Member News

Civic Voice, the national body representing civic societies including the Kingston Society, a period of rebuilding, with new charitable objects, a revised mission and a new set of values. The organisation is now explicitly volunteer-led and has adopted a new mission: Read more »

Barely five years after Mayor Khan’s current London Plan came into force, he’s consulting on a new one. The good news is that it will be a lot slimmer than the present version. The bad news for Barnet is that he’s upping his target for new homes in our borough, and he’s identified places in the Green Belt where some of them could be built. The post Mayor Khan’s proposed London Plan puts pressure on… Read more »

Discover Tolworth’s lost world of estates, East India fortunes, royal connections and remarkable characters, as Dr David Kennedy reveals the hidden history behind Tolworth Hall and the surviving Apple Store. Read more »

The next Committee Meeting of The St. John’s Society is to be held in the upstairs function room at The Brookmill at 8pm on Tuesday 18th August. Agenda can be read and downloaded here – St Johns Society Meeting Agenda – 18 Aug 2026  The meeting is open and all are welcome to join. The post St John’s Society Committee Meeting – August 2026 Agenda appeared first on The St Johns Society. Read more »

189 260726 Summer 26 The post 189 Summer 2026 appeared first on Strawberry Hill Residents' Association. Read more »

There are several planned road closures in the coming weeks affecting Druid Street. Crucifix Lane and Bermondsey Street: from 18 August until February 2027 at some times between 10pm and 5am – no traffic under the viaduct at Bermondsey Street or on Druid Street between Tower Bridge Road and Barnham Street. Marshalls will provide access for pedestrians, cyclists and local residents’ vehicles. At the relevant times, all traffic will be allowed to move northward on… Read more »

Distant Shores, at the Eames Fine Art Gallery from Thursday 20 August, brings together a beautiful new collection of original paintings and monotypes by New Zealand artist Hamish Macaulay. His work is inspired by the ever-changing skies and coastlines of the Kāpiti Coast in New Zealand. Hamish captures those fleeting moments when sea, sky and light become one. His imagined horizons, radiant turquoise waters, glowing twilight skies and delicate metallic highlights create paintings that feel calm,… Read more »

Cast members are going through their storylines before rehearsals start in September at The Bull Theatre for a new play which aims to portray the life and times of the townspeople of Barnet during the Second World War. The post Family stories of life in Barnet during Second World War brought back to life in autumn production at The Bull Theatre appeared first on The Barnet Society. Read more »

The Society, together with Gentleman’s Row, River View and Holly Walk Residents’ Group have been responsible for the Chase Green sundial and water-feature being planted up this Spring. Installed for the millennium, the water-feature stopped some time ago and the Council has no funds to have it repaired. But the... Continue reading Read more »

'This Government Consultation, which closes on September 1, proposes amendments to the framework of the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS) that, most relevant to the Old Chiswick Conservation Area, consists of the creation of the Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement (HENPS) . It invites comments from all members of the public, and consists of 12 questions, most of which we endeavoured to answer.The draft HENPS contains amendments and defines the scope of the proposed Heathrow… Read more »

Orion Park - Proposed Section 73 material amendment application read more Read more »

To be known as the Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement.Many London civic societies will have concerns about various aspects of the Heathrow expansion proposals on which the government is currently consulting, including aircraft noise, local air pollution, impacts on road congestion and many more. In the Putney Society our greatest concerns relate to aircraft noise impacts, which could well affect a wide area of London, either through more intensive use of existing flightpaths, with shorter… Read more »

The Society has been closely monitoring the serious water leak at the junction of Church Road and Sheen Road (9-11 August). It seems to have been caused by contractors during […] Read more »

The Battersea Society objects to this application to extend for a further period of two years the temporary permission granted in August 2024 (2024/1994). Our objection is on three main grounds, which were set out in the officers’ report that recommended refusal of the 2017 application, in our objection to the application for a new kiosk submitted in 2023, and in our objection to the application for a temporary extension in2024. Those grounds still stand.First,… Read more »

