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Lyric Fest returns to Hammersmith for a karaoke jam and family day
You’re invited to a mass karaoke session in Lyric Square. It’s one of the highlights of this year’s free Lyric Fest in Hammersmith.
Now in its fourth year, the two-day event hosted by the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, features the Friday evening (July 19) community singalong with the band Ultimate Anthems providing the music.
Hits from the 80s, 90s and Noughties will be featured, to sing and dance to, and the only thing you need to bring along is enthusiasm!
The evening warms up with live acoustic music from Kal Lavelle, plus DJs and a barbecue, on the Lyric’s roof garden from 6pm before the action transfers down to the square below, from 7.30-10.30pm.
Then on Saturday (July 20), there’s a gathering for families and younger children, with theatre, music and storytelling for junior fun-seekers at the Lyric’s family day.
Entry is free, all ages are welcome, and the fun runs from 11am-4pm.
As well as face-painting and giant board games, there will be beatboxing, pop-up children’s theatre performances, arts and crafts stalls, a baby rave and storytelling sessions. There will also be a barbecue in the square.
Organised by the Lyric, in conjunction with Hammersmith BID, the Lyric Fest also includes bee tours… accompanied visits to meet the bees in the three hives on the theatre’s roof.
Around 180,000 Buckfast bees call the theatre’s roof home, and the free tours are limited to eight visitors at a time (with some climbing stairs and walking involved).
Three men and a Panda set off for Mongolia
Heard the story about the three middle-aged blokes who drove a Fiat Panda 11,000 miles from London to Mongolia? No, us neither.
But this tall tale is about to become a reality for Hammersmith landscaper and Christmas tree trader Hew Stevenson. The well-known founder of Shoots and Leaves garden design and construction firm is packing his bags and heading East on Friday July 26.
Hew (pictured above) will be joined by mates Grant Jacobs and Tony Shilling – dubbed the Mongol Mongrels – as they raise money for a trio of charities during their rally. Their nominated causes include Cancer Research UK, Irish Cancer Society and Prostate Cancer UK. And without even turning the key in the ignition the trio have raised more than £13,000.
Horton and Garton is proud to be sponsoring the guys in their epic quest. John Horton, founder, said: “I wish the guys all the luck in the world. And it looks like they might need it!”
The guys will navigate their 1.2 litre Italian roadster on a ‘planned’ route (cough, cough) departing England via Eurotunnel to France, and then crossing Belgium, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria, pop into Turkey and Iran before turning left to head up through Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, followed by a quick right turn into Mongolia and finally a wee detour into Russia.
What could go wrong?
Grant told us: “When Hew starts a sentence with ‘I had a thought…’ it usually ends with us grabbing our passports, doing a Google Maps search, booking a budget airline and begging forgiveness from our wives. And not always in that order!”
This time, Hew had a rather more grand thought. And after a year in planning: “It’s on like Genghis Khan,” Hew says with a smile.
“We’d like to thank everyone who’s already helped us with the car and the logistics and the donations, which includes local businesses such as Horton and Garton, Fast Signs, Collins Motors, Dawes Paints, TNE Electrical, FOS Electrical and many others,” he added.
If you’d like to wish Hew and his merry crew well on their journey, you’re invited to their farewell party at the Princess Victoria pub in Uxbridge Road on Friday (July 19) from 6pm.
Or if you’d like to donate to their chosen charities or just check out where they’ve broken down along the way, visit: www.mongolmongrels.co.uk for more details.
Headaches in King Street as gas works begin at Hammersmith Broadway
Gas distributor Cadent Gas is working to replace their 18-inch cast iron main in Hammersmith. Although King Street will remain open to traffic, there will be times when the road will be narrowed. Bus stops will also be affected.
This will affect customers visiting Horton and Garton – please take note!
Motorists in Hammersmith are already smarting after Hammersmith Bridge was recently shut due to safety concerns.
