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Charity Reg No. 1156379 Barnes Community Association Newsletter September 2017

Jumble Sale p2Christmas Lunch p2Fashion Show p2English School p2Town Centre Manager p2Barnes Fair pp 6,7 & 11

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We hope you will agree that the 2017 Barnes Fair lived up to its theme by providing a magical day out for many thousands of visitors. The sun shone, there was plenty of

music and dancing, the Pimm’s flowed and the food ran out. But don’t just take our word for it – see page 6 for some comments from people involved.

The BCA would like to thank everyone who contributed to this year’s Barnes Fair. This includes our wonderful, tireless volunteers, our photographers and of course our generous sponsors:

Barnes Property Partnership, Apparent Properties, Knight Frank, West Motor Company, Virgin Active Chiswick Riverside, Chiswick Honda, Barclays Bank, and Carter Jonas.

The magic of Barnes Fair

The BCA Barnes Food Fair takes place on Saturday 16th

September. It opens at 10am and we look forward to a wonderful selection of unusual, organic, exotic and delicious food and drink for you to enjoy. Tickets cost £5. It is a fundraising event and this year’s nominated charity is the Barnes Methodist Church Roof Appeal.

In addition to all the stalls in the marquee and the picnic area (where live music will play all day), we have a fantastic line-up of chefs showing you their skills in the OSO. If you haven’t ordered your tickets yet, see below for full details.

Food, glorious food…..

BCa

September 16, 2017

COOKERY THEATRE

The OSO, Barnes GreenBook tickets at:www.barnes-ca.org/demotickets

Please note that payment must be made by PayPal but you do not need to set up an acccount and credit card payments are accepted.

10.30 amIan Salmon, Head ChefRick Stein BarnesLearn to cook some of Rick’s classic dishes.

12.30 pmPaul Merrett, Chef DirectorThe Victoria, East SheenEast Meets West, AsianFlavours in West London.

2.00 pmNatasha McAller,The Dancing ChefSpice up your Life. Tricks and tips to boost health, wellbeingand flavour.

10.30 amPhil Howard, Elystan Street & Sonny’s Kitchen co-ownerSeasonal dishes inspired by his new menu at Elystan Street.

Sponsored by:

GibsonYoungSolicitors LLP

Est. 1934

BCA Trustee Nicki Urquhart, herself a former Mayor of Richmond, adjusts the chain of office of this year’s Mayor, Cllr Lisa Blakemore, under the watchful eye of BCA Chairman Steven Mindel. The chain bears the badge of the former Borough of Barnes, with the motto ‘Not for ourselves alone’, a particularly apt sentiment in the current climate and which seems to sum up Barnes.

Prospect September 2017 2 Barnes Community Association

Jumbo Jumble Sale Probably one of the biggest jumble sales ever with a vast array of vintage goods at rock bottom prices, the BCA’s fundraising event will take place in Kitson Hall, Barnes on Friday 6th and Saturday 7th October. Admission on Friday, 7-9pm, £5 and on Saturday, 10am-2pm, £1.

We need new helpers and good quality jumble so please do contact Julia in the BCA office, 8878 2359. The usual flyers will be sent out to households in Barnes towards the end of September with further details and the website will be updated with more information.

Town Centre Manager news As I am writing this update in July, the long-anticipated new eatery at the former Strada site looks set to open. The owner, Duncan Watson Steward, already has a couple of successful restaurants and bars in Highgate and Mayfair and, with his promise of British and European cuisine and a fabulous bar area overlooking the river, I have no doubt he will do well in Barnes.

Sister Gallery has taken over the former site of the clothes designer Nadia Ivanova on White Hart Lane. The gallery offers stunning contemporary art by both emerging and established artists from southwest London and further afield and is well worth a visit.

I am always keen to pilot new initiatives in Barnes and so I jumped at the opportunity to work with a brilliant campaign group, SaveTheHighStreet.org. It is a highly successful industry-wide movement to empower shopkeepers nationwide, supporting them to become better connected, digitally enabled and more sustainable and will be working with independent retailers in Barnes offering practical advice as to how they can future-proof their businesses.

You can find out about the work of the Town Team and progress with the Ponder projects at www.barnesponder.org.uk

E mma R o b in s o n B ar n es T o w n C en tr e Man ag er

It’s (almost) Christmas time!The Barnes Community Association always holds a lunch at the Age UK Barnes Green Centre on Christmas Day and we are looking for a cook. So, if you are wondering what to do at Christmas and fancy a challenge that will help a number of people, then do contact me in the BCA Office, 8878 2359, to discuss possibilities.

