Newsletter February 2020 Editors: Fiona Fowler & Maya Donelan No. 105

CHAIRMAN’S LETTER

Happy New Year to you all and welcome to the Society’s Newsletter. We aim to update you on planning issues in Fulham and on local news of interest. In this edition we even recommend places to stay and eat as well as remind you of some of the concerts and events happening locally. We always welcome articles from our members and news of things we may have missed. Climate change is much in the news and I thought some might appreciate a Beginner’s Guide. We have also suggested some ideas if you are building/developing your house or office. They may seem rather new but if the UK is to meet its target of net emissions by 2050, they will soon become commonplace. We are planning some visits and talks and we will be running the Front Garden Competition again this year so do start thinking of your planting. We are adding balconies and blocks of flats this year but remember the planting does have to be seen from the street. We are hoping to arrange a visit to the Tideway Tunnel in May/June. In the meantime, do join us for a tour of the art collection at Charing Cross Hospital. The curator will show us the very large collection of mainly 20th century and contemporary paintings, prints and sculptures by many notable British artists (see p13 for details).

I look forward to seeing you there,

Fiona Fowler

WHAT IS CLIMATE CHANGE?

There have always been natural fluctuations in the climate but temperatures are now rising faster than at any other time. This is linked to the greenhouse effect, described as the build-up of man-made gases in the atmosphere that trap the sun’s heat, causing changes in weather patterns around the world.

Scientists believe gases released from industry and agriculture trap more energy and so increase the earth’s temperature. Furthermore, the composition of the gases in the atmosphere is changing, with CO2 levels reaching record levels in recent years, mainly from burning fossil fuels (oil, gas, petrol, diesel, coal) and deforestation. Industrialised agriculture and landfill sites release methane (which, although less abundant than CO2, is 30 times more potent as a greenhouse gas) and other greenhouse gases. Nitrous oxide is one of the gases talked about when we talk about air pollution from vehicles around roads and schools.

So why does this matter? The change in the climate means more unexpected and extreme weather - more floods, stronger hurricanes, more extreme heat waves. Warmer sea and air temperatures result in melting polar ice sheets, leading to rising sea levels. The extent of sea-ice loss is unprecedented.

Page 1 Fulham Society Newsletter February 2020 How fast? There is still considerable uncertainty about how much the world will warm and how fast. Much depends on whether we can curb rising emissions of CO2, as the gas stays in the air for centuries. The WMO says that if the current warming trend continues, the average world temperature could rise 3- 5oC by the end of this century. A rise of 6oC would be critical.

What can we do? To limit the most damaging impacts of climate change, greenhouse gas emissions need to be reduced globally: temperature rises of 2oC above pre-industrialisation levels have long been regarded as the gateway to dangerous warming. The Climate Change Act 2008 made the UK the first country to establish a long-term legally binding framework to cut carbon emissions by 2050. A wider legal commitment – The Paris Agreement of 2015 - agreed to limit global temperature rises to well below 2oC (the USA has announced its withdrawal from the agreement). Britain is to host a follow up international meeting (COP 26) in Glasgow in November.

Scientists and policymakers are now arguing that limiting temperature rises to 1.5oC would be safer.

Interestingly, Britain, for the first time since the Industrial Revolution, is obtaining more power from zero-carbon sources than fossil fuels. National Grid says that in 2019 clean energy nudged ahead with 48% of generation, against 47% for coal and gas. The rest is biomass burning.

What can we do at a personal level?

We cannot influence China, India or the United States, but we can influence our own environment.

We have heard much about walking more, taking the bus or train and avoiding car journeys. Pure electric cars are becoming increasingly popular and after 2035 these may be the only cars we can buy new. A new electric car charging station is being currently being built to replace the existing Shell petrol garage in the Fulham Road. In the garden think water butts and composting.

