Forum Topics

Last minute gifts

No idea if I’m allowed to put this here but I contacted the chiw4 administrators yonks ago re advertising as a sole trader/small business and heard nothing back so here we go.If you need any last minute gifts, I have an Etsy shop with colourful creations in it including vintage postage stamp and bus ticket tea towels. I can deliver locally today and tomorrow, free of charge Here’s the link:. Contact me directly to place your order.Happy Christmas! https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ColourfulFinds

Martha Roberts ● 2135d10 Comments ● 2134d

Fishmonger Turnham green

Does anyone know what time it opens on Christmas Eve- thank you!

Robert Duncan ● 2135d2 Comments ● 2134d

LBH WANTS to hear from you EARLY January

I've posted this on several threads but it is important.Should you be concerned about the traffic issues in our lovely borough, finally HOUNSLOW COUNCIL are ASKING FOR YOUR OPINIONS but you must do this almost immediately after NEW YEAR. The Council has organised a series of engagement meetings online, the link is given below, on the many road changes made so far including one for Businesses in the Borough, the C9 in Chiswick and Brentford, the road closures in the centre of Chiswick and the South Chiswick Liveable Neighbourhood scheme in Grove Park/Strand on the Green.    (Not included are the many additional schemes for further LTN's to come) It’s important that as many opposing voices as possible are heard to challenge Hounslow Council's view that these schemes are well supported.  WE NEED TO RAISE THE DIFFICULTIES THEY HAVE CAUSED.There are four events, allocated by area, anyone can attend.  They are online, book via Eventbrite using the link below. Hounslow Council wants people to submit questions in advance though they can also be asked during the sessions.  More details via the link.https://www.hounslow.gov.uk/news/article/2236/hounslow_moves_ahead_with_next_round_of_phases_1_and_2_streetspace_engagementThe dates are:•    7pm on Thursday, 7th January: BUSINESSES  boroughwide•    7pm on Friday, 8th January: North Chiswick (LBH language for north of the A4 - including C9 in Chiswick and Brentford & the road closures in the centre of Chiswick)•    7pm on MONDAY, 11th JANUARY: South Chiswick (LBH LANGUAGE FOR SOUTH OF THE A4 - incl. Hartington Rd)•    7pm on Tuesday, 12th January: IsleworthPlease circulate this widely to friends, family and neighbourhood groups. It is vital that the other side of the argument regarding the borough’s traffic is heard.Hounslow Council say they WANT TO HEAR FROM US - NOW IS THE TIME TO SPEAK UP, it's our last chance!They have more LTN's planned for us here in W4 too.  So get your voices out there now before they start on the next tranche of misery.

Jennifer Selig ● 2135d1 Comments ● 2134d

The Manipulation of Turnham Green Terrace

We have brand new, modern signals at the junction of Turnham Green Terrace and Chiswick High Road yet the officers of the LB Hounslow, no doubt in consultation with their colleagues in TfL (who control the signals), continue to seek to manipulate how we use our local roads.  Not content with trying to effectively close Turnham Green Terrace to general traffic use the new signals only allocate 6 seconds green time to traffic turning onto the High Road.  At best 4 vehicles per cycle can pass through the junction.  The result, even at this time of much lower traffic flows due to Tier 4 restrictions, is an inevitable queue down Turnham Green Terrace which has been known to extend to the railway bridge.  This congestion increases air pollution and inconvenience on an important local shopping street which also serves as an important north/south local route through Chiswick. To put this situation in context the green time allocated for the opposing traffic flow out of Annandale Road is also 6 seconds, this being a local road out of the Glebe Estate area and with nothing like the significance or importance of Turnham Green Terrace.  Basically, the officers of LB Hounslow are doing everything in their power to give green time at the new signals to the High Road since they know they have a massive capacity problem at the junction due to the loss of width at the signal stop lines because of the cycleway.  When are the people of Chiswick going to say enough is enough and hold LB Hounslow to account for such cynical behaviour and lack of respect for their constituency who actually live in Chiswick?