The Battersea Society objects to this application for four town houses on the site adjacent to Creative House within the Battersea Park Conservation Area. While we accept there are legal issues relating to leases on Creative House we consider that in planning terms it would be far preferable for the entire corner site to be redeveloped as a comprehensive scheme, given its significant location as an entry point to both the Battersea Park Conservation Area… Read more »

1. Additional height and increased massing The application seeks additional height and alterations to the massing and footprint of buildings within the Detailed Element beyond what was originally approved, representing a material change to a scheme that was only granted detailed permission in December 2023. Increased height and bulk risk harm to the character and appearance of the area, loss of light and outlook for neighbouring occupiers, and an increase in the visual dominance of… Read more »

The tree planted by the Lee Manor Society in Manor House Gardens in memory of the former Chairman Ralph White is no more. Friends and colleagues gathered barely a month ago for the formal unveiling of the tree and accompanying plaque. It appears the top branch of the tree had been completely broken off, possibly a result of vandalism. Please let us know if you saw anything over the last couple of days. Despite regular… Read more »

The Lord Northbrook pub must surely have set a new record for advertising Christmas bookings during the mid-August heatwave! Have you seen any other local examples of early-onset Yuletide advertising? Post a comment below or send a photo to leemanorsociety@gmail.com Read more »

Last Updated on 8 August 2026 With record heat waves increasingly becoming the norm, the question on how to remain cool has become a serious health challenge for many. The adoption of air conditioning remains controversial in Europe, as it conflicts with net zero goals, and is not an affordable option for all. Design of cities crucial However, the design of our cities can significantly influence the temperature and quality of life. The automobile in… Read more »

Our newsletter starts with a summary of the main points contained in the Inspector’s letter to the Council after the Local Plan Hearings last year. Following the change of Administration in the May Local Election there is a report of the first meeting with the new Leader of Enfieid Council... Continue reading Read more »

Last Updated on 6 August 2026 Climate change becoming ever more visible This summer could see the strongest El Niño weather pattern to date, characterised by record heat, droughts and forest fires across the Northern Hemisphere with severe impacts on agriculture and on a significant portion of the global population. During the May and June heatwaves alone, France and the UK recorded around 6,000 and 2,900 excess deaths respectively. According to the World Meteorological Organisation,… Read more »

Make a note in your diary for three weeks’ time. 📢 A special community screening: The People’s Emergency Briefing #PEBuk, Wednesday 26th August at The Brookmill. What’s happening with climate and nature, and what does it mean for everyday life in the UK? Join us for a screening of the People’s Emergency Briefing – an eye-opening 50-minute film bringing together nine leading UK scientists and experts with the latest evidence and why it matters for… Read more »

Guest blog post by Emma Anthony, Archivist, Wandsworth Libraries and Heritage Service Email Heritage When I was sixteen, an intriguing witchy-cum-new-age shop opened in my hometown of Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland.  This was in 2002 - a couple of years after the release of the teen witchcraft movie, ‘the Craft’, so you can imagine on opening this shop had a huge clientele of disaffected teenage girls, and I was certainly among their number. It was… Read more »

On Sunday, a fire severely damaged the back part and garden of Kynd Cafe on Newlands Park. Read more »

With the recent prolonged heatwaves and torrential winter rainstorms causing local flooding, plus the catastrophic global fires and floods, we are all beginning to acknowledge the climate is changing and we are going to have to adapt to survive.Whilst large scale changes are needed across nations and regions, what can we do for our own homes?There is a growing body of information to help us, starting with effective, yet simple benefits such as draftproofing, proper… Read more »

Diane Silverthorne, BelSoc Committee member writes:The Freud Museum, at 20 Maresfield Gardens, Hampstead, is celebrating its fortieth anniversary with an exhibition that tells the story of the museum, the history of psychoanalysis and exiled family life through forty objects. The exhibition, ‘40 Objects, 40 Years’, will open on the 19 August.Each object, some of which have lain hidden from sight in the Museum’s attic spaces, will be shown for the first time. Various significant figures,… Read more »

