Farewell to Table Tennis at Westfield

Table tennis outside Westfield - in happier times

If you’ve passed by the bus station outside Westfield White City recently, you may have noticed something missing. The all-weather table tennis tables, once a quirky fixture of the concourse, have quietly disappeared.

For years, the tables were a rare bit of public fun in an otherwise functional transport hub.  Commuters, kids, and the odd shopper laden with bags could be spotted sticking around for a quick game.  They made the bus station feel less like a waiting room and more like a community space.

Secrets of The Bush - Shepherd's Bush Cricket Club

Shepherd's Bush has many secret places; but few are more tranquil - and unexpected - than the Shepherd's Bush Cricket Club. 

Located at the north end of Bromyard Avenue, just off the Uxbridge Rd (and, technically, in Acton) the SBCC has been hosting cricket matches in our neighbourhood since 1882.

Table Tennis at Wood Lane Bus Station

The stretch of concrete on Wood Lane between the White City bus station and the main road is a rather windswept and unlovely place, but it has one redeeming feature - free all-weather table tennis tables, which (best of all) don't get put away in winter. 

Free Outdoor Table Tennis Returns to TV Centre

Outdoor Table Tennis is back at TV Centre on Wood Lane; the owners of upscale housing development and TV Sound Stages  have put up a big screen for visitors to watch summer sports, and also two outdoor  tennis tables for summer entertainment. 

St Stephen's Shepherd's Bush Hosts Xmas Fair Sat 30 Nov

Shepherd's Bush primary School St Stephen's is hosting a Christmas Fair on Saturday 30th November, and all are welcome. 

The event takes place from Noon until 4pm, and includes a Bouncy Castle, Santa's Grotto, a BBQ, Bar, Tombola, Assault Course, Book Stall, Boutique, Fairground Games and many other shops and stalls. Proceeds go to supporting one of our best local primary schools. 

St Stephen's School is affiliated with St Stephen's Church, Shepherd's Bush and was built at the same time, circa 1849-50. This year it was voted Best Primary School in England by the TES. 

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. 

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. 

Ceilidh at St Simon's Brook Green on Jan 25th

St Simon's Church in Brook Green is hosting a family-friendly Ceilidh at the church on Saturday, 25 January from 6pm - 8.30pm.

Saturday night is of course Burn's Night - a night of whiskey, haggis and dancing which is pretty much compulsory north of the border and well worth celebrating down south, whether you're Scottish or - like me - Scot-ish.

Free Sports on Wednesdays at Hammersmith Park

Our council, LBHF, are organising a free multi-sports & play session at Hammersmith Park.

The event is run in association with the London Sports Trust and takes place weekly, every Wednesday from 4.15pm until 5.15pm, and is timed for kids getting out of local schools.

Sports played include tennis, football, tag rugby, and cricket, and it's all completely free.

To find out more, contact Jake at LBHF on 02087351589 or email at Jake@londonsportstrust.org

The Shepherd's Bush Blog offers a personal view on life in Shepherd's Bush. If you would like to contribute a story, email us at shepherdsbushblog(at)gmail.com. And don't forget to add your opinion in the comments section below.

New Playground at Paddington Rec

Ocean liner at Paddington Rec

Parents in Shepherd's Bush looking for great play spaces for their children have lots to celebrate lately.

The new playground at Paddington Recreation Ground ("Paddington Rec") is a great playground for kids, complete with a play ocean liner, a zip wire, and even a row of London-style terraced houses.

Paddington Rec also has easy parking (free on weekends), useful Tube access (Maida Vale, on the Bakerloo Line)  and a good cafe with pizza and all the trimmings.

Japanese Garden Community Picnic on Saturday 11th May

Hammersmith Park is celebrating its recently expanded Japanese Garden with a Japanese Garden Community Picnic on Saturday 11th May, from Noon until 5pm.

The Japanese Picnic will feature lots of activities for families and children, including the chance to make origami, follow a treasure trail, do a calligraphy workshop, listen to Japanese music, or buy Japanese snacks.

The event is being held to celebrate recent improvement works: the installation of new Japanese-style gates and rows of stone lanterns in the Japanese Garden.

