Japanese Garden Gets New "Torii" Gateway

New Gateway for Japanese Garden at Hammersmith Park

The Japanese Garden at Hammersmith Park has been given a new gateway, or "Torii", thanks to a generous donation by former Chair of the Friends of The Japanese Garden at Hammersmith Park, John Gordon-Smith. 

The Japanese Garden at Hammersmith Park dates from 1910, and is the chief legacy of the Japanese-British Exhibition that took place in White City.

New Tennis Courts For Hammersmith Park

Newly resurfaced tennis courts at Hammersmith Park

Thanks to our local council, the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, for the newly resurfaced tennis courts at Hammersmith Park.

The old tennis courts had deteriorated badly and were prone to flooding, collecting mud and debris in wet weather. 

St Stephen's Wins Best Primary School in UK

St Stephen's Church of England School in Shepherd's Bush has won the "TES" Award (the "Oscars" of school awards) in the category of Best Primary School in the UK.   There are around 21,000 primary schools in the UK - so this is a huge achievement for our local school.  

Belinda Mitchell-Innes Wins Community Award

Mitchell-Innes (second from left) receives award

Shepherd's Bush resident Belinda Mitchell-Innes (second from left) was presented with a Community Award on May 9th by the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham.

The award, celebrating "Local Heroes" in our Borough was presented by Councillor Bora Kwon (far left). 

LBHF Civic Honours are nominated by friends and neighbours for "selfless contributions" to the local community, and are intended to acknowledge the "unsung heroes" of our neighbourhood.

St Stephen's School Nominated for TES Award

St Stephen's Church of England school in Shepherd's Bush has been nominated for a "TES" Award (the "Oscars" of school awards) in the category of Best Primary School. Bearing in mind that there are around 21,000 primary schools in the UK, this is a significant achievement in a very crowded field.  

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 well-respected head whose good nature and pursuit of excellence helps to give the school its unique character. 

Hammersmith Park Outdoor Gym Nears Completion

Outdoor Gym at Hammersmith park

The outdoor gym in Hammersmith Park is almost ready to open.  The London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham consulted with local residents last September on whether to build an outdoor gym in Hammersmith Park and, if so what sort of equipment to install.

The location of the outdoor gym is the small triangle of grass located at the eastern end of the park, near the exit to TV Centre. 

At long last, the gym is just about ready to open to the public. This will - we hope - be a valuable community asset for the park. 

Bush Hall Needs Your Help

Help Save Music at Bush Hall from Bush Hall on Vimeo.

Bush Hall needs your help. Bush Hall is an independent music and events venue in Shepherd's Bush, which is currently "in grave danger of losing its unique live music facility". The owners of Bush Hall, Charlie Raworth and Emma Hutchinson, have launched a crowdfunder appeal at https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-save-music-at-bush-hall, hoping to raise £40,000 to secure the future of Bush Hall. 

Cyclists Jumping Lights on Uxbridge Rd Face £50 Fine

Cyclists - jump the lights at your peril

Cyclists beware - running a red light in Shepherd's Bush could cost you £50.  

It's become commonplace for London cyclists to jump the lights; after all, unlike motor vehicles, cyclists are unlikely to get a ticket. 

Hammersmith Park Outdoor Gym Needs Your Help

Proposed site for outdoor gym

The London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham consulted with local residents last September on whether to build an outdoor gym in Hammersmith Park and, if so what sort of equipment to install.

The location of the outdoor gym will be the small triangle of grass located at the eastern end of the park, near the exit to TV Centre. 

Unfortunately, LBHF say that the response rate was too low to justify the spend.  The council have re-opened the consultation, so it's important that we get a bigger response this time around.

Shepherd's Bush Market Plans Given Green Light by LBHF

Yoo Capital, owners of Shepherds Bush Market and neighbouring land, have won their battle for planning permission to redevelop the Market.  The vote in Hammersmith and Fulham Planning Committee was 3-2.

The redevelopment scheme involves the construction of forty new flats to be managed by LBHF.  Paying for the new subsidised flats is a large new commercial building.   You can read the full story at Time Out here and also at the Evening Standard.

Shepherd's Bush Market Meeting Abandoned

A meeting this week to determine the fate of Shepherd's Bush Market was abandoned following vocal protests.

The meeting was held on Tuesday at the Shortlands office building in a large meeting room, with space for LBHF councillors and seating for attendees and speakers.  A number of market traders attended, as well as shopkeepers, and also local residents. The meeting was abandoned following noisy protests that made it impossible to proceed.

