Your guide to London's culture and transport news and events taking place across the city Published on 23rd January 2025 by ianVisits in Books The bookshop is based inside the ticket office of the original Osterley & Spring Grove tube station which opened in 1883 but closed as a tube station in 1934 when a replacement Osterley station opened on the main road The old station building was used as a shop by a succession of owners until 1967 but the council insisted the shop’s function had to remain So they bought a load of second-hand books to sell and have never really looked back since filling every spare gap with piles upon piles of second-hand books knick-knacks and any oddities that take the owner’s fancy It’s also a place where they sell their commercial art Sadly, as they explain book sales haven’t kept up with running costs it’s been their commercial art sales that have kept the bookshop alive They’ve now accepted that the art sales which they admit isn’t as much fun anymore so the Osterly Bookshop will likely become more like an Osterley Gallery The bookshop is open Wednesday to Sunday from 9:30am to 5:30pm and they’re starting the book sell off now You have time to visit though as they expect to take a very long time to clear out their entire stock The Osterley Bookshop is on Thornbury Road, about a 10-minute walk from Osterley tube station on the Piccadilly line This website has been running now for over a decade, and while advertising revenue contributes to funding the website, it doesn't cover the costs. That is why I have set up a facility with DonorBox where you can contribute to the costs of the website and time invested in writing and research for the news articles It's very similar to the way The Guardian and many smaller websites are now seeking to generate an income in the face of rising costs and declining advertising Whether it's a one-off donation or a regular giver every additional support goes a long way to covering the running costs of this website and keeping you regularly topped up doses of Londony news and facts If you like what you read on here, then please support the website here Used to be a great bookshop until they started fleecing the customers with exhorbitant prices for tat I’ve lived in the area for 35 years and I used to love going there Then they began using online sites as a price guide subverting the whole idea of what second-hand bookshops are for Osterley Park NT is one of my favourite sites mostly to browse but occasionally to find some rare item We bought a few nice books at knock down prices a great deal but it felt sad that we are losing this lovely little shop They also have a great selection of greetings cards and some curios and knick-knacks I think secondhand books must be a very tough market nowadays and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" and the latest news published on ianVisits You can unsubscribe at any time from my weekly emails © ianVisits « All Events Osterley Park’s Creative Community Art Project has been designed to deepen connections with its surrounding communities and improve access to Osterley’s green spaces and heritage Osterley Park & House has collaborated with artist Jasmin Bhanji and local community groups to create new artworks exploring visibility participants engaged with Osterley’s landscape these works invite visitors to see Osterley in new ways These playful canvases in the Walled Garden (not usually open to the public) invite visitors to pause and engage with the stories woven into them – inspired by the Home Guard camouflage training that took place at Osterley Blurring the boundaries between domestic and wild natural forms bold works are placed in Osterley’s historic ‘Eating Room’ and Garden House challenging perceptions of what belongs inside and outside Celebrating how the local community reflected themselves in the natural landscape this large-scale artwork showcases photos taken by young participants inviting visitors to consider their own presence within the space Saturday 12 April 2025 – 1 March 2026 Privacy Statement Cookie Policy info@thechiswickcalendar.co.uk About The Chiswick Calendar  Newsletter & Club Card by dwmultimedia We may request cookies to be set on your device We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites and to customize your relationship with our website Click on the different category headings to find out more You can also change some of your preferences Note 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able to show or modify cookies from other domains You can check these in your browser security settings We also use different external services like Google Webfonts Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site Changes will take effect once you reload the page You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page For best viewing experience of this website Please enter a place name in the search bar After provisionally the warmest May Day on record in the UK higher than average temperatures will subside over the weekend Environment Agency Updated: 11:34 (UTC+1) on Tue 6 May 2025 it will turn increasingly cloudy from off the North Sea Some bright or sunny spells developing by evening Staying dry with some lengthy clear skies overnight Turning chilly with a touch of grass frost in places Largely dry with variable amounts of cloud and bright or sunny spells on Wednesday with variable amounts of cloud and bright or sunny spells throughout the period Dry across the vast majority of the UK with clear or sunny spells but also some patchy cloud Cloud will likely thicken across the far north and northwest during the weekend with some outbreaks of rain for a time There is also a small risk of some heavy showers in the far south or southwest high pressure will be dominant across the UK This will bring predominantly fine and dry weather for the majority of places Temperatures are likely to be slightly above normal for the time of year although there is a chance of some cold nights Fairly typical weather for the time of year is most likely through this period fine and dry weather is more likely to dominate although this will be interspersed with occasional spells of rain and showers with a risk of heavy rain and thunderstorms in places temperatures will most likely be near to or slightly above average find art and take part in nature inspired activities for the whole family a friendly bunch of animals have escaped from the Tapestry Room at Osterley House and are now running about in the gardens Help Osterley Park and House out by seeing if you can catch them and return them to the beautiful tapestries The trail takes place between 5 April – 21 April 2025 The price of admission to House & Garden applies as well as the trail cost National Trust members and under 5s go free The trail price includes an Easter trail sheet bunny ears and dairy or vegan and Free From* chocolate egg Horrible Histories time-travelling experience launches at Osterley House and Park dive into the world of the Georgians with an interactive family-friendly trail around the house Uncover the quirks and scandals of Georgian history while exploring a real Georgian manor house interactive trail is designed to entertain children of all ages with a combination of games Osterley was buzzing with energy this Saturday as 425 runners and joggers took to the stunning course for event number 517 and a sky full of promise made for perfect conditions You can even save it to your phone’s lock screen so you’re always ready to scan and shine The PB bell was ringing off the hook with 51 personal bests recorded Some of the standout performances came from Zekeriya Adem (18:03) A special shout-out to the brilliant duo of Akhil Selvakumaran and Ananya Aathi who both smashed their PBs together And let's not forget Mona Sahota and Paul Bryan — PBs and smiles all round Milestone celebrations were in full swing as Saagar Balggan and Nicholas Maniatakis all completed their 25th parkruns Congratulations to each of you on joining the milestone club Our most experienced parkrunners this week were Alan Anderson with 754 parkruns under his belt and Cindy Croucher with 479 Incredible commitment and an inspiration to us all None of this would be possible without the 26 hi-vis heroes who brought the event to life Osterley parkrun has welcomed 18,081 participants who’ve completed 105,730 parkruns covering a total distance of 528,650 km A grand total of 1,120 volunteers have contributed 9,277 times to make this event run week after week Don't forget your barcode and keep being awesome © parkrun Limited (Company Number: 07289574) No part of this site may be reproduced in whole or in part in any manner without the permission of the copyright owner Another glorious Saturday at Osterley parkrun where 340 participants gathered for event #511 and 12 runners so fast they became barcode phantoms Personal Bests and First Timers – Smashing It High-fives to the 27 runners who bagged themselves a new Personal Best – that’s 7.9% of the field We were also thrilled to welcome 64 first timers to the Osterley family including 9 brave souls who took their first ever parkrun steps and Makan Houston – we hope you’ve caught the parkrun bug Take a bow – that’s some serious running prowess Celebrating Milestones – Bring on the Cake What's parkrun without a few milestones to cheer A special thanks to our 25 amazing volunteers who made this event happen led by the ever-cheerful crew including Isabel Abrahall There are plenty of roles where you can still cheer on your mates – give it a go What a fantastic morning of community spirit Can’t wait to see you all next Saturday – same time Osterley parkrun has been on my wish list for several years I was excited to be able to finally do it and it completely lived up to my expectations Our home event is Great Notley parkrun which is about a gazzillion miles away (about a 2hr drive) Essex in 1999 and taking up running in 2010 I used to live in Southall and spent a lot of time cycling I used to enjoy cycling over to Osterley Park and cycling round the park before heading home I also used to be a voluntary expedition leader with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award at both the Hounslow Youth Centre and the Hanworth Youth Centre I suppose the DofE was where I got the volunteering bug which I so easily carried into parkrun So I have lots (and lots) of very happy memories at both Osterley Park and helping out in the mountains with my West London expedition training chums Here’s a photo of me with new buddies and old buddies So coming back to Osterley Park and using this as an excuse to catch up with some very old friends was always going to be pretty awesome As much as we love our home parkrun we do like to do a bit of touristing and we always offer to help out when we do We’re voluntourists (don’t look it up in a dictionary just take my word for it that it’s a real word…) Suzi and Cezar had so many admirers of their cool hi-vis’ When RD Rana asked if I could write a run report as well as take some photos I leapt at the chance Both Wifey Paula and myself took lots of photos which I uploaded to this Flickr Album Wifey Paula can never tell if parkrunners are waving at her or the two furry wonders 😉 We’re all attempting to complete various challenges. Thanks to the 5k App Wifey Paula is able to complete challenges as a non-running/walking parkrun finisher too You get a few more finishers than we do but with those lovely big open paths the 387 finishers didn’t feel too crowded at all but after a few hundred meters it rapidly started to thin out is more of a trail course in a Country Park This combined with the great running conditions would go some way to explain the 42 personal bests this week (13.7%) as opposed to the 37 PBs last week (11.5%) The full set of results can be accessed here This infographic was created using the parkrun Event Summary Chrome Extension The run brief that RD Rana was informative It was great to hear him welcoming parkrunners back There were a dazzling number of milestones achieved For every one of these milestones we see in groovy coloured shirts there are about a thousand other milestones and achievements that people will achieve but won’t get a shirt for For those admiring my rather groovy Alzheimer’s UK hat one of parkrun’s official charity partners may be aware that they’re currently a campaign this month to raise money Alzheimer’s is a really terrible disease and I seem to know many friends and family that have been impacted by it Friday saw me at my Uncle Ray’s funeral down in Kent who had passed away from dementia If you would like to join next week’s cool team of helpers, drop us an email We cannot guarantee you’ll look as cool as this week’s scanners but having something to aim for is always good 😉 just to manage your expectations on the excitement and cinematography scale it falls somewhere between Chariots of Fire and Jurassic Park The video includes some nice post run/walk chats with some parkrunners whi completed their first ever parkrun and a couple who’ve done looooads We’ve got to give a big plug to the Osterley Garden Centre and their rather spectacular breakfast It was also nice to take time to sit down and have a chilled catch up with mates Thank you so much for being such a welcoming bunch A big thank you to James Howlett from Bracknell parkrun for penning this week's run report - his 131st volunteer credit We