Support Bush Businesses This Christmas

Albertine for sale?

This holiday season, don't forget to support our local businesses in Shepherd's Bush, which have been hard hit by the latest semi-lockdown.  Shops and restaurants have been half-empty, losing business at what is traditionally their busiest time of year.  Shepherd's Bush businesses have endured three lockdowns, and many will struggle to make it through to better times.

The Albertine is one of my favourite wine bars, a lovely local watering hole with a proud history - it's where the first script for "Eastenders" was written. Times have been tough, and the big For Sale sign above the door doesn't bode well. 

So don't forget to get out there and spend some money to keep our local businesses alive. Shepherd's Bush business needs our support. 

WELL - West London Lido Campaign Launched

WELL - West London Lido Campaign

Shepherd's Bush film-maker Eddie Morgan has launched a new website to promote his campaign for a new Lido in Shepherd's - The West London Lido - or "WELL".  

Lidos are - so says the Guardian - experiencing a revival in the UK, so why can't we have one in Shepherd's Bush? 

Westfield Sparkles But No Lights for The Bush

Westfield sparkles

Once again this Christmas, Westfield sparkles, but there are no Christmas decorations on the shopping streets around Shepherd's Bush Green.

Every year, Westfield puts on a display of light and colour, while Shepherd's Bush Green and the surrounding streets are left with nothing at all.

Even though local businesses pay business rates for local services, our Council appear unable to hang any Christmas decorations in our shopping streets.

St Stephen's 38th Best Primary School in the UK

Parents at St Stephen's Church of England school are celebrating another great year for our local state primary - which has been ranked No 38 in the UK by The Times, placing it once again near the very top of the UK education league tables.

St Stephen's School is affiliated with St Stephen's Church, Shepherd's Bush and was built at the same time, circa 1849-50.  

St Stephen's is led by the charismatic Michael Schumm, a much-loved head whose good nature and sunny personality gives the school its unique character. 

Public Spaces Protection Order for Shepherd's Bush

Shepherd's Bush Tube Station

Our local council, the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, are hosting a consultation on the existing Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in effect in the area outside Shepherd's Bush Tube Station.

The PSPO aims to tackle noise nuisance from busking, street entertainment and amplified public speaking.  The idea is "to stop individuals or groups committing antisocial behaviour in public spaces".
To take part in the consultation, and have your say, follow this link. 

BBC Car Park Demo Almost Complete

BBC Car Park Demolition - nearly there

The old BBC Car Park on Wood Lane is now almost demolished. 

Since June those residents living at the top of Macfarlane Rd have experienced considerable noise, disruption and even damage to their properties.  One local resident even had a ceiling collapse, caused by the vibrations from the demolition.

Demolition of the site is being carried out by Cantillon, overseen by developer Stanhope, whose work is at last nearing completion - only the ground and first floor remain to be ground down.  The old BBC car park is a massive reinforced concrete structure and demolition was always going to be a nasty business, but the end is in sight at last.

Gardening at St Stephen's Church on Sunday

St Stephen's Church Garden

St Stephen’s Church on the Uxbridge Road is looking for volunteers on Sunday November 14th from 2.30pm to 4pm to help weed and maintain the church garden.

St Stephen's relies entirely on volunteers to help maintain the church and its grounds. It's a family-friendly event, and children are very welcome.

There will be hot chocolate, coffee, tea and biscuits for volunteers. 

Got an hour or two spend on Sunday? Perhaps you have green fingers and - like most of us in the Bush - a tiny or even non-existent garden?

New Pond Skimmer for Japanese Garden

Pond Skimmer in Japanese Garden

Congratulations to our local council, the LBHF Parks Dept, and the Friends of the Japanese Garden for (at last) successfully installing a pond skimmer in the Japanese Garden at Hammersmith Park. 

The pond skimmer removes floating debris off the surface of the pond - especially the duckweed which, if left unchecked, completely coats the surface of the pond. 

