Forum Topic

New town name?  Brentford on Thames

If it's ok for Purfleet to add "on Thames" to it's name...why not Brentford?It would be following the example of Henley and Staines, Richmond and er..where else.Brentford was once the County Town of Middlesex...and in these current destructive times..we need a tonic!

Jim Lawes ● 1861d47 Comments

Not a single tree shielding it from the road and only sparse shielding from trees on the ait, as can be seen in the image on this linkhttps://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/382878928656

N V Brooks ● 1844d

Lots of trees on lots ait if l remember hiding the gas works

Jean Harrison ● 1844d

A good name for the whole derelict area could be Goddards-upon- Thames?

Steve Taylor ● 1844d

I remember in the fifties coming from Richmond over Kew bridge and turning left. As you passed the gasworks you often got something in your eye. Sometimes your mum took you to the chemist where he got it out if she could not.

Nicholas Beard ● 1846d

'just chose to try and keep the LOCALS off their territory' - good grief! (re Residents of Brentford Dock)

Anne England ● 1848d

There weren't many trees down by the gasworks as the poor things would not have survived.Iremember coming back from my great uncle's place in Richmond and turning left after Kew Bridge; on a good day you could just about make out the Red Lion (the old one, not where McDonalds now sits) as the pollution was so bad.

N V Brooks ● 1848d

Funny how years ago we were known as dirty old Brentford on the other side of the Thames and lots of trees were planted to hide us from the Surrey side how times change it is blocks of very expensive units hiding  us instead

Jean Harrison ● 1848d

Q B B -- Quick Buck Brentford

Raymond Havelock ● 1855d

West And North Kew ?Just don't use the acronym.

N V Brooks ● 1855d

'QView' maybe?!

Peter Evans ● 1855d

I think that has a more regal tone.

Keith Iddon ● 1855d

I am with you Jim good idea.

Robert Ayres ● 1855d

We could be called 'Royal Brentford upon Thames' or we could follow the construction marketing peeps and just call ourselves Kew or just 'Q' :)

Steve Allum ● 1855d

I believe the residents of brentford dock just chose to try and keep the LOCALS off their territory just respect their area and its fine as we should all respect others and their surroundings l also remember what Barney said all those years ago what happened? Brentford by Ballymore is about right but we can still try to improve what they want to do.

Jean Harrison ● 1858d

Sadly it will be 'Brentford by Ballymore' and sold down the river.

Raymond Havelock ● 1858d

Having had family in Brentford since the 1850's I used to love wandering about the boatsheds and down by the canal and river as a kid.Sadly the current developments exclude one from large tracts of those areas and, once completed, will have seen them vanish for ever.

N V Brooks ● 1858d

I find a lot of Brentford anything but characterless. Seems I'm the odd one out here. It's not that I approve of a lot of the developments but I never tire of wandering around the canal and walkways by the various waterways. If only one wasn't so damn unwelcome on Brentford Dock.

Anne England ● 1858d

Ah, no - it should be Brentford by the Water!

Anne England ● 1858d

It, at the very least, deserves local shops where passing trade can stop. LBH have killed that at a stroke, they must be SO proud.

N V Brooks ● 1858d

The fact is regardless of whether you approve of my remark or not - Brentford is b*ggered - and it is sad and a great pity, it really deserves better.

Vanessa Smith ● 1858d

Vanessa'You can't polish a t*rd' I got a work colleague demoted for directing that saying at me.Be careful where you use it

Bernard Allen ● 1858d

There's an old saying - 'You can't polish a t*rd' and that's what such a daft moniker would be trying to do.

Vanessa Smith ● 1858d

Jim you missed the posh bit It should be called Brentford upon Thames

Bernard Allen ● 1858d

Brentford '6C' would be an interesting moniker.Car hostileCharacterlessCarbuncle car parkConcrete wherever you look.Charm-freeClosed for business

N V Brooks ● 1858d

Very true, despite the building being a bit naff it was a blooming' marvellous place all through the 80s and into the early 90's .It got so messed about with political interventions and ideals that it completely lost it's way and its huge and diverse patronage.Those who got it up and running were brilliant. I wonder if any of them are still local. They should be conscripted back to sort it out.

Raymond Havelock ● 1859d

Hear, hear!

