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Street party in Turnham Green caps a novel weekend of fun in Chiswick
Have you ever fancied taking over Turnham Green Terrace? If so – look no further than Sunday’s street party in Chiswick
Scrap your plans for the weekend. Because Abundance London, who lead environmental and educational community projects in Chiswick, is teaming up with the annual Cookbook Festival for a day of live music, free cooking demos, art, yoga, cycling, football – and even chickens!
The ‘Together on the Terrace’ street party fun starts on Sunday (September 15) at 11am. A new art installation will be unveiled by Hammersmith artist Sir Peter Blake at 1pm. And you can also buy food from local traders and take part in the big street lunch. The celebration of all things W4 runs until 4pm.
It’s a busy time in Chiswick. The Cookbook Festival runs from Thursday (September 12) to Monday (September 16) and promises to be a way to learn more about food and cooking. And it's perfect for anyone who loves eating!
There are talks, demos, workshops and suppers at various locations in Chiswick, and includes foodies such as Lindsey Bareham, Asma Khan, Henry Harris, John Whaite and Matthew Fort.
Tickets from £10. All proceeds go to charity as the Cookbook Festival is a not-for-profit organisation. For more details, visit: www.cookbookfestival.org
Meanwhile, book lovers should also stop by the Chiswick Book Festival. The 11th annual festival runs from Thursday (September 12) to Monday (September 16) as author AN Wilson opens the festival at Chiswick House on Thursday with a talk about his forthcoming book on Prince Albert. Wilson’s new book marks the 200th anniversaries of both Victoria and Albert – and recalls when Albert visited Chiswick House 175 years ago.
On Friday (September 13) the festival celebrates the life of the actor Richard Briers, who lived in Bedford Park for more than 50 years. The paperback edition of his biography, More Than Just A Good Life, will be launched with a panel session featuring its author James Hogg, Richard’s daughter Lucy Briers and his friend Peter Egan, who co-starred with him in Ever Decreasing Circles.
See the full programme of events and book tickets here.
Join us at this year’s Thames Tidefest and celebrate our splendid river!
If so, look no further than the Thames Tidefest - it takes place on Sunday, September 8, in Chiswick’s Strand on the Green.
Horton and Garton is a big supporter of Thames Tidefest, so please come along and let’s all enjoy the river together.
Now in its fifth year, Thames Tidefest is set to be the bigger and better than ever before. Dubbed London’s ‘family river festival’ it offers an eclectic mix of free and low-cost events revolving around the Thames.
The festival includes:
-live music
-paddlesports
-river cruises
-riverside pubs
-secret island adventures
-historical walks
-guided photography sessions
-stalls
-fishing
-river dipping, environmental lessons and more!
Various paddlesports have always been a huge part of Tidefest and it’s a brilliant opportunity for absolute novices to try their hand.
Most of the events are free. But you can also buy tickets for one of these low-cost special events: River Cruises for a fiver, Historic tours for £3, Bird-watching walks for £2 and that’s just the start.
For more details about the free Tidefest events click here
And for more details about the ticketed events at Tidefest click here
The Upper Room charity raises £2,300 with Indian Zing curry lunch
Nicky Flynn, Chief Executive of The Upper Room charity in Shepherds Bush, was joined by the Mayor of Hammersmith & Fulham, Cllr Daryl Brown, for a fundraising lunch at King Street restaurant Indian Zing.
On Wednesday (August 28) they welcomed patrons and volunteers from The Upper Room charity to the restaurant - my personal favourite in Hammersmith - for the summer get-together. The event was designed to promote all the good work the charity does in Shepherds Bush and beyond.
The charity raised an impressive £2,300 of donations over lunch! Well done.
Indian Zing owner Manoj Vasaikar, Rahul, Roy and the rest of the attentive Indian Zing staff were superb hosts and served an incredible meal full of the flavours of India. No need for supper later...
There was also a very popular raffle and an impromptu auction with super prizes, donated by many local businesses including Askew Wine, The Ginger Pig, and Dukes Meadow Golf and Tennis. I was fortunate enough to win a round of golf for four!