We have a great team of volunteers, many of whom have been helping for a number of years so know the ropes. Maybe you might fancy doing this with a friend. I will buy and deliver all the ingredients and our many helpers share out the jobs – you know what they say – many hands make light work! If you might be able to consider this, please do get in touch and we can have a chat about what is involved. I very much look forward to hearing from you.

J u l ia B eb in g t o n

For all things fashion and beauty in Barnes put Wednesday 11th and Thursday 12th October

in your diary for Barnes Charity Fashion Show at St Mary’s Church

Tickets available from Knight Frank, 56 Barnes High Street

Follow us on @Barnes Fashion

Unique school of English in Barnes I am often asked if we have other schools in England. I have even been asked if I know of a similar school in France but the answer is always “No”. We seem to be the one and only school offering everything we do at an affordable price.

The BCA English School provides daytime English lessons for adult foreigners, 98% of whom are from EU countries. All courses are part-time. Most of our students are au pairs but we have mums too, so class and term times are scheduled to coincide with local school timetables. We prepare students for the University of Cambridge ESOL examinations; our pass rate is consistently over 90%.

Teaching students about the British way of life is an important and enjoyable part of all the courses. The teachers also provide pastoral care, helping students adjust to life in London and encouraging them to establish friendships with fellow students of other nationalities. We also offer a varied social programme: highlights during the past academic year being a tour of Buckingham Palace, quiz nights, tickets to the ballet at the Royal Opera House, visits to Hampton Court Palace and the All England Club in Wimbledon, and a day trip to Brighton.

Providing excellent tuition in a caring and friendly atmosphere has always been at the heart of the ethos of the School, which has been based in Barnes for over 40 years and is provided at a very moderate cost. Bring this article to receive £10 off course materials (valid during autumn term only).

Enrolment for the autumn term is on 11th September, 9am-1pm. The first day of classes is on 14th September. For more information please visit englishinbarnes.co.uk.

H il ar y H aw k en , P r in c ip alBarnes Community Association English School (Registered Charity No 1157867)

Save the Date! Barnes Charity Fashion Show


Books for RwandaAdvancing education was a founding principle of the BCA. It is heartening to learn, therefore, that 40 years on, founding members Jim and Eleanor Russell, have helped bring about a generous donation of 800 books from Book Aid International that will advance education in Rwanda via links with Barnes Primary School and Thomson House School, Mortlake. The Russells lived in Barnes for over 50 years and have a bench dedicated in their memory at Barnes Pond. Their daughter Stevie from Book Aid International connected with Reaching Rwanda (who set up link schools partnerships) via a contact at the BCA who was unaware of her Barnes connection.

Both local schools have partner schools in the remote rural villages of Rusuzumiro and Muganza in southern Rwanda. These two schools, plus a new primary school near Rusuzumiro and ASFA Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Centre, Muganza’s centre for children with special needs, will be the very happy recipients of the books donated by Book Aid International. The shipment also includes over 65 medical titles, including many on physiotherapy that will be an enormous asset to the physios and nursing staff at the local health centre – there are no doctors in the village. This new collection of medical books will also serve as a source of inspiration and learning for budding medics at local schools.

Alison Hawksley from Reaching Rwanda says “These books will be of incredible value to the children and teachers at our schools in Rwanda. For many children, it will be the first time to hold a brand new book and I know this will encourage them to read, write, draw and dream. I’m particularly excited to introduce a wider range of literature to our newly established reading clubs which have had extremely limited resources to work with to date. I am most grateful to Book Aid International for this generous donation which will connect so many children to a wonderful new world and I am especially delighted it has such a deep connection with the BCA and Barnes.”

For more information contact [email protected] and visit bookaid.org.

Barnes in BloomThe BCA Front Garden

Award was given out to nearly 400 homes in SW13 by 18 Bloom volunteers who all reported that they really enjoyed walking their streets and seeing how much interest is shown in keeping an eye-catching frontage.

Barnes is doing quite well in keeping up appearances but more importantly, helping our wildlife to withstand the pressure of living in city gardens. It is becoming necessary to make climate-change resilient planting choices and garden design as we live with extreme weather events on a more regular basis. Our council has taken this to heart with the three beds in Church Road and their prairie plantings on Lonsdale Road – indicative of the pollen-rich and resilient plants that we are going to need in the future.

We will be repeating the Award in 2018 and hope to see even more gardens getting a big thank you from the community.

N ic k i U r q u h ar t

Castelnau young film makersFive members of the Castelnau Youth Club entered the Richmond Cut Films competition for 2017. They made a short film about the issues and dangers associated with smoking and tobacco, calling it Don’t Be a Butt Head.

