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The fate of the Mortlake Brewery development is now in the hands of Sadiq Khan who plans to hold his public hearing on the application to develop the former Stag Brewery site on July 27.
The planning application was ‘called in’ by the mayor in May 2020 and campaigners have said that the call-in process “erodes trust, ignores public health and obfuscates information.”
When the mayor ‘called in’ the application for review, the plan on the table was for 843 residential units plus hotel, school, care home, gym and museum. After the calling in a new revised plan was released with the care home gone and a new plan for 1250 residential units housed in taller buildings.
Campaigners say a Freedom of Information request has revealed that after the mayor’s planning team became involved, they held no fewer than 23 meetings with the developers while the local campaign group’s (MBCG) attempts to engage were, they say, ignored.
Last week the London Assembly passed a motion put forward by local Assembly Member Nick Rogers requesting that the hearing be delayed to allow for a ‘meaningful discussion’ with local campaigners who have an alternative community plan which they say provides 30% affordable housing and the health, education and transport infrastructure that the local community supports. Local MP Sarah Olney also wrote to the mayor urging him to delay the hearing and to listen to local campaigners.
Despite this, the Mayor has decided that the public hearing will proceed as planned on July 27.
The Mortlake Brewery Community Group says it wants to stop the mayor from making a ‘massive mistake’.
It says the current proposals will increase the local population by 90% and that the impact of local transport and health infrastructure has not been properly considered.
Over 600 separate consultation documents relating to every aspect of the development from light pollution to traffic impact are available on the GLA website but campaigners say information on the development is ‘inaccessible’. You can peruse all 600 plus documents at your leisure by clicking here.
Clare Delmar of the London-wide campaign group Listen to Locals says “It’s outrageous that the Mayor has called in an application that has already been approved by the local council and then added nearly 400 dwellings to the plan. It’s equally outrageous that his team have had 23 consultations with the developers but only one meeting with people who live locally.
“The lack of engagement shown over the Mortlake development is a shining example of how the needs of local people across London are being ignored by the Mayor. It’s not too late for him to do the right thing. We hope he will begin to work with the local community, take a stand and make a decision that’s right for all Londoners and that will set a precedent on how to build communities that are inclusive and sustainable.”
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Campaigners are urging those concerned about the development to email Sadiq Khan (sadiq.khan@london.gov.uk)
and his Deputy, Jules Pipe (jules.pipe@london.gov.uk)
setting out why they are opposed to the application, also copying their emails to the GLA Stag Brewery team (theformerstagbrewery@london.gov.uk).
Anyone interested can also attend the hearing at City Hall in person and campaigners fighting the proposal want to fill the gallery with supporters.
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If ever a space was perfect for outdoor theatre and cinema it’s Barnes Green, so luckily this summer it’s going to be the backdrop for a fantastic series of open air events all organised by the BCA and our wonderful local arts centre the OSO. Every fortnight from Saturday July 24 there’s going to be a brilliant cultural event on the Green. There’s family fun from the hugely inventive touring theatre company Three Inch Fools with a lively performance of Robin Hood. Two weeks later you can revel in romance, passion and music with the same troupe’s take on Romeo & Juliet. Music lovers should book tickets for a Simon & Garfunkel tribute evening on August 21 and film lovers can sit on picnic blankets to enjoy La La Land (August 28) and The Guardians of the Galaxy (September 4). The Summer Festival culminates on September 18 with an extra special Barnes Food Fair featuring a whole array of great food suppliers and some favourite Barnes Fair stall holders too.
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Pedestrian crossing not imminent
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Workmen began to repair potholes on the road surface of Hammersmith Bridge yesterday (July 6) raising the hopes of local residents who hypothesised that the workmen might be readying the bridge for opening to pedestrians and cyclists.
If the bridge does reopen, a smooth surface will be very much welcomed by pedestrians and cyclists alike. However, it seems the primary motivation for the surface work is related to allowing heavy equipment on to the bridge to facilitate its repair and that a pedestrian re-opening is not likely to happen any time imminently.
