EastSheenMatters

Continue the Easter Fun and bring your little bunnies along to East Sheen’s Spring Hunt – a family-friendly activity in the heart of SW14

It’s back! East Sheen’s popular post-Easter trail around lots of SW14’s fabulous independent businesses will take place on Saturday 11 April.

Each participating business will be ready to welcome you and your little ones with treats and a unique clue. Collect all the clues to spell out a secret phrase and claim a prize.

Along the trail, children will also encounter spring-themed sights and activities designed to create a lively and engaging experience for all. The Spring Hunt brings together local people and businesses in a true celebration of community.

Will Pritchard, Manager of the Hare & Hounds, said: “The Spring Hunt is a highlight of East Sheen’s events calendar. It’s a lovely way to continue the fun of the Easter holidays, giving children the chance to get out and about while adults discover how diverse, friendly and welcoming our local businesses are. We would love you to come and join us.”

How it works: 

Starting at the Hare & Hounds, children collect a map which details the places they will visit along the trail. Go to each, say hello and write down the letter clue in the correct place on the map. Once you have all the clues, you’ll see what they spell out – then it’s time to head back to the Hare & Hounds to collect a prize.

Tickets & Details: 

There are two trails, one from 10am-12pm and one from 1pm-3pm. If you’re booking with friends, please be sure to all book the same time slot.

This event is available by pre-paid ticket only and the price is £8 per child + £0.80 booking fee. Adults go free and all children must be accompanied. 

Early booking recommended – tickets available at https://www.designmynight.com/london/pubs/south-london/the-hare-hounds/the-east-sheen-easter-hunt-1

The event is suitable for children of all ages, although families should note that the trail involves walking around the area.

Event Details

What: East Sheen Spring Hunt
Where: Hare & Hounds, 214 – 216 Upper Richmond Road West, East Sheen, SW14 8AH
When: Saturday 11 April 2026
Times: 10am to 12pm and 1pm to 3pm (two maps)
Tickets: £8 per child (adults free) – click here for tickets

Hare & Hounds, Will Pritchard – hareandhounds@youngs.co.uk

Given the reporting today of the court decision about the impact of social media, EastSheenMatters wishes to announce that it is not designed to maximise engagement at the expense of user wellbeing.

The talk by MESS Chair will be held at All Saints Church and will start at 7.30pm.  Forty years ago almost to the day the GLC, who managed the South Circular, was abolished and the Government seized control of the road.  Residents of Mortlake, East Sheen, Barnes and Kew dreaded what was going to happen next and MESS engaged in the battle, with the Chair in the vanguard. 
 
The MESS AGM will follow the talk.

Tower House School is looking to recruit a driver for a new minibus route through Kew and Richmond, to collect pupils first thing and drop them off at school each morning. This will help our parents with early morning logistics, but also help reduce traffic in Richmond, Kew and East Sheen around rush hour.

Tower House already has two minibus routes through Barnes and Putney, run by staff who regularly comment that being a minibus driver is a joyful way to start the day – the children are always very excited to see them and leap on the Tower House bus!

It would be a great role for someone who might have some free time first thing in the morning and is keen to play an important role at the start of the school day. For anyone who is interested please contact Elaine Oliver (oliver@thsboys.org.uk)

For more information see below

An EastSheenMatters subscriber wrote this morning:

“Rush hour traffic on the Upper Richmond Road was again held up by traffic lights [this time] outside Sheen Sports. Having passed the traffic lights at 1pm, complete with attendant queues of traffic, I can report that not only is there no one working there but the job on the pavement is complete. The barriers and lights are serving no purpose other than to make life difficult and frustrating for thousands of road users.”

The photos below were taken half an hour later. Local shopowners told ESM that there had been an electricity cutout at 4am. The barriers were erected when workers arrived on site at about 930am. They created one way traffic from just east of the Sheen Lane traffic lights and blocked the road to the east of Richmond Park Road.

The sign above says that the work will be completed by 31/3/2026.

