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.