By Elaine Michel, Open Spaces committee member and Society trustee The London base of horticultural therapy charity Thrive is right here in Battersea Park; in July I went there to interview Regional Centre Manager Cathy Graham about its work. Thrive’s plant kiosk outside its main office in Battersea Park. All photos © Elaine Michel. Q: Please introduce Thrive to our readers.A: Thrive was set up over 40 years ago. We use horticultural therapy, or Social… Read more »

We agree with comments on social media about the poor cleanliness of the pavements in central Richmond.. Things may have been made worse by the lack of rain, but this […] Read more »

Organised jointly by Lambeth Archives and the Lambeth Local History Forum, and now in its fourteenth year, the Lambeth Heritage Festival takes place at different venues across Lambeth throughout September and this year it offers over 80 events and activities, each with the shared aim of celebrating thehistory and heritage of our borough. The brochure containing the programme for the 2026 Lambeth Heritage Festival has now been published and printed copies will be available shortly… Read more »

It’s that time of year again when we announce the AUGUST SPECIAL OFFERS from some of our local Business Members: Amit Soda amitsodha@actioncoach.com Multi award winning business coach Amit is offering local business owners 2 weeks complimentary business coaching.  Simply fill out this link  or contact Amit. Spaces limited so “first come, first served!” Express Mobile vagabonds50@gmail.com Free virus check on mobile phones during August. FMS Mobility info@fmsmobilitycentres.com 10% off hire wheelchairs subject to availability. Forum Insurance niraj@foruminsurance.com… Read more »

We have now received a letter from Cllr. Elizabeth Campbell, Leader of RBKC clarifying the Council’s planning policies relating to Chelsea Reach and Cadogan Pier Click here to read   Letter from Cllr Campbell 29.7.26 The Chelsea Society has been working for nearly ten years to preserve the amenities of Chelsea’s riverside at Chelsea Reach and Cadogan Pier. Along the River Thames and other rivers and canals people have made their homes on boats. Some people… Read more »

The Westcombe Society Environment Committee try to look at all planning applications in Westcombe Park.  We also look at applications that might be relevant to our residents (e.g. those that affect local transport, those that affect Greenwich Park and the World Heritage Site and those that affect views from Westcombe Park).  We comment when we have concerns. We hope in future to keep a list of local applications here.  Clicking on the links within the… Read more »

The Westcombe Society Planning and Environment Committee keep an eye on Planning Appeals in the area. Details of appeals can be found by searching the Planning Inspectorate Website on https://acp.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/CaseSearch.aspx   Current Planning Appeals   Construction of a single-storey rear extension, associated external alterations and all associate… 125 COLERAINE ROAD, BLACKHEATH, LONDON, SE3 7NT Ref. No: 6002600 | Received: Mon 15 Dec 2025 | Status: Appeal Received Fell Ash tree located in the front/side of the house where the… Read more »

Wednesday 16th September 2026 7.00 for 7.30 pm 10A South Grove N6 6BS and on Zoom Entry £7.50 including a glass of wine (£3.00 on Zoom) For details and booking click More Read more »

Ealing Civic Society was invited to speak at the Cinema in Bloom festival, run by Ealing Flower Club. It was a highly praised, three-day (16-18 July 2026) floral extravaganza. Held at St Barnabas Church in Pitshanger Lane, it celebrated both the church’s 110th anniversary and Ealing’s rich cinema history with over 30 movie-themed floral displays. Each of the displays used flowers to explore Ealing produced films or films with a connection to Ealing. This theme… Read more »

The AGM of The Chelsea Society will be held in the Great Hall at Chelsea Old Town Hall on Monday 16th November 2026 at 6pm .. The post AGM appeared first on The Chelsea Society. Read more »

1. Haringey Parks Department – GeneralThe Association has emailed Chris Cavalier, as it has not heard anything back from him since the walk around with Cllr Cathy Brennan on Monday 9 February 2026. He had promised to send an “improvement plan” for Muswell Hill. If no reply is received during the summer, this will be... Read more »

