If you have any issues with reading the Bugle on a mobile device, just click the 'view this email in your browser' option at the top of the masthead.

Safety of Beverley Brook unclear after yet another pollution incident

Picture: Barnes Common

It’s still not clear whether it is safe to allow dogs into Beverley Brook after yet another pollution incident last month. In this case the culprit was a burst mains pipe in the Kingston Hill area which led to sewage leaking into Beverley Brook on Wimbledon Common and then travelling downstream to Barnes.

Thames Water has been working hard to fix the situation, taking foul water away in tankers and the spill into the Brook was stopped within 24 hours of the incident being reported. According to local charity Barnes Common, the Brook should now be back to normal.

However, that does not necessarily mean that it is safe for dogs to enter the Brook, since Barnes Common says the water quality can vary day by day and there are some longer-term underlying concerns.

It’s up to dog owners to decide if they feel it is safe, but to help them make up their minds there is a useful article on the Barnes Common website.

What is needed, both to assess how safe our local wildlife is and to provide feedback to water companies, is more monitoring of the water quality on the Brook. The Barnes Common charity is hoping that people will come forward to volunteer to take part in a citizen science project in which the water in the Brook will be tested frequently.

If you are interested in helping you can contact Shomari Rosalska by clicking here.

Politicians are also lobbying for more accountability from Thames Water.
Sarah Olney, Liberal Democrat MP for Richmond Park, said: "Thames Water has polluted our rivers and streams for years.

"After decades of underinvestment, their network is coming apart at the seams and it's our communities that are suffering.

"Beverley Brook is a haven for wildlife in south-west London but, with every new sewage spill, we're at risk of losing this special corner of London."

Uneasy riders

If you want to experience the milk of human kindness any time soon, then perhaps the route to happiness is not to ask a cyclist to dismount when you’re crossing Hammersmith Bridge. After reading the results of the survey we ran in last month’s Bugle you might conclude that ‘It ain’t werf it’ as they say in East Enders.

Two hundred and twenty five people filled out the Bugle questionnaire. Over 50% of those who responded said they had witnessed altercations between pedestrians and cyclists and nearly 12% say they had witnessed physical assaults. Over 40% of people said that they had personally been verbally abused by cyclists and 10% said they had been verbally abused by pedestrians.

From our own experience as a cyclist using the bridge, and as a pedestrian, we were aware that squeezing together cyclists and pedestrians in narrow walkways leads to niggles and gripes. What became clear when we started to read through the responses to the poll is that some elderly pedestrians are now avoiding using the bridge altogether either because they fear being hit by a cyclist or they dislike the atmosphere on the bridge.

The poll showed that most cyclists (77%) who responded felt that cyclists should dismount at all times when crossing the bridge. A small minority of cyclists (6%) felt that they should never have to dismount and around 17% thought that cyclists should be able to cycle across when the bridge wasn't busy, or if they didn't overtake pedestrians. However, 100% of the pedestrians who responded felt that cyclists should follow the advisory signs on the bridge and always dismount. The poll results indicate that this isn’t happening as 48% of people responding said that they frequently saw cyclists failing to dismount and a further 36% saying they saw this happen every time they crossed the bridge.

Some people felt that our poll demonstrated that the Bugle was engaging in the 'vilification of cyclists by the media' by ‘consistently focusing on a small number of cases’ and pointed out that we need to start encouraging ‘this more green and active transport method’. And indeed, it is worth pointing out that people who have had a poor experience of crossing the bridge would be far more likely to respond to the poll than those who haven’t. It’s also clear that, whatever the rights and wrongs of the situation, trouble in some cases could be avoided if pedestrians were to refrain from challenging the sorts of cyclists who are likely to become aggressive. Some would argue that the burden of policing the situation shouldn't lie with pedestrians and nobody in the survey reported cyclists complying with requests from pedestrians to dismount.

Nevertheless, what was most striking in the responses was the sharing of personal experiences by some of the respondents. Most accounts amount to being on the receiving end of a barrage of insults; unpleasant but not dangerous.