For many years, John Gordon-Smith and other volunteers at the Friends of the Japanese Garden in Hammersmith Park have been lobbying our Council to install a skimmer to clean up the duck weed in the Japanese Garden.  

Pubs with Wheel Chair Access in Shepherd's Bush

Crown & Sceptre - Good Wheelchair Access

Few able bodied residents of Shepherd's Bush probably think much about wheelchair access to local shops and amenities. 

For my part, I gave little thought to wheelchair access until I had children - and had to wheel their buggy up and down pavements and steps, discovering for the first time how difficult even a single step can be - if you are on wheels.

Shepherd's Bush resident Toni Sharpe is herself a wheelchair user, and she writes in this guest post about two of the best pubs in The Bush that offer effective access to wheelchair users.

St Stephen's Church Celebrates its New Roof

St Stephen's Church Celebrates its New Roof

St Stephen's church on the Uxbridge Road has finally completed work on the new church roof, a £250,000 project 10 years in the making.

Following a decade of fund-raising efforts, the church at last raised the £250,000 needed to re-roof the church buildings, the money coming from a blend of private donations, charitable grants, and church funds. 

It has taken the best part of a decade to raise the money, largely through the efforts of Juliet Byford, chair of the St Stephen's Roof Committee. 

 

Japanese Garden Gets Annual Clean-Up

Japanese Garden Annual Clean-Up

On October 10th the Japanese Garden got its annual clean-up, organised by the Friends of the Japanese Garden, led by John Gordon-Smith, assisted by the Nippon Club.

More than 60 volunteers turned up to help clean the pond, trim back the shrubs, and generally tidy up. 

Here at the Shepherd's Bush Blog we warmly thank the volunteers who regularly give up their time to maintain and preserve the Japanese Garden at Hammersmith Park.

Josiah Braithwaite Community Garden

Shepherd's Bush is full of surprises, and even a few hidden treasures, some of them not well known or well publicised. 

One such treasure is The Josiah Braithwaite Community Garden, part of the Nubian Life Resource Centre in White City, located a little north of Wormholt Park, next to the Janet Adegoke swimming pool. 

The garden is open to visitors, and is a great place to bring children, who can meet Percy the rabbit (see left), and various other characters, including some chickens and a guinea pig.

For urban children who don't get a lot of wildlife or furry friends, the Community Garden is a small treasure in our neighbourhood. 

No Petrol in Shepherd's Bush

BP at Shepherd's Bush Green - No Petrol

There was today no petrol to be had in Shepherd's Bush at any price.  Last night desperate drivers (including me) were scouring our neighbourhood - as it became clear that to follow Government advice and not panic buy was, regrettably, not the sensible choice after all.

This morning, no petrol was available anywhere. The Government says there are "no supply problems" but even the petrol stations don't seem to know when supplies are due.

Community Science Day at the "Tiny Forest" 29 Sept

Community Science Day at H&F Tiny Forest 29 Sept

On Wednesday 29th September Earthwatch and our local council LBHF are hosting a "Community Science Day" event at the "Tiny Forest" in Hammersmith Park.  Each session includes the collection of data to monitor how the trees are doing and what creatures are starting to cal the forest home. You can sign up here.

The event is sponsored by local business Fever Tree, who will also be running the early sessions, and the afternoon is open to our local community.

Wood Lane BBC Car Park Demolition - Latest

The old BBC Car Park on Wood Lane is being demolished, and a lot of locals aren't happy about it. In particular, those living at the top of Macfarlane Rd are experiencing considerable noise, disruption and damage. One local resident even had a ceiling collapse, caused by the vibrations from the demolition.

Demolition of the site is being carried out by Cantillon, overseen by developer Stanhope, who publish a regular newsletter (see left) to keep locals abreast of events. 

What should local residents do if their pictures fall off the walls and the ceilings cave in when demolition begins? The answer to the problem is not clear. The car park is a massive reinforced concrete structure and demolition was always going to be a nasty business. Should we seek to have it stopped? Or speeded up?

For now, it seems likely that all that most of us can do it grit our teeth - and hope the job gets done soon.

