Tooting Newsie Weekly Newsletter
New openings, a local art exhibition, food and drink deals, local football trials, a new book from a Tooting author...all that, and Judi Dench (and more) this week!
It’s the last few days of local artist Jana Rychvalska’s art exhibition 'MYRIAD' at the Woodfield Pavilion (ends 25th of May)! Jana tells us more:
"This exhibition will be like no other! There will be a series of works based on language an idioms such as 'Pigs might Fly', 'Grass is Greener', 'Raining Cats and Dogs', my trademark abstract works, but for the first time ever, and never done or seen before, a series of short films comprised of 767 'House Keys' compositions with sound.
"During 'Emancipation of Colour' solo in August 2024, I have started to photograph our house keys for their unique and individual compositions. Many of which also carry interesting stories, but also, this is a historical record of 'what was important to us today' since we are heading towards technology locking systems. I have already encountered people who would have participated, but not longer use keys.
"Films will run at 10 minutes intervals throughout the 'MYRIAD' exhibition. Many of you have visited our Woodfield Pavilion community space, and when I was there, the chances are I have asked you if I can document your HK composition. If you have not, more the reasons to pop in, see the exhibition and I could photograph your keys towards my first set goal of 1000!"
The exhibition is on until 25th May from Wednesdays to Sundays 10:30am - 4pm. More info via thewoodfield.org
Chuk, of Homes With Chuk, has another Tooting home to sell! He tells us more (and check out the full video tour here):
"I thought I'd share this home with Tooting locals first, as the seller is one of a number of people who have reached out following my posts on Tooting Newsie!
"This is an excellent purchase for a first-time buyer or even a young family as it has fantastic potential! It's currently a 2 Double Bedroom conversion (set across the first floor) complete with a private garden, accessed from the kitchen via a staircase.
"It has a pretty spacious bathroom at one end of the flat, conveniently located for the 2 double bedrooms (and yes, they really are double bedrooms!)
"There's a lovely space by one of the bedrooms where I envisage a desk and shelving immediately transforming it into an office space.
"At the opposite end of the flat, you'll find the reception room which opens up into the spacious kitchen (with plenty of storage), and there's even enough room for a 4-seater table!
"From the kitchen there's a double-glazed door (I love additional natural light!) which leads you via your staircase to your own private garden, which is a little over 35 ft long!
"And there’s more – there’s potential (subject to planning & consent etc) to convert the loft space which would give you at the very least an additional bedroom with an ensuite!
"And there’s a Share of Freehold, it's chain free, and there’s only 1 other flat in the building!”
More info via Rightmove.
Chuk Agudosi is an independent local property advisor, in partnership with The Agency UK. For more info, email chuk.agudosi@theagencyuk.com, call 020 8092 0200, or pop into Tooting Works at 89 Bickersteth Road and ask for him at reception!
Free 20-minute knee assessments this month at Instant Physio in Tooting Bec (limited availability) – see below…
Instant Physio owner Ed tells us, “Knee pain sufferers often struggle with climbing stairs, sitting for long periods, and staying active – even turning over in bed can be painful and this can go on for many years. When it feels like you’ve tried everything, it’s easy to just give up and learn to live with it. However, here are three of our recent patients that proves long-term knee pain is very treatable with the right help...
"Julie: After Julie’s knee operation, she wasn’t sure what her limits would be. But on a recent trip to the Patagonia, she reached a personal milestone: 19,734 steps in a single day, her highest step count ever! In Julie’s words, 'I would have never imagined walking that far and up mountains before the operation and rehab.'
"Genevieve: Following a joint replacement, Genevieve had some doubts about how active she could be again. But with a structured rehab plan, she’s now back to swimming, doing yoga, and even playing paddle on a recent trip to Spain – in her own words 'physio is key'.
"Anastasia: Anastasia tore her ACL and focused her recovery on getting back to an active lifestyle. She’s now playing tennis regularly with her friends on the weekend, and is heading to Vancouver for a hiking trip next week!"
Book your free knee assessment at Instant Physio, 261 Balham High Road (opposite the Sewing Shop) in Tooting Bec – call them on 020 3488 2698, or leave an enquiry via instantphysio.co.uk
Open Monday-Thursday 8am–8pm, Friday 8am–4pm and Saturday 8am–12pm.
