and gherkin dip and lemon.

Although both were deep fried, the calamari and whitebait felt light and not too saturated with grease and was a pleasant starter, all for under £4 each.

Our friend then joined us and we ordered our mains of Barg (lamb fillet), chenjeh (lamb dish) and soltani, grilled lamb and minced lamb all served with rice and a grilled tomato although we opted to have half the rice portion and salad instead.

Again, the main dishes were impressively large but our salad request was forgotten.

The meat took up the length of the plate and was already cut for the diner to easily slice their knife into.

We all agreed the marinated meat was tasty if a little dry and so we ordered a side dish of yoghurt and garlic.

The saffron rice was fluffy and went well as an accompaniment to the meat and yoghurt side.

My friend struggled with his portion and was more occupied by the women who had taken to the dance floor.

After getting through another bottle of red and enjoying the atmosphere in the restaurant, we were jolted back to the reality of West Ealing with the arrival of the bill.

Service charge was included already, one of my pet hates, and we paid £77 plus tip for three starters, three mains, two sides, a coke and two bottles of wine.

But what you couldn't pay for was the atmosphere, being completely immersed in a different culture and right in Ealing.

I wouldn't recommend Shalizar for a date or for taking out your grandparents, but it's a green light for everything else in between.

Councillor David Millican, cabinet member for regeneration and transport confirmed the scheme is to be completed by the end of next year and health bosses at Ealing Primary Care Trust were unable to give a specific date.

The pupils of St John's Primary School in Felix Road, West Ealing, welcomed mosaic artist, David Bowers, to their school to help them create a two by two metre mosaic.

Mr Bowers smashed up tiles and then the children placed the pieces together to make up the big picture which promotes the school ethos of 'achieving together'.

Head teacher Marilyn Borlase, said: "The children had a wonderful time working together with David.

"Working together is the central theme of the logo and a key to success at St. John's"
"The final design promotes the ethos of the school 'Achieving Together' and reflects children's experiences and enjoyment of school."

The completed design will be displayed outside the school.

Livingston St Louis a father of three children and three grandchildren, has been vice chairman of the Acton Vale Tenants and Residents'Association for nine years and chairman for about five.

Get nominating everyone. Nominations close next month and nominees can win up to £1,000 and one lucky nominator, £100! Forms in Gazette every week.

Clinicenta, based in Hanwell, was commissioned by NHS London as part of a five-year, £144million contract with 20 London PCTs to provide enhanced home care and urgent care services.

And campaigners from the 'Save Our Services at Ealing Hospital' say this is money down the drain which could be used to help plug the £5billion NHS funding shortfall and prevent the threat of front-line services at Ealing Hospital being realised.

And more worryingly, as there appears to be a move towards providing home-based care and the possible downgrading of services at the hospital, concerns are growing over the use of Clinicenta in the future.

A spokesman for the campaign, said: "Tax payers' money is being thrown down the drain on the private contract yet they still want to close your local hospital to save money.

"NHS London want to run down Ealing Hospital and say there isn't enough money to keep open all the services yet they still signed a multimillion pound contract which is now paying Clinicenta while services in West London are suspended.

"Unlike NHS services which are paid by results, private providers have an agreed minimum income already paid so Clinicenta is doing rather well - being paid while doing nothing for the money."

An NHS London spokesman said: "The out-of-hospital services provided by independent contractor Clinicenta in north London were suspended on 11 November 2009 until further notice.

"Every effort has been made to ensure minimal disruption to patient care.

"Prior to suspension, there were a small number of patients [51] being cared for by Clinicenta out-of-hospital services within north London.

"All have now been transferred to the appropriate NHS provider to allow their care to continue uninterrupted.

"Our first concern is patient safety, and the decision to suspend services was taken as a precautionary measure following concerns over performance and the death of a patient.

"A full independent investigation is ongoing.

"It would be inappropriate for us to comment further until it is complete.

According to a leaked document obtained by the Gazette, Ealing Hospital could potentially lose its A&E, maternity unit and children's services department if measures to address the £5billion NHS London funding shortfall are implemented.

And with more than 100,000 people each year being admitted to A&E, acute services stretched beyond their capacity and the imminent closure of Ealing's stroke and trauma units, health campaigners claim this will have a catastrophic effect on patients in the borough.

"The provider services of NHS Brent are likely to join this organisation and this will promote an innovative locally based model of community provision.

"All involved acknowledge that this will, over time, reduce the level of acute services on the Ealing site and they will be transferred or tendered to other acute provider management to ensure their clinical and financial viability.

"This acute activity change will enhance the viability of the surrounding acute hospitals."

