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Crime wave hits our shopping streets

Spare a thought for our beleaguered local shops. Not only are they dealing with rampant inflation but they have also had to contend with a spate of break-ins.

In the space of the last month The Barnes Pantry, Round the Clock Pharmacy, Forward Pharmacy, The Real Cheese Shop, Princess Alice Hospice and Oh Darling are just some of the businesses that have been targeted. Mostly the would-be thieves leave with very little – they seem to have been after ready cash and charity boxes. Some shops like Mary’s Living and Giving have even been targeted twice.

Also affected has been St Mary’s Church, where an important stained-glass window was damaged in a break-in in which all that was taken was some cables and two old amplifiers being used by a drama production performing at the church.

The costs to the shops has been immense in comparison to the value of goods and money stolen. Shops have lost valuable trading time while their windows are reglazed and for those claiming on insurance for replacement windows their premiums are likely to go up.

Local police have stepped up patrols particularly between the hours of 3.00am and 5.00am when the majority of the break-ins have taken place and while this provided some respite for Barnes High Street shops, the break-ins have now started popping up elsewhere  - White Hart Lane and Sheen shops have been targeted most recently.

It is thought that the break-ins are the work of the same team of two people and police are examining CCTV footage in the hope of identifying the criminals involved.

They have asked anybody living above shops to call 999 immediately if they hear or see anything. One local Barnes resident the Bugle spoke to said she had done so a few years ago when the Church Road post office had been targeted in the middle of the night. “I heard breaking glass looked out of the window and saw the crime in progress. I called the police, expecting not much to happen but a squad car turned up incredibly quickly and caught one of the thieves on the premises” she said “It’s definitely worth calling 999 if you do see something.”

If you have any evidence to offer the police in relation to these attempted break-ins do contact the local safer neighbourhoods team here.

Strong and stable

It looks like it could be May before the central carriageway of Hammersmith Bridge will re-open to cyclists after the council revealed the final stage of the stabilisation process will be complete in ‘late spring’. 

The bridge’s cracked cast iron pedestals have already been encased in concrete but the final phase of the stabilisation process will be the jacking up of the bridge’s saddles* to replace corroded and seized bearings on the bridge's chains and suspenders.

In order for the saddles to be raised, massive support frames have had to be fabricated from sheet steel. The steel has come from Ukraine and the support frames have been welded together in a factory in Middlesborough. 

The war in Ukraine has led to delays in obtaining the steel which in turn has delayed the stabilisation process. 

Hammersmith & Fulham Council says that the delay in the stabilisation process hasn’t delayed the overall plan to make the bridge capable of carrying motorised vehicles and that the procurement process for the final stage of the bridge repairs will start in April.

In the meantime, plans for the radical Foster Cowi temporary ‘bridge-within-a-bridge’ traffic crossing design are being finalised before the planning application goes before planning committee in September of this year. 

*The structures which connect the cables of a suspension bridge to its towers.

Swan love

Picture: Andrew Wilson

Our bereaved swan has found a mate

Just in time for Valentine’s Day love has blossomed at Barnes Pond with the arrival of a new mate for our lone female swan.

It seems she made her way down to the swan colony at Small Profits Dock, checked out the available talent and found herself a new partner. No need for swan Tinder, it seems, the old-fashioned ways are the best. It’s likely that she’s got herself a toyboy as she is at least 12 years old and the swans in the colony are mostly much younger.

Not much is known about the new cob (male swan) as it doesn’t have a tag (many swans have gone untagged recently as a result of the pandemic) but we definitely know that it’s the same female on the pond.

There’s no doubt that love is in the air between the two as they’ve been displaying typical signs of courtship – sideways glances, mirroring each other’s movements and intertwining of necks – as you can see in this lovely video on the Barnes Pond Instagram account. 

If all goes swimmingly, the pair will mate successfully and start nest building on the island some time in February. We can then expect the pitter patter of tiny webbed feet in May.

Bridging the gap

Picture: Andrew Wilson

At last, it’s here, the brand-new footbridge by Dukes Meadows, and as the picture above by Andrew Wilson shows, it’s looking rather impressive.

