What’s New & Happening in Fulham

What’s New

Pet Spa Doors Open

Le Wag opened their boutique, cafe and pet spa at 68 New King’s Road mid May. Prior to opening their first fixed location they started two years ago as a mobile grooming spa that went to the doors of clients to pamper and maintain the coats, paws and claws of their four legged family members. Le Wag have now combined a coffee, boutique and pet spa experience in one. We spoke to Sacha from Le Wag about their new shop in the heart of our urban village and asked why they chose our area. “We absolutely love our Fulham neighbourhood, it’s the perfect home for Le Wag. When Le Wag was mobile it was definitely one of my favourite areas to visit. The friendly people, diverse community, bustling streets and beautiful architecture have always attracted me to the area and I knew Fulham was where I wanted the shop to be based”.

“Our pet spa is where all the magic happens. We have a young, dynamic and absolutely dog crazy team who make sure our clients have the most pampering and stress-free experience possible. Our cafe serves Peruvian coffee which is roasted and ground in small batches to ensure it’s of the highest quality. We also made efforts to source our coffee from a London based roaster in order to reduce our carbon footprint and our impact on the environment”. As well as finding a quality cup of Joe, Fulham dog lovers and owners (there are lot of them in our area) can peruse their selection of accessories including remedies for dry noses and paws, harnesses, leads in a rainbow of colours and of course bio-degradable poo bags. Sacha told us “ In our boutique space you’ll find a variety of dog accessories along with a wide range of toys, pet care products and natural treats. We even have our own range of home-made hand poured candles and dog accessories designed by us!

Le Wag are also hosting Pop Up events in store which this month includes a partnership with Am & Cha who have brought their preloved collections to the store. For those of you quick of the mark readers of Urban Village LDN, there is a second event on Saturday 3 July (9 am - 6pm). We have no doubt Sacha and her team would love to see you there. If the sun’s back, as well as checking out the curated second hand collections you can pick up an iced maple latte and perhaps a treat for that extra special member of your family four legged or human. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lewagofficial/

New Park Café

Roots & Berries is a small family of park cafés in South & West London and Frances Oppenheim, one half of the husband and wife team behind the business, got in touch with Urban Village LDN to tell us about the reopening of the Tea House in Bishop’s Park. The cafe will reopen later this month, after being fully refurbished, serving all day brunch, freshly baked treats, refreshing drinks and ice cream from the historic building, situated at the centre of the Grade 2 listed gardens. Whilst works are being completed to the interior and exterior a pop-up coffee bar outside the Tea House is now open.

Fran told us that “each Roots & Berries café purposefully has an individual name and identity that celebrates its own lovely corner of London. Each one gets behind local causes, employs local people, and adjusts the menus and service to the location, to provide the best experience they can from the unique buildings in London’s parks”. The adventure started seven years ago with the renovation of the coffee shop in Charlie & Fran’s local green space, just over the river on Wandsworth Common. Thanks to the support of the local community, friends, family (including their two toddlers who made excellent taste testers for the kids menu), and a lot of hard work, they opened The Skylark Café and it proved a hit. The company grew, allowing them to take their welcoming approach, delicious food, artisan drinks and community spirit to more neighbourhoods around South & West London.

Roots & Berries are now found in five neighbourhoods The Rookery Café & The Little Rook on Streatham Common, The Stables Café at Orleans House Gallery on Twickenham Riverside and Pitzhanger Pantry in Walpole Park, Ealing. The team will also shortly be opening a coffee shop and bakery on West Hill between Wandsworth and Putney; the company HQ, “where all the baking magic will happen”.

Fran told Urban Village “Roots & Berries are so thrilled and honoured to be opening in beautiful Bishop’s Park, we are already getting to know the community, who we would like to thank for their warm welcome at the pop-up and we can’t wait to make a lasting contribution to the area”. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bishopsparkteahouse/

State of the art recording studio

We’ve previously written about Singsational a local business that provides private, solo and group recording studio sessions and birthday parties. Camilla Reynolds got in touch with Urban Village LDN to introduce us to their brand new company VOXPOD, a state of the art recording studio which has been purpose built and is dedicated to voice recordings with both audio, video and live streaming capability. Camilla told us “the new studio is next door to our existing studio on Heathmans Road in Parsons Green, so it’s very well placed and conveniently located. We offer recording services with additional post production, if required, for podcasts, voice overs, audio books, live streamed events and more. We are an independent, family owned business offering a friendly and professional service to the community of SW London and beyond”.