However, there were also responses from elderly people with osteoporosis who are worried about being crashed into, a mother whose newborn baby was almost knocked out of a pram after a cyclist riding past clipped it, and from people who say they have been threatened with violence, witnessed physical attacks or seen vulnerable people being knocked over. It’s not a pretty picture. 

The Bugle will be sharing the full results of the survey and some of the distressing stories that were shared by readers with Hammersmith & Fulham Council, local campaign groups, and with local MPs.

How could the bridge situation be improved?

It's all very well reporting on the issue, but how can things be improved?  After all, this situation is going to continue until at least April 2025 so there is time for action to be taken.

Although there are wardens in place on the bridge, many of those responding to the Bugle's recent survey felt that the wardens in place on the bridge were toothless and 80% agreed that fines should be imposed on cyclists who fail to dismount.

Others felt that signposting should be in place across the length of the bridge rather than just at the ends and that the signs should explain why dismounting is necessary. Another popular suggestion was to allocate one walkway to cyclists going in both directions and one to pedestrians.

Fines are a contentious issue. Police can issue spot fines of £30 under the Road Traffic Act but in order for a local authority such as Hammersmith & Fulham to impose fines, a Public Space Protection Order would have to be placed on the bridge. Hammersmith & Fulham Council did bring in such a policy to discourage the use of electric bikes along the Thames pathway but the move brought a backlash from objectors for discouraging active travel. Other councils bringing in such measures have been forced to reverse their policies.

How are other boroughs dealing with similar issues?
Disagreements between pedestrians and cyclists are not unique to Hammersmith Bridge. Let us take you to the claustrophobic surroundings of the Woolwich Foot Tunnel where Greenwich Council has pledged to install barriers to ensure that cyclists dismount, with the council saying it recognises that “some cyclists are making pedestrians feel unsafe” when announcing that it was liaising with the tunnel’s joint owner Tower Hamlets Council to improve safety.
A report on the website MyLondon has remarkable similarities to the Bugle’s own survey with one pedestrian quoted as saying "People completely ignore the 'no cycling' signs; even responsible-looking individuals cycle because everyone else is doing it! I’ve seen families almost get hit, and when you confront cyclists, they often respond with abuse."

Total bridge closure days moved forward to October and November

A  s we reported last month, a crucial part of the bridge’s stabilisation process involves jacking up the bearings of its four pedestals, and this process is planned for each of the pedestals this autumn. While this is being done the bridge will need be completely closed for a 24-hour period. 

Last month it looked as though there would be four such closures and that they would be carried out in September and October. Now, Hammersmith & Fulham Council’s web page on the bridge says there will be six closures taking place in October and November, although no dates are yet available. We understand, however, that the closures are planned to start on Friday evenings after the commuter rush and carry on for 24 hours into Saturday on each occasion.
 

The end of an era as Barnes’ favourite restaurant closes

When the Bugle ran a poll to find Barnes' favourite restaurant in 2022, Church Road emerged victorious. It, and its predecessors, Sonny’s & Sonny’s Kitchen, have been Barnes institutions, all run by pioneering restaurateur Rebecca Mascarenhas.

This August, Church Road closed its doors for the last time and the closure announcement has been met with a wave of nostalgia from restaurant guests who have been regulars since Sonny’s opened in 1986.

The Bugle visited on one of the last services and sitting on a table close to us was Andy Bown, the keyboardist and bass player from the band Status Quo, and his wife Ronnie. They’ve been coming to the restaurant since its early days and it has been an important fixture in their lives – they got engaged at Sonny’s and celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary at Church Road this year.
They are not the only well-known faces to have been regulars and over the years, Sonny’s and its successors welcomed a host of movie stars and musicians including the Rolling Stones. However, the only time Rebecca Mascarenhas became star struck was when Placido Domingo came to lunch.

Neither are they the only people for whom the restaurant has been a touchstone in their lives. When the email announcing the closure went out, Rebecca says she received hundreds of messages from people who’ve celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, engagements and weddings at 94 Church Road. She heard from people who came as children to the restaurant and who had become regulars as adults, bringing their own children along and treating their parents too. 