hope to see you back in the summer for a new pb Thanks to James Howlett and Lina Ismail for the photos too Today was my 207th parkrun and I'm getting close to the end of a sizable touring era which will probably finish in two weeks time on a streak of 30 - which I doubt I'll ever try to surpass I chose Osterley because I suddenly realised it would be much easier than I'd previously assumed to drive to from my home stomping ground in Bracknell I'd also heard good things about it from my wife who had visited previously Arriving bright and early I met one of the volunteers in the car park who turned out to be today's first timer briefer (he's also a Run Director at Osterley) and proffered a fist bump: "We fist bump here!" From him I learned that Osterley House and grounds serve as exteriors for the tv series Bridgerton as well as the 1960 film The Grass is Greener (no me neither!) and there is a tremendously international persuasion to the team of volunteers Walking round the lake up to the House on a stretch that forms part of the route we found the start line being marked out by cones under the watchful gaze of one of the two stone eagles which adorn the pillars either side of the steps up to the House "We start at the first eagle" the volunteers confirmed and for a few internally amusing moments afterwards I imagined the original Gladiators referee John Anderson (RIP) instructing hundreds of parkrunners: "YOU.. will start at the first eagle..." Actually after the two laps you finish in line with the second eagle The ground-sheeted bag drop - reassuringly right next to volunteer HQ - the briefings finish funnel and scanning; it all happens right here in front of Osterley House It is such a cosy and convenient setup and it's with huge thanks to the National Trust who kindly permit it all I took in the growing atmosphere as more participants arrived I spotted a fellow 'With Me Now' podcast listener from her t-shirt and threw her the code ('Dolly or Bev?') and received the expected answer ('Arbitrary') Then the team delivered the first timer briefing It was good to welcome a couple of first-time-ever-parkrunners as well as tourists from such places as Winchester and Coventry Participants were already congregating at the start line at this point I got the notion that I might do a comparatively fast time here so I positioned myself near the front close to where today's run director Geoff got onto his sturdy stool to welcome us A nice short briefing acknowledging the 100th parkrun today of Jagminder Singh and the 250th of Lucy Witcomb who attended the first ever Osterley parkrun 11 years before and then Geoff got down and handed us over to the timekeepers Heading northwards from the house and jinking round past the old stables from a fairly wide start line you settle down into a comparatively narrow straight path on a decent surface which is the norm for this parkrun you take a hard right onto Osterley Lane which is wider and follows the M4 eastwards for near enough a kilometre The lane is secluded but the traffic noise pervades encouraging one to hunker down in one's mind and press onward Another right turn takes you away from the motorway and gives you a better look at the larger northern lake you're running round leaving the lake behind and delivering you into the field section on which there is another right turn onto hard path At this point you're heading directly towards Osterley House but you can't really see it due to the trees A left bend and then a right turn takes you into the trees where a twisty path soon brings you back out onto the path skirting the smaller southern lake leading you back to Osterley House and the completion of lap 1 This is definitely a potential overall PB course for anyone who is interested and there's not much in the way of hazards to stop you Despite not being in particularly good shape at the moment and despite slightly overcooking the first lap I was able to take advantage of this course to clockwatch my way to my best parkrun time in 2024 by twenty seconds My notion of getting near the front paid off and I'm very happy with it I decided then and there that - if I can get myself into something resembling overall PB-targetting readiness next summer - I will make Osterley parkrun the scene of any serious pb attempt After scanning and taking a couple more photos I headed over to the old stables area where horses would have been prepared for Elizabeth I to ride there appears to be two options for refreshments one from a mobile coffee vehicle and the other in the old stables building where the stalls are now converted into table booths and a cafe offering a decent range of hot and cold drinks I sat outside for a bit with various volunteers and friends and fist-bumped some notable stalwarts of Osterley parkrun looking mighty slick in his aviator shades) had brought some celebratory samosas before bidding the team a fond farewell and the certain assurance that I'd be back next year There were 303 finishers at Osterley parkrun today with about 25 or so clubs represented 47 participants were first-timers on this course Five of the first timers were also first-time-ever parkrunners and enjoy - this is what Saturday morning looks like from now on 32 new course personal bests were set and fourteen participants achieved an age grading of over 70% (one of whom was over 80% - well done Michael Garcia) 52 of today's participants find themselves in the 250+ parkruns club Parkrun simply isn't possible without volunteers - they encourage us they contribute to the nurturing atmosphere that distinguishes parkrun This is where I will treat myself in times to come Please enter your email below to reset password the licensing agent in the UK and Eire for the wildly popular and award-winning children’s history brand Horrible Histories (published by Scholastic) has announced a new Horrible Histories experiential partnership with the UK’s National Trust a popular National Trust-owned family venue and Georgian estate is putting on Horrible Histories-inspired activities for families in an event that will continue for just over six months Based on the bestselling book Gorgeous Georgians by Terry Deary and illustrated by Martin Brown the Gorgeous Georgians interactive family-friendly trail starts at half term on 17 February 2025 and continues until 31 August around Osterley’s house giving fans the opportunity to uncover the quirks and scandals of Georgian history while exploring a real Georgian manor house The trail is specially designed to entertain children of all ages with a combination of games including ten interactive stations where visitors can find out more about child rat catchers and chimney sweeps not to mention some of the lesser-known facts about the era’s foul foods and sometimes startling toileting habits This amazing programme is included in the price of admission to Osterley where visitors can also find Horrible Histories merchandise in the visitor shop throughout the event More details about the event – and the park – can be found here the world’s bestselling children’s history-book series by Terry Deary and illustrated by Martin Brown is celebrated for its ground-breakingly funny and factual approach to history with unique appeal to kids (and big kids) and unflinching eye for all things horrible over 30 million copies are in print across 31 countries new books for 2025 include new Horrible Histories city guides for Bath and Glasgow The massive success of the books has in turn inspired long-running stage shows and tours Licensees include Tonie story characters based on Rotten Romans Terrible Tudors and the all-new Vicious Vikings; board games and card games from University Games; Top Trumps and Monopoly games from Winning Moves; and even collectible coins from Group 288 More products are on the way this year including a new Monopoly game from Winning Moves extends the success of the brand in the family activity area Popular offerings include a Roman-themed family trail at The British Museum a Horrible Histories Maze at Warwick Castle Horrible Histories Pirates at The National Museum of the Royal Navy in Hartlepool and Horrible Histories escape rooms in Liverpool and Coventry There’s also been a hit spin-off book and TV brand called Horrible Science that has itself inspired two popular trails in the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and Wakehurst Kew’s wild botanic garden in the heart of Sussex says: “We’re thrilled to see Terry and Martin’s world’s bestselling children’s history-book series bring its unique take on some of the Gorgeous Georgian era’s most fascinating and foul events on a real Georgian estate to the many Gorgeous Georgians this interactive family-friendly trail celebrates.” says: “A wonderful building steeped in history with massive family appeal is the perfect venue for a family event that delves into the highs and lows of a truly fascinating era Horrible Histories and Osterley Park and House are a perfect match for an engaging experiential activation for families!” learn more We use web cookies to offer you a better experience on our site. By clicking on "Accept" you consent to the use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy A time-travelling Gorgeous Georgians Horrible Histories® experience is landing at a real Georgian Manor House in London over at Osterley Park and House Horrible Histories® has transcended different generations providing a fun and interactive way of learning about the past by way of digestible facts and fabulous illustrations that capture the imaginations of the children (and adults!) who lay eyes on it The Gorgeous Georgians edition of the franchise this experience comes in the form of a trail around an actual Georgian manor house Made up of an activity trail for the whole family to whizz through you can catch it between February 17 and August 31 You can wonder around the National Trust grounds to discover quirks and scandals of Georgian life through ten different activities which include the Temple of Pan’s Marvellous Make-Up gallery which lets you see how you would look in Georgian dress and style by way of an interactive mirror that’ll show your reflection with a towering wig You can also spin the Wheel Of Woe to learn which job you could have had as one of the ‘Cheerless Children’ at the time with choices ranging from rat catcher to chimney sweeper On the Long Walk you’ll also be able to sift through learnings about the Horrible Highwayman including Dick Turpin and the infamous Pirate Visitor Experience & Operations Manager at Osterley Park and House said: “We’re delighted to be hosting Horrible Histories® Gorgeous Georgians at Osterley Park and House this year We really enjoyed researching some of the Georgian occupants of Osterley and bringing their stories to life especially Lady Sarah-Anne “The team have had so much fun creating all the different activities including building a replica Georgian potty that flushes and picking out the most disgusting Foul Foods We can’t wait to welcome families to Osterley to enjoy the trail and see what captures their imaginations.” the first Horrible Histories® titles (The Terrible Tudors and The Awesome Egyptians) came out in 1993 Look out for the classic HH DNA across this trail with plenty of great and gruesome surprises There was only one candidate to write this week's big 500th Osterley parkrun run report - and that was our roving regular reporter We have been celebrating some major milestones recently; parkrun’s 20th anniversary and Bushy Park’s 1000th parkrun have been amazing But surely the 500th Osterley parkrun was the biggest event of them all The murky mid-autumn morning hid the excitement to follow - meticulous planning from Chris Maybin (RD) Geoff Miles (ED) and the excellent Osterley team meant that the event was in perfect shape before the first of the runners arrived The arrival of Paul Sinton-Hewitt and the parkrun team gave the event a heightened buzz of anticipation as the murmuration of runners seeked locations for the perfect photos for their posts The milestone event attracted the return of many Osterley veterans with even some who had been at the very first event in August 2013 Chris Maybin’s stint as the Run Director coincided with his 300th Osterley volunteering role; an incredible achievement Chris put together another great event with the assistance of 31 enthusiastic volunteers Osterley parkrun would not be possible without the incredible support of the National Trust team at Osterley who allow us to use this stunning venue every week for our parkrun The biggest cheer of the day - and rightly so - went to Geoff Miles for being Osterley's Event Director since day one not only setting the apricot/gold standard in how to organise a top-drawer parkrun but also working tirelessly to build the wonderful Osterley parkrun community we see today The Osterley parkrun #500 milestone event attracted 496 excited people who ran There were 108 first timers with 7 new to parkrun; always the hardest part 53 runners managed course Personal Bests with Frankie Fraser Keshav Agarwal among the runners who achieved parkrun PBs The celebratory mood of the event meant that there were some great opportunities for runners to share their excitement with many babies dogs as well as one runner who juggled throughout the run Malcolm Allitt celebrated his 350th parkrun Bronwen Northmore her 300th with Het (Henrietta) Phillips reaching 250 and