The film was short-listed for an award and the young people were invited to the Odeon Richmond for the award ceremony. The young hopefuls saw their film for the first time on the big screen, which in itself was exciting, so imagine their surprise when everyone, including the judges, loved their short film. It was so funny that it won the award for Best Comedy. Watch it on competition.cutfilms.org/richmond-cut-films-2017.

Ian Clarke (Youth Programme Manager) and all the staff involved say “A massive well done to cast and film crew comprising Ben Carew, Charlie Forknall, Sky Treadaway, Sammie Day-Woollett and Blake White”. The award sits proudly in the youth team office, awaiting the construction of a trophy cabinet!

A performance by the world-famous Smetana Piano Trio provided the inaugural concert at Velehrad, a cultural centre for Czechs and Slovaks in the totally refurbished former ballet studio at 39 Lonsdale Road, which includes a fine new hall for concerts and a beautiful garden. This fittingly featured works by Czech composers Suk, Dvorak and Smetana.

In spite of rather short notice the concert was well attended with about half the audience from Barnes and neighbouring areas, who were made aware of the event by the Barnes Music Society. The rest were largely through Czech and Slovak contacts. The Trio, Jitka Čechová (piano), Jiří Vodička (violin) and Jan Páleníček (cello) generously agreed to perform in Velehrad’s newly refurbished premises when so much interest was apparent and delivered a musical evening of the highest quality. They will be performing at Wigmore Hall on 29th April 2018 for those who would like to hear these consummate artists again.

Velehrad had hosted a coffee morning for local arts and recreational societies a week earlier to launch its ambition to be involved in local activities. Barnes Music Society has already booked the venue for a concert on 26th April as part of its next season.

For further information visit velehrad.org.uk and barnesmusicsociety.org.uk.

C h r i s t o p h e r Mo r g a n

Delightful new venue in North Barnes

PRESIDENT STEVEN ISSERLIS

BARNESMUSICSOCIETY


Tuesday TalksBarnes Green Centre

Coffee from 10.30am; Talk at 11am (40 mins)Everyone welcome!

5th September Jo Foster: My Life Films12th September Melanie Payne: Riding Side-saddle19th September Andy Hughes: Sarawak: head hunters, white rajahs and the adventures of a volunteer teacher26th September John Francis: German art between the wars – cinema and painting

ErratumIn the last edition of Prospect the authorship of the article about the Barnes Community Players was erroneously attributed to Rodger Hayward Smith. In fact it was written by Andrew Lawston. We are happy to correct the error. However, for further information on BCP, do contact Rodger, [email protected].

When plans were announced to close down the Stag Brewery in Mortlake some years ago, Richmond Council organised local consultations about the future of this prime 22-acre riverside site. Through this process the Mortlake Brewery Community Group (MBCG) was formed and the 2011 Planning Brief agreed by Council. MBCG is pro-development and sees this as a great opportunity to put the heart back into Mortlake, but are equally passionate about securing the best possible regeneration of the site for the wider community, including our immediate neighbours in Barnes and East Sheen.

In July, the developers, Dartmouth Capital Advisors, on behalf of Reselton, the Singapore-based site owners, held their second public exhibition of the site master plan. They intend to make a formal planning submission to Richmond Council before the end of the year, possibly as early as the autumn.

Through the persistence of MBCG and other groups, the designs have incorporated some of the positive features embodied in the original 2011 Planning Brief, including a green link of open space between Mortlake Green and the river. However, there remain fundamental concerns about the proposals. These focus on the cumulative density of the scheme which stands at over 800 new homes as

well as offices, retail and leisure facilities; the loss of the historic sports field as uninterrupted green space; loss of trees at Chalkers Corner to permit road widening; and a new 1,200 student secondary school. Not surprisingly, a top concern across the borough is traffic congestion which already brings Lower Richmond Road to a standstill at peak times.

Despite expressing concerns to the developers and Richmond Council, the proposals still include high residential numbers. The secondary school is proposed on existing sports fields used by Barnes Eagles, amongst others, and on the open space supposedly protected in Richmond’s own Planning Brief, which also enjoys protection as ‘Other Open Space of Townscape Importance’. Hopefully Richmond Council is not so obliged in securing the school that it is prepared to ignore its own adopted policy.

Ben Mackworth-Praed and Steven Mindel have both written in Prospect about the developer’s progress and expressed their own concerns about aspects of the scheme. Like the MBCG, they have attended liaison meetings with the developers and design team in an attempt to steer them towards a sustainable,

exemplar scheme which is respectful of the local context and unique riverside frontage.

Although Mortlake and its immediate environs will clearly experience the greatest impact, the whole area of Barnes, Mortlake, Sheen and even Richmond and Kew will be affected. The river to the north of the site and the railway and level crossings to the south create barriers that mean anyone travelling through is likely to be affected. You can also expect Barnes High Street, The Terrace, Lonsdale Road, Castelnau, Mortlake High Street and Sheen Lane to become even more gridlocked.