20% off your first Spring Clean or Regular Clean at Tooting cleaning company TIDYO! Try their new Spring Clean service, which goes beyond the usual tidy-up, giving your space the comprehensive clean it deserves (see below)!
With double the time of a standard clean, TIDYO can tackle all those neglected spots, including:
✨ Under beds & behind sofas – say goodbye to hidden dust!
✨ Tops of kitchen cupboards – no more grease & grime.
✨ Inside appliances – fridge, oven, dishwasher? They’ve got it covered.
✨ Skirting boards, light fixtures & door frames – the little details make a big difference!
And more – just tell them what needs extra attention! They even offer steam cleaning at no extra cost for that extra level of freshness!
As always with TIDYO, you can expect:
✔ Easy online booking – schedule your clean in minutes
✔ DBS-checked, uniformed staff – professional & reliable
✔ A high-quality, hassle-free service – because your home deserves the best!
✔ Bespoke customisable cleans with complimentary extras such as luxury room sprays
✔ 10% of TIDYO’s profits go to local charities and good causes (e.g. PTAs, community projects etc)
✔ Customer perks – including flowers on your birthday, FREE Hayman's Gin if you refer TIDYO to a friend, a TIDYO rubber duck on your first clean, and a scented candle after your 10th clean!
Use code NEWSIE20 to get 20% off your first Spring Clean or Regular Clean! Book via www.tidyo.me. Ts and Cs apply, offer valid til 30/06/25.
We're sad to share the news that Tooting resident and musician Kevin Finucane, also known as 'Foxy', passed away recently.
Kevin was a stalwart of the trad music sessions in the Ramble Inn every Sunday, and a close friend of Jimmy Crowe (owner of The Ramble Inn) and his family.
Jimmy tells us, "Kevin was a lovely and honest man, who had a great voice and played wonderful music. He was also a very generous man, and well known and loved in the Irish community in southwest London. He'll be very much missed."
Jimmy will be holding a special evening at The Ramble Inn in memory of Kevin in the near future. Follow The Ramble Inn on X, Facebook or Instagram for more details.
The first Furzedown LitFest was a huge success on Saturday 10th May, with highlights including Gordon Corera, (former BBC Security Correspondent and host of the podcast The Rest is Classified) interviewed about his work as author and espionage expert by novelist and broadcaster Marcel Theroux (including the extraordinary story of the Mitcham pigeons who changed the course of World War Two!).
Further highlights of the day – which attracted well over 200 people – were the Guardian’s John Crace and his colleague Zoe Williams in discussion, and Kathryn Faulke, (a care worker and author of Every Kind of People), giving a vivid description of the conditions care workers face, in conversation with Furzedown Project Chair Liz Sayce OBE.
The diverse programme included neurodiversity and literature, and an interview with crime writer Nicola Williams. Michael Donkor and Yara Rodrigues Fowler, successful young novelists who attended Graveney School, spoke with local author Saima Mir about the challenges of becoming a writer and growing up in Tooting.
Four free special children’s interactive sessions featured storytelling, tales of everyday teenage heroes, screenwriting, and history.
Balham bookshop BackStory supported the event by selling books on site.
The LitFest team have more events coming soon – Queer Furzedown LitFest, on 8th June at the Furzedown Project, and on 19th September, Sandra Newman, author of Julia: A Retelling of Orwell’s 1984, will discuss the inspiration for her highly acclaimed novel.
For more info and tickets, visit: www.furzedownlitfest.com
Wandsworth residents are being warned to be on their guard against scam phone calls relating to the payment of outstanding Council Tax arrears.
Scammers may claim that you owe thousands of pounds in uncollected Council Tax and that they are currently in court needing payment from you immediately.
If you receive a call or text message do not make any payment or provide your bank details and delete the text message.
How to spot a scam message
A message is a scam if it:
• Asks for card or bank details
• Says that you are entitled to a refund or band reduction
• Offers to write-off Council Tax arrears for a fee
You can see examples of genuine council tax messages on the Wandsworth Council website (see below).
If you believe you have been a victim of this scam, report the matter online to Action Fraud or call 0300 123 2040.
Info via Wandsworth Council.