If the targets for zero carbon are to be achieved, however, we should be thinking now of how this can be done in our own homes. But before you even contemplate the subject of 'renewable technologies' the first move is simple – insulation, and lots of it, check the attic, old extensions may need an upgrade. If you are contemplating a refurbishment or even building a new house from scratch, you might think of going further than the current Building Regulation Standards and consider one of the following. All of them are available today so with a little thought, planning and investment you could be generating your own energy and doing your bit to slow climate change.

You should check with your local authority if planning permission is needed before starting any work.

• Photovoltaic (PV) Panels (solar panels) There are no longer government incentives for householders to receive payment for electricity generated by PV panels but they are still worth considering as the cost of the panels has been coming down exponentially in recent years.

• Small Domestic Wind Turbines (windmills) For many of us this would conjure up a mental picture of a small wind turbine attached to David Cameron's house in Oxfordshire! Domestic wind turbines work best in rural areas rather than conurbations as for the generators to work efficiently they require 'clean' air flows which tend to get disrupted when there are high buildings nearby. There is also a potential noise issue although there

Fulham Society Newsletter February 2020 Page 2 are some new turbine blade designs which have the potential to make them quieter and more efficient in urban areas but these have long 'pay back' periods.

H&F Council will require planning permission for the installation of PVs, panels or turbines. So far PVs and panels have generally received it but turbines are less likely to for obvious reasons.

• Solar or Sun Tubes You see many of these such installation in Mediterranean countries. Generally, they are simple glass tubes sited on the roofs of houses and connected to an insulated water storage tank. The systems are usually gravity fed and use the sun's rays to heat domestic hot water - simple and quite efficient on a clear spring or summers' day even in the UK. If you are considering such an installation, with the right orientation, you should be able to achieve a reasonable 'pay back' period. Planning consent may be required for such a roof installation.

• Ground and Air Source Heat Pumps Most of us in London do not have sufficient open ‘ground’ within our ownership to be able to consider ground source heat pumps as a solution but you may consider them in the country. The technology works on the same principle as a refrigerator although in reverse. A liquid filled loop is placed in the ground either horizontally (known as a slinky) or vertically down a bore hole. The temperature a metre or so below ground stays quite constant throughout the year at around 12 degrees. The heat pump simply 'magnifies' this energy. For the use of 1 kw of electricity you usually get three back. The 'pay back' period obviously depends on the ease of installation although generally it is reasonable. No planning consent is needed although you must seek the approval of Thames Water for any bore hole.

Air source heat pumps could be a more practical solution although the units do require an outside air circulation space that will not suit all Fulham homes. Heat from the air is absorbed at low temperature into a fluid. This fluid then passes through a compressor where its temperature is increased, and transfers its higher temperature heat to the heating and hot water circuits of the house. Technology is improving the efficiency and size of these units all the time. You might be able to get a renewable heat incentive grant for an air to water heat pump.

If you wanted some idea of how energy efficient your home was, you could get an EPC (only legally necessary for rented houses and on selling). If you are interested to discover your own carbon footprint, there are lots of calculators on line, for example: https://www.carbonfootprint.com/minimisecfp.html or https://www.wearepossible.org/

The LBHF Climate & Ecological Emergency Commission

On 17 July 2019, LBHF adopted a commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030 and to significantly enhance biodiversity across the borough to combat climate change. The Commission, made up of local residents, will think big and bold to define the art of the possible, and create a compelling, attractive vision of the future. Paul Beaty-Pownall, a former member of the Fulham Society Committee, has become chair of the Resident’s group overseeing LBHF’s efforts.

The commission will scrutinise all aspects of Council policy and operations, both its own areas of direct control (eg parks and buildings) and use its wider influence to encourage progress where it only has partial control (eg TfL). It will look for best practice and expertise locally, nationally and globally, and will call expert witnesses to create the strongest possible agenda for change.

If you would like to contribute to its work, come to the meeting How to imagine a Better Future at the Lyric on 25 February 2020 at 7pm. https://lyric.co.uk/shows/our-local-climateemergency.

