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LETTER FROM THE CHAIR Sadly we start this year saying goodbye to two lovely ladies, founder members of the Society, who have died. Both Barbara MacMahon and Joan Freeman contributed greatly to the success of the Society. We will miss them. The New Year party was a huge success as you'll see from the pictures inside. Next up is the AGM whose details you'll find enclosed. Come along and enjoy spectacular views of our river Thames. And we will be celebrating a couple of Royal occasions. The Queen will be 90 years old on 21 April and we, and the whole nation, will be wishing her a Happy Birthday. Teddington will also have a visit from Princess Anne on the morning of Wednesday 17 February when she will be re-opening the Park Lane Stables. Then we have Teddington In Flower, if we can get volunteers to organise it, and the Village Fair - both in June. If you have some time and some skills please offer them to us. We welcome members from everywhere. We don't discriminate as long as they have an interest in Teddington. They can be as active or inactive as they like, no matter what sex, shape or size. So if you can, please join in and lend us a hand. And if you know who cut off the pointing hand on the "To Bushy Park" sign in Avenue Road, please, we'd like it back! It'll cost over £1,000 to have another one made and neither the council nor the Society can afford that. SHEENA CONTENTS 1 Welcome 2 Teddington Society 2 Editorial 3 Slowly down the Thames 4 Trees and Gardens 4 Landmark Anniversary 4 Great Railway Journeys 5 Planning Group 5 Village Plans 5 Congratulations, Jenny 6 Crossrail 2 7 History Group 8 New Year Party 9 Christmas Lights 10 Joan Freeman 10 Teddington Hospital 11 Safer Neighbourhood Board 11 Local Studies Library 12 The Sheriff Leaves Town 12 Riverside and Open Spaces 13 Panorama of the Thames 13 Christmas Parcels 13 Barbara MacMahon 13 Teddington Theatre Club 14 Community Caring 15 Corporate Members 15 Membership Matters 16 Events

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Page 1: LETTER FROM THE CHAIR · emanates from many loft extension projects and the gas men are digging up the roads and insisting on relocating gas meters wherever they go. The improved

LETTER FROM THE CHAIR Sadly we start this year saying goodbye to two lovely ladies, founder members of the Society, who have died. Both Barbara MacMahon and Joan Freeman contributed greatly to the success of the Society. We will miss them. The New Year party was a huge success as you'll see from the pictures inside. Next up is the AGM whose details you'll find enclosed. Come along and enjoy spectacular views of our river Thames. And we will be celebrating a couple of Royal occasions. The Queen will be 90 years old on 21 April and we, and the whole nation, will be wishing her a Happy Birthday. Teddington will also have a visit from Princess Anne on the morning of Wednesday 17 February when she will be re-opening the Park Lane Stables.

Then we have Teddington In Flower, if we can get volunteers to organise it, and the Village Fair - both in June. If you have some time and some skills please offer them to us. We welcome members from everywhere. We don't discriminate as long as they have an interest in Teddington. They can be as active or inactive as they like, no matter what sex, shape or size. So if you can, please join in and lend us a hand.

And if you know who cut off the pointing hand on the "To Bushy Park" sign in Avenue Road, please, we'd like it back! It'll cost over £1,000 to have another one made and neither the council nor the Society can afford that.

SHEENA

CONTENTS 1 Welcome 2 Teddington Society 2 Editorial 3 Slowly down the Thames 4 Trees and Gardens 4 Landmark Anniversary 4 Great Railway Journeys 5 Planning Group 5 Village Plans 5 Congratulations, Jenny

6 Crossrail 2 7 History Group 8 New Year Party 9 Christmas Lights 10 Joan Freeman 10 Teddington Hospital 11 Safer Neighbourhood Board 11 Local Studies Library 12 The Sheriff Leaves Town

12 Riverside and Open Spaces 13 Panorama of the Thames 13 Christmas Parcels 13 Barbara MacMahon 13 Teddington Theatre Club 14 Community Caring 15 Corporate Members 15 Membership Matters 16 Events

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Page 2 Tidings 173 – Spring 2016

The Teddington Society 1 Avenue Road, Teddington TW11 0BT Reg. Charity No. 802026 www.teddingtonsociety.org.uk President - Jenny Hilton Vice Presidents : Roger Avins, John Demont Chairman Sheena Harold 020 8977 2700 [email protected] Vice Chairman Alan Benns 07768 078667 [email protected] Secretary Josette Nikiforou 0203 174 2481 [email protected] Treasurer Sally Howland 020 8977 9404 [email protected] Publicity & Promotions (inc. Gardens) Sheena Harold Membership Secretary & Website Jenny Michell 020 8977 0772 [email protected] Magazine Editor - Donald Bell [email protected] Minutes Secretary - Judy Asher Planning Group James Sinclair 07535 629165 [email protected] Roads and Transport Group Brian Holder 020 8977 1579 [email protected] Environment Group Geoff Howland 020 8977 9404 [email protected] History Group Ken Howe 020 8943 1513 [email protected] Riverside and Open Spaces Group Andy Weston [email protected] Flood Working Group Brian Holder

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Donald Bell

It seems strange to be producing the Spring edition of Tidings while the weather forecasts are continuously about Amber Warnings for wind and rain and presumably there will be more floods to come.

