COFFEE MORNINGS IN KEW AND HAM
It was a pleasure to visit Saqui Restaurant in Ham on Monday and the Tap on the Line in Kew on Thursday to speak to local residents about the issues that matter to them. There is always an eclectic mix of topics at these events and we discussed everything from social care and foreign policy, to community policing and bin collection.
Over 70 people joined the week's events and it was a pleasure to hear residents from every walk of life discussing current issues in a thoughtful and respectful way. I want to thank everyone who gave up their time to speak to me this week and I look forward to next week's mornings in Mortlake and Coombe Hill.
While the Mortlake meeting is now fully booked, you can still sign up for my coffee morning in Coombe Hill here. I look forward to seeing you there.
RICHMOND FIRE STATION
On Wednesday, I was delighted to visit Richmond Fire Station and meet the team who work so hard to keep our community safe. Alongside seeing the force's new mobile command unit, a vehicle which allows their team to immediately streamline firefighting operations on the site of the fire, I also spoke with the Borough Commander, Rob Davies, about the local challenges his team have faced over the past few years.
One of the key points of discussion was Hammersmith Bridge and Barnes' place in the brigade's planning. Since the bridge closed in 2019, Richmond's team have responded to the area's emergencies while Hammersmith has maintained responsibility for the area. This divide is by no means ideal and I am keen to ensure that a more stable long term solution is reached while the bridge is repaired.
THE REAL JUNK FOOD PROJECT
Earlier in the week, it was great to visit the Real Junk Food Project at Ham Youth Club. This club is a brilliant scheme designed to save food that would otherwise be wasted from major supermarkets. The scheme offers both hard stores and fresh fruit and veg on a pay as you feel basis.
On the day that I visited, the project was also offering coffee, tea, and soup to anyone who wanted to sit and chat with others at the youth club or just enjoy a few minutes of peace and quiet in the middle of the day.
While the project is relatively well resourced from a donation standpoint, they do need new volunteers who can help manage the food and cafes. If you have a spare morning occasionally and would like to help out I would urge you to email trjfp.twickenham@gmail.com and let the team know you'd like to help out.
BARNES BOOKFEST
Over the weekend, Barnes played host to authors, poets, and writers from all genres during the Barnes Bookfest. This is a fantastic annual event that highlights the best of UK literature and offers a fascinating insight into authors' work.
Alongside talks by bestselling authors and writers, there were a number of lively Q&As and workshops. For my part, I was very pleased to hear Vernon Bogdanor, a titan of political reform and one of Britain's leading constitutional experts, and David Kynaston, one of the leading experts on England's social history discuss their work and latest research.
If you missed out on the event this year, you can sign up to their mailing list on their website here.
THE ORANGE TREE THEATRE: HERE IN AMERICA
I was incredibly pleased to be invited to the Orange Tree Theatre on Monday night to watch the opening performance of David Edgar's Here in America. It is wonderful to have such a powerful and moving play debuted in our community and I would highly recommend it to anyone in Richmond Park.
MEDIA AND PRESS
This week, Thames Water's Credit rating fell to lowest possible level of "junk" bonds, as the company seeks more than half a billion pounds of funding over the next 11 days to prevent its complete collapse into Government backed administration. I have been a vocal advocate for taking Thames Water into Special Administration for almost a year now given that if the Government does not act it seems likely the taxpayer may need to bail the company out. Yesterday, I spoke to the Financial Times about the company's potential collapse and the Government's failure to do what they need to in order to prevent disaster.
I was also very pleased to join Radio Jackie last week to catch up on my work in Parliament and the constituency. Alongside touching on the Teddington DRA and the Secretary of State's misguided decision to approve Thames Water's Water Resource Management Plan, I was also pleased to talk through my views on the changes to the Winter Fuel Allowance, OBR, and future of Hammersmith Bridge.
You can listen to my interview on catch up at the link here.
COMMUNITY NEWS
INCIDENT AT BARNES STATION
On the morning of 23rd of September at around 7 am an altercation, which left an individual in hospital, took place at Barnes Station. Police are investigating the crime and are urging any residents with information to contact them calling 101 and quoting CAD reference [1030 of 26th September 2024]. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers or contact fearless.org.
KINGSTON FAMILY FRIENDLY BIKE RIDE: 6TH OCTOBER AT CLAREMONT GARDENS
Join Kingston Cycling Campaign on Sunday 6th October 2024 for the final family-friendly ride of the year! Designed with all ages and cycling abilities in mind, this gentle 6.5-mile ride will take you from Surbiton to North Kingston, and back via the river, making the most of quiet roads and traffic-free routes.
Organised by Kingston Cycling Campaign, with the support of Full Cycle Community Bike Project, this is a great chance to discover new cycle-friendly routes, explore different parts of the borough and build your bike confidence, with the ride led by experienced ride marshals for extra safety. The event will start from Claremont Gardens, close to Surbiton station, at 10.45am just inside the gardens at the junction of The Crescent and Grove Road for the ride briefing.
Register for your free place here.
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