A Hammersmith & Fulham council spokesperson said "The surface of the road is rotted and engineers need an even surface in order to test the impact of placing repair equipment on to the bridge. The results of this test will be reported to the CCSO* at the end of this month."
*Case for the Continuation of Safe Operation
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Growing objections to ferry coming from north of the river
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Richmond Park MP Sarah Olney has reported that there are a growing number of objections to the planning application for a ferry landing point on the Hammersmith side.
In her most recent bridge update she says “The Hammersmith Bridge replacement ferry is expected to arrive in September. Up until this point it has been fraught with challenges. For its start-date to be subject to no further delays, we need all consenting authorities to grant their approval. The outstanding applications open to public comment are for LBHF and LBRUT, which are for landing piers on either side of the river. There is growing opposition on the north side of the river, in particular, from Hammersmith residents. I have submitted my support to both proposals and would likewise urge as many of you as possible to submit your feedback to the consultations, outlining your support for the proposal. Please, share the consultations far and wide, particularly the LBHF one, to ensure that our voices are heard and we can get this ferry up and running ASAP."
Local campaigners are asking for as many people as possible to express their support for the ferry.
A spokesperson for Hammersmith Bridge SOS says “It would be a disaster if planning objections were to derail the ferry. We know some people think the bridge will be re-opened to pedestrians soon and for that reason they may not be adding their support to the ferry proposal. However, everything has gone very quiet on the prospect of any pedestrian crossing being feasible in the near term. We heard on June 8th that Engineers advising Hammersmith Council were due to meet soon but we still haven’t heard whether they think it’s safe to re-open the bridge to pedestrians. In this case no news doesn’t sound like good news.
“We need as many people as possible to lend their support to the planning proposals. It could make all the difference.”
You can see the planning application for the south side terminal here and the north side terminal here.
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Hammersmith Bridge SOS and the BCA have just released the preliminary results of a huge survey into attitudes to the bridge closure. Nearly 1,700 people responded and answers came from people both sides of the river. Large numbers of Barnes residents responded (just over 1,000) but the survey also reflects the views of people in Hammersmith, Fulham and Chiswick to the north and Sheen, Putney, Wandsworth, Richmond and Twickenham to the south.
The results make interesting reading and one of the most surprising findings is that people in Hammersmith who responded are keener on the bridge re-opening to traffic than those in Barnes. Speaking of which, quite a few people seem to want the bridge to reopen to pedestrians and cyclists only. Here are just a few of the findings.
Do you feel you have been affected by the closure of the bridge? – The closure affected nearly 84% of Barnes residents responding to the survey compared to nearly 60% of H&F residents.
Do you feel affected by extra traffic congestion linked to the bridge closure now lockdown is coming to a close? - Nearly 89% of Barnes residents who responded said they were affected by the extra traffic compared to only 72% of H&F residents.
Do you support reopening the bridge? – In Barnes only 50% of respondents supported reopening the bridge to all traffic compared to 60% in H&F.
Should Hammersmith & Fulham Council as legal owners of the bridge and contribute to the cost of repair? – More than 90% of Barnes residents thought H&F should contribute to the cost of the repair compare to only 64% of H&F residents
How do you think H&F Council should fund their share of the repairs? – Nearly 20% of H&F residents surveyed thought their council shouldn’t fund the repair of the bridge at all. 24% supported a toll charge and 27% supported a long term loan.
Would you find a toll charge for private vehicles acceptable if this were the only way to fund the full repair of the bridge? – More than 75% of Barnes respondents would accept a toll charge.
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Broken bridge, broken lives
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Just reading too much about the bridge closure in the Bugle depresses some readers and, as the survey in the story above shows, some people are far more concerned about Hammersmith Bridge than others. Given how long the saga has been going on for (and likely to go on for) it's human nature to switch off a bit. However, local campaign group Hammersmith Bridge SOS want to make sure the bridge is front of mind for everybody on both sides of the river, even for those who don't use the bridge regularly. People for whom the bridge is a nice-to-have rather than a must have may not be aware of how much the broken bridge has broken some other people's lives. For that reason they've been compiling the testimonies of people who have been profoundly affected by the closure.
