www.HammersmithToday.co.uk Communtity Forum

anyone recommend good driving instructor?

Can drive but need refresher lessons.

Jules Meyers ● 4452d1 Comments ● 4446d

Thatched House becomes Butcher's Hook

Looks like our old favourite, the Thatched House in Dalling Road, is being rebranded under The Butcher's Hook, opening August 11th.http://www.hot-dinners.com/Gastroblog/Latest-news/the-butcher-s-hook-expands-to-hammersmith-at-ravenscourt-parkLast couple of times I was there it appeared to be suffering from the competition of the reopened Anglesea Arms, so it will be interesting to see if both can work.

Madalyn Roker ● 4450d1 Comments ● 4449d

The latest Ravenscourt Park Ward councillor's newsletter

Here is the latest newsletter I have sent out:Dear Resident,I hope you have all being enjoying the beautiful Hammersmith weather.A few items to update you on:CHARING CROSSTo recap... In 2012 the NHS published proposals for a very severe downgrading of Charing Cross Hospital. While accepting the case that a move from general hospitals to specialist hospitals would save lives - especially for those needing life saving operations at weekends - the then Conservative-run Council regarded the proposals as unacceptable.That was because they failed to ensure that residents would still be able to obtain the routine treatment they needed locally.After some considerable lobbying there were substantial changes. In February last year the revised proposals were published detailing how 85% of those using the hospital would continue to do so.In May this year Labour were elected to run the Hammersmith and Fulham Council on the basis of their (false) claim that the hospital was due to close and the (false) claim that the proposals had not been changed.They also gave an "early pledge" to "block" the proposals. That has already proved to be dishonest bluster.The latest version does indicate there has been a further change to what is proposed....but it actually seems to be a step back from what was agreed last year.There will still be a £150 million new hospital on the site - financed by some of the existing land on the existing site being sold for housing. (This has been described as being "luxury flats" although their size, luxuriousness and tenure has yet to be determined.) That is good news as the current building is defective - also much of the site is already used for housing.The Accident and Emergency unit will remain at Charing Cross. (The NHS has rebutted the Labour MP Andrew Slaughter's claim to contrary here.)But I am concerned that what was agreed last February in terms of the elective surgery continuing at Charing Cross should be honoured. I am seeking clarity on this point. Residents are entitled to assurances that the 85% figure mentioned above still applies.One of the problems with the NHS is that they come up with these proposals with hundreds of pages of impenetrable jargon. They explain them in meeting to "key stakeholders" leaving most people baffled. Constant lies have been left unchallenged. Compicated revisions have added to the confusion. The NHS do need to do a better job of persuading people of their case.Still however frustrating the process might be I hope and believe that at the end of it we will have better health care than at present.COUNCILLORS FORUMThis is scheduled for Thursday September 25th at 7pm at Holy Innocents Church, 35 Paddenswick Road. I will be there with my fellow Ravenscourt Park Ward councillors Lucy Ivimy and Charlie Dewhirst. Do come along to discuss any local matter of interest and join us for a glass of wine afterwards.We plan to hold further meetings in different parts of the ward.LOCAL BLOG LAUNCHEDI have started a new local blog called the Hammersmith and Fulham Forum. https://hammersmithfulhamforum.com/The blog is intended to be quite broad with guest contributions - including from non-Conservatives - and include borough wide matters and non-political subjects. Do let me know if you would be interested in writing something.GOOD NEWS ON JOBSUnemployment in the Ravenscourt Park Ward fell from 148 in May to 127 in June. It is below half the level of four years ago - when it was 305.HAMMERSMITH LIBRARYHammersmith Library in Shepherd's Bush Road has now reopened. There is now a substantial collection of local archives. The building has been smartened up and now has wi-fi, more comfortable seating and new shelves. However the beauty of these 1905 Grade 11 listed building has been maintained. Do go and visit it.PLAYDAYThere will be "Playday" in Ravenscourt Park on Wednesday August 6th from noon until 4pm. JW Panham will be running a number of free fairground rides. There will also be music, basketball coaching and face painting. Jolly good show!PLEASE HELP Ravenscourt Park Ward has more Neighbourhood Watch schemes than any other ward in the borough. They help reduce crime - especially burglary. If you would like to start one in your street please email our Safer Neighbourhood Team on RavenscourtPark.SNT@met.police.uk If you would like the Conservatives to regain Hammersmith and Fulham Council please consider joining the Hammersmith Conservatives or making a donation. You can do so via our website or by sending a cheque to Hammersmith Conservatives, 4 Greyhound Road, London, W6 8NX. (office@hammersmithconservatives.com 020 7385 1002.) Best wishes,HarryCouncillor for Ravenscourt Park WardFollow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/harryph