Further, a letter in response to the proposals, written by Alistair Finney, Deputy Director of Service Transformation, refers to a 'requirement of North West London to have three major acute hospital sites' (out of a total of eight) and 'plans should signal the intention to develop proposals for a single major acute site run by Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in inner NWL'.

Mr Finney writes: "There has been good clinical engagement across the sector to date and I appreciate that it would be impossible to secure the support of the clinical community for fewer than three Major Acute Hospitals (MAH).

"You have helpfully agreed to refer to a 'maximum of three' MAHs in order to prepare the ground for the next stage.

"A similar approach to finalising proposals for other hospital settings should be reflected in the sector's plan, helping to prepare the ground for changes to the current configuration."

These documents have sparked outrage, controversy and mass denial and now a community campaign has been launched to help 'Save Our Services' urging everyone in the borough to fight for Ealing Hospital.

Dr Stephen Ash , Chair of the Medical Staff Committee, said: "This strategy will reduce local services and relocate them to central London hospitals.

"Sick patients will need to be transferred many miles by road, causing critical delays in their treatment.

"Local people will also have dramatically reduced access to a lower number of centralised services and beds to treat them.

"There is also no evidence to show that the smokescreen of polyclinics offered by NHS London as part of these plans to replace hospitals will save money and they do not replace the range of services Ealing is able to offer its local population currently.

"We find this concept dangerous, alarming and unacceptable to the population that we serve."

John Chase, 71, of Queens Gardens, Pitshanger, who regularly attends Ealing Hospital, said: "I was very, very unwell two years ago.

"The fact that I was able to go immediately to Ealing Hospital and be seen within minutes meant that my life was saved.

"We should be getting improved services, offering high quality locally based care that everyone can get to easily, not cutting back."

The Save Our Services at Ealing Hospital campaign group, backed by The Ealing Gazette, is calling on everyone in the borough to sign a petition and make their voices heard in opposition to these proposals.

They will be organising a series of public meetings, liaising with politicians to challenge the proposals and will be launching an information campaign via their website and
Facebook.

Comments can be emailed to ealingsos@googlemail.com

Letters can be written to Ealing hospital SOS Campaign, C/o 27 Osterley gardens, Chevy Road, Norwood Green, UB2 4UW

Information accessed via Facebook by clicking http://www.facebook.com/n/?group.php&gid=342085015609&mid=1e369b6G1f85103cG41a809aG6 and the petition signed by clicking http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/SaveEalingsAandE/

NHS LONDON RESPONSE:
"There are no firm plans to change hospital services in North West London at present. The leaked document represents an early dialogue with NHS London.

"Any firm proposals are some months away and will be fully consulted upon.

"The claim that 11 A&Es could close is completely unfounded and represents a misunderstanding of what an A&E is and does.

"All London's major acute hospitals - those that provide specialist care - and Local Hospitals - those that provide a wide range of all but the most complex emergency hospital services - will have 24/7 A&E departments.

"At present there are only plans around three A&Es - Chase Farm in Enfield, Queen Mary's Sidcup and King George's in Ilford.

"Other than those three, any further plans to change A&E in London will be subject to full and formal consultation and we do not expect that to take place before Autumn 2010 at the earliest.

"NHS London has also been at pains to point out that there are no plans to close any hospitals in London as a consequence of the Healthcare for London plans.

"The services offered may change to become more convenient to patients by providing some hospital care through polyclinics or 'super-surgeries'.

"London will have more than 100 polyclinics in the next few years and already has ten up and running. "Advances in modern medicine also means we can save more lives if we concentrate specialist services, such as stroke and major trauma, in fewer centres with the best technology and highly trained clinicians.

"For accurate information about what is proposed for London, visit the NHS London website at www.london.nhs.uk, the Healthcare for London website at www.healthcareforlondon.nhs.uk, or follow NHS London on Twitter www.twitter.com/NHSLondonSHA.

NORTH WEST LONDON PCTs AFFECTED BY PROPOSALS:

EALING
BRENT
HAMMERSMITH & FULHAM
HARROW
HILLINGDON
HOUNSLOW
KENSINGTON & CHELSEA
WESTMINSTER

What are your thoughts? Contact the Ealing Gazette by posting your comments below.

The new passes will be sent by post rather than being issued over the counter. It will take up to 10 working days for passes to arrive after application.

For more information, call Ealing Council on (020) 8825 5000.

Up to 40 people are expected to take part in the event, which will gather at 10am at Boston Manor tube station, Boston Manor Road.

The day will be lead by Michelle Donelan, the newly-selected Conservative candidate for Elthorne Ward.

Gurcharan Singh, the prospective parliamentary candidate for Ealing Southall, will also also be making an appearance.