Shepherd's Bush Saturation Zone Expires

Cumulative Impact Saturation Zone

Recently LBHF ran a consultation over the continuation of the so-called "Shepherd's Bush Saturation Zone", the special licensing policy created by our Council in 2010 to restrict the expansion of licensed premises in an area which was already "saturated" with places to eat and drink, especially late at night. 

The policy was an attempt by the Council to keep crime and disorder in Shepherd's Bush under control, but it appears that the Policy has now officially expired. 

Hammersmith Park Japanese Garden September Newsletter

Hammersmith Park

The Japanese Garden in Hammersmith is one of the many pleasures of our neighbourhood. 

The Garden gets a regular cleanup by local volunteers; Japanese Garden Chair John Gordon-Smith also writes a monthly newsletter about the Garden. To see the latest news, see John's newsletter below. 

George Irvin's Funfair is Back 6-19 September

George Irvin's Funfair 6-19 September

George Irvin's Funfair is back at Shepherd's Bush Green, from 6 to 19 September. 

The funfair is not welcomed by many local residents, who live on or near Shepherd's Bush Green and hate the noise and disturbance.

George Irvin's Funfair is a regular visitor to Shepherd's Bush. In recent years they have stayed for up to a full month, but following neighbourhood complaints our local Council scaled them back to 2 1/2 weeks.

Two Days Left to Support Kid's Network!

The Kid's Network

There are two days left to support Kid's Network, a local Shepherd's Bush charity which supports at-risk 8-11 year olds by mobilising local heroes to be their mentors.

The charity have received £5,000 (the maximum possible) from the LBHF (our local council) to deliver their project, but they still need to raise the remaining amount. The link to the project is here: https://www.spacehive.com/supporting-hammersmith-and-fulhams-children.

Walkabout Pub Reborn as "The Palladium"

Palladium reborn

The old Walkabout pub was demolished back in 2019, only the front facade being retained, but a new building has now risen from the rubble, a handsome addition to the West side of Shepherd's Bush Green.

This historic building originally began its life in 1910 as the Shepherd's Bush Cinematograph Theatre, owned by the entrepreneur Montague Pyke. 

Later in the 1920s it became the Palladium, and eventually - after many changes of ownership, a Walkabout pub. 

Finally, in 2013 the Walkabout closed for good.

Motorcyle Parking Consulation in Shepherd's Bush

Area affected by LBHF proposed restrictions

Our local council, the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham (LBHF), are proposing new restrictions on the parking of mopeds and motorcycles in and around Shepherd's Bush Green.

The proposals are in response to complaints from local residents, especially those in the "Caxton Village" area, about mopeds working for the food delivery companies at all times of day and night.

LBHF have proposed two new "Motorcycle Parking Areas" in Macfarlane Rd and Uxbridge Rd which would be specially designed areas for motorcyles and mopeds.

Copper Chimney Offers Locals 20% Off

Copper Chimney - 20% off for locals

Local Indian restaurant Copper Chimney is offering Shepherd's Bush locals 20% off your next food bill at the restaurant - exclusive to readers of the Bush Telegraph. 

Just quote the code "The Bush Telegraph", and you'll get 20% off your food bill. 

Some T&Cs apply - this offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers or deals. Find Copper Chimney here at the official site.

Sisters of Nazareth in Hammersmith

Sisters of Nazareth in Hammersmith

Few inhabitants of Shepherd's Bush likely know much about the Sisters of Nazareth in Hammersmith, a Roman Catholic Order founded in the mid-19th Century and still providing residential care to the elderly today.

I found myself knocking on the rather forbidding main entrance on Hammersmith Rd (see photo left) as I searched for the W6 Physio Centre, deftly hidden behind its walls, where I was to be treated for a dodgy knee. 

But, once inside, the residents could not have been friendlier, and I quickly found my way through the beautiful gardens to the physio centre at the back.

Hammersmith Bridge to Re-Open for Pedestrians

Hammersmith Bridge

Local residents in Hammersmith and Barnes will breathe a sigh of relief now that Hammersmith Bridge is to re-open to pedestrians and cyclists, as early as this coming weekend.