But, as you will see from many of the articles in this edition, there is an air of optimism in Teddington. There are green shoots in gardens all over town, and planning has already begun for Teddington in Flower.

The squirrels are performing an amazing high-wire act on the fences around the tennis court and the population of parakeets shows no sign of slowing down. The birds are noisily building nests in our roof spaces and the foxes are digging up our garden plants and tearing our garden furniture. The whine of circular saws emanates from many loft extension projects and the gas men are digging up the roads and insisting on relocating gas meters wherever they go. The improved commuter trains are slowly being introduced and the plans for Crossrail 2 are being firmed up. And the threat of an expanded Controlled Parking Zone seems to have receded, at least for a few more years. So what might go wrong? As you will read in these pages, there are concerns over excessive building projects, the threat of flooding if climate change brings wetter winters, how any decision over Heathrow might affect Teddington and the changing face of the High Street and Broad Street as bigger shops are opened. The Teddington Society has several Working Groups looking at all of these issues, and more. And there are usually articles from each one in most issues of Tidings. We will have our Annual General Meeting in April, so if you have a particular interest or would like to know more, get in touch with members of the Committee whose names are listed here.

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Tidings 173 – Spring 2016 Page 3

SLOWLY DOWN THE THAMES Cricklade to Lechlade - Alan Benns An early rise in Cricklade, but not too early as we must not get to Castle Eaton (and our second Red Lion of the day) before opening time. Sustained by a hearty breakfast at our first Red Lion (including Kelmscott sausage and bacon – of which more in a later episode) we set up off the High Street. For this leg of the journey we have activated a new phone app; Map my Walk. Every half hour or so a disembodied voice is heard informing us how far we have walked and our average speed. It also shows the stops we’ve made and where we’ve retraced our steps after taking advice on “better” routes from locals. After deciphering some vague instructions about “squeezing through hedges” at the point “where the ways divide” we were again by the Thames. At this point the river is allegedly navigable but practically is overgrown with reeds. The path here was narrow and slippery which made for slow going but once we got into open fields we increased our pace until we encountered seemingly endless fields of maize which necessitated strict single file and no river views. This area seems incredibly remote, even though it is only 10 miles from the centre of Swindon. We didn’t see one other person until we approached Castle Eaton.

We arrived at our second Red Lion bang on opening time. We were followed smartly by a couple of locals and a party who were launching an enormous canoe from the river bank – this was the first stage of their sponsored paddle down river to the Thames Barrier. During our second pint we were given advice on our afternoon route by the friendly landlady, who assured us that there was a new part to the Thames path which followed the river more closely and avoided the perilous “A361 between Upper Inglesham and Inglesham (which) is best negotiated by taxi”. We therefore set out refreshed and confident that we would reach our accommodation in Lechlade well before tea-time. After a fast stretch on roads we encountered the river again briefly, then walked along a wide bridleway until

making the only significant error of the day. We decided that this must be the point to stray from the marked path so struck out left along a field boundary until we met the river. We followed it for a while although this meant scrambling down and up a couple of ditches and we were certain we were on the right path as we met another couple who were also taking the “new route”. Except they weren’t. They were lost and “Mr” was pointing out to a long-suffering “Mrs” that they shouldn’t have come this way, a fact of which she seemed painfully aware! We continued along the riverside together until we reached an impassable boundary. Then we walked the third and fourth side of the large field to get back to the point we had left the marked path. So much for the “new route”. Now we were a party of 6, for we had met two other walkers, who we’d spotted in the Red Lion earlier. Sensibly they had not strayed from the marked path and were looking very smug about it! We continued through Upper Inglesham and onto the A361. Although this is a fast road, and there was evidence of a number of recent car accidents we were at least confident that we were heading in the correct direction and making up lost time on a wide and flat grass verge. Then to Inglesham Church (not visited), Roundhouse Farm which is all that remains of the former Thames-Severn canal (not visited) and a riverside park for the tail-end of a fishing gala. We could now see the small town of Lechlade and we wearily crossed the Ha’penny Bridge, which marks the beginning of the truly navigable Thames, to the Riverside Inn which was our destination for the night. Map my walk reported we had travelled 12.27 miles rather than the 11 featured in our guidebook but my feet suggested that it had been considerably further than that. We were looking forward to a sit-down, a few beers and a good night’s sleep. The next morning was misty and damp when we set off back across Ha’penny Bridge towards the first lock on the river, St John’s Lock, which was built in 1790 and is home to Old Father Thames.

He was originally commissioned in 1854 for the grounds of the Crystal Palace but has since resided at Thames Head before being relocated to his present position. Next time Lechlade to Newbridge.

