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Traffic chaos predicted as Wandsworth Bridge closes for ten weeks from late July

Campaigners in Putney and Fulham are calling for Hammersmith and Fulham Council to freeze traffic restrictions around the Wandsworth Bridge Road and New Kings Road area when Wandsworth Bridge closes for urgent repairs later this summer.

The bridge is due to close completely for ten weeks from July 24 and much of the traffic that previously used Wandsworth Bridge is likely to be diverted over Putney Bridge in both directions. 

For residents of Barnes this could have significant implications for those planning to travel to or through Putney by road or bus. 

Campaigners against the ‘Clean Air Neighbourhood’ restrictions around the Wandsworth Bridge Road say that keeping these restrictions in place could make the traffic congestion caused by the bridge’s closure even worse.  

 

Hammersmith & Fulham has agreed to a limited suspension of restrictions during that time and will suspend the southbound Clean Air Area Neighbourhood Camera on Imperial Road during the closure. However, local campaigners say this is not enough and are predicting traffic chaos. 

Top TV exec shoots new films for FiSH

FiSH has a new website which features some wonderful videos showcasing the fantastic work it does. We dare you not to watch the film of one of its shopping bus excursions without feeling that you've got a speck of dust in your eye.

 

The videos were shot for free and gifted to FiSH by former senior BBC News Editor Simon Waldman who now runs his own media consultancy business. He also volunteers for FiSH when he can spare the time. He spent 30 years at the BBC as Editor of BBC News TV bulletins as well as helping to launch BBC Breakfast and Radio 5 Live, so it's no surprise that the short films are incredibly professionally produced. 

 

The rest of the website is a real window on the great work that the charity does and also reveals how much it relies on donations to keep the show on the road. Speaking of which, do read the story below about the charity's biggest annual fundraiser - the open garden event which is being held tomorrow (Sunday June 4) in East Sheen.

25 glorious gardens to open to raise funds for FiSH

Every year the owners of some very beautiful gardens in Barnes and Sheen open their doors to visitors to help raise funds for FiSH. Each year the charity alternates between the two areas and this year it’s time to peek behind the garden gates of Sheen.  

 

It’s a chance to be awed and inspired, not to mention a fantastic way to spend a Sunday afternoon in early summer.  And, what's more, the weather forecast for Sunday is glorious - not a cloud in the sky and 22 degrees apparently.

 

As well as enjoying the beautiful gardens you can get free advice from garden agony aunt Auntie Planty, enjoy live music (in a beautiful garden in Fife Road) and there's even a Pimms tent.

 

Tickets for the event tomorrow (June 4th, 1pm to 6pm) can be bought online here or are available on the day from 1pm onwards from stalls outside All Saints, East Sheen or Christ Church, East Sheen.

Castelnau, SW13                                                 £9,500,000

Injured cygnet rescued

Picture: Andrew Wilson

And then there were seven. One of our beautiful young cygnets has had to be rescued by a volunteer from the Swan Sanctuary but the good news is that he seems to have recovered from the injury that led to the rescue mission.

 

The young swan was seen swimming around looking disorientated and holding his neck at an odd angle. Steve, the volunteer who rescued the cygnet, took his canoe out into the pond when reports of the injured swan were sent through to the Sanctuary. As he approached the cygnet he could see that the young animal was having a fit of some sort. He and his colleagues believe that the injury it suffered could have been the result of a collision with another bird flying past or a more worrying explanation is that someone hit the cygnet with a stick. Sadly, the Sanctuary sees quite a few cases of swans being attacked either deliberately or injured accidentally by unsupervised children.

 

The cygnet will not be returning to the pond as there is a short window of 48 hours before a mother swan will accept a cygnet back into her brood after a separation. Instead, it will remain at the Swan Sanctuary and eventually be released into a flock of adult swans (either at Kingston or on the river in Barnes) next spring.

 

Volunteers at the Sanctuary say "He's a robust little chap and is recovering well" when we called, we were told that "He's just been given some lettuce and was chomping along quite happily. He's now settled down, cuddled up with his fellow rescue cygnets. We expect him to thrive, free from the stresses of pond life."

