July/August 2018 HOLIDAYS NOTABLE NEIGHBOURS IN THE MIX Things To Do and Places To Go Whose on a blue plaque near you? New Fusion Cooking at The Gojk Keeping Life Local thecourt Murder, Kidnap & Burglary… just another evening in Barkston Gardens hieves, villains, undertakers, pickpockets, unlikely coincidences, and some glorious Tshowtunes; for four glorious midsummer nights the Earls Courtiers brought Oliver! to life beneath the giant beech trees of Barkston gardens. The huge cast, drawn from around the area with a hoard of urchins from local schools, gave their all to belt out the classic songs, dancing and weaving and dodging artfully as dusk fell. From the crew to the lead characters, all volunteers, everyone pulled together to make this mammoth production seamless, demonstrating spellbinding enthusiasm Sikes, brilliantly milked the hisses of the crowd with a stark contrast to the green of the garden and at and some exceptional talent. the wicked glare of a classic Victorian melodrama times there was even some Victorian dry ice fog. Not least was Skandar Pavlsen playing the role villain. Even he, though, was no match for Barkston Organising costumes and props, Inge Marks did of Oliver himself, confidently channeling that same Gardens’ “No Dogs” rule and entered without his an epic job along with Musical Director Sharon wide-eyed innocence and clear-but-fragile voice that faithful Bulls-Eye. Mr Bumble, the head of the Nassauer. Mark Lester achieved in Carol Reed’s famous film of workhouse, was played with a delightful vivacity It’s a tribute to Director, Producer and Fagin, Toby the musical. Celia Badrichani, as his friend the Artful by Malcolm Connell who supplied a fantastically Brown that not only could he dance and sing his way Dodger, showed strength in voice and a mischievous sonorous “MORE?”. through a magnetic performance as the miserly gang twinkle in her eye. Nancy, played by Abigail Jones, The many children of the cast showed fearless leader but that he inspired so many to give their time, ably held the emotional centre of the story and kept stage craft, hitting their marks, singing at the tops skills, voices and dance steps to an unforgettable, all the audience enchanted with a graceful voice that of their voices and generally seeming to enjoy every too brief, show. carried all the way to the Earls Court Road. With his minute. The set, a hard stone wall to remind us As Oliver put it, “Please Sir, can I have some tall hat and kholed eyes, Ken Thomson playing Bill how urban and enclosed all the characters are, was more.” Doctors Surgery Set To Close The Redcliffe Surgery is preparing their doctors. Others have pointed the freehold property, along with a to move away from the Earls Court out that, under current plans, all former partner. area. One of the largest GP practices these things will still be on offer at “It would be a real shame,” said in the borough, with approximately the Violet Melchett Clinic without the one patient, “if we had to trek all the 17,000 registered patients, it is set Practice moving there. way to the Kings Road just to see to move one and a half miles away Earls Court Councillor Linda the doctor. That’s twenty minutes to the Violet Melchett Health Centre Wade has begun an online petition walking and a tube ride for me. in Chelsea. The practice has been asking RBKC “to work with NHS And that’s when I’m feeling healthy. looking after the residents of Earl’s England and the principle partners Imagine having to do that when Court, Redcliffe and Courtfield of the Redcliffe Surgery to develop a you’re feeling rotten?” wards for decades and many strategic plan to continue to deliver Patients concerned about the patients are concerned about losing high quality health services in the move are encouraged to talk such a valuable local service. Earl’s Court area.” to the surgery. “We are strongly The principle partners of the cardiology and respiratory tests, One of the primary reasons for the committed,” say the Redcliffe Redcliffe Surgery issued a statement specialist nurses, social workers, move, according to the partners, is partners, “to talking and listening saying “there are significant benefits dementia services/memory clinic, that “the property at Redcliffe Street to patients about our services and for our patients in moving to Violet and mental health support.” is subject to a commercial lease plan to engage patients fully so that Melchett. These include giving our Patients however have voiced arrangement that has lapsed and everyone has the opportunity to let patients access to a wider range concerns that, after the move, long-term renewal is not an option.” us know how they feel.” of healthcare services, not all of access to their GPs will require However, according to the land Patients can also sign Councillor which we