Funfairs in Shepherd's Bush Scaled Back

The Funfair is back and, while not everyone who lives in and around Shepherd's Bush Green is delighted, our Council have at least begun to take seriously the concerns of local residents.

This time the funfair is here for just two weeks - not the three weeks that it stayed last summer, and George Irvine's outfit have thrown in a free Christmas tree - a welcome gift considering that the Council don't seem to be capable of putting up any decorations at all. 

Candlelit Carols at Stephen's on Sunday

On Sunday 17th December St Stephen's Church on the Uxbridge Road is hosting a candle-lit carol service. 

It's a very informal event; there is no need to book ahead and all are welcome.  The event is part of the excellent community work done by St Stephen's; a church with a broad and diverse congregation, welcoming people from all parts of our neighbourhood.

The service starts at 5pm. After the service there will be mulled wine and mince pies.

Story Stock is Back: Saturday December 9 & 16

StoryStock is returning to the Bush Theatre tomorrow Saturday December 9th and next Saturday December 16th, bringing art and culture to children of all ages.

Children are invited to learn about stories, and storytelling, putting on their own seasonal drama.

The event takes place over two saturdays - each day has a special focus of its own.

Public Spaces Protection Order for Shepherds Bush Station

Shepherd's Bush Tube Station: not often this peaceful

Local residents will have noticed how noisy it can get outside Shepherd's Bush Tube Station on weekends, with all sorts of political and religious groups competing for attention with music and loud hailers. 

As a result, LBHF (our Council) have introduced a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in the area outside Shepherds Bush Station (Central Line), to tackle noise nuisance from busking, street entertainment and amplified public speaking. 

The aim of the PSPO is "to stop individuals or groups committing antisocial behaviour in public spaces".

Hammersmith Christmas Market Saturday 2 December

Hammersmith is hosting its first ever Christmas market this coming saturday 2 December, at King St and Lyric Square. 

There will be over 100 seasonal food, drink and gift stalls, a treasure hunt,  a stage with music in Lyric Square, buskers up and down King Street, and street entertainers.

It's all billed as "a great day out for all the family".

The event runs from 10am until 5.30pm, for one day only, and the street will be closed to traffic. Best not to drive; take the Tube instead. 

Best Bike Shop in Shepherd's Bush

Notting Hill Gate, where I grew up, has lost most of its proper shops, almost all of which all seem to have turned into outposts of West End stores selling £3,000 handbags.

One of the good things about living in Shepherd's Bush is that, unlike shinier, sleeker Notting Hill, we still have old-fashioned shops where you can actually buy useful things.

Planning Drawings for EdCity on Display Today

Updated plans for "EdCity" – a new education hub in White City, as well as new housing and community facilities, are going on display at a public consultation today and tomorrow.

The proposed plans would see the site currently occupied by Ark Swift Primary Academy, Harmony Neighbourhood Nursery and the Adult Community Learning Centre be redeveloped to create a new school and nursery.

The new plans would also include new affordable and private housing, the first "OnSide Youth Zone" in west London, offering affordable activities for local young people, as well as new offices, a revamped adult education centre and a public square.

Kite Studios Xmas Fair Tomorrow

Christmas Fair at Kite Studios

Kite Studios, just off Askew Road, is hosting its 11th annual Christmas Art & Design Fair tomorrow, Saturday 25th November.

So come along and stock up on Christmas gifts, and get involved with your local community - all in a good cause.

This year there will be yummy Indian street food, cakes and drinks. Kite Studios will be offering creative experiences too. The Fair aims to raise funds for West London Action for Children and the Kite Studios CIC Sponsorship fund.

Inclusive Carols at St Stephen's on Sunday 10 December

On Sunday 10th December St Stephen's Church on the Uxbridge Road is hosting an "inclusive carol concert" welcoming all families - including those who have children with special needs.  It's a very informal event; there is no need to book ahead and all are welcome. 

The event is part of the excellent community work done by St Stephen's; a church with a broad and diverse congregation, welcoming people from all parts of our neighbourhood.

