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Bridge repair could take over six years… and that’s only if politicians can agree about money

The news from the Hammersmith Bridge Task Force is in and it’s not encouraging. Task Chair Baroness Vere said that, after funding has been agreed, it could be over six years until cars and buses can start crossing Hammersmith Bridge again. The repairs could take even longer if politicians can’t agree about money.

The Task Force held an online forum on October 28 which nearly 2,000 people have now viewed on YouTube. What the briefing revealed was a two-stage plan; firstly, stabilise the bridge enough to allow pedestrians and cyclists to cross (at a cost of £48.3 million), and then, secondly, to strengthen the bridge sufficiently to allow cars and buses to use the bridge (at a cost of £80 million). 

Until the bridge is fully safe for pedestrians to cross, a ferry service could be the only direct route from Barnes to Hammersmith. However, a ferry won’t be in place until next spring, and, as winter begins, the closure is bringing real hardship to many people’s lives.

When will pedestrians be able to walk across the bridge again?

Potentially, in a very limited way, as soon as March 2021 although there are no guarantees that this will be possible. “As knowledge improves, we could get a change in the risk assessment and get a partial but very controlled opening to pedestrians and cyclists at certain temperatures and certain times of day.” said Task Force Project Director Dana Skelley.  Full opening to pedestrians and cyclists, however, would only be possible after October 2021.

What wasn’t mentioned was whether there would be times during the programme of bridge works when pedestrian access would be blocked to enable engineering works to be carried out.

Government money has strings attached, and a toll isn’t out of the question

As if the six year wait for buses and cars to cross the bridge wasn’t bad enough, the project could be delayed even further if an argument over money isn’t resolved.

Currently there is a stand-off over funding between the government and the owners of the bridge, Hammersmith and Fulham Council. 

The government is pledging cash on the proviso that Hammersmith and Fulham also contribute, while Hammersmith and Fulham have said they believe the cost of repairs should be footed by the government and TfL.

At the forum, Task Force Chair Baroness Vere said the government was absolutely committed to providing funding but that she was expecting a contribution from Hammersmith and Fulham. 

“We will provide financial support, but that is money from taxpayers all across the country and it has to be fair to them. It won’t be done without a local contribution. The government is standing ready to fund the project – no ifs, no buts - alongside local contributions. We need to see some movement from Hammersmith & Fulham.”

In response Councillor Sue Fennimore, reading a statement from leader Stephen Cowan, said the bridge is a strategic not a local asset, and that repair costs were beyond the level individual boroughs could afford.

“It would be wrong of us to make our residents pay”, she said. “Hammersmith & Fulham will not end its commitment to adult social care, free school meals, street enforcement or affordable housing to pay for the bridge.”

Later in the meeting Baroness Vere revealed that she had offered Hammersmith and Fulham the assistance of Department of Transport financial experts to scrutinise council finances to find ways to fund the bridge or to advise on possible ways to raise money. Two options that were mentioned were the potential to borrow money based on repayment coming from future toll fees or the allocation of some of the council’s multi million pound reserves towards the cost of bridge repairs.

When the Bugle asked Hammersmith Council last week if they were prepared to move on their position on funding, we were directed to this statement which once again re-iterated their position that the bridge repairs should be funded by other agencies.

Given the potential for delays to be caused by money wrangles, both London’s Deputy Mayor Heidi Alexander and Richmond upon Thames Council Leader Gareth Roberts urged the government to frontload its funding.

Baroness Vere said she was considering this option but still needed commitment from Hammersmith that it will contribute, pointing out that there is plenty of time available to find the money, given the duration of the bridge repairs.

Talking about her request for a commitment to a degree of funding from Hammersmith and Fulham she said “This is a long-term project, with multiple ways of funding it.” And referring to the option of frontloading the funding from the government, she said she needed Hammersmith and Fulham to commit to supporting the full restoration of the bridge, saying “One of the issues that I’m just concerned about is that we could do part of the project – just some emergency stabilisation works – and then decisions could be taken that no further work should continue. The impact of this on South West London is not something this government want so be held responsible for. We all have to have a commitment to see this project though to the end.”