currently provide on-site, travelling a long distance making it registry, two of the current partners Wade’s online petition at: goo.gl/ including physiotherapy, dieticians, harder for the elderly or infirm to see are the “Registered Owners.” of t9GmDy thecourt To view The Court online go to An Earl’s Court Community Trust publication [email protected] www.thecourt.london & Facebook at Supported by Earls Court Partnership Limited Produced by: www.facebook.com/welovethecourt the joint venture between Capital & Counties and Transport for London which will bring forward the first phases of the Earls Court Masterplan THE COURT COMMUNITY Keeping Life Local 2 Bee Helpful Speaking Cuisine this Summer enough to see the BY SHARON ROBINSON If you were lucky wonderful photography exhibition, by local Nothing goes together quite like French and photographer Sarah Cheesbrough on bees at food. If you want to improve your French, but don’t the Brompton Cemetery chapel gallery in June, fancy returning to a desk in a dull classroom, if you you might have been spurred into action to do always fancied adding a bit of je ne sais quoi to your something to save this important insect now culinary skills, then Cook and Speak, a small local under threat. business, could be just right for you. Cécile Della How can we help bees in a concrete city one Torre welcomes groups of up to six guests to her might ask? The delicious honey produced by Earl’s Court home where you participate in a themed local honey producers and available at the Bute French conversation lesson and then make a meal Street farmers’ market testifies that, given half a together. kitchen. She is a wonderful and engaging host and chance, bees love the city. Cécile sends you a bit of homework and a teacher and I absolutely loved participating in all of Local Bousfield School is having success with vocabulary list to help you prepare. After an hour of her very well prepared sessions in French food and its beehives. Our flowering trees, bushes and guided conversation, everyone moves to the kitchen culture.” plants are the bees’ playground where they do where all the ingredients are laid out for the group to “Cécile’s friendly smiles,” said Fiona, another their vital work spreading pollen. A walk through prepare a delicious meal to eat together all the time Cook and Speak graduate, “and great patience the wildflower areas of Brompton Cemetery, speaking French. with me (a Scottish woman trying to remember our local ‘pollinator paradise’, is a joy. Four hours later, you will find you’ve improved schoolgirl French) made for a very, very satisfying Websites such as the London Wildlife your French immeasurably and without really few hours. The subjects we discussed were always so Trust and Urban Bees provides lots of ideas noticing, prepared and eaten a lovely meal together, interesting and relevant, and the recipes we cooked about appropriate flowers we can plant and and made some new friends. delicious, I still use most of them at home in my own encourage. Blue, purple, violet and white are Caroline, one of Cécile’s students, was delighted kitchen!” bees’ favourite colours. with her lesson. “It was great fun. I loved working You too can have a go at speaking and cooking as This summer, launch your own ‘pollinator with my group and preparing, cooking and enjoying only the French know how. paradise’, in your garden, patio or window boxes all the new recipes from the course in Cécile’s own w: cookandspeak.com and help increase our local bee population. Celebrating our 50th Anniversary... tlc, your local family firm of Sales, Lettings and Management Agents. Toby Brown Samantha Hossack Jamie Coronna FNAEA/AssocRICS MARLA MARLA 020 7370 4000 [email protected] | [email protected] www.tlclondon.com 8 Hogarth Place, 249 Old Brompton Road, & 1st floor, 189-193 Earls Court Road 3 thecourt Family Holiday Fun Things To Do Summertime and the feeling’s James Park and then there are cycle far from easy. What the paths and bus lanes all the way to heck do you do with the kids Regents Park and then back again. mooching about for the long Take a picnic and see some of London’s holiday stuck in the middle greatest public spectacles, maybe of the city? Fear not The even take in the National Gallery or Court has found some fun the Changing of the Guard, colourful, adventures and things to do musical marching pomp, 11am every which won’t break the bank. day. w: tfl.gov.uk/modes/cycling/santander- cycles BATTERSEA ZOO Kids Age-o-meter: 0-10 Kids: £7.50 Adults: £9.50 Family Ticket (2+2): £31 Are your kids animal crazy? Do they want to get up close with furry mammals or be hypnotised by deadly reptiles? Smaller, less crowded, more intimate and far cheaper than London Zoo in Regents Park, Battersea Zoo 15 & 18 AUG - Cotton Top Tamarin it’s very own geocache.