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Page 4 Tidings 173 – Spring 2016

TREES & GARDENS Sheena Harold TEDDINGTON IN FLOWER Sunday 12th June we would like people to offer to open their back gardens to the public for charity and we'd like volunteers to man the gates and collect the entry fees. We must say a great big thank you to Sian Morgan who is stepping down after a couple of years' really hard work organising the event. We are now looking for a couple of people who can find interesting gardens to open, then contact and fix a rota of gate sitters. If you think this is something you could do then get in touch with me please. If we can't find anyone, we will have to cancel the event for this year! As my camellia blooms amid the early morning frost I look forward to the bulbs in Elmfield Garden, Hampton Road and particularly the new planting by the NPL main gate coming into flower to cheer us all up. TREES We enjoy a good relationship with the Council's Parks department which is staffed with some helpful and knowledgeable people at the moment. Sadly we lost a damaged ash tree in Elmfield Gardens, the one by our Poppy memorial, but it will be replaced later this year. I have discussed ways of improving the entry to the town from the Station. At the junction of Adelaide Road with Park Road I've asked if we could have a new tree where there used to be a Horse Chestnut which got disease and replaced by a Black Walnut, which also failed. At the moment it is just uneven, patched asphalt. I've asked if we could provide a tree in memory of Joan Freeman and wait to hear. At the very least a brick box with shrubs would create a better impression especially if a matching one could replace the broken brick box with the truncated Faux Robinia on the corner of Park Lane. Tony Mansell asked about the untidy mess at the corner of the High Street and Twickenham Road. It is a Welfare Unit for Southern Gas Networks staff and may be there for another few months. They have been asked to keep it neat and tidy but I doubt we'll see any spring bulbs there this year. Continental Landscapes will soon be preparing the beds at the wooded triangle opposite the Hospital for us to plant. Be prepared to come along with your trowel and lend us a hand with planting.

LANDMARK ANNIVERSARY PANEL Peter Denton

Wendy Miles (left), Administrator of the Landmark Arts Centre and Tim Cannings, Operations Manager, with the centre’s new 20th anniversary panel which charts the building’s history from the 1800s through to the present day – and beyond! The Teddington Society helped towards the costs of producing the high-quality informative panel, which charts the foundation and expansion of the former church, which was designed “on the scale and size of a French cathedral”, through to its last service in 1976. In 1991 work began on converting the by then derelict building into an arts centre, and in 2004 it embarked on a new lease of life as the Landmark – “a local charity relying on the support of the local community”.

GREAT BRITISH RAILWAY JOURNEYS

Michael Portillo visited Teddington on his railway tour around Britain. Here he is on our suspension bridge.

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Tidings 173 – Spring 2016 Page 5

PLANNING GROUP James Sinclair The job of Planning Officer in a Council cannot be an easy one at the best of times. A heavy workload and the responsibility of shaping the places that we all call home would test any of us. Imagine, then, doing the job for Richmond Council, in an area where there must be a listed building, conservation area or open space around most corners. Then add in the fact that Richmond residents are very articulate and not afraid to voice opinions when their corner of the Borough is threatened by development that is seen, at the very least, as being “inappropriate.” As far as Teddington is concerned, the Planning Group can form a link between residents and planning officers, submitting its own comments on planning applications, especially where local people have expressed strong views, generally against a proposed development. We always welcome approaches for help from concerned residents; we’re looking at planning applications all the time and we understand the issues that planning officers will consider to be significant. For the past few years we have also had a round table meeting with planning officers, being our opportunity to discuss, face to face, the concerns that have been raised by ourselves and by residents through the year. This year’s meeting in December covered such topics as the protection of conservation areas, Udney Park playing fields, the old house at Laurel Dene and residents’ attitudes to some technical reports submitted with applications. On this point, we have been approached by people whose experience of, say, local parking is at variance with the evidence set out in a report, usually suggesting that the parking problem is worse than is being portrayed. Whilst planning officers expressed some sympathy with this position, they did confirm that they can only respond to hard evidence, implying that residents do need to undertake a level of survey work, to make a more robust case. Whether or not we are happy with what we are told, officers and group members all feel that these sessions are worthwhile. This year, there will be further opportunities to influence the planning process, with the Village Plan getting underway early summer and a review of Local Plan policies later in the year. The Planning group will be participating in both consultations. The group is always happy to take up causes on behalf of residents and advise on the type of approach that is more likely to produce results. If it gives planning officers more time for good decision making, then we should all be happy with that.

VILLAGE PLANS MEETING Teddington and Hampton Wick Following a successful local Leader's Question Time event in Hampton and Hampton Hill, the Village Planning process will now make its next stop in Teddington and Hampton Wick on 10 March. Starting in May 2016, the Council will hold a series of drop-in sessions for local residents. They will be asked what they would like to see maintained, what they would like to see improved, and how they would like to get involved in their local community. Each Village Planning process begins with a Leaders Question Time event. Residents in Teddington and Hampton Wick will be able to share directly with the Leader and Cabinet Members issues that mean most to them about their local area. The Question Time will be held on Thursday 10 March, 6pm to 8.30pm (Exhibition from 6pm and Question Time starts at 6.30pm) at Teddington Baptist Church, 17 Church Road, Teddington, TW11 8PF. There will also be an exhibition of local groups, enabling residents to find out more about how they can get involved in their local area. The first hour of the event will consist of pre-submitted questions to ensure a spread of issues are discussed. The second hour will be opened to the floor. Please submit your questions before 1 March 2016 to [email protected] . Questions submitted after this time can be resubmitted for the open floor session.

CONGRATULATIONS

Jenny Hilton, our President, celebrated her 80th birthday in January, so we sent her a card. She was appointed a life peer in the House of Lords in 1991, having previously served as a Commander of the Metropolitan Police in London.

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Page 6 Tidings 173 – Spring 2016

CROSSRAIL 2 Brian Holder NO GENUINE IMPROVEMENTS FOR TEDDINGTON

Having attended two Crossrail 2 exhibitions, it has now become clear that the hoped for significant improvements in the number of rail services for Teddington are no longer included in their plans. The Shepperton line stations, including Teddington, will have 4 Crossrail Services per hour to London and Teddington will retain the 2 per hour Loopline services to Waterloo via Wimbledon.

