RECYCLING CHRISTMAS TREES During January place your real Christmas tree out on your normal garden waste collection day by 7am. There is no need to tie a garden waste sack around your tree. Please remove any pots and decorations before placing your tree out. Trees can also be taken to the following sites until Friday 16: Gunnersbury Park (main car park), Popes Lane, (B4491) Gunnersbury; Redlees Park, Worton Road, Isleworth; Hounslow Heath (car park), Frampton Road, Hounslow; Space Waye Reuse and Recycling Centre, North Feltham Trading Estate, Pier Road, Feltham.
Christmas trees can be taken to Space Waye any time 8am-4.45pm. Please note that trees cannot be dropped at Chiswick House Grounds this year. Information 020 8583 5555, email: recycling@hounslow.gov.uk.

WINTER HEALTH Doctors at West Middlesex University Hospital are asking local people to visit the A&E department only if they have a genuine emergency or accident because of increased winter pressures on the service.

Examples of when A&E should not be used include: coughs and colds - most people would be best just to stay at home or see their local pharmacist; old injuries or joint problems - are best seen by your GP, at least initially; queries about medication - these are best dealt with by your GP; toothache - you need to be seen by a dentist please use NHS Direct, www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk to assess your needs; trying to use A&E to get a 'second opinion' rather than using the GP service; relatives of patients who book in because they might as well as they are waiting anyway; patients who book in to A&E because they can't get a GP appointment until the next day.

One of the more unpleasant conditions is the ‘winter vomiting disease’, Norovirus. The symptoms usually last from 12 to 60 hours and often start with the sudden onset of nausea followed by projectile vomiting and diarrhoea.

Norovirus affects people of all ages. Most people recover very quickly but immunity is shortlived and it is easily transmitted from one person to another.

It thrives in semi-closed environments where large numbers of people congregate, so schools, nursing homes and hospitals are most affected. It can particularly have an impact on hospital services during the winter. If the infection is brought into hospitals it can result in wards needing to be closed.

Most people recover quickly and the best advice is to rest at home and drink plenty of fluids. Unless the diarrhoea and vomiting are very severe, you should not visit your GP surgery or hospital A&E unit.

Good hygiene at home, particularly hand-washing, will help prevent transmission of the virus to other family members. NHS Hounslow have posted details of Christmas and New Year opening times for local GPs, together with other useful information, on their website at: www.hounslowpct.nhs.uk/Christmas_New_Year_opening_times.html You can also call NHS Direct on 0845 4647.

THEATRE COMPANY Stop Gap Theatre Company is presenting a production at Isleworth Public Hall in February and need new members. Find out more about one stage and backstage opportunities from 020 8995 9725.

SIGN LANGUAGE Mission Hall, Haverfield Estate, Off Pottery and Netley Roads every Monday, 3.15pm-4.30pm. Opportunity for children and their parents to learn a rare skill. Free: 020 8400 5594.

PENSIONERS’ FORUM Hounslow Pensioners’ Forum meets in the Montague Hall, Montague Road on the last Friday of every other month, starting in January, 10.30am-12.30pm. This is a charitable organisation that aims to make known the needs of pensioners in the borough. New members welcome. Free, 020 8560 3444.

ECOLOGY Saturday January 10: Isleworth Ait practical work organised by the London Wildlife Trust. New volunteers always welcome. Meet at Ferry Steps near London Apprentice, Isleworth. Free. 9.30am-12.30pm Contact Mandy Timpson for further information, to check weather conditions and to book place on boat. 020 8577 0690.

Volunteer Scheme at Hounslow Heath Nature Reserve, 450 Staines Road, 9am-12 noon each Sunday. Help maintain and improve valuable wildlife habitats on Hounslow Heath and along the river Crane. Stout footwear, appropriate clothing and bags of enthusiasm required. 020 8577 3664.

GLA SURGERY Tony Arbour JP, London Assembly member for Hounslow, will be holding his regular advice surgery 10.30am-11.30am in Chiswick Library (1st floor office opposite Reference Library), on Saturday January 17. A Chiswick councillor will also be present. No appointment is necessary.