Richmond Council commit £250k for mitigation measures and a £375k contribution towards a ferry service

W hile no sign of funding from Hammersmith and Fulham Council is yet forthcoming Richmond Council (which has no legal responsibility for the bridge) has made two funding announcements, firstly £250k to help mitigate the problems caused by the bridge closure to those on the south side of the river and secondly up to £375k to go towards the proposed ferry service.

When Baroness Vere asked in the recent forum meeting whether Hammersmith & Fulham Council would contribute towards the cost of the ferry, their representative, Councillor Sue Fennimore, would not be drawn on the issue.

TfL bailout includes £4million for Hammersmith Bridge

The agreed bailout of TfL, which has just been announced by the government, includes £4 million towards the cost of emergency works on the bridge and funding for the ferry procurement process. This means some work can begin on the bridge’s pedestals (see timeline further down this page). However, £4 million is a drop in the Thames compared to the current £128.4 million cost estimate for the total works.

Temporary bridge looks unlikely but idea hasn’t been totally blown out of the water

Although the idea of a temporary bridge was covered in the meeting it was not included in the project timeline which makes it appear that it is now off the agenda.

Local campaigners and Richmond Council’s leader Gareth Roberts, however, are still lobbying for a temporary bridge to be considered.

Two weeks before the recent online forum, Task Force Project Director Dana Skelley is reported as having said that alternative footbridge proposals are still dependant on further feasibility studies before they can be advanced and added that “there may be a more easily-constructed temporary footbridge than has previously been proposed.”

Also last month, Hammersmith architectural firm The Manser Practice outlined a proposal for a floating bridge/ferry combination (pictured above) and you can read more about their proposal here.

What will the ferry service look like?

This beautifully designed ferry pavilion comes courtesy of local businessman Jamie Waller who recently acquired the wharf area outside Harrods Village and has offered its use free of charge for the temporary ferry service.

The pavilion will give shelter for those queuing in a socially distanced way and the idea is that the structure will remain in place after the ferry is no longer needed and be given an alternative use. You can read more about it on the Harrods Wharf website and bridge campaigners are encouraging residents to support the planning application for the new structure.

So, planning allowing, that’s the ferry terminal on the south side of the river potentially sorted, but what about the ferry itself?

As we’ve previously reported there are a number of different operators ready to throw their hats in the ring as part of the procurement process. All have pros and cons and it will be up to TfL who are running the procurement process to examine proposals carefully.

Thames Clippers already operate river ferries so in theory they could pivot quickly to provide a service at Hammersmith. Their large boats could fit a larger number of people per crossing but their size would mean that big pontoons would have to be built out into the river to stop them running aground at low tide. According to press reports Thames Clippers could run two ferries for 16 hours per day carrying up to 1200 people per hour.

Thames Wherry Services would use more frequent smaller passenger boats and Hammersmith Ferry are proposing the use of amphibious vehicles. Other proposals include Duck Boat amphibious vehicles, a chain ferry and the Manser Practice suggestion of a hybrid bridge/ferry option [see above story on temporary bridge].

Now that a procurement process is about to begin, it remains to be seen how many of the early contenders make a serious pitch, as the investment they require to provide the correct documentation and certification as well as to build the necessary infrastructure may mean that those contenders with insufficient liquidity might not decide to proceed. Hammersmith Ferry, for example, are running a crowd-funding process to raise the money necessary to pitch.

All of this has a huge human toll

While politicians argue about money, and engineers prepare to put their hi-vis jackets back on, life has become miserable for school children, parents, the elderly, and anyone who needs to get to hospital appointments. 

And although lockdown is reducing the number of people who need to commute into central London, post Covid, commuters could find their routes into work badly affected.