ESM rang the emergency telephone number to make enquiries, to be told that the works had been completed and a separate group had been emailed to say that they could now complete the job. That will likely be done on Thursday 26 March.

This raises a number of questions.

Why do the barriers need to extend so far into the road, when all the work was being done on the pavement? Why did the barriers need to extend so far along the road? Why can’t they coordinate works so that it is all done in as short a time as possible?

Heath and safety is of course all important, but it is difficult to see that anyone’s safety could have been affected if there had merely been a worker’s van parked by the work.

Instead we have queues of traffic where there are already the highest pollution levels in the borough. We have frustrated drivers trying to get to and from work: it will no doubt be worse this evening.

The responsible organisation is UK Power Networks which appears to be an autonomous body responsible to no higher authority other than (so ESM was told) OFGEM. Try getting any timely response from them.

We have been suffering these roadworks regularly always with the same timetable. Call out, restrict the traffic; do the works (without any realistic time estimate); sometimes call out a separate contractor to fill a hole; vacate the site of workers; call out a separate team to remove barriers.

Nowhere does there appear to be any supervision of the work being done or any attempt to speed up works to allow for the damage being caused to the health and safety of local residents. UK Power Networks is a law unto itself.

The only response youl will get from Richmond Council is ‘it’s not our business’. The same applies when they blame TfL. It’s high time for the local population to be informed about discussions the Council should be having with these other agencies about their management of repairs.

Here is a challenge for those who choose to participate in the Outfox the Competition being held during the Sheen Artists Trail fortnight.

Gillian Ross’s Fox has been shortlisted for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition!

LOCAL ARTISTS AND BUSINESSES REUNITE TO BRING SHEEN ART TRAIL BACK TO SW14 18 APRIL-2 MAY 2026

Following the success of 2025’s inaugural Sheen Art Trail, Sheen Artists and East Sheen Village are joining forces again to bring the event back to SW14’s high street from 18 April – 2 May 2026.

Showcasing local talent in partnership with independent businesses, the trail will feature artwork displayed in shop windows and interiors, alongside exhibitions, workshops, a weekend Artist Fair at the Hare & Hounds pub (18 April) and a fun family event (25 April).

With the new theme “This is for Everyone” inspired by Tim Berners-Lee’s links to Sheen, this FREE event invites visitors to explore, connect, and celebrate Sheen’s vibrant creative community.

The Outfox the Competition is a fox-drawing event for local school children, with prizes and the best entries being displayed on the big screen in Lazyl’s shop window !

Pre-loved, Re-loved sale, Sunday 29 March 13:00 -15:00 Mortlake Hall,

Tea, coffee and cake also available! 

Come along to our charity clothing and homeware sale. Recycle, repurpose and reuse whilst at the same time supporting two local charities – MCA and Retina UK. 

If you have clothing and homewares in good condition you can drop off donations at Mortlake Hall on Tuesday 24 or Wednesday 25 March (9am – 5pm) or Saturday 28 March (1pm – 4pm). 

Please note we cannot accept furniture or electrical items. 

Wednesday 25 March 12 noon

West London Tuba Quartet

Friday 27 March 7pm

Evi Wang Trio Violin, Clarinet and Piano

The Council’s Transport Committee agreed on Monday 16 March to award exclusive operating rights for e-bike services in the Borough to Forest, which will effectively ban Lime bikes from being hired or parked in the borough. The likely effect is that when the change is made Lime bikes will stop working at the Borough boundary.

The Committee agreed that the E-bike service should continue at the meeting and the cap on the number of e-bikes should be increased from 250 to 750 in the borough, with an option to rise to 1,000 overall. It also agreed to increase the supply of e-bike parking bays from 65 to at least 150 to reduce the number left blocking the pavements.

A report by Council officers said Forest scored highest for pricing plan and service. Councillors said the move would give riders full access to neighbouring boroughs Kingston and Hounslow, where Forest is the designated e-bike provider. When the change will begin will be confirmed in due course.

One has to wonder whether the Council has recycled itself into more judicial review proceedings!

Meanwhile…………..