Richmond, Hampton Wick and Kingston will have 10-12 services per hour to various London terminals because the Crossrail 2 team has decided that as Kingston has the largest footfall in Zone 6, services should be maximized. This will be done by passing all trains just beyond Hampton Wick, and then turning half of them round at new sidings between Hampton Wick and Teddington, and then back to Wimbledon, on to Clapham Junction via Tooting Broadway, or Balham, or presumably by Earlsfield where they may go to various Central London destinations including Waterloo, Victoria, Tottenham Court Road, Euston St Pancras and beyond. I have lodged strong objections to the sidings because if turnabouts are required, they should be done at Strawberry Hill, as is done now, to provide Teddington with 10-12 services per hour. I was unable to get confirmation from any of the officials at the exhibitions that all our direct services to Waterloo

would be retained. It seems that changes at Clapham Junction could become the norm, except for the two Loopline services. In 2043, the number of passengers that will eventually be affected by the Crossrail 2 changes is estimated to be 40% more than the 2013 figures below. STATION POSITION PASSENGERS Waterloo 1 98,442,742 Clapham Junction 2 25,287,250 Wimbledon 4 19,302,216 Richmond 7 9,533,696 Earlsfield 13 6,233,208 Kingston 15 5,986,660 Teddington 30 2,496,754 Hampton 66 1,202,378 Strawberry Hill 75 1,098,576 Hampton Wick 81 926,966 Fulwell 112 468,972 I have written to the Crossrail 2/Network Rail Consultation Team and to the Department of Transport Rail Franchise Team to say their plans should include:- 1. A direct link between Heathrow and SWT's suburban services starting at or near the proposed CrossRail 2 station at Fulwell via a tunnel under Hounslow Heath and the Crane Valley, This would provide a rail link for the whole of South and Southwest London’s stations to Heathrow either directly, or with just one change, via the Loopline Services passing through Richmond and Wimbledon via Clapham Junction. Heathrow-bound traffic is a major source of traffic congestion and health, threatening air pollution across the whole of South London. Provision of a cheap and convenient rail services should reduce those problems. 2. A major upgrade of all SWT services passing through Richmond to and from Waterloo by putting twin tunnels from Twickenham and Richmond to Barnes for fast through services, and handing the surface tracks over to the overloaded suburban services. At present, very busy suburban stopping services have to share single tracks each way between St Margarets (Twickenham) and Barnes, with no possibility of overtaking by faster services. To make matters worse, there are a number of level crossings which increase delays for traffic and complicate rail timetabling. The diversion of all fast services through tunnels would by-pass level crossings and significantly reduce delays. I am not optimistic about either of these proposals being adopted, but if you don’t ask, you won’t get!

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Tidings 173 – Spring 2016 Page 7

HISTORY GROUP Ken Howe Valerie Sullivan Archive/WW1 Project Work is continuing on this with David Neller doing most of the donkey work at present and Colin Hicks loading the new information onto the website. David has discovered two hitherto unknown memorials at St Michael’s Fulwell and the Sacred Heart at Teddington. At the last count he had increased the head count from 337 to over 470. WW1 Village Life Stories We intend to throw this open to our membership. If anyone has a story to offer of village life during WW1 contact either me or Daniella Hadley, the Borough WW1 Outreach Coordinator on [email protected].

A Blog has been created and this may be viewed on www.ww1richmond.wordpress.com.

French Wine Growers Association Following my talk on Teddington Pubs, Alan Rolfe felt that there was another pub on the corner of Somerset road and Church Road. This was in an Off-Licence called the French Wine Growers Association. See the photo above. Kings Canadian Hospital Some WW1 pictures were given to Friends of Bushy and Home Parks (FBHP) for their newsletter. Paul Leonard Archive In conjunction with Borough of Twickenham Local History Society (BOTLHS) we are looking at a collection of letters and postcards acquired at auction, some of which relate to Teddington in the early 19th century. Teddington Walk Jane Baxter, the Borough Local Studies Librarian, has asked for some help in compiling a series of self-guided

walks in the Borough, aiming to be both healthy and informative. Queen’s Road David Teague, a fairly new resident, has been looking at the old census returns for Queen’s Road to establish the old house names with the modern postal numbers. Crossen Family Trev Valler from New Zealand has been trying to identify his relatives’ old house “Somewhere along the Thames”. Photos look similar to Broom Road but we can't be sure. Victor and York Roads Mark Ashton enquired about the history of these roads and whether they were the original names of not. Capability Brown The Borough are mounting a Festival of activities including a big exhibition at Hampton Court to mark the 300th anniversary of his birth and these events will run from February to June. Unfortunately he did not actually undertake any work in Teddington or Twickenham, so we do not have anything to contribute. Callcotts Photographers Yvonne Loftus of Museum of London Archeology (MOLA) is working on the Tijou Gates at Hampton Court, which were photographed by Callcotts of Teddington in 1902. She would like to find their address in Teddington. Upper Lodge Keith Atkinson checked what district Upper Lodge fell in. It is in the Parish of Hampton. Bridgeman Infants School Chris French was checking on the location of this old infants school which was absorbed by Collis School. This was where 26-36 Cromwell Road now stands. St Michael’s War Memorial Chris French had a query about one of the fallen of the St Michael’s congregation. I was able to point him in the direction of our website and he newly discovered memorial. He said “This is a brilliant resource and must have involved a great deal of work.” Chris is now joining the Society. 127 High Street Stuart Wolf, an old resident of the High Street was exchanging some memories with us. He has inherited some old photos and will try and dig them out for us. The Udney Park Estate Dr Chris French has written a paper with the Twickenham Local History Society called “A Suburb of Contrasts : The Udney Park Estate 1870-1939. Priced at £5.50, it is available from me or Waterstones.