If you didn’t have a chance to see the public exhibition in July you can see the plans online at stag-brewery.co.uk. And if you want to learn more about the MBCG’s assessment of the plans, please visit the campaign website, lovemortlake.org.uk. I urge Barnes residents to make your views known to the Council and developers – this is unquestionably the most significant development in the area for decades.

P e t er E at o n Mo r tl ak e B r ew er y C o m m u n it y G r o u p

Emerging redevelopment plans

Keen readers find their voiceReadorama is a reading group with a difference. When I held the first sessions at the Barnes Green Centre I was pleased to share with the participants the joy that comes through reading aloud. We all felt it was a good way to keep our voices, our thinking, and our listening fresh and active; many of us after retirement will read and think but seldom use our voices as much as before.

We read short stories, poems, miniature plays and articles. We had a good start at our first session when Roger McGough paid us a visit and read aloud his poem Learning to Read. Everyone has a turn and we include some vocal exercises to help the voice become more expressive and fluent. Listening to some music that has a link to the reading material is also essential to enhance the effect of the text. Discussions following the readings are based on our own experiences, judgement and appreciation of what we have read.

Our early sessions included reading a short story by Gabriel Garcia Marquez with Astor Piazzola’s music, reading Tea for Who? a short play by Michael Frayn with a jam session by British musicians based on Tea for Two in Philip Larkin’s jazz compilation, followed by Larkin’s only poem about jazz, For Sydney Bechet.

The group, a maximum of eight, meets fortnightly for one hour at the Barnes Green Centre. There is no age limit – we would love to have you, however young or old you are!

I am hoping to start a new group in the autumn, so if you are interested, please leave your name and phone number with Janet Eaton, Barnes Green Centre Manager, and I will get back to you. You can also phone or text me, 07913 312 159.

Barbara Szivos


Barnes Literary Society, 2017/18 SeasonFull details of BLS’s new season are now available and it promises another outstanding series of speakers and events. As a curtain-raiser there will be a creative writing workshop in Rose House on Saturday 9th September at 10.30am run by Joy Rhoades, a writer whose first novel, The Woolgrower’s Companion, was recently published to great acclaim, and a graduate of the New School University (New York) creative writing programme. The workshop is open to all for a fee of £5 so register your interest on our website with the subject heading ‘creative writing’.

The speaker season begins on Wednesday 25th October when the tables are turned on the arch interrogator of Newsnight and University Challenge as Barnes’ own Kate Silverton interviews veteran broadcaster and journalist Jeremy Paxman. They will be discussing Jeremy’s recently published autobiography, A Life in Questions, an engrossing account of his career and a thoughtful consideration of his role in using the interview to challenge the evasions and half-truths indulged in by politicians of all colours. As this will undoubtedly be a very popular event, please note the venue will be St Mary’s Church with an earlier start time of 7pm. We are very grateful to St Mary’s, and especially the choir, for making the church available on a Wednesday evening. Given the numbers we anticipate please join the Society before the meeting rather than on the door to save everyone time and avoid congestion.

The season continues on 22nd November with another acerbic observer of the contemporary world, the novelist Lionel Shriver, author of We need to talk about Kevin, who will discuss ‘Fun with Financial Ruin’ based on her latest novel, The Mandibles, a dystopian family chronicle set against the background of an economic collapse in the near future.

In the new year (24th January) we welcome Gillian Slovo, South African born daughter of anti-apartheid activists, who will talk about her novel 10 Days which is set in the London riots of 2011 and looks at the disorder from the standpoint both of the rioters and of those in authority charged with dealing with it. Then, on 21st February, the speaker is James Runcie. His topic will be ‘After Good and Evil: The Grantchester Mysteries’ based on his hugely popular series of detective stories recently adapted for television featuring Sidney Chambers, a singular sleuth who combines his ecclesiastical calling with a side-line in solving dastardly crimes.

On 18th April the focus changes from fiction to non-fiction. Barnes resident Ann MacMillan is joint author, with her husband Peter Snow, of War Stories – Gripping Tales of Courage, Cunning and Compassion to be published in October, a collection of fascinating tales of men and women who did extraordinary things during times of conflict from the Crimean War to the current struggle in Syria. Ann will speak jointly with her sister Margaret, a professor of history at Oxford and a particular expert on the First World War, fittingly, as we will be remembering the centenary of the Armistice in 2018.