Page 3 Fulham Society Newsletter February 2020 GREAT PLACES TO STAY IN FULHAM

Staying overnight in a historic now seems to be the fashionable thing to do and in Fulham we have two exceptional venues:

The Malt House Originally named the Maltster, the pub, on the north west corner of Vanston Place, dates back to 1729, but has had many changes since then. In 1900 it changed its name to the Jolly Maltster and remained as such until it reopened in 2013 as the Malt House following a complete renovation and refurbishment. As well as continuing as a local pub with good and interesting restaurant facilities and a pretty outdoor garden, the pub now also offers six luxurious double ensuite bedrooms, let on a bed and breakfast basis.

17 Vanston Place, London SW6 1AY, tel 020 7084 6888 [email protected] www.malthousefulham.co.uk,

Aragon House

Aragon House on the New Kings Road is an imposing and eye catching Grade 2 Listed Georgian house overlooking . The house was built in 1805-06 on the site of a dowager house that was occupied by Katherine of Aragon, the first of Henry VIII’s six wives, hence the name. During its history, Aragon House has been, amongst other things, a private residence, a school and a private members' club. It was purchased by the Royal British Legion in 1914 and more recently has been in use as a public house. Now, as well as being a pub and restaurant, it offers 15 boutique bedrooms and a wonderful room overlooking Parsons Green for event hire.

247 New King’s Road, London SW6 4XG tel 020 7731 7313 [email protected]

Harwood Arms

Another local pub which has recently acquired fame is the Harwood Arms in Walham Grove. It was built in 1866 as a beer house and the inn sign depicts the coat of arms of the Earl of Harwood, the original freeholder. The Harwood Arms has recently been named the best Gastropub in the UK in the 2020 Estrella Damm list of the UK's best 50 Gastropubs. It is the only Michelin-starred pub in the capital, and one of just seven London on the list.

Walham Grove, SW6 1QP, tel 020 7386 1847, [email protected]

Fulham Society Newsletter February 2020 Page 4 PLANNING

Earls Court

Anyone passing along Lillie Road must feel depressed by the sight of the empty wasteland that was once the famous Earls Court Exhibition Centre. Hopefully all is about to change. Capital & Counties, or Capco, has sold the project to Delancey, another property company, headed by Jamie Ritblat. At the same time, Delancey has reached an agreement with H&F Council under which the and Gibbs Green Estates will be restored to the council in exchange for the original £105 million fee. They may now be able to start the community ownership process.

The residents of the two estates off North End Road will be delighted. Together they contain 760 homes housing around 2,000 people and have been campaigning hard to be bought back into Council ownership and not be part of the redevelopment. They were scheduled for demolition as part of the Capco masterplan, originally drawn up in 2007, envisaging a £12bn scheme of 7,500 homes: four urban villages including 20% affordable homes with the remainder destined for the luxury market.

Today London is a different place and with a new council, a different developer, a static housing market and a smaller site, we can expect the masterplan to change. It is thought Delancey may increase the density and target a less luxury scheme; they may launch a PRS (private rented scheme) and so avoid the overseas investors. The company seems to have a good relationship with the council and Stephen Cowan, the Council Leader, is quoted as saying that he sees Earls Court as a “linchpin of the local industrial strategy, built on digital media, science, technology, engineering and mathematics as well as the creative arts”. That sounds interesting.

Local Government Boundaries

The independent Local Government Boundary Commission for England is asking residents to comment on its draft proposals for new council ward boundaries. The commission’s draft recommendations propose that H&F should have 50 councillors in future - this is four more than now – and that those councillors should represent six three-councillor wards and 16 two-councillor wards across the borough. The Commission's plans seem to mean changes to all wards in the borough.

In Fulham new wards, created by shifting boundaries and splitting up existing wards, would be Hurlingham, Parsons Green and Sandford, and Lillie.