Congratulations to local grassroots women's team South West Saints FC, on winning the London Women's Saturday Football League Division 1 Cup – in their first ever season! – beating Peckham 1-0 at Imperial Fields (Tooting & Mitcham United FC's ground).
See their Instagram for more details!
Free Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training for local residents and employers is now available from Tooting-based South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust (see below).
The Trust recently celebrated a major milestone in its mental health awareness programme, having now trained 200 people in MHFA courses.
MHFA is an internationally recognised training course delivered by MHFA England and is designed to teach people how to identify, understand, and help someone who may be experiencing a mental health issue on a first-aid basis.
The courses will take place both at Trust and community locations, and provide an understanding of common mental health issues, skills and information to support positive wellbeing, and knowledge and confidence to spot signs and symptoms and of mental ill health on a first-aid basis.
For more info and to register, visit South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust.
South Western Railway services (SWR) between Earlsfield and Basingstoke are the first in Europe to receive superfast Wi-Fi.
FirstGroup’s rail-5G is providing high speed internet connectivity to trains, up to 20 times faster than conventional on-board Wi-Fi.
The new provision will allow video calls, streaming and more.
SWR customers travelling between Earlsfield and Basingstoke can now access superfast speeds akin to those at home or in the office, across 70 kilometres of track, allowing passengers to easily stream content, make video calls, download large files on the go, and much more.
More info via South Western Railway.
50% off all main dishes every Tuesday at Turkish restaurant Broadway BBQ in Broadway Market Tooting...AND any main + any cold starter for just £15 every Wednesday!
Manager Zozy tells us, “We've been so happy with the fantastic response since we opened over a year ago, so to say thanks to our loyal customers – and to welcome some new faces – we’re offering 50% off ALL main dishes every Tuesday, including our popular sharing seafood or kebab platters, our chicken skewers, and our Adana Kebab!
“Not only that, but we now offer any main course and any cold starter for just £15 every Wednesday!
"We have vegetarian options, and all food is halal."
Find Broadway BBQ near the Longmead Road entrance of Broadway Market. Open 11.30am-10.30pm Tuesday to Thursday, 11.30am-11pm Friday and Saturday, and 11.30am-9.30pm Sunday. More info and full menu via instagram.com/broadway.bbq
Ts & Cs apply. Minimum spend of £15 per person for the 50% off offer. Both offers are eat-in and takeaway only. Offers valid until 30th June 2025.
Join Hayman's Gin for their 'Summer Sessions' – taking place on 3 Thursday evenings over the summer at their beautiful Distillery in Balham!
There's no need to book – simply get the dates in your diary, turn up & bring your friends! Their 'Summer Sessions' will take place on Thursdays 29th May, 19th June & 24th July, from 5-9pm:
• Enjoy delicious summer gin cocktails next to their beautiful copper stills
• Perfect for those after-work summer drinks
• Enjoy sundown in their urban garden with a Spritz in hand
• Plus get 15% OFF at the Distillery shop to stock up on your favourite gins.
You'll find Hayman's Gin Distillery located at 8 Weir Road, SW12 0GT, just 5 minutes walk from Balham town centre!
You can find out more details on their website.
Due to licensing, they are a working distillery and cannot allow access to under 18s (including babies) or pets.
Mum and daughter, Roxy and Rosie, are looking for their furrever home. They were brought to RSPCA South London Branch after their owner sadly passed away and they were found locked on a balcony.
They have recovered well from their ordeal and are quite enjoying their foster home!
They love each other very much and are super friendly, they’d make lovely additions to a happy family home.
Can you give Roxy (5 yrs old) and Rosie (1.5 yrs old) the second chance they deserve? If so, please email enquiries@rspcasouthlondon.org.uk
Wandsworth Foodbank celebrated and said thank you to their incredible volunteers last week, whose kindness and care helps many people in the community through the hardest of times.
They also celebrated their Foodbank Advice Project team, which is 10 years old this month! And particularly to the amazing lead advisor Sylwia who has been with it from the start.
The Foodbank are very grateful to local businesses and supporters who donated some fun and fabulous gifts for their volunteers' free thank you raffle, including Open Air Fit, The Alma Wandsworth, Hamish Johnston Cheeses, St Mike's Southfields, The Wimbledon Foundation, WWT London Wetland Centre, Hennessy's butchers, and Oddono's Battersea.