Hammersmith Bridge has been closed since 2019 to vehicles, with the closure being extended in 2020 to bicycles, pedestrians and even river traffic.

The bridge remains closed to vehicles indefinitely, as our Council, TFL and central government argue over who should pay.

Last year there were protests over the failure of the responsible authorities to tackle the problem, but these have not yet resulted in a successful plan to re-open the bridge to cars and buses.

EV Charging Stations Coming to the Bush

EV charging station

Across Shepherds Bush, Electric vehicle ("EV") charging stations have been springing up.  Recently our local council, LBHF, ran a consultation with residents in our streets regarding a new charging station for EVs.

"We're in favour", said locals, "but can we keep our existing residents' parking bays please?"  Luckily for us, LBHF said "yes", and put the new charging bay in a place where it didn't take up any existing residents' bays.

Demolition of BBC Car Park Begins

Scaffolding is up, and the long process of demolition of BBC Car Park on Wood Lane is underway. 

Work began in mid June 2021, but the work will take some time; the old car park is a massive structure filled with concrete ramps, and with deep foundations.  

It will take "at least 35 weeks" to remove it, so local residents in Macfarlane Rd are bracing themselves for many months of noise, mess and general disruption.

ITV Moves to White City

ITV moves to White City

Some good news for our neighbourhood; ITV is moving operations to White City.  ShowBiz is back in the Bush. 

The broadcaster has signed a 13-year lease on Broadcast Centre in White City from the BBC, as it moves all of its London based staff into one location for the first time.

Last Chance to Have Your Say on Old Oak Plans

Old Oak plans

Now is the last chance to have your say on the future of Old Oak. 

In the guest blog below,  Henry Peterson, advisor to the Old Oak Neighbourhood Forum, argues the case for why the current development plans are flawed - and should be opposed.

Shepherd's Bush Police Station For Sale

Shepherd's Bush Police Station

Shepherd’s Bush Police Station is for sale.

The police station, which occupies an ugly grey building on the Uxbridge Rd, was first scheduled for closure back in 2013.  

In 2015 the public counter closed, making it impossible to report a crime in person. 

Friends of the Japanese Garden Newsletter

Friends of the Japanese Garden have published their latest newsletter, with news about events in Hammersmith Park, and how local people can volunteer to help maintain the beauty of the Japanese Garden. 

Travellers Settle in Ravenscourt Park

Ravenscourt Park

The day after a tent city appeared on Shepherd's Bush Green, travellers have moved into nearby Ravenscourt Park. 

About a dozen travellers and caravans appear to have broken through locked gates this morning at about 5.30am. 

I don't have any pictures yet (anyone got some?), but you can read the full story, with lots of pictures, at the Daily Mail.

Tent City Springs Up on Shepherd's Bush Common

Shepherd's Buddha

A tent city has recently sprung up in the centre of Shepherd's Bush Common (aka Shepherd's Bush Green).  

The camp is set up in a defensive circle, presumably to keep out intruders. 

The people living in the camp seem to be the same folks who were protesting Lockdown and vaccination last weekend. 

Skimmer Vandalised in Hammersmith Park

Vandalised Skimmer

Sometimes you have to feel a bit sorry for our local council, and for everyone who works hard to improve our parks.

For many years, John Gordon-Smith and other volunteers at the Friends of the Japanese Garden in Hammersmith Park have been lobbying our Council to install a skimmer to clean up the duck weed in the Japanese Garden.  After years of waiting, we finally got the skimmer, which was then almost immediately vandalised.

It isn't clear why anyone would want to smash up the skimmer. But someone, for whatever reason, decided it would be a good plan.

Shepherd's Bush Front Line in the Vaccine Wars

Public protest on the Goldhawk Rd

Shepherd's Bush became an unlikely front line in the arguments over Corona virus, lockdown, vaccination, and public liberty today. 