Crime spike causes concern

 

Theft at knifepoint, school children being mugged, drug dealing in suburban streets, balaclava wearing youths exposing themselves by Barnes Pond, doesn’t sound like quiet, leafy Barnes does it?  However, all these incidents have been reported over the past three months and have led to speculation that Barnes is being targeted by a small number of criminals.

 

The area just south of Hammersmith Bridge appears to be a new mini crime hotspot, and, if you look at things from a thief's point of view, you can see why. With the bridge closure, there are few passing cars so fewer potential witnesses. Furthermore, while there are cameras on the bridge itself, there are no CCTV cameras sited in the area around Riverview Gardens. There are also far fewer police covering Richmond than areas like Hammersmith so your odds of being caught are lower. Finally, there are rich pickings to be had if you are targeting people travelling alone at night. People carrying valuable mobiles or wearing expensive watches and designer clothes make tempting targets.

 

To avoid sounding sensationalist, it is important to point out that crime in our neighbourhood is still low compared to elsewhere in London, and that the events outlined above are so shocking because they are so comparatively rare.

 

You can see a list of just some of the recently reported robberies in the panel below, but the crime that has worried parents across Barnes most is the mugging of a 12-year-old boy for his phone on May 10. Video footage of the attack has been widely shared and shows the boy being approached from behind and being thrown to the ground.

 

The subsequent groundswell of concern meant that our most recent Barnes Police Liaison Meeting (they are held every few months) was packed with uneasy residents. Normally these meetings are held with just a smattering of attendees, but it was standing room only for latecomers at the Castelnau Community Centre on May 23 when residents had the chance to question our local police officers about crime. Local councillors were also present as well as the Leader of Richmond Council, Gareth Roberts.

 

Those attending wanted to know what is being done by the police and what they could do to protect themselves and their families. They also wanted to share what was happening in their own streets. Along with the suggestion that young gang members are coming over the bridge from Hammersmith, some residents were linking local crime to allegations of drug dealing being carried out from five addresses across Barnes.

 

Encouragingly, the police at the meeting reported on the arrest of four suspects in Hammersmith in relation to a mugging on Riverview Gardens and a robbery in Washington Road. However, there is much speculation locally about the motives of three balaclava clad youths on electric bikes who were seen last week by Barnes Pond. On seeing they were being videoed the young men took down their trousers and mooned, exposing themselves in front of children playing by the pond. 

So,  how frequent is crime locally and what has been the police response? How can we protect ourselves? And what should we do if we witness a crime, been a victim of crime or are worried that a crime is about to be committed? 

Keeping kids safe

When a spate of muggings around Richmond Green and South Richmond broke out just before the pandemic, local mothers got together to see what they could do to protect their children. Together with concerted action by police, the measures parents put in place led to a reduction of muggings by 50%.  Barbara Elliott one of the founders of Mums against Mugging came along to the meeting at the Castelnau Community Centre at the behest of Richmond and Wandsworth Council's Community Safety Service to explain how they helped reduce crime rates.

 

Teenagers are particularly vulnerable to crime and are often targeted by other teenagers, sometimes their attackers are known to them and they are reluctant to report attacks. Barbara says "We send our teenagers out into the world, often carrying thousands of pounds worth of tech, i-phones, laptops, Beats headphones. They can be walking targets." They are also less likely to be street savvy and be so addicted to their phones that the idea of taking off their headphones and putting their phone away is almost unacceptable to them.

 

Nevertheless, Barbara encourages parents to talk to their kids about ways to avoid being targeted and also gives talks in schools where she tells kids what they can do to stay safe. One of their most effective forms of communication has been a travel card wallet (see image above) which explains how to keep safe and how to seek help if the worst happens.

 

Barbara advised parents to find local businesses willing to put themselves forward as safe spaces for children to escape to if they feel in danger. She also encourages children to ask adults for help. It comes down to awareness and common sense and convincing hard-to-convince teenagers to change their ways.