The Commission welcome comments on the draft recommendations, whether you support the proposals or wish to put forward alternative arrangements. In particular, they welcome proposals for alternative boundaries or ward names. The Fulham Society has made two comments: that the northern boundary to the Fulham wards should coincide with old Borough of Fulham boundary and that the football stadiums should each be in one ward not straggled across two.

The full recommendations and detailed interactive maps are available on the Commission's website at consultation.lgbce.org.uk.

You can have your say directly through the Commission's website, email [email protected] or write to Local Government Boundary Commission for England, 1st Floor, Windsor House, 50 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0TL before 2 March 2020.

Page 5 Fulham Society Newsletter February 2020 In Brief Five years later a new planning application was submitted, which was approved in December Living with beauty: report of the Building 2019 with the planners stating: "It is not Better, Building Beautiful Commission considered that the proposed amendments This report, published by the Department of would be a significant or material change to Housing in January 2020, calls for a the overall scheme". transformation in planning policy. It wants beauty, community, durability and Foubert's Gelateria and Cafe sustainability to drive future developments. Foubert's Gelateria and Cafe is now open for Schemes must create places, not just houses. It business at 2 Vanston Place, on the corner of contains many recommendations for how to Walham Grove and North End Road. The encourage happier, greener, affordable, building is on the site of Fulham's famous old inclusive developments, from planting trees to Victorian toilets, which were first auctioned by creating pocket parks, to making transport and H&F Council in 2008, then again in 2012. The building authorities meet targets for well being building has stood empty ever since, and the and public health, rather than just hitting opening of the gelateria has long been awaited numbers for roads and houses built. by local ice cream fans. Apparently they have https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/buil 20 flavours of ice-cream on offer, from the ding-better-building-beautiful-commission classics of Tutti Frutti to their new winter flavour, cinnamon. DIY stores close B&Q on Smugglers Way closed last October 160-4 Hurlingham Road and Homebase will also close next June. Legal The scheme, originally turned down by the and General has exchanged contracts on both council, won consent at appeal last August. sites and the development will include 16 Marek Wojciechowski Architects were residential blocks, including towers 15 storeys appointed to create a modern commercial high. The development will include a new space suitable for a variety of business sizes entrance to Wandsworth Town train station. and types. The design retains the façade of the Building of Merit at 160 Hurlingham Road, Hurlingham Retail Park while incorporating “the warehouse aesthetic” Currys PC World with Carphone Warehouse of the original building on the site. The work is store by Wandsworth Bridge is also to close. planned to start this year. The last day will be 29 February to allow the site to be redeveloped. In December 2014, IKEA developer London Newcastle was given IKEA UK have announced plans to open a new permission to demolish the current building format city centre store in Kings Mall, and create two new buildings of 10 and 12 . Set to open in Spring 2021, the floors together with retail and leisure space set store will feature IKEA’s entire product range around a landscaped central garden inspired available to buy from the store for home by the traditional London square. delivery and over 2,000 home furnishing accessories available to take away on the same day. This will be the first time that IKEA’s home furnishing accessories will be available to buy on the UK high street.

New bus service Fulham has a new bus service, the 306 route running from Sainsbury's in , through Fulham Broadway and West Kensington to Hammersmith Bus Station and on. The new service replaces parts of routes 391 and 266.

Fulham Society Newsletter February 2020 Page 6 COMMUNITY MATTERS

Constance Baker

A new plaque has been unveiled in to commemorate a local woman, Norfolk-born Constance Baker, who gave her time and money to entertain and feed the troops during the First World War. The plaque was unveiled in Fulham on Saturday 11 January and a similar plaque was unveiled in her hometown of Marham, last September. The Mayor of Hammersmith & Fulham, Cllr Daryl Brown, attended that ceremony and in reciprocation, the Mayor of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk, Cllr Geoff Hipperson, attended the event in Fulham, along with members of Mrs Baker’s family, Chelsea Pensioners and officers from the Royal Yeomanry.