Micky Forster of local charity FiSH says “For older people in North Barnes in particular, who were accustomed to walking over the bridge, a lifeline has been cut off. They are people who have been very reliant on travelling to Hammersmith. Many can’t do online banking and need to visit banks in Hammersmith, they are also likely to be registered with a GP in Hammersmith and if referred for hospital treatment often need to get to hospitals north of the river. Bus journeys are now much longer and involve changes. We provide transport where we can through volunteers and even on our minibuses, but what used to be a 20 minute journey to Charing Cross Hospital can now easily take over an hour. We hear of people living on small pensions having to pay over £20 for taxi journeys to take them to Hammersmith.

“It’s not just practical issues that are affected, the bridge closure has meant that elderly residents who have children living across the river have far less access to family contact and support.”

The Bugle spoke to 92-year-old Muriel Seamen who said “I used to go to Hammersmith three times a week to go to the doctor, bank and supermarket. Now it takes me up to an hour to get to see the doctor. I allow plenty of time to ensure I get there in time for appointments and because of Coronavirus if I get there early I have to wait outside in the cold.

“I get to Hammersmith with a mix of buses and taxis. It can be over £20 for a taxi but sometimes the buses aren’t reliable enough or I can’t face using them. £20 is a lot of money when you are living on a pension. The local taxi drivers all know me now and they are refusing to let me give them a tip.

“I’m very lucky to have family and wonderful helpful neighbours and both I, and my husband, are in pretty good health for our age. Other people are having an even worse time with the bridge.”

On the situation with the bridge she says “I can’t believe it can take so long to get things fixed. I was around during the second world war and then the army erected Bailey bridges across rivers in days. Why should it take six years to repair our bridge? I’m 92 and could be six feet under by the time it’s repaired.”

Meanwhile, families with children at school across the river have had to add to traffic chaos by becoming full time chaffeurs.

We spoke to one local mother who now spends three hours per day ferrying her two children to different schools. “It takes me around 45 minutes to drive 3.6 miles to my son’s school in appalling traffic when my son cannot cycle because he  has injured himself, or to avoid cycling in the dark with no street lighting or patrols which we feel isn’t safe for him. So I’m spending a lot of time in the car. The effect on our life has been immense. I have a physical illness and it can be hard to find the time to get to hospital appointments with all the extra commuting. I also help my mother who has health issues. When you combine the need for me to be on hand to ferry my children, with the gridlocked traffic across south London caused by the bridge closure, there is less time to visit my mother. The issue with the bridge dominates our lives and it’s hugely stressful.”

Those not driving are having to spend similar amounts of time accompanying their children who are trying to cycle to and from school via the pedestrian walkway at Barnes Bridge. Another local parent says “I have a five-year-old and a ten-year-old both at school across the river.  You can imagine how difficult it is for a five-year-old to get their bike up and down two flights of stairs at Barnes Bridge.  Even for my ten-year-old it’s not easy as they have to carry heavy school books to and fro. Now it’s getting dark, my five-year-old, who is already making a six-mile bike journey every school day, is frightened of the journey home. We do have a car and on rainy days I drive them to school but it is an horrendous journey. I work full time and this takes a huge chunk out of my working day. Currently I can do this as I am working from home and my employers are aware of my situation, goodness knows how the children will get to school when I have to go back to the office. The situation is getting very depressing.”

Children’s Commissioner comments on bridge crisis

The Evening Standard has reported that Anne Longfield, the children’s commissioner, has expressed her concern about the journeys that schoolchildren are having to endure as a result of the Hammersmith Bridge closure. She is reported as saying “In the face of a global pandemic it is extremely disappointing that measures to help thousands of children get to school safely and securely because of the closure of Hammersmith Bridge are delayed for exactly as long as they would give most benefit. “

School children and commuters facing an already difficult journey found themselves completely stranded on the north of the river last Wednesday evening after a fatal accident on Shepherd’s Bush Road caused gridlock. Some children found themselves waiting three hours to get a bus back from school via Putney.

On the buses

While the Task Force debates ways of getting people across the river by ferry or over a partially repaired bridge, local MP Sarah Olney is busy lobbying TfL regarding the bus situation.

