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High Street to close for Jubilee celebration

Picture: Andrew Wilson

O ne of the many ideas that came out of the Big Barnes Ponder a few years ago was the suggestion that the High Street could be closed for very special events enabling retailers to put out tables and chairs and shoppers to enjoy the High Street free of cars.

It takes a lot of planning, not to mention applications for council permissions, to be able to do this, but for the Queen's Jubilee in June the BCA has pushed the boat out for this very special event and, for one day only, all the necessary permissions are in place. So on Saturday June 4 between 10am and 6pm the High Street will be temporarily closed making it the focus of Jubilee celebrations in Barnes.

We hear that High Street retailers, cafés and pubs are already getting in the spirit for the afternoon event between 1pm and 5pm. There will be live music and businesses along the High Street are planning all sorts of treats and streetside displays. It sounds like it's going to be a lovely fun community event. Look out for the next Bugle for more info.

The closure will be between Swan Place and The Coach & Horses and, for the eight hour period of closure, buses will be diverted along Lonsdale and Nassau Roads. General traffic will be diverted through Lonsdale Road and Castelnau.

High Street roadworks to start on June 6

We have been told that the roadworks that will lead to the widening of some areas of Barnes High Street pavements and the reallocation of parking spaces to side roads will finally begin on June 6, six months after they were first scheduled.

Town Centre manager Emma Robinson has confirmed that the works should take between four to six weeks and will kick off with pavement widening outside the Barnes Fish Shop.

Temporary traffic lights will be in place as well as ramps for pedestrians.

See the November Bugle for full details of the planned works.

The map of Barnes turns orange

Barnes and Mortlake are no longer true blue after the Lib Dems almost swept the board across Richmond at last week's council elections. Until last week our two wards Barnes and Barnes Common & Mortlake were represented by five Conservative councillors and one Liberal Democrat. The elections saw all Conservative-held seats lost with our local councillors now made up of one Green and five Liberal Democrats.

Across the whole of Richmond upon Thames there are 48 Liberal Democrat councillors, 5 Green councillors and 1 Conservative.

Ukrainians thank Barnes fundraisers with a portrait of Boris Johnson

Last month we reported on the huge variety of local fundraising events initiated by the people of Barnes to send aid to ordinary Ukrainians and the huge sums of money that have been raised. Events held in April raised a further £10,000 (see below) with much of the money going to the Disasters Emergency Committee appeal.

However some residents have become involved in arranging more direct aid. What started as an initiative by local dog owners to help a dog breeder trying to care for 100 Golden Retrievers has morphed into an enterprise which now helps people as well as animals.

Having made contact with the dog breeder - who together with her charges is now safe in Moldova - Anne Mullins of the Barnes Goldens was put in touch with vet  Svitlana Krebuzwho is caring for a menagerie of pets left behind by fleeing refugees.

Anne says "Svitlana was finding it almost impossible to feed the animals left with her so the Barnes Goldens set up a fund to send her pet food. Svitlana who is based in Kyiv is now looking after not just pets but people too. She has also set up direct deliveries of aid to remote villages.

"After we agreed to provide help, a man called Nigel Nelson heard that we were wanting to get food to Kyiv and got in touch to say he was hoping to take a van over with baby food and suggested we join forces. Our first van went two weeks ago laden with baby food, pasta, clothes, and dog food.

"One of the Barnes Goldens group then pointed out that this war wasn't going to end soon and we should set up something regular. I got in touch with 100 people and asked them to direct debit £5 a month so, with Nigel, we could get supplies to Kyiv once a month. Forty eight or so agreed but many gave more that £5 so we have our funds to do this. Stena Line are giving Nigel free passage there and back and we are setting up a deal with Aldi in Leipzig to buy dog food and other supplies which are so much cheaper there.

"On his return journey Nigel also brought back a Ukrainian family and their pets to the UK."

In response to the aid from Barnes, Svitlana commissioned a portrait of Boris Johnson from a local artist as a thank you from the people of Kyiv. It came with a letter explaining how much Boris' support meant to Ukraine and how much they hope he will like the portrait. 

Anne reports that the portrait has already helped driver Nigel find safe passage saying that "At a Ukranian checkpoint Nigel was ordered out of his van and told to open up the back so they could see what he was carrying.

"There was the portrait. When the soldiers saw him they were all smiles and 'Thank you Boris - God Save the Queen' and waved him on."

Anne is now trying to get the portrait to Boris Johnson and has contacted former Richmond Park MP Zac Goldsmith to see if he can help.

Five new cygnets

Picture: Alasdair Arthur

Our brand new cygnets are delighting the crowds on Barnes Pond as their swan parents parade them around in a proud-as-punch manner. However it's worth remembering that the male swan will be hyper territorial at the moment and it is best not to get too close. 

