SEBRA NEWS W2 In this Issue INTRODUCTION LTN TRIAL SCHEME TIME FOR CHANGE 6 14 FROM THE CHAIRMAN 2 FROM THE EDITOR 4 SPECIAL ISSUE No 100 AUTUMN 2020 SAFETY VALVE QUEENSWAY PARADE QUESTIONS 16 SUPPORTING CYCLE LANES 17 SAVE OUR TWO PLANE TREES 18 LONDON PROPERTY DISGRACE 22 AROUND BAYSWATER MY TWO UNSUNG HEROES 43 SEBRA'S FIRST PRESS COVERAGE 50 BOB ROGERS' CORNER 62 MORE ABOUT W H SMITH 66 WCC LEADER'S SEBRA'S 50th HEATHROW WAKE UP CALL 67 26 LATEST UPDATE 29 ANNIVERSARY SEBRA - RESPECTING THE PAST 70 PHOTOS OF PEOPLE AND PARKS 74 A BAYSWATER MISCELLANY 82 COMMENTS ON OUR STREETS 84 FORTY YEARS OF DEVOTION 85 BAYSWATER'S LOST FOUNTAINS 88 BEAUTIFUL PLACES AND THINGS 90 HALLFIELD SCHOOL NEWS 102 POLICING BAYSWATER 104 CELEBRATING 100 MAGAZINES 107 SHOPPING AND RESTAURANTS 114 HEALTH AND WELLBEING SMOKE AND MIRRORS 118 HALLFIELD ESTATE RUBY - A FOUR OSTEOARTHRITIS MYTHS 120 44 THE FIRST 73 YEARS 49 LEGGED FRIEND TIPS TO BEAT THE BLOAT 121 THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE 122 PORCHESTER CENTRE NEWS 123 THE ROYAL PARKS THE PARKS WELCOME YOU 126 CRYSTAL PALACE VIRTUAL TOUR 127 NEWS FROM THE FRIENDS 128 SERPENTINE GALLERIES 132 POLITICAL COMMENTARY KAREN BUCK MP 134 NICKIE AIKEN MP 136 KEEPING TO THE RIGHT 138 NEW ELIZABETH THE COW KEEPING TO THE LEFT 140 57 LINE STATION 60 A REMARKABLE PUB CITY HALL NEWS WARD BUDGETS UPDATE 142 YOUR COUNCILLORS WRITE 143 PROUD TO BE SERVING OUR PROPERTY AND LICENSING MEMBERS AND THE COMMUNITY CHESTERTONS MARKET NEWS 150 KNIGHT FRANK INSIGHT 152 LICENSING SEBRALAND 154 th LETTERS AND ABOUT SEBRA SEBRA’S 50 ANNIVERSARY AND YOUR LETTERS 156 ABOUT SEBRA 159 100 EDITIONS OF OUR MAGAZINE SEBRA NEWS W2 - AUTUMN 2020 1 INTRODUCTION From the Chairman Chairman: John Zamit London. Email: [email protected] Phone: 020 7727 6104 Mobile: 074 59954 245 Address: 2 Claremont Court, Queensway, London W2 5HX Property. SEBRA'S 50TH ANNIVERSARY Below is a cover design which we decided not to use. You will find a full s you receive this issue size version on Page 13 followed by an of SEBRA NEWS W2 we explanation of why it was not chosen. would normally have been We get it. Following it on Page 14 we feature a preparing for our AGM at the hard-hitting article on begging and rough sumptuousA Porchester Hall. Sadly, due sleeping by Roger Harding. In my opinion to COVID-19 and a second lockdown*, it is essential reading. this year's event cannot take place. This is especially disappointing because a star-studded evening was planned, at Above is a photograph of the late Sir which we would not only have celebrated Simon Milton's statue in Merchant SEBRA's 50th Anniversary, but thanked Square, which has been adorned with a all of those who have made those fifty face mask. It is both a light-hearted and years such a very special journey. powerful image which I wanted to share. Huge thanks too would have gone to our I do not know when COVID-19 will be members, without whom SEBRA would defeated, or at least not impact our daily not exist. Please accept those thanks lives, but in the meantime I wonder if our here in print instead of in person. politicians are listening. There seems to Had the AGM gone ahead I could have be a new twist or a U-turn with alarming given my already written "Oscar speech" regularity. I have fond memories 'Yes and thanked a great number of people. Prime Minster' and cannot help but think We put service at the heart of everything we do and Here I do not have the room. However, I that Dominic Cummings is a modern day stop at nothing until we deliver the result you need. cannot miss the opportunity to express Sir Humphrey Appleby. sincere gratitude to our very own John Walton. No amount of praise is too high for his fifty years of dedication to our AND FINALLY... Book a sales and lettings valuation today. members and the Bayswater community. Let us end on a happier note. 2020 has been an "annus horribilus" for just about kfh.co.uk/bayswater 100 MAGAZINES everyone, but there are many reasons There is another milestone to record to feel positive about 2021. We will with great pleasure, the publication all surely meet again in our pubs and today of our 100th issue of the restaurants, and then at our Summer magazine. At 160 pages it is by far our Garden Party and beyond. Paul Hyman Tom Foreman-Browne largest ever and it contains some special I am also confident that we will close the Sales Manager Lettings Manager pages to celebrate our fifty years. I hope year being able to enjoy Christmas and you enjoy reading it. New Year's Eve with our families, though Thanks for must go to our three main 020 7724 1222 