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Page 8 Tidings 173 – Spring 2016

NEW YEAR PARTY Pictures by Brian Holder

Paddy Ching had assembled a superb Quiz on "European Towns and Cities". We will probably feature it in a future edition of Tidings.

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Tidings 173 – Spring 2016 Page 9

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Page 10 Tidings 173 – Spring 2016

JOAN FREEMAN 29.9.1919 - 3.12.2015 Sheena Harold Many of you will remember Joan who'd been a member from the Society's earliest days, was our Vice-Chairman 1993-4, for some 17 years organised Teddington In Flower and for several years helped with the Gardener's Fair which sadly we now no longer hold. She was eminently qualified for this as those who remember her rose-filled front garden can attest. She was the leader of the Trees & Gardens group for several years and worked closely with Sue Stevens, her neighbour opposite, who led the Trees Group for several years, in having trees planted across town and particularly in the High Street. After retiring from office Joan was made an Hon. Vice President.

Joan (nee Edwards) was born in Hampstead and educated at South Hampstead High School from where she went to St. Martin's School of Art and there met Charles Freeman, whom she married in 1942. During the War she worked in the Inland Revenue. In 1959 they moved with their daughter Jill to Teddington where Charles became a known local artist and Joan did dressmaking at home. She lived in Avenue Gardens for 50 years - just across the road from the main gates to her beloved Bushy Park where she walked her dachshunds and subsequently border terriers. Sadly it was the Park that was her downfall as one evening some years ago she fell and fortunately it was Diana Gillespie who found her after she'd been lying there for some time. This triggered health problems culminating in Joan coming to Deer Park View Care Home in Sandy Lane where she ended her days. Joan regularly attended the NPL Lunchtime Concerts - great value at £1 a session - and she loved her Scottish dancing at the Clarence Hotel, now renamed the Park. If you would like to make a donation in memory of Joan then please send to: The International Glaucoma Association, Charity No. 274 681, Woodgate House, 15 Highpoint Village, Henwood, Ashford, Kent TN24 8DH. Tel: 01233 648 164. Meanwhile please join me in sending our love and condolences to daughter Jill, husband Martin and their family.

TEDDINGTON MEMORIAL HOSPITAL History Group – photos courtesy of Ken Howe Teddington’s Hospital dates back to 1874, when a public meeting determined that “a Cottage Hospital be established for the benefit of the sick poor of Teddington and Hampton Wick”. The small hospital opened in 1875. Over the years, its capacity was extended.

By 1909, the Hospital was in financial difficulty. The Board of Management considered cutting staff and closing beds. The Hospital Flower and Vegetable Show served to raise money to save the hospital, as did the Surrey Comet’s “Shilling Fund”. In November 1914, the Management Committee placed the hospital’s resources at the army’s disposal. Other institutions in the Borough had made similar offers to the army, being used throughout the war as a place of rest or as a training centre for soldiers. Where possible, the Army Medical Services decreed that where possible they would not interfere with civilian sick. Teddington Hospital continued at this time to treat military personnel, but not the war wounded. The strains of war led to a decline in fundraising for the hospital.

When war ended in 1919, it was agreed that a new hospital was to be built. It was to be known as the Teddington Memorial Hospital, as a tribute to Teddington’s 337 war dead. It opened a decade later as the Teddington Hampton Wick and District Memorial Hospital.

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Tidings 173 – Spring 2016 Page 11

LOCAL STUDIES LIBRARY AND ARCHIVE The Local Collection with Global Appeal Jane Baxter Tucked away at the top of The Old Town Hall in Richmond is one of the Borough’s treasures – the Local Studies Library and Archive. As the only London Borough to span the Thames, it is appropriate that Richmond’s archives are housed here overlooking the river. From a fifteenth century land deed to a 1960s futuristic view of Richmond town centre – the collection houses a wealth of material freely accessible to visitors. This unique and irreplaceable resource of records tells the story of the Borough and its people. As the Council archive we hold records for our various local authorities dating back to 1489, as well as reports for local businesses, schools, hospitals, charities and societies, and also personal papers of local residents.

The collection comprises

Books and pamphlets Maps Documents and manuscripts Photographs Prints, engravings and watercolours Slides Newspapers

Our online catalogue allows you to search the listed records. You will find it at: http://www.calmview.eu/Richmond/calmview/ Whether you are researching your family history, the history of your house or undertaking a piece of in depth historical research, you will find friendly, expert and professional staff available to help and advise. As one visitor said, “I spent hours on the internet and found what I wanted here in minutes”. Each September we celebrate the history of the Borough with the Know Your Place heritage festival.