Rebecca moved to Barnes in her 20s after managing restaurants for other restaurateurs, determined to start her own business. She says “In my mind, moving to Barnes was like moving to the country but I took a leap of faith that Barnes would be my home. 

“Sonny’s was named after my father, my mother remortgaged her house to help fund it and my husband, James worked alongside me. It was a family affair. James and I moved in above the restaurant and worked harder than we could have imagined to bring an idea to life – that of an excellent neighbourhood restaurant just as good as anywhere you would have to travel to central London to visit.

“We served brasserie-style modern British food and decorated the walls with the art we loved, and, gratifyingly, people came and became regular guests and friends.”

It also marked the start of a business that eventually spanned five neighbourhood restaurants, two of which have been awarded Michelin stars and led to Rebecca being dubbed ‘the queen of neighbourhood restaurants’.

She says she’s leaving the restaurant at the right time and passing on the baton to two of her most talented protégées (see story below) and she’s hoping that customers will support her successors with the same ‘gusto and generosity’ shown to her. “It’s time for a new generation” she says. “The response to the news that we were closing was extraordinarily moving for me. We created a place that meant something to many people and I’ve been so touched by the messages I’ve received. I know the next generation is going to create a restaurant that’s going to be just as loved as Sonny’s and Church Road was. Barnes is a very special place and deserves a special restaurant.”

Castlenau, SW13                                          £1,500,000

Restaurant crowdfunder raises £125,000

Barnes hasn’t always given a warm welcome to incomers from Putney. Back in 1590 there was an almighty punch-up when the men of Barnes refused to allow the men of Putney to use the Common and impounded their cattle. 

These days, things are much friendlier, and a new branch of hugely popular Putney restaurant, Home, is about to open in Barnes thanks to a crowdfunding campaign which has raised a staggering £125,000 with support from both Barnes and Putney residents.

Home SW15 has just been named as one of the country’s Top 100 local restaurants by the Good Food Guide and boasts a 5-star Trip Advisor rating. Its customers are evangelical about its casual bistro style food and its ‘relaxed and friendly’ vibe.

The new restaurant will occupy the spot previously used by Barnes institution Church Road and will mark the passing on of the flame from one generation of restaurateurs to another.

Home SW15 was started with the backing of Sonny’s and Church Road founder Rebecca Mascarenhas and now that she is stepping away from the Barnes business, she’s given the opportunity to take over the premises to two of her protégées. Craig Gordon, who has been running the Putney restaurant since 2017 and Alan Parry has previously worked for Rebecca at Michelin-starred Elystan Street and most recently as General Manager at Church Road. Coincidentally, Church Road was also named one of the country’s Top 100 local restaurants last year.

The pair, who are going to run the two restaurants jointly, started their crowdfunding campaign, selling vouchers for future use in a pay-it-forward scheme to help cashflow. Their aim was to secure £50,000 to cover start-up costs but they’ve been overwhelmed with the response. Half of the funding has come from Putney customers backing Craig to open a branch of Home in SW13 and half from customers of Church Road backing Alan Parry in the new venture.
Everyone who has chipped in to help the duo get the new business off the ground will have their names immortalised in a commemorative brick wall (symbolising a yellow brick road from Putney to Barnes) in the new restaurant, which will open at the end of September. 

The new Home SW13 will, like its Putney brother, be both a bar and restaurant, with a wine bar area at the front for pre or post cinema small plates. 

Craig Gordon says “It’s amazing and really humbling to get such a huge vote of confidence from our Home SW15 customers who are backing us to open in Barnes.” His co-founder Alan Parry says “Church Road customers have been so generous in backing us. The fact that they have bought vouchers or just donated money for bricks is brilliant on two levels – we have the money to revamp the Church Road premises and we know we have customers going forward who are going to make Home SW13 their new favourite local restaurant.”

Craven Cottage walkway opens

Image: Alasdair Arthur

As anyone who has ever tried to walk on the north side of the river between Putney and Hammersmith knows, Fulham Football Club’s stadium, Craven Cottage, has been an obstacle too big to overcome.

Now, however, after work has nearly been completed on the club’s swanky new riverside stand, people can walk along the river between the two bridges without having to undertake a big dog-leg diversion.