020 7563 5090 perhaps in a limited capacity. Indeed, to [email protected] [email protected] Editors, David Brewin, Christopher paraphrase the late, great, Morecambe Tanous and, last but not least, Steve and Wise, there could well be sunshine Olive who has taken the magazine to in our smiles as we look forward to a even greater heights. brand new bright tomorrow... COVID-19 Best wishes The pandemic has affected everyone, BEGGING FOR CHANGE from young children to senior citizens and This issue praises the near completion people of all ages in between. We cannot after many years waiting of the thank our NHS enough, nor our carers, Queensway Public Realm Project. Sadly key workers and charities who have the street is still blighted by begging and helped us through this storm. rough sleeping with no solution in sight. *Some articles, in particular those from our Councillors and MPs were written before 2 www.sebra.org.uk the second lockdown was announced. KFH_SEBRA A4_Brand Ad_V4.indd 1 22/05/2019 11:48 SAFETY VALVE SAFETY VALVE "Letting off Steam" QUESTIONING THE LTN SCHEME A BR Standard Class 2 locomotive, pulling a 3 coach consist on the Fred Konings I don't know when the baseline flows were measured but they do Keighly & Worth Valley Railway. She is no 78022, one of just 65 of the Craven Hill Mews, W2 class built and saw service with British Railways from 1954 to 1966. not show the mess of standstill re you familiar with the traffic that we experience every proposal to turn the Hyde day (even in these less congested Park Estate into a car free virus-times) on Bayswater heading area? That sounds good but east from the traffic lights just East itA is fixing a self-inflicted mistake with of the Black Swan pub, nor the another self-inflicted mistake. standstill traffic heading west on And we have to suffer standstill traffic all Bayswater from Hyde Park Street day and all night as a direct result. They through to past the Victoria gate first choked off Bayswater Road, which entrance to Hyde Park. The LTN Trial Photograph by Andrew Southwell. as a result of underused bike lanes and At rush hours there is a tailback "Fixing a self-inflicted mistake". Visit: bit.ly/sebra-southwell extra traffic lights is now reduced to one of traffic on Gloucester Terrace waiting Safety lane east and west. Now they want to to get onto Lancaster Terrace which is Valve Clearly any baseline was also done choke off the 'rat runs', which are in fact clogged by the new cycle lanes and traffic before the reduction of traffic on Brook The Low Traffic Neighbourhood scheme dominates our first few pages of Safety Valve. A powerful objection letter from the only way left of getting from Marble lights. This is also not reflected in the Street to a single lane, which is already Councillor Susie Burbridge makes interesting reading, whilst regular contributor Andy Beverley offers a strong case for the Arch to SEBRALAND. baseline data. causing queuing traffic all the way back scheme. Roger Harding has written an excellent article about the ongoing problems of begging and rough sleeping, whilst Interesting that the plan acknowledges All of this data and the projections which to Westbourne Street at peak times, so further topics include cycle lanes, fly tipping, and on a marginally lighter note, problems with pigeons in Cleveland Square. spillover traffic as a result of these show minimal expected impact to all but waiting time for traffic that has to pass changes, which will create congestion on parts of Bayswater and Lancaster Terrace, around the Royal Lancaster London Praed Street and hence the need to make as well as northbound Sussex Gardens hotel on all the approach roads will be SERIOUS OBJECTIONS TO THE HYDE PARK ESTATE additional road closures for ambulances seems dubious. If traffic is increased on increased. And therefore rat-running LOW TRAFFIC NEIGHBOURHOOD (LTN) TRIAL SCHEME to access SMP. Why this spillover doesn't Lancaster Terrace and Westbourne Street, through all the residential streets outside Mark Harvey seem to have a meaningful impact for then inevitably the southbound queues the new protected traffic area of the streets more directly adjacent in their on Sussex Gardens will worsen and the Hyde Park Estate will increase to avoid now, where every single Council initiative It is a transfer of quality of life away Paddington, W2 post-implementation traffic flow forecast eastbound queues on Gloucester Terrace the worst of these bottle-necks. This is has been aimed at redirecting every from Paddington towards the Hyde s a long term resident is therefore a mystery to me.