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Hammersmith Bridge: Game changing solution or a bridge too far?

Picture the scene, a large meeting room at St Paul’s school. Walls bedecked with detailed drawings; two impressive 2 metre long 3D-printed models of the bridge running along the centre (one showing how it currently is and another showing the temporary bridge within a bridge solution in place); in the corner a specially commissioned video (see above) is playing a 3D animation showing  how the proposed temporary bridge will be installed and how it will help work on the bridge structure itself be completed more swiftly.

At the centre of the room, engineer David MacKenzie of Cowi is being questioned by members of the public. He’s a man who started his career working on the Clifton suspension bridge and has recently just completed the huge engineering project that is the longest suspension bridge in the world (Turkey’s Çanakkale Bridge). It seems that what he doesn’t know about bridges could be written on the back of a postage stamp.

For the Bugle, whose favourite magazine is now New Civil Engineer, it is a very useful presentation. The models, illustrations and video make the proposals infinitely clearer than any number of documents and press releases. What’s more, the engineers involved seem genuinely pleased to have come up with an innovative solution that they say will get traffic running across the bridge faster than a more conventional repairs and prevent the bridge from closing completely to pedestrians and cyclists for long periods.

As for other Barnes residents attending the presentation, for some it allayed concerns but for others it rang alarm bells. Indeed, after seeing the plans, tweeting on behalf of the Barnes Community Association, the BCA trustee Raphael Zachary Younger said  “As much as we would love to fall in love with this engineering masterpiece and while we (are) all keen to put an end to the #Hammersmithbridge saga, there are still some key questions left unanswered.” This introduction preceded a series of six tweets questioning the merits of the proposal, outlining potential limitations to bus services, environmental issues, lack of clear provision for cyclists, costs, funding and timing.

Meanwhile, environmental group Possible has been advocating its own innovative solution, one that it says will be cheap, timely and environmentally friendly and help those most affected by the closure –  the elderly and the disabled – get across the bridge. They say it could be implemented in 18 months - much sooner than the three year wait for the temporary bridge to open. Possible’s plan is to stop repairs to the bridge at the stabilisation stage and make the bridge open to pedestrians and cyclists but not to cars or conventional TfL buses. Those unable to walk or cycle will cross the bridge in lightweight electric buggies able to hold up to 8 people at a time.

This is the status quo; two competing solutions each with pros and cons and each with supporters and opponents. It’s a complicated issue. To make an informed assessment of the merits of each option you need to understand the engineering plans, the timings and costs involved, the politics of the situation and the competing motivations of those making the proposals. 

At the Bugle our aim is to lay out the information as succinctly and comprehensively as possible. So, at the risk of sounding like a management consultant about to embark upon a PowerPoint presentation the Bugle has drawn up a matrix to help guide you through the thicket of different options and opinions.

Who supports which options and why?

The temporary bridge solution is very much Hammersmith & Fulham Council's baby but making the bridge viable for traffic once more has been the priority of the Task Force whose members include the government, City Hall, TfL and Hammersmith & Fulham Council. Since the funding deal from government and TfL requires the council to stump up one third of the costs, the only way they can fund their third is to charge a toll. This means that a solution that allows both cars and public transport is the only viable way forward for H&FC.

Local campaign group Hammersmith Bridge SOS says it is 'cautiously optimistic' about the Foster Cowi solution but with an emphasis on the cautious given escalating costs, a volatile political landscape and the history of the closure so far.

The Barnes Community Association says firstly that, as a charity, it is not a campaigning group so will not say which option it supports, although, thus far, despite hailing it as an engineering masterpiece, it has only talked about what are perceived to be drawbacks of the current version of the temporary bridge proposal as opposed to highlighting any benefits it might bring. Trustee Raphael Zachary Younger says that the community group's main priority is the restoration of public transport across the bridge and that BCA "would welcome any solution that opens the bridge to public transport soon as possible" adding " We don't feel cars crossing the bridge is a priority for the community." He says it is only proper that the proposals from Foster Cowi should be questioned and scrutinised "as a community group we want (the situation) to be resolved but we don't want to be fed dreams and fantasies". Also talking about the motivations of Foster Cowi he said "With all due respect to the team behind this project, this is a commercial entity which has one single interest here - to get this project commissioned."

