Hero's send-off on May 25 for modest "Pilot of the Caribbean"

Many Formosa residents will no doubt remember retired Flight Sergeant Peter Brown, who lived on the Garden in Warrington Crescent for many years & was a familiar figure at his local paper shop, Dhigs -- always smartly dressed & up for a chat with passers-by. He was humble about his role in the Second World War but in fact was one of the last black "Pilots of the Caribbean", volunteering to come over from Jamaica aged 17 in 1943 & going on to fly five operations in Lancaster bombers.

Sadly Peter died last December aged 96 leaving no known family, but a campaign fronted by the RAF, Westminster Council & history enthusiasts to encourage people to turn up to his funeral went viral to the extent that organisers ditched plans to hold it at Mortlake Crematorium on March 29th, for fear that the number of people attending would far exceed the chapel's capacity. Now the funeral has been re-arranged for May 25th at the 1,000-year-old St Clement Danes church in the Strand, with 600 seats reserved for the public. Priority will be given to those with a connection to him, among whom are sure to be many Formosa Garden residents wanting to give this modest man the send-off he deserves.

Open Gardens to include a top address

This year’s London Open Gardens weekend is scheduled for 10th & 11th June & will feature no fewer than 117 gardens, including our very own Formosa from 2—5 pm on the Sunday.

And for the first time since before the pandemic access will also be granted to the half-acre garden at the back of 10 Downing St. Lucky winners of the ballot organised by the London Gardens Trust will be able to thrill to the scene of the Rose Garden bromance between Nick Clegg & David Cameron in 2010 & enjoy features including a bronze sculpture by Barbara Hepworth.

There will be two tours on Saturday 10 June 2023 at 11.30am and 1.30pm. 24 places are available on each tour, open to visitors aged 12 and over. The ballot closes on 5th April & winners will be notified by 21st April.

To apply for a ticket enter the ballot at this link. https://londongardenstrust.org/whatson/log2023/visit-the-garden-at-10-downing-street/

All change for entry to Formosa!

Due to a software upgrade on the programming system for our Garden fobs we will be carrying out a fob change in March*.

It’ll be a two-part process: on the 4th & 5th you should drop off your existing fob in an envelope marked Formosa Amenity at either 151 Sutherland Avenue or 2 or 26 Castellain Road between the hours of 11 am & 4 pm. Please also include your name, address, phone number & email address. Then on 6th March you will be able to collect your re-coded fob at St Saviour's Church on Warrington Crescent between 2 pm & 6.30 pm. The whole procedure will take only about five minutes.

Make sure you also bring a photo ID & proof of residency on the Garden (e.g. utility or Council tax bill). There is no charge for re-coding but you will be asked to agree & sign up to the up-dated Garden rules.

If you are new to the Garden up to two fobs can be purchased per property and the £50 will be refunded when the key fob is returned. If you lose your fob the replacement fee is also £50.

If you’re unable to drop off or collect your key fob on the given dates please make an appointment to come to the offices of our managing agents, Westbourne Management, at 9 Spring Street, London W2 3RA (close to Paddington station). They are open between the hours of 9 am & 5.30 pm Monday to Friday & can be contacted at info@wb19.co.uk.

* Please note this will apply only to residents of 2-32 Castellain Road (EXCLUDING Katherine Court), 139—193 Sutherland Avenue & 4—62 Warrington Crescent.