Santander Bank 105 -111 Muswell Hill Broadway. (HGY/2026/0838) The proposed upgrade of the premises includes the installation of a 46-inch digital merchandising tv display screen in the window. This would be switched on permanently and would show marketing slides to passers by with the slides changing every 30 seconds. We sent a comment to state... Read more »

A traffic-free  Sydenham Station Approach paid host to the first Night Market last Friday. Read more »

Jenny Sheridan ©Mark Hodgkinson 2026 On the evening of Thursday 16 July the Battersea Society held its annual summer party. With a backdrop of the beautiful Georgian St Mary’s Church, and a high tide on the river, the evening was set fair.The weather was delightfully warm after a stifling week of heatwave. As the evening drew on, the beginnings of a rosy sunset lit the crowd of 120 happy Society members and their friends as… Read more »

See our new photo gallery on this website of images taken around the Highgate area. We hope to add to this album as time goes by as well as create additional albums. Another that is planned will feature events in Highgate.  Read more »

Following the local elections in May 2026, Lewisham Council's Planning Committees were reconstituted and a new meeting timetable was published.Earlier this week, we were advised that the Blackheath Station Car Park planning application will not be considered at the Planning Committee B meeting on 12 August.We are now awaiting confirmation of which Planning Committee will next consider the application. Although it was originally heard by Planning Committee B in January, the application must now pass through the Council's committee scheduling… Read more »

The Society has submitted comments to replace those submitted in January 2026; they have been prepared following consideration of the documents added to the planning application in June and July 2026.   Please click here to see our comments and scroll down the page.  Read more »

New plants we had planted in the Meanwhile Garden, were stolen recently. To learn more about what happened and what we did next , please click here. and scroll down the page. Read more »

Camden Council Chamber There is a troubled history – beginning between 2019–2021—of complaints and controversy in Camden about the balance of power between planning officers and elected councillors. Who really runs Camden Council? Is it the elected representatives or unelected bureaucrats in the planning department. Councillors themselves, the local media and community organisations are finding that planning officers have accumulated excessive influence over planning decisions. Some believe that officers discourage applications from reaching Planning Committee;… Read more »

16 July 2026 In June author and local resident Linda Hantrais presented the second talk of a three-part series exploring the history and surroundings of Monck Street, following on from her November 2025 talk about the Westminster Tobacco Box. (The third talk is being planned for later this year!) With readings by actor and playwright James Knudsen, the talk discusses the gasworks which were situated between Monck Street and Marsham Street, where the Home Office… Read more »

Every year, Wandsworth fields an impressive and always interesting Heritage Festival, and every year the Battersea Society and Battersea Society members make memorable contributions to the programme. Our participation was kicked off 30 May with the unveiling of a plaque organised by the indefatigable Jeanne Rathbone.  A big crowd gathered outside 310 Battersea Park Road for the unveiling of a plaque to Clive Branson1907-1944) an artist, and his wife Noreen (1910-2003) who was a historian and… Read more »

GREEN FLAG AWARD 2026 Jubilee Gardens on London’s South Bank raises prestigious Green Flag Award after achieving international quality mark for parks and green spaces. Jubilee Gardens Trust is celebrating today after receiving a Green Flag Award for the sixth year for Jubilee Gardens. It comes as the internationally recognised standard for parks and green spaces celebrates its 30th year. Jubilee Gardens at the heart of London’s bustling South Bank is one of a record… Read more »

GREEN FLAG AWARD 2026 Jubilee Gardens on London’s South Bank raises prestigious Green Flag Award after achieving international quality mark for parks and green spaces. Jubilee Gardens Trust is celebrating today after receiving a Green Flag Award for the sixth year for Jubilee Gardens. It comes as the internationally recognised standard for parks and green spaces celebrates its 30th year. Jubilee Gardens at the heart of London’s bustling South Bank is one of a record… Read more »