Harry Phibbs ● 4451d0 Comments ● 4451d

Unsolved Hammersmith murders 1959-1965

Posted by: Neil MilkinsDate/Time: 08/07/14 17:50:00Since May 2014 there have been nearly 22,000 hits on youtube of the Sky TV documentary Harold Jones - The Welsh Serial Killer. I am convinced that former Fulham, Puntney and Hammersmith resident Harold Jones was responsible for 8 unsolved murders in the Hammersmith district between 1959 and 1965, which includes 3 at Chiswick. The 45 minute documentary can be accessed via the Internet by googling Harold Jones - killer. Pass the word darlings! If anyone remembers Jones who also used the name Harry Stevens please contact me via the forum or at n.milkin@sky.com Regards. Neil Milkins. Author of Every Mother's Nightmare - Abertillery in Mourning and Who was Jack the Stripper? The Hammersith Nudes' Murders.

Neil Milkins ● 4463d0 Comments ● 4463d

Jeremy Hunt continues to dodge questions about his plans for Hammersmith & Fulham’s hospitals.

A fortnight ago in the House of Commons I asked Jeremy Hunt to keep his promise not to close Hammersmith Hospital A&E until there was spare capacity in neighbouring hospitals and primary careservices to cope.Earlier this week I tried again when Hunt was forced to come to the Commons to answer Andy Burnham’s Urgent Question on patient safety. “I want to ask about the safety of the 22,000 patients who use Hammersmith Hospital A&E every year. There is no capacity or increase in the acute primary or community care services locally, which the Secretary of State set as a prerequisite for any A&E closures in west London. Will he ask Imperial Healthcare Trust to review plans to close the A&E at Hammersmith. Will he answer that question, as my constituents in Shepherds Bush and White City deserve an answer to it, and not the spin and the game playing that I always get from the Secretary of State?” Once again he did not even attempt to address the question. Hunt said when announcing the closure it would only close when practicable, ie that alternative services were in place. We oppose the closure but thought at least he would honour this commitment. But Imperial at their last board meeting conceded there were already too few beds at St Mary’s – where all Hammersmith patients will be told to go – and the primary care budgets for H&F are actually being cut as money is moved from inner to outer London. The Fulham Gazette got the same evasive response when they door-stepped Hunt and asked him about the closure of Charing Cross’ A&E. So the Save our Hospitals campaign continues. Next up on 5July is a rally and party. We will start at 2pm on Fulham Palace Road across from Charing Cross Hospital, and will move to nearby Frank Banfield Park for entertainment, stalls and birthday cake - the NHS is 66. I hope you can join us. Meanwhile the new Labour council has entered intensive negotiations with Imperial to try and save the borough’s A&Es, calling for them to respect the outcome of the election, the lack of emergency beds and the need for a genuine consultation with the people of west London.

Andy Slaughter ● 4480d1 Comments ● 4465d

H&F Conservatives find new site for Fulham Boys School

Greg Hands MP and H&F Conservative Councillors have written to theLeader of H&F Council today suggesting a new site for Fulham BoysSchool.Watermeadow Court on Townmead Road, London SW6 2RW is currently anempty housing estate, owned entirely by the council - which could bereleased very quickly to save the school from having to send pupilsexpecting to start this September away to other schools.The site is currently derelict and unoccupied, with no existingplanning applications or planning permissions and entirely within theCouncil’s direct ability to sell with no complications.Geographically the site is in south Fulham, easily accessible by busand train and easily walkable from a large proportion of SW6postcodes.Commenting, H&F Council Conservative Group Leader Cllr Greg Smithsaid, "With the new Labour Council having stopped the permanent siteFulham Boys School were expected to take over from being available,local Conservatives are determined to help the Governors of the schooland local parents find a new site to get the school open as soon aspossible. The Watermeadow Court site is one entirely in the gift ofthe council and having said they support the school, I seriously hopethey now do everything they can to make the land available.”Fulham MP Greg Hands added: “I met the Schools Minister again thisweek, and he was clear that for Fulham Boys School to be givenapproval and funding, it needs to show it has an excellent chance ofsecuring a permanent site. This new site has huge advantages: it isowned by the Council; it is effectively empty and not in use; it hasno existing planning permissions granted and it is very well located.Let us see if the Council will work with us, even at this very latehour, to do the right thing for the parents of the Fulham BoysSchool.”The letter to Cllr Cowan can be read here:http://www.scribd.com/doc/233478386/Letter-to-Stephen-Cowan-re-Fulham-Boys-SchoolMore details here:http://hammersmithfulhamforum.com/2014/07/11/hf-conservatives-propose-watermeadow-court-as-alternative-site-for-fulham-boys-school/

