Forum Topics

London Rivers Week 2025:  So you thought there was only one?

Browse the calendar of events to see what is going on and whether you would like to join in anything that is.  It may inspire you to do something different.  If an event is sold out then you can always ask to subscribe so that you are notified by Thames 21 or any other organisation of further events. https://www.thames21.org.uk/events/

Philippa Bond ● 5d0 Comments ● 5d

Our water bills

I have just received my new water bill - just over £46 last time - now £113 . 75 this time - how do people pay this now- I’m really astounded.  Unbelievable…

Helen Bamberger ● 6d16 Comments ● 5d

Delivery to Andrea Skeete

We had a box delivered last night addressed to Andrea Skeete. Can't seem to find her on socials or a quick google.  Would rather not have to arrange to send a parcel back to seller.Guessing Andrea accidentally clicked the wrong address from a dropdown. who knows! but if you know someone by that name in Chiswick, please get in touch.Thanks.

Sarah Watts ● 5d1 Comments ● 5d

Chiswick Station Footbridge

It would be very helpful to have a gulley for bikes fitted alongside the steps on this footbridge - can't be very expensive. Could you give me the email of National Rail's repairs Department, please? Would it be worth starting a petition?

Moyra Ashford ● 8d6 Comments ● 5d

'Westminister'

Anyon know where or what that is?

Keith Iddon ● 6d9 Comments ● 5d

Marks and Spencer to Close for Several Months

I was holding back what I know, but since it's on the front pageI'll post the dates ive been given.It will close on 14th June and is expected to open on 16th November.I'm informed that a cafe will be incorporated above but it will be a foodhall and nothing else just bigger and likely more open

Julian Pavey ● 15d12 Comments ● 5d

Garage Rental

Does anyone know the going rate for garage rental in Chiswick or thereabouts?

Richard Harrison ● 5d0 Comments ● 5d

All The Best, Gary Lineker

Yes, what you did was stupid and caused offence, Gary, but you were an incredible footballer, have been a great host over the years and have used your position to help some of those without voices - especially refugees. For this, well done. You also had the decency to own up to your silly mistake and apologise. Something many people in privileged positions all over the world never do. Anyone who annoys Fascist Farage and Stupid Suella is clearly a very, very good person who cares about people. Shame about the way it all ended, but best of luck to you, sir!

Dave Mannisa ● 14d64 Comments ● 6d

French Government Urges Every Citizen to Keep a Survival Pack at Home..

The British Government suggested the same not long ago. Do as they say, folks - keep a week's supply of bottled water and tinned food stashed away. They know what they're plotting but you don't..

Michael Brown ● 33d10 Comments ● 6d

National Infrastructure Crises

There is another crisis highlighted here:https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn055462jy1o  Planning permission has been given for over a hundred homes but there is no sewage capacity at the STW.An increased use of water in many homes is just the start of it.

Philippa Bond ● 6d0 Comments ● 6d

Baycroft House,Sutton Court Road

These flats were built for the over 55s. Today I saw some young people going in with suitcases, and have found that it is listed on Booking.com and Air b and b. Surely this is a change of use?

Iris Hill ● 9d8 Comments ● 6d

Am I an old fuddy  duddy

There are many conversations about standards dropping . But quite honestly some adverts are too much:- spraying your marbles, red liquid on sanitary pads now a child farting in the classroom . Is there no place for dignity ?

Maureen Yakoubi ● 16d27 Comments ● 7d

Resident Parking Permit

Ours has doubled from £70 to £140! Yet we cant seem to find anywhere to park lately!(Please dont ask me to cycle its raining outside all weekend)

John Bird ● 10d9 Comments ● 8d

Lucy Connolly - keep her in jail

Anyone who listens to fake news, then tweets that hotels should be burned down clearly should be jailed.The fact that Dipstick Of The Decade, Toby Young, supports her is additional proof that she is an idiot of the highest order.

Dave Mannisa ● 8d1 Comments ● 8d

Alison Moyet tickets - Kew the Music

We have 2 tickets to sell for the enclosure. Pm me on roy.reeswilliams@btinternet.com for more details.Thank you.R.