The electric buggy solution which comes from the environmental group Possible is also likely to be supported by the team behind the Hammersmithbridge.org.uk website which advocates a car-free bridge and celebrates the conclusion that with the closure of the bridge to traffic Barnes has become "an accidental Low Traffic Neighbourhood". Although, it has to be said that the density of the traffic in Barnes and Mortlake depends on how close you are to the bridge. Castelnau is a haven of calm, Mortlake High Street and Lower Richmond Road less so.

Take our survey

While debate about the bridge abounds on Twitter, local forums and WhatsApp groups, nobody has carried out a large-scale survey of the opinions of the people who live south of the bridge since 2021.

Are the residents of Barnes prepared to wait for the bridge to be ‘restored to its former glory’ and for buses and ambulances to cross the bridge once more? Or, do they think this is now the time to explore a greener solution, albeit one that could only be temporary if the deck of the bridge is close to the end of its working life and the bridge may have to be closed again.

At the Bugle we have no idea if there’s a consensus or if the community is split down the middle so we would be hugely grateful if you could fill in our survey

The Bugle survey by its very nature isn’t going to be truly representative of the views of the community – not everyone reads the Bugle – but if enough people fill it in, it could give a snapshot of what the people of Barnes and beyond think. Do let us know what you think and share the link with local friends too.

Please note that our survey hasn't covered the often suggested alternative of tearing down the existing bridge and replacing it with a new one. This is because nobody with the money to make this happen is backing this option.

It's a celebration

If you’re not having Coronation street party of your own (and no we don’t mean dressing up as Ken Barlow or Ena Sharples) you can join in what sounds like a great event organised by the BCA at the south side of Hammersmith Bridge.

It’s a nice change to see the centre of celebrations being the north part of Barnes for once and of course since the road leading up to the bridge is closed anyway it is a ready-made venue for a street party.

Barnes Town Centre Manager Emma Robinson says “We’ve had so much support for this event from the locals of North Barnes and parents from Lowther School have been brilliant. We’re also really grateful for the enthusiasm of the local businesses like The Bridge. The businesses at the top end of Castelnau have had a difficult time as a result of the bridge’s closure, so the party as well as being a celebration of our new King’s Coronation is a way to support these brilliant shops, pubs and restaurants.

“We’re also really grateful for funding from both Richmond Council and Hammersmith & Fulham Council, who have helped out with the costs of marshals, street signage etc. We’re also really grateful for the enthusiasm of local businesses like The Bridge, Michael’s Newsagents, Sips and Bites and Postbox."

There will be tables and chairs laid out and music too and you can buy food courtesy of The Bridge pub which will be laying on a barbecue. Or, if you prefer, you can bring your own food and picnic chairs. The whole thing kicks off at 3pm on Saturday May 6. 

Lonsdale Road, SW13                                                 £5,450,000

Barnes' wet wipe mountain leads to change in law

As we’ve mentioned many times in the Bugle, the course of the Thames west of Hammersmith bridge has been changed by a wet wipe mountain – an abundance of wipes washed into the river in sewage discharges and left to accumulate on its banks. Wet wipes are also responsible for fatbergs (hideous mixtures of fat and wet wipes) which clog up our sewer pipes.

Although our wet wipe mountain may now be a permanent fixture it looks like it might not grow further thanks to a government announcement of a forthcoming ban of plastic in wet wipes.

It’s a cause of celebration for Putney MP Fleur Anderson who has been a long-time campaigner for a ban on the wipes. She and campaigning group Thames 21 have often drawn attention to our wet wipe mountain as part of their drive to bring about a change in the law.

When fact and fiction collide

While Hammersmith’s wet wipe mountain may be real, a body that was spotted in the river by Hammersmith bridge last month definitely wasn’t.

The RNLI rushed to the scene after reports from passers-by only to discover that what people had witnessed was a dummy used as a prop during location filming of the new series of Silent Witness.

You can see the very plasticky hands of the dummy in this report from the Daily Mail.  

Boxing clever

Fans of Peaky Blinders will be interested to hear that a new TV series written by series creator Stephen Knight is now being shot at the temporary film studio pop-up at the old Mortlake Brewery.

Starring one of Britain’s best-known actors, Stephen Graham, ‘A Thousand Blows’ is a period drama set in the world of illegal boxing in the 1880s. The show is actually Graham’s idea as he pitched it to Peaky Blinders writer Knight after the actor came up with the idea during lockdown.