Our final speaker (16th May) will be Jonathan Croall. In a long and varied career Jonathan has worked as a journalist and an editor in publishing and has written many books, including biographies of John Gielgud and Sybil Thorndike. His topic will be ‘Performing Hamlet and King Lear: Conversations with actors and directors.’ These conversations with, among many others, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jude Law, David Tennant, Simon Russell Beale, Derek Jacobi and BLS patron Julian Glover, are the basis for his books Performing King Lear and Performing Hamlet. The star actors revealed their mixed emotions at taking on a great Shakespearean role, how they worked on developing it in rehearsal and their struggles to escape the shadow of legendary past performers.

As well as all of this we are planning a literary walk in Clerkenwell on Saturday 17th March and a summer event on Monday 11th June. So don’t hesitate, join or rejoin BLS now. At the same cost as last year (£30 single membership, £50 double) it is the best value in literary London. And if anyone has told you that membership is closed, take it from us that this is not true. Membership is annually renewable so all are welcome, whether previous members or new joiners.

barnesliterarysociety.org.uk

B A R N E S LITERARY SOCIETY

Glass Door Homeless Charity has had another fulfilling year providing a secure place for rough sleepers to sleep and be fed from early November to early April, and helping other vulnerable people into employment and more permanent housing.

If you would like to help, there are two main ways:

Support the Glass Door Sleep Out on Friday 6th October at Duke of York Square, Chelsea, either by joining the Sleep Out, or by making a donation. The aim is to raise £200,000 to run the shelters, and help provide caseworker support for another year. For more information visit glassdoor.org.uk/sleepout.

Become a volunteer at the Glass Door Shelter in Barnes Methodist Church on Saturday nights during the winter months. Volunteers come in from 6pm to 9.45pm, for one week in four, to prepare, cook, serve and then share a hot meal with some 35 guests. A professional night manager and assistant care for the guests overnight and are helped to prepare and serve breakfast by volunteers who come in from 5.45am to 7am. To volunteer, or for more information, contact [email protected].

Barnes swims to victoryBarnes Swimming Club (BSC) Masters enjoyed recent success in the Midsummer Relay held at Tooting Bec Lido. Over a course of 16 lengths, the BSC squad took part in this fantastic event along with some 40 other swim clubs. The A team of Christine Tognoli, Alex Christodoulou, Sebastian Young and George Hall came first in the 100-150 years age group with the B team of Nicky Fleming, Tania Gordon, Angela Regazzoni and Rupert Trefgarne winning third place in the 150-200 years group.

See barnessc.org for more information.

The squad with Head Coach Tony Pearce


This was our second year as principal sponsor and I can honestly say that the 2017 Fair showed Barnes at its best. My personal highlight was being introduced on the public-address as ‘William

Rufus’. It’s always nice to be mistaken for royalty, even if that one did end up with an arrow in his back! R u fu s W il l iams , B ar n es P r o p er ty P ar tn er s h ip

I was delighted to present the Castelnau Cup to St Osmund’s for the most colourful float; the Harrodian Cup to Lowther Primary School for the most original float; and the Lonsdale Cup to the overall winners, Barnes Primary. C l l r Lis a B l ak emo r e, May o r o f R ic h m o n d

We always planned to launch our ales at Barnes Fair but the reception we received totally exceeded our expectations. The day was such a buzz for us and we got some great feedback from the local community which is very gratifying. We can’t wait to get stuck into the Barnes Food Fair now. Freddie and George, Jeffersons Brewery

The St Mary’s Church bike sale team was delighted with the record-breaking results of this year’s sale. We sold over 150 bikes in the first 2½ hours, the equivalent to one a minute! The team took in 284 bikes and it

was a race to get them all checked over and cleaned by volunteer mechanics. The sale made over £12,000 for St Mary’s and the charities it supports – a great result! San c h i, St M ar y ’ s C h u r c hA fantastic Barnes Fair again! Brilliant organisation as always, a fantastic team of volunteers, and a great day. See you next year – same time, same place! Di, Mo men tu mWow, just recovering from yesterday! Another successful day – I think my best ever – and really, really enjoyable. A brilliant day was had by all. Many thanks for having us again. Great organisation, footfall, shoppers and stallholders! Sa r a h , W r a p u p i n s t y l eMy feet hurt! Al is t air , Sit e M an ag erThe children really enjoyed the parade and loved showing off their costumes and float. It was a fantastic atmosphere and great weather – what a wonderful Fair! Lo w th er Sc h o o l

Friends of Barnes Common loved our new position – can we please reserve that for next year? – even if we were exhausted by being full-on the whole day. I think we had about ten minutes of quiet in the whole day, and that was at 9am! Mik e, F o B C