Kew Society Members had a wonderful day celebrating 125 years of the Kew Society on a vintage bus tour of west London. It was such a joy to see so many familiar faces, everyone making the effort to dress up and bring a little piece of Kew’s history to life. The bus tour was full of laughter, stories and a real sense of community, one of those days that reminds you how special Kew is.… Read more »

The GLA has produced a map of free places to cool down in London. The nearest cool space for Kew residents is the public cafe at the National Archives. The GLA website explains that: ‘Cool Spaces have been put forward by boroughs, community groups, faith-based and other organisations following an invitation to register by the GLA. Cool Spaces are classified according to two tiers: Tier 1 Cool Spaces have all the key amenities to cope… Read more »

By Clare Graham, Chair, Open Spaces Committee Learn more about the many species of plants we identified during our fourth annual citizen science survey of Christchurch Gardens and Falcon Park with Enable Biodiversity. Our citizen science survey Oxeye daisies (Leucanthemum vulgare) in Falcon Park. Photo © the author. Every June for four years now Enable Parks, who manage our borough's open spaces on behalf of Wandsworth Council, has invited the Battersea Society to help out… Read more »

The Forest Hill Society are now the proud guardians of the traditional red phone box / kiosk outside The Capitol on London Road. Read more »

Georgian & Victorian houses in & around Islington: a structural engineer’s view This talk by Kevin Clark, a conservation accredited structural engineer specialising in the inspection, assessment and repair of historic buildings will explain the typical construction of Georgian & Victorian housing in and around Islington and the structural function of their various components. The talk will explore their inherent vulnerabilities from a structural engineer’s perspective, and through the use of several case studies will… Read more »

This is our twelfth update since 2019 closure to motorised transport.  The last time we reported on the bridge was nearly three years ago, when boreholes were being drilled to assess the strength of the river bed as part of preparation for straightening and potentially enacting the Foster-Cowi proposal.  Since then, the cracked pedestals have been filled, cast iron decorative covers completely removed, and the roadway resurfaced and reopened as a cycleway / walkway only,… Read more »

Workspaces at Excelsior A few intrepid souls braved the heat on one of the hottest days of the year to visit Park Royal to see some of the interesting improvements being spearheaded by the Republic of Park Royal.  First stop was North Acton Square which is being refurbished in order to make it safer, greener and more welcoming. Lighting has been improved, landscaping and planting upgraded and renewed and graffiti removed. There is now a… Read more »

Join us to hear some stories about Bromley town centre - its origins, culture, characters, green spaces ... and what the future might look like. Continue reading → Read more »

Earlier this the year, The Garden Museum in Lambeth  held a one-day symposium titled “Who Pays For Parks?” There were two main themes from the day. Firstly if communities want their open green spaces to be well maintained they are increasingly going to have to play a more active role in both financing and managing them. Local groups who care about their parks need to shift their focus from what can “their Councils do?” to what… Read more »

The Old Chiswick Protection Society (OCPS) has secured a major legal victory in its campaign to protect the historic gateway to West London, after the High Court granted permission for a full Judicial Review of the planning approval for a controversial 10-storey tower at the Hogarth Roundabout.Surviving the High Court's strict permission stage is a monumental milestone. It confirms that a judge has ruled the legal arguments against the development hold genuine weight under the… Read more »

There is a public consultation to develop a site adjacent to Mount Vernon Hospital to provide 57 homes with access to/from Rickmansworth Road beyond Carlton Place. This is prior to an application for outline planning permission. The NRA is absolutely against the proposal, and we urge residents to object because it is on Green Belt land, and so should not be allowed in any case.  In addition, the access point onto Rickmansworth Road is unsafe,… Read more »

Zodiac Toys, is a fondly regarded chain of 90 stores, mostly in South London. The shop at 201 High Street Bromley also sold Prams. Before it was Zodiac Toys, it was Sidney Ross Toys & Pram shop and Youngsters Toys. … Continue reading → Read more »

On 18 June 2026, the Royal Parks officially announced that the pelicans of St James’s Park had successfully bred – for the first time ever! As the friends group for St James’s Park and the Green Park, the Thorney Island Society were keen to find out more, so we were delighted when Nick Burnham, Senior Wildlife Officer, agreed to answer some of the questions we’ve been asked. Read the full article here.   Read more »