The location seems to be thriving as this new Disney+ production follows hot on the heels of the Anglo French Apple TV drama Liaison, which was based there last year together with Sky TV drama Temple. According to the website My London News the brewery site may also have been used in the filming for The Expendables and the forthcoming Indiana Jones movie.

New school plans get nod

Richmond Council has doubled down on plans for a new 1,000 place super school which will form a key part of the redevelopment of the old Mortlake Brewery site.

Despite opposition from local campaigners and other schools such as Richmond Park Academy and Thomson House primary school, a special education committee at the council has backed plans for the new school saying its building will be necessary for the council to fulfil its statutory duty to ensure enough places for the borough’s children.

Councillors in favour of the school cited the impact of the new housing developments coming on stream locally (on the old Barnes Hospital and Richmond Homebase sites) as one of the reasons for the need to provide a new secondary school.

Local groups opposing the plans said that the building of a new school would lead to an oversupply of places in Richmond arguing that birth rates are falling and that the figures for increased demand from new housing developments were unrealistic.
The school will be funded by the Department of Education, but it is also thought that a contribution to the costs will come from the developers of the rest of the Mortlake Brewery site.

As for progress on plans for the major development on the site there is, as yet, no news as to when the new plans will be considered by a planning committee. Given that the latest consultation on the plans ended in January the start of the planning process is expected soon. Once it does start Bugle readers shouldn’t expect things to move quickly as the plans will have to pass two hurdles: local planning and the oversight of County Hall.

Those campaigning against the school suggested the earliest possible opening date being 2026 but given the time required for planning permission to be obtained and for demolition and construction to take place this seems remarkably soon.

Riverside Studios goes into administration

The administrators have been called in at Hammersmith’s arts hub The Riverside Studios, as the existing owners have been unable to cope with ‘eye-watering’ energy bills and debt from its recent development.

Despite receiving nearly £2 million from the Government’s cultural recovery fund and close to £1 million from the Arts Council, the Studios’ financial situation has been perilous. When the arts venue opened in 2019 it had a £25 million debt to pay off but Covid lockdowns left it without the means to generate income.

Both London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Hammersmith & Fulham Council are trying to see what can be done to keep the venue open and the venue’s trustees are looking at whether a charitable ownership is a possibility.

The centre will remain open for now and will continue with all its scheduled events which have been organised up until August 19.

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Gridlock Barnes

The roadworks required to divert the gas pipes currently running under Hammersmith Bridge have been making their presence felt with long queues developing at the junction of Station Road and Rocks Lane at busy times.

The Easter holidays will provide some respite and the site of the roadworks will gradually move further down Rocks Lane and eventually to Castelnau. However, expect longer waiting times if you are trying to drive east out of Barnes over the next few weeks

Right on cue

Venerable local actor Julian Glover celebrated the publication of his new book Cue to Cue with a signing at the Barnes Book Shop last week.

It’s a collection of reminiscences from his career as an actor which spans nearly 70 years (he’s still acting at the age of 88). Glover revels in being well known but not famous (much more relaxing he says) but he is one of Britain’s best and most recognisable actors having appeared in in Dr Who, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, the Bond film ‘For Your Eyes Only’, ‘Star Wars’ and most recently ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘Tár’. He has also won an Olivier Award for his work with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

These days he is still hugely in demand, not just in acting parts but in fan conventions where lovers of Star Wars or Bond or GoT queue to meet him, pay to hear him talk and have their photo taken with him. In the past few years he’s travelled across the US and in Europe has appeared at conventions from Bratislava to Cologne.

He says it’s lovely meeting fans and an unexpected benefit of his long career, but for him being able to continue to work in a perilous profession so long into his later years is the real bonus.

The book is not an autobiography but a celebration of all that’s wonderful about acting, encompassing 25 moments in his life that have been special to him. He recalls his worst performance – playing Mikhail Gorbachev at the Hampstead theatre apparently and working with his two wives (Dame Eileen Atkins and Isla Blair) who are both extraordinary actresses in their own right.

He even talks about his best performance which was it seems not even on stage or screen. When he was a young man doing National Service in the 1950s he was put on an officers training course which he showed every sign of flunking. Realising he was about to fail he decided to act the part of an officer, it worked a treat and he passed with honours.