Barnes Fair is a highlight of The Brown Dog’s calendar and this year our hog roasts and barbecues were all finished by 3pm, a record! A great year – thank you! An d r ew , T h e B r o w n Do g

We loved our performance and were thrilled to raise enough money to finance one of our three competition training mats, which is wonderful. N at al ie, B ar n es J e t s C h e er l ead er s A huge thank you for such a wonderful Fair yesterday. We were totally overwhelmed and delighted with the response by Barnes residents and visitors to our Rosy Fridays Collection. You and the team were fantastic and so helpful. We wish all fairs were so

well organised. We loved the eclectic stalls, giving such a varied shopping experience and a great vibe. Ly n , R o s y F r id ay sThis year was the best ever for the Bookstall with takings for the first time exceeding £7K. This is an amazing result from what is a major recycling exercise of books, DVDs and CDs generously donated by Barnes residents. We could never achieve a result like this without our wonderful volunteers – we have over 30 – brilliantly led by Bettina Vine. We also enjoy great support from Barnes Brownies and Guides, Friends of Barnes Common, FiSH and our sponsor Knight Frank. This fantastic team effort enables an incredible collection of over 12,000 books which are much sought after by our customers, many of whom return year after year. Thank you everyone – we couldn’t do it without you! Mic k y , B C A T r u s t e e an d B o o k s t al l O r g an is er

Magnifique! Merci pour votre accueil. Al ain an d J o s s el y n e, Les Am is d e B ar n esAs for sightings of ‘magic’, the most magical sight of all was that of the Green returned to complete normality on Sunday. Did the Fair really happen or did I dream it? F r an c es , P r o s p ec t E d it o r ial T eam

The magic of Barnes Fair


Community spirit in North BarnesOn Saturday 1st July, in glorious sunshine, Lillian Road celebrated the life of its longest resident, Violet Paice, with a street party. Violet was born in Lillian Road and has spent all 94 years of her life living there. She went to school in Fanny Road (St Hilda’s Road), got married in Holy Trinity Church on Castelnau, and brought up her family in Lillian Road, as her mother had done before her. To mark this historic achievement, and to capture her stories of the past, Mike Dibb, an award-winning documentary filmmaker, produced a film of her life, presented by Marcia Williams, children’s author and illustrator, both residents of the road.

The party was a huge success, with a bouncy castle for the kids, a fantastic cake competition to rival the Great British Bake Off, a band led by Violet’s grandson, singers and numerous barbecues. The last Lillian Road street party that Violet can remember was in 1953 for the Queen’s coronation when nearly all of Violet’s family lived in the street. This year it was Violet’s turn to be crowned, as Queen of Lillian Road! All Violet’s friends, family and neighbours had a wonderful time celebrating, gossiping, sharing food and stories and the call has already gone out for another street party. The event certainly showed a wonderful community spirit in the roads of North Barnes. No wonder Violet has never moved – it is the best place to live in London!

P h e e Ad a m

The Help Tibet Trust is holding its annual lecture on Tuesday 31st October at St. Mary’s Church, Barnes when the speaker will be Chris Mullin talking about his autobiography Hinterland.

All serious politicians should possess a hinterland, but not all do. Chris Mullin is one who did. By the time he entered parliament he had reported from wars in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. He was the author of three novels and had led the successful campaign to free the innocent people convicted of the Birmingham bombings. In parliament, he quickly established himself as a fearless inquisitor, going on to become a minister in three departments. He is also the author of three widely acclaimed volumes of diaries.

The evening will conclude with drinks and canapés. Numbers are restricted, so please book in advance; tickets at £25 are available from Linda, 8748 5668, or Isabelle, 8748 6984.

Help Tibet Trust

Fergus O’Kelly at the microphone The BCA Information Stand Jenny Hughes from FiSH


September is a wonderful time to explore London Wetland Centre. During this crossover period migratory birds start making their way back to the UK in preparation for the cold winter on the European mainland. You can expect to see waders such as green sandpipers and black-tailed godwits making their first appearances on site. Numbers of wintering ducks such as shoveler, teal, and wigeon will also begin to rise – a treat in itself as they are some of the UK’s prettiest ducks.

With so many seasonal visitors, it’s the perfect time to join a Migration Walk. On Sunday 24th September an expert warden will guide you around the reserve helping you identify a variety of birds by their plumage, calls and behaviour. You will get great tips on how to watch birds including fieldcraft, what to listen for and the differences between key species. You would expect to see numerous wintering duck species plus other seasonal visitors like fieldfares, redwings, mealy and lesser redpolls and siskins.

Bat walks are held every Thursday until 28th September so don’t miss this opportunity to see and hear these astonishing flying mammals in their natural setting. Grab a torch and enjoy an evening with these mysterious creatures of the night.