The new footbridge now means that when you walk along the Chiswick side of the Thames from Hammersmith to Chiswick Bridge you no longer need to take a quarter mile detour inland.

The footbridge is even now the subject of a 14 minute YouTube video by travel enthusiast Henry Millum. Henry, a train enthusiast, starts his journey at Barnes Bridge station and takes his viewers on a guided tour of the station, the railway bridge and the new footbridge. Watching it, the Bugle learned quite a few interesting facts about the station, and, of course, it’s always lovely to see someone enthuse about Barnes. 

To see ourselves as others see us

The data from the 2021 census is now available and without providing any major shocks it gives quite an interesting insight into Barnes.

It is probably no surprise at all to discover that Barnes residents are twice as likely as the typical resident of England to be educated to degree level and beyond, nor that, work-wise, occupations are overwhelmingly skewed to the managerial and professional sectors (59% in Barnes versus 32% nationally). 

We’re also a pretty cosmopolitan bunch with 18% of those living here having a non-UK passport (the national figure is 10%) and 17.6% not claiming a UK identity. 
When it comes to coupling up, Barnes has just as many singletons as the national average (30%) but fewer divorcees with 51% of us married or in a civil partnership versus the national average of 45%.

We’re also less likely to be atheists (33.6% of us don’t believe in God versus 36.7% nationally) and more likely to be Christian than the national average with nearly 50% ticking the Christian box in the religion section of the census form. As far as other religions go, we’re also more likely than the national average to be Jewish or Buddhist and much less likely to be Sikh, Muslim or Hindu.

There are two striking variances to national norms (apart from the rather obvious wealthy/middle class skew of the data). Firstly, there’s the dearth of people aged between 20 and 34 who live in Barnes. There are 24% fewer younger adults in Barnes than the national average. Property prices probably have a lot to do with this as well as the average age for starting a family. Like swans, people come to Barnes to nest it seems.

Secondly, a whopping 64.6% of those who work do so from home – that’s twice the national average. However, many people in Barnes seem to be putting the hours in (perhaps in order to pay off their enormous mortgages) with a quarter of workers (twice as many people as the national average) saying they work 49 hours per week or more.

You can delve into the census data by clicking here.

Jam today and jam tomorrow

London’s roads are the world’s most congested according to a new survey. And guess where the most congested roads are? Yes, right on our doorstep.

The A219 which straddles both Fulham Road and Putney High Street has won the dubious distinction of being the most congested road in the world’s most congested city.

Traffic information supplier INRIX surveyed traffic in 1,000 cities across the world, so it is no mean feat to come out top. Driving down the Fulham Road and Putney High St is officially a real stinker of a journey.

There are no prizes, however, for guessing why – with the closure of Hammersmith Bridge being cited as one of the major reasons for congestion by Putney MP Fleur Anderson.

As we’ve reported before it’s not just journey times that are being affected; Putney High Street has incredibly high levels of air pollution.

There seems to be no near end in sight for the congestion issues facing Fulham and Putney either. With a toll being proposed as the only way to fund the repairs to Hammersmith Bridge, Anderson says drivers will be less likely to use the repaired bridge and that Putney will still be overburdened with drivers who are unwilling to pay the Hammersmith toll.

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Winning on penalties

Hounslow Council has found itself with millions of extra pounds in its coffers as a result of implementing traffic restrictions in the Grove Park area – preventing drivers from Barnes and other areas south of the river accessing the A4 after crossing Chiswick Bridge without using the Hogarth roundabout.

A freedom of information request has revealed that over 2022 over a 100,000 penalty charge notices for £130 each were issued. Given that most people will have paid the penalties within the 50% discount period it’s likely that the figure the new restrictions will have raised for the council will be around £7 million. Local campaigners say that’s the equivalent of the council having put up council tax by 5%.

Closing off routes to non-residents is also paying dividends for Hammersmith & Fulham Council which has made considerable sums in traffic fines (£9.5 million over 18 months according to local campaigners) as a result of fines for out-of-borough drivers. With the introduction of penalties for non-local drivers driving through roads to the west of Wandsworth Bridge Road on February 1st this revenue stream has the potential to grow still further.

