That Was the Year That Was

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The biggest stories of 2014 in Hammersmith

January

Boris Johnson Refuses to Step In Over Riverside Studios Redevelopment
London Mayor disappoints Hammersmith residents at City Hall

Earls Court Developer Submits Plans for Empress State Building
31 storey building could be clad in bronze and house 340 flats

MP Andy Slaughter Accuses Council of "Social Cleansing"
After report about deal to replace council houses with homes for sale

February

TfL and Capco Agree to Begin Redevelopment of Earls Court
Campaigners respond today with press conference at House of Commons

Warning of "Unprecedented Times" on River Thames
PLA Chief Executive talks of "too many accidents" involved capsized boats

Hammersmith Property Prices Scale New Heights
Average home in W6 now worth over three quarters of a million pounds

Hammersmith Flyunder "Could Take Three Years to Build"
Comedian Bill Bailey backs tunnel plan's "enormous benefits"

March

Hammersmith Broadway to be Made Safer for Cyclists
Among 33 of London's "nastiest" junctions set to be transformed

College Congratulates Oscar Winner Steve McQueen
Triumph in Hollywood for former Ealing,Hammersmith and West London student

Chris Tarrant "In Good Hands" in Charing Cross
TV presenter doing well in hospital after being taken ill on flight from Thailand

New Borough Commander Lays Out Plans for H&F
Chief Superintendent Gideon Springer will bring in new technology

Local Charity Director Pays Warm Tribute to Tony Benn
He was patron of Staying First, part of Shepherd's Bush Housing Group

April

Big Crowds Expected to Gather for Sunday's Boat Race
RNLI expects to be twice as busy as normal

H & F Register Office Now Offers Same-sex Weddings
After new law came into force allowing gay couples to marry

Officer Praised for Saving Girl after Fall onto Train Tracks
PC Jonathan Prettejohns' quick response prevented tragedy at Hammersmith Station

Construction of 12 Hammersmith Grove to Begin Next Month
Developer behind new town centre office buildings says "Great things come in pairs"

May

Goodbye Fulham and Hammersmith Chronicle
Relaunching as supplement within Ealing newspaper

Dame Sally Coates Steps In at West London Free School
Former Burlington Danes head to help as school searches for new headteacher

Labour Celebrate Victory in Hammersmith and Fulham
Shock result as "David Cameron's favourite council" is ousted

New Council Leader Stephen Cowan Thanks Voters
After gains for leaders in Fulham Reach and Addison wards help clinch result

June

Tribute to Rik Mayall Appears on Hammersmith Broadway
Blue plaque links to clip from TV show Bottom filmed and set in W6 

Putney Bridge to Close to All Traffic from July 14 
For major roadworks due to last around three months

Local Women Jailed for Trafficking and Prostitution Offences 
Russian crime network based at two of area's most upmarket developments

New H&F Council Team Now in Place
Residents pack public galleries to watch first meeting

July

Three Key Closures Set to Cause "Summer of Misery" on Local Roads
Beginning with Putney Bridge shut from to traffic from 5am on Monday

West Ken Residents Vote to Investigate Community Transfer
Unanimous agreement at meeting in threatened Gibbs Green Estate

H&F Mayor Mercy Reopens Hammersmith Library
Along with 100 residents celebrating building's modernisation

H&F Council "Lays Down Gauntlet" over Local Hospital Plans
Tells health chiefs to think again about downgrading Charing Cross and Hammersmith

August

MP Andy Slaughter Blocked from Entering NHS Meeting
As Trust board rubberstamps plans for downgrading local hospitals

Sir Bradley Wiggins to Whizz through Hammersmith on Sunday
Thousands expected to line the streets for the Prudential RideLondon Cycle Race

Riverside Studios Prepares to Close Ahead of Redevelopment
Free exhibition of its history and restaurant and bar open till September 5



"Rebalance" for West London Free School
New head cuts trips and clubs and focuses on teaching

September

Save Our Hospitals Campaigners Hold "Die-in" in Lyric Square on Saturday
And invite local people to join them and become the Walking Wounded

New Lyric Hammersmith On Schedule to Open in Spring
Theatre "about to change the landscape and the lives of thousands of people"

While Riverside Studios Closes Today
Demolition and redevelopment set to begin next week

Three Hammersmith and Fulham Phones 4u Stores Close
Local jobs at risk as company collapses into administration

October

Thames Water Runs Fatberg Awareness Campaign
After 747 sized lump of congealed fat was found under Shepherd's Bush Road

Hammersmith House Prices Surge Even Higher 
Over one third of properties selling in the area achieve over one million pounds

New Lyric Hammersmith to Open with Bugsy Malone
Musical will be first production in April at redeveloped theatre

Trial of Shepherd's Bush Terror Suspects Set for June 3, 2015
Men charged with plot involving Shepherd's Bush police station and barracks

November

Christmas Comes to Lyric Square on Saturday December 6
With a visit from Santa and his reindeer, lights, music and 25 foot tree

Bridge Crash Misses Two TV News Presenters 'By a Whisker'
BBC's Kate Silverton and Sky's Isabel Walker both close to yesterday's collision

Shepherd's Bush Police Killer Harry Roberts Freed from Jail
After serving 48 years after the murder of three officers in Braybrook Street in 1966

Rik Mayall Memorial Bench Unveiled in Hammersmith
Family and fans gather to pay tribute to much loved comedian who died in June

December

Hammersmith Firms Shine in Brilliant Business Awards
With popular King Street restaurant Azou proving the borough's biggest winner

Hammersmith Tube Ticket Offices to Close from April
And timetable shows all local ticket offices will be shut by December

Woman Sees Herself Being Mugged on TV
H&F Council apologise after giving CCTV footage of King Street attack to Channel 5

Lyric Square Hosts Hammersmith's Magical Christmas Celebrations
With lights, music, a 25 feet tree and a visit from Santa Claus and his friends

Local Hospitals 'Require Improvement'
Health regulator slams Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

December 31, 2014