You can see more about it at the Japanese Embassy official site. Don't forget to bring your picnic!

New Playground for Hammersmith Park

New playground at Hammersmith Park

The children's playground at Hammersmith Park has been finished at last, having been redeveloped after the children's climbing frames were removed in February and March of 2018.

It took a while, but full credit to our Council for getting it done, and to a high standard.

St Stephen's Christmas Fair Saturday 15 December

St Stephen's School on the Uxbridge Rd is hosting a Christmas Fair on Saturday 15 December from Noon until 4pm.

St Stephen's is an excellent local school, rated by the Sunday Times in 2017 as the fifth best primary school in the UK. Parents fight to get their children in, and one of the best things about the school is the energetic fund-raising carried out by FOSS - the Friends of St Stephen's.

The St Stephen's Christmas Fair is always busy and always popular, with, as you'd expect, tons of stuff for children and families. Donkey rides are rumoured for this year, along with all the traditional seasonal festivities.

Fireworks on Friday 2 Nov and Sat 3 Nov

Fireworks on Friday 2nd and Saturday 3rd November

Our Council is hosting a fireworks display in early November, not to celebrate Guy Fawkes Night, but to "bring the love to our popular fireworks displays in Hammersmith & Fulham this year".

The evening is branded as "H&F Loves Fireworks".

Poor old Guy Fawkes is getting gradually edited out of our national traditions. But then, perhaps it's not so surprising that an annual event to celebrate the burning of Catholic bomb plotters may, after a good long run, finally have had its day.

Gunnersbury Park Restoration

The 18th Century "Large Mansion" at Gunnersbury Park

Ealing and Hounslow Councils have been working for many years, using funds awarded by the National Lottery, to restore the old Rothschild mansion and its extensive grounds at Gunnersbury Park.

The mid-18th Century "Large Mansion" and its park were sold to the public at a bargain price by the Rothschild family in 1926.

Since then however, the buildings had fallen into disrepair.

Community Car Boot Sale on 14th October

Fancy getting rid of your old stuff? Or buying more? The Edward Woods Community Centre is hosting a Car Boot Sale on Saturday 14th October from 10am until 2pm.

The event, which takes place at the Edward Woods Community Centre, at 60-70 Norland Road, W11 4TX, includes free face painting for children, as well as coffee and food stalls.

If you have stuff to sell (which of us doesn't need a good clear-out?), you can take a stall yourself for just £5.

Admission is free. To take a stall, call Jacquie Boyce on 020 7603 2324 or email ewccinfo@upg.org.uk

Brook Green Day 15th September

Mark your calendars - Saturday 15th September is Brook Green Day, and for one day only Brook Green will be transformed into a giant funfair (see flyer to left), from noon until 6pm.

It's an annual event, organised by the highly efficient Friends of Brook Green, who we all have to thank for the excellent playground (top swings, and a brilliant slide); one of the best in West London.

I took my children to the same event last year and it was a great day - big, boisterous and full of families.

Summer Celebration on 16th June at Kite Studios

Kite Studios is hosting a Summer Celebration on 16th June, billed as "an afternoon of creativity, followed by a party in the evening.

The event is a fundraiser for the Kite Art CIC Sponsorship Fund, which provides free art workshops for children with special needs, from Wendell Park Primary School.

This programme is in its third successful year and Kite Studios hopes to extend it to other schools in our neighbourhood.

St John's May Fair Saturday 12 May 12.30pm to 5pm

May pole dancing at St John's Notting Hill

On Saturday May 12th at 12.30pm there is a May Fair at St John's Notting Hill, a long-running annual event and a great place to take the kids.  The day features lots of activities, including face painting, may poles, a bric-a-brac stall, home baked cakes and jams, and plenty of other stuff.  Profits go to good causes around the world. It costs just £1 to enter, and kids go in free.

Old Laundry Opens Tomorrow

Shepherd's Bush Market seems to be getting its mojo back after the long process of redevelopment which ended in failure two years ago.

On friday the Old Laundry Yard (which was to have been the temporary home for the market, while it was being redeveloped) will open its doors to the public, offering visitors new streets food traders and also a community events space.