Campaigners contend that the South Fulham traffic schemes have diverted traffic elsewhere. The news that the Fulham Road is the most congested in the country may or may not be linked to these measures. We can't find any solid evidence but we'll update you if we come across any news.

Back with a banger

After a pandemic caused hiatus, the festival of calories that is the Great Sausage Roll Off is back. Chefs from across the country will compete at The Red Lion in Barnes tonight (February 8), each hoping to impress judges Kate Nicholls, Simon Rimmer, Pip Lacey, Daniel Clifford, and radio presenter James O’Brien. We will bring you news of the competition winning sausage roll in the next issue

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Making merry

While most winter celebrations are held indoors for obvious reasons, sometimes it’s lovely to embrace the cold, and that’s what the team at Barnes Common are doing next week (February 18) with their Winter Wassail.

It’s ‘An ancient rural English celebration giving fruit growers and pickers the opportunity to drink to the good health of their fruit trees and to an abundant crop in the coming year, as well as bring light, noise and cheer to long, dark winter months.’

The Barnes Common wassail will feature storytelling, crafts and basket weaving, a talk about the rich orchard history around Barnes and most importantly, warm spiced apple cider and snacks. Tickets can be bought on the Barnes Common website.

£100 penalty proposed for riverside scoot route

In response to resident’s concerns about electric scooters being used on the river walkways, Hammersmith and Fulham Council has carried out a survey of residents asking whether they should introduce a Public Space Protection Order to prohibit the riding of e-scooters, e-bikes and other motorised vehicles along the Thames Path – they are also considering the prohibition of ‘the reckless riding of pedal cycles’.

If a person fails to comply with the requirements of the order following a warning from an authorised council or police officer, they will be issued with £100 Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) and taken to court if the fine is not paid within the specified timeframe.

The results of the survey are not yet known but we’ll keep you posted. 

Putting Barnes in the picture

Like a medieval icon, the artwork for a new Barnes themed mural is making a tour of the area.

Local artist Alasdair Saunders has been commissioned by The Coach & Horses to create a digital photo-collage to grace the right hand wall you see as you walk in to the pub from the High Street. Before the final version is fused to the wall at the Coach a smaller previous version will be put on display at sister Young’s pub The Bull’s Head.

The mural prototype will be unveiled at the Bull alongside other artworks by Alasdair on February 15 in front of an audience that will include many of the owners whose dogs are featured in the collage.

Handy men (and women) wanted

The BCA is looking for volunteers to help build the brand new Men’s Shed in the car park at the London Wetlands Centre. When complete the new shed will be a working place and meeting place for men in the community. The team behind the project say they are looking for “a tiny bit of time and lots of enthusiasm”. They are particularly in need of help from volunteers who can provide skills in plumbing, electrics, engineering, building and project management. If you think you can help out you can contact the Men’s Shed team at mensshed@barnes-ca.org.

Coffee to go

If you know someone who would appreciate a free hot drink on a cold winter’s day now’s the time to let them know about two schemes being run by St Mary’s Church.

Firstly, in collaboration with &Feast, Arte Chef, Hermanos and The Lockdown Bakehouse the church has set up a scheme whereby anyone purchasing a coffee can donate the price of a second cup to be given away free to someone who needs it. The idea is based on an old Italian tradition called Café Sospeso.

Also, at St Mary’s itself, they are hosting a weekly coffee morning, where every Thursday morning between 10am and noon they are offering free warm drinks and a chance to chat.

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New pavilion proposal for St Paul’s school faces local opposition

Above: Planning design showing the proposed pavilion from two different angles

The planning consultation period for a replacement sports pavilion at St Paul’s School has now closed with over 100 people objecting to the size of the proposed new building (the proposed new double story building would replace an existing single story one) and its potential impact on local traffic. You can see the proposal and the full list of local objections by clicking here.

New Tesco to open in the spring

After many weeks of looking like a disused building site, the old Natwest premises opposite the Red Lion pub now looks like a very lively building site indeed. The sign up outside the old bank suggests building work will be complete in March but all we can glean from the Tesco press office is that the new store will open in the spring. We’ll bring you more details in the next Bugle.