The introduction of the new pathway was an integral part of the planning process for the new stand.

The riverside path is now open for the public to use at any time, although there is a clause in the agreement with Hammersmith & Fulham Council which allows the club to close the path to the public on match days and use it solely for people entering the football stadium.

The pathway has opened without much fanfare but as this account from the blog Ian Visits, shows the new stand side view of the Thames is very much worth checking out.

Advertorial

All the fun of the Food Fair

T he early autumn weather always seems to play ball on Barnes Food Fair day, and this  community event on the Green has a lovely mellow feeling as people picnic in the fair ground enjoying food from a huge variety of stalls and enjoying the music from the bandstand.

Of course the big food tent full of artisan producers is the main draw but this year there’s also a new events stage with cookery demos to enjoy including one from chef Vanessa Marx from Richmond’s Bingham Hotel.

The Fair will be held on Saturday September 14 between 10am and 5pm on Barnes Green. Find out more and buy advance tickets on the BCA’s website.

Think bike!

Barnes Food Fair day always coincides with one of the most popular Barnes annual events, the brilliant Barnes Charity Bike Sale in St Mary’s church yard. It’s a fantastic opportunity to pick up a pre-loved bike and also help raise funds for charity.

Hundreds of bikes are donated annually and then spruced up by a team of volunteers. In some cases all of the proceeds of each bike sold goes to charity and in others the proceeds are shared between the charity and the person who has given the bike up for sale.

It’s a great place to bag a bike bargain as most adult bikes sell for between £80 and £180 and children’s bikes usually sell for under £50.

If you have a bike to donate there’s still time to take it along to St Mary’s as the next two donations days are Thursday September 5 between 5pm and 7pm and Saturday September 7 (between 10am and noon).

However, if you’re keen to buy a bike in the sale it’s worth turning up early. The queue for the bike sale is legendary and people can turn up over an hour before the gates to the church yard open.

Find out more on the Charity Bike Sale website.

Indulge in a literary feast

After you’ve been sustained by beautiful food at the Food Fair, it’s time to feed your grey matter and be inspired by some exceptional authors at this year’s Barnes Bookfest. It will be held on the following weekend - between September 20 and 22.

There are events for every type of book lover.  Fictions lovers should make a beeline for Robert Harris who will be talking about his new novel Precipice. There’s also a talk by the brilliant Abi Daré who will be discussing ‘And So I Roar’ the follow up to her international best seller The Girl with the Louding Voice.

This talk has particular poignancy for the staff and customers of the Barnes Bookshop as Abi Daré has been invited to the festival in honour of Judy Elliot. Judy, who worked both at the Barnes Bookshop and for Sky Arts, died unexpectedly in January this year and Abi Daré was one of her favourite authors.

Another talk in memory of a great Barnes writer who died this year is Sue Prideaux who will be discussing her book Wild Thing: A Life of Paul Gaugin. Her talk is in honour of Edwin Mullins who died early this year and is greatly missed. His wife Anne is a founding organiser of the BookFest and she will introduce the event.  Edwin was a journalist, writer and broadcaster specialising in art and art history, so it seems very fitting that Sue will be discussing the notorious artist Paul Gaugin.

Elsewhere on the programme there’s a great talk for cricket lovers from former England Captain David Gower and an extraordinary range of talks from non-fiction writers. If politics are your thing, then you shouldn’t miss Tom Baldwin who will be talking about his biography of Keir Starmer or Vernon Bogdanor whose latest book considers six post war politicians who had an extraordinary impact on our country despite never becoming prime minister. Contemporary issues are also covered off by Professor Nigel Biggar who will be discussing his best-selling analysis of the impact of the British Empire – Colonialism a Moral Reckoning.  Times columnist Tomiwa Owolade will also be arguing that the debate about race in the UK is dominated by American viewpoints when he talks about his book ‘This is not America’.

If you are interested in politics on the international stage there are two fascinating events one featuring Laurie Bristow the final British Ambassador to Afghanistan and the other Barnes’ own Chris Patten who’ll be giving an insight into his time as the last governor of Hong Kong.