Why reporting crime matters

Once upon a time Richmond had 18 dedicated experienced sergeants (not to mention the constables working for them) dealing with local crime. These days there are five. Local resources are very limited and it is hard for police to attend all crime incidents.

 

We have so few police as we're such a safe neighbourhood. That means we're at the end of the queue when it comes to allocating resources. When crimes go unreported, the need for more police isn't easy to prove to those lobbying Scotland Yard. 

 

Both police and local politicians urge the public to report crime at every opportunity. Reporting a crime may not mean that our stretched local force will be guaranteed to make an arrest but it will eventually mean that we might have more police on the beat locally.

New reed beds for Barnes Common to help with flood prevention

Barnes Common sits at the very heart of the our community and as well as being a place to meet, chat, walk the dog or linger in the sunshine it also serves an incredibly important purpose for us all. It's a flood sink. When it rains, water accumulates on the Common rather than in our houses. The water absorbed by the large expanse of open land is diverted away from Beverley Brook and therefore helps to prevents storm surges which lead to overflowing drains and culverts.

 

Open land helps save us from perils of flooding which is why paving over front and back gardens is being heavily discouraged.

 

There are ways of making the common even more effective as a flood sink and one of those is installing new reed beds. We already have one (across the bridge from the Green and along the brook) and very beautiful it is too, but the team at Barnes Common together with Community Bluescapes is hoping to install two more.

 

As well as helping to absorb water, reed beds also create a more diverse habitat for wildlife, so as a project it's a win-win for the environment.

 

Mike Hildesley, Chair of Barnes Common Friends says: “We are delighted this project is among the first that Community BlueScapes is doing – it will be great for biodiversity and shows that managing flood risk can bring other positive benefits."

 

If you would like to find out more about the project there's a special event being held at the location of the new beds (just by the existing one) on Saturday July 1 between 10am and 4pm where you'll be able to come along and chat to the team behind the project.

Saying it with flowers - the new look Sun Inn

Have you been to the new look Sun Inn yet? If you haven't, you are in for quite a treat. It's looking much sunnier than it used to with a rather spectacular transformation of the outside space. Gone is the drab car park and in its place is a chic new flower-bedecked seating and dining area. The old covered dining area has been transformed too and now looks like a very smart restaurant. However, manager Richard is keen to emphasize that the pub remains just the same sociable local that it always was. The decor may be glamorous but the welcome is down to earth and friendly. You can reserve tables but there will always be plenty of space kept for those who want to pop in for an impromptu meal. It's now the perfect place to spend a summer afternoon or evening. You can sit at the front with views of the pond or opt for the new garden seating. Even the indoors has been revamped with new chairs, tables and banquettes so when the sun sets you can move to the new cosy nooks inside the pub.

A feast of books

It's only a few weeks until one of the biggest Barnes events of the year bursts to life on Barnes Green and other venues across the area. The organisers behind the Barnes Children's Literature Festival are dusting down the big marquee and organising their well rehearsed team of volunteers to welcome young book lovers from across London and beyond.

 

Many of the talks from celebrity authors like Lenny Henry, Michael Morpurgo and Cressida Cowell are nearly sold out, so now is the time to book your tickets for these events to avoid disappointment. However, the Festival isn't just about big names, there are all sorts of quirky, fun and wonderful events to sign up for fancy family friendly theatre performances? Or how about a chance for young buccaneers to join Pirate School? Why not take little ones along to a Paddington Bear concert?

 

There's even a Judith Kerr 'Mog the Forgetful Cat' treasure trail around the village with a chance for kids to pick up special 'Mog' stickers from the OSO, Barnes Bookshop, Barnes Fish Shop, Totally Swedish, Natsons and Two Peas in a Pod. You'll find details of all these and much more besides on the festival website.

 

And, of course, the children's Literature Festival is not Barnes' only big book event. We also have September's Barnes Bookfest to look forward to. It may not have a sticker trail but what it does have is a pretty impressive lineup of authors including Anne Glenconner, Hannah Rothschild, Matt Frei, Ferdinand Mount and Leo McKinstry. 