Will brewery developers be third time lucky?

Local residents have until May 29 to comment on the revised plans for the massive residential development in the old Mortlake Brewery site, and local campaigners say that the number of letters and objections will count when the application is considered by planning officers and the planning committee in July.

After plans for a mixed development including a school, an hotel, a retirement home and 893 residential units were initially approved by Richmond Council in 2020, the scheme was 'called in' by London Mayor Sadiq Khan who was concerned about the level of proposed affordable housing. Anticipating the Mayor's objections, developers Reselton Properties rejigged the scheme, dropping the care home element and increasing the number of residential units to 1,250. They achieved this by increasing building heights of apartment blocks much to the consternation of local campaigners.

However, their revised plans didn't meet with the Mayor's approval who said that there were still insufficient affordable dwellings in the mix while also expressing his concerns about the the proposed height of some of the buildings.

The developers have now come up with a third scheme - this time offering 1,085 residential units,

The major change to the plans is the removal of two large four storey blocks of flats which have been replaced by town houses. However local campaigners say that building heights of 8 or 9 floors are still too high.

Campaign group MBCG (Mortlake Brewery Community Group) contends that the impact of the arrival of over 1,000 residential units and a secondary school in Mortlake will have a hugely deleterious impact on traffic, congestion and air quality.

They say the plans for the new residential development and a brand new secondary school are linked by " infrastructure/access and traffic issues" and they also want to draw attention to the loss of the existing sports field on the site saying "The designs re-provide the existing 2-hectare sports fields elsewhere over the scheme, but in tiny pocket-sized areas many of which are overshadowed by tall blocks."

You can see and comment on the revised plans here (search under application numbers 22/0900/OUT & 22/0902/FUL) and read the response of the local campaign group here.

Come into the garden...

The weather looks set fair for next weekend, and what could be a lovelier way to spend your Sunday than by enjoying some beautifully tended gardens.

This year's FiSH Open Gardens scheme features many beautiful gardens across Barnes and raises funds for our wonderful local charity.

As ever there will be an attractive collection of Barnes gardens, including locations in Castelnau, Cleveland Gardens, The Crescent, Elm Bank Gardens, Lonsdale Road, Gerrard Road, Nassau Road and Melville Road plus the Bowling Green at The Sun Inn. Barnes Open Gardens is being generously sponsored by local Barnes estate agent, Winkworth who will be selling tickets for the event from their office at 2 Barnes High Street.  
 
Teas and refreshments will be served St Mary’s in Church Road and there will be a Pimm’s tent at a beautiful location in Elm Bank Gardens. Garden enthusiasts taking refreshments at St Mary’s will also be able to tap into garden advice from Auntie Planty, aka Valerie Munro, the renowned horticulturist who will be on hand to dispense useful tips.
 
Admission to the event is by ticket only. Tickets are £10 per person (under 16s are free) and can be bought online from the FiSH website  You can also buy them person from the FiSH Office at The Barnes Green Centre or  at the Barnes Farmers’ Market on 14 May and from 11am on the day of the Open Gardens from the FiSH desk at St Mary’s in Church Road.

River works 

After a couple of delays, work to improve Barnes' flood defences will finally begin this month. As we have mentioned in previous Bugles  the Environment Agency is embarking on major works across London to make sure our flood defences are as resilient as possible. The works will means that the towpath between Barnes Bridge and Jubilee gardens will be closed between the beginning of May and the end of summer while outlets into the Thames are being repaired. This will lead to occasional traffic disruption on The Terrace in off peak periods as equipment is moved on and off site.

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Property prices in Richmond Upon Thames increase by 11% 

House prices in Richmond have risen faster than any other area in London in the post pandemic property boom. According to experts at Capital Economics, prices have risen 11% in the year up to February 22. If Richmond prices are compared to the last quarter of 2019 then the growth figure is even stronger - a whopping 17.3%.

Senior economist at the firm, Andrew Wishart has said "Annual inflation in the ONS House Price Index for London has already risen from 3.8% in January to 8.1% in February, and more timely indicators point to a further acceleration in the near term."

He expects a slowdown later this year on the back of rising interest rates and the cost of living squeeze, saying: "With mortgage affordability more stretched in the capital than in other regions, we expect rising mortgage rates to cool house price inflation later in the year."

Hammersmith Bridge

It is now three years since Hammersmith Bridge closed to traffic and although - at last - strengthening works are underway there is still no certainty as to whether the bridge will ever re-open to traffic.

To mark the anniversary of the closure, the Hammersmith Bridge SOS Group issued a statement lamenting the current state of affairs and asking the government to provide a degree of certainty by committing to funding full repairs.