The Bugle can't reprint all the testimonies in full but as you can see from the abridged versions above they are harrowing to read.
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Plush pub to open on White Hart Lane
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At last, the old Tree House pub on White Hart Lane is to re-open in August under a new name – The Crossing – and after a whopping £450,000 refurbishment.
There are star names attached too, with the involvement of Michelin-starred chef Anthony Demetre (Wild Honey, Arbutus) as a consultant.
The man behind The Crossing, Christian Arden, has 25 years of experience in running pubs and restaurants and he says the aim for the new pub is to become “a quality neighbourhood family and dog-friendly pub, serving outstanding seasonal freshly prepared food, great beer and curated wines from lesser-known growers plus a few classics”.
Set over two floors, there will be an airy modern bar and dining area with handmade scrubbed wooden tables and comfortable velvet settles.
At the front of the pub, underneath awnings, there will be seating for up to 40 surrounded by shrub filled planters, and at the back will be a new garden terrace for 60 with an outdoor kitchen with a grill and rotisserie plus a wood-fired pizza oven.
Upstairs will be a dining and event space for 60 with its own private bar. This will also become a social hub for weekly events such as premium sport games, quiz nights and book clubs. It will be available for day-time community groups at no cost.
The pub will have focus on sustainability. Christian says “My wife is the co-founder of the award-winning campaign organisation, A Plastic Planet, so as you can I imagine I have to take this stuff seriously. We’ll be using local suppliers, fresh ingredients and minimising single use plastic and waste. Our cellar will have a Smart Dispense system which produces consistent superior quality draught beer and cider whilst reducing waste, water and energy consumption."
He adds “This project has been over a year in the planning, and we have a tough challenge ahead. Above all, The Crossing will be a community pub for locals and I can’t wait to get the show on the road.”
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All the fun of the Fair at the Barnes Shopping Spree event
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Sadly Covid put the kibosh on plans for the Barnes Fair this year but next Saturday (July 10) the BCA is aiming to bring some of the Joie de Vivre of Fair day to our shopping streets with a Summer Shopping Spree event.
There will be live music across all Barnes’ shopping parades, there’ll be a Pimm’s stall and a Tombola at Rose House and many of our local shops will be running special offers. The outdoor market by the pond will be running too! If that isn’t an excuse to go out on a shopping spree and support our local businesses, we don’t know what is.
Adding to the day’s jollity is an open day event at St Mary’s church which will celebrate all that the church has to offer to Barnes. There will be a refreshment stall offering salad lunches, quiches and sausage rolls and, as befits any church event, there will be cake!
And for those who want to combine working off the calories from eating too many sausage rolls, there’s even a chance to climb the church tower to enjoy wonderful views of Barnes and beyond.
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A local mother has reported (via the Nextdoor Barnes app) a very worrying incident in which her fourteen-year-old daughter and friend were accosted by a balaclava wearing young man and female accomplice while walking across the Common on their way back from Barnes Station when coming home from school.
She says the girls were “stopped and cornered, had their phones taken, asked for all passwords and all personal information. They were detained for over 10 mins. Both girls were intimidated and generally traumatized. The police have been informed and have taken a full report. Please be vigilant.”
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Last week’s Sunday Times reported on a dogged piece of detective work by local mother, singer-songwriter Susie Webb, who managed to track down and retrieve her son’s stolen bike.
The paper told of her year-long quest to retrieve her son Archie’s new bike which was stolen from a friend’s house behind closed electric gates. The police gave her a crime number but said they were unable to investigate.
The article details how she spotted the bike for sale on eBay but watched helplessly because she says eBay told her not to buy it but to let the police deal with it. Undaunted, she turned detective and eventually led to the police to an address hiding 30 bikes, some of them worth more than £1,000.
She didn’t stop there and after much cajoling she got eBay to give the police the details of the person who bought Archie’s bike and get Chester police to inform the buyer that they had been inadvertently handling stolen goods.
A year after the bike was stolen Susie took an eight-hour round trip to Chester to retrieve the bike.