Advertising screens face opposition

The recent arrival of ten-metre-high, back-to-back LED screens marketed as ‘Richmond Lights’ on Upper Richmond Road has been opposed by both the Barnes Community Association and Barnes Common. They say that the signs break the important ‘dark corridor’ linking the Thames and The London Wetland Centre with Richmond Park and will have a massive impact on local wildlife. The advertising screens have permission to remain on the site for five years but a petition has now been started to demonstrate the level of local opposition in the hope that renewal of the licences is not granted automatically.
You can find out more here.

Thank you, Wendy

If the mark of a good life is how a person’s time on earth touched others, then Wendy Allen, who died in January, had a very good life indeed. At the Bugle we knew Wendy through her voluntary work supporting the local businesses of Barnes and we were hugely shocked to hear that she had died this January of cancer at the ridiculously early age of sixty.

Wendy was an exceptionally good advertising copywriter who earlier in her career worked for major London ad agencies and later ran her own copywriting business. She gave very generously of her time and was one of the people responsible for the lovely Barnes logo that’s on display opposite Barnes Bridge station.

Barnes Town Centre manager Emma Robinson says "Wendy was a warm, lively and engaging member of the Barnes Town Team who volunteered so much of her time to support our marketing projects.   She helped to shape our Barnes Day Out campaign, from the concept, to the research with residents and to the final design which now graces our beautiful mural under Barnes Bridge and sits at the heart of our destination campaign.  Over the years Wendy has done a podcast interviewing Barnes business owners and telling the stories of their lives and a script for a Barnes film.  She will be greatly missed by all of us on the Barnes Town Team and our thoughts are with her family and friends’.

Slava Ukraini

As the war in Ukraine drags on and the human toll continues to build newspapers are full of articles about the risk of compassion fatigue. The response to the refugee situation back in March last year was extraordinary but Ukraine needs ongoing humanitarian help. 

A concert being held on Sunday, February 19 at 5pm at St Margaret's Church, Putney recognises this.  It is going to be a free concert but the organisers are encouraging those who attend to make a donation to Medical Life Lines Ukraine which was set up the day after the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Aliya Arilbaeva, a lawyer originally from Khazakstan, married to a Ukrainian, and living in Wimbledon.  This small, but very active charity has already sent 16 reconditioned ambulances out to Ukraine, packed with vital provisions. 

Apart from highlighting the plight of the Ukrainians, the charity is fund raising for a further six ambulances - a Convoy of Hope - due to leave on 5th March.

Support the rucksack project

Another way we can all support the children of Ukraine is to buy a book that’s now on sale at The Barnes Bookshop. The Rucksack Project has been written by Di Redmond (who also writes for animated children’s programmes like Postman Pat) to accompany illustrations by Ukrainian Lillia Marynyuk who drew in her basement while shells rained down.

The book which has been created in cooperation with Children and War UK is aimed at displaced Ukrainian children.

Each book comes with a separate exercise book and simple booklet of advice for parents and teachers with the aim of the book becoming a soothing personal possession to support the mental health of young readers. It’s also a great way of making our own children understand what refugee children go through.

All proceeds from sales are used to provide life-saving trauma therapy for displaced Ukrainian children. 

The Barnes Children’s Literature Festival is returning on June 24 & 25

Volunteers working for the brilliant Barnes Children’s Literature Festival are currently working flat out now getting ready for the return of the UK's largest dedicated kids' books event on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 June. 

Comedy legend Sir Lenny Henry, the mega bestselling creator of the How to Train Your Dragon series Cressida Cowell and superstar space scientist Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock are just a few of the big names on their way to the Festival which features more than 100 of the family friendliest readings, workshops, performances and free activities around the village.

If you can't wait until June for your Festival fun, then don't forget about their monthly kids' book club, London LitSoc, which is held at St Paul's School. 

The next meeting is Saturday 25 February when they will be joined by the Blue Peter and Waterstones Children's Book Prize winner Hannah Gold with her internationally acclaimed animal adventure, The Lost Whale, which was inspired by her own amazing experience with whales in the wild. The opening chapter is on their website. Suitable for ages 8+.

If you're on their mailing list, you'll have first crack at tickets for all their events and you can join here.

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