The service starts at 5pm. After the service there will be mulled wine and mince pies.

Princess Victoria Reborn

Princess Victoria interior

And now for the good news - the Princess Victoria pub on the Uxbridge road is back. Arguably the best boozer in Shepherd's Bush, The PV has now re-opened, complete with new management and a new menu.

The new owners are the Three Cheers Pub Co, who have made a significant investment in freshening the place up, with plenty of fresh paint, new pictures on the walls, and a general facelift.

Remembrance Sunday at the War Memorial at 10.15am

Shepherd's Bush War Memorial

A service and two-minute silence will be held at 11am on Sunday 12 November at the war memorial on Shepherd's Bush Green.

The silence marks the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918 at the end of World War One when the guns of Europe fell silent, marking the sacrifices made in that conflict, in World War Two, and in every conflict since.

The procession will begin at Sulgrave Road, off Shepherds Bush Road, at 10.15am before continuing to the service at the war memorial on Shepherds Bush Green.  It will be conducted by Father Richard Nesbitt of Our Lady of Fatima church and Reverend Cameron Collington of St Simon’s Church.

Inside Out - Exhibition of Neurodiverse Artists 13th November

Teatum and Teatum architects on Askew Rd are hosting an art exhibition featuring the work of neurodiverse artists in our neighbourhood on 13th November at 6.30pm. 

The exhibition is being organised by Auriol Herford, founder of Kite Studios in Shepherd's Bush.

Re-Development of Hammersmith Town Hall

New plans for Hammersmith Town Hall

LBHF have revealed their latest plan for the re-development of Hammersmith Town Hall, following the fiasco with the previous developers, whose legacy is the destruction of the attractive old Art Deco cinema on King Street, replaced by a hole in the ground. Public consultations on the new proposals are to take place on Thursday 9 November from 4pm to 8pm, and Saturday 11 November from 10am to 2pm. All are welcome.

H&C Line Upgrade from Early 2018

S Class train at Hammersmith

According to Transport for London, service on the Hammersmith & City and Circle lines will improve early next year, following testing of a new digital signalling system. 

TFL says the new system will allow trains to run closer together, meaning a more frequent service, and shorter waiting times.

Westfield Latest: John Lewis to Open Early 2018

John Lewis - opening early next year.

John Lewis is coming to Shepherd's Bush. The new seven storey department store will open early next year, and will soon begin to recruit staff - bringing further jobs and investment to our neighbourhood.

The new roles at the store are to start in February or March 2018.

John Lewis has also submitted a Licensing application for its various restaurants and bars, which you can find here.

Cycle Superhighway Proposal - Good News?

Cycle Super Highway

Residents of Hammersmith and Chiswick aren't all thrilled about our Council's new proposals for a "Cycle Superhighway" that will run through both neighbourhoods. The Hammersmith Society, while in favour (in principle) of better cycling routes, has come out against the scheme.

Lidl to Open "Early 2018" in Shepherd's Bush

Lidl is coming to Shepherd's Bush. According to a sign in the window of the proposed new store, the supermarket chain is about to start a "full refit" of the new store, which they suggest will take 6 months, leading to an opening in "early 2018".

West 12 shoppers will surely be pleased that a big supermarket chain is backing this corner of the Bush.

Many were disappointed when discount supermarket Morrisons closed its doors, and even local MP Andy Slaughter got involved in the protest.

It's also a vote of confidence in the West 12 Shopping Centre, which has been looking a bit tatty ever since Westfield opened its doors back in 2008.

LBHF Consultation on Funfairs on 23rd October

Shepherd's Bush Green plays host to a number of fun fairs at various times of year, but not everyone is delighted. Many local residents object to the noise and disturbance, and the mess that is created.

So it's surely good news that our council, LBHF, is organizing public meeting at the town hall on 23rd October. If you'd like your voice to be heard, come along and have your say.