The Upper Room
The Upper Room runs three linked projects which aim to give beneficiaries the tools or skills they need to help them become more resilient and to improve their lives:
-UR4Meals provides free evening meals and one-to-one support 5.30-6.45pm, Monday to Friday.
-UR4Jobs is a multilingual employment support service which is open Mondays & Tuesdays, noon-5pm.
-UR4Driving is an award-winning project which teaches ex-offenders to drive in return for 80 hours of voluntary work.
The Upper Room has temporarily moved home for a few months while building work is done.
Instead of serving free evening meals and giving one-to-one support at its headquarters at St Saviour’s in Cobbold Road, it has shifted operations a seven-minute walk away to the Victoria House community hall in Becklow Road, off Askew Road, W12.
“Once the building works are complete later in August we will move back to St Saviour’s,” said a spokesperson.
Every year, 26,000 hot meals and takeaways are served to homeless and other disadvantaged people.
Recently, members of the public voted to back The Upper Room – which does essential work helping hard to reach members of the community – when it applied for funding in a competition sponsored by builders’ merchants Jewson.
The cinema is coming to Ravenscourt Park
A pop-up cinema is set to appear in Ravenscourt Park in September – as well as two parks in Fulham.
September’s open-air flicks screenings come to Ravenscourt Park on Friday 13, Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 with, respectively: A Star is Born (15) The Greatest Showman (PG) and Pretty Woman (15).
The shows all start at 7.30pm (doors 6pm) on the lawn nearest the Ravenscourt Avenue entrance. Prairie Fire barbecue food will be on sale each evening.
You’re advised to bring warm clothes, as the temperature will fall away quickly, and bring something to sit on, unless you’ve booked a chair. If the weather looks iffy, texts update cinemagoers with up-to-date information.
The screenings at Bishops Park, alongside Fulham’s Craven Cottage stadium, happen on Friday 6, Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 with, respectively: Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (PG), Bohemian Rhapsody (12A) and 10 Things I Hate About You (15). Each show begins at 8pm, with doors open from 6.30pm, and Sicilian street food (including artisan pizzas) is on sale. There’s also a full bar… or you can bring your own picnic and drink.
Then on Friday 27, the action switches to Parsons Green with a 7pm showing of The Incredibles 2 (U) at South Park on the lawn by the Clancarty Road entrance, followed by Back To The Future (PG) on Saturday 28 and The Little Mermaid (U) on Sunday 29. Big Dogs will be selling hotdogs.
Standard tickets: £13.75 standard, £8.80 U12s, £6.87 disabled + carer, £22 VIP (with drink and chair).
For more details or to book, visit: www.popupscreens.co.uk
Read more about plans to open two new cinemas in Chiswick and Hammersmith here
Lidl and Metro Bank arrive at Kings Mall in Hammersmith
Sited in the Kings Mall shopping precinct in King Street, Lidl will open in July 2020, providing competition to neighbour Sainsbury’s and increasing customers’ food shopping options. At 18,200sqft the new Lidl will be nearly double the size of the average UK branch of the German no-frills discount retailer.
Olu Johnson of Lidl, which operates 10,000 stores around the world, said the chain was delighted to be opening a major new outlet in the heart of W6. “We’ve seen incredible demand for Lidl stores across the country, and we look forward to offering our quality products and incredible value to shoppers in and around Hammersmith,” he said.
To put the new 18,200sq ft store in context, Lidl opened in the West12 shopping centre in Shepherds Bush last year, in the former Morrisons site, creating 40 jobs in a store with a sales area of just 13,400sq ft.
Metro Bank
Also poised to open in the recently refurbished and upgraded Kings Mall is another household name, Metro Bank, bringing seven-day-a-week banking to customers and superfast account opening in a 4,000sq ft branch currently being fitted out.
The new arrivals are a major boost to the Schroder UK Real Estate Fund which bought the 340,000sqft Kings Mall in 2015 for £153million, and set about revamping and upgrading the shopping centre.