R Rees Williams ● 8d0 Comments ● 8d

Can the Council compel a defunct business to clean up?

Does anyone know if a council (Ealing, in this case) can compel a defunct business to clean up its derelict and decaying property? This relates to Sparrow Cafe on Acton Lane (W4) - it's been derelict as long as I've lived here (4 yrs ish) and it's just a dumping ground (couldn't attach a photo but streetview link hopefully works - it looks worse since this photo was taken). We might not be the nicest street in W4 but this doesn't help. Any info or suggestions gratefully received - thanks! https://www.instantstreetview.com/@51.499571,-0.264611,100.18h,-4.43p,1z,MlNfBYElFLdsLJEMXYlmEg

Jen Thorndycraft ● 9d8 Comments ● 8d

Windchimes

I live in Devonshire Road, near the roundabout end. Somebody in this area  has recently put windchimes in their garden. This is a terraced area and not everyone wants to hear this noise during the night.Please be more considerate to others in this area and remove them as I was kept awake all night by their noise. Having recently had major surgery I need my sleep.Thankyou

Patricia Ann Sears ● 8d1 Comments ● 8d

Brendan Connolly

It takes a special sort of genius to run a pub well and there is no doubting that Brendan Connolly had this in spades. He wasn't the big character that some publicans seem to feel they have to be but his quietly spoken demeanour created an atmosphere that attracted an amazingly diverse crowd both in terms of age and origin.  I'm not a chatty person and normally avoid engaging with others in a pub but there was something about being in Connolly's that made you feel it was fine to get to know other patrons. It could be raucous but there was never any tension. I gone there to support teams that ended up losing but left happy. The cèilidh were a Chiswick institution and will be much missed. I remember one time meeting a bunch of Catalan students who had come specifically to the pub on a Friday night having heard how good the music was. One time I wandered in not knowing that an Army vs Navy match had taken place at Twickenham. Any problem with British military personnel in an Irish pub? Not a bit of it — it was a truly magnificent evening. This kind of environment doesn't just happen, it needs a guiding hand to flourish and that doesn't necessarily come without a price. I know Brendan was assaulted when trying to keep the place safe for his customers and that, combined with the huge challenges of making a living out of running a pub these days, led to him considering walking away. Someone has big shoes to fill. RIP Brendan.

Andrew OSullivan ● 12d3 Comments ● 8d

Singapore government makes 'vaccines' mandatory..

..following a visit by Bill Gates. Anyone that refuses a 'vaccine' mandated by the government will face a hefty fine, jail time or both.Meanwhile, people around the world continue to die as a result of taking the Covid 'vaccine'..

Michael Brown ● 14d19 Comments ● 9d

Has the White Company decided against opening?

Does anyone know if the white company is still going ahead with opening a store at the old rock and rose site? Work seemed to have begun a month ago, and now nothing? Doesn’t look very promising…

Lucy Halliwell ● 15d9 Comments ● 9d

Full structural survey

I am looking for a full structural survey to be done on a potential house purchase in Chiswick. Does anyone have any suggestions of a local firm/ person please?

Margot Crowther ● 9d0 Comments ● 9d

An Evening with Annabelle Croft in aid of The Upper Room  Thurs May 22

The final event in the series is coming up and will be @ St Michael & All Angels this coming Thursday May 22.We've managed to get to a couple of these talks this year and over past years and can say that we have enjoyed them all - and its even better when we know that these are all in aid of a good cause.I hadn't realised until I read the blurb that Annabelle Croft had herself spent some time living on the streets...  so she must have seen and experienced and learned of some of what the homeless experience.  Do also take a look at the rest of The Upper Room's website to see what they do.  They also have a wish list of the items they are short of so if you can help out with any of those or offer anything else do get in touch with them.https://theupperroom.org.uk/news-and-events/   

Philippa Bond ● 18d4 Comments ● 11d

Where to get Stamps.. while post office is shut.