The Sunday Times reports that police are looking into working with commercial bike registration schemes like BikeRegister as well as the property register Immobilise to help them return stolen bikes to their owners when they are retrieved from suspected thieves.
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. Canvas graffiti art . Pet portraits .
. Lamp Making .
. Make a skateboard .
. Ceramics camp .
. Outdoor drawing and painting .
. Print a duvet .
. Write, illustrate and publish .
...and much more
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Of all the films on show in this year’s Barnes Film Festival surely one of the most touching was that made by eleven-year-old Saffron Cockerton-Rai. During lockdown when she couldn’t see her friends she remembered being taught to make daisy chains by her grandmother and decided that she would make paper daisies to send to her friends, who then displayed them in their windows. She then went even further and made daisies for all the residents in her street (First Avenue) bringing a whole street together.
For Saffron daisies became symbolic of the chains that link us and, beyond her paper daisies, she inspired the daisy distancing symbols placed outside her school – Barnes primary school.
It’s a lovely short film which reminds us all of the power of a child’s imagination and of the ties that bind us. You can see it here.
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Fire closes recycling centre
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It took over seventy fire fighters to battle a blaze at the Townmead Road recycling centre on June 21 and the damage was considerable. The centre is currently closed but residents in Richmond can also use recycling centres in Brent, Ealing, Harrow, Hillingdon and Hounslow. This is because they are all in the West London Waste Authority area.
You can find out more here.
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This month one lucky Bugle reader will win a meal for two from Michelin-starred chef Phil Howard’s new pasta delivery service OTTO. In the interest of transparency we at the Bugle should hold our hands up to say we’ve had a free press sample, but that does mean we know the pasta was completely delicious, so much so that we’ve gone on to pay for more pasta deliveries.
To enter the draw all you need to do is sign up to the OTTO mailing list. One lucky winner will get a three-course prize, an anti-pasti box, two pasta dishes of their choice and two espresso brownies for dessert. Just click below to sign up. The winner must live within the OTTO delivery zone* will be drawn at random and contacted by OTTO by July 12.
* South West and West London, check website for details.
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Local volunteer helps Holly Willougby get Philip Schofield out of a sticky spot
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When ‘This Morning's Philip Schofield complained that he hadn’t got a sticker after being vaccinated (unlike his co-host, Barnes’ own Holly Willoughby) one of our local vaccine volunteers was happy to help out. Caroline Maddock Pengelly saw Schofield’s complaint and sent some stickers to Willoughby. She was thanked live on air and Schofield proceeded to bedeck himself in stickers. You can see the clip here.
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The uptick at the end of the graph above is a telling demonstration of how transmissable the new delta variant of Covid is. In the week when last month's Bugle was produced there were 58 cases in Covid diagnosed across Richmond, this week there have been 370, a sixfold increase.
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Despite closures hastened by lockdown (we lost another estate agents last month) Barnes’ shopping streets continue to thrive with the arrival of new independent businesses. Next month two new business are planning to open.
Over in White Hart Lane the shop that was Marco Tripoli is going to become a Floral Boutique – Maison Maioli. The new shop’s Instagram feed showcases some wonderfully romantic and dramatic arrangements so it looks as though the shop will be a beautiful addition to the Lane.
Over in Barnes High Street the smell of freshly roasted coffee beans will soon be enticing us all into a new shop in what was once Seal’s the butchers.
Already established in Walthamstow, Hackney’s Columbia Road and in a pop-up near Victoria Station, Hermanos Coffee Roastery is a business founded by two Colombian brothers Victor and Santiago.
After working in the hospitality industry in both the UK and their native Colombia they decided to learn how to roast their own coffee all sourced from Colombian coffee farms. They say their focus is “on the quality of the coffee beans, experimenting with new preparation methods, communicating the story behind the beans and the farmers, and sharing that knowledge and experience with our customers.”
The shop will sell coffee to take away, coffee beans and coffee making equipment.
