Lytton's Boris Bike Station - the Work Starts or does it !

In a surprise development this morning, contractors started work outside Samuel Richardson House, on a TfL Bike Station for the Lytton Estate. Workmen lifted the paving slabs in front of the block, dug down to the electrical cables and installed a power point box for the station. After stating earlier this year, that they could not go ahead with a docking station in this location, "as it's unregistered land", the work was unexpected, especially as there has not been a consultation meeting with residents on the estate. 

As of now, LETRA  has been unable to reach the TfL Project Officer organising the scheme and on contacting H&F today, was informed that they had not been anticipating the start of works or had an agreement for the Lytton bike station been signed off.

H&F have promised to get back to LETRA with more information as soon as possible. We have also invited TfL to attend our Open Meeting next week, to discuss the project. 

Update: Monday, 18th :

After contacting TfL, LETRA has been informed that due to the 'unregistered land' issue, the Bike Station on the Lytton Estate is unlikely to go ahead anytime soon, although the location is still under consideration. We have requested for the work in front of Samuel Richardson House to be finished and the pavement returned to its previous state, after this unnecessary job; there is still a large fenced off hole obstructing the pathway, that residents have to walk in the road to avoid. 

LETRA has also asked for full update from TfL, of other Bike Stations in the near vicinity of our Estate, we will let you know when/if they reply.

• Bike Station home page
• Cycle hire map (pdf)

Workshop in Marcus Garvey Park

Yesterday in Marcus Garvey Park, the Hammersmith Community Gardens Association, together with local resident, Sean Adamson, ran an info stall about their community and environmental garden works across the borough. At the day, they also had open workshops, on using bike power to mix fruit smoothies and the making of bird boxes, where all could try out their carpentry skills.

The new project they hoping to launch in the park, with the help of local volunteers, will lead  to the planting of flower beds, a herb garden and the improvement of the parks wildlife habitat. 
Local councillor, Joe Carlebach, was there to lend support for the scheme; which should be starting shortly, giving locals the chance to work on creating a community garden in the park.

• Hammersmith Community Gardens Association

Your Paintings - The Nations Oil Paintings Online

Edward Burne-Jones, 'Love Among the Ruins' - one of his 83 works to view

The Your Paintings project is a comprehensive catalogue of the national collection of oil paintings, viewable online, some for the first time. Presented with an easy to use and searchable interface, you can view the paintings from museums and public institutions across the UK. There are over 200,000 works (many hidden away) and 37,000+ artists to chose from, so there is much to enjoy, plus the site also gives further information about the pictures and where to see them for real.

• Your Paintings home page
• Burne-Jones - oil paintings slideshow

Rerun of the BBC4 Series- The Pre-Raphaelites

Apologies for the late heads-up, but the excellent three-part series, 
The Pre-Raphaelites, began a repeat run on BBC4 last night. 
BBC quote-  "Series examining the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, who brought notoriety to British art in the 19th century, bursting into the spotlight in 1848 and shocking their peers with a new kind of radical art. The opening programme explores the origins of the Brotherhood and their initial achievements, and looks at some of their key early works, the hostile criticism they faced and the centuries of academic dogma their paintings overturned."
It moves around on the BBC4 schedule over the next couple of weeks, but all three episodes can still be viewed on Freeview, or you can watch the last episode next Thursday and then on the BBC iPlayer or unofficially on YouTube.