This month long, Borough wide extravaganza comprises walks, talks, a quiz and the KYP cache treasure trail. This year we are introducing new and exciting elements such as a day showcasing archaeological finds. Brochures will be available in libraries from July onwards and a full programme of events and booking arrangements will be on the website: http://www.richmond.gov.uk/localstudies Meanwhile why not come along to the Local Studies Library and Archive: Old Town Hall, Whittaker Avenue TW9 1TP. We are open Tuesday 9.30-18.00, Wednesday 10.00-19.00, Thursday and Friday 9.30-18.00 and Saturday 9.30-16.00 For further details telephone 020 8734 3309

SAFER NEIGHBOURHOOD BOARD Martin Sands The first Richmond Safer Neighbourhood Board for 2016 met on 26 January. Much of the substantive discussion was concerned with the progress made in the borough towards meeting the target set by the Mayor’s Office for the Met Police to achieve a 20% reduction in the seven priority crime categories over the period 2012-2016. Richmond now ranks second among the London boroughs in terms of achievement against these categories and has already seen a 19.4% reduction against the 20% target with 3 months of the year 2015-16 still to go. Progress would have been even greater if it had not been for the Rugby World Cup which saw an inevitable but temporary increase in criminal activity such as pickpocketing. There has been a steady decline in crime in the borough since 2012 against all seven priority categories. The police view is that this is largely due to the targeting of known offenders, a clear focus on crimes of major concern and community involvement in crime prevention through activities such as Neighbourhood Watch. The Board confirmed that policing priorities for Richmond should remain burglary, motor vehicle crime and anti-social behaviour. While burglary is at the lowest level since 2012 and theft from motor vehicles is also considerably down there is no room for complacency. Residents can do much to prevent crime and minimise opportunities for criminals, for example by not only locking vehicles but ensuring that no attractive items such as bags are on display. The Board agreed to write to the Borough Commander to express their appreciation for the excellent work by the police in Richmond in achieving such a significant reduction in crime over the last 4 years thus making Richmond one of the safest boroughs in the capital.

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Page 12 Tidings 173 – Spring 2016

THE SHERIFF LEAVES TOWN Sheena Harold In our last issue we said goodbye to Sgt Tony Lovegrove who'd led our Safer Neighbourhood Team for several years with great success. I was delighted therefore when our MP, Tania Mathias, suggested that we give him a farewell dinner to thank him. Representatives from the Teddington Society, Hampton Wick Association and Churches Together In Teddington were invited to Shambles Restaurant on Friday January 8th to enjoy a 3 course menu chosen for us by Chef Massimo.

Tony with some of his friends at the party left to right : Terry McDowell, Geoff Goodway, Mo Mott, Tony, Judith Schomberg. You can see how we enjoyed ourselves by looking at

the film made by Alan Benns, our vice chairman. Go to : https://youtu.be/z_miyjvVtrQ

Tony was presented with an engraved crystal bowl from the House of Commons by Tania, while Martyn Kingsford gave him a framed photo of the Police Liaison Committee and we gave him one of our Teddington tea towels. Tony said afterwards: Saying ‘Thank you’ just doesn’t seem to cover it. Overwhelmed would be a good word, touched and so grateful may go some way to explain my appreciation for what you did for me at Shambles. The residents of Teddington will always have a place in my heart and I am so pleased that I was able to finish my Police career amongst so many Special people. Thank you for your lovely kind words and for providing me with a night I will never forget. Also, thank you for sharing a special working relationship and I really am sorry that I couldn’t have gone on for longer. My Policing time at Teddington will always hold a special place in my heart. Please pass on my fondest regards to everybody from the Society for providing me with such lovely memories and a fabulous night. We wish Tony every success in his new job as Fraud Investigator for the S.W. London Fraud Partnership.

RIVERSIDE AND OPEN SPACES Andy Weston I will be leading a walk to give some publicity to the Riverside and Open Spaces Group from the Teddington riverside and then round some of our open spaces. The date I have chosen is Saturday March 19th at 11.00 - meeting at the drawdock end of Ferry Road at the Teddington end of the suspension bridge just past the Tide End pub. The walk will go from there along the riverside behind the Boathouse Studios and then to Manor Road Recreation Ground and then cross Manor Road to Grove Gardens and then up to the Cemetery in Shacklegate Lane coming back via Waldegrave Road to the High Street at Elmfield House and Gardens and then round past Udney Park back to the start. The walk will have some history of the areas which the group monitors and will hopefully create some interest in the Teddington Society Group which aims to campaign to keep the areas in a good state for future generations of residents and users.

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PANORAMA OF THE THAMES SOCIAL CHANGE ALONG THE RIVER THAMES

At the AGM on 12 April, John Inglis and Jill Sanders will give a brief introduction to the "panorama of the Thames" project, the aim of which is to create a visual record of the Thames riverside through London.

