Forum Topic

What's happening to Hammersmith?

I noticed in my recent jaunts to the Hammersmith shopping area that a number of shops have closed down. In its place, are quite a few discount stores and surprisingly, yet another Starbucks.I wasn't sure what kind of impact the Westfield Shopping Centre would have on Hammersmith but I thought the Lyric Square renovation and the proposed Town Hall project would bring a new lease of life into the area.I read recently that shop-keepers in Shepherds Bush Green could apply for a grant to renovate their shop-front to give the new shopping district a cleaner, tidier look. That's great, but what about Hammersmith?Do we really need 4 Starbucks within 5 minutes walk? Or 4 sports shops within the King Street Mall block? It would be great to see local businesses starting up rather than yet another discount chain store opening. I'm not proposing that Hammersmith becomes like Chiswick as we need shops that cater for all budgets but it seems like Hammersmith only offers cheap standardised shopping. I personally would prefer a healthier balance.What do others think?

Sharon Isaac-Upton ● 6139d43 Comments

I was on King Street this morning and it continues to be busy despite global economic crisis Westfield and the time of year. It does lack character except when the stalls in the square are open but it remains a good place to do basic shopping.

Ellen Kearney ● 6013d

Visited again at the weekend and the decline if anything seems to have accelerated - more boarded up premises and 'lease available' signs. Acton on the other hand seems to be doing relatively well - I think Hammersmith is paying the price for cultivating the chain stores at the expense of smaller businesses.

Andy Jones ● 6058d

I have already applied under Section 64. Since it needs proven national significance I'm going on a fact finding tour  of the Eden Project, the Beatles Memorial Trail in Liverpool and Birmingham Bullring to see how they have involved their communities in packaging them for  lots of lovely tourists.Though thinking about it, Westfield is such a roofed over shoppers delight already, hope the ESF don't think Lyricke Newe Towne is not innovative enough to attract the funding....

Elizabeth Spring ● 6081d

Sounds like a great idea...would it attract Euro Funding do you think ?

H JOHNSON ● 6081d

Why not roof it all over in half-timber, convert it into a giant Liberty's and employ all us estate-dwelling single parent low lives as door openers? The Nice Ladies living in the posh bits could be Volunteers and leave us leaflets on how to lead our lives as they pass through the doors, so everyone could be useful.

Elizabeth Spring ● 6082d

I think we should close down all the coffee bars and replace them with Ye Olde Tea Shoppes or Copper Kettles. There is very little in this life that a nice pot of tea and a hot buttered teacake can't put right

H JOHNSON ● 6083d

+----------+|  PLEASE  ||  DO NOT  || FEED THE ||  TROLLS  |+----------+    |  |        |  |      .\|.||/..

Andrew Broadbent ● 6083d

Well there's a surprise... I didn't even know that Burton's still existed. I ordered my first suit from them too many years ago to remember. I wonder if they now do fittings for shell suits or jogging bottoms ?  Mmmmmm  Suits YOU Sir

H JOHNSON ● 6084d

It's not just Hammersmith. The only shop from the "good old days"  in my high street is Burton's. We're awash with pound shops, primarks and pedestrianisation. M&S have moved to a half Mall - Woolies is belly up. The pubs are full of get it down your neck. You dare'nt go down town at night - girls with their skirts up to their crotches and wot no nipples peering looking at you and all walking as though there was a gale blowing from every quarter.High streets have lost there way they are no longer a place that you go to because you want to buy  x or y but places where you meander through waiting for the buy me urge to kick in - doesn't matter what - just buy some crap. our council has filled what was a public space first with a parking lot which the "Monday Market" was allowed to use - then the council built a half Mall on the site - a series of escarpments decked with flats with half agale whistleing through it. This leaves the High Street and its environs with empty shops advertising easy terms to rent.From what I have read Hammersmith King Street only needs the brick walk and there will be no need for me to want pictures to see my Hammersmith it'll be Any Town anywhere. 

Stephen Hill ● 6084d

Well bully for you

H JOHNSON ● 6084d

Mr Johnson (for we do not know what H stands for) I have lived in this borough for 24 years.  And I still don't call other people 'oiks' and 'proles'.  Or mix metaphors.Let's not fall out.  What do you suggest?  I totally agree with you that there should be more 'proper' shops - greengrocers, fishmongers, haberdashers, but I for one am guilty of going to the supermarket if it's more convenient.  What do you think needs to happen for King Street to change for the better.