Tim Warner, Constance’s great grandson, lives in Shepherds Bush and has been instrumental in ensuring that his great grandmother is not forgotten. He persuaded the local authorities to put up the blue plaques to commemorate her.

Constance was born on 21 June 1868 as Constance Kitteringham in Marham in Norfolk. By 1881, she had moved to London and was living in Islington with her parents and two younger siblings. The date of her marriage is unknown but by 1901 Constance had married John Baker, who had served in the Royal Navy, and they had moved to 90 Harwood Road in Fulham. She worked as a dressmaker, creating outfits for stars of the opera and theatre, including Dame Nellie Melba who lived at 13 Harwood Road.

Their eldest son was killed at Paschendale in the Great War and in their distress, they decided to open up their home in Fulham to help troops returning from France and Flanders. With her theatrical contacts, Constance was also able to arrange entertainments in Bishops Park for the soldiers. Much of the family’s wealth was spent on goods and food for the returning troops. All this earned her the title, ‘Mother of the Wounded’ and it was later inscribed on her gravestone in Brompton Cemetery when she died in 1929 at the age of 61.

Wandsworth Bridge

Wandsworth Bridge is about to get an upgrade starting in February 2020, similar to that given to Putney Bridge in 2014. It will be a £6 million project, lasting around ten months, that will focus on structural repairs, resurfacing, uplighting and corrosion protection, plus repainting of the bridge structure.

Hammersmith Bridge is closed for the next few years and Putney Bridge is already so crowded it is almost impossible to cross the river at certain times. Now they want to close the only other bridge in Fulham - Wandsworth Bridge, used by around 40,000 vehicles a day. Not surprisingly residents are very concerned. The Council has promised the bridge will not “close fully” to traffic during the refurbishment period and that at least two of the bridge’s four lanes will remain open at all times, allowing vehicles, buses and bikes to cross the river in both directions.

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Mulberries

Morus Londinium, the London Mulberry Society, was launched in May 2016 by The Conservation Foundation to research, document and help preserve London’s mulberry tree heritage. At the heart of the project is a user-friendly website, featuring an interactive map, all kinds of information on mulberries and their history, featured trees, walks and a blog. As a non-native species that does not easily self-seed, most of the trees in London will have been deliberately planted, or have been layered from an older tree that has gone into decline and possibly rotted away. Given that London has seen countless waves of fires, storms, bombs, demolition, development etc, the older trees could be all that survive on the surface of multiple layers of social and cultural change, perhaps dating back several centuries.

Black mulberries (Morus nigra) were originally brought over by the Romans in the first century AD. They were grown for their medicinal value, a tradition continued in medieval monasteries. The watershed moment for UK mulberries was James I’s attempt in 1607/8 to start a silk industry in England to provide much-needed revenue and to reduce Britain’s dependence on silk thread imported from Spain, Italy and France. The project failed after only a few years, but left a legacy of acclimatized black mulberry trees up and down the country. These are usually in the gardens of stately homes but they and their descendants also came to be planted in the gardens of large houses, in parks and Victorian schools. Many of these buildings have now disappeared, but the old mulberry trees are still there, now on street corners, in little parks, on the lawns of 1970s flats or the back gardens of residential houses. These are the real jewels unearthed by the Morus Londinium project.

There are seven mulberry trees recorded in Fulham: Fulham Palace, black and a white mulberry in the Park * Hurlingham Park, NE corner of the walled garden * St John’s Church, Fulham (planted as a memorial) * Gwyn Close SW6, the end of the cul-de-sac, through alleyway for short distance, turn left * Lillie Road, west of Normand Park * 27 Brecon Road W6 (Mulberry Cottage, planted 1990s).

If you have any further information about these trees, or would like to know more about mulberry trees in London, contact www.moruslondinium.org.