The studio is available for private hire from £100 per hour and VOXPOD looks like it’s got off to an amazing start. Michael Morpurgo recently recorded his new audio book “The Birthday Duck” there as well as his heartfelt poem about the Minke Whale stranded in the Thames. The “Off Piste” podcast has been in conversation with Damon Hill and Fulhamish, the award winning Fulham FC podcast, has been recorded at VOXPOD. The facilities look incredible with vocal recording facilities for up to 8 participants, an acoustically treated studio and a professional Abbey Road trained sound engineer. So no set up hassle or the need to bring your own technical equipment, they provide independent headphone control on an iPad whilst their engineer takes care of the rest. At the end of the session you’re given an audio file via an online link and/or USB. What a great business to have in the heart of our urban village; we wish them every continued success.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/voxpodstudio/

London’s First Vegan Dessert Parlour

Mookind, which we’ve heard is London’s first vegan dessert parlour, is coming to Fulham. This month they’ll be opening the doors to one of our favourite buildings, 65b New Kings Road, whose facade seems fitting for a dessert parlour; even more so now they’ve painted it a gorgeous shade of mint choc. Marianne Gibson, Founder of Mookind told Urban Village LDN she “wants to revolutionise the Vegan food market by offering delicious Plant-Based desserts at accessible prices”. Marianne, a lifelong animal lover, searched all over West London for two years and found only a limited selection of Vegan desserts and decided that there was a real need for a dedicated plant-based dessert parlour in West London. She also felt that people shouldn’t have to compromise their ethics to eat their favourite food and embarked on her adventure to source the best quality plant-based products and a mission to open the first of its kind an all vegan, dessert parlour, championing sustainability and fair treatment of animals; any packaging they use will be fully biodegradable.

There’s no doubt that people are becoming more conscious and aware of the consequences surrounding animal agriculture, from animal cruelty to global warming and beyond. Mookind’s entire product range is free from dairy, egg and any sort of animal product. You’ll soon be able to try all sorts of treats from smoothies and cupcakes to gelato and pick up vegan essentials and goodies stocked in their mini mart. We eagerly await opening day!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mookind_/

What’s Happening

Summer Camps at The Fulham Boys School

Get set for fresh air, fun and friends this Summer! Ultimate Activity Camps bring their Ofsted-registered, and Covid-Safe, activity day camps for all children, aged 4-14, during the school holidays. Running for the first time this Summer at The Fulham Boys School these camps, with locations across the UK, are run by “engaging staff” with the children’s welfare and fun at the heart of everything they do. This summer there is a range of sports, games and art activities on offer every week, from badminton to zorbing. The camps run Monday to Friday (8.00am - 18.00pm) during the school holidays.

Visit their website to find out more including dates, prices (take advantage of their introductory booking offer) and a list of activities. Alternatively get in touch on email help@ultimateactivity.co.uk or call 0330 111 7077.

Video: https://vimeo.com/466515198

Dance in the Park

Dance West London have recently announced that their “Dance in the Park” event is back. Take part in FREE outdoor dance, health and wellbeing classes in South Park next month; there is also a programme taking place in Ravenscourt Park.

Led by an award winning team of teachers you can take part in free pop up dance classes in Hip Hop Salsa, Contemporary, Jive, Bollywood, Dance Cardio and classes. There are intergenerational dance classes, as well as sessions for families, children and dance adults 55+. Zumba Gold, Dance the Decades and Hip Hop for all ages are conjuring up amazing images in our heads of Grandparents and grandchildren bopping around the park and we can’t stop smiling. All programmes, supported by Hammersmith & Fulham Sports Development, can be booked via Eventbrite or by clicking the links below.

North End Road Improvements

Back with more news on this after our last piece on the initial consultation with residents, businesses and stallholders. After being delayed by Covid, the works were planned to start this autumn but the first phase of improvements have been brought forward and got underway on Monday 28 June to make use of an unplanned closure while Thames Water attend to a collapsed sewer.

Hammersmith & Fulham council approached Urban Village LDN as “we would welcome input from your readers” about the plans: bringing all market bays up to pavement level, repaving footways, planting new trees, installing new street lighting, creating charging points for electric vehicles and electricity for market traders, putting in additional seating and upgrading lamp posts. Funding has been negotiated from developers and a successful bid was made to the Greater London Authority

We love the new community-led redesign of the colourful road crossing by St John’s Church which was completed in partnership with the Royal College of Art and look forward to seeing the completion of phase 1. You can give your views and find out more on the link below.

Target Hit

We were delighted to hear that the South Park Heritage Garden Market reached their fundraising target of £7,484. The funds will go towards the second phase of reviving the garden. Congratulations to the team and thank you to our subscribers / followers who pledged and helped make this possible. If you didn’t read about this fantastic local project last month you can still find out about it here https://www.urbanvillageldn.com/whats-happening-june and learn how to get involved and volunteer your time.