Hammersmith Bridge Closed from 21 - 29 October

Hammersmith Bridge will close for a week from Saturday

According to TFL, Hammersmith Bridge will be closed to traffic from  5pm on Saturday 21 October until 5am on Sunday 29 October, while essential repair works take place.

This latest bridge closure will once again create traffic chaos, forcing drivers over Chiswick Bridge or Putney Bridge instead. 

Hammersmith Bridge currently operates under severe weight restrictions, with only one bus in each direction permitted on the bridge at any one time.

Historic Buildings Group AGM on 14th November

Hammersmith and Fulham Historic Buildings Group are having their annual AGM at the Dorsett Hotel, Shepherds Bush Green, on Tuesday 14th November.  Doors will open at 6.30pm, and the meeting starts at 7pm. Anyone who is interested in the history of Shepherd's Bush - and its preservation - is welcome to come along and get involved. The historic fabric of our neighbourhood is under constant threat - earlier this year we lost the lovely Art Deco Cineworld in Hammersmith - replaced by a big hole in the ground after our local Council killed the development, without any apparent plan for what might replace it.

Old Laundry Site Planning Application

Old Laundry Site

A new planning application has been submitted for the old Spring Grove Laundry site that runs next to Shepherd's Bush market (the laundry itself closed in 2009).

You can't see the site easily from the street, but if you take the train from Shepherd's Bush Market Tube Station to Hammersmith - you can get a pretty good view.

White City Living Video

In the video above you can catch a glimpse of what White City will look like when St James have finished their White City scheme, known as "White City Living". St James is the property developer currently re-developing the old M&S warehouse site to the east of Wood Lane, next door to Westfield. You can see our post about their original plans back in 2014.  In May 2015 they got planning approval for their proposed steel and glass project, which will be not unlike Paddington Basin in appearance and design.

Tube Strike Planned for Thursday

Central Line and Hammersmith & City line are likely to be affected

London Underground station staff may be striking again on Thursday.

Members of the drivers' union Aslef are set to strike on Thursday in a dispite over working conditions. Talks between the two sides are supposed to continue today.

Even if the strike is only a partial one, conditions will be horrendous for those able to get to work. Thursday might be a day to work from home, for those who can.

Shepherd's Bush Market Plans Killed by Council

Shepherd's Bush Market

Pity any developer trying to do business in our Borough. LBHF has, once again, declined planning permission for the redevelopment of part of Shepherd's Bush market. 

The idea was to turn the old laundry site - currently just an empty space behind the Market - to rival Shoreditch's Boxpark.  Developers had applied to open cafes, restaurants, artists’ studios and co-working spaces in 74 glass-fronted containers designed in a similar style to Pop Brixton and Shoreditch's Boxpark. 

But the Council says no. So, having killed off the last attempt to redevelop the market, LBHF now kills off another one. Is there anything developers can do to get their plans past our do-nothing Council?

Princess Victoria Pub to Re-Open

Princess Victoria

Excellent news for residents of Shepherd's Bush - the Princess Victoria pub (which now has its very own Wikipedia page) on the Uxbridge road is set to re-open, according to a piece at Shepherd'sBushW12

The new owners are the Three Cheers Pub Co. A licensing application has been submitted to our Council, LBHF by Six Cheers Ltd. You can view the application and add your own comments here.

Charity Cricket Match at Chiswick House on 16 September

Cricket at Chiswick House

St Stephen’s Church and St Stephen's School will be battling it out on the cricket pitch on Saturday 16 September at a charity fund-raiser to be held at one of West London's most beautiful locations - Chiswick House.

The event is being held in aid of the St Stephen's Roof Fund, which is seeking to raise £200,000 to fix the Victorian roof, now leaking and badly in need of replacement.

Families and children are welcome, and you are also welcome to bring a picnic.

White City Ziggurat Towers 34 Stories Over Wood Lane

34 storey tower on Wood Lane

The new 34-storey tower rising at the top of Wood Lane is politely described by the Hammersmith Society as "controversial".

