On 28th April 2021 the Mayor of the London Borough of Hounslow, Councillor Tony Louki, greeted the Palestinian Ambassador, Dr Husam Zomlot, in Richmond Road, Isleworth, at the location of one of the Borough’s boundary signs.
The brief socially-distanced meet-up was facilitated by the Hounslow-Ramallah Twinning Association, which had been instrumental in the installation of the signs marking the Borough’s four twinnings during the lockdown of 2020.
Hounslow-Ramallah Twinning Association’s long-pursued initiative to have the historic twinning marked on street-signs at the Borough’s boundaries has finally been realised in May 2020.
Following support from Mayor Cllr Tony Louki and Council Leader Cllr Steve Curran, signs listing all four of the Borough’s official overseas links have been installed in the following places – Richmond Road (Isleworth); Clockhouse Lane (Bedfont); Acton Lane (Chiswick); and Chiswick High Road (Chiswick). A further sign, at Ealing Road (Brentford), is to follow once utility works there conclude.
Continue reading “Twinning Marked on Hounslow Streets”
Building on Hounslow and Ramallah’s longstanding twinning, HRTA Committee members Mary Short and Chris Greenwood, representing Hounslow Chamber of Commerce, met with representatives of Ramallah and al-Bireh Chamber of Commerce in the West Bank on 21st October 2019 to discuss the development and encouragement of trade between the two areas.
Pictured (left-to-right) are Miriam Abu Ein, Bassam Rabat, Chris Greenwood, Mary Short and Moh’d Abdeen.
For the second year running, Hounslow Council raised the Palestinian flag today in recognition of the national day of Palestine.
A remarkably wind-free Wednesday made for an unfortunately limp display, but it’s recalled that the same gesture last year was appreciated in Ramallah as a “great deed”, also leading the Municipality to say, “we are extremely grateful for your support… …we strongly believe this step will enhance our historic successful relations… …raising the Palestinian flag in London has a profound and promising effect on our people…”.
They came from Dundee, from Liverpool, from Swansea and mid-Wales; from the north of England, from the Midlands, from the west-country and the south-east.
Representatives of more than twenty Britain-Palestine groups travelled from across the land to gather together on Saturday 28th January 2017 in the striking central space of Holy Trinity church in Hounslow. Continue reading “HRTA Hosts Twinning Network Conference”
Cllr Steve Curran, Leader of Hounslow Council, said on 15th November 2016 –
“Today, we flew the national flag of Palestine, to mark the national Palestinian Day of Independence. Following requests from residents we flew the flag outside the Civic Centre in respect of our friends in the city of Ramallah, who we are twinned with. Our best wishes to all those there and any of our residents with Palestinian connections.”
The Palestinian flag lit up the autumn sky over Hounslow Civic Centre today in a proud display of friendship with the Borough’s twin town of Ramallah and al-Bireh on the national day of Palestine.
Aun Qurashi, Secretary of the Hounslow-Ramallah Twinning Association said: “Having seen the flags of our other twin towns flying over the Civic Centre on their national days, the HRTA Committee thought it only right that the honour be extended to acknowledge Hounslow’s most active twinning link. We’re delighted that the Council has responded positively to our request. This is a magnificent gesture that will mean so much to our friends in our Palestinian twin town.” Continue reading “Palestinian Flag Flies Magnificently Over Hounslow Civic Centre”
The French tricolour flew resplendent over Hounslow Civic Centre today in a show of solidarity with the Borough’s twin town Issy-les-Moulineaux.
The Council’s website states – “Happy Bastille Day to all our French residents, our friends in Issy-les-Moulineaux, the town we are twinned with and anyone with a connection to France celebrating today!”
Following a refusal by the Council to fly the national flag of its Palestinian twin last November (the official criteria for flag-flying – “…to mark national days of communities in the Borough with a significant long-term heritage link to the UK and Commonwealth” – were not deemed to have been fully satisfied), there appears to have been a relaxation of the rules in 2016. Continue reading “Twin Town’s National Flag Flies Over Civic Centre”
Hounslow-Ramallah Twinning Association is pleased to report that a 12-strong self-funded delegation, organised by HRTA, headed by the Mayor of Hounslow, and hosted by Ramallah Municipality, visited Ramallah and the West Bank from 20th to 24th March 2016. The visit reciprocated the Mayor of Ramallah’s visit of September 2013, and came many years after the first official exchange visits of 1988 and 1989.
The current delegation included LB Hounslow Mayor Cllr Nisar Malik plus four family members and four associates; LBH Spatial Information Services Manager Vinesh Govind; and HRTA Secretary Aun Qurashi with 15-year-old daughter Noor. Continue reading “HRTA Organises Official Visit to Ramallah”
Actors Edward Muallem and Riham Isaac of Ramallah’s Ashtar Theatre group gave an enthralling performance of the play “48 Minutes for Palestine” to an audience of over a hundred at the Paul Robeson Theatre in Hounslow on 15th June 2015.
Performing without words, the two relied entirely on physical action and music to tell the allegorical story of a man and a woman living together against their will, engaged in a struggle for space and power with temperatures rising and water running out.
At the culmination of 48 captivating minutes, audience members showed their appreciation by giving a standing ovation to the Palestinian duo. Continue reading “48 Minutes for Palestine”
Hounslow-Ramallah Twinning Association 