This followed the closure of parts of western King street in 2018 after a major water main burst, left businesses under water and diners to local restaurants scrambling to escape.
Phases of work
The gas main work will be carried out in phases, with the first phase starting from Hammersmith Broadway. The work is set to finish by February 2020. This includes a lengthy Christmas break between early December and early January.
Some side streets will also need to be closed – specifically Leamore Street – and residents should receive a letter through their door ahead of the closure. Warning signs will be displayed prior to any closure.
If you have any questions about the road works, please call Cadent Gas on 0800 389 8261 or email: info@communityrelations.co.uk
Have a riverside stroll and enjoy the Arts & Crafts legends of Hammersmith
The trail – designed for families who want to enjoy a walk while learning a little more about local history – reveals how many artists and craftsmen were drawn to Hammersmith in the late 19th century to be near its two most influential protagonists: William Morris and Sir Emery Walker.
The free, foldable guide includes pictures of historic buildings along the river with information on the personalities who lived in them and their friendships, work and continuing influence.
The walk starts at The William Morris Society’s premises at 26 Upper Mall and ends at Emery Walker’s House at 7 Hammersmith Terrace – both were restored as part of the Arts & Crafts Hammersmith project.
The William Morris Society’s headquarters in the Coach House and basement was the venue for lively Socialist meetings in Victorian times. It’s now open as a museum on Thursdays and Saturday afternoons, between noon and 5pm. Free entry.
Emery Walker’s House, which was a private home until 1999, has the most complete and authentic Arts & Crafts interiors in the UK and is also open on Thursdays and Saturdays for hour-long guided tours at 11am, 1pm and 3pm which can be booked online.
A free hard copy of the trail can be picked up at either The William Morris Society Museum or Emery Walker’s House. Or you can view and download by clicking here.
Hammersmith’s iconic bridge will take years to repair
Hammersmith & Fulham Council and the Mayor of London have spent the week talking about the future of Hammersmith Bridge. The result? It will take years for the bridge to be repaired and take the weight of vehicles again, they say. So for now, pedestrians and cyclists have the invaluable river crossing to themselves.
On Tuesday night (June 18), the council’s Leader – Cllr Stephen Cowan – spoke to residents at a town hall public meeting (pictured below) pledging to ‘restore the bridge to its Victorian splendour’. The small audience heard about the unique problems in the iconic structure and the difficulty in repairing it.
The safety checks revealed that over decades the bridge’s bearings had seized up due to corrosion. This has caused the bridge’s natural and necessary flexibility to become compromised.
The bridge was closed to motor vehicles in April after engineers discovered hairline micro-fractures had started to appear in the iron casings around the pedestals of the bridge.
You can read more about the bridge here.
On Wednesday night, the Hammersmith leader spoke at a residents’ meeting hosted by Richmond Council and repeated the pledge to restore the bridge. He also described how they were working with TfL to create a plan for the repairs and solve the funding problem.
Unlike the public meeting in Hammersmith, the Richmond trip was a hot ticket. The council had such interest that they held back-to-back meetings to accommodate interested residents. Many asked why a new bridge couldn’t be built on the site.
Notably, Cllr Cowan promised to launch a ‘buggy’ service that would help older residents or those with mobility problems cross the bridge.
And on Thursday, the Mayor of London – Sadiq Khan – told City Hall members that a plan and funding package for the bridge repairs would not be ready until August.
Cue more groans from drivers.
Yet strangely, the limited data seems to suggest that motorists are getting out of their cars. Yes, some drivers are just choosing Putney Bridge or Chiswick Bridge instead. But others are – in technical terms – ‘evaporating’. Which means they’re just not making their journeys by car.
Given London’s severe air pollution problem is this such a bad thing?
Nevertheless, it’s good to hear both the Mayor and the council finally getting serious about the project. London needs more crossings to accommodate all modes of transport – from cyclists to TfL’s new (very heavy) electric bus fleet.