David Kerr ● 2136d11 Comments ● 2135d

Robins take top spot

I've been arranging my Christmas Cards - there is a proliferation of robins this year, a few of Santa, a couple of pheasants,  but the main event and sole reason for Christ-mas, the Birth of the Son of God, has been almost ignored.   I've only two nativity scenes and one of the Three Kings!      We have lost our way, consumerism is paramount, belief in the Glory of God has all but vanished!     Yet the kindness and sacrifices of hundreds exists - we need to find our way back to worshiping a being higher than money.   This from a lapsed churchgoer who still marvels at the beauty of prayers, hymns and soaring spiritual music - a feeling of enveloping peace and awe as you step into one of our glorious cathedrals.   We have Christmas because of the Birth of Christ - not because of the twinkling fairy lights and lavish displays of plastic in Harrods and Hamleys!  

Jennifer Selig ● 2137d12 Comments ● 2135d

How many Ian Phillips are there?

Surely not related to the Leeds academic and author of such intellectual powerhouse classics as:“Is transport poverty socially or environmentally driven? Comparing the travel behaviours of two low-income populations living in central and peripheral locations in the same city”

Russell Pearson ● 2135d0 Comments ● 2135d

How many Hearns are there????

First we have Sam posting without the Councillor before his name. Now we have John Jacob Hearn posting - and I think there was another one last week. How many Hearns are there???

Iris Hill ● 2135d25 Comments ● 2135d

RIP Rosalind Knight

A familiar face on the High Road. Star of Carry On, St Trinians and other comedies. Always a naughty twinkle in her eye.

Steven Trembath ● 2138d5 Comments ● 2135d

Staveley Road Barrier

I assume there have been lots of posts about this already, But a scenario just occurred which I think needs to be spoken about. We had a recycling truck driving North up Park road, from the station towards Staveley. With cars parked on either side, the truck takes up the entirety of the road. So we have cars turning off Staveley and having to completely stop as there is an impassable truck slowly coming the other direction. These cars were stuck as it is now illegal to right hand turn into Lawford Road and cars now behind them blocking them from turning around and back down Staveley. Resulting in angry drivers needlessly horning their horns to no effect and blocking residents leaving their homes. I would like to point out an attempt to ease traffic on Staveley is causing Gridlock on Park Road, a far narrower road, less suited to higher volume of traffic. Also if this barrier is also trying to ease omissions, I'd like to point out these cars had to then reverse and go back the way they came. Raising all their distances travelled, raising omissions. This Barrier is failing and causing worse issues than no barrier was causing. Some thought is needed in how to make it work.

John Jacob Hearn ● 2136d17 Comments ● 2135d

traffic restrictions

Does anyone know if there are traffic restrictions on turning left when coming over Chiswick Bridge?

Maggie Darby ● 2135d15 Comments ● 2135d

Air pod

I’ve just lost an apple AirPod between Turnham Green terrace and M&S if anyone finds one can you let me know please

Kellie Williamson ● 2135d0 Comments ● 2135d

Urban Movement

What weight will the report being submitted to Hounslow carry? A few people chatting on a forum cannot mirror the views of the majority of residents and retailers, and we have already witnessed the mayhem and distress caused by the disastrous closure of Turnham Green Terrace, Fishers Lane and Devonshire Road by people who don't know the area. Urban Movement work with the London Cycling Campaign and have a very clear agenda. Plans to fundamentally change Chiswick have been in the making for many years, but residents and retailers appear to have been unaware of them. It's important for the town's future that people are more aware and engaged when plans are proposed. Phase 1 shows pavement widening, more loading restrictions and no reinstatement of parking for shoppers. Phase 2 shows the re-routing of the E3 to Fishers Lane, making the bus a single decker and narrowing Turnham Green Terrace to a single lane. No-one knows what London will look like post pandemic but public transport will continue to be vital for the majority. Residents should get involved now, and have their say.

Mandy Waters ● 2138d28 Comments ● 2135d

Anyone need some Christmas Cheer?

If anyone would like to send/or receive a Christmas Carol- my musical children would happily deliver some carols around Chiswick.  Particularly if anyone home alone/ missing seeing family this year. They would be delivered outside windows.   Send me a p/m to arrange.

Lucy Dunkerley ● 2137d10 Comments ● 2136d

Strictly Come Dancing

Bill Bailey was G R E A T !  Very well done and really well deserved.  Oti was amazing too, so delighted they won :) great team!

