Meeting Report – Page 4 – Wandsworth Society

Springfield Hospital Redevelopment

On the 10 June Emma Hill, Community Engagement Officer at Springfield Hospital, spoke to the Society on the future of the hospital and of this vast area between Wandsworth Common and Tooting. Link here:

The talk covered the timing and development of the whole Springfield site, including new housing, redevelopment of the old hospital buildings, the new hospital facilities (both the buildings and the services services to be offered), a youth hub and how the new 32-acre public park is being integrated with the site.

These links will take you to the two short videos that Emma included in her talk to illustrate the development of the Springfield Village project

(1) Creating Springfield Village – YouTube

and the works on site

(1) The view on the ground at Springfield – May 2021 – YouTube

And this is a link to the update page for the development

Estate modernisation update page

Talk on the Royal Victoria Patriotic Building

On a freezing snowy evening 80+ people sat in the warmth of theiir own homes to hear Mark Justin give a fascinating talk on the history of this iconic building and tell us about its use today. A full report will be available in our March newsletter.

Mark, the owner of Le Gothique Restaurant, believes he is the longest serving pub landlord in London. Once we are permitted, the restaurant and bar will re-open and is well worth a visit whether for a drink or meal and enjoy the peaceful garden.

The Rise & Fall of the 1947 Planning System and where we go in 2021

The January talk, given by Philip Whyte, saw a large turnout to hear an interesting talk on the planning system with paarticular eference to Wandsworth. A synopsis of the talk is available from [email protected]

Talk on Issues and Solutions for conservation of the River Wandle

The November meeting of the Society on the ever popoular topic of the Wandle attracted a record on line turnout. Emma Broadbent of the SE Rivers Trust gave us a fascinating insight into the work that the Trust are undertaking to naturalise the river and bring back wildlife.

To view a recording of the talk follow https://youtu.be/ebMHuX_vYAk

Society Meeting – The Huguenots in Wandsworth

Thursday saw a massive turnout – probably due to an article and unsolicited publicity in a recent Brightside – to hear Tim Kidd give an interesting talk on the history of the Huguenots and their fascinating impact on the industrialised past of Wandsworth. Many apologies to those for whom it was “standing room only”.

We will be holding a walk around the area – including Mount Nod when it becomes a public open space – in the early Summer; this will be publicised to Society members through the Society Newsletter and monthly flyers but open to all, so watch this website for details.