They will then give a presentation about social and industrial changes along the Thames over the past two centuries. It is illustrated by the differences in various locations evident between the Leigh Panorama (1829) and the Thames photography (2014). They will explore the transformation of the London Thames from a largely working river of factories, wharves, fishing, osier growing, market gardening and transportation – and some fine houses – to the riverbanks and waterway we see today. The film An Introduction to the Panorama of the Thames project will also be shown and there will be an opportunity to buy the first book from the project entitled “A Riverside View of Georgian London”

CHRISTMAS PARCELS

Geoff and Sally Howland (and friends) with bags of Christmas parcels. The Hampton United Charity's generous £800 donation enabled us to give parcels to 40 local residents

BARBARA PATRICIA MacMAHON 2.4.1919 - 11.11.2015 Barbara was born in Teignmouth, South Devon and grew up in nearby Torquay where she was educated by the Dominican Sisters at St Catherine's High School, St Marychurch. On leaving school she worked first in a local firm which held the Frigidaire dealership for South Devon before joining the Midland Bank in 1940. With jobs needed for men coming back from WW2 she took a transfer in 1946 to Head Office in the City of London and remained with the Bank until retirement in 1974. On the death of her father, and with her mother in poor health, Barbara bought a house in Teddington moving here in 1964. Barbara was a staunch supporter of many things particularly the Conservative Party and the Catholic Church, worshipping at the Sacred Heart, but also the Teddington Afternoon Townswomen's Guild; Teddington Women's Luncheon Club; League of Friends of Teddington Memorial Hospital; Friend of the Arts Richmond; Teddington Theatre Club; Surbiton Library Club; The Cottage Garden Society and of course The Teddington Society where, with her banking background, Barbara was our Treasurer for 9 years from 1975. Barbara will be greatly missed by many people as was evinced by the number who attended the Requiem Mass celebrating her 96 years. Donations in her memory can be made to The Passage Charity c/o GS Keates, 49 High Street, Hampton Hill, TW12 1NH.

TEDDINGTON THEATRE CLUB

Sunday 28th February to Saturday 5th March Sunday 4pm, Weekdays 7.45pm http://www.teddingtontheatreclub.org.uk

/production/muswell-hill

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Page 14 Tidings 173 – Spring 2016

A SUBURB OF CONTRASTS: The Udney Park Estate, 1870-1939 Christopher French The Borough of Twickenham Local History Society has recently published my book on the development of the Udney Park Estate between 1870 and 1939.

During this period, many of Britain’s towns and cities experienced the process of suburbanisation as people decided to relocate from town and city centres to the suburbs. Here they would find space, a cleaner environment, fewer social problems and easy access to the countryside. Improvements in transport facilitated the growth of suburbia whilst landowners and developers were more than willing to supply the land and houses which the new suburbanites required. Before the First World War this movement was dominated by the middle classes, but between the wars the policy of building "homes fit for heroes" in the suburbs also enabled more of the working classes to move into suburbia.. Having previously written extensively on the classic Victorian/Edwardian suburban town of Surbiton (I spent 35 years teaching economic and social history at Kingston University) I decided to carry out some research into a different location and obviously chose Teddington as I have lived in the town since 1979. The "contrast" mentioned in the title of the book is between the middle class suburbia of pre-1914 and the first council houses in Teddington built in Down Road, Addison Road and Addison Avenue between the wars which were advertised as belonging to "The Udney Park Estate". The book also considers the history of the large area of playing fields situated between Kingston Lane and Udney Park Road and now the centre of local debate. The book is extensively illustrated with building plans, maps, houses, adverts and contemporary photographs. It is available at http://botlhs.co.uk/portfolio-tags/publications/ or at Waterstones in Teddington. Price £5.50.

COMMUNITY CARING Sheena Harold In our last issue we showed pictures from the 40th Anniversary party of the Teddington & Hampton Wick Voluntary Care Group [THWVCG] but did you know it grew out of the Teddington Society? Society Newsletter No.1 lists our activities in 1973 to include: The Old & Handicapped People's working party who are still considering their future plans. Newsletter No.2 says the group are looking for gaps in the field which they can fill. No.8 May 1975 announces a public meeting June 18th to discuss forming a Teddington Community Care Group and by No.13 1976 it had 60 members. In December that year the name T&HWCCG appears for the first time with Ann Burrows as contact. In Aug. 1977 No.17 states: They have no funds, no premises but a great deal of enthusiasm and some dedicated workers........so no change there! No.31 Dec/Jan 1980-81 lists Douglas Brown as the Secretary. He is the man I associate most with the Group. Alas no longer with us, I well remember visits to his flat in Harrowdene Gardens, to be greeted by Douglas wearing little more than a loose fitting dressing gown and offering me a sticky glass of sherry! A bachelor, who loved the Arts, especially ballet, he cared that no-one cared for the elderly, infirm and living alone. He was honoured with an MBE for his good works and today you may have noticed that his modern day successor and the current Chairman, the lovely Mary Tavendale has won the TW11 Magazine Award for Unsung Hero.

This is Mary as Fairy Godmother in their Xmas show! I know she would want me to say that the Group need volunteer drivers to help driving their minibus. And of course, they would like to see a few more people actually using the buses. If you can help, contact Geoff Howland or phone the Care Group office 8943 3112 to offer or ask for HELP.