Ian Walters, managing director of retail and business banking at Metro Bank, said: “As the revolution in British banking, we’re excited to be coming to Hammersmith. We’re committed to bringing amazing customer service to local residents and businesses in the area.”
Upgrades
The news follows increased investment in Kings Mall by Danish gift store Flying Tiger, America sportswear chain Footlocker (which has increased its lease by five years and is installing a double-height shopfront) and Okido, a children’s favourite which has been running arts and science workshops during the summer holidays, and now plans to extend its stay.
Schroder investment manager Rob Cosslett commented: “Our strategy to refocus Kings Mall is really taking hold, driving both shopper footfall and meeting the needs of retailers, particularly at a time when they are increasingly selective about where they operate physical stores.
“The lettings with Lidl and Metro Bank – and the commitment by existing tenants – are testament to the confidence in Kings Mall.”
Andrew Proctor, manager of the Kings Mall centre, said the arrival of Lidl and Metro Bank were certain to be ‘a big hit’ with customers. “They are huge high street names, so we are delighted to welcome them to Kings Mall, and it will be exciting to see the improvements in the Flying Tiger and Footlocker stores too,” he said.
Lidl first appeared in Britain in 1994, and – along with fellow German discounter Aldi – is now challenging the might of the ‘big four’ food supermarkets: Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons.
The future is bright for Brentford FC with new stadium and homes plan
Take note Queens Park Rangers. Although the Bees lost their opener against Birmingham on Saturday, all eyes at the club are looking much further ahead as construction work continues just one mile down the road from their famed Griffin Park.
And better than just being the new home for the club, it will also provide 910 new homes for the local community. The new ground will also play host to rugby matches and concerts, making it a destination for more than just footie fans.
The new 17,250-capacity stadium will be ready for the start of the 2020-21 season. Yet, many supporters and local businesses have already secured premium seats as the club recently announced that seats in its new Railway Lounge (pictured below) have sold out. The club also announced that it’s sold 78 per cent of the top two tiers of premium seats.
This is a sign that the club has correctly gauged interest from fans and is creating a match day experience that people are buzzing for in Brentford.
Speaking at a recent tour of the stadium, Brentford FC owner Matthew Benham summed up their practical approach to their new ground by saying: “We can't out-spend the competition, but we can out-think them.”
This progress stands in stark contrast to the woes of Queens Park Rangers who have bounced from one dispute from neighbours Cargiant to the next with Hammersmith & Fulham Council. The Rs desperately want to move out of Loftus Road to create a new stadium – but currently lack the land or financial commitment to make it happen.
For more details on the plans for Brentford FC’s new stadium or seat packages, visit: newstadium.brentfordfc.com
New cinemas planned for Chiswick and Hammersmith get a step closer
Hammersmith
We are lucky enough to have a great view of the Hammersmith cinema project as it sits directly across the street from our offices in King Street. The new four-screen cinema planned for the site should give the western end of King Street a big boost. It will be run by Curzon Cinemas and will also include a restaurant.
The new cinema is part of Hammersmith & Fulham Council’s ambitious new civic campus which will build the new cinema, offices and homes on the former Cineworld site. Work is expected to begin later this year and take approximately three to four years to complete.
The council is quickly emptying its town hall buildings to hand over to developer A2Dominion. The ugly extension will be demolished and replaced by new retail and office units, while giving the historic town hall a larger plaza.
Chiswick
Meanwhile, and less than a mile away in Chiswick, the long-awaited cinema project is underway! All its initial ‘founder’ memberships have been snapped up by Chiswick residents – including broadcast journalist Jeremy Vine – while construction firm Conamar has already begun work.
The new five-screen Chiswick Cinema scheme will be built on the site of the former Rambert Dance Company at 96-98 Chiswick High Road. Programming will include a mixture of current releases, family screenings and event cinema. The new site will also have a private members’ bar and dining room.
The Chiswick Cinema is expected to open in late 2020. Chiswick has not had a cinema to call its own since the Electric Cinema – formerly located at the junction of Chiswick High Road and Duke Road – closed in 1933.
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