The bus which takes people from Barnes to Hammersmith, the 533, has had its frequency increased to 5 times per hour but it can only take a very small number of passengers. Last month it was reported that TfL had expressed opposition to the idea of a dedicated school coach due to Covid safety and other reasons, and the same report speculated that TfL is reluctant to increase the frequency of the 533 despite local campaigners saying the service isn’t good enough.

TfL’s surveys apparently show that only 1% of 533 and 378 passengers do not manage to get on a bus first time they try. This data does not seem to align with local anecdotal reports of people waiting and failing to get on full buses that have been considerably delayed by the adverse traffic situation.

While demand for the 533 will inevitably decrease during lockdown, the end of restrictions followed by a potential vaccine and the return to work of furloughed staff and those working from home is likely to increase demand for the service considerably, hence Sarah Olney’s continued lobbying of TfL re buses.

What is the timeline?

It might be advisable to take the draft timeline below with a great big pinch of salt as a) discussions between politicians are still ongoing and b) Task Force Chair Baroness Vere’s estimate of 6.5 years doesn’t match the approximately five year timeline (below) given by the Task Force Project Director Dana Skelley. The reason for this seems to be that Baroness Vere's estimates are based on funding coming in tranches and there being gaps between separate stages of the rebuilding process to allow time for tendering to occur. If funding for the full scope of the project became available then in theory five years becomes a more possible timeline.

Here is what Dana Skelley presented:

Emergency Stabilisation of the Bridge - 11 months – Total cost £16.4 million

So far two out of the four bridge pedestals have been dismantled and examined by engineers in order to assess the remedial work required. Before work on stabilising the whole bridge can even begin, engineers need to scrutinise the remaining two pedestals.
This will involve:

After this stage it ‘might’ be possible to provide ‘limited’ access to cyclists and pedestrians.

The next seven month stage of emergency stabilisation will involve:

It is at this point that pedestrians ‘should’ be able to cross the bridge again.

Permanent stabilisation of the bridge – 21 months - Cost £32 million

This will involve:

Strengthening the bridge – 30 months – Cost £80 million

This will involve

Getting a ferry service in place 
 The tender process should be completed by mid-February (66 working days from commencement) after which time the ferry infrastructure needs to be put in place ready for the service to start sometime in the spring.
 

Making our High Street better - have your say

Picture: Andrew Wilson

Our village centre shopping streets are split into two. On one side of the pond, there’s a wide road where parking doesn’t impinge on traffic flow, and shops have wide pavements allowing people to pass. On the other side of the pond, Barnes High Street is often blocked with traffic as cars get stuck behind delivery lorries, and narrow pavements make things difficult for the elderly or families with children in buggies.

Neither residents or local businesses have been happy with this situation and trying to remedy this issue has been on the BCA’s agenda since the Barnes Ponder in 2013. They have been lobbying the council for many years with requests to fund improvements began in earnest.

The wheels have moved slowly but now, thanks to a £100k council grant, funding is in place to make much needed changes.

The council is now consulting on changes to the High Street layout that have been drawn up after a report by engineering and traffic planning specialists Atkins. Back in 2018 they looked at traffic pinch points and came up with a series of practical suggestions as to how things could be improved.

You can read about, and comment on, the changes, which include moving parking bays, widening pavements where possible and bringing a bus stop to the north side of the High Street, here. There is also scope to add your own suggestions.

There is also more detailed information on the BCA’s website, where an informal consultation has also been held. The implications of the proposed changes have raised many questions from local residents so the BCA has also included answers to the questions raised.  

The BCA’s Emma Robinson says “We’ve been waiting a long time to try and make these improvements and we hope they will get the support of the people of Barnes. We hope as many people as possible respond to the council’s consultation.” 

Covid in Richmond

The impact of Covid was brought home to many people in Barnes by the graphic description of a recent stay in Kingston Hospital by a Barnes resident who posted about his stay on NextDoor Barnes.

Describing himself as a ‘reasonably fit 56-year-old’ he said he was totally shocked ‘at how bad this hit’. He was hospitalised with pneumonia and shared a ward with five other men. He said it was one of the most difficult and stressful situations he had seen in a long time and had nothing but praise for the hospital staff.