You can buy Julian's new book at The Barnes Bookshop.

Market forces

Our weekly Farmer’s Market has just been named one of the country’s top ten markets in a survey carried out by online recipe box provider Hello Fresh, coming in at number eight in the list of 30 notable farmer’s markets. The best farmer’s market in London was Blackheath but coming in second isn’t too shabby a result.

The markets were scored on frequency, number of traders and producers, and ratings given by visitors.

The team behind the Farmer’s Market say “We are absolutely thrilled that a panel of food experts has rated our fabulous market so highly. We couldn’t do it without all our amazing array of producers who each week come rain or shine deliver the very best freshest most delicious food and drink.

"To come in the top 10 in the country is a huge accolade and second best in London is fantastic. Obviously, we will be aiming for the top spot next time!! “
 

Fabulous at fifty

It’s a big year for the BCA this year, as it is celebrating its 50th anniversary. As part of the anniversary celebrations one of the founder members, Janet Falush, is planning a meeting to bring together the surviving group of those who helped the BCA get off the ground in the period between 1973 and 1976.

They are a fast-dwindling number she says.  Margaret Minch, a key individual in creating a successful association, by bringing the English classes she held in her home to Rose House and expanding them to be a key source of the BCA's income, died a few weeks ago and will have a memorial service at 11am on 11 April at St Osmund's Church.  Janet says "With her husband David, she was one of the small group that financed the purchase of Rose House by the newly formed association and helped the BCA in its original mission to bring community spirit to Barnes.”

Barnes owes so much to Margaret and Janet is hoping that anyone who was involved in the BCA’s inception or indeed worked with the BCA throughout the years will come to the memorial service.

Additionally, she hopes founder members will get in touch with her to arrange attendance at the anniversary reunion. Just email us here at the Bugle if you’d like to get in touch with Janet and we will pass your details on.

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The sweet smell of success

There’s nothing more evocative than fragrance, most of us can remember the perfume our mother wore, and some of us can cringe looking back on our early experiments with cheap aftershave or perfumes so powerful that they could clear a room. 

In time, many of us settle on a signature scent and the ritual of it being a safe gift at Christmas and birthdays means we never stray away from our perfume habit.

Journalist Amanda Carr loves to hear what fragrance means to people, it’s so intensely personal and tied up with memories, but most of all she loves to introduce people to new possibilities.

“Yes, there are the blockbuster scents that dominate Duty Free aisles and which benefit from expensive advertising campaigns” she says” but if you stray away from the well-worn path you can find an amazing new wave of interesting fragrances made by talented artisan perfumers.”

So passionate is she about introducing people to a whole new world of fragrance that she’s bringing some of the UK and Europe’s most exciting new perfumers to Barnes in a series of special events on one day in May. 

“The idea behind Barnes Fragrance Fair is to create something joyous and exciting around the expectations of fragrance and bring an interesting assortment of beautiful independent brands to the attention of Barnes customers. Independent fragrance brands have blossomed in recent years, with creatives from many industries moving into this immersive and sensory product and it turns out that British perfumers are extremely good at creating wonderful scents.” says Amanda.

The event will centre around an exhibitors’ fair at the Barnes Green Centre but there will also be talks, workshops and panel discussions with some of Britain’s most interesting fragrance experts at St Mary’s Church and at The Olympic. The Barnes Fragrance Fair will be held on Saturday May 20, find out more and book tickets on Eventbrite. 

Ooh la la

The BCA’s plans to give Barnes High Street a more Parisian feel (albeit without rubbish piling up in the streets, gangs of protesters and restaurants being set on fire) are coming together with the arrival of outdoor dining outside our newly-refurbished branch of Pizza Express. The new dining area has been made possible by the widening of the pavement and the stylish chairs and tables match the revamped décor inside the restaurant.

Facelift for the Sun Inn

In the great list of cliches to avoid in copywriting the word iconic comes close to the top. However, even after consulting the thesaurus we’ve decided to use it to describe The Sun Inn. Of course, it’s (ahem) ‘iconic’ it even features on Barnes’ very own logo. All of which is a very long-winded way of saying that the iconic Sun Inn is closing from April 16 for six weeks for a refurb.

The outdoor space will be transformed with new decking and a dining area and the inside will also benefit from a redesign which will see the addition of new tables and chairs.