A talk by Bruce St Julian-Bown who outlines why it should be different to the old museum. Why Wandsworth is wonderfully located. What attracted invaders. What made us the focus … Continue reading "Why Wandsworth is worthy of a Museum." Read more »

In May 2025 an application was submitted to Lewisham Council for prior approval of the installation of a 20 metre mast at a sensitive site in Blackheath Conservation Area.  The proposal (DC/25/140283) involved siting the mast on the edge of the Heath itself.  It was claimed that this involved an innovative design in which the antennas and associated equipment were housed within the mast itself obviating the need for the usual adjoining pavement boxes.  Under… Read more »

We will again be at Hartswood Tennis Club in Hartswood Gardens for our AGM and Social on Wednesday 8 July at 7pm. At the AGM we will be reporting on our work for the year, presenting the accounts and dealing with the election of Committee members and officers. We will be joined by our Neighbourhood Police, our Councillors and our MP, Andy Slaughter. Afterwards , there will be drinks and a finger buffet, which will… Read more »

To mark The Thames Path's 30 years as a National Trail, there's a relay walk from the source (which started on 5 June) to Woolwich (reaching there on 28 June).  UPDATE The planned walk from Kingston to Kew Bridge on Wednesday 24 June has been cancelled due to the heatwave. Further info at https://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/en_GB/trails/thames-path/thames-path-30th-anniversary/16 Jun 2026 Read more »

The third annual Forest Hill Walking Festival comes to a successful conclusion Read more »

The millionth Parkrun was celebrated on Saturday, 13th June, where it started - in Bushy Park.See here for details 14 Jun 2026 Read more »

The Friends of St George’s Gardens invite you to Summer Party 2026! Saturday 6th June, 2-5pm Join us for a relaxing afternoon of music and fun… Marama Cafe Band + Face painting + Punch and Judy + Juggling + “Tales with Tracy” Storytelling + Community Choir + Second hand book sale… …and tea and cakes! All welcome – All events free of charge The post Summer party 2026 appeared first on FOSGG. Read more »

Join the Audience Friday 31 July 715pmThe Society has invited Any Questions? to come to Clerkenwell as part of its Amwell 200 festival. Tickets are free but mandatory and can be booked here Read more »

Comments on the proposed single-storey food and nutrition classroom at Ealing Fields High School, 123–127 Little Ealing Lane, W5 4EJ.   The full text can be viewed here. Read more »

93 and 105 Dulwich Village, SE21, Sunday 14 June. 2.00pm to 5.00pm  Two beautiful Dulwich gardens open for Link Age Southwark. Entry to both gardens £10, to include tea/coffee/soft drink. Children free. Tickets available at either garden. Please bring cash if you can as the card-readers take a percentage. Sorry no dogs. Gardens not suitable for wheelchairs. Read more »

Emerging from a long period under scaffolding, 1-3 Orme Court, which faces Bayswater Road, has been beautifully restored as a very handsome building. According to the planning application, the purpose of the renovation is “amalgamation of 2-3 Orme Court with 1 and 4-8 Orme Court … to facilitate change of use to residential, religious and educational establishment for [an] international community of professionals, students and priests …”. The Netherhall Educational Association (NEA), an educational charity… Read more »

By Cressida Massey-Cook For over a century, Whiteleys has existed in Bayswater as a central space of commerce and community. The nature of the store has evolved much throughout its existence, never failing to generate controversy at each new turn. This year, it has reopened as The Whiteley, and houses the Six Senses London, a hotel which has made a public commitment to continue the building’s legacy as a centre for the community. Whiteleys Through… Read more »

The Hammersmith Society’s committee was pleased that the Council’s Planning Committee refused consent for the Phoenix Academy/London Square application for a combined educational and residential development at Phoenix Academy, which was of considerable concern to local people. Residents’ associations, with whom committee members had been in contact, raised a formidable campaign against the overbuilt proposal. The planning application is here: 2025/02541/FUL and earlier scoping is 2024/03003/SCOEIA. The application is registered in the planning portal as… Read more »