He went on to say “I admit I was blasé about the whole C19 and probably interpreted government guidelines to fit what I wanted to do. Having now survived this I wanted to share that this is something everyone has to take seriously. My bed was opposite a lovely old man, quiet as a mouse, and frail as a sparrow. Incredibly polite and positive but I just can’t see that he can get through this. And personally, I don’t want my last days ending that way.”

Like most other places in London, Richmond saw a disturbing rise in Covid cases in October. However, week-by-week figures show cases falling from a mid-October peak by the end of the month, potentially indicating that Tier 2 measures may have been taking effect. It will be interesting to see the rate of cases reported by the end of next month after Lockdown 2 has been in place.

Can Bugle readers make a difference?

One of the most heart-breaking consequences of the Covid crisis has been the plight of care home residents unable to receive visits from friends and families. At our local care home, Viera Gray House, they have been able to keep their residents in touch with their relatives by arranging visits in the homes garden and in their outdoor gazebo. Now that winter is drawing in this has all become much harder.

One resident’s relative has suggested fundraising for a summer/winter house to install in the garden to help Viera Gray continue to hold outdoor meetings for residents.

So far, they have raised £1,720 of the £5,000 needed and they are hoping that generous Bugle readers might help increase that tally.
You can donate here.

Having a ball

October was a record month for ticket sales at the re-opened and refurbished OSO, with the new Wednesday night piano bar proving to be an instant hit. Now, sadly, it has had to close for another month as a result of Lockdown 2.

Michael Ball and his partner ‘Queen of the Mods’ Cathy McGowan popped in to the OSO Arts Centre to raise a glass to the team for all their efforts in running the Crisis Kitchen during lockdown and to celebrate the reopening of the refurbished venue.

Thankfully, the OSO has been able to reschedule November shows including The Revellers Society for dates early in the New Year, and while the theatre doors will once again close for the four week mini-lockdown, the popular outdoor pop-up café will stay open for takeaways. Everyone can support the OSO by stopping off to pick up a coffee and pastry while out on our ‘One plus One’ daily walk.

New date for the Barnes Bookfest

Our brand-new Book Festival had to be cancelled at the 11th hour after lockdown 2 was announced. However, undaunted, organisers Anne Mullins and Barnes Bookshop owner Venetia Vyvyan have re-scheduled the event for the weekend of February 13 & 14. All the speakers participating have agreed to the new dates albeit with some concerns from author Simon Heffer who is having to swap a romantic Valentine’s Eve with his partner for an interview with a WW1 historian.

The writing is on the wall

Anyone driving under Barnes Bridge in the past few weeks will have seen the dismal and dirty tiles being cleaned and then adorned with a new mural. Apart from turning a grim spot into a lovely one, the mural has a purpose; it is part of improvements being made to make Barnes more attractive to visitors and in turn to help boost business for our local shops, pubs and restaurants. The new mural signposts both Barnes and White Hart Lane and gives those getting off the train at Barnes Bridge a flavour of how lovely Barnes is.

It has been a project that has been pursued by Town Centre Manager Emma Robinson for the past couple of years and after she had got permission from Network Rail for the mural to be made, she was seeking grant funding to cover the cost of the artist’s time and materials. The opportunity for the mural to be made quickly came up in September but no grant funding had been secured. However, this was when some very generous benefactors appeared, and thanks to the Tidswell-Norrish family Barnes is a brighter place.

The family say that they were happy to donate and contribute to a project that will help improve Barnes. They hope that their gesture will be matched by donations by others towards other Barnes projects.

A day to remember

As the people of Barnes came out on to their doorsteps to mark Remembrance Sunday, one Barnes resident used his front garden to mark the day. Artist Spike McClarity repurposed an estate agency sales board to make his giant poppy and inspired by Spike’s work, which he posted on the Nextdoor Barnes app, other Barnes residents followed suit with their own poppy themed memorials.

A very important letter

Children from year 1 at Lowther School have been thrilled to receive a letter from HM The Queen. The class wrote letters to her about their concerns for the environment and got a lovely letter back which referred to Her Majesty's own environmental policies for the Royal Estates.