Kamal Haider his 50th A special mention for Isaac Pendergast who not only ran his 25th parkrun but was at the course super early to help blow up the balloons for the finish funnel Duncan Edwards ran his 25th parkrun and achieved a fantastic parkrun PB as well Osterley parkrun has an excellent team and some dedicated volunteers and this event would not be possible without the combined efforts of all the volunteers especially the Marshals parkwalkers & Tail Walkers who manage the safety on the course a huge thanks to all of them for their time and selfless effort Geoff and the team of volunteers for another memorable Osterley parkrun A man from Hounslow has been jailed after being found guilty of raping two teenagers he met at a central London train station Hounslow was sentenced to 19 years’ imprisonment at Isleworth Crown Court on Tuesday 1 April He was also ordered to serve a further six-and-a-half years on licence Saif had been found guilty of nine counts of rape in relation to two 14-year-olds following the conclusion of a trial at the same court on 31 January The court heard how Saif had met the two teenagers in Victoria train station on 28 April 2024 He offered them cannabis and convinced them to go back to his house in Osterley where he raped them After the teenagers reported the incident to police and identified Saif’s address He denied the offences and was released on bail while police carried out an investigation together with the testimonies of the two teenagers built a sufficiently strong case to charge him and for him to be convicted of multiple offences Both teenagers were supported by specially trained officers throughout the investigation Detective Constable Stephen Gayfer from the West Area Command Unit who led the investigation said: “I want to thank both survivors in this case for coming forward and helping to get a dangerous predator like Saif off the streets The abuse he has put these children through is absolutely sickening and is something which will undoubtedly affect them for the rest of their lives “I don’t underestimate the immense courage it took for them to come forward and speak to police and I’d like to commend them on their strength throughout our investigation “It is possible that Saif has preyed on others and I’d encourage anyone who has been abused by this man to reach out and get in touch with us The lengthy term of imprisonment he has been given reflects the very serious nature of the harm that he has caused to these young people They have been incredibly courageous in coming forward “Officers in our dedicated Rape and Serious Sexual Offences teams work tirelessly to pursue the offenders who target vulnerable children We are determined to secure justice for child victims of sexual exploitation.” Read more stories on The Chiswick Calendar See also: Arrest of two men in west London linked to Hezbollah See also: Heathrow bosses were warned of potential power failures before fire at Hayes sub-station Council Defends its Record on Albany Parade Shops A Demand for Action for Evicted Brentford Retailers A man from Isleworth has recently been braving the cold to hold a protest by the Tesco supermarket in Osterley Mike Paxton was first spotted this Wednesday (8 January) and remained in position for several hours He told shoppers that he would be continuing his demonstration through the week He is demanding that the retailer pays a dental bill he was left with he broke some teeth He claims this was caused by eating granola and is holding up a sign warning saying This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets We’ve always done that and won’t be changing the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area All payments are made through a secure web site One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute If you do support us in this way we’d be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor This week's Osterley parkrun run report comes from the wonderful who based on her email address and Winchester location is probably more likely to be a Pompey fan - and nothing wrong with that After heavy overnight rain continued into the morning I thought the parkrun weather gods were smiling on us as it dried up around 8.50am whilst getting drenched in a sudden cloudburst about a third of the way into my second lap I decided the gods only favoured the faster runners A huge thank you to the volunteer team out on the course and at the finish for manning your stations so valiantly for the duration News of a last minute course change broke live during the First Timers briefing – barriers had been installed right across the start line as part of the renovations taking place to the mansion house so the start was moved forward by all of about 10m to avoid the entire field having to pass through a narrowed gap at the start The 205 participants included visitors from Wimbledon(!) Bordon and Winchester – but definitely furthest afield jeffing or walking at Osterley for the first time and there were 7 people completing their first ever parkrun We hope you enjoyed the experience and will be back again soon 10 people managed Personal Bests – well done to Carys Cowling Numbers were significantly down from the 300 or so participants this venue usually attracts – perhaps the weather put a few people off The RD gave a shout out at the briefing to Alison Hollands reaching her milestone 100 parkruns on her third time at Osterley Congratulations also to Hiten Bhadusia for completing an unofficial milestone of 150 parkruns I had travelled to Osterley today to get my final letter for the parkrun Alphabet challenge (to complete a parkrun starting with each letter of the alphabet except X - because there are no parkruns in the world that start with the letter X) and I’ve very much enjoyed travelling round to different parkrun venues in the UK and Europe catching up with friends and visiting new places having little holidays and weekends away whilst collecting letters for this and other challenges I find the social element of parkrun and the opportunity to try out different parkrun courses and visit new places really motivates me to keep turning up each week back to the Alphabet challenge – (nearly) everybody seems to complete on the rarer letters of I Y or Z so I had deliberately planned not to do that Osterley for the O was truly O so magic for me I was surprised and delighted to be mentioned by the RD in the briefing – there was obviously a bit of detective work done on the Facebook groups as I hadn’t emailed the parkrun in advance to tell them about the challenge completion (Or a very supportive friend with you to let us know I had an alphabet flag with me for photos too and decided to wear it as an impromptu cape which was a lot of fun (and also helped soak up some of the rain!) I enjoyed the two lap course on good paths through the estate and round various lakes trees showing off their turning leaves and autumn colours After warming up and drying out in the Stables tearoom with a bacon bap and some tea (plus a treat to celebrate the challenge completion – a delicious apple crumble doughnut) the sun even came out to show off the house and the estate at its best Making the most of my National Trust membership I stayed on to make a day out of it and explore Osterley House and Gardens bumping into a few other parkrunners doing the same friendly and memorable parkrun – a huge thank you to the 25 volunteers who made it possible: Isabel ABRAHALL This week's run report comes to us from Hadleigh Hare Samantha Tapp who can more frequently be found at Rendlesham Forest parkrun when she's not gallivanting around different parkruns around the UK Today was impressively her 135th volunteer credit Saturday 26th October saw us heading to Osterley parkrun for our 155th run and 109th different venue Osterley has been on our “bucket list” of park runs for some time having chanced upon the estate when visiting London in the past but living in Suffolk meant the opportunity to visit was limited We drove to the venue but it appeared to be easily accessed by tube and bus free parking was available less than a 5 minute walk from the start,which gave delightful views of the house and lake and helpful volunteers were on hand to provide directions should they be needed This Saturday was the 498th run of the event and the weather was unseasonably warm a warmth matched by the welcome we received upon arrival by the team of volunteers and the local runners who were happy to chat with tourists and share their stories of the venue and all things parkrun A great first timers welcome was given which gave us all the information we needed about the flat and picturesque 2 lap course 39 of whom achieved a course PB in the superb running conditions Of those participants 11 completed their first ever parkrun I hope they enjoyed the morning as much as we did and welcome them to the parkrun community As with all parkruns the event would not have been possible without the volunteers and we would like to thank the 22 volunteers today Osterley parkrun was everything we’d hoped for and we thank everyone involved in the event today for a wonderful morning Unnamed individual fell from a building in the early hours of Monday morning News | London Get our award-winning daily news email featuring exclusive stories I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice A Sky employee has died after “falling from height” at their studio headquarters in west London The individual, who has not been named, fell from a building at the studio complex in Osterley in the early hours of Monday morning Emergency services were called to the scene at 3.29am to reports that a person had fallen from a height Rapid response paramedics were deployed but the person was sadly pronounced dead at the scene a message was sent to Sky employees telling them to work from home if possible Multi storey car park 2 will be closed in Osterley today “Our thoughts and full support are with their family friends and colleagues during this difficult time.” A spokesperson for the London Ambulance Service said: “We were called at 3.29am on Monday 18 November to reports of a person fallen from height at Grant Way including a paramedic in a fast response car an incident response officer and members of our tactical response unit a person was pronounced dead at the scene.” A source told MailOnline that the sprawling Sky campus was “swarming with police” A spokesperson for Sky said: “We are deeply saddened to confirm a Sky employee passed away at our Osterley campus on Monday morning friends and colleagues during this difficult time” Prince Louis steals the show at VE Day parade as he keeps dad William looking sharp and mimics brother George Prince Louis steals show with sweet antics at VE parade Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in major blow for Putin ahead of Victory Day celebrations Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in blow for Putin VE Day 2025 fashion: best looks from the day VE Day 2025 fashion: Princess of Wales to Lady Victoria Starmer New visa crackdown as Home Office plans to restrict applications from nationalities most likely to overstay New visa crackdown as Home Office plans to restrict applications worst and wackiest looks on the red carpet — Rihanna worst and wackiest looks on the red carpet PROPERTY A NEW Horrible Histories attraction is launching in the UK this month Located in west London Osterley Park and House will be home to a Horrible Histories interactive walking trail Inspired by Terry Deary's Horrible Histories book the walking route will feature ten different activities Visitors will "travel back in time" and learn more about how children and families lived in the Georgian era Managed by the National Trust the route will snake along the estate's grounds with some activities taking place inside the mansion The family-friendly trail features a combination of games The Marvellous Make-Up gallery features an interactive mirror so visitors can see themselves dressed up in Georgian garb Using the Wheel of Woe, kids can find out what jobs they might have had Visitors will also be able to spot Horrible Highwaymen Youngsters will learn about the famous pirate Blackbeard and meet the Wild Women of Osterley like Sarah Childs Some activities are found inside the Georgian manor house and you can try Osterley's Posh Potty The Horrible Histories Gorgeous Georgians interactive trail will run from February 17 Entry into the trail is included in a National Trust admission ticket with adult tickets from £7 and children's tickets from £3.50 The trail will be open daily from 10am to 5pm Georgia Matthews, Visitor Experience & Operations Manager at Osterley Park and House said: "We’re delighted to be hosting Horrible Histories Gorgeous Georgians at Osterley Park and House this year "We really enjoyed researching some of the Georgian occupants of Osterley and bringing their stories to life especially Lady Sarah-Anne "The team have had so much fun creating all the different activities including building a replica Georgian potty that flushes and picking out the most disgusting Foul Foods "We can’t wait to welcome families to Osterley to enjoy the trail and see what captures their imaginations." Osterley is the nearest tube station, with direct links to central London on the Piccadilly line Osterley Park and House is one of the last surviving country estates in the English capital It has been