Lottery RESULTS SHOOTING STAR HOSPICE 0870 300 1200 or call Charlotte Mocatta 020 8481 8180 web: www.shooting star.org.uk Winners for Week 287, January 2. £1,000 prizewinner is 055488 Feltham. Winners of other prizes: 041606 Ealing; 054332 London, SE3; 086269 Epsom; 079278 Hampton; 021495 Ashford; 020569 Esher; 066856 Twickenham; 057603 Kingston upon Thames; 01752 Staines; 002110 Feltham; 095351 Weymouth; 069385 Shepperton; 010647 Walton on Thames; 066687 Staines; 003520 Hampton; 069639 Chiswick; 072045 Surbiton; 038227 Hampton PRINCESS ALICE HOSPICE www.pah.org.uk, 01372 461 808 or email: clarepetrie@pah.org.uk Winners for week 600, January 2. Winner of £1,000 prize: M Swain - Cobham. Winners of other prizes: M Bradsell - Hampton; A McNaughton - Esher; C Bird - Shepperton; E Brunsden - Twickenham; P Davies - Tadworth; G Townend - Esher; A Godfrey - West Molesey; C McSharry - Epsom; J Tallent - Ashford; S Gostlow - Leatherhead; S Murat - West Ewell; R Templemann - Kingston on Thames; S Liffen, B Willson, D Cox, J de Rennes, Duneevan, R Weller, M Runnalls, M Buntrock, S Oliver, C Gill, M Portway.

SUNRISE/SUNSET January 9: 8.05am, 4.10pm. January 16: 8am, 4.21pm.

Blood donor clinics The National Blood Service 0845 7 711 711 (24 hours); Ceefax BBC2 page 465 and www.blood.co.uk chiswick Chiswick Town Hall, Junction Sutton Court Road and Heathfield Terrace. Thursday January 15, 12.45pm-3.30pm and 5pm-7.15pm. Thursday February 19: 9.45am-12.30pm and 2pm-4.30pm.

feltham Assembly Hall, Hounslow Road. Monday January 12, 12.45pm-3.30pm and 5pm-7.30pm.

Isleworth St John’s Community Centre, 80 St John’s Road, Friday January 23, 1.4pm-4.15pm and 5pm-7.30pm.

Council meetings Monday 12: Sustainable Development Committee. Tuesday 13: Chiswick Area Committee (Planning) William Hogarth Primary School, Duke Road. Wednesday 14: 2pm Hounslow Health and Social Care Partnership, 7.15pm Pension Fund Panel . Thursday 15: Isleworth and Brentford Area Committee (Monitoring) Brentford Free Church, Boston Manor Road, Brentford. Central Hounslow Area Committee (Monitoring).

Hounslow Council meetings are held at the Civic Centre, Lampton Road, Hounslow and start at 7.30pm unless otherwise stated.

Area committee meetings are held locally. For details contact Committee Services on 8583 2063. Full council meetings are open to the public but please check for others.

Agendas and all council contact service points are available on the internet at www.hounslow.gov.uk which is available in libraries. 8583 2063. Enquiries - numbers are prefixed by code 8583 General enquiries 2000; emergencies 2222; council housing repairs, all areas 4000; other housing enquiries 4382; Civic Centre 8382; street management such as litter, refuse collection and leaf clearance: 5000; trading standards, pollution control and fly tipping: 5555. Visit www.hounslow.gov.uk for a list of all council contact service points. Offices at St Catherine’s House, Feltham 4043; High Street, Brentford 4220 and Chiswick Town Hall, Heathfield Terrace 4267.

These offices are open Monday-Thursday 8.45am-5pm and Fridays till 4.45pm.

The buildings are fully accessible and open for help with tenancy queries, maintenance, caretaking and harassment. Also translation and interpreting facilities. AIRCRAFT NOISE For a full explanation see www.baa.com/main/airports/heathrow /about_ heathrow_ frame.html Flight Evaluation Office freephone 0800 344 844. The office is open 8.30am-4.30pm Monday to Friday. There is also an out of hours answerphone. Email noise_complaint @baa.com The postal address is: Flight Evaluation Office, BAA Heathrow, Ground Floor, Heathrow Point West, 234 Bath Road, Heathrow Airport, Hayes, Middlesex. UB3 5AP.

Hacan ClearSkies (Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise). Telephone 8876 0455. PO Box 339, Twickenham. TW1 2XF. Chairman John Stewart There is no ban on night flights Areas affected by the use of the southern runway (27L, 09R) for landings include south Barnes, East Sheen, Putney, Richmond, Twickenham, Hounslow Central, Feltham and Bedfont.

Areas affected by the use of the northern (27R, 09L) runway for landings include north Barnes, Chiswick, Kew, Isleworth, Osterley, Heston, Hounslow West and Cranford.

Week commencing Monday January 5: Night alternation period 09L(27R); 6am-3pm 27R; 3pm until last departure 27L.

Week commencing Monday January 12: night alternation period 27L(09R), 6am-3pm 27L; 3pm until last departure 27R.