In the neighbourhood

Image: Andrew Wilson

Thankfully, the wave of vandalism and burglaries that hit our shopping streets in February and March has subsided, but it has galvanised a shocked Barnes High Street resident to see what she could do to help prevent crime.

Alice O’Byrne, has started a neighbourhood watch group covering the High Street and surrounding roads which will be ”looking at the best ways we can address the issues Barnes residents are having, whether it is personal safety, vehicular theft, illegal entry or violent crime.  We will also be looking to work alongside the many shops and business in the High Street area, and welcome those who may not be resident within the NW boundary to take part too.”

If you are interested in joining the group just click this link.  

Step-free access coming to Barnes Station

At last, access to Barnes Station is going to become easier for those with mobility issues with the installation of a lift as well as reconfiguration of the staircases leading to the platforms.

As with all construction projects there will be upheaval but given the station’s rural setting it’s perhaps wildlife rather than people that will face the most potential disruption.

Bearing this in mind, Network Rail has been working closely with the team at Barnes Common to minimise the impact of the works.  The construction teams will use part of the former goods yard for crane operations and care has been taken to protect as much of the orchard and land of high conservation value as possible. Ecological surveys have been done, mature trees are being protected, and ground clearance is currently being undertaken ahead of the nesting season to avoid unnecessary disturbance.

Further details of the project can be found on the Access for All section of the Network Rail website.

There will also be a drop-in event for local residents on April 20 between 3.30pm and 6.30pm at the Barnes Common Cricket Ground. For more details see the Barnes Common website.

Let's go outside

Anyone who enjoyed last summer’s opera on the Green or the Bob Dylan tribute concert will be pleased to hear that the BCA will be working with the OSO again this summer on series of events on Barnes Green - Outdoor Stage. 

There’s something for everyone on Saturday June 10 with three events spanning the day.  In partnership with the Barnes Children’s Literature Festival there will be a family event which will see everyone’s favourite patchwork elephant Elmer on Barnes Green in the morning in Elmer’s Walk (10am).  The talented Sophia Kirwan-Baez and her operatic friends will be serenading picnickers in the afternoon at Opera on the Green (2pm) and 'Freddie Mercury' and his tribute band will be booming out our favourite tracks in the evening in Supersonic Queen on the Green (8pm).

Find out more about these events and buy your tickets at www.osoarts.org.uk

Croquet madame

Physiotherapist Diana Wilson is celebrating 30 years of practicing in Barnes (you’ll find her at her business Physio on the River by Barnes Bridge station) so it’s no wonder that every time the Bugle suffers from an ache or pain someone asks “Have you been to see Diana?”. However, it’s not just her anniversary that she’s celebrating this year. Very excitingly she’s been selected to take part in the World Golf Croquet Championships in August.

The Bugle’s sporting knowledge is not extensive so we were initially perplexed by the term Golf Croquet. Is it 18 holes traversed with a croquet mallet rather than a set of clubs? Does it require the wearing of Argyll jumpers and natty, colourful trousers? The answer to both these questions is no. It’s actually a variation of the classic game of croquet. It has simpler rules but requires just as much accuracy and tactical awareness as standard lawn croquet.

Diana has come to the sport relatively late, discovering it at The Roehampton Club, but it seems she’s a natural.

The world championships will take place at the Sussex County Croquet Club in August and Anne will be hoping to topple world champion Soha Mustafa from Egypt from the top spot. Go Diana. Anyway, about my bad back….

Fancy a cup of coffee by the pond?

What could be lovelier than enjoying a cup of coffee by the pond? Well how about enjoying a free cup of coffee by the pond? That’s what you will get if you take part in the OSO’s special survey, the aim of which is to help the arts venue plan its next 5 years. There’s a prize draw entry too for everyone who spare a few minutes to fill out the online questionnaire and the winner will receive an artisan food hamper worth £150.

Just click here to share your views and enjoy your coffee.

Pass the Duchess on the book shop side

Prince Harry isn’t the first red-headed Royal to discover the joys of authorship. His aunt, The Duchess of York, the renowned author of ‘Budgie the Helicopter’ and other classics has now written her 62nd book ‘A Most Intriguing Lady’ a “sweeping historical romance” featuring “scandal, seduction and secrets”. Last week her publicity tour included a visit to the Barnes Bookshop where she signed copies of her latest romance blockbuster and as the lovely picture on Instagram from the Labrador Lady of Barnes (above) shows, she also surprised passers-by with her presence. 

