Blog Group: General Articles (4 posts)

Guy Fairbank | 07th September 2026 | General Articles

Island Records, St Peter's Square Chiswick has a surprisingly rich musical heritage, Handily placed for Heathrow, away from the hustle and bustle of the West End and considerably more affordable, the borough has been home to recording studios, record labels, music venues and artists. The Chiswick Empire, demolished in 1959, played host to the likes of Alma Cogan and Marty Wilde, and when Cliff Richard performed there, a riot broke out. Down the road, the Rolling Stones, supported by Marianne Faithfull, filled the Commodore Theatre, which was then a rival to the Hammersmith Odeon. The Stones’ presence in W4 has continued: in 2005 they used Mark Knopfler’s British Grove Studios to record Blue and Lonesome and, only recently, Metropolis Studios for their latest, highly acclaimed album Foreign Tongues. Another band from the Sixties with roots in Chiswick is The Who. Bass player John Entwistle was a local boy while guitarist and songwriter Pete Townsend was born in the former Chiswick Maternity Hospital (as was Phil Collins, Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan and Kim Wilde). Townsend once lived in Whitehall Gardens. Phil Collins formed his first band while attending Chiswick School. Kyle Simmons from Bastille is another old boy. Near the site of the maternity hospital lies Eyot Green, and in 1968 a groovy rocker by the name of Steve Marriott fell foul of his neighbours. While recording Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake in Barnes’ Olympic Studios, Marriott installed loud speakers and invited his friends over for raucous parties. The genteel next-door neighbours the Hasselthwaites pleaded with Marriott to keep the noise down but to no avail. Marriott’s antics inspired the Small Faces’ classic song Lazy Sunday Afternoon. Linda Lewis Blue Plaque Another songwriter who made their home in Chiswick was Linda Lewis. Self-taught, she was arguably Britain’s first female singer-songwriter. Her self-penned song Rock-A-Doodle-Doo reached the top 20 in 1975, w...

Guy Fairbank | 22nd January 2022 | General Articles

As we celebrate The Queen’s 70 years on the throne I’ve had a look at other royal connections to my nearby borough of Hammersmith. As you emerge from Stamford Brook Underground station, to the left once stood the Queen Charlotte Maternity Hospital, named after the consort of George III, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1744-1818). It’s now in East Acton but when it was in W6, in 1945 Helen Mirren was born there. Appropriately she played Queen Charlotte in the film The Madness of King George. Further east, on the site of the present-day Latimer Prep School once stood Rivercourt House. For 4 years, between 1687 and 1691, it was the home of Charles II’s widow Catharine of Braganza (1638-1705). This Portuguese-born princess married the merry monarch in 1662. With the marriage dowry came the ports of Bombay (modern day Mumbai) and Tangier, as well as important trading benefits. She was never very popular despite the king’s many infidelities because she remained a strict yet discreet catholic. Charles II did do his duty - Catharine suffered three miscarriages - and though there was discussions about a divorce Charles supported his queen as best she could. Catharine made the drinking of tea fashionable, for which every Briton must raise a teacup too, as well as having an interest in porcelain and lacquerware. In 1691 she left for her home country, never to return. Further along the river you’ll come to Distillery Wharf, once the site of the Haig whisky distillery. Before that it was the site of Brandenburgh House and the home of the Margrave of Brandenburgh-Anspach and Bayreuth. This grandly-titled German noble let his house out to the estranged wife of George IV, Caroline of Brunswick (1768-1821). George and Caroline had a disastrous marriage, from day one. He took an instant dislike to her, demanding a large brandy from his servant. Caroline had made no effort in making her appearance look good: it was commented that she had ‘not properly ...

Guy Fairbank | 31st December 2021 | General Articles

Kew Green is one of the delights of west London. Around its picturesque cricket field lie a number of very attractive 18th- and 19th-century houses, where a number of famous people made their homes. Its history goes back to the medieval period, not least because there was a ferry crossing where the bridge now lies. Kew Pond, whose history may well date as far back as 996, was used as a fish pond for centuries. We know Kew was a hamlet in the 1300s, then called ‘Cayho’, which was derived from the Old English word ‘hoh’, meaning spur. In the 16th century Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk and brother-in-law of Henry VIII held estates here but it was the arrival of Frederick, Prince of Wales (1702-1751) and his wife Augusta who transformed the area into a place of royal patronage. They lived in the White House, long gone but once sited in the present Kew Gardens. Frederick was a popular prince, despised by his parents but admired by the British public, who found him friendly and approachable. He loved cricket and once captained a Prince of Wales XI team against a Duke of Marlborough's XI, here on Kew Green (cricket has been played here since the early 1700s). Legend says he died from being hit by a cricket ball but it was a blood clot that finished him off. His wife Augusta was instrumental in founding the botanical gardens. She employed William Aiton to design a 9-acre botanic garden and William Chambers to build its famous pagoda and classical temples. Her son George III enlarged the gardens and made Kew Palace his preferred home. In the 19th century Queen Victoria made the gardens public, with father and son directors William and Joseph Hooker instrumental in making the gardens what they are today. Both Hookers and Aiton are buried in the churchyard of St Anne’s. This church was founded by Queen Anne in 1714 and was gradually enlarged over the next two centuries. George III, who lived nearby at Kew Palace, often used it as his local c...

WebBoss | 06th January 2020 | General Articles

Renowned actors, sportsmen and musicians have been educated in Hammersmith. Earlier this month a group of 30 followed me along the River Thames to learn about some former pupils of Latymer School and St Paul’s School. Latymer Upper School is nearly 400 years old, having been founded in 1624 by Edward Latymer (1557-1627). A prosperous lawyer, he eft part of wealth for the clothing and education of “eight poor boys” from Hammersmith. The clothing, which included a doublet, a pair of breeches, a shirt incorporated a red cross on the left sleeve, a pair of woollen stockings and shoes, was to be distributed twice a year on Ascension Day and All Saints Day.The boys were to learn reading in English and 'God's true religion' at existing petty schools, where they were to remain until the age of 13. Its motto was paulatim ergo certe (‘Slowly therefore surely’), incorporating his name. Latymer was the son of an Ipswich cleric, who later became Treasurer of Westminster Abbey. Edward went to St John’s College, Cambridge and eventually became a wealthy lawyer. He purchased manor of Butterwick in Hammersmith but lived mostly near St Dunstan-in-the-West ‘at the sign of the Cock’, where he died in 1627. He never married, had no children and left most of his money to the parish of Hammersmith. Latimer Road Tube station and Latymer Roads and Court named after him. The school was initially at Fulham but by 1863 it moved to King Street, Hammersmith. In 1950s it became a direct grant grammar school, with many pupils’ fees paid by local government but became fully private in 1975. Famous people who went there include: Music: two members of White Lies; jazz musician Cliff Townsend, father of Pete; Sport: rugby player Dan Luger; bowler and cricket correspondent Simon Hughes; Politics: MPs Andy Slaughter MP for Hammersmith; Others: Heston Blumenthal, Lily Cole, Milton Jones; Film and theatre: Ian McKellen’s uncle teacher; Mel Smith, Alan Rickman an...