Mari Austin ● 2139d12 Comments ● 2136d

Beggars on the High Road

Earlier on today, I happened to be walking past the Health Centre and came across a guy with a couple of girls in their 20/30s. They were sitting on the wall as he was scribbling on some cardboard. Iffy I thought, but I didn't think much more about it. Until that is I saw the same two girls plying their trade on the High Road, looking far more disheveled than previously. A generous old dear handed one a fiver (outside Waitrose), so their guise certainly seems to be paying off.A sad state of affairs, and it does make me wonder if the male was some sort of pimp.

Gordon McDonald ● 2148d25 Comments ● 2136d

Covid variant: Continent cut off

Predicted Mail or Telegraph headline tomorrow. Funny how things repeat themselves.

Alan Clark ● 2138d12 Comments ● 2136d

Time for 2nd Full Lockdown

In early March we needed a full lockdown but the science was muzzled by our government until it was too late and an extra 10k people died needlessly.At that time, daily new cases were running at under 1000 a day. Now we're around 3000 a day.Even with a lockdown late March, we still had a 4x increase to 4000 a day during April/May. Where will we be in Oct/Nov?Deaths mid March were around 10/day. By April they were around a 1000 a day. We're currently at the same low numbers of deaths as early March but somehow this is being explained as different. We're fed misleading misinformation...."it's mainly the young that have got it", "there's no increase in hospital cases" "you only get it from large social gatherings" "when the vaccine comes it'll all be alright".....keep working.What's different? Has Covid mutated into a form where only the people who are not going to die get it? No.Very soon hostiptal cases will explode and lots of people will start dying again.In the 7 months of this crisis, our government has continued to work 5 days a week or less.  Taking their weekends, lunches, their holidays. Doing their PR. Keeping Calm and Carrying on being the lazy, useless, lazy, incompetents that they are.The result is that we sadly not much better placed than in March.No robust or effective testing system.No track and trace system which could help avoid a full lockdown.No effective measures to prevent spread other than "wear a mask in some places if you want to"The advantage we have now verus March is that we know what is likely to happen.We can also see the trends in other countries further down the road than us. For instance, in France, the 3k a day cases amongst the young have unsurpisingly jumped to the middle aged and now they've got 10k cases a day and their hospitals are once again struggling.Will we have the balls to go for another Full Lockdown?I doubt it.The pressure of getting the economy going clouds all judgement. The ironic thing is a short sharp stop now could mean we are working through the next months -rather than the stop go stop that we are already seeing as people get their autumn colds.Lazy lazy incompetent Tory government.

Richard Potts ● 2234d141 Comments ● 2137d

Chiswick Cycle Lane - Missed Opportunity

What a missed opportunity this cycling lane through Chiswick looks like it is going to be.To start with, nobody hates people on bikes.  Most people have bikes, some use them more than others.With that in mind a new cycle lane that works well and does not unduly inconvenience other road users would (I think) be welcomed.One that has been properly funded and looks at the whole infrastructure, roads, footpaths, parking spaces, (tree removal and replanting if required).We could have ended up with a high street that was a model for the whole country.But what we have now has dragged people into one of two camps.  Both focused on what they believe is best.One group suggesting the other are like a bunch of Trump supporting conspiracy theorists, but it seems that applies to both groups.There are now two scenarios:We keep the cycle lane and the pro cycling group hope that over the years the resentment fades and we get used to it.As I now think we will never get a properly funded cycleway and will be stuck with what we have. I think resentment and push back will always be there.Alternatively,  after a recognition of failure, the “cheap” cycle lane will be remove and chances are we will never have a well designed and implemented one.I think this realisation is why the pro cycling group will defend the implementation whatever the outcome.As I say, what a missed opportunity.  Would it have been better not to have grabbed whatever was on offer now and waited (even if it took a number of years) for a cycle lane that really works.

Kieran Fox ● 2156d86 Comments ● 2137d

Alan Perkins (front page news item)

Well, good luck to Alan on his retirement.  We haven't had our milk delivered in Chiswick for a few years now, but always appreciated his excellent service.  We always looked forward to the Christmas card designed by his calligrapher wife, and to his entries in the photographic competition at the Bedford Park Festival.  The video is great.

Barbara Robinson ● 2138d7 Comments ● 2137d

Matt Hancock  please Replace him

Why can’t that man tell as it is Andrew Marr asking simply Questions He can’t give straight  answers

Jon morris ● 2138d12 Comments ● 2137d