Back This Summer

It’s been sad to see the doors to Market Halls Fulham closed throughout the pandemic; from the first lockdown to the third. They’ve been such a fantastic addition to the area and we’ve enjoyed watching their story unfold as they grew and expanded their business with new locations in Victoria and the West End. But there is light at the end of the tunnel and good news. The lights will be switched back on soon as the Market Hall team gear up to re open their doors later this summer; they may well re open as a pop up before then. It will be great to see them back!

Spotlight 

URBAN VILLAGE LDN SHINES A LIGHT ON A DIFFERENT FULHAM BUSINESS EACH MONTH. IN THIS ISSUE WE TALK TO Trish coulton, Founder / OWNER of Bondi wax, 98 – 100 Dawes Road

Bondi Wax opened in February 2014 when Trish brought her professional depilatory experience and the Australian waxing technique to Fulham. Trish told Urban Village LDN “I am originally from Goondiwindi, QLD. Most Australian’s have no idea where this is, so trying to keep an Australian feel to the brand, I landed on the name Bondi Wax simply as I felt more people may know and have heard of Bondi”. Trish has lived in Fulham since 2011 and told us that she “couldn’t imagine living anywhere else, I’ve always felt at home in Fulham. There is such a community feel to living here, something that resonates with me”.

We asked Trish how she got into the beauty industry. “I have always been in the hair removal industry. I spent 10 years waxing in Byron Bay where I opened Australia’s very first waxing only salon call ‘ The wax room’. I do miss wearing a bikini & a kaftan to work, but you learn to adapt to more appropriate attire for a cooler climate”. We talked to Trish about what makes Bondi Wax unique. “We have the much loved Australian waxing technique which means it is a 15 minute wax as opposed to a 30 minute wax. No one enjoys a long wax. People love the ability to SMS or book online for an appointment and we are open until 9pm weekdays. I think my clients enjoy the casual aspect of coming in to see us. I am so passionate about what I do… It’s not just waxing, it is the people I meet”.

In addition to waxing Bondi offers spray tanning and other beauty treatments including facials, eyebrow and eyelash treatments. There are other plans in the pipeline, Trish told us “we are developing the Bondi Beauty Bag, for beauty, gym, beach & life. In August we launch the Bondi Cryo Facial Tools, they are heaven for the face, imagine jumping into the ocean after a night out and will be available to buy on our website www.bondilaser.c

Like other local businesses and salons the pandemic has been tough for Bondi Wax but fortunately another part of Trish’s business came into it’s own during lockdown. “Luckily in 2018 I moved into at home IPL hair removal systems. The industry is changing to permanent hair reduction and by using my extensive knowledge of body hair cycles and hormonal hair growth patterns, I developed the Bondi Laser @ Home system to save my clients money, giving them permanent hair reduction from a brand they know and trust. The business took off during the pandemic. We have also seen great success with ladies who suffer from Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. I can also report that many of my existing clients tell me they will buy the system when I retire from waxing”. The device targets light brown, medium brown, dark brown and black hair and reduces hair permanently and pain-free.

We asked Trish what’s next “I love being in the beauty industry, I have been trying to retire from waxing for nearly three years, and every time I realise how much I love what I do and how important my clients are to my life. So I dare say I will be here for many more years to come”. Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bondiwax/?hl=en

Made in Fulham

It never fails to surprise us what a talented bunch you Fulham folks are. Each month Urban Village Ldn introduces you to THe Fulham face behind an idea, product or business and asks them what they love about being a local resident. This month we talk to Barbara ROESSLER founder of Paperbirds ART WITH Kids

How long have you called Fulham home? We moved to Fulham in 2012 after having our second child. We previously lived in Chelsea for our first four years in the UK. Both my husband and I are from Germany and moved to the UK excited to work & live in London for ‘just a couple of years’. Well, 13 years later we are still here and Fulham has became very much our home.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your family I studied Graphic Design and worked as an art director in Germany and London before slightly changing my career to become an art teacher and haven’t looked back; although I still love doing design jobs from time to time. I love going to museums, it’s my favorite thing to do - experiencing art always inspires me and gives me ideas for our classes but it also clears my mind. We have three children who inspire me daily, they tried out so many projects and my firstborn was part of the reason why I founded Paperbirds. Now, many years later, my youngest can’t wait to be old enough to take part in my art camps.

