This week I would like to offer my thanks to all poppy sellers in our borough for the work they do in raising much needed funds for the Royal British Legion and helping us all to remember the enormous sacrifice made by so many who died fighting for the freedom of our country.
It's now just a couple of weeks until the first of the borough's Christmas lights switch-on events. This year there will be free parking in Council car parks for each of these events. The Romford Christmas lights switch-on will launch the festive celebrations in Market Place, Romford on 14 November.
Lastly the Havering Literary Festival 2019 is now underway, and I would encourage everyone to take a look at the programme of events, talks and workshops.
This year it features talks by internationally-acclaimed and award-winning authors, including the ‘queen of crime writing’ Martina Cole, anthropologist Professor Alice Roberts, Sky Sports presenter Simon Thomas, and TV presenter and architectural historian Dan Cruickshank. The festival also features numerous Havering-based writers and a huge range of literary events for children and schools.
Cllr Damian White
Leader, Havering Council
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 A new poppy installation to mark this year's Remembrance services is on display outside Havering Town Hall in Main Road, Romford.
The six wire soldiers are covered in poppies that have been made and donated by local schools, community centres, libraries and care homes across the borough.
Remembrance Sunday parades will take place across Havering this Sunday, 10 November.
Services will be held in Elm Park, Harold Hill, Harold Wood, Havering-atte-Bower, Hornchurch, Rainham, Romford and Upminster. There will be free parking in all Council car parks on Sunday 10 November to make it even easier for residents to attend these events.
In addition, a service will take place on Armistice Day, Monday 11 November, at 10.45am in Market Place, Romford.
 The deadline for having your say on how the Council should spend its money in next year’s budget has been extended by one week.
You can get involved by taking part in the online consultation on the Havering website.
Hurry, the consultation ends this Sunday (10 November).
 The countdown to Christmas begins with festive lights being switched on in Romford Market Place on Thursday 14 November.
The big switch-on, takes place from 4.30 to 6.30pm. It kicks off the seasonal revelry in Havering, with other town centres following suit over subsequent days.
S Club 3 is headlining the event. Street Dance group Lit Youth will also thrill you with their fun filled performance. The local group, aged 14 -17, promote peace, community unity, and anti-knife and gun crime initiatives, to show that young people can make a positive contribution to society.
Other performers on the night will include Tabby Webb, who has appeared in West End shows including Phantom of the Opera, and Les Misérables, Upminster-based Vocal Jukebox Productions, who will be bringing a show stopping performance of hit music from The Greatest Showman, . The stage events will be followed by a firework finale.
The event is kindly sponsored by Everyone Active and Romford BID.
- Residents and shoppers are being given free parking for the Christmas light switch-on events taking place across the borough over the next few weeks. Parking fees in Council car parks will be suspended from half an hour before the start of the event until the charges start again the following day at 8am.
The Havering Literary Festival has returned to the borough, running until Saturday 23 November.
Among the many events is an evening of discussion with some of Britain's leading female crime writers to be held at Gidea Park Library on Thursday 14 November. Author and actress Catherine Steadman, who has appeared in programmes including The Tudors, and Downton Abbey, is among those taking part.
The festival programme is packed with events, talks and workshops for all ages, designed to celebrate, inspire and nurture a love of reading.
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You must be registered to vote by Tuesday 26 November in order to vote in the Parliamentary general election on Thursday 12 December.
If you require a proxy or postal vote, applications must be submitted by 5pm on 26 November.
If you aren't registered to vote, you won't have the chance to have a say on who represents you. You may also have difficulty getting credit.
- You can register online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote or via Havering Council's Electoral Services pages
- everyone is responsible for registering themselves. The system changed in 2014 and is called Individual Electoral Registration
- you need to provide a few more details to register - including your national insurance number and date of birth. This makes the electoral register more secure.
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Sixty delighted Key Stage Two pupils in Havering have won a £160 voucher to spend at Halfords on a brand new bike of their choice.
Pupils Amelia and Dahlia-Belle are just two of the lucky winners who won Havering Council's Veggie Run bike competition, organised by the Council’s award-winning Catering Services.
Pupils still have a chance every week to win a Veggie Run family roast dinner box worth £25 to cook at home with their family. To enter the competition they just need to eat a catered lunch in school that week.
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Sports lovers and health-conscious residents in the south of the borough have been asked their views as Havering Council kick-starts a community conversation on where the new leisure centre should go.
Following the closure of the Chafford Sports Complex in June, the Council has been working with leisure centre provider SLM to find a new site for a brand new replacement facility.
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Havering is marking the International Day of the Disabled Person with a one-day conference.
This year’s theme is The Future is Accessible.
Professionals across the borough are invited to attend the event, which takes place at the Salvation Army, Romford, on Tuesday, 3 December.
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Remi Osokoya became a school governor after attending our last recruitment day.
Like Remi, if you have skills and experience to share and want to make a difference to education in Havering, you could become a governor too.
Find out more at our opening evening on Thursday 14 November at Hornchurch Library, North Street, from 5 - 8.30 pm.
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