Mike Paterson ● 1859d

Architecture wasn't really the Watermans problem, I loved it there. But somehow the people who ran it lost touch with its audience probably around the early 90s when they dropped their superb fold-out monthly programmes. Now you may say that's an big overhead in this day and age, but that thing had me going two or three times a month, minimum, for live music, a movie, some stand-up, a meal, whatever. And when it stopped, so did I.

Mike Paterson ● 1859d

Brentford Voice do seem to be raising heads, I've not really encountered them yet.But I would love to see a bow shaped walk way attached  so it overhangs the river along Watermans to the Ferry quays area.  Someone local once mentioned that it was a shame that the poorly designed Watermans could have been something really special with a bit of decent architecture and creativity. The idea suggested was it looking like a wide Galleon on Teirs that reach out out over the river with a deck or tow that bowed round to give a vista from Left to right of the river, with a Sun ( or Rain ) deck and tables and chairs and a place to have outdoor gigs where the noise is contained to the river and the facade of the building.It is a great location that ought to be a London Jewel but sadly the building is and has always been lacking in versatility.Often wondered what a competition for architects to rectify it's shortcomings using some of the structure would actually solve or come up with?Architects rarely get challenges to bring out the best in them. Usually its to fit a load of constraints and a tight budget for maximum profit rather than a tight budget for maximum endurance and versatility.

Raymond Havelock ● 1859d

'It's ok for Isleworthians to bleat...they have acres of River to enjoy! They even have an Isleworth Society! Brentford deserves better.'What a nerve that is! Isleworth does not have 'acres of river' at all, in fact it has quite a small riparian area. Neither do we 'bleat', what we do is fight for our area - and especially at the moment the Duke of Northumberland who left to his own devices would build on every blade of grass, not only here, but in Northumberland where they are up in arms again over some of his plans.There is nothing stopping Brentford having an amenity society like The Isleworth society, Brentford Voice through the inestimable Jim Storrar does a brillant job. Isleworth has been - and continues to be - under colossal pressure from developers and development, every bit as awful as Brentford, snarky comments are not helpful or - in this instance - called for.

Vanessa Smith ● 1859d

Hmmm... I think it's *lead* a horse. No matter. I'm also a member of the Isleworth Society, BTW. Also very good and costs virtually nothing. All these local orgs deserve more support than they get.

Mike Paterson ● 1859d

Brentford has the new Brentford Voice who are doing a great job. There is also the excellent Brentford & Chiswick Local History Society. Both have incredibly hard-working committees and are free or incredibly cheap. You can take a horse to water ...

Mike Paterson ● 1859d

Alex - I agree the paths are not very good at those new developments - unlike Ferry Quays where I live and the paths are fine.The planning approvals for those sites were before I was elected else I would have been arguing for a much better solution. In fact I spent 2 years chasing the planners and developers to get the one outside the easternmost block (I forget the name) built at all, partly because of Port of London Authority permissions.One of my little dreams is to somehow fill in Smith Hill (the rather pointless former slipway at the bottom of Ealing Road) and turn it into a mini riverside park with a Thames path going step free from the back of Max Factor - or whatever gets built there - to the paths by the new buildings. We could also do with improvements at the bottom of Goat Wharf but that has its own complications with a 'real' slipway.Jim- I believe Brentford Dock are telling people they are not allowed to walk there as it's private. I've also heard talk of gates. Very disappointing. As a Ferry Quays resident I can tell you that visitors are very welcome to take a stroll or a ride through our estate and see the beauties of Brent Creek and the Thames. Hopefully it will get more attractive soon to stop off at our pub or one of the three restaurants (4 if you count Caspari in the old fire station)Can't wait for the path at the back of the car park to be opened, so we can stroll to the heart of Brentford without visiting the High Street.

Guy Lambert ● 1859d

Guy, I believe the most frustrating bit is the "Thames path" along the newly built developments to the west of Watermans. Surely, for those new developments it was possible for the Council to insist and for the developers to build a nice and wide path suitable for walking and perhaps even for cycling. A great job was done by others to the east of Hammersmith Bridge. Why not in Brentford?

Alex Shpinkov ● 1859d

It was 1977 that this was announced and much of the river was indeed opened up That's how Watermans came about. But it was very much for the people ALL people. There are paving slabs here and there that mark this. I've noticed that quite a few in Brentford have vanished but are still about in Chiswick and Hammersmith and further up towards Teddington.

