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.