 

Tickets will be available online at www.barnesbookfest.org or at The Barnes Bookshop, 98 Church Road, SW13 0DQ.  Priority booking starts on 1 July, with open booking starting on 15 July 2023.  All events take place over three days, 22-24 September, in Barnes, SW13.

Save the date - Barnes Fair, Saturday July 8

Gallopers image: Andrew Wilson

Swiftly following on from the Children's Literature Festival is the biggest event of them all - Barnes Fair on Saturday July 8.

 

It's always a joyous day and all the old favourites are back this year. There are over 300 exhibitors offering fashion, jewellery, gifts and homeware for browsing plus food and drink stalls from local bars and restaurants including The Crossing, Rick Stein, The Nest and Postbox. 

The food and drink area with live music and margaritas will be based alongside Church Road and the BCA will be serving their famous Pimm’s all day.

 

Live music on the Bandstand will kick off at 10am and comes from several local bands and choirs. There will be a selection of dance and karate displays on the Events stage and there will even be a wandering band of ukulele players! 

 

Younger visitors may also like to explore the police car and fire engine that will be parked up on the Green and there will be a classic 1965 Mustang on display for car enthusiasts alongside the usual Barnes Fair favourites of carousel, helter skelter and vintage swings.

 

Proceeds from this year’s event will go towards the purchase of a new defibrillator at the Castelnau Centre in North Barnes so that these life-saving devices will be available through the community.  

Delicious food coming soon...

We've got not one, but two exciting restaurant openings to share this month. Just across the common by the Spencer Arms the lovely indoor/outdoor space that is Flour + Water will open its doors once again in June. It's a very Barnes-based affair as the chef will be Nina Parry - wife of Church Road restaurant's Alan Parry. Nina and Alan met in a country house hotel in Scotland when she was working as a chef and he ran front of house in the restaurant. She's hung up her cooking knives since having children but is making a return to the fray at Flour  + Water. The menu will be a casual mix of beautifully cooked pizzas plus great pasta and antipasti dishes. You can sign up for news of Flour + Water here. Everyone who signs up will receive details of Flour + Water's 'soft opening' weekend where food will be on offer at a 50% discount.

 

Meanwhile, over on White Hart Lane, brunch spot The Farmer's Mistress (mentioned last month) will be opening at the end of June.

New chef at The Olympic

Not only are there two new restaurants opening this month there's also a new executive chef at The Olympic. Paul Daniel is an alumnus of Conran Restaurants where his CV includes work at Mezzo and Sartoria. From Conran he went on to work with chef John Torode at Smith's of Smithfield and then worked as head chef at Torode's Luxe restaurant. Following that he joined the Riding House Café for six years and later became the group executive chef.

 

Paul's arrival in mid June will be marked with a brand new menu at The Olympic's dining room. We can't wait to try it.

From Rome to home....

Last time we featured Chris Peskett in the Bugle he was pictured glamorously dressed as the poo emoji.  On that occasion he was running the London marathon in honour of his friend the late Dame Deborah James. He raised a staggering £5,000 with that run.

 

At the time Chris said his marathon days were over as his 'knees were shot' but you can't keep a good man down, so he's up and fundraising again although this time it's on a bike.

 

It's no mean endurance challenge, however, as this July, over 17 days, he'll be cycling from Rome to Battersea. He'll be raising funds for Regenerate, a brilliant local charity based in Roehampton. Regenerate works to provide mentoring and opportunities for kids growing up on local estates and some of the youngsters the charity works with will be joining Chris and organiser Andy Smith on the epic journey.

 

They'll be raising funds to help the kids along the way on the journey at a special event at the Evolution Gym on Sheen Lane on June 14th. For just £30 you can join an indoor cycling class, all of the proceeds of which will go to Regenerate.

 

And, if you fancy joining in the cycling but can't spare 17 days why not just take part in the Paris to London leg or maybe the Brighton to London stint. All finishers will be greeted with a very special reception at the Battersea Power Station.

New gift shop for Barnes High Street

The shop that was once Barnes Natural is set to open again in a new guise. It will become a brand-new branch of Mooch a mini chain of gift shops which also has shops in Ealing and Fulham.