"Very ugly" might be a better word for this weirdly asymmetrical ziggurat which now dominates views north from Shepherd's Bush and White City.

It's yet another example in our neighbourhood of a missed opportunity to build something genuinely attractive. After all, Imperial College had a blank canvas when they started planning their new £200m White City Campus north of the Westway.

Instead of creating something beautiful, their architects have put up - for the most part - bland and characterless high rise buildings. The site is brand new and shiny but it already manages to look dated.

BT's Phone Booth Scam

Another pointless phone booth in Shepherd's Bush

What's The Point of Phone Booths? We asked this question back in January, noting that they seem to be springing up everywhere, despite everyone nowadays having a mobile phone.

Thanks to the Hammersmith Society and the Ladbroke Association, we now have the answer.

It's not about telephones, it's about advertising. According to the Summer 2017 Ladbroke Association newsletter, phone companies like BT "can make a lot of money selling advertising space". Today, a phone booth is "no more than a hooded upright stand with an advertisement on one side and a telephone on the other".

But if this is - as it seems - just an advertising scam, without fulfilling any public need - why does our Council allow this to take place?

Lidl Coming to Shepherd's Bush

Two weeks ago I was having my hair cut by the excellent Polish stylists in the West 12 Centre (£5! How can you go wrong?) and I asked what was happening to the old Morrisons space that has been empty since November 2016. "Lidl is coming", they said. "Really? Is that true?" I asked. "50% true", they said.

Anyway it turns out that the rumour is true, and it just goes to show that barbers and hair stylists always get the news first.  Lidl is coming, hopefully in place by Christmas, so budget supermarket shopping will return to Shepherd's Bush. You can read the full story here.

King Street Development Dead - Cineworld Demolished

Cineworld in Hammersmith - demolished for nothing

The Hammersmith Society, guardians of good architecture in our neighbourhood, have reported that the redevelopment of King St in Hammersmith is dead, apparently because of "differences between the Council and the developer". 

What is most disappointing about this is that the Cineworld, the lovely old art deco cinema on King St, has already been demolished, leaving a giant hole in the ground next to the Town Hall, and no prospect of anything good coming of it. 

Music For Grenfell at St Stephen's Church 27 July at 7pm

Music For Grenfell is a concert to raise money for the victims of the Grenfell Tower disaster, and will take place at St Stephen's Church on the Uxbridge Road  Thursday 27th July, from 7pm.

Tickets are £10 on the door, or available online through this link.

New Post Office - Not The Worst Place on Earth

Many Shepherd's Bush residents were very upset when our local Post Office on Shepherd's Bush Green closed. Local MP Andy Slaughter even got involved, chiding the Post Office for abandoning the area.

The new Post Office is in Westfield, at the back of WH Smith. I went there this morning and found myself in a shiny new space with short queues and mailing machines that actually work.

Notable by their absence were the crazy people who used to mumble menacingly in the (reliably long) queue in the old Post Office on Shepherd's Bush Green.

To remember just what you are missing, read Richard Herring's memorable piece on the "worst place on earth" that was the old Shepherd's Bush Post Office.

Why Does LBHF Take So Long To Repair Our Parks?

Hammersmith Park climbing mound in April 2016

Early in 2016 some long-overdue repairs were begun by our local Council, The London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, to the children's playground in Hammersmith Park. A company called Valley Landscape Management put up fences around the damaged climbing mound (see above) and began repairs. But, more than a year later, the job still isn't done. Why does it take our Council so long to complete basic repairs to our parks?

The Funfair is Back - But Must It Be For a Full Month?

The funfair is back. Good news for some, but for many local residents, who hate the noise and disturbance, it's a betrayal of promises by our Council to reduce the impact of these events.

George Irvin's Funfair is here for a full month this time, from 21 July until 20 August. That is much longer than usual (in the past it's been around 2 weeks tops), and now it is open until 10pm, surely well past most childrens' bed-times.

Princess Victoria Closes

Princess Victoria

Shepherd’s Bush's venerable pub, The Princess Victoria, which was awarded the London County Dining Pub of the Year in last year's edition of the Good Pub Guide, has closed.