used as the backdrop of countless films and TV shows, including The Dark Knight Rises and Bridgerton Last year, travel writer Catherine Lofthouse explained how Brits can save on visits to National Trust sites using the Explorer Pass Travel writer Catherine Lofthouse has also used Blue Peter Badges to save hundreds of pounds on family days out Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/ This week's run report comes from Osterley first timer who can more frequently found at Colwick parkrun in Nottingham Today was her 246th parkrun - so not long to go to get that lovely green milestone t-shirt which will earn her an equally lovely purple t-shirt You have got to love a spot of parkrun tourism My friend and I were visiting London from Nottingham at the weekend for BST Hyde Park to see Stevie Nicks (she did not disappoint!!!) We were also treated to a guest appearance by Harry Styles who came on for the encore Getting to Osterley parkrun on Saturday morning was fairly straightforward It was about a half hour drive from our hotel and there was also plenty of free parking our hotel was selected for both ease of getting the Underground to Hyde Park and completing our second alphabet O at Osterley a scenic flat two lapper on hard standing paths which started and finished outside the house There were some outstanding performances with 45 new PBs and 12 people attending their first ever parkrun - welcome to the parkrun community Well done to everyone who came out on Saturday After parkrun my friend and I went for breakfast at the Tea Rooms in the Stable Yard (I would definitely recommend) before heading back to the hotel to freshen up and head into central London for a spot of shopping All in all a wonderful trip to the big city parkrun only happens because of the real heroes Angus MORLEY Barbara GUNTER Christopher MAYBIN Damian GIBBS Esther DAVEY Felix LOCKWOOD Geoff MILES Ghanshyam PATEL Gurdeep MATHARU Hannah EHRLICH Jagdip GILL John LOCKWOOD Jon RODGERS Kenny CHAN Noah MORLEY Paul MCGOEY Peter MCCLOSKEY Priya ANTHONY Rosie BORRETT Ryan GILL Samantha MEDICI Samra SAID Satvinder KHANGOORA Stanley MARSH and Victoria GIBBS James O'Brien is Leading Britain's Conversation fell from a building at Sky's massive studio complex in Osterley on Monday morning Despite a rapid response from emergency services the person was pronounced dead on the scene a message was sent to Sky employees telling them to work from home if possible after a carpark and Harlequin Avenue entrance were closed Read more: Schoolgirl, 14, and pensioner, 71, left fighting for their lives after van ploughs into crowd of Christmas shoppers The message sent to employees said: "This is a message from SIREN "Unless you urgently need to be in be in Osterley today you may wish to consider working from home Multi storey car park 2 is closed today due to an incident which is currently being investigated." A Sky spokesperson said on Wednesday: “We are deeply saddened to confirm a Sky employee passed away at our Osterley campus on Monday morning A London Ambulance Service spokesperson added: “We were called at 3.29am on Monday 18 November to reports of a person fallen from height at Grant Way The sprawling campus was “swarmed with police” one source told the MailOnline See more More Latest News See more Latest News See more The News Explained See more Royals See more Highlights & Opinion See more More Topics This week's run report comes to us courtesy of fellow RD and Rickmansworth parkrun regular who has completed 129 parkruns and racked up an even more impressive 168 volunteer stints National Trust breakfast and a beautiful parkrun… What a pleasure it was to visit Osterley parkrun for the first time as although I have been the house years ago (which is well worth a visit) I am a Run Director at Church Mead in Amersham which is famous for hills views and mud and although I love my hills Others have described the Osterley course far better than I could but I will say it is in a stunning setting and a superb two lapper on good paths This week saw 308 parkrunners at Osterley and there were a number of milestones called out by Run Director Chris but before that I must give a shout out to those who completed their first ever parkrun Congratulations to all and I hope this is the beginning of a wonderful parkrun journey for them The big milestones go to Marc Perkins 100th All the volunteers were very friendly and the marshals encouraging in a lovely rah-rah way which I found most engaging As with all parkrun rituals we enjoyed a post-parkrun coffee This time it was with Richard Gommo whose home parkrun is Wendover Woods who also volunteers and runs at Church Mead Thank you Osterley parkrun for a great start to the weekend None of this would be possible without the wonderful and super-friendly volunteers: I am doing my usual bit of parkrun touristry whilst visiting the U.K It’s tough to get an alphabet when you only have 3 parkruns in your country (Singapore) Funnily enough I used to live round the corner from Osterley for many years (15-20 years ago) So it was great being back to this beautiful park - albeit older I have to say this parkrun is in my Top 3 parkruns now! lots of different parts and terrain including the little wood section which I loved! walkers and waddlers to this stunning park Thank you everyone for turning up and making this parkrun special Of the 301 parkrunners we had an amazing 75 first timers (incl yours truly) Helen and Bev who made todays event their first ever parkrun - hopefully the first of many A big tip of the hat to the 8 parkrunners who also completed their even tougher 2nd parkrun! I personally think Mhamed (23:28) and Leah (23:33) should be charged double the entrance fee for all future parkruns for being far too rapid and to give us slower runners a chance! A special mention to the amazing Alan still setting standards at 84 which we are all inspired by A special mention to our first female finisher Isobel Rea who finished in 23rd spot with an amazing time of 21:39 on her 391st parkrun I had forgotten just how beautiful this park is anytime of year As you drive in off Jersey Road you are greeted by a couple of super friendly volunteers with infectious smiles who brighten your day before directing you to the appropriate car park The free onsite parking which is FOC until 11:00ish is perfect for both the run and some post run parkfaffing The start (and finish) of the parkrun is on a wide berth of gravel at the foot of the steps of Osterley House a stunning Grade 1 listed Georgian building which rightfully takes centre stage of this wondrous park At 08:50 we had a wonderful first timer briefing by the charming Rana Mainee who provided a super friendly welcome to all of us Osterley first timers and reinforced the parkrun golden rule - Don’t run off with the finish token We then had the RD briefing at 08:58 where the RD gave a special mention to returning Osterley parkrun alumnus Debbie Leavers who was returning to complete her 278th parkrun at Osterley The first 600m follows the path North West past some other listed buildings (where Rana was cheering everyone on) up to an intersection where I have to say the friendliest volunteers of the day were standing We then headed North East up the path on a slight incline for just under 1km before turning right and running past the beautiful lake At the bottom of the path we reached the Senna S chicane which was designed to ensure the speedsters had their wits about them Turning right through the chicane we then followed the path as it looped to the left before we entered a really fun little patch of woodland for about 200m Following the run through the woods we ended up just outside the car park and we turned right and headed past all the spectating ducks before returning to the start point where we started our second lap At thee end of Lap 1 the super friendly RD team were ready to cheer and wave everyone on as it dawned on all of us we had signed up to do this lap twice! Having checked my watch at the start point - it was recorded as bang on 2.5km which is very impressive and kudos to the EDs and course designers! The finish line is on the grass just next to the start line and although it had been raining the ground was still quite firm Having finished in 116 (the only way I am going to get a 16 on my position bingo) I then scanned my barcode at the steps where I was greeted by another sparkling smile from the young barcode scanner As always a huge round of applause to the amazing Volunteers - whom without we would not be able to host such a great event It’s wonderful to see so many volunteers doing it together with family! We can never have too many volunteers - so if you can please join us Thank you for making my parkrunday so special! This week's run report is by Osterley regular Rana Mainee who finds volunteering even more satisfying when injury prevents him from running his favourite course Walking up to Osterley House for parkrun at this time of the year is always a great experience as the lake; the swans and the fall foliage provide the perfect backdrop to the Osterley House façade Last Saturday morning was made even better in the company of Simon Shaw and Jose Junior two regular Osterley parkrunners who are usually found leading the runners from the start Osterley Parkrun #446 looked promising as the runners warmed up with mild and temperate conditions and little to no wind.. Just a few minutes into the run; the rain started and continued to worsen leaving runners and volunteers soaked Sightings of dolphins being seen in the finish funnel have not been confirmed but the final turn out of the woods tested the claims of waterproof shoes spurred on Oliver Bartlett to a course PB in second place Santosh Rai of Nepal Run was here to promote the Northolt 10K on November 5th and finished off the podium with #3 place There was the usual number of tourists at Osterley; with 57 first timers at Osterley and 20 runners with course Personal Bests Special mentions to Osterley regulars Peter Marsh (who must have listened to my course guidance for another PB) Suzanne Watts (who also managed a palindromic 32:23) and Trevor Maynard for achieving notable Personal Best times Congratulations to Madeleine Langdon and Vicki Langdon who both managed a PB today.. Osterley welcomed Deborah Parry who celebrated her 200th Parkrun today and Osterley regular Robert Cain reached his 150th run There were 4 palindromic times today with Daniel Young clocked 21:12 John Russell with 24:42 and Tejvinder Gill with a perfect 33:33 as well as Suzanne Watts We would also welcome the prompt return of finish token #119 who finished around 27:30 otherwise Sushil Bansi may be getting an undeserved reputation for token hoarding Samra Said was the Run Director and put together another great event together with the assistance of 24 rather wet yet still inspiring volunteers Special mention to all the volunteers at the finish who had to stand there in the open in the driving rain with a rather small umbrella till the Tail Walker crossed the line Osterley Parkrun has some fantastic volunteers and this event would not be possible without the combined efforts of the volunteers especially the Tail Walkers and parkwalkers who have to deal with all manner of gentle perils from unscheduled stops to those who take the wrong turn We were delighted to have Carol Dare who was a first-time visitor and parkwalker while her daughter enjoyed her first run at Osterley – we look forward to you returning soon Geoff and the team of volunteers for another memorable and very wet parkrun This week's run report celebrates the 444th Osterley parkrun Our modern numbering system was devised by Arabic scholars and the ‘0’ and ‘infinity ∞’ were devised by Indian scholars which is the basis of my next book “What I think about when I’m running!” (with apologies to Murakami) There are 2 chapters ‘Nothing’ (a rather slim instalment) and ‘Everything’.. what felt like a perfect (late) summer morning with glorious sunshine bathing the walkers These were perfect conditions for a number of PBs including our first finisher Jack Hayward who knocked 35s off his previous PB to finish in 18:06 with an age-grade of 82% and claimed the Osterley Age Category JM11-14 record (Jack also holds the JM10 Osterley Age Category Record with 19.18 so if he carries on coming to Osterley for the next 70 years or so he could potentially hold them all with a great time of 21:36 which was a new parkrun PB taking almost a minute off her previous… well done Today marked Jessamy Carlson’s 50th Parkrun as Run Director putting together another great event together with the assistance of 22 inspiring volunteers There were a significant number of tourists at Osterley with runners from Australia and Japan; Osterley was delighted to host Roger Berman and walked the course; there were 58 first timers at Osterley and 32 speedy runners with course Personal Bests Special mentions to Osterley regulars Dwayne Rideout Valeriya Kurova and Hayley Braines for achieving notable Personal Best times Carie Schurr celebrated her 60th birthday and Dana Crawford ran her 100th Parkrun with a host of friends John Murphy and Steve Jones celebrated their 250th parkruns today There were 2 palindromic times today with Jack Ord closing in on his 300th parkrun by clocking 23:32 and Ylenia Rotalinti with 24:42 Osterley parkrun has some fantastic volunteers and this event would not