Lavish performance from next generation’s principal dancers on Turnham Green
If you’re a lover of the arts, don’t miss this coming Saturday’s Masters of Ballet Academy event on Turnham Green from 2pm to 5pm.
Horton and Garton is proud to sponsor an event that delivers world class ballet, music and vocal performances directly to Chiswick residents who can expect a stunning stage, lush scenery, intricate, hand sewn costumes, live music, singing from mezzo soprano (and Chiswick local) Luci de Nordwall Cornish and two performances featuring a total of 70 young people - the next generation of principal dancers ranging from age 5 to 18 - will be held on Turnham Green.
Masterminded by long time W4 local Elena Glurjidze, recently retired Lead Principal of the English National Ballet, and English National Ballet teacher Olga Semenova, the green will be roped off for the event. Tickets include exclusive access with allocated seating as well as various catered food options and fully stocked bar (available to purchase).
Both performances cater to the young and young at heart with both adults and children, who will undoubtedly be inspired by the young dancers, welcome to join the audience. A local parent told us, “My son and daughter love to dance and my daughter has been studying ballet since she was 2 so I am hoping the performances will be both enthralling and encouraging!”
When three debut performances of Cipollino sold out last month in Sadler’s Wells, Elena was encouraged by the glowing reviews to hold a performance on the afternoon of Saturday 22nd June for west London locals right here in Chiswick. The story of Cipollino is an adaptation from Gianni Zadari’s 1951 book of the same name. All of the characters are either fruit or vegetables and the plot is one of a happy band of characters whose lives are disrupted by the villains, Prince Lemon and General Tomato. Cipollino manages to step on Prince Lemon’s foot and flees for his life… meanwhile his mother is taken hostage by Lemon and Tomato.
The rest of the plot is planning how to release her and defeat the villains which in the end is done by the beautiful Radish who persuades everyone to work together. The second performance will be a fusion of ballet and classical song. Faure, Poulenc, Handel, Cole Porter and Gershwin feature and the piece set to Handel’s “What Passions Cannot Music Quell or Raise” is choreographed by Chiswick resident Wayne Eagling.
Elena runs the Masters of Ballet Academy in a sparkling new facility at Club des Sports here in Chiswick and Acton. The majority of her students are west London locals but many travel from all over the UK, including Southampton and Wales, to study under Elena and Olga’s tutelage.
Masters of Ballet Academy welcomes new applications from students age 4 to 18; once the audition is passed, no child is turned away if they can demonstrate need which ensures children from every background can pursue a career in dance should they possess the natural talent. In just under 2 years, Elena’s students have received offers and scholarships from The Royal Ballet, The Bolshoi Ballet, Sydney Ballet Conservatoire, Amsterdam Dance Conservatoire and the Central School of Ballet. They travel the world competing and performing which makes the chance to see the company right here in W4 an unmissable and utterly unique opportunity.
Take One Wall…
Art has the power to transform a space and create an entirely different atmosphere within your home. To prove the point, Artists at Home and Horton and Garton decorated the same white wall, courtesy of The Hogarth Club in Chiswick.
The results show how different colours, textures and mediums can change our interpretation of a room – to soothe, stimulate or challenge the viewer. “Art is personal of course, but it almost always enhances a room, revealing some of the character of the homeowner,” says Paul Cooney, Director of Chiswick Sales for Horton and Garton. “The addition of art is one of the simplest and most effective ways to add thousands to your home’s value when you come to sell.” John Horton, Director of Hammersmith and Shepherds Bush Sales and founder of Horton and Garton adds, “With decades of sales under my belt in West London I can attest that homes displaying key pieces of art well appeal to a wider audience, captivate buyers and make a home feel loved. A single piece of carefully selected art can completely transform a wall or a corner of a room, catapulting the house or apartment into another stratosphere beyond its competition.”