There’s also a sprinkling of star names. The BBC’s Frank Gardner will be discussing his latest thriller featuring his SIS operative hero Luke Carlton. Rock star Thurston Moore will be discussing Sonic Life: A memoir, and actress Miriam Margoyles will talk about her autobiography Oh Miriam! with actress Patricia Hodge. Gyles Brandreth will be discussing his book The Seven Secrets of Happiness and the extraordinary Hayley Mills will be in conversation with Michael Billington.

There’s scarcely enough room in the Bugle to mention the richness of variety of the festival but away from the star names and political heavy weights we’ll be sure not to miss Gill Johnson who’ll be talking about her enchanting memoir ‘Love from Venice’ which harks back to her time spent teaching English to an aristocratic family in 1950s Venice. It’s a great read and Nancy Mitford even makes an appearance…

Find out more on the Bookfest website.  

A fabulous facelift for the Bull

There’s been an Inn at the site of the Bull’s Head since at least the seventeenth century, and the current grand building dates back to 1846. Perhaps its biggest claim to fame is that of being one of London’s most venerable jazz venues, and there’s been music at the Bull since 1959.

The pub has seen a roll call of jazz and blues greats perform in its Jazz Room including Jeff Beck, Roger Chapman, Humphrey Lyttleton, Coleman Hawkins, Cleo Laine, Jamie Cullum,  Mick Jagger and Charlie Watts.

Recently its exterior has been looking slightly down at heel, but that has all changed with a sparkling facelift, restoring the outside of the pub to its full glory. But that’s not all, both the bar and the restaurant of the pub have had a major revamp and the Jazz Room has also been refurbished.

One of the pub’s crowning glories is the upstairs function room which boasts beautiful views of the Thames. This has also been re-decorated and is now ready to host corporate events, parties and wedding receptions.

The team at The Bull are keen to show off the new changes so they are holding a special launch event for Barnes residents on Friday September 13 at 6.30pm. Guests will be greeted with sparkling wine and canapés and there will be a free music performance in the Jazz Room from 8pm onwards. If you would like to attend please RSVP to BullsHeadBarnes@Youngs.co.uk.

A little bit of history repeating

As we mentioned in last month’s Bugle, our local football team is the 6th oldest in the country and boasts one of the founding fathers of the FA (Ebenezer Cobb Morley) as one of its first members.

The club has been forging bonds with other FA founding clubs and last month it played a pre-season friendly with the Thornton Heath based Wanderers. Our team emerged victorious winning two nil. However it’s a good job Barnes weren’t up against one of the other founding teams – the Bugle doesn’t rate our chances against Premier League Crystal Palace quite yet!

Roll  up for the mystery tour

Barnes is just one of the London ‘villages’ to be featured in an intriguing sounding new book which aims to add an extra dimension to an afternoon exploring a beautiful neighbourhood.

The Mrs Ellie Mentary books, as well as having one of the most groan-worthy puns we’ve come across as a title, aim to tap into people’s love of puzzles. The idea is that you discover an area while searching for clues which will help you solve a mystery.

Our is one of 12 areas covered and once you’ve solved the Barnes mystery, you can try your hand at cracking the codes in Wapping, Wandsworth, Hackney & Highgate amongst others. You can find out more here.
 

Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps....

Picture the scene. Dusk in a Barnes garden, star-crossed lovers and a pint of London Pride on the table. Yes, it’s time for Shakespeare in the Garden at the Red Lion again. Running from tomorrow night (Thursday September 5) until Saturday, it’s a play that's perfect for the setting.

Much Ado about Nothing is one of Shakespeare’s finest comedies and packed full of some of his best lines – ‘Friendship is constant in all other things, save in the office and affairs of love’ remains true to this day.

The tale of Beatrice & Benedick and Hero & Claudio is one of misunderstandings (of course), dastardly plots (oh, the spite of petty jealousy), and true love conquering all (hurrah!).

It’s performed by the Open Bar Theatre who aim to deliver an authentic Shakesperian experience that’s interactive and informal.

You can buy tickets here on the Red Lion website.