be possible without the combined efforts of the volunteers especially the Tail Walkers and Park Walkers who provide amazing support to those at the back of the field a huge thanks to all of the volunteers for their time and selfless efforts Event Director Geoff and the team of volunteers for another memorable parkrun This week's run report is brought to us by Miriam Salo who hails from Frimley Lodge parkrun in Surrey A glorious sunny day greeted us as we headed to Osterley parkrun I've been looking forward to doing this parkrun and not just because it starts with an O and I need it to tick off my penultimate letter for the alphabet challenge I've seen photos and Osterley Park looks beautiful and the reality didn't disappoint The course is run on National Trust land; it’s two laps on firm paths The start/finish is in front of Osterley House the grandest parkrun start/finish I’ve yet seen The quicker runners will want to get to the front as soon after the start the course narrows a bit but there's no problem for the back-of-the-pack runner I could have sworn the course was upflat (i.e ever so slightly uphill) from start to finish but the elevation profile doesn’t support how I felt The route is basically 4 straights with a bit of a w-wiggle at the bottom part of the course You run next to M4 for a bit and you can hear it but thankfully there is tree coverage and the bit around the lake is beautiful There were 49 first timers to Osterley and 13 out of them did their first ever parkrun We were also graced by four runners who have done over 500 parkruns - Julian Abbott on 503 Geoff Miles on 517 and Alan Anderson on 659 there is a nice Stables cafe for the post-parkrun breakfast/beverages and in the summertime you can enjoy the tables outside in the courtyard Parking is free and close to the start and toilets are also open before parkrun just past the start/finish area What an excellent parkrun in beautiful surroundings This week's run report comes to us courtesy of Jill Gardiner who hails from Zillmere parkrun in Brisbane The next furthest tourist yesterday after Jill was from the bucolic Essex town of Hornchurch so it's fair to say she won that particular parkrun challenge by quite a distance Jill ran a very impressive 22.28 on her Osterley debut finishing her 491st parkrun as 3rd female She also had the 3rd highest age grade rating of the day at 80.56% She has finished first at Zillmere parkrun a phenomenal 103 times Little did we know we were being visited by such Aussie parkrun royalty This is what Jill thought of her Osterley experience She was flying back to Aussie on Saturday evening but we hope to see her again on a future visit This morning dawned cloudy with a chill wind but fortunately the sun shone just before the 9am start As I was staying near Heathrow (after taking part in the Ascension Day extra parkrun in Helsinki I decided to come to Osterley parkrun before heading back to Australia nice and flat with the historic house as the backdrop to the start and finish plenty of wildlife from squirrels to swans to cows and horses A truly beautiful course set in the National Trust park We welcomed 329 ‘parkrunners/walkers’ to Osterley parkrun of whom 78 were first timers and 40 recorded new Personal Bests Congratulations to Chris Maybin on his monumental milestone of 250 volunteers at Osterley The event was made possible by our 19 volunteers: Christopher MAYBIN • Fiona MAYBIN • Anne BROWNLEE • Clive KEENE • Jill GARDINER • Trish MCCABE • Isabel ABRAHALL • Steven JONES • Jessamyn LUSCOMBE • John BOWLING • Martyn ALLEN • Jon RODGERS • Oke NDUKA • Rana MAINEE • Rafaela JONES DELGADO • Lorraine HILL • Ryan GILL • Dorothy SWIDENBANK • Donna AL ASSAAD Please remember to add your name to our future volunteer roster Email Osterley@parkrun.com if you can help for a lovely pre-run chat and everyone else for a warm welcome A huge thank you to the whole of the event team for a great parkrun experience and start to the weekend of whom 50 were first timers and 43 recorded new Personal Bests Representatives of 33 different clubs took part The event was made possible by 27 volunteers: Geoff MILES • Peter MCCLOSKEY • Kam HEER • Samantha MEDICI • Sharon PRENDERGAST • Charmaine MCHALE • Patrick MCHALE • Michael LIMPERT • Harvey GALLAGHER • Alison DANIELS • Claire ANDERSON • Jim TWIST • John BOWLING • Nigel BOSTOCK • Chris GERS • Stephen R DAVIS • Louise BALE • Matthew ROBERTS • Isaac BALE • Oke NDUKA • Harriet OWENS • Noah MORLEY • Ryan GILL • Dorothy SWIDENBANK • Alex CONNOLLY • Felix LOCKWOOD • Shriyans SAMANT Today's full results and a complete event history can be found on the Osterley parkrun Results Page Osterley parkrun started on 31st August 2013 Since then 12,320 participants have completed 74,897 parkruns covering a total distance of 374,485 km A total of 845 individuals have volunteered 6,828 times This week's run report comes from one of our favourite Osterley regulars Ray Carter who celebrated his 100th parkrun not with cake but with a run report penned in his own inimitable style Osterley parkrun news almost fell off their chairs when they saw his age classification If you want to know the secret to the elixir of youth hence I felt it was my turn to come forward and write this week's report Although I've played sport all my life I have never really been a runner Back in 2018 I accompanied my daughter on a 5k parkrun at Bedfont I couldn't believe all this was all going on and I knew nothing about it made lots of friends and lost a ton of weight It’s taken me five Covid interrupted years to reach a 100 parkruns ranging from Woolacombe (tough) to Hampstead Heath (expensive) So I invited a few friends to join me on this auspicious occasion; the only rule was 'orange kit required' all week on the news they have been saying the weather is going to be horrendous; Storm Antoni is coming and he's furious!' It wasn't all about me; there were some other notable performances  Congratulations to Jane Wright for her top of the age grading 80% and a PB  Six runners impressively broke the 20 min barrier and a special mention should go to Osterley stalwart Jim Twist coincidently dressed in orange Jim just missed his pb by 2 seconds two weeks ago and by a second this week in a very creditable 20 min 50 secs Lap two was greeted by bright sunshine acting like a spotlight lighting up the orange team as we wound our way around the course We came through the woods for the final time still intact settled in our plan to finish all together In the last 20 seconds an interloper was amongst us not even dressed in Orange wife of Osterley parkrun guru Chris Maybin As a devotee of 70s music we had one last task before the coffee and the epic celebration cake my daughter had whisked up Check out her work via Facebook at 'Ruby's little cakery' you will remember the album 'Band on the Run' by Paul McCartney and Wings The album cover was shot by the wall next to the coffee shop Its cover depicts famous people of the time looking like they have just escaped from prison A Big Thank You to everyone involved in parkrun consisted of (at various locations which will remain nameless) our coldest muddiest and gustiest but the superlatives continued today with our grandest we’d read previous run reports and even been to Osterley house with our children many years ago but it is still nonetheless a quite magnificent site for parkrun with the start and finish right outside the main entrance to the House Runners finishing with the magnificent back-drop of Osterley House we were directed to the car park by some of the 24 high viz volunteers who made today happen: Donna AL ASSAAD as well as checking off a number of other challenges on the 5k parkrun app For others it was their first venture into Parkrun so many congratulations and a warm welcome to the parkrun family to: Joe Those 9 were joined by a further 49 first-timers to Osterley from a total of 300 runners and walkers around the scenic grounds Those completing today with milestones included - 25: Daniel Mason Jasmeet Kaur; 50: Matthew Priest and a magnificent 250 for Rachel Berry Unfortunately I didn’t catch up with the Osterley legend Alan Anderson who completed his 654th Parkrun today If I ran parkrun every Saturday for the next 10 years I would still be somewhat short of that target So having thanked the high-viz heroes and celebrated the milestones it remains to acknowledge the top-finishers but at various points pulled me round to a lifetime parkrun PB: This week's run report comes to use from Elaine Vaughan who can more frequently found at Maldon Prom parkrun in God's own county of Essex Today was her 381st parkrun and her 367th volunteer stint - which is pretty amazing but I am tempted to visit other parkruns once in a while I have been to Osterley parkrun before and knew exactly what delights it offered and with two friends from Maldon in tow who hadn’t previously visited Osterley and a promise of a much needed catch up with my friend Carol we were excited to arrive in good time A crisp morning meant that Osterley House and Garden were bathed in sunlight and were looking splendid We checked in with the friendly and welcoming volunteer team and Jim set up his chair ready for his scanning duties and Michelle and I headed off to Rana’s humorous and informative first timers' welcome There were first timers from all over the country including Portsmouth Ruby and Simone for their very first parkruns Being a parkwalker meant I was strolling the course and it meant that Carol and I could have a good catch up One of the many wonderful things about parkrun is that it can be different things to different people Sometimes you want to get to the finish quicker than you had previously and 38 parkrunners achieved personal bests today And sometimes you want to have a stroll with friends putting the world to rights admiring the views We were encouraged along the way by the friendly marshals and we benefited from a wonderful winter’s day and could enjoy the beautiful sights of the gardens Michelle and I headed to the Stables Cafe where we had a delicious bap drink and cake and a great parkfaff until it was time to head back to Maldon We had a wonderful morning and we’re grateful to the 23 volunteers who made it possible: Carol MORAN • Geoff MILES • Lee STOKES • Samantha MEDICI • Elaine VAUGHAN • Sarah FAULL • Ghanshyam PATEL • John LOCKWOOD • Jim TWIST • Jon RODGERS • Natalie BATH • John MURPHY • Cian MULLALEY • Stanley MARSH • Nina BALL • Rana MAINEE • James SKILLERN • Angus MORLEY • Noah MORLEY • Zee BEGUM • Ian BRENNAN • Alex CONNOLLY • Felix LOCKWOOD There were several people celebrating their milestones; congratulations Thomas Moreton celebrated his 10th parkrun; Tom Pudney James Fox and Daisy Noott joined the 25 club; Emma Caton and Julie Payne-Davis both ran their 50ths; and Robert Fishersmith and Eva Perkins joined the 100 club Eva even had her own cheer squad and ran a PB I am sure this will not be my last visit to Osterley and I thank everyone for making me feel so welcome Fun fact: Osterley and Maldon Prom share the same inaugural date 31st August 2013 which incidentally was also the date of my first parkrun This week's run report comes to us courtesy of the delightful and very on-brand orange Nina Trevarthen who joined us from sunny Sussex and completed her 399th parkrun and 123rd volunteer stint in her Osterley debut this week Having drawn inspiration from Eileen Jones’ book “p is for parkrun a journey from A to Z” photographer and non-running but supportive husband) headed to Osterley We were amazed at seeing how low and barely above roof-top level (much lower than at Gatwick across the M23 and the West Sussex countryside!) planes were flying as we got near to Osterley Park The journey was certainly worth it; what an excellent parkrun set in the beautiful National Trust grounds What struck me most was the friendliness of everyone there It was nice to chat to Anthony Casey before the run started and to meet Robert Wendt who has recently moved and seemed very happy that Osterley is now his local parkrun he was looking forward to a soak in the bath and a huge breakfast – hope you enjoyed both Robert Satvinder Khangoora did an excellent First Timers’ Briefing though I think the best part of it was when he mentioned there would be pastries afterwards for everyone That certainly spurred me on to run as fast as I possibly could celebrating Louise Bale’s 250th parkrun – great achievement Louise and the bulk of your runs have been at Osterley Also congratulations to Rana Mainee who reached his 100th milestone again most of his runs have been at Osterley Well done too to Ann Charles – congratulations on completing your half a Cowell only 50 more venues to go - Crawley’s parkruns - Tilgate and Ifield Millpond - await you Last but not least a huge thank you to the brilliant volunteers today you were all so welcoming and cheerful and made this a delightful event for all the 350 people who ran Transport for London (TfL) has announced that Osterley Underground station on the Piccadilly line has become step-free helping people with accessibility needs to access the station and the wider transport network.  Osterley has two new lifts and improved signage giving customers step-free access from the street to the station platforms boarding ramps will continue to be available to assist customers to board or alight the train along with tactile paving along the full length of both platforms.  