Caroline Pook recording from May 27.2026 To watch, please click..https://youtu.be/YttCgBPP13c Read more »

The post AGM 1st May 2025 appeared first on Strawberry Hill Residents' Association. Read more »

On Sunday 7 June, James Allen's Girls' School Botany Gardens will be participating for the first time in the London Open Gardens scheme with the London Parks & Gardens Trust which showcases more than 120 hidden green spaces across the capital over the 6/7 June weekend. There will be two 'Behind the Scenes' bespoke tours with Sally Rendel and Eleanor Jennings of the Botany Gardens Team, They will share the history of this unique educational… Read more »

The Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration will open its doors on Friday  5 June. The Amwell Street and Myddelton Passage gates will open between 9.30am and 5.30pm from Wednesdays to Sundays (buildings open 10am to 5pm). The cafe will serve light meals, snacks and drinks until 4.30pm. Tickets are available for three special exhibitions: Quentin Blake Performance; MURUGIAH: Ever Feel Like..and Queer as Comics. The first festival will take place on 27 June. Visitors will… Read more »

The Kensington Society 2025-2026 annual was recently sent to all members. As always, it is full of interesting articles about art, history and planning. Those who haven't received it, can download it or read it online here. The post The Kensington Society 2025-2026 annual has arrived appeared first on The Kensington Society. Read more »

Guest blog post by Joel Maybury, former Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia Email Heritage There is a patch of green grass in the Streatham Cemetery in London that deserves a lot more attention than it has gotten over the past 112 years. Lying beneath the emerald turf is the coffin containing the remains of Jane Rose Waring Roberts, Liberia’s very first First Lady, who died in London and was buried… Read more »

Late Summer Party  Join us on Saturday 5 September 5pm-8pmin St Helena Garden Drinks will be provided by the Society and members are invited to bring food to share.   Read more »

Members of the committee attended a consultation on plans for Regents House (former RBS building) next to Angel station; public consultations were also held for residents to see outline plans to change it to a 600-room Motel 1 hotel. The street-side colonnade would be enclosed, overall building height would remain broadly unchanged, a full renovation would retain the two courtyards and the bricks, replace the windows and create upper level terraces, and the right of… Read more »

On 16th.December 2025 the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea granted planning consent for a development of 274 homes together with 2015 m2 of flexible workspace.The development site is approximately one third in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham who also granted planning consent on 10th March 2026.The residential element contains 118 social homes for rent and also includes 65 ‘extra care’ homes for the vulnerable. The development is largely car free and comprises… Read more »

The former Hitchcock and King premises in Carnwarth Road has recently been bought by Espalier Ventures.As an aside this is the last builder’s merchants to close in this area are Jewsons closed a couple of years ago.Espalier are proposing around three hundred high quality co-living rooms, twenty-one communal kitchen and dining stations together with coommunal space.The building will be a maximum of seven storeys.A public exhibition of the scheme took place in July last year… Read more »

The Society was recently invited to represent members in the City’s consultation on their new Supplementary Planning Document, entitled “Celebrating Heritage”. We attended an in-person consultation session at St. Ethelburga’s and spoke with officers there about the SPD and some of our concerns. The draft SPD is available here. Our letter responding to the consultation is below. 260414 CHS Letter re Celebrating Heritage SPD_for websiteDownload The post “Celebrating Heritage” SPD appeared first on City Heritage… Read more »

The twelfth Annual General Meeting of the Hampstead Neighbourhood Forum took place at 7.00pm on 18 March 2026. It was held at the Hampstead Community Centre with more than 40 people attending. Approval of Minutes of the last AGM The minutes of the previous AGM, held on 11 March 2025, had been posted on the Forum’s website. As proposed by Linda Chung and seconded by Francesca Agostini, the minutes were approved nem. con. Approval of… Read more »