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CORPORATE MEMBERS 1 of 1 Design Architecture:wk British Maritime Technology Broom Water Association Byrne Group PLC Curves of Hampton Dexters Estate Agents Elements Hair Salon Elleray Hall Social Club Elmfield House Dental Practice Fairwater House Residents Association Faststream Distribution Ltd Fiona Evans Dental Surgery Haymarket Media Group Kagan Moss & Co Solicitors Kindle Stoves La Casa Del Habana Landmark Arts Centre Mela Mela Milestone Residential Moiduls National Physical Laboratory Patrick O'Donovan (Maritime and Commercial Arbitrator) Park Lane Stables Parsonage &Co Solicitors Roger Sutton &Co Accountants S & N Electrical Contractors Seed and Bean Organic Chocolate Company Shambles Bar and Restaurant Sims (Opticians) Ltd Snellers Estate Agents Squires Garden Centre StageCoach Performing Arts for children Stepping on Out Stevens Tyres Stone Rowe Brewer Solicitors Stoneydeep Residents Association Studio 148 Take2Therapy Tamesis Club Teddington Artists Teddington Bowling Club Teddington Cricket Club Teddington Theatre Club The Fallow Deer The Financial Planning Group The French Tarte The Lensbury The Park Hotel The Strawberry Hill Trust The Tree Agency Turing House School TW11 Magazine Waterstones Woodgate-Loydor Ltd Zeldaland

MEMBERSHIP MATTERS Jenny Michell email: [email protected] We welcome the following new members: Ian & Tracey Lupson, Eleanor Willett & Susan Peacock, Norma Murray, Carole and Michael Ginn, Janet & Peter Mayne, John MacEwen, Tamila & Guy Robinson, Colin & Eleanoe McLellan, Corinne & Stephen Ray, Graham & Vanessa Sims. Subscriptions for 2016 are now due. Please note this will be your last edition of Tidings unless we receive your subscription! Also please note that again this year we will not be issuing membership cards unless you send a SAE to the membership secretary. This is to reduce costs and enable us to keep the subscription rate the same. Those who pay by standing order. Thank you to all members who have paid by standing order. If we have your email address you should have received email confirmation when we have your payment. We hope others will wish to renew their subscription and continue to be part of the Teddington Society. You have 2 options: 1. Pay online at www.teddingtonsociety.org.uk . You will receive a confirmation email. 2. Send a cheque and also a SAE if you would like a membership card. Membership rates remain unchanged for 2016.

Individual: £7; Couple/family £11 Senior (over 60) Individual: £4 ; Couple £5 Corporate : £25 Add £3.50 postage if you live outside the TW11

area or if you want your newsletter posted (eg you live in a block of flats where our deliverers cannot easily gain access)

Payments and queries to The Membership Secretary, 5 Broom Park, Teddington.TW11 9RN. If you would like to set up standing order or could let us have a gift aid form you can do this by Downloading from www.teddingtonsociety.org.uk, or emailing me or ringing to request forms to be sent in the post. 0208 977 0772 EMAIL ADDRESSES Many members have given us an email address so that we can send you information about various events as well as reminders about subscriptions etc. If you have previously given us your email address but HAVE NOT received an email in January from the Teddington Society please send me an email from your latest email address so that we can update our records.

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EVENTS PEG WOFFINGTON'S COFFEE MORNINGS 11:00 am, 157 High Street. The dates are all Tuesdays : 16th February, 15th March, 12th April and 17th May VILLAGE PLANS MEETING Thursday 10 March, 6pm to 8.30pm (Exhibition from 6pm and Question Time starts at 6.30pm) at Teddington Baptist Church, 17 Church Road, Teddington, TW11 8PF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Tuesday April 12th at St. Mary's Parish Hall. See the leaflet in this edition of Tidings. The AGM will be preceded by a presentation of "Panorama of the Thames". Doors open at 6.45pm and the presentation will start at 7.15pm followed by a short break for refreshments before the AGM. VISIT TO VINTNERS’ HALL - Thursday 12 May 2016 Vintners' Company is one of the Twelve Great Livery Companies of the City of London and in 2013 the Company celebrated its 650th anniversary! With its origins steeped in the history of the City of London and the import, regulation and sale of wine, the Company has strong links with the UK Wine Trade. Vintners' Hall is known as the Trade's "spiritual home".

Charity and education have been principal elements in the role of Livery Companies from their earliest days and the Vintners' Company maintains this key objective through the work of the Vintners' Foundation.

The Vintners' Company's ownership of swans, shared with the Crown and the Dyer's Company, is well known and the historic ceremony of 'Swan Upping', the annual census of the swan population, takes place in July on certain stretches of the river Thames.

Meet: 09.30 Teddington Station platform 2 to travel together via Waterloo to Bank, or meet at 10.45 directly at Vintners’ Hall, Upper Thames Street, EC4V 3BG. Tea / coffee provided on arrival, guided Hall Tour from 11.00 – 12.30. Cost: £20 Booking and payment to Pamela McHutchon, [email protected] Tel: 07802 822812 THE FOUNDLING MUSEUM (contact Pamela) There are still spaces for visit on Thursday 10 March.

FROGMORE HOUSE (contact Pamela) Advance warning - Tuesday 23 August LUNCH AT MERITS

Celebrate our Queen’s 90th birthday Friday 22 April or Friday 29 April at 12.00

Come and join us for a 90th birthday lunch. The food will be cooked and served by the students of the Twickenham Catering College, Egerton Rd, Twickenham TW2 7SJ. It’s great value with three courses for only £10.95. Please see the insert in this edition of Tidings and return it by Wednesday 30 March 2016 to: Pamela McHutchon, Flat 3, 86 High Street, Teddington, TW11 8JD.

Printed by Woodgate Loydor , 2 Elmfield Avenue, Teddington TW11 8BS