November 2, 2009 by riversniffers
Well no it isn’t, actually. But before a contract is signed for the River Centre and enabling housing the people of Twickenham will get the chance to make their wishes known at the ballot box.
At the end of a meeting of the full council on 20th October, LibDem Council Leader Serge Lourie made an announcement that stunned his audience. Because the Council’s chosen developer, Countryside Properties had filed delayed accounts for 2008/9, and those accounts showed a substantial loss for that year, it has been decided that it would be imprudent to proceed with this particular contractor without seeing their accounts for 2009/10. These accounts will not appear until the summer of 2010.
Before that, in May 2010, there is a local election. The Conservative opposition has declared it will not proceed with the Countryside scheme, but will instead consult with local amenity groups to arrive at a largely open-space scheme which will preserve the use of the majority of the Riverside land for the public.
This is yet another chapter in the 30-year saga of this site. But opponents of the Countryside scheme point out that a 9-12 month delay is still preferable to losing public amenity land for 999 years.
The May 2010 local election will have a special relevance for the residents of Twickenham.
Posted in General Interest, Local Politics | Tagged Richmond Council, Save Our Riverside, Twickenham | Leave a Comment »
September 23, 2009 by riversniffers
Our friends at the Richmond Venturer are having a photography day on the Thames on October 15th. The poster below explains all. The river-based viewpoint should give some new perspectives on our local views. If you like the sound of it, there are more details here.
Posted in General Interest | Tagged photography, Richmond Venturer | Leave a Comment »
September 7, 2009 by riversniffers
The 2009 race took place on Saturday, 5th September. Nearly 300 boats took part this year, most raising money for charity. Some teams are very serious, some more lighthearted. Please find below a selection of photographs taken as the boats passed through Richmond on their way to the finish line near Ham House. There’s no text to this post, just the pictures. Click on a photo in the gallery to see it full size.
If you want to know more about the race, the link is here
Thanks to the good folk of the Richmond Venturer for providing a superb photography platform, moored as she was just upstream of Richmond Bridge
Posted in General Interest | Tagged Great River Race, Richmond Venturer | Leave a Comment »
June 3, 2009 by riversniffers
An extraordinary event took place in Twickenham yesterday. Prior to a council meeting at York House, at which the Conservative opposition sought to have the Riverside decision-making process reviewed, members of the Save our Riverside group took part in a mock funeral for Richmond Riverside.
There follows a selection of photographs of the event. There’s not much need for text to explain it much further – readers who have read the earlier post on this subject “Save Our Riverside” will be familiar with the issue.
Needless to say, despite the demonstration and many cogent arguments from members of the public and opposition councillors, the LibDem council is going ahead with their chosen scheme for the Riverside.
Anyway, here are the pictures of the mock funeral – the strangest event the town has seen for quite a while.
Posted in Local Politics | Tagged Richmond Council, Riverside, Save Our Riverside, Twickenham | Comments Off
April 30, 2009 by riversniffers
After the recent great review in the Guardian we went to see for ourselves
The Guardian did not get it wrong. I won’t go through what we had, as the menu can be seen here. But in summary, our meal for four was superb in every respect. As well as seriously impressive food, the service was just right – not too fast, not too slow and hit just the right note.
The bill for three courses for four people including a bottle of 2001 Medoc and a 2004 Petit Chablis was £200. Not cheap, but you wouldn’t expect it to be – this is a superb eating experience.
While we were there the phone was constantly ringing, and they kept tactfully informing the callers that they were fully booked. So for dinner booking is absolutely essential, and it’s advisable for lunch too.
So now at last Richmond has a top-class restaurant again. Well done to the team at La Buvette.
La Buvette, 6 Church Walk, Richmond, TW9 1SN
Tel: 020 8940 6264
Posted in Restaurants | Tagged fine dining, French, La Buvette, Richmond | Leave a Comment »
April 28, 2009 by riversniffers
The poster below is self-explanatory. What a good idea. If you know someone for whom this might be of interest please draw their attention to it.