The letter said "Her Majesty was encouraged to hear of your wish to protect the environment and you may also be interested to know that The Queen has introduced a policy to reduce the amount of plastic used across the Royal Estates."

A heart warming outcome

Rosie pictured right with Essex House assistant practice manager Kimberley Stroud

Thanks to the fundraising efforts of Rosie Goodall the stolen public defibrillator outside Essex House Surgery has now been replaced. After Rosie started her appeal Barnes residents raised the money for its replacement in record time.

The new defibrillator will be regularly monitored by the surgery team and annual fees to the Community Heartbeat Charity Trust will be paid by the BCA.
   

Your chance to speak to the mayor about the Mortlake Brewery Development

T he fate of the mega Mortlake Brewery Development is now in the hands of London Mayor Sadiq Khan. He is due to decide on the Brewery planning application on Thursday November 26 but local campaigners are calling upon him to postpone the decision and consider their alternative Community Plan.

As part of the mayor’s consultation process he will be holding an online People’s Question Time on Thursday November 12 (between 7pm and 9pm).

Members of the local community will be able to ask questions (submitted in advance) in five themed groups – transport, safety, air quality and the environment, housing, and growing London’s economy.  Questions that aren’t selected on the night have to be answered in writing within 20 days.

Click here to sign up for the event.

Turkeys running for Christmas

F or the past four years a grey December Sunday in Barnes has been enlivened by the site of runners dressed in turkey hats and tinsel taking part in Barnes Runners Annual Charity Turkey Run.

Because of social distancing this year’s run can’t go ahead in the usual way but the organisers are hoping that they can get even more participants this year by spreading out the run over the course of a weekend. They are asking all participants to follow the 10k or ten mile courses for the run either separately or in pairs, and are very much hoping that Christmas fancy dress will be the order of the day.

“Hopefully, there will be enough people running separately that runners will be able to see their fellow participants from a distance and that non-runners will be able to enjoy the spectacle.” says Chris Peskett one of the organisers.

Everyone taking part will get a reward in the form of an edible Turkey Run medal from &Feast and most importantly money will be raised for the BCA from the £10 run registration fee. 

You can find out more about the event here.

Bravery award nomination for Barnes PC

J ewel thieves trying to raid the Barnes Jewellery Shop got a shock last year when their early hours raid was thwarted by a quick thinking off duty police officer.
Only newly qualified at the time, PC Wienand, was woken by the sound of a disturbance near his flat in the early hours of the morning.

Going to his door, he could see that a jewellery shop was about to be burgled by a group of five men who were carrying sledgehammers and pickaxes. Incredibly, quick-thinking PC Wienand bravely decided to intervene even though he was dressed only in boxer shorts. Shouting to neighbours to call the police, PC Wienand ran at the suspects one of whom threw a pickaxe, narrowly missing him, before the gang decided to ditch the burglary and escape on mopeds. The shop window was left damaged, but nothing had been stolen.

PC Wienand had only been part of his response team on Central West BCU for two weeks at the time of the incident. He cut his bare feet on broken glass but was ready to come in for his next shift. PC Wienand said: “I saw him raise the pickaxe - I know it sounds cliché, but time does slow. I thought the only way to get at him, because he’s going to try and smash my head in with a pickaxe, is to run at him.

 "I ran at him, yelling, and he got a fright. He pegged the pickaxe at me. It narrowly missed my head because I jumped to the left.” He added: “It was a flight or fight response… I’ve been pumped ever since I heard I was nominated. I think my parents would be incredibly proud. I know my family here in the UK are just so proud. My 80 year old grandmother’s going down to the coffee shop going, ‘My grandson did this’.”

The National Police Bravery Awards honour officers from across England and Wales who have performed outstanding acts of bravery while on or off duty. The annual awards ceremony was postponed this past summer due to the Coronavirus, but the nominees have been announced to highlight their incredible work.