Helen Pennant Rae of the campaign group says  “We can’t see any reason why the government cannot pledge now to providing the funding. It seems that political differences between the government and the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham have got in the way of good sense and improving people’s lives. 

"We are calling on the government to firmly agree to fund the full repair. Because of the delay, it’s unlikely the bridge will fully reopen to traffic for at least another four years. 

"We urge LBHF to allow a shuttle minibus service and emergency services to operate across the bridge. 

"Hammersmith Bridge SOS is campaigning for limited use of the bridge for this purpose, and is seeking to hold the government, TfL and LBHF to their promise to fully repair the bridge and open it to traffic as soon as possible."

You can read and download the full statement from their website here.

Bella's Fruit & Veg opens in Barnes

Barnes is already home to many fabulous food shops and now we have another one in our midst. Bella's Fruit and Veg has just opened on the corner across from the Olympic Cinema and it's full of very tempting things.

It is a sister shop to one that opened last year overlooking Wandsworth Common and offers great value fruit and veg as well as a deli counter, coffee counter and a very extensive wine cellar. There's also a beautifully colourful flower stand outside and tables and chairs where you can enjoy a coffee and a snack from the deli counter.

And a great new bakery and coffee shop is on the way too...

As if the arrival of Bella's Fruit & Veg wasn't exciting enough, another brand new food shop is about to open at the buzzing Olympic end of Church Road.

In a way, the Lockdown Bakehouse owes its very existence to Barnes as it was winning the Red Lion's Sausage Roll-Off in 2014 that led the bakehouse's founder, chef Chris Brumby, to start his own award-winning pie-baking business MYPIE.

Making amazingly good sausage rolls and pies (we can vouch for that as we at the Bugle have been regular customers) MYPIE offers delivery or pick up from their Wandsworth Bakery and sells its pies at festivals and events in a converted ice cream van. 

During lockdown Chris expanded his operation from pies, adding pastries and bread to his repertoire - all still only available for pick up or delivery - and the Lockdown Bakery was born.

Now, he and the Lockdown Bakery team are launching their very first retail shop in Barnes - where Chris's entrepreneurial journey started - and you will be offering all sorts of baked treats as well as rather good coffee.

The new shop is due to open in early June.

Get ready for the Good Garden Awards

Front gardens can often be forgotten wastelands, a place to put the bins or park the bicycle, but they can be so much more than that. They can, of course, be beautiful but they can also be a haven for birds and insects.  They are also hugely important for providing drainage - gardens that have been paved over with impermeable cement to make parking spaces are said to be one of many contributors to flood risk.

So, if you have a blossoming front garden you are indeed a hero and deserving of an award. Well that's definitely what the BCA thinks, and this June they'll be handing out Good Garden Awards across Barnes to say thank you to people whose front garden displays make passers-by smile.

The awards are being judged by a team of garden volunteers and you've got a month to spruce up your front patch to put you in contention. Now where are my secateurs...

FiSH is looking for a new director

FiSH is looking for a new Director to lead this highly regarded organisation into its 60th Anniversary year and beyond. You can get further information about the role of director by getting in touch with Liz Wall,  the Chair of trustees at chair@fishhelp.org.uk. The closing date for applications is May 27.

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Reasons to be cheerful at Church Road

T he team at local restaurant Church Road have plenty of reasons to be cheerful this month. Restaurant guide Hardens has just presented them with a certificate for 'Very High Quality Food' and co-owner Rebecca Mascarenhas has been nominated as restaurateur of the year in the Catey's - the hospitality industry's equivalent of the Oscars.

E-scooter trial have your say

It is nearly a year since e-scooters for hire became a common sight on our streets after Richmond Council started its participation in a multi-borough 12 month trial. The council is now asking residents for their feedback and you can find out more here.

 Barnes based pasta delivery service gets rave review from Davina McCall

I f you want to know what food delivery service Davina McCall rates you will be pleased to hear that she loves OTTO the food delivery service set up by Barnes' own Michelin starred chef Phil Howard.

Davina and her partner Michael Douglas have a review podcast with a very positive approach; they only review things they love. It turns out they loved OTTO  with Davina saying "It's extraordinary food and I can't recommend it highly enough'' and adding that the OTTO meal she enjoyed was "top-end restaurant quality". Her partner Michael said he was "Utterly blown away by it."  

You can hear their review by clicking on the image above and fast forwarding to  around 15 minutes in.

And if you are quick you can also take advantage of a OTTO's one year anniversary special offer (just available until Thursday of this week) and save 50% off the price of their luxurious truffle pasta meal for two.

There's no such thing as naughty

'T here's no such thing as naughty' is the title of Kate Silverton's new book which aims to change the way we understand our children.  She studied psychology at university and recently retrained as a child psychotherapist, learning from leading psychiatrists, neuroscientists and psychoanalysts about why children behave the way they do. The book is her way of sharing her understanding and she promises to make parenting easier. 