Good luck to all involved with the Richmond Venturer.
Posted in General Interest | Tagged Richmond, Richmond Venturer | Leave a Comment »
April 25, 2009 by riversniffers
On Friday 24th April about 200 people gathered on Twickenham Riverside to protest against the Richmond Council plan to put houses and offices on Twickenham Riverside.
Long-standing residents will know the troubled history of this site. Many will have longed for “something to be done” about it. Well, the trouble is, the “something” that Richmond Council has come up with is the worst of all worlds, and mean this crucial piece of public land will be lost to the public for the next 100 years or more.
In a recent consultation, a clear majority were against the Council’s plans. But the Council is disregarding the consultation findings. They propose to go ahead with the scheme, and say those opposed to the scheme are a “politically motivated” minority.
Take a look at the people in the photographs. Do they look like a politically motivated minority to you?
No, I thought not.
It takes a lot to provoke the rather peaceful residents of this Borough into direct action. But yesterday they demonstrated. The demonstration was good-natured, and good mannered. But there is a deep anger at what the Council is intending.
The rationale for covering the Riverside in luxury housing is to fund the development of a £3 million office building, which will be used as an Environment Centre.
Many people are deeply sceptical about the commercial viability of such a centre. Riversniffers has spoken to a lot of people. Not one person we have spoken to has seen the need for it. Most are at a loss as to its purpose.
Sorry, Trevor - this scheme is not just a wind-up. They mean to do it
Many point out that the Environment Trust that wants to put the centre in Twickenham has been offered alternative premises on Eel Pie Island. Many people also feel that the scheme may just be a Trojan horse for the eventual takeover of the office building as luxury riverside offices for the Council “nomenklatura”
Despite what people think, the Council is determined to push ahead. The next action will be taken at a Cabinet meeting at York House on Monday 27th April at 7pm. The purpose of the meeting is to approve the choice of a developer to carry out the scheme, and to authorise the sale of the land.
- We’re going ahead anyway…
The public are entitled to attend the meeting. You may wish to attend yourself, and witness the final act in this deeply misguided exercise. You can at least say you were there when the people of Twickenham lost this crucial public amenity for ever.
Posted in Local Politics | Tagged Richmond Council, Riverside, Save Our Riverside, Twickenham | 2 Comments »
March 28, 2009 by riversniffers
Bibi may be shut. I don’t want to call time prematurely, but just passing by recently on a Friday or Saturday night, it’s been dark. Phone first before you travel.
Posted in Restaurants | Tagged Bibi, Persian, Twickenham | 1 Comment »
March 5, 2009 by riversniffers
Friends tell me that Bibi is now charging £4 corkage on BYO. Seems fair enough, now they have a licence. It might be simpler just to drink their wine – apparently it’s good and good value for money.
Just like the rest of what they do then…
Bibi Persian Cuisine, 157 Heath Road, Twickenham TW1 4BH Tel: 020 8892 1018
Posted in Restaurants | Tagged Bibi, budget eating, Persian, Twickenham | Leave a Comment »
March 5, 2009 by riversniffers
“How so affluent a suburb went so long without a brilliant neighbourhood joint I can’t explain, but it certainly has one now.”
Thus Matthew Norman, a restaurant critic at the Guardian, in a recent review of La Buvette, Richmond. So Richmond’s very long period without a first-class restaurant (see my review of A Cena on 28th Feb for more on this) may be at an end.
I cannot hope to do better than a critic on a national newspaper, so please just follow the link to read Matthew’s article:
The Guardian – Review of La Buvette
Needless to say, we’ll try it ourselves as soon as possible and report back.
La Buvette 6 Church Walk, Richmond, Surrey Tel: 020 8940 6264
Posted in Restaurants | Tagged fine dining, French, La Buvette, Richmond | Leave a Comment »