Raymond Havelock ● 1859d

Thank you for your replies..So is the "Dukes" blue area now private?I used to enjoy the Thameside view from the mini headland at Julius Court. Is this now out of bounds?And to cross over the Dock lock-gate to that grassy embankment...is that also banned?Isn't there a gate from Augustus Close(?)to a riverside area further upstream?Does one have to trek to the London Apprentice area before seeing the Thames again?It's ok for Isleworthians to bleat...they have acres of River to enjoy! They even have an Isleworth Society! Brentford deserves better.

Jim Lawes ● 1860d

You can currently walk the bank of the Thames from Kew Bridge to the mouth of the Brent, with the exception of Victoria Steps Quay and (currently) a bit of the Eastern end of Watermans Park. You can then follow the Brent a short way, and when Ballymore progress you will be able to follow it all the way to Brentford bridge.as Anne points out, it seems that the Brentford Dock estate has decided that visitors aren't welcome, like their neighbour the Duke.Admittedly, some of the path is a bit convoluted and inaccessible to wheelchairs, buggies etc but we'll make progress as developments happen - and the arch under kew bridge is set to be opened soon so that will link to Strand on the Green. Not much of Chiswick riverside is accessible because of long standing private houses but gradual progress is happening even there.

Guy Lambert ● 1860d

It was the 1977 Queens Jubilee and Barney Heyhoe MP came to our school with the Mayor and half the council and other dignitaries to declare to us Brentford kids that  after years of industrial pollution and deprivation to Brentford the town would at last have access to the River Thames second to none. It would be Opened up from Kew Bridge to Syon.Carved up more like.Bit's of it happened but not anywhere near enough. That plan seems to have been buried and forgotten rather like the Roman road and the unlocated Battle burial ground.

Raymond Havelock ● 1860d

Brentford Dock is a 'Private Estate' (as I know you know, Jim). The way the barriers across Dock Road, and the wording which accompanies them, have been put up during this crisis makes me think that it is Brentford's own Eyam village - the only difference being that the residents of the dock are allowed out.

Anne England ● 1860d

Over many generations locals have generally been denied views and access to the River...and maybe, if the suggestion was adopted, current and future developers would be less inclined to further restrict access.Years ago from Kew Bridge to Syon Park..locals were keep at bay. Even when the Gas Works closed..that high brick wall remained...and potential recreational areas were occupied by Council Depots,the Docks etc.Are you allowed to wander around Brentford Dock these days. ..or picnic anywhere in the Duke of Northumberland's acres?Think about it!

Jim Lawes ● 1860d

Wouldn't Brentford by Motorway be more appropriate?

Mark Gormley ● 1860d

Well I will find weird Brentford on Thames as my understanding is that name of Brentford originated from Bregutford which means "ford over the River Brent" (source wikipedia) so If you add on Thames it will end up meaning Ford on the River Brent on Thames.... too many rivers isn't?

Domenico Urzi ● 1860d

'I think it might not abate developers but it might bring about better standards of architecture and plans than the truly third rate stuff that Brentford gets palmed off with.'I admire your optimism but fear that profit always beats standards and design considerations hands down.

Vanessa Smith ● 1860d

I think it might not abate developers but it might bring about better standards of architecture and plans than the truly third rate stuff that Brentford gets palmed off with.Kingston had a very industrial riverside and a Power Station.  All that is gone.Brentford should have as it's only remaining asset a Riverside that should be opened up for all and not hived of for exclusive access apart from  a bit of token space here and there.It's Riverside and canal history is long and varied right through to the industrial era, so it ought to be acknowledged a bit more.

Raymond Havelock ● 1860d

Yes, load of pretentious nonsense, the developers would love it though - it would add thousands to already overpriced flats that no-one will be abe to afford. Why not incorporate a waterways museum in the proposals for St Lawrences' church instead of all that poncey rubbish Ballymore have come up with? Brentford is at the junction of the Grand Union Canal, the Brent and the Thames and has a rich history to celebrate.

Vanessa Smith ● 1860d

Brentford on Hold would be more apposite given the permanence of building works and the seeming desire of LBH to approve over-development while destroying the High Street.

N V Brooks ● 1860d

Please, no. Pure Hyacinth Bucket. Brentford is a working class town and proud of it.

Mike Paterson ● 1860d

Often wondered why it's not called this.  One of the most historic Towns on the Lower Thames and more on the river than Kingston some of which is 2 miles from the River, almost all of Brentford is less than 1/2 mile from the river.And the Royal Barge was built here - What an opportunity missed by not having it housed here as well.

Raymond Havelock ● 1860d