St Stephens School Ranked "Outstanding" by Ofsted

Parents at St Stephen's Church of England school are celebrating another success for our local state primary - which was rated "Outstanding" in all categories by Ofsted, the school inspectorate. 

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 well-respected head whose good nature and pursuit of excellence helps to give the school its unique character. 

1A Macfarlane Rd Case Dismissed For "Improper Service"

The developers of 1A Macfarlane Rd have today won a further round in their legal battle to keep their housing development, first constructed in the Spring of 2020 (see before and after image on left). 

The developers' appeal against the Council's latest Enforcement Notice was upheld on a technicality - for improper service of the notice. 

1A Macfarlane Rd Appeal Hearing Tuesday 5 Dec 2023

Appeal Hearing Tues 5 Dec 2023 at 10am

Back in 2020 a new building was completed at 1A Macfarlane Rd, after the old Edwardian building was demolished. 

The new building is mainly of interest because the owner, having got planning permission to demolish the old two storey Edwardian structure and build a new four storey building, built something that was quite different from what was approved.

Eventually our Council, London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, issued an enforcement notice against the building. That notice was appealed by the owners, and the Inspector must now make a decision as to how to move forward. 

Tomorrow Tuesday 5 December there is an "informal hearing" at the Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith to hear local views. All are welcome to attend and have their say. 

Deluxe Coffee Works - Welcome to The Bush

Deluxe Coffee Works

Coffee in Shepherd's Bush just got a little bit better (actually, a lot better) with the opening of the Deluxe Coffee Works in Macfarlane Rd.

Deluxe is located in a former light industrial building tucked in among residential houses in a small corner of The Bush - just off Shepherd's Bush Green. 

Deluxe is mainly a BtoB (Business to Business) operation, importing and roasting their own beans on the premises, but they also sell delicious fresh roasted coffee directly to the public. 

And, today, the opening day of the new "roastery", they are offering free coffee to locals.  But there is no sign on the door - you'll just have to follow the crowds. 

The Defector's Weld is Back - Tonight is Opening Night

The Defector's Weld is back

The Defector's Weld is back - reopening today after a long refurbishment.  The Defector's Weld is a pub on the corner of Uxbridge Road and Wood Lane, voted the Best Pub in The Bush by the old Shepherd's Bush Blog, as edited by Chris Underwood back in 2012. 

The vote was conducted by readers of the blog, and The Defector's Weld won by a large margin.  

St Stephen's Xmas Fair on Saturday 2 December

Advent starts on Friday - and from December 1st it will be officially time to get into the Christmas Spirit. On Saturday the 2nd December from 12pm to 4pm our local primary school - St Stephen's - is hosting a Christmas Fair, raising money for one of the country's top primary schools.

Come along on saturday to buy Christmas gifts, cakes, and maybe even come and meet Father Christmas, who (it is rumoured) may make an appearance in his grotto. 

Other kid-friendly treats include a bouncy castle, a kid's tombola (there's one for grownups too), teddies, and "Strictly Come Dancing" classes with St Stephen's very own song-and-dance thespian Miss Whiting. 

Outdoor Gym for Hammersmith Park - Have Your Say

The London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham is consulting with local residents on whether to build an outdoor gym in Hammersmith Park and, if so what sort of equipment to install.

The location of the outdoor gym would be in a small triangle of grass located at the eastern end of the park, near the exit to TV Centre. 

You can have your say by emailing parks.projects@lbhf.gov.uk. 

The deadline for comments is today, Friday 15th September 2023.

Japanese Garden Community Day 6 August 2023

The Japanese Garden at Hammersmith Park is hosting its annual Community Day on Sunday 6th August from 12.30pm to 5.30pm.  

The Japanese Garden Community Day will feature Japanese-themed activities for families and children.  Last year's events included origami lessons, a treasure trail, a Japanese calligraphy workshop, Japanese music, a "haiku walk", and Japanese sweets and snacks.

The Community Day is a family-friendly annual event, held to celebrate improvements to the garden such as the 2018 installation of new Japanese-style gates and rows of traditional stone lanterns.

The Japanese Garden at Hammersmith Park dates from 1910, and is the chief legacy of the Japanese-British Exhibition that took place in White City.

Don't forget to bring a picnic.

Free Table Tennis at TV Centre

Table Tennis at TV Centre

TV Centre on Wood Lane have put up some big screens for visitors to watch Wimbledon, and also a number of table tennis tables for some summer entertainment. 

TV Centre even provide table tennis bats and balls (though it's advisable to bring your own; these have a tendency to wander off).