All of the art in the following pictures for ‘Take One Wall’ was created by artists taking part in this year’s Artists at Home event (this weekend, 14-16 June 2019) – where 77 artists will welcome the public into their houses, studios and flats to view painting, glass-making, ceramics, printmaking, sculpture, photographs, textiles and jewellery. Visit https://www.artistsathome.co.uk/ to curate your own open studios trail for this weekend across Chiswick, Hammersmith and Shepherds Bush. London’s most established open studios event presents the opportunity to view and purchase works from both world renowned and up and coming artists – without the gallery mark up. You can expect a warm welcome at every one of the 63 open studios in W4, W6 and W12. *Insider’s Tip: Visit your top open studios during the golden hours on Friday evening as many works are snapped up before Saturday and Sunday.
The bright colours of the digitally manipulated photographs by Per Gudnitz are cheerful and yet still retain a calming atmosphere, thanks to the white mounts and the warm tones. Putting two images together side by side, fills the space with golds, blues and reds, which are picked up by the items on the table. As the pictures have lots of detail, they look best in a minimal space, where their beauty shines out.
Do: Add flowers or other complementary accessories like these books nearby to pick out the colours
Avoid – putting busy images against a patterned wallpaper
Naila Hazell and Caroline Winn
We love the way that the lines and colours of Naila’s painting of chefs working in a kitchen echo the shapes in Caroline’s sculpture. With both pieces, there is the feeling of the viewer peering into a frame or window to spy something within. The atmosphere created here is contemporary and a little urban. It is a sophisticated look to combine artworks and mediums in such a complementary way.
Do: Explore themes, colours and shapes when putting works together
Avoid – sticking to one style – mix it up with traditional and modern placed together
This wonderful reclining nude by Sophia contrasts rich skin tones with bold greys and blues to create an image which is modern, fresh and yet very classic. A painting like this would work well in almost any setting, but we can imagine it in a bedroom or living room. A darker painted wall would make the image stand out even more.
Do: prop up paintings as we have done here – they can look great on shelves
Avoid: nudes can be challenging – especially if they are explicit or of someone in the family! Keep it subtle like this for maximum effect
Caroline Winn and Sophie Ashdown Coady
This is another lovely pairing, with echoes of circles and ovals reoccurring in Caroline’s sculpture and Sophie’s abstract canvas. Classic shapes and modern painting techniques are inspiring when placed side by side. The overall effect is eclectic and the colour tones also work very well together.
Do: Place artworks in groups where the horizontal and vertical planes move the eye up and down
Avoid: too much white wall around one artwork can lessen the impact
Artists at Home: Interview with Hammersmith painter Ben Johnson
Artists at Home covers 63 studios featuring painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, printing, mosaic, ceramics, needlework, jewellery and textiles.
The event starts on Friday (June 14) from 6pm to 9pm, and runs through the Saturday and Sunday, 11am-6pm. Once again, Horton and Garton is sponsoring the festival.
Among those taking part is Hammersmith artist Ben Johnson, whose home studio overlooks the river near the Black Lion pub and who will be opening 4 St Peter’s Wharf, Chiswick Mall, W6, to visitors. Sharing the space for Artists at Home is abstract landscapist Jenny Price.
Ben, who has worked in Hammersmith for half a century, is a hyperrealist, focusing on the precise detail of architecture and building expansive panoramic cityscapes.
“I’ll have a two-part display,” he explained. “The first part is a completed painting, two metres by 2.5 metres, based on a building at the heart of The Fin Gardens in Kashan, Iran.”
The painting (above) has taken two years to complete - a far-from-unusual timespan in Ben’s meticulous approach to his art - and will be exhibited alongside many of the studies for the final canvas.
A celebration of Persian/Iranian culture and architecture, it is likely to be the only time the painting will be seen in public before it enters a private collection.
In the second part of his studio show is ‘a selection of drawings from a recent obsession with using natural forces in combination with traditional artist’s materials to make marks’.