How far has Lockdown infringed on our civil liberties? Too far, said today's protestors who turned Shepherd's Bush into a parking lot this afternoon.

Hammersmith Park Tennis Courts Locked

Why lock the courts?

Sometimes our local council moves in mysterious ways.  On Sunday I went to the tennis courts in Hammersmith Park to play with my children, only to discover the courts locked.  

Two basketball players were also there, but none of us could get in.  Not to worry, I said, let's crawl in through the hole in the fence at the back.  But no luck; the council - in its wisdom and efficiency - has blocked up the hole. 

The two basketball players were undeterred; they simply climbed over the fence, while my kids and I had to find somewhere else to hit a ball. 

But how long will it be, I wondered, before someone makes a new hole in the fence? 

1,000 Parking Tickets a Week Issued in Shepherds Bush

Macfarlane Rd - Ticket Hotspot

Every week, around 1,000 Parking Tickets are issued in Shepherds Bush.  Each year nearly 49,000 Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) are issued by Hammersmith & Fulham Council in our neighbourhood, W12.

Tuhin Reynolds-Imam has done extensive research to find out exactly who is getting parking tickets, and where.  

To find out the top places in The Bush to get a ticket (and how to avoid them), see the detailed results below, with data taken from Tuhin's website proviser.com.

Parking Charges Double in LBHF

Our local council, the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, have recently almost doubled the cost of parking in our Borough.  Parking charges in the area have risen from around £2.80 an hour to around £5.00 per hour.  

This is a pretty steep increase.  Imagine a family taking their kids to the park; it would cost £15 just to park the family car for three hours.  

Is that affordable for many people? And is it proportionate to the actual cost of administering parking facilities?  

What this feels like is a stealth tax - and a pretty big one at that. 

Demolition of BBC Car Park to Begin in June

The old BBC Car Park on Wood Lane is to be demolished; work will start on or around 11th June 2021. 

The old car park is a massive structure filled with concrete ramps, and with deep foundations.  It will take "at least 35 weeks" to remove it, so local residents in Macfarlane Rd must brace themselves for many months of noise, mess and general disruption.

The new building is to be constructed by Peabody Trust; it will be called Macfarlane Place, and comprises two buildings, including 142 "affordable" housing units. 

Humans of Shepherd's Bush - No 15

Meet Gary Rawlings, the finest window cleaner in Shepherd's Bush.  Gary knows everyone in our neighbourhood; his family have been in the area since 1880; his great-grandfather was a local coffin maker.

Today, Gary cleans the windows of the Bush with rain water he collects in his garden - purer than water from the mains, and better for your windows. 

Gary is a busy man and his order book is pretty full - but his inside-and-out service is well worth the wait.

"Tiny Forest" Planted in Hammersmith Park

"Tiny Forest" in Hammersmith Park

According to recent news reports, Hammersmith Park is set to house London’s first "Tiny Forest", planted in the old Bowling Green in the Park.  

Our Council, LBHF, posted a news story about the forest back in March.

But where is this forest? And how do you get there? Turns out, it isn't that easy to find, and there isn't any legitimate public access.

Why is Shepherd's Bush Green Such a Mess?

Spring has come at last, good news us all, but bad news for poor Shepherd's Bush Green, which once again has become a public rubbish dump.

Local resident Sonia Carnelli has written to our local council, and councillors, to express her own response to the problem.

Sonia isn't just complaining; she also offers a number of possible solutions that might make things better.

After all, it surely cannot be impossible to clean up Shepherd's Bush Green.  Giving up on our public green spaces - which can at times feel like no-go zones - cannot be the right choice for our neighbourhood.

The Guerrilla Gardeners are Back

The Guerrilla Gardeners are back, planting flowers in the beds of street trees in Shepherd's Bush, quietly and anonymously making our neighbourhood just a little bit nicer to live in. 

Amidst the noise and grunge of Shepherd's Bush, local people are making their own small contribution to keeping our streets feeling loved and cared for.

Why not adopt a local street tree of your own, perhaps the one outside your front door? Eight-packs of bedding plants can be bought from the Brook Green Tesco for just £2 a pack, less than the price of a coffee.