Sarah Taylor ● 6084d

It is not snobbery at all. I have lived in this borough for 30 years and watched it go further down hill for most of them. Get off your high horse lady , wake up and smell the coffee. The area is now basically a shopping heaven for proles. Lets just pray that if winter continues to be cold and wet that they will move their fat jogging bottom clad arses and their screeching children in " buggies" to Westfield where they can graze all day on overpriced junk shop and shop themselves silly.

H JOHNSON ● 6084d

yes it was very droll.  I believe it's also called 'snobbery'.

Sarah Taylor ● 6084d

But the oiks message was hilarious and moved the argument on beautifully.

Elizabeth Spring ● 6084d

Sharon it was more of a question, even though it had no '?' on the end.  I was trying to elicit something constructive out of the previous poster and, as you can see, I completely failed. I agree with you that King Street isn't ideal. Question is, what shall we all do about it? Few people read this forum.  Maybe call on our councillors to do more for small local businesses, but that's a whole subject in itself.  Constructive suggestions anyone?

Sarah Taylor ● 6084d

I'm not sure how a couple of threads constitutes an agreement that Hammersmith is "not in a state". I think it is, hence opening this discussion. I am in agreement with the earlier response although I'm not sure I would have put it so (ahem!!) eloquently.My company used to have 350 employees based in Hammersmith and this was considered the "london" office. There were always complaints at lunch-time about not having any decent shopping or eating areas. We shut down the London office and moved everyone further out west where our HQ is. We're in an industrial estate so still no decent shopping or eating areas but the rent is substantially lower.I personally would like to see a few more local shops here and feel that discount shops only attract other discount shops. I know Hammersmith is surrounded by areas of wealth and boutique shops but what about a little balance here. Hammersmith really does look shabby compared to its neighbouring towns. What's the point in spending all the money on renovating King Street if the shopping experience is poor.Just my penny's worth ;o)

Sharon Isaac-Upton ● 6084d

I never agreed that King St is "not in a state " . It is a p**** pit    full of banks, estate agents ,coffee shops , crap clothes shops ,pound shops,charity shops  and council services offices. Where are the real shops ? ie butchers, greengrocers, fishmongers, bakers , delis, haberdashers, cobblers, bookshops ,etcBring on the recession,  let half the banks , pseudo banks / building societies and estate agents close down...the world will be a better place

H JOHNSON ● 6084d

1.  that would be 'fewer' people2.  I thought we had agreed that King Street is not in a 'state'.  Would you outline the reasons for your dissatisfaction?3.  What makes you think that those shopping in King Street arrive there by car? I did not know that. 4.  Do you think it's  appropriate to call people 'oiks' in a public forum?  I don't.5.  Could I ask you to ask yourself 'does my comment move the conversation forward?' before posting?  many thanksSarah

Sarah Taylor ● 6085d

Perhaps if less people drove through my borough to get to its miserable shops andused public transport instead, then the place wouldn't be in the state it's in. Why not pedestrianise King Street all together so the oiks have to walk to Primark or McDonalds. Might cure the obesity problem too.

H JOHNSON ● 6085d

I'd say that Hammersmith has two main problems.Firstly, it is one of the ultimate clone towns with a range of shops that makes it virtually indistinguishable from a large number of High Streets in the UK. This makes it a fairly dreary shopping experience. Compare this with Acton which although shabby and a bit more downmarket does have some character and interest. Toby Young writes about this in a very interesting article on ActonW3.com.Secondly the ergomomics of the place seems wrong. People disgorge out of the tube station onto narrow pavements with the top end of King Street always crowded and the bottom end like tumbleweed.However, it is one of the few shopping places left where you can still park for a reasonable amount.

Andy Jones ● 6087d

oh look, sorry everyone, I replied to the original post thinking it was a new post.  Having said that, I would be interested to know how we think things are going now that Westfield has been open a few weeks.

Sarah Taylor ● 6101d

Thanks, Sharon, for bringing us back on topicI totally agree with you.  I am going to Ken High Street more, because it's not so crowded now, but I would much prefer to find cool local shops at Hammersmith.  It's Starbucks' policy, allegedly, to open up lots of branches to put others out of business, and then close down some of their own.  But if there aren't any small new businesses starting, understandable given current economic circumstances, we don't have much choice.  Buy nothing, I suppose :-(  or lobby the council to provide grants to spruce up King Street?