60 for 60 – how Barnes artist raised a sizable sum for FiSH

Our local charity FiSH does extraordinary work for an extraordinarily small amount of money. Thanks to a band of nearly 300 volunteers the charity’s 600 elderly users get access to talks, clubs, classes, befriending, shopping trips in their famous minibuses, help with visits to hospital and much more. It does all this on a shoestring budget which covers the cost of five full and part-time staff plus the running costs of its buses and the costs of maintaining an office. Last year FiSH carried out all this fantastic work in Barnes and Sheen within a budget of just £158,000.

Every penny counts at FiSH so they have been completely thrilled that an initiative from the members of Barnes Artists has just raised £1800 for the charity.
As it is FiSH’s 60th anniversary this year the artists and photographers who make up Barnes Artists decided to use their exhibition at last month’s Barnes Festival as an opportunity to raise funds for the charity. To celebrate the anniversary they offered artworks for £60 and sold 30 of them raising money that will make a real difference to the lives of older people in Barnes and Sheen. And the fundraising didn’t stop there as the Music Festival itself raised money for FiSH and was able to add another £750 to FiSH’s coffers.

If you would like to help FiSH you can donate here.

Past the post

If you’ve taken the towpath walk from Hammersmith Bridge to Barnes Bridge recently you may have spotted a rather impressive flagpole sitting next to a black and white striped post.

The newly unveiled post sits in the grounds of St Paul’s school and marks the halfway point of the Championship Course – the 6.779km rowing course that runs between Putney and Chiswick and has been used for the Oxford & Cambridge Boat Race since 1845.

The post was unveiled on March 13 by Olympic-medal-winning single sculler Alan Campbell. Read more here.

Soul searching

Richard Harries the former Bishop of Oxford is a writer and broadcaster who also happens to sit in the House of Lords. He’s led an extraordinarily rich life starting as an army officer followed by a career in the church and academia.
He’s now written his autobiography – ‘The Shaping of a Soul, a Life Taken by Surprise’ – and to celebrate the occasion St Mary’s Church is holding a special event in which Lord Harries will be interviewed by the distinguished rabbi Julia Neuberger, who is also a fellow peer.

The event will take place at 8pm on Tuesday April 18. Find out more and book tickets here.

From Barnes to Kyiv with love

I t's a year since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the stories of the hardships suffered by Ukrainians have moved from the top item in news bulletins to occasional mentions.

Nevertheless, as war drags on, the Ukrainian people are just as much in need of humanitarian help now as they were this time last year.

One of the most moving elements of the UK’s response to the invasion was the way that both large charities and concerned individuals orchestrated the supply of aid both to Ukraine and to Ukrainian refugees fleeing conflict.

One such small local effort has been coordinated by Anne Mullins who runs an informal group of dog owners in Barnes, the Barnes Goldens. She persuaded her fellow dog owners to make a regular donation of £5 per month as well as donating the proceeds of the group’s annual charity calendar to aid for Ukraine.

For Anne there’s been no creep of compassion fatigue and every month she sends a lorry load of food and other essential supplies to Kyiv.

£5 per month is a very small and manageable amount that could make a vast difference to people living in the shadow of war and if any Bugle readers would like to join Anne’s band of generous givers both she and her contacts in Ukraine would be hugely grateful. Just email us here if you would like to help.

Taking stock

Not content with writing award-winning crime novels, local resident Victoria Dowd has branched out into opening the stock exchange … as you do.
Victoria was chosen to ring the bell at the London Stock Exchange in celebration of International Women’s Day and said “It's quite an honour and responsibility. I was briefly worried that I might shut down the stock market and destroy the economy.”

The good Samaritan

As we've just passed the Easter weekend, it seems only appropriate to include a story giving thanks for kindness. We’ve been contacted by local resident Dr Barbie Underwood who was rescued by a passer-by called Clare when she fell over by the traffic lights near Rose House. Thankfully, Clare used to be a carer and used her care skills to pick Barbie up like a pro. Barbie says “I asked if I could thank her in some way and she said she didn’t need thanks, but I’d love to say thank you properly via the Bugle.”

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