• Episode 3 on BBC iPlayer 
• Episode 3 on BBC4, 8pm Thursday 28th March
• Wikipedia - Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood
• Pre-Raphaelite Online Resource
• Unofficial YouTube hosting of the series in 9 parts

New Video for the 'Save Our Hospitals' campaign

Great online video/slide show for the 'Save our Hospitals' campaign - 

Top music as well

HAFFTRA Meeting

Guest speaker Anthony Wood and Chair Paul McInulty

Last night LETRA attended a meeting of the tenant and TRA support body HAFFTRA (Hammersmith and Fulham Federation of Tenants and Residents Associations). Despite having it's official link with H&F severed by the council, they are continuing their work for residents in the borough, by assisting TRA's with a number of services and holding regular meetings.
The evening's guest speaker was Anthony Wood, a Resident Involvement Panel member, who gave a well received talk on why H&F should set up a new Communications Panel, run by residents with council officer support, to improve the way information is conveyed by the authority.
Other issues discussed, were the recent unconsidered changing of the locks at community halls, so residents can't access their buildings, the ongoing issue of parking charges on estates and the surprising appointment of "Big Four" accountancy firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers (at what cost?), to audit and help with the finances of TRA's. 
The next HAFFTRA meeting for TRA members will be their AGM, on April 3rd with Andy Slaughter MP, as guest the speaker.

• HAFFTRA or Tel: 020 8740 1282
• Resident Involvement Panel

Gardening Project Volunteers Wanted for Marcus Garvey Park

Marcus Garvey Park, West Kensington

Are those green fingers itching for a garden to work on?  Now there's a chance for people to join a new local initiative starting soon in Marcus Garvey Park, just off North End Road, where you can achieve those horticultural ambitions.

Organiser have the backing of the council, who are willing to help with funding for the project, which aims not only to improve the flower beds and plant a herb garden, but enhance the wildlife habitat in the park, for everything from birds to slugs. They are hoping to have the new works to the garden established by the summer, so everyone can enjoy the results of their help.

Those wishing to find out more about the scheme or volunteer, can attend an event in the park on Saturday, March 9th, from 11am to 3pm.  All ages are wellcome to come, with a number of activities provided, such as hands-on workshops building bird boxes and bug houses, run by Hammersmith Community Gardens Association.

• Chronicle story

Kensington Olympia - Free WiFi at platforms 1, 2 & 3

Things just keep getting better at Kensington Olympia, first the new London Overground orbital network opened a few weeks ago, now there is free WiFi while you wait for those trains. Passengers can connect to the internet at 50 London Overground Stations, by using WiFi provider The Cloud, which gives users free access for the first 60 minutes per day. 
(free registration is required)

• TfL WiFi page
• London Overgroung WiFi station map (pdf)

Hidden Homes for The Grange

The two new affordable flats on the left of the building

The Councils Hidden Homes programme is going ahead, with a development at The Grange, where two new affordable flats are to be built on the apartment buildings ground floor. Planning consent for the scheme has been granted and the process of procuring a contractor, for the detailed design work of the project, is under-way.

The building works will involve the demolition of the old storage sheds underneath the block and the insertion of the two new one bedroom flats in there place, with a replacement storage facility built to the rear of the apartments.

H&F will be holding another drop-in event for residents to discus the plans, with a presentation for a timetable of the works and site set up. It is possible that building work may start in the early summer.

Layout of the new homes & storage area 

Floor plan of the two new homes

• Design and Access Statement for Planning
• H&F Hidden Homes page
• Detailed drawings & plans download page

Lyric Square Save Our Hospitals Rally and Town Hall Video

Local MP Andy Slaughter speaking at the rally

LETRA attended the Save Our Hospitals rally at Lyric Square today. 
600 plus demonstrators turned out to hear a series of impassioned speakers, voice their opposition to the outcome of the NHS NW London's decision, to drastically reduce the facilities at Charing Cross and Hammersmith Hospitals.

Leading campaigner and local MP, Andrew Slaughter, was one of the main speakers at the peaceful meeting. Once the rally in the square had finished, protesters marched along King Street and gathered outside the Town Hall, where a second demo took place on the buildings front steps.

Protesters at the rally

1st March Update, above: Defend London's NHS Video 

The march from Lyric Square to the Town Hall

Video from outside the Town Hall after the King Street march 

• Chronicle report
• Hammersmith Today report
• Hammersmith Today: It's Official both A&E's to close
• W14 Website: summary of NHS Proposals
• Andy Slaughter on the closures