BodyStudio, the Northwood Hills fitness centre, welcomed guests to a party to celebrate its bigger premises.

The extension to the gym and health and beauty centre in Joel Street was officially opened by the mayor of Hillingdon, Councillor Mary O'Connor, who then took a tour of the new workout room, yoga and pilates areas and treatment rooms.

SUPPORTERS of a bid which would have seen a 'substantial sum' of money pumped into Northwood Hills were dealt a disappointing blow, when the area was not named on a list of winners.

But backers of the application to the Outer London Fund, run by the Greater London Authority, remain hopeful that some extra cash may still be forthcoming.

A list of 23 winners was announced by Mayor Boris Johnson this month, sharing £32million between them.

More than 80 projects had submitted proposals for why they should get the money.

THE TOP secret cast of a school's pantomime will be unveiled when it is performed on Friday.

Teachers and other workers at Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School, in Rickmansworth Road, Northwood, have made the scenery, found the costumes and even re-written the script of popular panto Cinderella.

But the cast of the staff-only performance has been kept a secret from pupils and parents, who will gather to watch the show on Friday (January 27) at 7 p.m. and Saturday (January 28) at 7.30 p.m at nearby Holy Trinity Church hall.

A HOME for blind children has been rated outstanding by inspectors.

Sunshine House, Dene Road, Northwood, which is also a school, was given the top-of-the-rankings score following a surprise visit by Ofsted.

Sixteen children use the residential home, staying either occasionally or up to four nights a week.

Children have a visual impairment as well as significant learning difficulties and disabilities.

A HOUSING firm delighted staff and volunteers at a Northwood hospice when it handed over a cheque for £1,000.

Workers from Thrive Homes visited Michael Sobell House, Rickmansworth Road, Northwood, on Wednesday (18) to make their donation.

A CHARITY got a much-needed makeover thanks to a donation of paint and the goodwill of a decorator.

The relaxation room at the Lynda Jackson Macmillan Centre (LJMC), Rickmansworth Road, Northwood, was re-painted by Dave Wiggins, who runs a painting and decorating firm.

Materials were supplied by Hillingdon's Dulux Decorator Centre.

PLANS for two new phone masts in Ruislip and Northwood have been thrown out by councillors.

Vodafone and O2 had hoped to install one 14.8m high mast on the roundabout at the junction of Kings College Road and Park Avenue.

Radio equipment was also needed and the installation was supposed to nestle between trees.

But councillors on the north area planning committee followed recommendations by officers who said the mast should be refused because it would be unsightly.

And the two phone companies were disappointed again when an application for a mast outside car dealership Autocentre, in Pinner Road, was also turned down for a similar reason.

SCOUTS from Ruislip, Eastcote and Northwood carried out their most successful Christmas card collection scheme to date.

Explorer Scouts, aged 14 to 18, hand delivered Christmas cards in the area throughout December.

They charged 20 pence a card and picked them up from various shops and outlets.

From Anila Hashim
Northwood

My father, Ali Raza Lakhani, was the sweetest kindest man on earth

He was taken from us on the 30th of December. The time we had with him were full of love, kindness and support for anything we wanted to do in life. He always advised us and as we grew up he was not shy of taking advise from us either.

He was always ready to help people and he truly loved by the principle that if you give with one hand the other hand shouldn't know.

He started charity drives and also encouraged others to be involved in charity work. He started the blanket drive for the poor communities of Kashmir providing blankets where the weather is very cold most of the year.

He believed in eduction and many came up to us to tell us how he helped them better themselves when he got them into education.

In later life he saw the plight of elderly who did not have regular meals as they didn't have any family. He started a successful tiffin project to feed such destitute elderly who now get meals on a daily basis.

He also saw the need for our community elderly to be active and social and not be just sitting at home and hence started the senior citizen group who regularly went on outings and socialising as well as a day care centre for elderly to meet up with each other and break the monotony of life.

There is so much more to write about him as he achieved so much. He has left behind so many legacies which make us so proud of him.

A lot of his charitable work is still coming to light whereby he was helping without expecting any thing in return. He would be missed and loved by many not just his immediate family

He did so much for his community that if I could do even 10 per cent of it I would consider myself lucky.

Someone who lives in so many hearts cannot be thought of as dead. He is alive in so many hearts.

PART of a main road in Northwood has been closed while essential work is carried out on a gas main.

National Grid engineers were called to Green Lane, at the junction with Dene Road, after reports of problems with gas pressure in the area.

The problem was caused by a build up of debris found in a section of the gas pipe.