Members’ Summer Garden Party at Richmond Golf Club, on Saturday 27th June We are exceptionally grateful to the club for hosting us at their beautiful home between Petersham and Ham. The live music, food and drink will be of the highest standard and is included in the cost of just £25. This is a rare chance for members to enjoy an evening at an exclusive venue. The post Members Summer Garden Party 2026 appeared first… Read more »

Please see latest MapRA report on activities… Source Read more »

Friends of St George’s Gardens AGM Thursday 26 March 2026 at 7.00pm Coram Foundation, 41 Brunswick Square WC1N 1AZ (google map) AGENDA Plans for 2026 including proposal for an Eliza Fenning memorial in the gardens Annual report and accounts for 2025 Election of committee GUEST SPEAKER Chris Foster: Confessions of a Camden guide. ALL WELCOME The post Friend’s AGM 2026 appeared first on FOSGG. Read more »

Summary of Key Changes to the Constitution; adopted at AGM 2026 This note summarises the main changes between the previous MapRA constitution (April 2025) and the updated constitution approved by MapRA committee in January 2026. The aim of the changes is to modernise governance, clarify decision‑making, and make MapRA easier to run while remaining accountable to members. What has not changed… Source Read more »

The first ever Barnsbury Book festival is planned for 17-19 April. https://www.barnsburybookfestival.org/ It’s all in aid of restoring the 130-foot church spire in Thornhill Square – which is on the Heritage at Risk Register and badly needs work. The line-up: art and architecture     Grayson Perry, Rowan Moore, Dan Cruickshank history and literature   Marina Warner, Frances Wilson, Clair Wills music                          Stephen Hough comedy … Read more »

Brockley Society welcomes new volunteers at any time, but as a priority we currently need to begin reducing the workload for Clare, our current Chair. We have identified two specific roles that would make a great contribution to beginning this process. Secretary for Brockley Society We need a new to volunteer to take on this role and become a trustee of Brockley Society!For several years we have had no secretary to do deal with Brockley… Read more »

From Implacable Foe to Unlikely Guardian: Why CHS Now Defends No. 1 Poultry History has a wry sense of humour. For nearly two decades, the City Heritage Society fought one of the longest and most hard-fought conservation battles in British planning history to prevent No. 1 Poultry from being built. We stood shoulder-to-shoulder with SAVE Britain’s Heritage, Historic England (then English Heritage), and countless other conservation allies in opposing Peter Palumbo’s scheme to demolish eight… Read more »

Tuesday 3rd March 2026 Read more »

In one of our most significant projects aimed at helping the local community, The Bedford Park Society has funded and produced a 12-page guide Energy Conservation in Bedford Park Houses, arranging delivery of free copies to 2,500 households in Bedford Park. The guide (cover left) will help homeowners consider the most effective options available while respecting the architectural history and traditional construction of Bedford Park houses and following heritage sector best practice. It is relevant for owners… Read more »

Our Christmas drinks gathering will be on Wednesday 17 December at the Duchess pub, on the corner of Stamford Brook Road and the Goldhawk Road from 6.30. It will be a good chance to meet your Committee and other neighbours and discuss local issues - and others. We look forward to seeing you there. Read more »

All members are welcome to Ham and Petersham Association and Amenities Group’s Christmas Party at the Hand and Flower Pub, Ham Common. Celebrate Christmas and celebrate the work done to help preserve Ham and Petersham as a great place to live. Enjoy wine and finger food along with great company. Members only. The post Christmas Party 2025 – Hand and Flower pub appeared first on Ham and Petersham Association and Amenities Group. Read more »

This is one of the many interesting articles in our latest Newsletter, Autumn Issue : October 2025 : No.259 Our newsletter is free to members in either a printed in black and white copy delivered, or as a full colour pdf version sent by email. Just one of the benefits of joining the society: www.brixtonsociety.org.uk/join-us   Read more »

Click here for a PDF of the Trustee Report and Accounts The post Trustee Report And Accounts 2025 appeared first on Friends of Battersea Park. Read more »