EastSheenMatters

Richmond residents are a step closer to benefiting from modern mental health services and a new specialist school, as work continues at pace on the £30 million transformation of Barnes Hospital.

Local bigwigs attended a celebration yesterday. They were informed that a year after construction officially began significant progress has been made. The redevelopment will deliver a state-of-the-art NHS outpatient mental health facility alongside a new 90-place specialist school for children with social, emotional and mental health needs. The facilities are scheduled to open in autumn 2027.

The deeds of the Barnes Home Guard Club have recently disclosed this plan of the area.

Note the dates of July 1939.

At that time the area was owned by the Sheen House Hard Court Club Ltd, who had acquired it in 1924 from Harold Ernest Kinton of 207 Sheen Lane. He had purchased the land from Arthur Cecil Hovenden, a local GP in 1923. A plan contained in that deed of purchase should space for four tennis courts.

Little is known of that Club. It had no association with the existing Sheen Lawn Tennis and Squash.

The land at the Home Guard was purchased from the Hard Court Club on 20 August 1945. The deed of that date shows Arthur Hovenden as a Director, so maybe he was a tennis playing doctor!

https://richmond.nub.news/news/local-news/richmond-council-backs-motion-to-reopen-hammersmith-bridge-to-vehicles-302110

Richmond Council has renewed its campaign for the full restoration of Hammersmith Bridge after councillors backed a motion at Council on 14 July calling for the return of public transport and emergency vehicle access.

Members agreed to continue pressing for what they described as a “Better Bridge” that would retain walking and cycling access while restoring buses and emergency services.

Cllr Julia Cambridge spoke in support of the motion. “I hear it said time and again: ‘Hammersmith Bridge is open…….if you happen to be a cyclist, or if you are fit enough and have the time to walk across it. ……..But tell that to the elderly resident who cannot manage the distance. Tell that to the disabled traveller. Tell that to the parent struggling with young children. Tell that to the commuter whose journey has become significantly longer every single day. And, most importantly, tell that to the patient waiting for an ambulance in a borough with no hospital, where every minute of delay can have consequences.”

“For them, Hammersmith Bridge is not open at all.”

During the debate, Cllr Cambridge highlighted the impact on East Sheen residents, saying diverted traffic has contributed to congestion, noise and poorer air quality along the South Circular.

For those of you who were at concerts performed by Basil Alter at All Saints and Christ Church last month, you will want to listen to his recent recordings of Beach’s Romance for Violin and Piano and Vieuxtemps’s Souvenir d’Amerique on Youtube

Time: 9 to 11 am or until the skips are full – whichever comes first.

Come early to avoid disappointment.

What you can bring

Each household can bring up to six items, including:  

• Sofas, mattresses and furniture  
• Smaller electrical appliances 
• Black bags  

We cannot accept: 

• Cardboard
• Hazardous or sharp objects – including weapons of any kind
• Paint or chemicals  
• Car batteries or flammable liquids 
• Concrete, cement, rubble or hardcore 
• Plasterboard or asbestos 
• Engine oil or cooking oil 

Other ways to dispose of large items

If you miss your local Mega Skip Day, you can:

• Book a bulky waste collection 
• Book a free slot to visit Townmead Road Reuse and Recycling Centre, which now accepts certain household items in good condition for donation at its reuse drop-off area

Donate, share or repair your items

Could your items be donated, sold, shared or repaired to help reduce waste? There are many local services that make it easy to give your reusable items a new home.  

Having made it to Lviv to deliver her ambulance, Lorna Hawthorne has now left the Putin Killing Fields and is back in the relative safety of Poland.

Above and below are photos of the ambulance which Alastair Grant drove to Lviv. It was bombed by a Russian drone after he left. Fortunately the driver suffered only concussion.

The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March 2023. In June 2026 it was reported that more than 16,000 civilians had been killed since the Russian invasion. Some might simply call it murder.

The evidence of Russian war crimes continues to pile up.

On 21 June 2026 ESM posted a contribution from a local resident setting out concerns about trees being cut down in Palewell Woods. Without consultation. See

We are still waiting for clarification from the Council about the extent of cutting tress in the Woods and their future plans for the area.

It gets worse. The Council has just cut down a willow tree overlooking Beverley Brook, pictured below.

The Council has responded to questions about the axing by saying the tree was ‘reduced’ because there was a significant amount of decay that could not be left.

It is said that there should have been a notice on the tree advising residents that the works were happening. Did anyone see it?

You can see that there is decay in the tree, which appears to justify some ‘reducing’. The ‘tree team’ presumably has some expertise in dealing with such problems.

But the ‘reduction’ seems to be quite savage. What stops the Council giving advance notice and an opportunity to discuss?

At the Barnes Home Guard Club

76A Richmond Park Road, London SW14 8LA

Whether you’re a seasoned musician or just love to jam, come along every second Thursday of the month for an evening of great tunes and community vibes.

✨ Event Highlights:
7:00 PM – Open Mic
8:00 PM – Jam Session
9:00 PM – More Open Mic Performances

Bring your instrument, your voice, or just your love for music! Everyone’s welcome—whether you’re performing or simply enjoying the show.

Questions or Ready to Perform?
Contact Patrick at pjboundy2@gmail.com to reserve your spot on the open mic.

Don’t miss the chance to be part of the magic at Sheen Live Jam Night!

Members – free, Guests –  £5

Sheen Live Jams website – https://sheenlivejam.github.io/slj/