A departure from his customary precision painting, the technique is like an Aeolian harp in music, with air currents creating the notes. In this case, the wind moves pens and pencils to create what at first looks like random strokes, but which add up to natural geometric patterns.
Once Artists at Home has finished, Ben resumes work at his other studio in the heart of Hammersmith on a series of paintings based on contemporary architecture. Other local artists joining in the weekend’s open studio sessions include:
Sandi Friend, photography, at 20 Eyot Gardens, W6
Diana Everett and Patricia Wyndham, watercolours, 58 Black Lion Lane, W6
Caroline Winn, ceramics, 3 Western Terrace, W6
Rachel Busch, Lindsay Harvey and Lucy Strathon, printmakers, 32 Cleveland Avenue, W4
Sally Grumbridge and Tania Beaumont, prints, 31 Cleveland Avenue, W4
Linda Bloomfield, ceramics, 21 Flanchford Road, W12
Lisa Stocking, drawing, 26 Rylett Crescent, W12
Kate Fishenden and Jonathan Mercer, prints, 9 Greenside Road, W12
Milton Grubert, painting, 6 Askew Mansions, Askew Road, W12
Francesca Boyd, stained glass, 52 Askew Crescent, W12
A full brochure of participating artists, studios and map is available here
ArtsFest is back with packed nine-day festival
This year’s festival runs from June 1 to 9. As ever, it’s supported by H&F Council and includes exhibitions, drama, live music, film screenings, walking tours and more at various local venues.
This year’s festival sees the return of JOY with a bigger and better line-up of theatre, music and dance shows celebrating local disabled people. It will showcase the works of already established artists and reach out across the community to emerging disabled artists and those who have not previously been involved in the arts. Check out the JOY programme schedule produced by Turtle Key Arts with support from the Lyric Hammersmith.
"HF ArtsFest is excited about its most ambitious festival to date with new artists and partners on board as well as old favourites returning to the festival,” said Flora Herberich, Producer for HF ArtsFest.
Highlights at this year’s ArtsFest also include:
- The Unity Choir in Lyric Square.
- Photojournalism exhibition ‘Marginal’at the Re:Centre in Fulham Palace Road.
- Reggae exhibition at the legendary Peckings Studio One record shop in Askew Road (pictured below).
- Explore what you can do to help make our planet more sustainable with Open Cell and friends at Old Laundry Yard in Shepherds Bush.
- Walking tour of the TV programmes produced in the borough.
- ‘Hedgehogs Don’t Live in the City!’
- Happy 150th year Periodic Table banner project in White City.
For more details of events and times, click here
Gold Award at The ESTAS for Horton and Garton
Horton and Garton’s Chiswick office brought home the Gold ESTAS Customer Service Award for West London Sales and Director Paul Cooney took home one of just five People Awards from a pool of over 4,000 estate agents nationwide. The ESTAS Awards, a national property industry awards sponsored by Zoopla, in its 16th year and hosted annually by Phil Spencer, are based purely on client feedback. Paul brought two back to Chiswick based on his consistently outstanding testimonials on his personal ‘gold standard’ of service and exceptional sales results. If you’ve never met an estate agent you liked, we’d love the opportunity to change your mind about our profession – and if you’re wondering about the value of your home, book in to meet Paul today.
We are giving away two Diamond VIP tickets to the Chiswick Proms Chiswick Does Comedy night featuring Jason Manford and Shappi Khorsandi on the evening of Friday 7th June which includes comfortable, covered seating and a table in the VIP tent, champagne on arrival and entry to an intimate after-show drinks reception with the evening’s stars. Book your conversation and property valuation with W4 Sales Director Paul Cooney for your opportunity to win the two tickets worth £260; we’ll be drawing our winners on Friday 31st of May. For an intelligent approach to your property, we’re at your service. Call our Chiswick office on 020 8996 5120 to arrange your valuation.
