Members, Mayor, Winners and Rupa Huq MP

Outgoing chair Richard Farthing

Vice-chairman Richard Winterton introduces the awards

Hywel Pratley with the Mayor and Andy Slaughter MP

Richard Farthing with the Mayor

Richard Farthing opens the AGM

New Timber Yard Award Winners: Orla Murray of Thackeray Estates, Sam Langtree & Fiona of Frost Architects

Hywel Pratley with Rupa Huq and committee

Matt Hedges answers questions

Rupa Huq MP

Afsaneh Sladen of HCGA with new chairman, Angela Clarke MBE

Guest Speaker Hywel Pratley with his sculpture

(AGM Photos: Anne Farthing. Click for larger versions)

Award winners 2025

Making up for last year’s dearth of Environment Award nominations, this year we had two excellent nominations, and both worthy winners of our top award: the New Timber Yard off King St., and MacFarlane Place on Wood Lane.

In the smaller project catagory for our Nancye Goulden Award, we’ve seen a number of nominations and winners for Streetscape improvements in recent years. This year it was the turn of the new rain gardens in King Street, partly paid for by the council’s Green Investment Fund, and installed by the Hammersmith Community Gardens Association.  We were particularly pleased to see natural materials replacing the ugly asphalt in the tree pits adjacent, something we’ve long campaigned for, and indeed awarded wooden spoons to the council for, in four of the last twelve years.

There were two Wooden Spoon nominations this year, for the generally dilapidated condition of Uxbridge Road, and the inappropriate redevelopment of The Hampsire Hog, to become The Hammersmith Belle. The committee felt that there was an insufficiently clear target for the many issues in Uxbridge road, but that failing to react to the recent proposals of the ‘Fix the Uxbridge Road’ campaign group, could result in a wooden spoon for the council next year.  The Hammersmith Belle was a popular ‘winner’ however. Further details and photos are on the 2025 awards page.

Guest Speaker

Hywel Pratley with his sculpture

This year, our guest speaker was local sculptor Hywel Pratley. He gave a talk about his various past projects, including the 7ft tall bronze of Queen Elizabeth II. He showed a video of the ‘lost-wax’ process used to create these magnificent sculptures. 

He then surprised and delighted us by proposing a new life-size sculpture of William Morris, which he suggested could be installed somewhere along the Upper Mall. He suggested locations, and showed the maquette build he’s already worked up to support the proposal. See the AGM page for his video and presentation.

The outgoing chair wrapped up the meeting with a overview of the Annual Report, choosing to focus on a few of the significant developments already appearing or likely to appear in Hammersmith in the next few years. Committee members then answered some lively questions in a short Q&A session before members and guests retired to the bar. We are most grateful to Latymer Upper for the use of their facilities.