Harry Phibbs ● 4468d2 Comments ● 4465d

Ravenscourt Park Ward councillor's newsletter

This is a recent newsletter I sent out to residents in Ravenscourt Park Ward which might be of interest to visitors on this site...Dear Resident,Charlie Dewhirst, Lucy Ivimy and I are delighted to have been re-elected as the Conservative councillors for Ravenscourt Park Ward after a keenly fought contest. Thank you to those who voted for us and we will do our best to represent all residents for the next four years.Some of our Conservative colleagues elsewhere in the borough were less fortunate and Labour gained control of the council. There are now 26 Labour councillors and 20 Conservatives.At a Conservative Group meeting Cllr Greg Smith was elected Leader of the Opposition and Lucy the Deputy Leader. Charlie is the Conservative candidate for the Hammersmith constituency at the General Election next year. For years the Labour MP for Hammersmith, Andrew Slaughter, has blamed everything on the council. Now he will have to find something else to complain about.I have written more about the election results here.http://www.conservativehome.com/localgovernment/2014/05/the-conservatives-will-be-back-in-hammersmith-and-fulham.html CHARING CROSS HOSPITALLabour's campaign was dominated by two straight lies - firstly that the hospital will cease to exist, and secondly, that what happens to it is a decision for Hammersmith and Fulham Council. The constant repetition of those lies constituted Labour's election campaign and was crucial to their victory.In fact the NHS are responsible for Charing Cross Hospital. Their plans are for a phased £200 million rebuilding. A full Accident and Emergency service will be retained - with 24/7 emergency care and full range of diagnostics and recovery beds.The hospital will also become a leading centre for elective surgery. 90% of patients will still use Charing Cross Hospital in the same way. Some will be taken elsewhere - in order to receive better specialist treatment. Charing Cross will be a smaller hospital with fewer beds - but it will be a better hospital.The NHS point out that the mortality rate is much higher for patients admitted at weekends than week days - as they are more likely to see junior doctors rather than consultants. They estimate the reorganisation of stroke care in London is saving 500 lives a year.http://www.londonhp.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/AES-Case-for-change_September-2011.pdfThe proposals apply the same logic - a shift away from general hospitals towards specialist hospitals. Given the Labour scaremongering I do feel the NHS need to do more to justify their changes. I support the changes as I believe they will save lives - even if they may have lost me some votes.OUR RECORDThe Conservatives achieved a lot in our eight years in charge of Hammersmith Town Hall. Your Council Tax is lower. The streets are cleaner, the parks greener. We helped the police reduce crime. School standards have improved - and the Hammersmith Academy and West London Free School opened. There are fewer empty homes and more new homes. These include far more "affordable homes" than Labour managed - including those for "shared ownership" to help people get on the housing ladder.I wrote more about this on City AM.http://www.cityam.com/article/1396463462/how-one-london-council-cutting-tax-while-improving-servicesBut we did not get everything right. Planning policy for example. There is no reason why new buildings should not be beautiful and traditional. Yet most planners, architects and developers have a presumption in favour of ugly, modernism - with a particular enthusiasm for brutalist tower blocks. They must be resisted. Parking is a complicated subject but again we could have done better in that area. Some feel that after eight years we become too close to the bureaucrats and didn't listen to residents enough. Going forward we will be holding regular "Councillors Forums" - really old fashioned public meetings - across the Ward to hear your views.PLEASE HELP Ravenscourt Park Ward has more Neighbourhood Watch schemes than any other ward in the borough. They help reduce crime - especially burglary. If you would like to start one in your street please email our Safer Neighbourhood Team on RavenscourtPark.SNT@met.police.uk The Hammersmith Society is a non-party political group which works for a better urban environment. It's AGM will be at 7.30pm on 19 June in the Small Hall of Holy Innocents church in Paddenswick Rd, W6 OUB with guest speaker William Burdett-Coutts, Artistic Director of Riverside Studios. Membership only costs £6! There is a proposal for Farmers Market in Ravenscourt Park on Saturday mornings. (In any event there will be a bit more room in the park as some of the arches are being cleared out.) Please let me know your views. If you would like the Conservatives to regain Hammersmith and Fulham Council please consider joining the Hammersmith Conservatives or making a donation. You can do so via our website http://www.hammersmithconservatives.com/donate or by sending a cheque to Hammersmith Conservatives, 4 Greyhound Road, London, W6 8NX. (office@hammersmithconservatives.com 020 7385 1002.) Or if you don't want to join but are willing to campaign or come to our events let us know. The International Development Minister Alan Duncan is coming to a party in Hammersmith Grove on July 2nd. Best wishes,HarryCouncillor for Ravenscourt Park Wardhttps://twitter.com/harryph

