What’s Happening  

The Fulham Society Celebrates 50th Anniversary

This year the Fulham Society celebrates its 50th anniversary. They are the main local amenity society with over 600 members whose aim is to preserve and enhance the character of Fulham’s environment for the benefit of all its residents, to maintain what is good and to help change what needs improving. They lobby, campaign, inform and influence to protect the interests of all who live and work in Fulham. Maya Donelan, long term member of the Fulham Society Committee told Urban Village LDN “we were founded in 1971 after a small group of residents campaigned successfully to prevent the construction of a large hotel which would have dominated the river frontage near All Saints Church and Putney Bridge. This threat highlighted the need for an amenity society with a wide local brief. Our area of interest is the old Metropolitan Borough of Fulham that is as it was in 1962 before the Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham was created. It includes all the SW6 postcode and part of the current W14 and W6 postcodes”

We of course wholeheartedly agreed with Maya when she told us “Fulham is a desirable place in which to live and there is a constant pressure to alter and redevelop the local area. The Society aims to promote high standards of planning and architecture and tries to prevent over development and encroachment on public land. It reviews all relevant planning applications each month: many are discussed and commented on to the Council. It monitors and comments on all large-scale development proposals, consulting with both the Council and the developers. It encourages members to share their views and is always willing to engage with architects, planning consultants, and local residents”.

The Fulham Society aims to preserve Fulham’s past as well as its present and the Society campaigns to preserve its historic buildings. The Society’s successes have included Fulham Palace, the 17th Century Sandford Manor, the 18th century Fulham House and Fulham Town Hall and the maintenance of the integrity of the many conservation areas. The Fulham Society is a registered charity and volunteers contribute their time and skills to preserve and enhance their local heritage and community. Maya continued “Societies such as ours are independent, acting entirely for the community benefit and are free of political or commercial influence. The Fulham Society is affiliated to the London Forum of Amenity Societies who pass on advice and consultancy documents on matters relating to London Borough”.

We’ve long been members of the Fulham society and thoroughly enjoy their newsletter which hits our mat three times a year. It’s an informative read which keeps you up to date and informed about the Fulham area. Their Spring issue for example included one of Maya’s local Fulham walks, the formation of The Friends of Colehill Gardens group and an update on Fulham Football Club’s new stand. As well as their newsletter and intermittent news bulletins they have a programme of events and activities including their AGM and an Annual Summer Party. Each year In June they hold an annual Best Front Garden competition, as featured in a previous issue of Urban Village LDN, in which they offer a prize for the best Front Garden, Window box or Balcony, visible from the street. The deadline for this year is June 30 and full details will soon be available on their website. To become a member head to their website to find a membership form or get in touch info@fulhamsociety.org

Al Fresco April

Lockdown restrictions lift again and our local pubs finally reopen their doors. During months of closure some of our local watering holes really need our support especially those that don’t have a big brewery behind them. We are lucky to have so many venues with outdoor spaces including to name a few the Imperial Arms as featured in “What’s New” this month, The Rose which had a bit of a facelift back in September and has one of the loveliest gardens, The Lost Hours as featured in a previous issue https://bit.ly/3sGz9Lo re-opens their garden on 14 April. The Rylston also underwent some renovations in February and their garden area looks fantastic after a spruce up. The Duke under new management reopened after being refurbished at the end October only to close again in under a week in early November. Although Brook House are taking reservations they won’t be open until mid-May (data permitting!) but their popular Bus Stop BBQ will be back on 12 April. We can’t wait to be back in Ella’s Place enjoying the peace of their beautiful lush green garden, or hogging our favourite sunny spot at The Glasshouse Cafe. Whatever your favourite outdoor Fulham space, let’s hope the forecasts are right and that the sun continues to shine to make Al Fresco April extra special!

Barnes Dog Walk

On Saturday 24th April Fulham company Marston Properties are sponsoring the Barnes Community Association Dog Walk which will finish at Tideway Yard/The Old Power Station in Barnes; both buildings are celebrating their 120th anniversaries. Tea, coffee and soft drinks, we’ve heard rumours of a prosecco bar, will be served to the dog walkers and water to the dogs as they enjoy the River Thames views. 45 dog owners have already signed up to take part including 28 of the ‘Barnes Goldens’ golden retrievers. Caroline Marston, a 4th generation Marston and Chairman of Marston Properties told Urban Village LDN “We are so pleased that we were able to save these historic buildings and that they are here to celebrate their 120th anniversaries. We are also delighted to be sponsoring the Barnes Community Association Dog Walk and hope as many people as possible will take part.”