You will learn more about bats during a talk by an expert before heading out onto the reserve to find out first-hand what makes each species different. Bat detectors are supplied so you can learn to identify the seven different species swooping around the site hunting for food. This event is most suited to adults but children 8+ are welcome to join in.

London Wetland Centre was practically made for photography enthusiasts, especially during the autumn months when the site is awash with vibrant autumnal colours and wildlife. Particular

seasonal highlights include migrating birds, hobbies hunting their prey and fungi. So join photographer Iain Green on Friday 6th October to discover and learn about these seasonal specialties and how to photograph them. A practical course, the day will begin with an introductory session inside before heading out onto the reserve.

For more information on all events, prices or to book please call 8409 4400 or email [email protected].

Mar ia Z u c k s c h w er t , Marketing Assistant

Summer to autumn crossover

Teal in full plumagePhoto courtesy of James Lees

Saving St Michael’s Church HallA year-long spirited campaign to save the St Michael’s Parish Church Hall on Elm Bank Gardens got another resounding boost in May when the Planning Inspectorate denied the Appeal by St Michael’s regarding its Planning Application. The plans had been to knock down the Hall, build a smaller church room on the back of the property with a modern three-storey glass house with basement in front, right on the road. The Planning Application had already been unanimously rejected by the Planning Committee of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in November 2016, but St Michael’s appealed.

Following the collapse of the Planning Application, the new vicar of St Michael’s, Father Stephen Stavrou called a community meeting in June to discuss the Hall. The meeting, which was in the Hall itself, was packed and views were aired freely. Many of those present explained how shocked and aggrieved they had been over the way the Planning Application had been pursued. Had the Planning Application succeeded it would have seen the constructive eviction of the highly respected and much loved St Michael’s Nursery School, which had been in the Hall for 40 years, and the loss of a large and vibrant community asset, used not only by the nursery but by a ballet school, an amateur operatic society, a school Christian group, and many local parties and events. The parents of the nursery school had been so alarmed by the fate of the Hall and the nursery that the story was highlighted in the Evening Standard in February, and a petition on change.org to save the nursery received 480 signatures.

Father Stephen has promised a fresh start and St Michael’s will be returning to the drawing board regarding the future of the Hall. All the campaigners are now hopeful that it can be renovated and refurbished – for which they have offered financial help and fundraising – to ensure this wonderful community asset in Barnes continues well into the future.

Rita Golden, Church Hall Action Group

150th anniversary concertOne of the musical highlights of the 150th anniversary celebrations of the foundation of St Michael and All Angels is the concert ‘In Tune with Heaven’ on Sunday 15th October at 7.30pm. The programme, covering the period from the 1860s to the 2010s, draws on the incredible musical renaissance in English music during the past 150 years. The performers are the English Chamber Singers and St Michael’s Choir, with John West (organ) and conducted by Martin Neary.

The programme includes Benjamin Britten’s lively and wonderfully expressive Rejoice in the Lamb, for soloists, choir and organ, written in 1943. A more solemn mood comes with the incomparable motet Take Him, Earth, for Cherishing, composed in 1963 in memory of President John F Kennedy by the famous Barnes composer, Herbert Howells. The latter part of the 20th century is also represented by Jonathan Harvey’s exquisite I love the Lord, while the most recent work in the programme, The Lord is good, was written just five years ago, in 2012, by Cecilia McDowall. The final work is Hubert Parry’s uplifting Blest Pair of Sirens, first performed in 1887.

Tickets, £25, £20 & £10, available from Parish Administrator, c/o The Vicarage, Elm Bank Gardens, Barnes SW13 0NX (please enclose sae); Parish Office at St Michael’s 8876 5230; Natsons Newsagents, 53 Church Road. Cheques payable to St Michael and All Angels Barnes. For further information visit stmichaelbarnes.org/events/event/in-tune-with-heaven-concert or email [email protected].

Giving such concerts is additional to the regular duties of the St Michael’s Choir, which sings on Sunday mornings at the 10am service. From time to time there are also Choral Evensongs, when more of the rich heritage of English music is explored. The choir, which normally rehearses on Wednesday evenings, is always happy to welcome new members and is currently looking for more tenors and basses. If you are interested, please contact John West (Assistant Organist) 07831 372 107.


Beatrice Ridley is an entrepreneur, art adviser, artist and mother to two young children at school in Putney. Realising that a number of parents would be spending too much valuable time and causing unnecessary congestion and pollution by driving their children to school, she began to look at alternatives. Starting with hiring a red double-decker bus and progressing to buying a 17-seater minibus in September 2016, Beatrice soon had a popular school-run service up and functioning.

