On 12th January around 70 members and friends attended a fascinating session when Libby Spurrier expertly interviewed Venetia Vyvyan, owner of the Barnes Bookshop, and Tom Rowley who has recently opened the Backstory book shop in Balham High Road. It was a fascinating insight into the trials, tribulations and pleasure of owning an indepenent bookshop in the current climate. A recording of the session is available here:
Author: Caroline Pook
Pubs of Wandsworth
On 10 November Phil Evison, a local historian, gave an interesting talk to the Society on the present and past pubs of Wandsorth and the historic links with the Ram Brewery. To view the talk please follow the link
Presentation on the Wandsworth Society Green Group
On the 13 October Bruce St.Julian-Bown made a presentation to Society members on the relatively recently formed Green Group, marking the Group’s first public step in developing it’s role.
The attached review of the talk gives an outline of the issues – and includes some compelling statistics.
Net zero buildings: What? Why? When? How?
On 8 September Tom Spurrier made a very topical and clear presentation to the Society giving us the clear messages on how energy performance of buildings needs to change. Tom outlined the complexity of this issue as carbon emissions are predominantly embedded in the construction of the buildings rather than the issues of occupancy.
To see a recording of the talk follow this link:
Save Wimbledon Park!
One of the largest open spaces in our part of South West London is under threat.
The AELTC’s planning application, to develop the golf course, continues. A year on, they have added 60 new documents, but the core principles are unchanged.
On Capability Brown’s Grade II* historic Metropolitan Open Land they still plan an 8,000-seat stadium, 38 courts, 10 other buildings and 9kms of roads and paths. The new AELTC park would still be “permissive” rather than “public” and still contains a 30,000sqft maintenance building. All this would still break the 1993 covenants demanded by Merton to protect the golf course and agreed by AELTC on their purchase.
For full details see Home | Save Wimbledon Park where you will find access to a petition.