Vacations Blog

Many tourists to London, never venture off the tourist path of The Eye, Houses of Parliament, Tower of London, London Bridge. Whilst you must visit these, there are numerous other treasures that one can and should see. One rarely visited area of London is Hammersmith, located  just to the west of central London on the north bank of the River Thames. It is very easy to get to, a few stops on the tube, 10 – 15 minutes, There are a many varied ways to see Hammersmith, by touring on a bus, get the seats on top, you will see more than many tourists. It is well worth getting a London Transport oyster card as this is the cheapest way of visiting London.
Hammersmith is a wonderful place to see the more characteristic life of London. The walk along the Thames has some wonderful pubs, on a summery or bright winter day, you can enjoy your pint sitting outside these Thames pubs watching the boats and people go by.

Just off the Thames walk is the famous Dove Pub, which you can find in an alley of the last part of the old village of Hammersmith. It is definitely the oldest London pub and is believed to have the smallest bar in the world.

Countless famous individuals have lived and frequented the   pubs of Hammersmith. These have included Graham Greene and Ernest Hemingway. These renowned individuals have generally had an artistic bent.
Other artistic locals include Gustav Holst who in 1930 composed “Hammersmith”, having lived in nearby Barnes for 40 years. It begins with a haunting musical interpretation of the River Thames meandering underneath Hammersmith Bridge. Whilst in the area Holst composed many works including his famous Planets, whilst a music teacher at St Paul’s Girls’ School.

Other artists who lived in the area include Lily Allen the English pop singer, Bill Bailey the comedian, Sacha Baron Cohen The actor who played Ali G  Borat Sagdiyev from the Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan,  and his latest Bruno a flamboyant homosexual Austrian fashion reporter. The S club 7 singer Tina Barrett, the famous Who musician Roger Daltrey, the star of the film and nearby London area – Notting Hill, Hugh Grant and Gary Numan one of the pioneers of electronic music.

Hammersmith is a practical transport centre, with its Broadway, the centre of a number of underground lines and a major bus station, so simple to see other areas. Hammersmith is a mix of commercial and residential proplerties, including hotels that are less expensive than central London.

It is a wonderful area for those with dogs or who like walking. Hammersmith’s pedestrian friendly riverside is a great walk for dogs, you will see many dogs as Hammersmith Pet Sitting dog walkers use this route and local parks. . The local rowing clubs provide a great interest for just stopping and watching. The nearby Funival Gardens is worth a stop and a picnic. Hammersmith’s largest municipal park  Ravenscourt Park is located to the west of the centre. It has ponds, a basketball court, tennis courts and a crèche and you will see the local Hammersmith dog walkers.

The area flourished in the Industrial age which included the large Osram lamp factory at Brook Green,  and the enormous  J. Lyons factory which at its peak employed thirty thousand people and the largest British municipal power station. These have all been subsequently closed as the area has redeveloped from an industrial base to one focused on services and commerce.

Hammersmith is the centre of a number of entertainment venues, which are generally cheaper than the West End, including the Lyric Theatre on Kings Street which dates back to the 19th Century.
There is also the “Hammersmith Apollo” theatre and concert hall. Where many large bands and other acts perform.

For shopping head to King Street, which has many specialist shops, the Town Hall, two hotels and a cinema. You can find other shops in Shepherds Bush Road, Fulham Palace Road and Hammersmith Road.

For those with an artistic bent will be wanting to see the Ark constructed in the nineties by the A4 flyover which is an architecturally-unique office designed by British architect Ralph Erskine and as the name suggests looks like a large boat.
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