Sarah Taylor ● 6101d

Not child labour - but the endemic abuse of people by the banks. We, the general public, have been and are exploited shamelessly by the banks. They, the banks, go to court and get an embargo on those people who are trying to claim back the gross overcharging made by the banks whenever a person has gone over their agreed overdaft limit - often by only a day or so. But there is no embargo on the banks to stop sending out the overcharge letters. The banks seem to think that it is OK to keep on sending out the over charge letters. The abuse in this case is of the elderly and vunerable. This abuse of power by, not only the banks, but by local councils, the police, and untold jobsworth around the country is shameful in a so called Democratic society.We have yesterday a minister held for questioning by the police for nine hours for doing his job. The very person who should have halted this abuse of power - The Speaker in the Commons agrees to the request by the police. This same Speaker who time and time again seems to flout the spirit of the law and in some cases it is believed the letter of it.So whilst it is right and proper to highlight the abuse of  children and adults overseas we should also look to the abuse of power in the UK. There needs to be some method of overview of all these organisations and people in power where a “committee” of commonsense can say - hang on “Do you understand what you are doing? And there should be the means to strip those people of their misuse of power

Stephen Hill ● 6103d

I agree with the general idea that who needs more " STUFF " from shops like Primark ( to name but one )as we all have enough already . But why stop there ?If we are going to beat ourselves up and go on a guilt trip about exploitation of cheap labour we need look no further tham most of our supermarkets, fast food joints , pubs etc...  and most cleaners don't exactly get paid over the odds either but I don't see tears for themIt has become fashionable to decry both shops and shoppers of this nature but it extends into all sphere of life both here and abroad.  The answer is  " less is more " and to stop the use of that stupid expression "retail therapy " as shopping has never been proved to cure anything. If shopping is deemed to be such fun how come that most people seem to dread the christmas shopping experience and the press is usually full of features about how to get away from it all at Christmas ?

H JOHNSON ● 6104d

Thank you Steve, what a brilliant post.It is hard to point out child labour is involved with cheap goods without sounding  sanctimonious - anyone up for trying anyway? It does make the gorge rise to see the Primark shoppers etc, and to hear people in this developed  obesity swollen nation say "well I can't afford to buy elsewhere." as if another cheap cardi is an esential and worth a child's terrible life.Hurrah for the credit crunch and some thought about consequences...hmm, haven't avoided the sanctimony trap but never mind.

Elizabeth Spring ● 6104d

I was pointing out that as times change so does the perception of what is right and proper change/evolve. When my grandfather worked down the mine the general perception was that it was OK. In the 14/18 war the white feather brigade thought that it was OK to go and get slaughtered.If you live in a country that allows child labour then it wil be thought generally to be OK - otherwise it would not be tolerated - It is right and proper that from our perspective that we condemn child labour. We will be instrumental in helping to bring about change, even speed it up, but until the country itself wholeheartedly condemn it it will continue.I started work in the shipyards at 14. I had a broad induction into the world of work in a large number of differant work areas up and down the country. I didn't like any of things that were on offer and joined the RAF for five years. During my service I eventually came across what I wanted to do through the people I had met. I left the RAF and went to College and have never looked back.The world of work was a place that I really enjoyed and I would not want to  have missed any of it. I'm sure my grandfather would have said the same thing - you like what you know and enjoy what you know - this century's likes are not last century's or the century's before likes.CheersSteve

Stephen Hill ● 6107d

They can't stay in school forever. Eventually they must finish all the exams and then where do they go  straight on the dole, or shopping in Primark , or attending a Young Offenders Centre  ?

H JOHNSON ● 6108d

oh my goodness, Steve.  Your posting isn't very clear, but I really hope you're not suggesting that it's OK for children to work in factories. It's not.  They should be at school, regardless of what country they live in.

Sarah Taylor ● 6108d

This is the same argument we had when there were no black footballers. All kinds of arguments were put forward but the most obvious pont was that when the kids worked up through ther system we got black footballers. This argument will resolve itself when the country of origin gets to the same level of social awareness as we did in the the late 1850 early 1900s. Funnily enouggh doing my family tree I found my great great gandad and his brother, 12 and 15yrs, working down the pit in 1871. The world moves slowly but it gets there in the end.Steve Hill

Stephen Hill ● 6108d

well, you make your choice, as they say. Primark is accused of employing young children to work for them, and you do have to wonder how they can sell stuff so cheap.  However you are quite right in that there is an argument that they should be encouraged to stop that, rather than just boycotting them.My choice is to not shop there at all.  Plus i don't like their stuff ;-)

Sarah Taylor ● 6108d

I knew when I posted that comment somebody would say somethingNo I did not see it but have heard about it.......and no doubt I will offend many people by this comment as well but if nobody shopped there would it not mean the pittance these people earn would also stop?