Edinburgh best joke winner comes to the OSO

Who needs to go to the Edinburgh Fringe when it can come to you? Yes, no need for a long train journey and expensive accommodation when you can just wander down to Barnes Green and see some of the best plays and comedy acts from the Festival on our own doorstep.

In a coup for the OSO, artistic director Lydia Sax has been able to attract some of this year’s star performers to the OSO including the winner of The Best Joke on the Fringe Award, Mock the Week stalwart Mark Simmons. His one-liner “I was going to sail around the globe in the world’s smallest ship but I bottled it”  won first prize in the annual U&Dave’s Funniest Joke poll. Accepting his award he said “I’m really chuffed to win. I needed some good news as I was just fired from my job marking exam papers, can’t understand it, I always gave 110%.” Which the Bugle actually thinks is funnier.

Joining Simmons on the journey down from Edinburgh to Barnes is actor/playwright/director Richard Virgette in a new play Born in the USA and the hilarious Cabin Fever, a two person theatrical journey set 30,000 feet above the Atlantic.

Find out more about what’s on offer at the OSO this month in our listings section below.

Community Centres week

From September 16 to 20 Richmond will be celebrating our local community centres in their Your Community Centre week.

The event highlights the fantastic work done by the ten community centres across the borough including the Castelnau Community Centre in North Barnes and the brilliant Mortlake Community Association.

As a fun way to link the centres two vintage bus tours with cream teas included have been organised. You can find out more here.
 

Spring into action this autumn with the Barnes Runners couch to 5k challenge

If you’re feeling a little lethargic after the summer holidays and are looking for a re-set, then perhaps you would like to challenge yourself to run 5k? If you’re not currently a runner or if you think your running days are over this is the perfect way to tone up and get a sense of achievement into the bargain.

The Bugle conquered the 5k challenge with the aid of the very good BBC app but it sounds like much more fun to do it with a group of running novices. That’s just what’s on offer from the Barnes Runners this autumn. You can join the group and get tips from experienced runners as you suddenly realise that 5k is not such an insurmountable challenge after all.

The next Couch to 5k coaching series of runs starts on September 25. To find out more email info@barnesrunners.com.

Paralympic silver for Barnes-raised cyclist

A former Barnes resident won Britain’s first paralympic medal this month in Paris. Daphne Shrager who once lived in Barnes, and whose passion for sport was ignited by London 2012, has cerebral palsy. She won silver in the velodrome 3000m individual pursuit. She’s also in with a chance of a further medal in the Women’s C1-3 road race this Saturday.

Gaming pioneer to sign books at the Barnes Bookshop

Before FIFA and Fortnite and the gaming consoles that are now so ubiquitous there were board games and books. In that far away analogue world, one man married his own hobbies with a creative urge and an entrepreneurial eye and became one of the founding fathers of the UK games industry. His is a huge success story and so is the UK gaming industry which generates an extraordinary £8 billion a year for the British economy.
 
Long-term Barnes resident Sir Ian Livingstone didn’t always live in a proper bricks and mortar house.  When he was starting out in business, he and his business partner Steve Jackson were so cash-strapped that they lived in a van parked behind their small office in Shepherds Bush which was called Games Workshop. Their big break came when Ian convinced the man (the magnificently named  Gary Gygax) behind the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game that the Games Workshop should become his European distributor.
 
In a wise business move a few years later, Ian and Steve decided that if they were not to be beholden to distribution rights, they should also create their own products. Their breakout product was Warhammer which would underpin the success of Games Workshop in the years to come.
 
Ian and Steve also began writing a series of interactive books that were to go on to sell over 21 million copies and to be translated into 35 languages. The Fighting Fantasy series allowed young readers to choose their own way through the branching narratives. Presented with an exciting scenario – often involving fantasy, science fiction or post-apocalyptic story lines - the player would make choices to be taken to a different page in the book to continue their journey, rolling dice to combat the monsters they met on their adventures. The first book – The Warlock of Firetop Mountain – was published in 1982. It and its sequels became firm fixtures in many a teenager’s bedroom and roared to the top of the best seller lists. At the time they were viewed with some snobbery and when Ian Livingstone appeared on Saturday Superstore to talk about their success, he recalls John Craven asking him when he was going to write a ‘proper book’.
 