The Princess Victoria, or "The PV", as everyone called it, was an excellent pub.  Located on an otherwise unremarkable section of the Uxbridge road, this former Victorian gin palace was transformed into a stunning gastropub which somehow managed to achieve excellent food without the pretension of many pubs-turned-restaurants.

ITV To Move to White City in 2018

Jonathan Ross is coming to Wood Lane

ITV Studios is to relocate from the South Bank to White City Place and Television Centre.

ITV Studios is moving its Daytime production business from their present location south of the river Thames to White City, described as a "growing hub for the creative industries in west London".

ITV Studios Daytime will be based in White City during the redevelopment of their South Bank site.

Hammersmith Society Awards

Last night the Hammersmith Society announced this year’s winners of its annual awards, presented by Cllr Michael Cartwright, Mayor of Hammersmith and Fulham. The ceremony was held at the Hammersmith Society AGM on Wednesday 21 June.

Every year the Hammersmith Society hands out awards for good architecture in our neighbourhood - and wooden spoons for bad projects which make our urban environment worse.

So, who were the winners (and losers) this year?

Grenfell Tower - How Can Our Community Help?

Rev Anne Cowley

The one redeeming feature of the appalling Grenfell Tower fire yesterday has been the way our community has spontaneously come together, with remarkable displays of generosity from local people, offering money, food, blankets and comfort to those displaced and injured by the disaster.

In this guest post Anne Cowley, Associate Vicar of St Stephen's Church on the Uxbridge Road, writes about her experience of yesterday's fire. She also writes about what local people can do to get involved and help out.

Massive Blaze Destroys Grenfell Tower in North Kensington

Grenfell Tower ablaze

Anyone in our neighbourhood kept awake last night by the sound of helicopters will have sensed that something bad was going on. 

A huge fire ripped through Grenfell Tower, one of the big tower blocks next to the Kensington Leisure Centre. 

The blaze was immense and will doubtless have claimed many lives.

To see the full story, see the BBC's report here, and the report from Shepherd's Bush W12 here. 

Andy Slaughter MP Re-Elected With Huge Majority

Andy Slaughter

Labour's Andy Slaughter has won a thumping victory in Hammersmith, thrashing his Conservative opponent and, once again, more than doubling his majority.

The final figures are as follows:
Andy Slaughter: Labour 33,475 votes, or 63.9% of the total. that's a swing of 13.9% to Labour.

Charlie Dewhirst: Conservative 14,724 votes, or 28.1% of the total. That's a swing away from the Tories of 8.3%.

Is Charing Cross Hospital Really Under Threat?

Charing Cross - in need of saving?

Parliamentary candidate Andy Slaughter has put saving Charing Cross hospital at the heart of his campaign to be re-elected.  All over our Borough there are signs saying "Save Charing Cross - Vote Labour".

Trouble is, does Charing Cross need saving? Earlier this year our local NHS Trust sent LBHF leader Stephen Cowan a letter saying that it doesn't. They reprimanded the Council for their misleading claims about Charing Cross, pointing out that it is not in fact under threat of closure. To see the letter yourself, follow this link.

The Candidates - Joyce Onstad

Joyce Onstad

Joyce Onstad is the LibDem candidate for Hammersmith in the General Election on Thursday. In recent weeks we have seen the Conservative Party's polling numbers decline, but the chief beneficiary of this has been Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party, with the Lib Dems generally less successful in benefitting from the Conservatives' troubles.

However, all politics is local, and the Lib Dems will be looking to improve their position in our Constituency on the result in 2015. Could an outsider take the seat? It seems unlikely, but Joyce Onstad insists it is possible. We put the same questions to her that we did to the other candidates last week.

The Candidates - Charlie Dewhirst

Charlie Dewhirst

Charlie Dewhirst is the Conservative candidate for Hammersmith, hoping to unseat sitting Labour MP Andy Slaughter. 