The two new lifts will greatly improve access within the station for people with additional mobility needs heavy luggage or those travelling with children in buggies This will be especially helpful for those travelling to and from Heathrow airport on the Piccadilly line.  The completion of work at Osterley brings the total number of step-free stations on the Tube to 89 following the opening of two new step-free stations on the Northern Line Extension at Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station last month Step-free access has also been introduced this year at Underground stations at Wimbledon Park (in August) Debden (in April) and Amersham (in February) Work is continuing on Harrow-on-the-Hill and Sudbury Hill which are scheduled to go step-free later this year.  Ealing Broadway was made step-free in May 2021 in preparation for the Elizabeth line and Whitechapel became step-free when the original station entrance on Whitechapel Road re-opened in August 2021.  TfL will deliver full step-free access at Knightsbridge as part of a development scheme and Moorgate Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines via the recently opened station entrance TfL is also progressing step-free access work that will make busy Zone 1 stations partially step-free in 2022 These are at Bank (Northern line only) and Paddington (Bakerloo line only).  said: “I’m delighted that step-free access is now available at Osterley Tube station The two new lifts will make a big difference to passengers with mobility needs and the wider public and I’m really pleased that we are on track for Harrow-on-the-Hill and Sudbury Hill to go step-free later this year.”  London Underground’s Director of Asset Performance and Capital Delivery said: “Osterley Tube station becoming step-free is another milestone in our pledge to make the Underground network more accessible and comes hot on the heels of two brand new step-free stations opening on the Northern Line Extension at Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station last month People with additional mobility needs as well as those with children in buggies or carrying heavy luggage can now access the Tube with greater ease at Osterley station the National Trust’s Assistant Director of Operations for London said: “Over the past five years we’ve worked hard towards improving our own levels of accessibly at Osterley Park and House This means we were delighted to learn that Osterley is now a step-free station We hope this will be of huge benefit to those travelling with access needs and allow more people to discover the nature beauty and history available at Osterley Park and House”.  TfL will launch a consultation to enable Londoners and disabled public transport users to give their feedback on where further step-free improvements across London could be made in the coming years buses and stations are cleaned with hospital-grade cleaning substances that kill viruses and bacteria on contact and provide ongoing protection and the network is cleaner than it has ever been Independent testing by Imperial College London has been carried out monthly since September 2020 buses and air samples in ticket halls and has found no traces of coronavirus on the public transport network.  Face coverings continue to be a requirement for all customers aged 11 and over as a condition of carriage Rail Business Daily’s market 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London a sing-a-long ‘The Greatest Showman’ ‘Mamma Mia!’ and ‘Back to the Future’ on the programme Primo tickets (£24.64) include a deck chair otherwise bring your comfiest rugs and cushions Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! tiktokfacebooktwitteryoutubeAbout us Contact us The story of the family that created one of the National Trust’s best-known houses is revealed to Clive Aslet through its collection of art and furniture Visitors to Osterley Park cannot usually see the stupendous works of art that Stored after Lord Jersey had given the property to the National Trust many of them were destroyed in a fire in September Among the casualties were Rubens’s magnificent equestrian portrait of the Stuart favourite might have cost more than £100,000 — a fraction of what such masterpieces would be worth today Gone were some of the most glamorous images of a courtier ever produced; gone was the chance of reuniting them with the house from which they came the Trust has reassembled what it can of the collection looking both at the Child family that built the house and the story of its fortune as expressed in the furniture and paintings formed one of the great 18th-century banking dynasties they had acquired the Elizabethan house at Osterley as the result of a mortgage default By the time Francis and Robert Child remodelled it in the early 1760s who decorated the interior in the neo-Classical style he had brought back from Rome earlier generations had lived and collected in a manner more akin to City merchants: rich but reflecting — and not straying far from — the source of their wealth Goldsmiths had begun to realise that they could use the gold that customers left with them for safekeeping to lend money — indeed more money than the actual value of the gold in their heavy iron strongboxes in the belief that customers would not want all of it back at once It was a period of Financial Revolution — of boom and bust Child managed to navigate the rapids and remain solvent Having married the daughter of a fellow goldsmith called Wheeler which was pursued at the sign of the Marygold at Temple Bar An early cheque was written by a son of the Duke and Duchess of Beau-fort: ‘Pray do me the favour to pay this bird-man four guineas for a paire of parckeets [sic] that I had of him or Lady know that you did it and I will be sure my self to pay you honestly againe.’ There was money for Child to make from noble extravagance With William II and Queen Mary on his books as well as Sir Isaac Newton and Nell Gwynne Child — soon to become Sir Francis — was elected Lord Mayor of London in 1698 We can see the silver dish given to him by the Jews of the City’s Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue to mark the occasion Osterley still has some of the porcelain and lacquer emblazoned with the coat-of-arms Sir Francis was granted in 1700 which the family acquired through their prominent role in the East India Company but came out on the right side of the Bubble he had bought a house in Lincoln’s Inn Fields including the paintings destroyed in the fire of 1949 according to the art critic Bainbrigg Buckeridge in 1707 the ‘English Nobility and Gentry’ kept their collections behind closed doors Sir Robert created his ‘as much for the publick Instruction A flavour of his collection is given by Carlo Dolci’s Saint Agatha — a superb technical achievement if not wholly to modern taste — and the self-portrait by William Dobson artist of the Cavalier court: an answer to the van Dyck newly acquired by the National Portrait Gallery This thoughtful show, which celebrates 70 years of the Trust at Osterley, should be encouraging to members who fear the Trust has given up on the serious study of country houses. A particularly welcome development is that much of it has been made available on its collections site www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk 'Treasures of Osterley — Rise of a Banking Family' is at Osterley Park and House, Isle-worth, Middlesex, until February 23 call 020–8232 5050 or see www.nationaltrust.org.uk/osterley Helen Schjerfbeck is a national icon in Finland but hasn't had a solo exhibition in Britain since the 19th century Laura Freeman examines the brilliance and bravado of Eugène Delacroix’s paintings – including an extraordinary recreation of one of the most Edward Burra was too young to have fought in the First World War One of the popular music platforms (you know the one that you appear to be listening to in order to avoid chatting with that one annoying runner.. obviously!) has compiled a roundup of the year under the banner 2023 Wrapped My 2023 Wrapped reveals that my favourite playlist is LetsRunThis.. it’s a great compilation of upbeat & inspiring songs that give me the motivation that I need if I’m hesitating on putting my running shoes on the app does a ‘Year in Sport’ roundup for you The Wrapped 2023 for Osterley parkrun would show a remarkable year; 52 parkruns including the 10th Anniversary parkrun A total of 14,355 finishers with an average of 276 finishers (the highest number of finishers was 393 on 17th June – just before the Osterley Park 10k) The total of 1,305 volunteers made these parkruns happen with an average of 25 volunteers per event Simon Shaw was placed #1 on 22 of this year’s runs while Melissah Gibson took 1st Female on 6 runs The average time for 1st place runners was 17:32 with Alastair Matheson having clocked 16:05 as the fastest on 28th January while 1st female runners averaged 20:38 with Melissah Gibson clocking 18:28 on the 26th August started a little subdued with light drizzle & grey skies but the rain held off and runners were soon taking off the extra layers as they completed their first lap Perfect conditions for what seemed like a leisurely run in the park (while having a chat) for the first 2 runners; Fergus Jones & David Parton with a great time of 20:33 on her return to Osterley… well done Today marked my 1st parkrun as Run Director; a relatively smooth event because of the seasoned professional volunteer team of Geoff & 25 fantastic volunteers; Team#456 will always remain long in my memory There were a few tourists today from Barry Island Wales and we had a group of Run Directors from the St There may be some truth in the rumour that they were scouting to poach from the talented Osterley pool of RDs Of the 237 active people who finished the course; there were 43 first timers at Osterley and 24 swift runners with course Personal Bests Special mentions to Osterley regulars Sachin Nighut Belinda Cheeseman and Sally Bissoondialsingh for achieving notable Personal Best times Sharan Hans celebrated her 50th parkrun (the Hans family is now a regular fixture at each event with their son Jeevan having graduated from Junior parkruns) and Juliet Pickering completed her 100th parkrun with a beaming smile There were 2 palindromic times today with Leika Boundy clocking 25:52 and Isabel Abrahall with 30:03 Three runners achieved ‘perfect’ times; Steven Jones with 25:25 Ellie Harrison with 31:31 and Nigel Bale on 34:34 and this event would not be possible without the combined efforts of the volunteers especially the Marshals & those at the Finish Funnel a huge thanks to all of them for their time & selfless effort Thank You to Geoff & the Team#456 of fantastic volunteers for another memorable parkrun I peeped through the bedroom curtains on Saturday morning apprehensive about what I might find Well it was no surprise to find it raining again Was I going to be put off attending parkrun As an ardent Bruce Springsteen fan I like to think ‘Born to Run’ is my mantra unless it’s raining’ is not quite so Rock and Roll if I wasn’t writing this report I may have well stayed in bed On arrival at Osterley Park I was greeted by a soggy Hutchinson family (including their dog Isla) who had picked the short straw of car park duty Gathering around the big house the crowd seemed sparse 199 brave runners took to the start line - some 200 less than normal the breeze was mild and the rain light by the time 9.00am arrived So the happy band of volunteers took to their stations and we were soon on our way After the mad dash to the first corner it was a case of avoiding the puddles as we made our way down towards the bridle path As luck would have it I was in the mid-field the perfect position to look for things to write about Past the lake and soon we were heading back towards the stately house and facing up to the newly installed water jump This feature is fast becoming very popular with one and all Well as it’s a leap year obviously I leapt over it and looked forward to confronting it again next time around As you head down toward the woods it’s time to grit your teeth and dig in as you hit the wind Jorge huffed and puffed but we stood strong Winding your way through the woods you soon approach what I think of as ‘Derek’s gate’ Derek is almost always there with a smile and cheery words of encouragement like ‘hurry up they’re catching you!’ I’m not sure if Derek is there all week or just for parkrun but either way he is an outstanding Marshal Soon the runners are streaming past the house to end lap one and keen to hear their time as they are roared on by the volunteers As you go around again you are hoping that Jozsef gets a nice picture of you in action looking like my other heros Steve Ovett or Paula Radcliffe the further you go the worse the picture and the older and more dishevelled you look Despite the grim weather conditions there were some notable performances today None more so than 1st woman home Bethan Everson who recorded the 3rd fastest time ever by a women at Osterley of 18.44 and a new SW25-29 Osterley course record to boot And who knew we were in the company of parkrun royalty Kirsty Bangham was running her 623rd parkrun Kirsty is 6th in the all-time UK parkrun attendance list Only one woman has run more parkruns than she has I’m proposing to the Osterley parkrun committee that we give her Osterley House as a reward - please Tweet #kirstyshouse if you agree I’m also keen to have a statue of today’s first place finisher Simon Shaw – for the 28th time at Osterley - erected alongside the steps Finally I would like to tip my hat to the 14 runners who recorded a PB today but it’s blown away Next week I’m off to take on one of the countries hardest parkruns it’s just under eight weeks until the London Marathon and two of our RDs are running the marathon for charity this year Jess is running for Shooting Star Chase Children’s Hospice and John is running for WaterAid Several of you have asked about sponsoring John and Jess and certainly any support would be gratefully received of whom 24 were first timers and 12 recorded new Personal Bests Representatives of 22 different clubs took part The event was made possible by 29 volunteers: Liz MANN • Simon HARRISON • Robert HUTCHINSON • Louise HUTCHINSON • Christopher MAYBIN • Emily HUTCHINSON • Clare EVERARD • Owen SEAMAN • Austin MCHALE • Charmaine MCHALE • Alison DANIELS • Finlay MCBRIDE • Jessamy CARLSON • Ben CRYAN • Nigel BOSTOCK • Samra SAID • Jon RODGERS • Rachel MAURICE • Gabriella EVANS • Seamus MCEVOY • Jozsef MAK • Emese JUHASZ • Derek WINDEATT • Ray CARTER • Robert CAIN • Shatha KHALIL • Debra BOOKER • Ayaan BAIG • Rahul SONDHI Today's full results and a complete event history can be found on the Osterley parkrun Results Page Since then 8,796 participants have completed 52,159 parkruns covering a total distance of 260,795 km A total of 596 individuals have volunteered 4,644 times The earliest wildlife in Osterley were elephants Bones have been found all over the area from Southall to Isleworth Early nomadic people from 440,000 years ago left hand axes In the Neolithic period (4500-2300BC) came settled agriculture (view Osterley Park and farmland) uninhabited in the main for all this time but farmed continuously since) in the Neolithic period (4500-2300 BC) and the dropping of working tools � flint axes to cut back undergrowth etc Now fast forward to the Bronze Age (2300-650BC): a cinerary urn was dug up in Wood Lane by someone burying a pet dog How odd that they chose the exact spot that someone had also chosen for a burial 4000 years ago During the Bronze/Iron Age (650BC-63AD) circular huts were erected some of which had fortifying ditches and gullies to allow rainwater to drain off � possibly similar to the traces shown of aerial views of the farmland opposite Wyke Green golf course but as these are as yet unexcavated (as is Wyke Green) they could be much earlier including a probably very rare Iron Age temple is buried under Runway One at Heathrow Airport Forward again to the Roman occupation (AD43-410) � and what's 2343 years give or take a couple of centuries in Osterley's timescale Roman artefacts were found whilst building Tesco's (Osterley) and background traces been found whilst digging the foundations for a new school between Windmill and Wood Lanes it popped up with a burial just 4000 years ago takes us to the Medieval period (1066-1500) but a house belonging to a great landowner In 1066 just 10 landowners owned 7/8 th of the county) Originally a �manor' was a piece of raised ground surrounded by a �motte' � moat Here we are back again at Wood Lane and Wyke Green: One of these two great sub-manors which was cut through by the Piccadilly Line and which survived on the South-eastern side until it was filled in a few months ago to �tidy up' the view of the new school and rugby club Incidentally this now lost moat also marked the parish boundary between Heston and Isleworth All over the country for many hundreds of years (with possible pagan origins) parishioners went �beating the bounds' with sticks hitting the boundary (and the small boys who accompanied them to ensure they would remember where the boundary was) This Heston and Isleworth boundary-beating is on record a couple of hundred years ago as having resulted in an all-out fight between the Isleworth and Heston boys over territory (not a lot changed there then) A very tiny remnant of scrub � the only visible evidence of this moat can be seen to the northern extremity by an old brick wall beside the Piccadilly line cut If you look further northwards towards Wyke Green you'll spot Seccombe's builders merchants whose buildings constitute some of the original model farm buildings belonging to Wyke House (circa 1638) which sat on the site of the new school and was remodelled in 1778 by Robert Adam (he of Osterley House fame) when he was involved in the enlargement and redecoration of the house �Osterley Park' has exposed traces of three moats � astonishing for such a tiny area looks like a small trace of unspoiled countryside worked and built on this little plot for 442018 years � and its relationship to Osterley Bookshop's September Sale Visit us from the 1st to the 30th September when all our books including first and out-of-print editions will be reduced to half price to make way for incoming stock vanish into the mists of time (as they say in the corniest of novels) Only 10 mins by car and 15 by bus from Chiswick Situated in the old railway station opposite Osterley Park entrance Image above: Proposed plan for current Tesco Osterley site Housing Secretary Michael Gove has given the green light for a 2,150-home development on the site of a former Homebase and Tesco in Isleworth He overruled the decision by a planning inspector who had recommended refusal for the development on the grounds that some of the buildings were too high The planning application was made by St Edward Homes a joint venture company owned by M&G Investments and Berkeley They are proposing 16 blocks of up to 17-storeys on the two sites at the Tesco and Homebase sites on Syon Lane The plans on the current Tesco site would bring 4,500 new residents to the area over the next fifteen years The Planning Inspectorate advised buildings of up to 20m high would “result in serious harm to the character and appearance of the area.” Local councillors have always been against the plans due to a number of concerns “Transport and infrastructure are significant concerns at these sites.” They presented their arguments against the development in 2022 to the planning inspector but are averse to the schemes that are not fit for the area Representatives should expect the best for their residents and the future occupiers of any homes developed and urge support for a development in a location which would be above sufficient in terms of quality and the infrastructure to support it.” Tesco will be moving from its current site at Osterley to the site on the A4 which is currently occupied by Homebase There will be a car park for 400 customers at the site and facilities that could house a GP surgery are being built within the new Tesco store Across the two sites there are currently 925 retail car parking spaces When the Tesco Osterley site is redeveloped there will be 525 residential car parking spaces created See also: Chiswick Tower sale raises hopes for Gunnersbury Station uppgrade See also: Man arrested in Chiswick was part of terror group, court hears 1770439 Basildon Park ©National Trust Images James Dobson Discover some of most the incredible places seen on screen and cared for by the National Trust as revealed in the second edition of the National Trust on Screen book (release date: March 28 From The Dirty Dozen at the Ashridge Estate in the 1960s Mr Darcy diving into the lake at Lyme thirty years ago to Harry Potter exploring the cloisters at Lacock Abbey and Batman disappearing through a bookcase at Osterley Park and House to the bat cave – the historic houses and wild landscapes that are cared for by the National Trust have inspired directors and cinematic moments for decades the conservation charity’s film location managers Harvey Edgington and Lauren Taylor have updated their behind-the-scenes look at some of the most iconic film and TV locations in the second edition of the National Trust on Screen Five properties make their debut in this edition: Fenton House and Garden You’ll also find new entries covering seasons one and two of the costume drama sensation Bridgerton and last year’s Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story as well as Second World War drama Operation Mincemeat and Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon Featuring photographs of A-list actors, directors and film crews at work, this fact-filled book is the insider’s guide for film and TV lovers who want to explore the National Trust locations and on set moments that brought to life their favourite scenes on screen The book reveals which actors have become National Trust regulars the most outlandish film requests that the charity could and could not make work and the logistics involved in hosting an average of nine film and TV drama shoots per month at places cared for by the charity Discover how the National Trust – Europe’s biggest conservation charity – works closely with production companies to ensure these designated landscapes and buildings are protected during shoots And how filming fees help the National Trust to give these places of historic and natural beauty the special care they need National Trust on Screen is available to buy at many National Trust places and the charity’s online shop as well as other popular retailers Here are some of the most popular filming locations cared for by the National Trust to inspire your next day out: 1. Lacock Abbey, Fox Talbot Museum and Village Lacock Abbey contains the most complete surviving example of religious cloisters cared for by the National Trust It was fittingly once the home of William Henry Fox Talbot the pioneer of photography – who would no doubt approve of the large amount of filming that this location now plays host to The quintessential English village of Lacock where the abbey is based looks much like it did 300 years ago with timber-framed cottages lining the four main streets that are almost entirely cared for by the Trust If you’ve watched any of the most well-loved costume dramas made over last few decades or a Harry Potter film Also filmed in this historic location was Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018) Downton Abbey (2019) the movie and Pride and Prejudice (1995) with Colin Firth as Mr Darcy Directed by Simon Langton; Starring Colin Firth Lacock was the setting for Lizzie Bennet’s first encounter with Mr Darcy in the iconic BBC adaptation of Jane Austen’s well-loved novel Dirt was put on the ground to create the perfect 19th century location for Meryton And Lacock Abbey’s cloisters played a Cambridge college in a flashback to Darcy’s student days For that famous Mr Darcy (Colin Firth) lake encounter which is also cared for by the National Trust Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) Directed by Chris Columbus; Starring Daniel Radcliffe Even anglers on the banks of the rivers were being monitored by telescopes during these Harry Potter shoots such was the secrecy and security level surrounding the films and the young starring cast Lacock Abbey appeared as parts of Hogwarts Along with the cloister walks and courtyard Lacock’s Chapter House provided the Mirror of Erised room The Sacristy became Professor Snape’s potions class and The Warming Room was Professor Quirrell’s Defence-against-the-Dark-Arts classroom Lacock Village was the backdrop for many of the Harry Potter films including 20 Church Street as Harry’s childhood home in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018) Directed by David Yates; starring Eddie Redmayne A feeling of nostalgia was in the air for this return to the world of Potter The film takes us back to the days when Dumbledore taught at Hogwarts so it was back to into The Sacristy The cloisters are home to many varieties of bats so the crew had to take great care with lighting noise and the owls that formed part of the cast The National Trust worked with the crew to ensure the bats weren’t disturbed and tracked the movements of the protected species with the help of a special bat ecologist The real Royal Artillery galloped through a 1920s dressed Church Street in Lacock Village for a visit from the King in Downton Abbey the movie Many residents became flag-waving supporting artists for the film scene The same street was transformed into a bustling livestock market for series six of Downton Abbey on TV All the cast were on site for three days of filming Stay at Lacock: 2 High Street 2. Great Chalfield Manor and Garden Popular with Tudor era productions such as The Other Boleyn Girl (2008) and Wolf Hall (2015) this largely unaltered 15th century manor house sits amidst unspoilt Wiltshire countryside ponds and adjacent All Saints parish church – it would be difficult to find a more romantic medieval country house in England than Great Chalfield Manor and Garden This huge BBC hit series was filmed mostly in Cornwall where it’s set but some was shot nearer to the Bristol studios where the production was based Great Chalfield Manor appeared in series two home of wealthy Ray Penvenen and his niece Caroline in the 1790s The show’s location manager David Johnson explained he was looking for a house that implied ‘old money’ and would have been owned by the family for more than 150 years Careful toad herding was required in series three when trained Japanese toads were brought in for a scene the National Trust and the Trust’s ecologist worked with the crew to ensure that these non-native toads did not mingle with Great Chalfield’s own non-acting toads Directed by Justin Chadwick; Starring Natalie Portman Great Chalfield Manor played the Boleyn’s country home in this lavish production starring Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman filming what would turn into the first 25 minutes of the film A wicker arbour brought in by the crew for Mary Boleyn’s wedding celebration remained in situ after filming completed and later appeared – covered in white roses – in an episode of the BBC’s Poldark Directed by Peter Kosminsky; Starring Mark Rylance Great Chalfield Manor doubled as Austin Friars for 12 days of solid filming in the six-part BBC drama Much of the building was used as a stand-in for the Augustinian Friary that became Thomas Cromwell’s country home in the 1500s The crew shot by candle light to achieve the immersive and authentic looking footage even using candles in fireproof boxes as behind-the-camera lighting.  