In fact, the books led to a proven increase in literacy, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, often in children who would never normally read. 
 
Even though online gaming now makes the books seem as quaint as vinyl records, they are still in print and carry a similar retro cachet for their young fans. Ian’s latest Fighting Fantasy has the thrilling title of The Dungeon on Blood Island and will be published on 12th September.
 
Sir Ian has continued an extraordinary business career. After selling the Games Workshop chain he joined the British video games giant Eidos as Executive Chairman, overseeing the launch of Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and more recently co-founded venture capital fund Hiro Capital to support the next generation of British game makers. He also established the Livingstone Academy school in Bournemouth.
 
However, he is a creative at heart, and throughout his corporate adventures he still found time to write his own adventure books. His latest book is actually a book about the books, or more specifically the magnificently gothic artwork and the incredible artists that stirred many a young imagination.
 
If you spent your teenage years glued to titles such as Deathtrap Dungeon or Forest of Doom this is the perfect book to enjoy in a nostalgic wallow. And if you want to meet the man behind the series, your chance is at hand as he will be signing copies of Magic Realms: The Art of Fighting Fantasy and Dice Men: The Origin Story of Games Workshop at the Barnes Bookshop from 6pm this Thursday (September 5).

Charity Fashion Show tickets now on sale 

Tickets are on sale now for the annual festival of style that is the Barnes Charity Fashion Show.

The glamorous night out, complete with beautifully choreographed professional models, showcases a wide selection of Barnes' fashion retailers including Iris, Ridley, Dilli Grey, Nina, AJ Gretton Millinery, SW Ski, Caroline Bloomfield & The WOS. Champagne, pop-up shops, raffle prizes, dancing & entertainment will be on offer, plus top fashion tips about what to wear and where to buy your new wardrobe additions this season.

Funds raised from this year’s shows will go to the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research, Home-Start & St Mary's Barnes. The shows always sell out, so now is the time to book early to avoid disappointment.

Barnes mural gets a refresh

The Bull’s Head isn’t the only Barnes landmark to get a wash and brush up this month, our fantastic Barnes Station mural under Barnes Bridge has also received some much needed titivation. The mural includes the lovely Barnes logo that was devised with the help of the much missed Wendy Allen who sadly died two years ago. Its repair coincides with the arrival of a bench in Wendy’s memory on Barnes Common, so next time we sit down to enjoy the view from her bench we will think of Wendy and what she, and other volunteers, have done to make Barnes a lovelier place.

About the Bugle

The Barnes Village Bugle is an independent publication. People often think it's produced by the Barnes Community Association, but no, they have their own excellent email Prospect Plus. 

At the Bugle we endeavour to simply report what's going on in Barnes in as comprehensive and entertaining a way as possible. We have no agenda apart from spreading the word about the huge number of genuinely interesting things happening in and around Barnes and sharing information about local campaigns and news events.

If you have a story you would like to see featured in the Bugle do email us by clicking here.

We can't guarantee that we'll run it, but if we think it's going to be interesting to our readers then we'll publish your information.

If on the other hand you want to publicise a commercial venture then it's easy to advertise with us. Our mailing list has over 5,000 subscribers so you'll reach lots of people in Barnes very inexpensively.

The Bugle is a labour of love, not a profit-making venture. We pay to send it out and our mailing costs are covered by the fantastic support we get from Winkworth and our other advertisers. We'd love to get more advertising as that would at least go some way into covering the costs of our time, so if you advertise with us you'll not only be reaching a large audience you'll be keeping a local resource going.

At the Bugle we endeavour to check information for accuracy to the best of our abilities. However we are reliant on information provided to us by third parties. On occasion, dates and times of events may be subject to change and we would urge Bugle readers wishing to attend events, or use a service mentioned to verify information in advance. Where possible we provide links to websites to allow readers to double check the most recent information available, as details can be subject to change.

Copyright © 2024 barnesvillagebugle.co.uk  All Rights Reserved.

The Bugle is a member of the IMPRESS regulation scheme. To find out more go to our website.

If you want to unsubscribe from the Bugle click here.