Putting Barnes on the map

W hile not many people are visiting Barnes right now, things will (oh we hope so), eventually change, and when they do, they will be able to find their way around far more easily thanks to some beautiful new maps.

Designed by Holly Francesca you will find these maps at Barnes Bridge and Barnes Railway stations and at three other locations across Barnes. Together with our brand new mural the maps are part of a project to support our local businesses by making Barnes more accessible to visitors who will spend money in our shops, pubs and restaurants. 

The signs have been made possible by  the work of Town Centre Manager Emma Robinson and a grant from Richmond Council.

Not a pelican in sight

Our swans now have their very own bespoke sign, courtesy of the BCA and local artist Derk Pearce.  It alerts motorists to the swans or maybe geese, but as it says, it definitely isn’t a Pelican Crossing.

Back in the saddle

S t Mary’s Church couldn’t run its annual Charity Bike Sale this year, but James, their ace mechanic, has not been idle.

 
When he can tear himself away from his allotment, he has been busy dismantling, replacing worn-out parts, oiling and generally giving the donated bikes a new lease of life. 

If you are looking for a bike, please contact bikes@stmarybarnes.org with an idea of what you are looking for (road/mountain/shopper/ etc) and phone number.  

The team will get back to you to discuss what they have in stock that might suit you.
They say “It’s great exercise, a great way to get around, a great way to support charities who need funds even more this year.”

Children's Literature Festival gets Arts Council backing

T he Barnes Children's Literature Festival has joined the ranks of the UK's top tier literature festivals with the announcement that it has been awarded Arts Council funding for 2021. 

The Festival, which is London's largest dedicated children's books event, was raring to go back in June but with the lockdown restrictions continuing, and many families struggling to juggle working at home with remote learning, the festival team decided to broadcast the best of their programme free online attracting more than 40,000 viewers over six days from 45 countries.  
 
The organisers are now working hard to return to Barnes Pond with their Primary Schools Programme from Tuesday 22 to Friday June 25, with free places for more than 6,000 children, followed by the public weekend, Saturday 26 and Sunday  June 27, 2021. 

In past years, their Primary Schools Programme has been attended by more than 30 schools from all over London - from as far away as Waltham Forest - but the total closure of Hammersmith Bridge has forced the Festival to find a more accessible venue for those schools that attend from Hammersmith & Fulham, Hounslow and other boroughs north of the river.

The Festival will provide two additional days of special sessions for schools in Hammersmith with capacity for a further 3,000 children on dates in June still to be confirmed. 

'Thanks to the Arts Council, this new funding will provide the opportunity for the Festival to reach more children than ever before next year with the power of live literature, and to help them reach their full potential in school and in life." Festival Director Amanda Brettargh said.

Art of the possible

I f you are looking for a special Christmas present this year, a beautiful painting will always be welcome but sadly our local galleries will now be closed until December. The Riverside Gallery is now selling online and you can view and buy works from the two artists who would have been featured in their November exhibition here.

Ponytailed trickster tries on fraud

A  resident in Madrid Road is keen to alert others about an attempted fraud committed against him at the beginning of November. 

He had received a text from his bank regarding a request to change his linked mobile number. He then found that he was unable to access his account online as he was being asked for his new debit card details.

After calling his bank’s fraud department he discovered that someone impersonating him had visited a branch in Dorking requesting account changes giving details of his target's name and date of birth.

The plot thickened when the resident was alerted by their postwoman that a man pretending to be him had appeared just as she was about to deliver mail and asked her to give it to him. Fortunately she refused.

The man trying to steal the mail is described as ‘an older man with long hair and a ponytail’.

Milliner sees winners picked from a hat box

B arnes Milliner Anne Gretton (whose headpiece Carrie Symonds wore to the Centotaph on Sunday) is one of the many local fashionistas who took part in Barnes Fashion Week. To help raise money for the charities that would have benefitted from the covid cancelled Barnes Charity Fashion Show, and to encourage people to support the shops in White Hart Lane, Anne organised a special raffle. Over £300 was raised and the winners of the raffle were Fiona and Crystal (surnames not known).

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A beautiful day in the neighbourhood

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