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We're officially a hidden gem
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Visit England has dubbed Barnes a hidden gem in a new guide on its website which lists seven London villages to visit. It mentions Barnes alongside Highgate, Walthamstow, Dulwich, Wimbledon, Greenwich and Little Venice as a destination for those who crave ‘a city break in London’.
It says that Barnes is so charming and laid back that you wouldn’t think you were only 30 minutes from the centre of London, and singles out the Pond, The Olympic, The Wetlands Centre and Riva for praise. You can read more here.
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While Visit England may think we're villagey, every day Barnes seems to be looking more Parisian, particularly at the end of Church Road where cafés and restaurants have embraced outdoor eating with gusto.
Stroll along towards Castelnau and you'll find at least five opportunities to eat outdoors. Lovers of pizza and Italian food can opt for Arte Chef, oriental food lovers can go to Awesome Thai or Oka, fans of casual all day dining can opt for the Olympic's terrace and now the smart Modern European Church Road has added a rather beautiful terrace outside its restaurant and new wine room.
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Local author wins top award
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F irst time Barnes novelist Victoria Dowd has bagged a big award with her debut detective thriller 'A Smart Woman's Guide to Murder'. The book won the Best Fiction category in this year’s People’s Book Awards.
The Awards, whose founding patrons are thriller writer Frederick Forsyth and the late novelist Beryl Bainbridge, are different from other literary awards in that juries of the great and good are replaced by a simple public vote and their aim is to introduce readers to new and undiscovered literary works.
Victoria’s novel is a classic murder mystery with a comic edge. You can find out more about it here and catch Victoria talking about crime fiction writing with fellow Barnes author Anja de Jager at this year's Barnes Bookfest.
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Both the Children's Literature Festival and the Barnes Film Festival went off brilliantly in June after the organisers rose to the challenge of running live events during a time of Covid restrictions.
The award winning team at the Children's Literature Festival ran over 60 events featuring authors including Julia Donaldson, the former Children's Laureates, Sir Michael Morpurgo and Dame Jacqueline Wilson, comedian Julian Clary, mathematician Bobby Seagull, the world leading Covid-19 expert, Professor Tom Solomon and internationally bestselling author, Dr Adam Kay (This Is Going to Hurt).
People came from far and wide and the dynamo behind the festival Amanda Brettargh was pleased to meet a family from Cambridgeshire who have attended every year since 2015.
Meanwhile over at the Film Festival there was great attendance at a series of live events and eight festival awards were made. Also in the spotlight was festival founder Sam Cullis (in black and white image above) who found himself nominated for a Daily Mirror Lockdown Award.
Talking about this year's festival Sam says "I’m thrilled we’ve been able to connect our audience and film industry professionals successfully again this year. The Covid pandemic reiterated that connectivity is vital for emotional survival and that we had a responsibility to provide an engaging and interactive platform, for both gifted, emerging talent, in sharing their creatively told stories, as well as for our growing, global audience. We are excited to return next year offering both the return of live events, as well as online streaming for our audience around the world”.
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The new Barnes health hub
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If the last 18 months has taught us anything it's that the less we look after our own health the more vulnerable we are to succumbing to dangerous viruses like Covid.
However losing weight or dealing with mental health issues is easier said than done and that's why the NHS in Kingston and Richmond is working with the Castelnau Community Centre to develop a community-led health and wellbeing hub.
As part of the hub approach the Centre will be offering an accredited training programme to enable people to qualify as volunteer community health coaches.
The Centre will be holding a special event on Wednesday July 14 where you can learn more about the concept and share your ideas.
You can either attend in person between 11.30am and 3.30pm or join an online event in the evening.
For more information contact Laila@ccproject.org.uk or call 020 8741 6526.
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Check out our guide to What's on in Barnes this month
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Live football, comedy, drama & music at The OSO
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There's a pretty eclectic mix of entertainment on offer this month at the OSO. On Wednesday July 7 they will be showing the footie live on their big screen with live music playing before. And after that triumph or disaster there are all manner of treats to enjoy from Baby on Board - a new play by Sheen resident Marcia Kelson, to Divine Fire the passionate story of Frederyk Chopin and George Sand told in music and words, to Multiverse an improvised musical, to a celebration of the life of Vivien Leigh in music and words.