Harry Phibbs ● 4487d1 Comments ● 4467d

Tender for Special Needs Transport - 'Rotten from start to finish'

The local newspaper may be defunct but thankfully we still have Private Eye to keep an eye on what is going on in local government in our area. As usual LBHF features in Rotten Boroughs - this time over the award of a million pound plus contract for the transport of people with special needs. Olympic South/Healthcare and Transport Services Ltd seems to be able to win lots of business from Conservative local authorities despite existing local firms with a much better record being available to take on the contract.The Eye says that Croydon council sacked this firm in 2010 after it exposed the corrupt way it won a similar contract. They now are responsible for the transport of severely disabled and elderly people in the tri-borough area including LBHF. The Eye says that a whistleblower has told them that the tendering process was highly irregular and that it was 'rotten from start to finish' with financially unsound decisions. Professional Council staff gave strong warnings that the company getting the contract was unsuitable. Local firm Crystal Coaches has had to close after having run the service for the last 21 years.

Karen Taylor ● 4539d2 Comments ● 4468d

LOST SHOE

I have found a Start-rite navy boy's pre-walker t-bar shoe at end of Grove mews. It looks very new so I do hope somebody will claim it. Please get in touch if you know who it belongs to.

Elizabeth Fisher ● 4470d0 Comments ● 4470d

Farmer's & Fine Foods Market THIS Sunday

Bishop's Park Farmers and Fine Foods Markets aim is to bring fresh and delicious farm and locally sourced produce to the residents of Fulham. Trading as RMS Markets.FREE FACE PAINTING this Sunday from 10 until 2 The market is a family-friendly venture which caters for all tastebuds and pockets and will be held on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Sunday of every month!www.rmsmarkets.co.uk

Ross Spurrier ● 4481d0 Comments ● 4481d

Stand up for Labour on Sunday - celebrating the local election result

Tickets are nearly sold out for the Stand up for Labour comedy night that takes place on Sunday at George IV (185 Chiswick High Rd, London W4 2DR).The night features three fantastic comedians who regularly appear at the best comedy clubs up and down the country (Nabil Abdulrashid, Mary Bourke, and Raymond and Mr Timpkins) and there will be speeches from Andy Slaughter MP and Stephen Cowan, the new leader of Hammersmith & Fulham council.There will be Labour supporters from the whole of west London who have come to celebrate a fantastic win.It's advisable to buy tickets in advance as there may be none left on the door.Tickets cost £12 (or £50 for a table for six) in advance and can be bought online at http://www.standupforlabour.co.uk/events_134244.html

