EastSheenMatters

The EastSheenMatters post about the celebration on Monday of 180 years since Mortlake Station was opened referred to Cllr Clare Vollum as Deputy Mayor.

 This was incorrect. The new Deputy Mayor is Cllr Matthew Wherry, elected member for Fulwell and Hampton Hill in May 2026.

Apologies to both.

On 22 April 2026 EastSheenMatters reported as follows:

“……….. there is no reason why the planning permission in respect of residential units should not be acted upon. But a year on the public has not been made aware of any progress. All that we have been told is that Reselton Properties would like to sell the site or at least obtain co-funders. But rumours seeping out of Malaysia suggest that backers may not be happy even with co-funding. It is hardly surprising given that a substantial part of the evidence at the Inquiry related to the economic difficulties created by having bought at a high price with development costs having rocketed since then.”

Prescient that. And so accurate.

It is now reported that the property has been taken off the market. Richmond Council will blame those who opposed their plans. Any reasonable analysis of the facts demonstrates that it is the developers’ overspending and the Council’s hubris and greed which are responsible for the disastrous mothballing which is now likely to follow.

More to follow………………..

On 27 July 1846 the Richmond to Waterloo Railway Line was opened. A celebration will take place at Mortlake Station on Monday 27 July 2026 at 1.00pm.

A welcome party will be arriving at Mortlake Station from Barnes Station led by the Deputy Mayor, Cllr Clare Vollum.

They will walk to the car showroom where the Deputy Mayor will make a speech. Tea and cakes will be served. This was originally Queen Victoria’s waiting room, built for her and Prince Albert as they frequented White Lodge in Richmond Park.

The first stationmaster at Mortlake was Mr Henry White. He figured prominently in the place for nearly 40 years and was universally liked not only by the inhabitants but by visitors and others with whom he came into contact. He was the same to all, civil, polite and obliging. [Rambles of Old Wagram, John Eustace Anderson, (1909).] His tombstone is in the graveyard of the nearby church at Mortlake.

On reading that you will no doubt have thought about the similar traits of the present incumbent, Daniel Opoku, who started work at the Station on 7 June 1998. Having heard of his predecessor’s longevity, Daniel plans to beat his record. He is pictured holding the Olympic Flame, which he carried in London in 2012. The Mortlake with East Sheen Society will present Daniel (pictured below) with a celebratory mug in recognition of his long service.

For station photos from 1904 see EastSheenMatters on 6 February 2026.

It is somewhat ironic that on the day Thames Water announces a hosepipe ban CommunityBlueScapes invites us to complete a survey on the effect of flooding!

Open to residents in and around Roehampton, Barnes, Castelnau, Mortlake and East Sheen.

A temporary hosepipe ban has been announced for customers who receive their water supply from Thames Water with effect from Thursday 23 July 2026.

Given Thames Water is £20bn in debt, it is a pity they did not introduce a ban on increasing salaries for their directors.

What you shouldn’t do

Do not use a hosepipe or pressure washer to do any of the following:

• do not water your garden, lawn, or allotments
• do not fill a paddling pool, swimming pool, or hot tub
• do not use a sprinkler or a jet washer
• do not clean your vehicle, patios, paths, driveways, walls, windows, or any outdoor areas

What you can do

During the hosepipe ban, you can still:

• keep plants and gardens watered with a watering can
• make use of water collected in a water butt
• wash your car using a bucket
• collect and reuse water from your home, such as water left over from cooking vegetables or rinsing fruit and vegetables, to water plants

A private company has raised the possibility of operating lightweight autonomous electric pods to connect Barnes and Hammersmith Stations. That is driverless.

It must be worth considering.

Heathrow Consultation Event

Date: Thursday 23 July

Venue: Clarendon Hall, York House, TW1 3AA

Time: 7:30pm–9:30pm (doors open at 7:00pm)

Registration: Have your say on Heathrow’s expansion plans – London Borough of Richmond upon Thames

One aspect of the proposals which seems to get inadequate attention is the effect on the train service running through Barnes, Mortlake, North Sheen and Richmond. As is well known the level crossing is regularly closed for 45 minutes in the hour. What might be the effect of additional services between Waterloo and Heathrow?

Mortlake Community Association Hub will now be closed for a summer kitchen and w.c. refurbishment after the final Strength & Balance for the season on Monday 20^th July. 

During the closure most of the activities will be paused, save for History and Gardening.

So NO CHESS. Next occasion to be announced.

The full suite of activities will restart on Wednesday 9^th September .

The employees of Waitrose in East Sheen have chosen Mortlake Community Association as one of their chosen charities!  Please do pop in and put a green token in the box when you are passing. 

And the best news Oscar has arrived! ❤️

The residents of East Sheen and Mortlake will all be paying large amounts of money to Thames Water.

This resident has just paid over £750 in the last year. That compares with £490 in the previous twelve months.

Meanwhile the Chief Executive receives a salary of £1.16m, which includes a recent pay rise of 9.9% awarded by the directors. The ‘Chief Restructuring Officer’ was paid £2.17m for his first full year of office.

A look at the list of directors will provide insight as to why none of them would blink an eyelid at these huge salaries. They will all probably ‘earn’ even more mouth-watering incomes. Which of them you might wonder would even be aware of the financial effect on those who have no alternative to paying their exorbitant charges.