The dog walk, open to BCA members, non members and canines alike, will start in Vine Road with entrants following a socially distanced set route finishing at Tideway Yard. Entry is £10 per dog and you can book your place and choose your registration time. Each human participant will be given a doggy bag with a route map, dog treats and entry into a special raffle.

In 1983 Marston Properties formed Tideway Developments with Richmond Borough Council and in 1986 sympathetically redeveloped the prominent buildings into 50 award-winning offices and a restaurant which is Rick Stein’s only London Restaurant, boasting a riverside conservatory with stunning views upstream to Chiswick and downstream to Putney. In 2009 Marstons bought out Tideway Developments and purchased the freehold from Richmond Borough Council. Marston Properties celebrated their 125th anniversary last year as featured in a previous issue https://www.urbanvillageldn.com/whats-happening-jan-2021?rq=Marston

Edge of Reasons

Sonia Aslam’s career in investment banking and telecommunications led to her adding to her skill set by becoming a trained life coach. After a personal experience at work, a belief that women in corporate environments often have issues with having their voices and ideas heard in a male dominated environment and seeing a life coach herself Sonia told Urban Village LDN that women are often “holding ourselves back from realising our full potential”. During her career Sonia told us that she “found the noises surrounding me were making me establish some limiting beliefs, which knocked my self worth, confidence and started to have a negative impact on all other aspects of my life. This is when I used a life coach who helped me gain insights to my whole being which in turn removed the obstacle I was faced with, without having to change who I was”.

After deciding she wanted to help others Sonia trained as a life coach offering a number of programmes including:“Self Belief”, “Ready Set Go” for someone who has been thinking for sometime that they want to start making changes and that the time is right, a three month programme called “Launch Pad” and in the corporate world Sonia undertakes reviews, interviews and maps out a clear action plan for employee and team engagement.

Sonia starts with a free initial consultation and then if both parties want to progress sets about equipping each client with practical tools to help break down the steps needed to attain your goals. Get in touch with Sonia to find out more contactme@edgeofreasons.com

From Soil to Oil

Justyna Nascimento moved to Fulham in 2016 and at the beginning of 2020 her and her husband Warren decided it was time to start their own business adventure. They became distributors of Pure Spectrum’s premium CBD products. Justyna told Urban Village LDN “We knew this brand well as we’d been using the whole range of their products when I was diagnosed with a life threatening illness in 2018. Back then we were looking for all things natural to heal and avoid pharmaceutical medication”.

After setting themselves up as online distributors they decided to look for a physical location to display their products and found Nature’s Delight on Fulham Road (as featured last month) where their products are now stocked. The range of products includes oils, balms, pain creams, bath soaks, body and face creams and Justyna told us that she believes Pure Spectrum products stand out for the following reasons: they use organically cultivated hemp without pesticides, herbicides or other toxins, they’re NON-GMO, all the ingredients are sourced ethically and they are THC Free; free from psychoactive compounds that are known to be associated with being high. The products can help relieve chronic pain and inflammation, reduce anxiety, stress & depression, promote cardiovascular health, better sleep and overall health and wellbeing. The brand is already successful in the USA with the CBD products being used by team USA making Pure Spectrum the first CBD company to partner with a professional sport organisation.

Justyna said “our dream is to become the well-known local supplier of the Pure Spectrum CBD range.  It has helped me, why would we not help others? We are trying to raise awareness of the importance of eating plants, not using excessive medication and leading a nontoxic life.  I am 100% vegan, 90% of my food is raw, pretty extreme. We deliver locally by foot or in our electric powered car. We love being part of the Fulham community and belong to Eel Brook Woof’s club ( approx. 300 dog owners). Last year I ran 92km for Ovarian Care Fund, and raised 1k to be greeted at the end by Eel Brook Woof’s owners on Eel Brook Common”.