EastSheenMatters

A visit to St. Mary Magdalen Church in Mortlake today produced a few surprises. It has been known for a while that the Lotteries Fund had given a grant to Habitats and Heritage to renovate the Burton Mausoleum in the graveyard. The project is known as Burton: Exploring Without Boundaries. The grant is for £250,000 to cover the works estimated at £150,000 with the balance going to educational purposes about the life of the renowned explorer Sir Richard Burton and his wife Lady Isobel.

The first surprise was to find Dr Helen Brown, H & H Conservation and Interpretation Officer, in the graveyard for the start of onsite work. Helen has an academic specialism in the social and cultural history of English landscape gardens. She is pictured with Fr. Adrian McKenna, the Parish Priest.

The second surprise was to see the scaffolding in place with a contractor unscrewing the glass window to the mausoleum. The third surprise was to hear that tomorrow, Thursday, an assessment of the work necessary for the renovation will be undertaken. The project should be finished during the summer.

Inside the Church you can find the stained-glass Burton Memorial Window. This was given by his widow Lady Isobel nee Arundell. She was a staunch Catholic and several members of her family are buried in the cemetery. She had previously visited Portobello House, whose owner helped to found the church in 1852. Richard Burton was not a Catholic but in order to save his soul his wife ensured that the last rites were administered to him when he was on his death bed.

Note the inscription at the foot of the glass: In Suffragium Animarum Familiae Burton For the salvation of the souls of the Burton Family

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Collection also from All Saints Church

The main item on the agenda is consideration of the Air Quality Action Plan 2025-2030. The Committee is being recommended to adjust the draft plan to include a new pilot programme on non-exhaust vehicle emissions, to investigate options to reduce impacts on nurseries and to target idling.

The Air Quality Action Plan is a statutory requirement of the local authority and contains actions the council proposes to reduce air pollution and comply with health objectives. Committee will be asked to review and agree the Plan following full public and stakeholder consultation.

The agenda also includes seeking approval of the resurfacing of the following roads in East Sheen and Mortlake:

Sheen Gate Gardens Entire Road
Vernon Road Church Avenue to outside No. 65
Howgate Road Entire Road
Portman Avenue Upper Richmond Road to Vernon Road
Paynesfield Avenue Entire Road Sheen Lane Mortlake Station to Mortlake High Street

To find out how to register to speak at meetings or to submit a written question please
follow the link below or contact the Democratic Services Officer:
http://www.richmond.gov.uk/participating_in_council_meetings

The deadline to register to speak is 12 noon on the working day prior to the meeting. The
deadline to submit a written question is 12 noon, two working days ahead of the meeting.

A local side from St Mary Magdalen Church, Mortlake

Magdalen Football Club October 1961

Back Row: W Clark, R Docker, M Jepps, L Ryan, R Wyatt, M Grogan, M Shearman, R Williamson, J Rennie

Front Row: C Holland, T Mann, V Dalton, R Davidson, J Allen, P Sheehan

Are any of these – or their children – still around?

The Fair closed last Saturday but some of the shops are still showing exhibits. Some thought it should have lasted longer!

You can see the businesses that participated at: https://sheenartists.com/sheen-art-trail

The Sheen Art Trail was a collaboration between Sheen Artists & East Sheen Village.

The flowering cherry tree at the junction of Richmond Park Road, Sheen Lane and Vicarage Road was donated by the Mortlake with East Sheen Society a few years ago. This spring it has looked splendid with masses of blossom.

Recently our resident apiarist was admiring the tree and noticed quite a few honeybees at work, including a large number of Hairy Footed Flower Bees – both male and female. These are one of the earliest solitary bees to appear in the spring and are very common in this area. A lovely sight.

Today a female could be seen near the top of the tree. (Just about visible if you pretend you are a male and zoom in.)

Note that non members are charged a guest fee when they use the bar.

at All Saints Church 730pm