With the prolonged closure of the Post Office, where can I buy stamps.Waterstones was out of them. The other bookshop didn’t have them. Nor Tesco. So I had to traipse down to. WH Smith, also under threat. It was only a birthday card but it was a fairly frustrating walk up and down the High Street.A couple of shops directed me to the Post office! So which shops reliably sell stamps in Chiswick? I assume that ultimately Sainsburys or Rymans will provide facilities if the Post Office stays shut.

Jackie Elton ● 14d7 Comments ● 12d

Ear wax removal

Can anyone recommend any of the ear wax removal services (syringing, microsuction etc) in the area please? I was hoping to get it done on the NHS at my GP surgery, but it is no longer offered, and looking at some websites, the difference in prices seems to be enormous, with some charging a small fortune just to check if it's even necessary, before making further charges for each ear. As we hear so much about unqualified and rogue medical practitioners, I'd preferably like someone who knows what they're doing, who will make things better rather than far worse, and won't try to flog me expensive hearing aids in the process (which I don't believe I need!). Thanks in anticipation!

Richard Evans ● 14d7 Comments ● 12d

Beware Chiswick Property Developer.

Sadly, Kam or Kambiz Babaee, the well-known TV personality billionaire property developer has been made bankrupt.  It has been published in The Gazette Notice ID: 4554512 – He is local to Chiswick. I hope he doesn’t owe anyone on this forum any money or is working on your property.

Jenny James ● 463d12 Comments ● 12d

Please object today to increase in height of Hogarth roundabout IMG redevelopment 

Urgent: object today Friday if you don’t want Hounslow Council to allow our beloved views of St Nicholas Church and Chiswick’s riverside to be ruined by giving planning permission to a 10 floor building on Hogarth Roundabout. Please help to save this cherished corner of West London…👉Please comment on Hounslow’s planning portal here https://planningandbuilding.hounslow.gov.uk/NECSWS/ES/Presentation/Planning/OnlinePlanning/AddApplicationComment?applicationNumber=P%2F2024%2F2610 (BTW don’t use paragraph returns in your comments - their system won’t allow it) 👉 Or easier still, email your views to Planning.objections@hounslow.gov.uk. The deadline is today Friday 25 April 2025.The background: The old IMG building at 1 Burlington Lane on Hogarth Roundabout has been empty, sad and dilapidated for a long time and we need new housing but the proposed 6 and 10 storey building which Hounslow Council’s planning officer is recommending for approval is totally out of scale to this residential area. The developer Jaysam Contractor Ltd already has planning permission to build 106 flats on 6 floors but is now asking to add 4 new floors. Only 6 of the units of the 132 will be affordable!As you can see in the picture above, the block will loom over the historic views and quaint streetscapes of St Nicholas Church, the many Listed buildings on Chiswick Mall, Church Street, Hogarth’s House museum, Chiswick House, the Lamb and Breweries, the streets of the Glebe Estate, the gentle recent development at Chiswick Gate behind the IMG (an example of a new development which respects the scale of our area).  Many of you who love walking along the Thames Path will know the famous views of Old Chiswick from across the river from Barnes towpath shown in below in print and more recently. If you love Chiswick riverside and are concerned about the impact of this proposal, please help by commenting to Hounslow. Many thanks!Sophie

Sophie Sainty ● 38d10 Comments ● 12d

Chiswick Park Station

I feel Chiswick Park station is slightly unusual since we lack  safety intercoms from the  supplier of the online safety intercom systems which passengers should be able to operate on either platform by pressing a red or blue button for information or emergency.The staff however remain very helpful which is greatly appreciated.All of the network I believe have these safety buttons on every platform.Turnham Green has plenty safety buttons but Chiswick Park only has one I believe near the ground floor ticket office.I  also feel passengers would feel much safer if they knew they could easily access an emergency button on either platform  and we need to avoid a major incident occurring and not being reported quickly enough

Tony Antares ● 259d23 Comments ● 12d

Recommendation to post small parcrls

The dilemma with the post office CHR …..Please, Can anyone recommend a good place in Chiswick (!) where I also get a tracking number?Mail Box CHR charged me for a letter recorded plus tracking £18.—. I  almost fainted. 