Carol Burge ● 6108d

Primark.  did you ever see this Panorama?http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/panorama/7461496.stmme, I prefer my clothes made by adults, paid properly for the work they do.

Sarah Taylor ● 6108d

I like Hammersmith..........it has a Primark.

Carol Burge ● 6108d

I believe that the rot set in King Street as a shopping facility when the sreet market was abolished to allow the building of the so called Lyric Square.What is the point of a centre without a proper market; even if it only had a dozen stalls ? I can remember the market sold fruit, veg, wet fish, shell fish, meat etc...  The so called Farmers Market held on Thursdays is merely an expensive sham.Hopefully now that all the financial institutions are imploding, their existing stranglehold on all our High Streets will cease. This will be followed by a 50% reduction in the number of Estate Agents and hopefully we will finally see sense and refuse to spend money on overpriced giant cups of bad coffee and expensive mock italian sandwiches, common sense will be restored and we may even have a proper butcher or god forbid a wet fish shop.  Viva Mac Fisheries !

H JOHNSON ● 6108d

Ahh, place of my dreams. It would seem, from what you say, that if I visited Hammersmith today I wouldn't recognise it from my 1950s memories.Do you have a map/groundplan that would we get me up to speed on the current Hammersmith. My Hammersmith Grove had a coal yard sidings on the right. Some large imposing houses on the left, then Beadon road look as though it led to derelection and to the left again you looked past The Lyric onto waste ground and again left there was the the market knee deep in veg toppings. CheersSteve Hill

Stephen Hill ● 6116d

Ahh, place of my dreams. It would seem, from what you say, that if I visited Hammersmith today I wouldn't recognise it from my 1950s memories.Do you have a map/groundplan that would we get me up to speed on the current Hammersmith. My Hammersmith Grove had a coal yard sidings on the right. Some large imposing houses on the left, then Beadon road look as though it led to derelection and to the left again you looked past The Lyric onto waste ground and again left there was the the market knee deep in veg toppings. CheersSteve Hill

Stephen Hill ● 6116d

Did any of you go to it when it was the Dome ?  I did and I thought it was pretty good, apart from the Milennium Show which was FANTASTIC !Many people use the Dome as an example of this country at its worst and sadly most of them never actually went to see for themselves, but believed what was written in the papers.....

Andrew Broadbent ● 6135d

It's not called The Dome any more.  It's called The O2.

Sarah Taylor ● 6135d

HAMMERSMITH IS BEING RE-INVENTED .... THATS WHATS HAPPENINGIts sadly like the survival of the fittest and healthieststock out there in our neck of the woods...it Is quite a good central city locations for town and airport its has tubes and buses and stations galore ...  it is rebuilding lots of areas... fulham bdy ..the green..king street...lyric square ..its not the worst place to live in london ...and it has the river to boot..the new Westfield is one more fab addition to our LOCAL world..yes there will be more traffic and some congestion and yes it will have teething probs ,,, so what ,      this is ENGLAND ..t5 ..the dome ..get used to it ,,very soon          theyturn into world class venues and WE WILL ALL LOVE IT .SO LETS STOP KNOCKING IT AND TALKING EVERYTHING DOWN AND START TALKING UP THE FUTURE OF HAMMERSMITH .            its not so bad #

Bob Hodkison ● 6135d

what?  Has Habitat already gone did you say?  When?

Sarah Taylor ● 6136d

not to mention the constantly-running taps in Starbucks, as outlined in the press in recent weeks.

Sarah Taylor ● 6136d

"Do we really need 4 Starbucks within 5 minutes walk?"No, but Starbucks's business model is to 'saturate' and area with lots of branches ensuring that (as far as possible) competition is driven out and then reduce the number of branches in that same area.  They did the same in Chiswick.That's why I NEVER go to Starbucks.

Andrew Broadbent ● 6137d

Unfortunately the shops are closing due to the Westfield site, Habitat has already gone and am sure others will follow.  I just hope not too many as although I work right next door to the new shopping centre I will not be deserting King Street.........who knows it could become a pleasure to shop down there as there will be fewer people.

Carol Burge ● 6137d