But that still left many hours in the day when the bus was not being utilised. One afternoon, while sitting in Gail’s Bakery in Barnes, Beatrice was asked by a member of staff whether she would like to take home some surplus bread. As they struck up a conversation, it became clear that often several bags of stock went to waste each day. “Not on my patch!” Beatrice thought, and by 9am the next morning she had already made dozens of phone calls, arranging collections of surplus baked goods from branches of Gail’s Bakeries all over SW London, including Barnes, Sheen, Wimbledon, Richmond and Clapham, each evening. That was the start of GG Project London (Gail’s to Glass Door). Together with a team of volunteers now numbering 25, Beatrice delivers to more than 20 charities and organisations all over London, such as Missionaries of Charity, Glass Door shelters (see p5), The House of St Barnabas, Ace of Clubs, FiSH, and the Castelnau Community Centre. At times, there are five bags of bread and buns from the Barnes shop alone, amounting to 40 kilos. Beatrice’s children, Tabatha, 8 and Hugo, 6, are enthusiastic helpers and accompany Beatrice on her journey to Gail’s when it is her turn. With a

complicated spreadsheet system of drop-offs and hand-overs involving her porch at home in Barnes and the school office at Putney High School, the system works like clockwork.

Beatrice gave up a highly successful career in law in 2009 to become an artist, organising and painting for her first show within the five remaining months of her maternity leave. She now helps private and corporate collectors build their art collections and advises property developers. She runs the online Pepper Gallery representing other artists, with annual physical exhibitions in Mayfair, and she still paints. Beatrice’s trusty minibus has clocked up many miles transporting children, bread and works of art.

As they say, ask a busy person… Beatrice Ridley is clearly a force to be reckoned with.

To get involved in GG Project London, email [email protected], and to see more of what Beatrice does, visit her on instagram @beatriceridleyart, @peppergallery9330, @beatriceridleybop or thepeppergallery.com.

J u l ie R eic h man

Dynamo in our midst

Local artist and printmaker Mary Algar had a constant flow of people visiting her Barnes home during the recent Art House Open Studio weekends but is also open by arrangement, 8876 7786, for you to view new etchings and collages. She says “I hope someone interested in the history and beauty of Barnes would like my last big watercolour of the Pond, in its grand old untouched state – and with more willows!”

Mary at Barnes Fair

Paint Barnes buildings in watercolour Residents can learn techniques for painting beautiful Barnes architecture in vibrant golden autumn tones at friendly ongoing weekly watercolour classes.

A range of subjects and techniques is covered throughout the year. Tutor Stella Shaw says “By popular request, this September participants can learn to depict some of the most beautiful architectural features in the village.” Sessions are suitable for all levels, although previous basic drawing experience is helpful. Structured classes with experienced tuition supports artistic progress and participants may also have the chance to exhibit their paintings. Classes, bookable each half term, are held at the OSO Arts Centre, Barnes Green, every Wednesday. The next six-week course starts on 13th September, 11.30am to 1.30pm. Advance booking is essential and free taster sessions are available.

For further information and online booking, please visit painting.zone, or contact Stella, 07791 400 362, [email protected].

Looking for a nursery school place?The Ark Nursery School in Kitson Hall, Barnes was established in 1989 and offers a full play-based curriculum for a maximum of 23 children aged 2½ to 5 years. Children start with three, four or five mornings a week, with all attending for five mornings the term after their third birthday when they become eligible for Early Education Funding.

Highly qualified and experienced staff help the children achieve their full potential through the use of a wide selection of educational, constructive, creative and imaginative play equipment, both inside and out, with the aim of producing happy and confident children, eager to learn.

For further information visit thearknurserybarnes.co.uk, call 8741 4751 or email [email protected].

What really is happiness?Two distinguished local authors and broadcasters, Gyles Brandreth and Richard Harries, come together on Sunday 17th September at 7.30pm at St Mary’s Barnes to debate the subject of ‘What really is happiness?’. Gyles Brandreth, well-known optimist and author of The 7 Secrets of Happiness will discuss what it really means to be happy in our often troubled world with Bishop Richard Harries, author of The Beauty and the Horror. A selection of their books will be available for sale and signing.

Tickets at £10 (in aid of Friends of St Mary’s Barnes) are available from Barnes Bookshop, St Mary’s office and ticketsource.co.uk/stmarybarnes.

Wheely fun!Richmond Knights Wheelchair Basketball is looking for players to join their 13+ and 18+ teams. Everyone is welcome, no previous experience required and no need to bring equipment. Drop into Waldegrave School in Twickenham, TW2 5LH, for a session, Thursday evenings, 6.30-8pm. For alternative times and further information call 07710 612 424 or email [email protected].

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