H&F Brilliant Business Awards: Congratulations to the winning Fulham businesses • Best place to eat Bridge Baker. A neighbourhood bakery and food store in Fulham. • Best customer service K9 Help. A professional puppy and dog training service in Parsons Green. • Best independent business on the high street Bridge Baker. Fulham business redefining the term ‘artisan bakery’. • Outstanding entrepreneur of the year Ma Baker - Liz Wilson. Small bakery is a thriving business which also has two Great Taste Awards. • Public Vote Playdays Parties. Supplies all the essentials to create perfect parties for children, named the number one business in Fulham for the third consecutive year.

Fulham Society Newsletter February 2020 Page 8 A Retail Interlude: the Bridge Baker

The effervescent Gauri Nafrey set up the Bridge Baker a mere 7 months ago and is already celebrating a double success in this year's H&F Brilliant Business Awards.

Gauri was born and educated in India. After Business School, where she met her husband, they both came to work as bankers in the City of London, but like so many young women, she found that a high flying career with a lot of travelling was hard once she had two small children. She decided to change her life, return to India and do what she had always wanted, to set up an eatery. She opened a gelateria and soon had 10 stores. She then followed her husband to Singapore and set up a bakery, her real love, and soon had 4 outlets. But then jobs and the children’s education brought them back to London and to Fulham.

Gauri still had this desire to feed people and so the Bridge Baker was born on the corner of Studdridge Street and the Wandsworth Bridge Road. Everything is made on the premises so fortunately there was a garage that could be converted into the kitchen and a cooler basement for the pastry kitchen. She employs about 20 people in the bakery/café/lunch place, makes excellent coffee and delicious chocolate brownies as well as lots of other mouth watering pastries. Even their wines are supplied by a local company - Sara Harrison, of Circle wine. http://www.circlewine.co.uk/home

The Bridge Baker, 124 Wandsworth Bridge Road, London SW6 2UL, +44 20 7731 6475, open 7am-7pm. https://bridgebaker.co.uk/

Let us know if you have a favourite shop that you think should have more publicity. Send a photograph and a few lines about it and we will try to include in a future Newsletter.

Ray’s Playhouse

Victoria Snell, a former Fulham Society Committee member, sent us this article on Ray’s Playhouse:

Some of you will be familiar with the fantastic Ray’s Playhouse, tucked away in the heart of Sands End close to Langford Primary School. Its benefactor, Ray Bender, was a local businessman who wanted to leave a legacy to the local community and, on his sad death in 2009, he left a family trust for the benefit of local children and their families.

The Playhouse opened its doors in 2011 at a time when services and support for families and children under five were disappearing, and for nine years it has provided excellent facilities and support for young families from all backgrounds and a safe, stimulating, nurturing environment. It offers extensive indoor and outdoor play areas and allows children to explore and experiment independently but under the supervision of parents, carers and an experienced and qualified team. The vast array of quality play, learning activities and resources help children gain the skills they need before starting

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nursery and school, and other family friendly sessions such as a Baby Clinic, Baby Talk, and Wiggle Waggle (encourages children to engage with music and movement) also help. The overall objective is to provide community cohesion and a comfortable space for all families especially those who are vulnerable and hard to reach, and all for the princely sum of £3 per session.

As the mother of three young children I have found this resource invaluable. Most of all Ray’s Playhouse provides us with an opportunity to engage with other young families in the community, families who don’t necessarily enjoy the provisions that we enjoy in our day to day life. Since becoming a parent I have become increasingly aware of how important it is to maintain such institutions in the area. At the recent Fulham Society AGM the chairman, Fiona Fowler, opened the meeting by reminding us how important it is to retain the community infrastructure to prevent areas such as Fulham, and in particular areas like Sands End, becoming “urban deserts” which gradually deter families and threaten its original character and identity. Facilities such as Ray’s Playhouse play an integral role in ensuring that we safeguard the diverse and family friendly community that is Fulham. Initiatives such as this depend heavily on support both physically and financially from individuals despite grants and funding.