Katja Urban ● 14d11 Comments ● 12d

Architect recommendations

Hello, can anyone recommend a good, local architect please? Straightforward job - kitchen side return and conversion of a garage to a garden room - so hoping to find someone competent yet reasonable in terms of cost. Many thanks!

Rachel Bliss ● 13d1 Comments ● 12d

Costume designer

Does anyone know of a costume designer who could help design some witches' costumes for a ski race in January?

Andrzej Kowalski ● 18d4 Comments ● 13d

Preservation of Chiswick Trees

Noticed today that the local authority has plans to remove a tree on Grove Park Gardens - photos in attached links:https://ibb.co/Z6DcbDRFhttps://ibb.co/V0zf7sVMI think it's fair to say that Grove Park Gardens - along with many parts of Grove Park and the Chiswick wider area - very much enjoy(s) its/their trees. Not to mention the local fauna.Furthermore, in more recent times, the trees help to obscure from view many of the new constructions at Kew Bridge.Is there anything we are able to do to ensure long-term preservation of these trees?Surely there are more-optimum means of attending to tree root issues (i.e. a little adjustment, rather than removal of the entire tree).

Charles Vessey ● 14d4 Comments ● 13d

M and s again

It was Tuesday - in Hammersmith- yes I arrived at 10 am- early but all the things I needed to buy were out of date today or tomorrow- some of them were out of date yesterday- this is not good and people should realise this is totally out of order. Please put these things with a longer finish date on the shelves - some people do not have other people living with them… even at the back they were the same .

Helen Bamberger ● 20d14 Comments ● 13d

Picture Framer

Now that the wonderful Derek in Barnes has retired, does anyone know of a good picture framer locally?

Andrzej Kowalski ● 18d6 Comments ● 14d

Sir Keir Starmer MP

This man of many pseudonyms, Free Gear, Never here, Two tier, has this week flip-flopped his stance on immigration, imitating Nigel Farage on the damage this uncontrolled invasion is doing to our country. How he must regret scrapping the Rwanda deterrent.His falling in the polls is so steep he really had no option but to change his tune on "Smashing the Gangs" and "Stopping the Boats", two futile slogans his tepid Home secretary aped.Our PM has only two true beliefs, a fact the general public are now beginning to realize:He sits at the alter of the Court of Human Rights (but not necessary victims rights) and Arsenal Football Club.

Denis I. Fox ● 18d13 Comments ● 14d

Trade War on Chiswick High Road

If you haven't already realised that giving your custom to local owned businesses gives you a better experience, is better for the national economy and helps bring in more tax, then now is perhaps the time to take a close look at where you shop.There are better alternatives to Starbucks, KFC, Five Guys and Chipotle. There is every reason to avoid ordering through Deliveroo and Uber Eats and if you use ride hire Estonian owned Bolt is cheaper than Uber.On the other side of the coin, if there are Canadian and Mexican businesses we can support please post here.

Anita Blake ● 119d74 Comments ● 15d

Chiswick Post Office closed - why?

Does anyone know why the Chiswick Post Office is closed?It said on the door "due to unforseen circumstances..."I was there 2 days ago when it was busy and open.

Gary Malcolm ● 30d34 Comments ● 15d

Missing cat - Beaumont  Road

A young burmese cat has gone missing she is an indoor cat so doesnt know the area and is quite timid will post a photo when i work it out

Amanda burden ● 38d4 Comments ● 15d

Poundland closure date confirmed

I just walked past the Poundland store and Chiswick's worst kept secret is now confirmed. The store is shutting on 28 May. Very sad to see this happen. There is coverage currently on the front page.

Anita Blake ● 21d7 Comments ● 15d

Just a bus stop in Hounslow

Great last night to see often derided QPR's under 21 side turn over the Bees similar string at Loftus Road in the Premier Cup final. Contrary to some people's beliefs, Rs fans do not have a hatred of their out of London neighbours. That is generated by the half wit who does the match announcements at the GTECH and who will only refer to us a ''today's visitors''. No such problem last night as Brentford was mentioned as they should be given their recent success in the Premiership.

peter king ● 17d8 Comments ● 16d