Cherry Blossom in the Bush

Blossom in the Bush

Some years ago I lived for a time in Japan, and experienced the annual festival of Hanami, the Japanese celebration of Cherry blossom.  

The citizens of Tokyo gather every year in the gardens of the Imperial Palace to experience the blossom filtering the sunlight and gently falling on the grass. 

We may not have any palaces in Shepherd's Bush, but we have many cherry trees, and at this time of year our streets become a riot of white and pink blossom, as the cherry trees come into bloom. 

White City John Lewis to Re-Open After Lockdown

John Lewis to re-open at Westfield

The John Lewis Partnership confirmed yesterday that the White City John Lewis will re-open after Lockdown.

This will be reassuring to those who had feared that the flagship store might be on the list of post-Lockdown closures; John Lewis lost over £500m in the last financial year.  

Westfield, which is currently almost deserted, will again become Europe's biggest shopping mall once it re-opens after Lockdown ends.  At its heart is the £33 million John Lewis store, which first opened in 2018.

Woody's "Woodisms" Become Lockdown Art

Woody is eight years old, lives in Shepherd's Bush and attends the same school as my own children. He is a little bit different from the other kids; he has autism, and today, Woody's unique way of viewing the world has led to a new line of Lockdown art, including greetings cards, which feature Woody's unique take on life under Lockdown. To see more, and feel a genuine sense of inspiration about the ways in which special needs can indeed lead to special gifts, watch the BBC video above.  To support Woody and buy his art, go the official site at www.woodism.co.uk.

Scaffolding Goes Up at St Stephen's Church

Scaffolding goes up at St Stephen's

St Stephen's church on the Uxbridge Road has finally raised most of the £220,000 needed to re-roof the church buildings, and scaffolding is going up for work to begin.

It has taken the best part of a decade to raise the money, largely through the dogged efforts of Juliet Byford, chair of the St Stephen's Roof Committee. 

St Stephen's is an inclusive church that welcomes people from many different backgrounds, a place where diverse communities come together.  

What About a Lido for Shepherd's Bush?

Saltdean Lido

Shepherd's Bush film-maker Eddie Morgan has an idea for improving life in our neighbourhood - a Lido.  

Lidos are - so says the Guardian - experiencing a revival in the UK, so why can't we have one in Shepherd's Bush? 

Worthless Bicycle Pinched in Shepherd's Bush

Like many people in Shepherd's Bush, I like to cycle around the neighbourhood, but I don't have any storage for my bike, so I leave it chained up in the street. 

Knowing the problem of bicycle theft in London, my solution has always been to own an ancient bike that no-one in their right mind would bother to steal; in my case, an ancient Raleigh ladies bike of uncertain vintage.

Two Brook Green Markets From Saturday

Brook Green now boasts two Farmers' Markets on saturdays. The original Brook Green Market, which has taken place in Addison Road (entry from Bolingbroke Rd) every Saturday morning since 2014, has moved to new premises on Masbro Rd since Saturday 6th March.

The new market site is St Mary's Catholic Primary School, 40 Masbro Rd, Brook Green, W14 0LT, and takes place every Saturday as usual from 9.30am until 3pm.

The old Addison Road site will also, from this coming Saturday 20th March, play host to a new market, branded as the "Urban Street Food Fest" (see poster on left). 

Shepherd's Bush Green Road Closed

Traffic is being re-routed on Shepherd's Bush Green today, as works continue on what looks like a burst water main. 

Traffic traveling along the south side of the Shepherd's Bush Green cannot turn North, at least until the works are complete.

Ginglik Applies for Planning Permission for Restaurant

Edwardian loo, later Ginglik nightclub, now derelict

The former Ginglik nightclub on Shepherd's Bush Green has put in an appplication for planning permission (note that you may have to log in to the LBHF site to see the details).

The application is for a change of use, from a nightclub to a restaurant.

This surely good news for this long-neglected corner of Shepherd's Bush Green.