FULHAM SOCIETY NEWS

Future Events

Wednesday 1 April A tour of artworks in Charing Cross Hospital The art collection at the Charing Cross Hospital is a large of collection of mainly 20th century and contemporary paintings, prints and sculptures by many notable British artists. An Arts Council accredited museum collection curated and cared for by the Imperial Health Charity, the collection boasts site-specific works by the likes of Mary Fedden, Julian Trevelyan, David Mach, John Piper and Keith Grant, and a significant holding of prints and works on paper. The aim is to display these in public areas, clinical units and outdoors in order to enhance and uplift what can be sterile and intimidating hospital surroundings. The hospital also has artworks associated with its past history.

This tour is led by the charity's Curatorial Assistant. Meet at 10.30 outside the main entrance to the Charing Cross Hospital by the Henry Moore statue. No charge, but £5.00 donation to the Imperial College Charity appreciated. Numbers are limited. To book, contact Maya Donelan, 020 3080 0655 [email protected].

The Front Garden Competition

This will be running again in June. If you are proud of your bit of ‘outside space’ we hope you will enter the competition. We recognise that Fulham has blocks of flats which can be greatly enhanced by balconies adorned with flowers, so have introduced a new Balconies category – but they do have to be able to be seen from the pavement. Judging will be undertaken in early July and the results announced at the Summer Party later in the month. More information will be on the website later in the year.

Fulham Society Newsletter February 2020 Page 10 Past Events

Annual General Meeting The AGM was held on 28 October. The business of the Society was followed by a talk on the work of Thames River Watch. It is part of Thames21 and encourages volunteers to monitor the health of the Thames by collecting information on water quality as well as improving river access, increasing biodiversity. And it is probably best known for organising regular clean-ups of the river foreshore. The pictures of the plastic bottles collected regularly in our part of the river were most depressing.

Walk along the Thames Our thanks go to Niel Redpath and Keith Whitehouse who led a walk from Putney Bridge upstream to Hammersmith Bridge. The weather was so bad that we may repeat this walk in the autumn. We are very lucky to have Keith, the pre-eminent local historian whose breadth of knowledge is amazing.

The Environmental Fund

In this financial year, we are hoping to make contributions from the Environment Fund to the following:

Water fountain in South Park. We are delighted that our contribution will ensure that the Friends of South Park can finally go ahead and arrange for it to be installed.

Rays Playhouse. You will have read Victoria’s article on page 9. The Playhouse needs £55,000 for essential infrastructure improvements. They have already raised part of the money thanks to a local building firm and are now running a Spacehive Crowdfunding Campaign to raise the last £30,000. They hope to receive a contribution from the Lord Mayor’s community fund but need to show backing from the local community. www.spacehive.com/rays-playhouse-makeover

Fulham Palace Library. Fulham Palace wants to bring Bishop Porteus’ Library to life by presenting it as it appeared in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and to use it once again as a comfortable library-cum-drawing room where visitors can sit and read or chat. It is named after Bishop Beilby Porteus (1731 -1809), who left a plan, his own books and a bequest for a new library. Previously the chapel, the room was converted in 1814, using his bequest. The Fulham Society is considering how it might help, perhaps contributing to the book security system.

Other Local Events

Fulham Good Neighbours’ Digital Inclusion Project for Local Older People. This matches volunteers with local older people who wish to learn how to use laptops, smartphones and the Internet. If you know someone who could benefit from a meeting and one-to-one lessons on how to use the Internet, please contact the FGNS at [email protected] or call 020 7385 8850.

