Twıckenham Christmas Guide 2013 www.twickenhamthetown.co.uk WELCOME The time for Twickenham really is now. The town is showing a new confidence that is growing by the week. There was a big surge in 2011 with the influx of money from the Outer London Fund, and the birth of the Twickenham Town Business Association. Then there were accolades from Britain in Bloom, a council action plan and, hopefully, by the time you read this, Business Improvement District status. We owe grateful thanks to the traders and businesses who’ve helped to make the town so festive this year. We are hoping for a really bright Christmas with a host of great See ttba.org.uk events. For the first time, there will be an ice rink at York for more details House—a challenging venture by Twickenham Alive. on all Christmas Everyone in the TTBA wishes you a Merry Christmas. events, or phone Please join us at the traders’ carol service on December 17 0208 744 0474 at St Mary’s church. Thank you and SHOP LOCAL! Bruce R Lyons, Chairman, Twickenham Town Business Association WITH THANKS TO ALL OUR SUPPORTERS COVER ILLUSTRATIONS BY TOM PEARCE DRAWINGSOFTHINGS.COM TOM BY ILLUSTRATIONS COVER Editor: Simon Hemelryk Designer: Hugh Kyle Produced by Shona Lyons of Crusader Travel TWICKENHAM CHRISTMAS GUIDE 2013 Twickenham’s looking to the past for a great Christmas present TINSEL, TRADITION AND A Twirl with a strong sense of tradition running through many of the initiatives—even though most of them have only just been created. Not least among them will be the opening of the new Richmond Ice Rink (richmondrink.com) in the grounds of the York House council building. Though it will only be a temporary attraction, it has its roots in an important part of Twickenham’s past. Between 1927 and 1992, the old Richmond Ice Rink was a major landmark in the town, situated on the river between In the recent past, Christmas in Marble Hill and Richmond Bridge. It Twickenham town centre was, well, was one of the largest rinks in the a little underwhelming. There may world and attracted many famous have been a few seasonal lights in skaters, including Torvill and Dean, shops, the odd Christmas tree here and Dancing on Ice judge Karen and there, and occasional gaggles Barber. Then, amid much local of carol singers making their way opposition, it was bulldozed to through the streets, but there create luxury flats. wasn’t much collective effort. Berkley Driscoll and Teresa Read In the last few years, however, of social-enterprise body Twickenham that’s changed. Decorations, Alive have taken part in several local fairs, markets and other events history projects. Local residents have now fill the festive season, from told them time and again about their St Margaret’s all the way to the fond memories of the old facility and Green. And this Christmas how sad they were when the promised promises to be better than ever, replacement never materialised. TWICKENHAM CHRISTMAS GUIDE 2013 (main pic) the old Richmond Rink. (below) TV skating star Karen Barber with young resident Emma Armstrong at the rink in the Eighties “The rink is part of the psyche of people who grew up in the area—many people under the age of 30 would have spent time there,” says Berkley. “It was a social centre. We’ve spoken to couples who got married there, a Radio Jackie producer who DJed at the rink on Friday nights, and young adults who went to skating birthday parties as kids.” Berkley and Teresa wanted to do some- thing to harness this nostalgia—so they hit upon the idea of a Christmas rink in Twick- enham. “It felt so important to revitalise a facility that people have been missing for 20 years,” says Berkely. The temporary attraction, which opens from November 30 to January 12, will even be staffed by people who worked on the old site. “Our manager, Gary Stefan, used to play for the Richmond Flyers professional hockey team,” says Berkley. “The person who’s going to maintain the ice maintained the Richmond TWICKENHAM CHRISTMAS GUIDE 2013 TWICKENHAM CHRISTMAS GUIDE Rink ice—he now works at Slough Ice Rink. We didn’t have to advertise any jobs— word just got round about what we were doing and the former employees came forward. They’ll be taking time off from their normal jobs to help us or working in the evening.” In Twickenham town centre, one of the highlights of the festive season will be the switching on of the Christmas lights on November 22. The event, centred around the large Christmas tree outside Barclays Bank, will Christmas in Church Street feature bands from the Kneller Hall Royal Military School of Music, a children’s lantern procession down to the riverside, a Punch & Judy show and Santa’s