With the polls narrowing, and Slaughter having increased his majority at the last election, Charlie Dewhirst's task seems like a tough one. Still, Hammersmith will be on the wish-list for Conservative Party strategists hoping to win this seat in a gentrifying area of West London. 

We asked Charlie Dewhirst the same questions we put to Andy Slaughter last week. 

The Candidates - Andy Slaughter

Andy Slaughter

Andy Slaughter has represented the London Borough of Hammersmith for Labour since 2010.  Prior to that he was MP for Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush from 2005 to 2010 and - before that - Leader of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham Council.

He is now fighting for re-election again, facing off against his Conservative rival, Charlie Dewhirst, who also ran against him in the 2015 election. We asked Andy a few questions about the major issues on which voters will cast their ballots.

Election Debate at St Stephen's Church on 24 May

St Stephens Church on the Uxbridge Road is hosting a political hustings next week on Wednesday 24 May, inviting all the political parties running for office in Hammersmith to speak.

The Panel will be chaired by independent journalist Rita Payne, and the subject of the debate will be "Church and State: Friends or Foes".

Come along on wednesday and put your questions (on any subject) to the candidates who are running for office in the General Election on June 8th.

Hammersmith - The Candidates

Hammersmith

Six candidates are to contest the Hammersmith constituency in the 8 June General Election.

The principal candidates are local councillor Charlie Dewhirst for the Conservatives and Andy Slaughter for Labour, making this contest something of a re-match of 2015, as these are the same two candidates that faced one another in the last General Election. They are also the only two with a serious chance of winning the seat.

The other candidates are Jack Bovill for UKIP, Jagdeosingh Hauzaree, an Independent,  Alex Horn for the Greens, and Joyce Onstad for the Liberal Democrats.

Heathrow - Last Chance to Stop the Third Runway

Theresa May's government, if re-elected (as seems likely), supports the Davis Report recommendation of a new North West runway at Heathrow.  

The Third Runway will result in many new flight paths and, for the first time, Shepherd's Bush, Askew Road, Ravenscourt Park and Chiswick will be affected. 

What will this mean? In short, a dramatic increase in noise levels, with aircraft directly overhead every 90 seconds from approximately 5.30am to 11.30pm. 

So the question for residents of Shepherd's Bush is, can the Third Runway still be stopped?

Register to Vote by Monday - Or Lose Your Vote

Monday 22 May is the last chance to register to vote in the coming general election.  By now you should have had a letter confirming your registration and letting you know where your polling booth is located. Usually, it's a short walk from your house.

Plenty of people aren't registered in our Borough, and the 2014 changes in voter registration appear to have made things worse, especially among certain groups, such as students and minorities.

According to a recent piece in the Guardian, voter registration among school leavers has fallen 25% since individual registration of voters (rather than registration by the head of a household) came into force.

White City Vision in the Evening Standard

White City - the vision

Another vision of the new White City development has been published in the Evening Standard.

It's a promotional piece, but it has some nice 3D images of the future of White City, and gives a useful impression of how the redeveloped neighbourhood will look.

On the left you can the see the new John Lewis department store, part of the ongoing expansion of Westfield, and further to the left the tall towers of the St James development on the old M&S warehouse site.

Pergola on the Roof is Back

Pergola on the Roof

Pergola on the Roof, the rooftop restaurant that brings outdoor dining to the top of the old soon-to-be-demolished carpark on Wood Lane, re-opened to the public on 3 May. 

Open all summer long, until 1st October, Pergola on the Roof follows on from Storeys, the 2015 street food venture that brightened up White City for the summer of 2015.

Former Unigate Dairy Site Plans To Go On Display

Imperial College Campus

Plans for the old Unigate Dairy site in White City will soon go on display.

Imperial College London, who own the land and plan to develop it, are holding a public consultation on their proposals for what will be the southern part of their new White City campus.

The university, which is building from scratch an entirely new campus in White City, says that feedback from the event will be considered before a planning application is submitted to our local Council (LBHF) later this year.