Wandsworth Foodbank welcomes donations of nappies, sanitary pads, toothbrushes, toothpaste and other essential toiletries – these are so needed and so appreciated by local people and families referred to them in hardship.
Find out what they need most and where you can donate via Wandsworth Foodbank.
📷 Wandsworth Foodbank
Tooting's St George's Hospital Charity recently celebrated Dame Judi Dench’s 90th birthday year in spectacular style at Claridge's, hosted by renowned photographer and Charity ambassador Gemma Levine.
Sculptor Frances Segelman created a live portrait bust of Dame Judi before 200 guests, with moving birthday tributes from Simon Callow, Finty Williams, and a performance by soprano Katerina Mina.
The evening raised vital funds and awareness for lymphoedema research – a cause deeply personal to Gemma, who has now helped raise over £150,000 for the Lymphoedema Research Fund at St George's Hospital Charity.
The sculpture will be finished and cast in bronze at Frances’s studio following the event. Once completed, it will be sold to raise vital funds for the charity. If you would like to receive the brochure or express interest in bidding, please email davina.metters@stgeorges.nhs.uk
You can read all about the evening via St George’s Hospital Charity.
📷 St George's Hospital Charity
Football trials NOW OPEN for under-15s at Tooting & Mitcham United FC!
Trials are open for boys and girls in academic years 9 & 10, and take place every Thursday until 12th June 2025 at Imperial Fields, Bishopsford Road, Morden, SM4 6BF.
The Under-14s team have just won the Tandridge League and are moving up (as the Under-15s) to the Premier Division next season!
For more info, email youth@tmunited.org or academy@tmunited.org, or just turn up on the day (please bring your own kit)!
Congratulations to Tooting author Laura Baggaley on the release of her new book, Dirt!
Published by Habitat Press, Dirt is a dystopian eco-romance for young adults:
"Food is scarce in Newbeck. Rations are meagre. Everyone grows what they can on government-allotted Squares of land, using seeds and soil bought from mysterious mega-business, the Green Cultivation Corporation.
"One hot day, a strange girl rides into town wearing a sunhat as big as a bicycle wheel. She arrives alone, on a desert track from nowhere, full of questions no-one’s ever asked before.
"Local boy Sam is fascinated by her. Why won’t she talk about her family and where she lives? Why is she so curious about his way of life? And why can’t he get her out of his head..."
Laura is a fiction writer for young adults. She has been finalist in the Mslexia Children’s Novel Competition, and longlisted for the Times / Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition and the Yeovil Literary Prize.
Dirt is released this Thursday, 22nd May. To find out more, visit Laura’s website.
AL Coffee Roasters have opened in the reception area of Tooting Works, serving speciality Colombian coffee (which they roast themselves!), tea and other hot drinks, Colombian empanadas, pastries, sandwiches, snacks and more!
Open 8am-4pm Monday to Friday, and 9am-4pm Saturday at Tooting Works, 89 Bickersteth Road. More info via @al.coffee.roasters (Instagram).
Congratulations and good luck to owners Lina and Andres!
Selina and Thomas have opened Hera Nail Spa at 336 Balham High Road (a couple of doors down from Tooting Bec tube), offering nail treatments, extensions, manicures, pedicures and more, with head and facial massages coming soon! They're also offering 20% off services until 22nd June 2025!
Open 10am-7pm Monday to Saturday, and 11am-5pm Sunday. See their website or more info.
Congratulations and good luck to Selina and Thomas!
Did you know that there used to be Metropolitan Police boxes at Tooting Broadway, on Mitcham Road (opposite the Ramble Inn) and on Tooting Bec Road – just three of around 700 in London between 1929 and 1980?
Paul Dykes created The Ghost Monuments project to record each box and to recreate what the boxes would have looked like in their various locations around the capital, bringing some history to life in the modern day. There's loads more fascinating info on his website, including a history of the boxes, how they were used, and, of course, their link to Doctor Who! Check it out at ghostmonuments.co.uk
📷 © Paul Dykes
A view from the boundary! Another sure sign that summer is here (or at least very close) – an evening cricket match on Tooting Common!
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