Grotto. They’ll also be carol singing, bell ringing and other events at nearby St Mary’s church. The mayor of Richmond, Meena Bond, will be flicking the switch on the big night. She is very aware of how important such events are to the area. “They help residents to focus on their local community,” she says. “Twickenham is, in many ways, a commuter town, with people out all day. We need things that allow people to get together in a way TWICKENHAM CHRISTMAS GUIDE 2013 “Christmas events help residents get together and focus on their local MAYOR MEENA BOND community.” they might not otherwise be able to do. “Retailers get a boost, too, as people become more aware of what the town centre has to offer.” Meena will be judging the best festive retail window competi- tion—won last year by Laver- Victorian Fayre in stoke Park Farm butchers on Radnor King Street. Event organiser Gardens and Twickenham Town Business Association (TTBA) chairman Bruce are largely Victorian Lyons believes the contest inventions,” says encourages shops and pubs to Councillor Clare Head, really make an effort with their explaining the theme. “I Christmas decorations—giving think we all like to look back the town even more of a morale and to the past, to our childhoods. I financial boost. “They get the attention can certainly remember visiting of passers-by like little else,” he says. Santa in his grotto, seeing all the presents Bruce has also been instrumental in and feeling that he and his elves had been having Christmas trees placed over the working all through the winter just for me. entrances to as many shops and other The continuity of Christmas, of doing similar businesses as possible. “Last year, there were things year after year, makes people feel around 150 trees, with some 30 paid for by very grounded.” the TTBA. This year, they’ll be nearer 200— From midnight masses to luxury shopping all paid for by the businesses themselves.” evenings, there are many other events happening in and around Twickenham in Meanwhile, on December 15, Radnor Gardens November and December (see “What’s On” is hosting a Victorian-style Christmas Fayre, pages), all of which should help make featuring fairground rides, stalls, mulled Christmas feel special, no matter your age. wine, carols from the children of Radnor “I love Christmas and its traditions,” House school—and another appearance from says Meena Bond. “The time you spend Santa in another grotto! with your family. The spirt of the thing. “Christmas traditions as we know them It’s so important.” TWICKENHAM CHRISTMAS GUIDE 2013 How much do you know TWICKENHAM CHRISTMAS GUIDE about our local churches? STEEPLED IN History St Mary’s The twinkling lights in Church Street and the the special services—so much so that this winding queues outside Sandys fishmonger year we are having to arrange extra ones to are sure signs of Christmas in Twickenham. accommodate everyone.” But it is, of course, our churches that have But as you sing your heart at one of our long been at the heart of the things. local place of worship this festive season, it’s “I absolutely love Christmas,” says Rev. nice to know a little about their compelling Jeff Hopkin Williams of St Mary’s Church. histories. These are buildings that have seen “The infectious enthusiasm and excitement thousands of Christmases between them… of our children in their plays and carol services; the imaginative decorations around St Mary’s, Church Street the area; the way our church is packed for The earliest record for a vicar at St Mary’s TWICKENHAM CHRISTMAS GUIDE 2013 comes from the 13th century, but it is believed the original church pre-dates even that. The medieval tower is all that remains of those earliest days, as the rest of the building collapsed in 1713 due to neglect and the digging of vaults. Locals paid for Whitton’s Sir Godfrey Kneller, churchwarden and painter, to build the red brick nave and interior that you can see today. Stained glass once filled the win- dows but was destroyed by bombs in 1944. All Hallows, Chertsey Road It may now nestle next to the thoroughly All Hallows modern A316, but this church dates back to Saxon times. The original All Hallows, in The City of London, was rebuilt twice before succumbing to the Great Fire. A new church was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and built between 1686 and 1694. As the City grew into a business centre, fewer people attended All Hallows, and once structural problems were found, it was demolished. The bell tower, however, was transferred stone by stone to Twickenham. In 1939, the Bishop of London laid a founda- tion stone, and a new church on the new site was opened in 1940.