 

The shops sell an eclectic mix of products carefully sourced from small independent suppliers together with a selection of well known brands. You'll find jewellery, clothes, stationery, homeware, tech and gadgets and toiletries too.

 

The Mooch team have just picked up the keys to the shop so expect to see it being refurbished over the next few weeks before opening later in the month or July.

Edinburgh bound

The lure of Edinburgh in the summer is irresistible to performers, and this week we've heard of two different Barnes-based productions that hope to be Edinburgh bound.

 

First up is poet Roger McGough who has penned a new musical - Money-Go-Round - based on the characters in the Wind in the Willows. It takes money to get a show on the road, and for a fledgling production company money is one of the hardest things to find. However, at least they can raise money by entertaining potential donors and that's just what they will be doing at The OSO on Wednesday June 7 The evening will feature poetry, music and surprise guests. Money raised from every ticket sold will go to support the mini tour of the show.

 

Also hopefully on the road to Edinburgh is the Barnes-based theatre company Shadow Road Productions. Members of the company will be performing not one, but two shows Macbeth: Sleep no More which wowed audiences at St Mary's earlier this year and a brand new show Secret Storytellers. You can support the company's crowdfunding campaign by clicking here.

Top West End gallery to team up with Barnes Artists

The next show on the horizon by our brilliantly prolific group of Barnes artists looks like it's going to be very special. Not only is the theme of the exhibition - Living with Trees - a fantastic inspiration for new work, but for the first time ever the group is collaborating with a major West End Gallery.

 

The exhibition is inspired by the natural beauty on our doorsteps and will feature paintings, sculptures and ceramics together with the work of the local branch of the London Photography Group. The two groups have joined together to celebrate the work of our award-winning local conservation group Barnes Common.

 

All the works on show by Barnes Artists will have been curated by Panter and Hall - a gallery based in Pall Mall. In addition the gallery will also be showcasing the works of some of the artists that it represents, selling work by established artists the likes of which Barnes Village has not seen since The New Grafton Gallery closed over 20 years ago.

 

The show will be held at St Mary's Church between Saturday July 1 and Sunday July 9.

Volunteers needed for bike sale

The Barnes Charity Bike Sale team is looking for volunteers to help them raise a record amount of funds for charities supported by St Mary's Church and the church itself.

 

Over the past 15 years, the Bike Sale team has repaired over 1770 bikes, and raised over £100,000 for St Mary’s and associated charities.   It's a huge achievement by a small team – and they really could do with some help.

 
This year the sale will be on Saturday September 16 between 9.30am and noon, and the team is looking for help mostly in August and September.  

 

If you have a few hours to offer every so often and would like to get involved they are looking for help with:

•    Bike maintenance (assessing the bikes, replace inner tubes, tighten brakes, lubricate) 
•    Social media and marketing
•    Admin and general help – this is the most useful.   You’ll turn your hand to whatever needs doing:  cleaning bikes, moving them, making tea, running to the shops for supplies,……

 

If you’d like to chat to one of the team, please ring Judy Gowing (07703 312913) or email: bikes@stmarybarnes.org

Stamp of approval

Barnes has always been a place beloved of writers and earlier this year the life of a Barnes-based pioneer of science fiction was celebrated with the issue of the special set of stamps.

 

Nigel Kneale is perhaps best known for writing Quatermass and the Pit, a forerunner of Dr Who that had TV audiences sitting on the edge of their seats in the 1950s.

 

He lived in Barnes in Ranelagh Avenue with his wife the writer and illustrator Judith Kerr until his death in 2008. However, he grew up in the Isle of Man where his father edited the local newspaper.   In celebration of Kneale's Manx heritage the Isle of Man post office has issued a set of commemorative stamps which have been launched by the actress Jane Asher who starred in one of Kneale's early productions.

 

Often there was more to Kneale’s stories than met the eye and therefore, each of the six stamps holds a secret which can only be revealed with UV light. Each stamp in the collection tells the story of a significant period in Kneale’s career with a dynamic mix of photographs of Kneale, along with imagery from different productions of his work. You can find out more here. 

 

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