Crispin Flintoff ● 4483d0 Comments ● 4483d

FRENCH TUTOR NEEDED

Currently looking for a local French tutor - can anyone help?Merci

Mercedes Mena ● 4493d0 Comments ● 4493d

All Not Well At West London Free School

Here's an interesting FoI response - it appears that the builders on site at Palingswick House have found asbestos and an unspecified contaminant on the site, the latter a considerable distance underground.All of this explains why nothing's happening on site, why they missed the original September 2013 opening date, presumably why they've bought a second site on Bridge Avenue for £9.25m and why there are plans for a huge temporary building on the front of Palingswick House. The revised opening date is now September 2015.What's yet unclear is how much this is costing us. Toby Young, who's always so keen to advertise how his methods are much cheaper than the previous method of building schools, can presumably tell us. Would be good to know that. I'm sure the contract drawn up between one of the most careful, by the book building contractors in the business and a school trust run by a journalist with no relevant experience will protect the taxpayer's interest.[I have already FoI'd the DfE for the expenditure figures and they declined to tell me on cost grounds...]

Tom Barry ● 4495d0 Comments ● 4495d

Carers Week

Hello Hammersmith Today Forum.This coming week it is Carers week, and to celebrate my radio stations are running a week long competition with loads of great give aways that you can win for a carer who inspires you.We will also be broadcasting some great interviews with some inspiring carers through out the week.So how do you enter the competition??It's simple just head over to anyone of my three stations and click on the competition link on the front page.www.jemmone.comwww.jemmtwo.comwww.jemmthree.comSo go ahead and spoil someone for carers week.Lots of Love Lolie xxxxx

Lolie Ware ● 4501d0 Comments ● 4501d

Call for artists in new local Open Studios Festival!

Are you an artist, creative group, school or craftsperson and looking for an easy, fun and cheap way to exhibit in your local area? If so, why not register for West London’s new Open Studios festival 'KFOS'Planned to take place over two weekends, 10-12th & 17-19th October 2014, the Kensington and Fulham Open Studios will give local artists, community groups, schools and colleges the opportunity to showcase their work within the very spaces in which they create it. Exhibiting in your unique and intimate spaces such as attics, classrooms, cafes, living rooms or garages, is an affordable and social way to show off your creations. Registration is open until the end of June, and all are welcome! For entry information and registration forms please visit www.kfopenstudios.co.uk or email lucy@pocketarts.org

Lucy Beaumont ● 4503d0 Comments ● 4503d

All Well at West London Free School

Spoke to friends yesterday who have children at the school. They were still very happy with the school and laughed off suggestions that anybody was even thinking of taking their children out. They felt if there were departures the places would be snapped up. It was recognised that it was a shame that the first head left but they felt that the replacement was always struggling and his background wasn't ideal for a school which was stressing its academic credentials.They acknowledged that Toby Young was difficult to work with and demanding but that generally didn't bother parents as the school wouldn't exist without him. The problems over premises weren't felt to be a major issue as the school never pretended that everything was totally in place in this regard and there was always going to be a need to improvise for the first generation of children entering the school.They were very cross about complaints about the cost of the new school premises. One of the parents had worked on a project for a prep school in West London which had cost much than £9mn and was much smaller than the WLFS site. It was pointed out that as land and buildings are expensive in this part of London if you are going to say that amount of money can't be spent then you wouldn't ever have any new schools at all.One of the parents said the negative press about the school had made the school a tighter knit community and believed that its detractors were mainly 'public school educated Guardian readers' who believed the important thing about state schools is that they should be equally rubbish for everyone.

Ellen Kearney ● 4528d2 Comments ● 4506d

Anglesea Arms closure

Sorry to read about this on the Chiswick forum. Hadn't been for a few years after one indifferent experience but regretting that now. Was a bit of a trailblazer in terms of good quality food in pubs and it is a shame to see another independently run establishment shut up shop.

Paul Corcoran ● 4528d2 Comments ● 4506d

Water Garden Sunday 1st June 2014 1:30 - 5pm

We are opening our Water Garden in Chiswick Lane South this Sunday 1st June 2014 from 1:30pm to 5pm for £1 in aid of Epilepsy Research UK based round the corner in Church St.

Joy Skinner ● 4508d0 Comments ● 4508d

Please help us save our solar panels

Please see the Petition that we have posted on-line, requesting Hounslow Council to allow us to retain the solar PV panels on the side wall of our house in Chiswick Lane South. If you agree with the Petition, please sign and make a comment, giving your opinion. The Petition is at:http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/marilyn-smith-please-allow-the-solar-pv-panels-on-the-side-wall-of-heron-house-to-stay-there