What’s New
Refurbished halls open in Parsons Green
If you’ve been a Fulhamite for a few years or more, you would most definitely have ventured in to the Charlotte Antonia Sulivan Halls (CAS). Not ringing any bells? Well perhaps if we mention Mission Hall at St Dionis that will sound more familiar to you. We’ve certainly been into the halls, opposite St Dionis Church and facing Parsons Green, on many occasion: children’s parties, puppy training classes, Girl Guides, Brownies the list goes on but we had to wrack our brains when we heard the name CAS Halls.
The Mission Hall has recently been totally refurbished and was renamed CAS Halls when they officially re-opened in June. The halls have been rededicated to Charlotte Antonia Sulivan, the youngest of five children born to Laurence and Elizabeth Sulivan of Broom House, Fulham. Elizabeth Sulivan (nee Temple) was the younger sister of Harry Temple, third Viscount Palmerston; Foreign Secretary in the 1830's and Prime Minister in the 1860's.
Charlotte was born in 1824 and died in 1911. By the time of her death she was a very rich woman, inherited Broom House and lived there for more than half her lifetime. Charlotte gave generously to many local causes and her name is associated with Sulivan Court, Sulivan Primary School and also South Park which was opened in 1904 after she sold some land to the Fulham Borough Council for use as a public recreation ground. The land had previously been part of the Sulivan private estate around Broom House. Dr Carter, Vicar of St Dionis at the time of her death, said 'many a poor home in Fulham had been saved through her handsome gifts, and a great many tradesmen, who would have been left unpaid by dishonest and unfortunate customers, had to thank God for the intervention of her generosity, but only in a secret way did they know from whom that came'. We digress, lovers of local history and especially stories of incredible Fulham women, we went into a bit of a historical rabbit hole finding out more about Charlotte and her stunning home Broom House which sadly no longer exists. If you love property look up this house that had grounds running down to the river.
We spoke to Catherine at CAS Halls who told us that the “newly refurbished halls on the green have three spaces and a fully equipped kitchen providing the perfect venue for everything from weddings to yoga lessons. The spaces are comprised of two halls that both have a capacity of 80. The Upper Hall is perfect for recitals, plays, concerts, wedding receptions, dinner/champagne parties. The Community Hall is ideal for meetings, community groups & children's parties and has a kitchen point. The studio space has an industrial look, is fully air-conditioned, with mirrored walls making it perfect for personal training sessions, gym or dance classes”. We were quite taken aback by the refurbishment, this isn’t a quick lick of paint and a bit of rewiring, the halls have been fully renovated and now have superb lighting, flooring and facilities. If you’re running classes locally, looking for a venue for a party or event they’re definitely worth considering! Contact Catherine admin@cascharity.org
Precious Boutique SW6
You may remember we spoke to local resident and Fulham Mum Natalie Collings about her Precious WhatsApp groups for: Home, Little Treasures (0-4), Pieces (4+), Play (5+) and Wheels. After much demand from her group members and continuing her mission to extend the life cycle of items we buy, use and wear Natalie has launched Precious Boutique SW6. This group is for preloved luxury high end and high street designer womenswear, handbags shoes and accessories. You post photographs, the asking price and sell via the group with no fees and no trips to the post office involved, simply pay the Fulham local for the item you want to purchase and collect directly from them.
Urban Village LDN spoke to Natalie who told us “this community platform is a new exciting opportunity to shop in other people’s wardrobes and also let them shop in yours, all from the comfort of your own home. If you’ve got some fabulous items, still in excellent condition, it’s time to make the world a better place as well as some money and space. So if you’re still waiting for the next special occasion to wear that designer dress again, have an exquisite handbag that you rarely use, or a slightly too high pair of designer shoes, a cashmere jumper tucked away in a drawer collecting dust, post them on Precious Boutique so they can find a new home”.
Hit the link on the button below and you’ll instantly find out what Precious Boutique is all about, alternatively message Natalie to find out more on 07730 312918.
First Bridge Centre opens specialist school for autism
The First Bridge Centre opened in Imperial Wharf in 2021 providing early intervention and education for children with autism and related developmental conditions (aged 18 months - 5 years). Having been rated “Outstanding” by Ofsted for their Early Years provision and going through the lengthy process of registering as an independent school, First Bridge will open the doors to their independent specialist school for children with autism (5 -9 years) on 4 September.
Urban Village LDN talked to Lauren Landi, Head of Admissions, Partnerships and Business Development before their big day. “We’re excited to launch and open our doors on Monday to our first cohort of 24 children. We offer 1-1 and group therapy/ sessions to build a foundation for life, supporting our children into the next stage of their education and beyond. One of the proudest elements of our Ofsted report was the parent feedback we received. Not only the fact that children are glowing at First Bridge but the priceless value of the community that has been created here, the shared experience, advice and support our parents provide one another”.
The First Bridge ethos is to change the lives of children with diagnosed or suspected autism spectrum disorder and developmental, attention and or social communication delays by giving them the best opportunity of leading a happy and for-filled life through early intervention and education. After assessment a bespoke programme is created and tailored to each child’s individual needs to support the development of speech, language, social, play, emotional, and cognitive abilities. The specialist school team includes behaviour analysts, qualified teachers, group leads and learning and behaviour therapists. To get a taste of the centre and school click here for a short video
We loved that every pupil at First Bridge is valued and celebrated for their successes and individual achievements and that they offer all year round enrollment, admitting pupils with local authority funding and providing accessible private pay plans. If you’d like to find out more get in touch with Lauren at admissions@firstbridgecentre.com follow First Bridge on Instagram or hit the button below.
Ollie’s House
On your return from your summer break you’ve no doubt spotted the new addition to Parsons Green, on the site where Megan’s used to be. Ollie’s House, an all day cafe and restaurant, opened their second location a few weeks ago offering breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner and cocktails. We haven’t visited yet but we have heard good things about their food and “friendly” staff on the Fulham grapevine and we have been to their other location on the Fulham Road, opposite Chelsea & Westminster hospital. So we were excited to see the hoardings up, the build in progress and even more excited to see the end result which speedily came together.
Ollie’s House Parsons Green is situated in a sunny spot, perfect for when the weather behaves itself and the bi fold doors can be thrown open! Their cuisine is “Tropical Asian” and we’d say their interiors are too with lush plants, rattan furniture and hanging lights. We’re looking forward to trying their Asian take on fish and chips, discovering their Indonesian breakfast or sampling a Chicken Bao Hollandaise. Their cocktail list also looks pretty good and not too painful price wise at £11.50 a pop, we paid more than that recently for a plain G&T in a Westminster pub! Some traditional faves on the list include a Negroni, Bellini and we’re looking forward to trying a Horseradish and Wasabi Bloody Mary or a Passion Fruit Daiquiri. Happy hour is from 3-7pm (Mon - Friday) and also from 9-10pm (Mon - Sun). If you want healthier choices Ollie’s House have plenty of juice and smoothie options and traditional dishes including avocado on toast, pancakes and scrambled eggs.
The team at Ollie’s House welcome dogs with more than just a fresh bowl of water, your four legged family member can enjoy a dog friendly ice cream, puppacino and more.
Here’s hoping for an Indian Summer for a sundowner at happy hour on Parsons Green Lane! Follow Ollie’s House on Instagram to see some mouth watering food pics or hit the button below to head to their website.