Birth of the String Quartet organised by The Friends of Fulham Palace, Tuesday 5 May 19.30. Tickets: £22.50 £25.00 A quartet from the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment will perform in Bishop Sherlock’s room, Fulham Palace, a variety of pieces composed during the period the room was

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built. The musicians will give insights into the music and an explanation of the historical instruments. See: https://www.fulhampalace.org/whats-on/events/birth-of-the-string-quartet

Music by the Bridge, All Saints Church, Fulham. Performances 7.15 – 8pm, doors and bar open at 6.45. Free entry. Wine and soft drinks available. March 6 The Singing Clarinet, Poppy Beddoe clarinet & Thomas Ang piano. Virtuosic Weber, song arrangements of Clara Schumann and operatic themes of Verdi April 3 Pieces of Fantasy, Juliette Govachini cello & Belinda Jones piano, Schumann & Rachmaninov May 1 Merriment and Melancholy, Dvorak Piano Trio No 4 June 5 A choral feast, Three choirs: St Luke’s Chelsea, St Martin-in-the-Fields & All Saints Fulham. https://www.allsaints-fulham.org.uk/2019musicbythebridgeseason.htm

St John’s Fulham Music Society, St John’s Church, North End Road, SW6 1PB at 7.30 pm, doors open 7.00. Free entry, cash bar. March 4, Piano recital. Danilo Mascetti plays modern French and Russian piano music March 11, Violin and Piano Recital. Fiona Robertson violin and Philip Sharp piano play contemporary March 18, Piano, Organ and English, German and Russian songs 25 March, Andrew Mitchell and the Pixel Trio perform music and original English poetry April 1, Emily Sierra and Rustam Khanmurzin perform French, Spanish, Polish and Russian Songs. Click here to see the full programme.

Fulham Opera. See: https://www.fulhamopera.com/

Fulham & Hammersmith Choral Society. Membership is open to all singers with or without a lot of choral experience. The Choir performs three concerts each year, performing a variety of styles and in a range of venues in the local area often joined by professional orchestras and soloists. It supports local communities by singing at a variety of events and raising funds for charities. Easter concert - Saturday 4 April at 7:30 pm at St Paul's Church, Wimbledon, 120 Augustus Road SW19 6EW, Bach - Mass in B Minor. http://www.fhcs.org.uk

Fulham Symphony Orchestra. A big amateur symphony orchestra, established in 1958, performing three or four concerts a year. Established 1958. March 21, 7.30 at St Paul's Church, Hammersmith. The choirs of King's College London and St Luke’s Church Kew join Fulham Symphony Orchestra in a concert including Ralph Vaughan Williams's Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis and Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 7 June 27, Smith Square, Westminster, London SW1P 3HF. Prokofiev, Britten and Copland https://fso.org.uk/

Society of Fulham Artists & Potters. Next exhibition at Fulham Library. 12 – 17 May 2020 https://www.sofap.co.uk/

The William Morris Society, Kelmscott House, 22 February, 10am–12noon. Expert printmaker, Jenny Bell, shows you how to make use of letter press typography to create your own cards using William Morris’s own Albion Press. All materials included, no previous experience necessary. More information at https://williammorrissociety.org/event/printmaking-abstract-floral-motifs-2/

Fulham Society Newsletter February 2020 Page 12

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

VICE-PRESIDENTS Patrick Ground QC, Lord Carrington of Fulham, Greg Hands MP, Andy Slaughter MP CHAIRMAN Fiona Fowler VICE-CHAIRMAN Niel Redpath HON. TREASURER Isobel Hill-Smith HON. SECRETARY Maya Donelan MBE HON.MINUTES SEC. Binky Aylmer HON. MEMBERSHIP SEC. Margaret Kemp MEMBERS Kim Hawkins, Caroline Marston, Anne Soutry, Maria Sturdy-

Morton

Committee Meetings are held on the 3rd Monday of each month (except August & December)

A REMINDER

If you are changing your email or your address please let us know by emailing [email protected]

CONTACT US

Address 1 Rosaville Road, SW6 7BN

Telephone 020 3080 0655 www.fulhamsociety.org Website Email [email protected] @fulhamsociety Twitter

Charity no. 262396

Page 13 Fulham Society Newsletter February 2020