What’s your favourite local haunt and why?  I think we are very lucky to have quite a lot of independent shops in Fulham like Quirky Gadgets (my boys are totally obsessed), Nomad or Indian Summer and even more independent cafes too. My youngest and I have a lunch date once a week and are trying out a different local cafe every time. It’s a very, very long list already, and many have beautiful little outside spaces and we love exploring it all.

What is your slice of Fulham heaven and why? I absolutely love Fulham Palace and the walled garden with all the vegetables, to show the children how everything grows, and having picnics on the grass under the trees. We are very lucky to be able to host our holiday and half term camps at the Palace’s Education Centre and we always have our lunch breaks in the beautiful grounds. Spending time at the Glasshouse Cafe and buying plants and herbs at the Palace Gardener is always such a joy and as a family we love our walks along the river, down to Chelsea Harbour and watching the helicopters taking off on the other side of the Thames, well yes, I have boys!

What have you missed about Fulham life during lockdown? I think like most of us I missed seeing people, from little chats with friends on the school run, spending time in one of Fulham’s many cafes to our crafty Sunday mornings at the Market Hall. Fulham to me often feels like a little village and wherever you go, you are most likely to see someone you know and have a little catch up.

What local shop/service/business has helped make life easier during the pandemic? It might not have been a business but all the talented little and big artists who switched from our Fulham classes to zoom and were so excited, engaged, motivated and fun. Seeing what an impact we could have on the children with those classes was extremely encouraging but they might not have realised how much they made my life a happier one too during such an uncertain time. The community spirit here is incredible and the support we got from all the families was just so wonderful.

Tell us about Paperbirds Art with Kids and how it came to be At Paperbirds we host art classes, parties, events and holiday camps in Fulham for primary school children. We always have little themes for our classes, we travel around the world, we are inspired by artists and always learn something new and improve our skills but mainly we want the children to enjoy their time with us and have a creative and inspiring class. The benefits art gives to children in all areas of their learning is incredible. As kids manipulate a paintbrush, their fine motor skills improve. By counting pieces and colors, they learn the basics of Maths. When children experiment with materials, they dabble in science. Most important perhaps, when kids feel good while they are creating, art helps boost self-confidence. And children who feel able to experiment and to make mistakes feel free to invent new ways of thinking, which extends well beyond the art room.

My own childhood was full of art, nature and creating and when my firstborn was about two, I started hosting creative afternoons for my friends and their children. Encouraged by the positive impact those afternoons had on our children, the happiness but also all the skills they gained from it I decided to start my own art business and here we are today, many years and art classes later, happy, full of ideas and excited about welcoming everyone to come and create with us.

What advice would you give to budding artists Paint, create, make and explore every day as long as it makes you happy. Be inspired and curious and always believe in yourself. Art is an adventure, that never seems to end.

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/paperbirds.artwithkids/

Beyond the Hood

Chiswick Flower Market

We heard about Chiswick Flower Market and decided to step out of the hood and take a look. Held on the first Sunday of the month, in the market place situated on Chiswick High Road, it was set up by a team of local residents with the aim of being the Columbia Road of the West. The market offers a range of plants, flowers and horticultural products and is run as a not for profit enterprise, with any any profits being invested back into the High Road and the market.

The market takes place rain or shine. When we headed over to W4 it was slightly drizzly but that didn’t stop us browsing the stalls taking part that Sunday, safe in the knowledge that there were plenty of pubs, cafes and restaurants in the vicinity should we need to take cover if there was a heavy downpour. Despite the grey day the colours of the gorgeous array of flowers on display were fantastic, we loved looking at the stalls, talking to the stall holders and checking out the offers that day. Stall holders range from well-established traders from Columbia Road and other markets and you’ll also find house plants, bedding, grasses and succulents for sale.

We picked up a selection of plants to bring back to our urban garden in Fulham as well as some seasonal cut peonies. We have to disappointingly say, you know we like to be honest with you, that sadly the peonies, that we knew were a bargain at £10 a bunch never fully opened. The plants purchased however were a great price, have all been a roaring success without exception and are going from strength to strength.

Don’t let the Peony downer put you off - it was a great Sunday out of the hood and we will be going back. We highly recommend a visit, Chiswick High Road has so many great places to eat, fantastic boutique shops and you could combine the market with a visit to one of our favourite haunts in the area, Chiswick House, perfectly doable as the market has a plant creche! They organisers will hold on to your plants while you browse the market or explore the Chiswick area for free, as long as you collect them half an hour before the market closes. The next Chiswick Flower Market is 4 July 2021 ( 9.00am to 3.30pm) and the nearest tube is Turnham Green. Instagram https://www.instagram.com/chiswickflowermkt/?hl=en