It is difficult to imagine when walking round the clean and tidy residential streets of Hammersmith with its shops and multi-storey office blocks that in the 19^th century it was a bustling industrial town taking advantage of the many watercourses and creeks that led into the river Thames to host oil mills, sugar and molasses refineries for the local beer and food industries and a whole host of bustling factories.

Among them was Gwynnes who having made a lot of money when their factory on the Strand became part of the new Victoria Embankment moved their patented centrifuge pump manufacturing business in 1867 to a new factory in Chrisp Road, Hammersmith overlooking the river. In 1920 in the spirit of enterprise the company bought Adam Grimaldi motorcar manufacturers and produced 2250 8 hp and 600 10 hp cars before financial problems stopped production in 1927. Their name still lives on in Hammersmith as Gwynnes Skip Hire Company.

In 1933 the factory was converted into a compact film studio with two stages and a dubbing theatre as part of Twickenham Studios which was in turn acquired by Jack Buchanan who produced such films as We’ll Meet Again with Vera Lynn, The Seventh Veil with James Mason and Father Brown with Alec Guinness.

Dr Who: Dalek in Draw Dock, Riverside

With the arrival of television the newly revamped BBC Riverside Television Studios was opened in March 1957 by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. The Studios went on to make such classics as Hancock’s Half Hour, Z-Cars, Dixon of Dock Green and the first Doctor Who.

Riverside 1975

The BBC sold the building to Hammersmith and Fulham Council in 1974 who developed it into two large multipurpose studios that blossomed as an international theatre and arts venue where Samuel Beckett directed a production of Endgame and Waiting for Godot and most of Britain’s artistic talent was involved in directing or performing across all the art disciplines.

Riverside entrance 1974-2014

There were also some memorable art exhibitions of works by Eduard Munch, Yoko Ono, Antony Gormley and David Hockney. In addition, the building provided a home the dozens of small film and theatre production companies allowing them to develop their business in a collaborative environment.

2018 Environment Award – Riverside Walk & Queens Wharf

In September 2014 the Riverside was closed for redevelopment following two years of discussions in which your correspondent took part with a neighbouring empty property owned by a Housing Association. The end result was a most imaginative scheme that created 165 residential flats, importantly adding a further link to the London River Walk, increased the size and capacity of Riverside Studios and added a public display area, café’s and a 130 seat Michelin Guide restaurant. We gave the Queen’s Wharf and River Walk our highest Award, the Environment Award, in 2018.

Riverside Studios continues its long tradition of providing the Hammersmith and Fulham community with an outstanding range of theatrical and cinematic experiences as well as first-class production facilities for the television industry.

Long may the show go on!