Most exciting of all, on July 24 there's the start of the Barnes Summer Festival with a brilliant open air theatre production of Robin Hood. The innovative touring theatre performers The Three Inch Fools are renowned for their fast-paced and musically driven approach to theatre.
In their version of Robin Hood five actors, with all manner of musical instruments, struggle to remember Britain's best known folk tale.
The team behind the Summer Festival say "Bring your own blankets, cushions, and camping-chairs and join us on our outdoor adventure. Come prepared for the weather - the performance will continue come rain come shine!"
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Great films at The Olympic
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The re-opening of the Olympic has been a huge success and it is continuing with its usual mix of blockbusters and quirky independent films. This month the Bugle has booked to go and see The Truffle Hunters - a lovely film that follows a small and eccentric band of truffle hunters all in their seventies and eighties as they seek out White Alba truffles in secret spots of the forests of Piedmont.
For music lovers there's the vivacious In the Heights from Lin Manuel Miranda and for those for whom an hour or two with an eighties bonkbuster novel is a guilty pleasure there's the fascinating Lady Boss, a profile of the doyenne of the genre Jackie Collins.
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Two wonderful art exhibitions
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A NEW EXPRESSION
St Mary's
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Five artists set out to explore classic works of art, following the tradition of learning from the masters. Rather than copying slavishly, the idea is to create their own direct response whilst retaining a sensitivity to the originals.
The Exhibition showcases over 50 pieces of individual artwork at affordable prices. The viewer is taken through the process of thumbnail sketches to coloured finished pieces in a variety of mediums
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BARNES COMMON ART SHOW
St Mary's
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Throughout the spring and early summer months, over two lockdowns, Barnes Artists and photographers have been quietly observing and discovering the rare butterflies, and wild species of plant life that flourishes from a unique and precious landscape that has been free of industrial and agricultural pesticides and fertilisers for centuries. There are now over 30 species of butterflies recorded visiting the native meadows, orchards, acid grasslands and woodlands that make up the greater area of Barnes Common.
Early morning starts and late afternoons have provided exquisite light for photographers and plein-air landscape painters. Individual trees, insects and rare dragonflies are the subject for printers, abstract painters, sculptors, ceramicists, and the local jewellery designer Gerry Summers who is designing a ring inspired by his favourite tree on the common. Find out more here.
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Those happy shoppers who loved the Flower Power pop-up shop that recently appeared in White Hart Lane, will be very pleased to hear that they are popping up again, this time at Rose House on July 31.
Expect to find quirky local designers of everything from clothes, to jewellery, to greetings cards. There will be flowers and plants on sale too. Find out more here.
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About the Bugle
The Barnes Village Bugle is an independent publication. People often think it's produced by the Barnes Community Association, but no, they have their own excellent email Prospect Plus.
At the Bugle we endeavour to simply report what's going on in Barnes in as comprehensive and entertaining a way as possible. We have no agenda apart from spreading the word about the huge number of genuinely interesting things happening in and around Barnes and sharing information about local campaigns and news events.
If you have a story you would like to see featured in the Bugle do email us by clicking here.
We can't guarantee that we'll run it, but if we think it's going to be interesting to our readers then we'll publish your information.
If on the other hand you want to publicise a commercial venture then it's easy to advertise with us. Our mailing list has over 4,000 subscribers so you'll reach lots of people in Barnes very inexpensively.
The Bugle is a labour of love, not a profit-making venture. We pay to send it out and our mailing costs are covered by the fantastic support we get from Winkworth and our other advertisers. We'd love to get more advertising as that would at least go some way into covering the costs of our time, so if you advertise with us you'll not only be reaching a large audience you'll be keeping a local resource going.
At the Bugle we endeavour to check information for accuracy to the best of our abilities. However we are reliant on information provided to us by third parties. On occasion, dates and times of events may be subject to change and we would urge Bugle readers wishing to attend events, or use a service mentioned to verify information in advance. Where possible we provide links to websites to allow readers to double check the most recent information available, as details can be subject to change.
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