You can find out how Kate has put into practice the insights she has garnered from the research involved in writing the book at a special event at the Olympic next month on June 10 where Kate will be in conversation with Claire Singer.
 
Tickets are £20 and include a copy of Kate’s groundbreaking book, ‘There’s No Such Thing as Naughty’, A Sunday Times bestseller. Find out more and book here.

Calling all canines

Following the success of last year’s inaugural walk, the BCA is joining up with Marston Properties to host another event for Barnes dog lovers. The 2022 BCA dog walk will take place on Saturday 21 May, starting with registration at the BCA gazebo at the Vine Road Recreation Ground. The Friends of Barnes Common will be there to greet you and the Feel Good Bakery pop-up cart will be selling coffees and refreshments to start you on your way.

On registering, you will be given a BCA doggy bag with dog treats and maps with two alternative walks to follow - one will be new and put together specially by Friends of Barnes Common. Both walks will take about 30 minutes and end at Tideway Yard where the human participants will be met with a complimentary glass of Prosecco and dogs will get delicious bowls of water!

Entry will be £10 per dog (with dogs of BCA Members welcomed at £8)  - registration will open at the beginning of April. All pre-registered entrants will be entered into a prize draw to win a photoshoot and free print of their dog by local dog and equine photographer, Liz Denin, who will be in attendance to take pictures on the day.

Find out more and register here.

The not so common Commoners

Barnes may have some illustrious former residents - Henry Fielding and  Gustav Holst spring to mind -  but our list of famous ex-residents is as nothing compared to those who lived on the fringes of Putney and Wimbledon Commons. 

A fascinating new book - The Commoners - takes a look at the people who shaped British life over the past 500 years who also happened to be 'commoners'. Author Nick Manning has discovered a plethora of influential Britons, from Thomas Cromwell of Wolf Hall fame (Putney) to William Wilberforce (Wimbledon) who lived around the Commons.  Some of the grand houses in which these local luminaries lived still exist today but many more have been lost. The book takes a journey through the lives of 31 notable neighbours of the Commons and highlights bits of history on our doorstep that many of us might never have been aware of.

It can be bought online or through local bookshops.

Over 50s sport

I f you are a sporty woman over 50 and think your netball playing days are long behind you, think again as there is a brand new sports club for over 50s women in Barnes.

Every Tuesday between 12 and 1 a group of over 50s women meet at Barn Elms Playing Fields to play walking netball.  The hour long sessions is run by a professional coach and consist of some drills and then match play.  The drills are as good for the brain as the playing is for the body. It's a fun way to improve fitness and particularly enjoyable now that the weather is warming up. A little netball experience is useful, say the organisers, but it doesn’t matter if people haven’t played for years, or even since school, it’s easy to pick up again and there’s absolutely no pressure to be super athletic.  The fee is currently only £6 per session and anyone joining will be guaranteed a warm and friendly welcome.  For more information contact Linda Naylor at barnesnetball@gmail.com.

Barnes Children's Literature Festival

London's largest dedicated children's books event  returns next month with a huge programme of more than 100 family friendly readings, workshops, performances and free activities around the village on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 June.

Liz Pichon, the creator of the Tom Gates series, leads the line up in a programme packed with Festival favourites like the draw-along genius, Rob Biddulph, and Gruffalo illustrator, Axel Scheffler, as well as a few famous faces like comedian David Baddiel, actor Steven Mangan and Simon Farnaby, star of Ghosts and Paddington 2.  

The stellar line up continues with acclaimed poet and performer Lemn Sissay introducing his first book for children, the Waterstones Children's Book Prize winners, Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Sharna Jackson, and the author of the smash hit series Murder Most Unladylike, Robin Stevens.   

Barnes is always committed to programming a few special treats that audiences are unlikely to see at festivals elsewhere and this year this includes a performance of Paddington Bear's First Concert by the Equinox Ensemble, an amazing theatrical adventure based on Sophie Anderson's The House With Chicken Legs and family workshops with Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. 

There is plenty of entertainment for non-fiction fans too including the million-selling author and former NHS doctor, Adam Kay, Horrible Histories' Martin Brown, and a chance to meet the Ancient Egyptians with Mr Dilly. 

The littlest book fans are not forgotten with performances of Elmer the Patchwork Elephant and The Rainbow Fish, musical theatre sing and dance alongs with Baby Broadway, and a very special appearance by Laura Henry-Allain with her beloved characters from the CBeebies television series, JoJo and Gran Gran. 

Tickets go on sale on Saturday 21 May and if you're on their mailing list, you'll have first crack at them. Sign up here.

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