3. Osterley Park and House Transformed by influential architect Robert Adam from the 1760s this Georgian mansion is neo-classical in design with playfully classical interiors meadows and vast parkland at Osterley reflect how this part of London was still countryside during that era and an ideal retreat for the wealthy Now Osterley Park and House is open for visitors to explore And being ideally situated for London-based production companies it has seen a number of film shoots since The Grass is Greener More contemporary shoots include The Dark Knight Rises (2012) Vanity Fair (2018) and The Secret Garden (2020) Directed by Christopher Nolan; Starring Christian Bale The decorative interiors of Osterley House became the new Wayne Manor in the final film of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy paintings in the Long Gallery had to be removed or wrapped to give the illusion that Wayne (Christian Bale) had moved in but not yet unpacked The staircase was used for an emotional speech by Wayne’s butler (Michael Caine) the Entrance Hall is where Catwoman arrives disguised as a maid And a classic secret door in Osterley’s Library became the entrance to the ‘bat cave’ the cave’s exit was actually filmed at Henrhyd Falls in Wales another place cared for by the National Trust 4. Ham House and Garden The 17th century treasure house Ham sits on the banks of the Thames in a leafy and quiet part of South West London Its proximity to the major film studios at Pinewood Ealing and Shepperton make this imposing Stuart house of fashion and power both a small and big screen favourite Its history and grandeur made Ham House and Garden the perfect fit for The Young Victoria (2009) starring Emily Blunt Anna Karenina (2012) and the new Julian Fellowes TV series Belgravia (2020) It was also a film location for Spice World (1997) – remember when that happened Directed by Mark Romanek; Starring Carey Mulligan Ham was deliberately transformed into a ‘neglected place’ to become the sinister boarding school Hailsham in the dystopian thriller Never Let Me Go The National Trust gardeners were asked not to mow the lawns or cut any hedges for three weeks during the summer of 2009 and fake and real bits of greenery and ivy were used to wild-up the gardens for the shoot Some of the rooms inside the house were too delicate for filming the Duchess’s Bathroom and the wood-panelled Tollemache rooms were all featured Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée; Starring Emily Blunt Ham House made the perfect stand in for Kensington Palace in this film being both close to London and remarkably similar in appearance to the original The film’s opening scenes show a (very) young Victoria playing hopscotch across the Great Hall’s black and white chequerboard floor The beautifully carved Great Staircase was also used for a scene demonstrating parts of the ‘Kensington System’ – rules that Victoria was raised under which dictated that she couldn’t even walk down stairs without holding her governess’s hand 5. Basildon Park What better location for a grand ball than Basildon Park Sitting elegantly in 162 hectares (400 acres) of historic parkland and gardens this 18th-century house was purchased by Lord and Lady Iliffe in the 1950s when it was de-requisitioned after the Second World War.  Designed by architect John Carr and influenced by Robert Adam the elegant classic interiors of Basildon and its 400 acres of parkland provided the perfect location for social scenes where first impressions count Lots of dancing took place here for the filming of Pride and Prejudice (2005) and the 2013 Christmas TV special of Downton Abbey Visions Unreel: A cinematic showcase of Basildon Park’s filming history Throughout 2024 Basildon Park will share its starring role in film and TV with its ‘Basildon on Screen’ showcase highlighting Basildon Park’s role on the small and big screen From starring as Netherfield Park in Pride and Prejudice (2005) being transformed into the Regency splendour of Bridgerton (2020-) and the gritty underworld of British gangster comedy ‘The Gentlemen’ (2019) to the royal blockbuster ‘The Crown’ (2016-) many more movies and period dramas will be celebrated including The Duchess (2008) Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016) and Belgravia (TV The showcase will also celebrate the 20th anniversary of the filming of the classic Kiera Knightly movie Pride and Prejudice which was Basildon Park’s most iconic film shoot Actors such as Keira Knightley and Matthew MacFadyen danced in the dining room Directed by Joe Wright; Starring Keira Knightley In one of the biggest filming projects achieved by the National Trust Basildon Park’s connecting suite of state rooms provided the perfect space for Director Joe Wright’s vision to follow several guests arriving and mingling during the Netherfield Ball The action was captured in one single take using a steadicam To protect fragile furniture during filming ornate mirrors were protected in situ and hidden behind prop walls and a carpet was removed with the help of 20 people and a scissor lift Actors had all been given etiquette and movement classes and the elaborate formal dances were performed again and again Much of the feature length 2013 Christmas special was shot at Basildon Park when it became the Crawley’s family London home Nearly all the reception rooms are seen in the episode And a gentleman’s card game in the Library required herbal cigars – for the cast’s health and to ensure they left no lingering smell Based on the best-selling novels by Julia Quinn Bridgerton from Shondaland follows the trials and tribulations of eight close-knit siblings as they navigate Regency-era London’s competitive marriage market Basildon’s Garden Room and the parterre were both used to film an evening party scene In total it took a week to prepare for filming as the shoot took place in late October whereas Bridgerton’s action is set during the London ‘season’ which traditionally runs from April to the end of August The production design team brought in around 5000 artificial flowers to fill the rose garden with ‘summer’ blooms and also added more greenery and foliage around the back of the house as well As it was an evening scene the filming all took place during night shoots from 8pm – 5am A team of staff and volunteers worked around the clock to get everything set up They were also supported by four specialist project conservators who helped to make sure that the historic surroundings and collection items were all looked after throughout the filming With series three streaming on Netflix later this year why not tune in and see if you can spot Basildon returning to the spotlight 6. Montacute House Amasterpiece of Elizabethan Renaissance architecture and design glowing ham stone and surrounding garden – Montacute House was built in the late 16th century for Sir Edward Phelips lawyer and Speaker of the House of Commons The opulent interiors include the Long Gallery – the longest surviving Elizabethan gallery in England at 52 metres Though the furnishings can‘t be blamed for the death of Johnny Depp when he played John Wilmot 2nds Earl of Rochester in The Libertine (2004) or for the nightmares of Damian Lewis as Henry VIII in Wolf Hall (2015) which were both filmed here This Somerset estate also played host to Sense and Sensibility (1995),and was the inspiration for Tottington Hall in Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were Rabbit (2005) Directed by Ang Lee; Starring Emma Thompson Who can forget Alan Rickman charging down that tree-lined driveway on a great black horse on a quest to help the gravely ill Marianne Dashwood where the west drive was used for the famous scene Alan also popped his head into Montacute’s Orangery when trying to find Marianne who had committed the serious error of going out in the rain without an umbrella Stay at Montacute House; South Lodge, Odcombe Lodge Montacute The upper floors of Montacute House will remain closed for 2024 7. Frensham Little Pond Frensham Little Pond was created in the 13th century as a fishing pond for the Bishop of Winchester when King Henry III was on the throne The pond is home to a variety of wetland plants and rare birds It’s also welcomed a fair few film shoots over the years including Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) and The Huntsman: Winter’s War (2016) Fees from these shoots helped the National Trust to carry out essential work to protect the banks of the pond from eroding and care for the wider landscape and wildlife Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) and The Huntsman: Winter’s War (2016) It takes a long time to build a whole village over a small lake – specifically two and a half months The crew then proceeded to burn it down around 20 times over two nights in order to create one of the film’s biggest battle scenes Stringent planning and monitoring ensured there was no damage to this Site of Special Scientific Interest in spite of the ‘fire’ that could be seen as far away as Guildford Stay at Frensham Little Pond: Emley Farmhouse 8. Stowe Gardens comprising hundreds of acres of delight and wonder in the form of lakes Stowe’s Temples are popular with visitors and filmmakers alike The Temple of Ancient Virtue doubled up as a mausoleum at an Amiens battlefield in the third series of Netflix’s The Crown (2016–) flowers and wreaths were added to give it the required look Ninety-four supporting artists were on site as well as Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II In Pierce Brosnan’s third outing as James Bond The Gothic Temple provides the backdrop for a scene in The World Is Not Enough (1999) in which Bond is joined by M (Judi Dench) and Elektra King (Sophie Marceau) The show wanted to recreate the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens an area of London whose evening parties served as a Georgian version of Tinder The scenes were pivotal in the first episode playing eligible bachelor number one Simon Basset The Temple of Venus provided the backdrop for the dancefloor and a spectacular firework display involving 400 fireworks as well as 30 flambeaux and over a mile of festoon lighting all of which took the 50-strong prep crew five days to put in place A staggering 170 supporting artists were required alongside the principal actors and 150 crew; all of whom had to be parked 9. Tredegar House There has been a house on this site since medieval times and the present building is regarded as one of the most significant restoration houses in the UK Tredegar was the ancestral home of one of the greatest Welsh families the oldest parts of the current re-modelled red brick building date back to the late 15th century And is the most used Doctor Who filming location in our care visited by every Doctor since David Tennant Staff now treat the production team like old friends For more information please contact: Sally Davies, National Trust Press Office, sally.davies@nationaltrust.org.uk      Harvey Edgington was London’s first full-time film officer having created the role at the London Borough of Greenwich Harvey set up the NT Filming and Locations Office in 2003 Lauren Taylor has worked in the National Trust’s Filming and Locations Office since 2005 most recently as Filming and Locations Manager Her first shoot was Pride and Prejudice at Basildon Park still one of the most complex the Trust has ever hosted The National Trust is an independent conservation charity founded in 1895 by three people: Octavia Hill who saw the importance of the nation’s heritage and open spaces and wanted to preserve them for everyone to enjoy we continue to look after places so people and nature can thrive We care for more than 250,000 hectares of countryside 1 million collection items and 500 historic properties In 2022/23 we received 24 million visitors to our pay for entry sites The National Trust is for everyone – we were founded for the benefit of the whole nation and tens of thousands of volunteers support our work to care for nature For more information, please visit: www.nationaltrust.org.uk production@creativeengland.co.uk +44 (0)20 8324 2311 This week's run report comes to us from the delightful Martin Morgan who visited Osterley for the first time today as part of his mission to run all 62 London parkruns - he now has 16 more to go Martin can more normally be found at the aptly named Hilly Fields parkrun in Lewisham and has done an impressive 119 parkruns and 74 volunteer stints We very much hope to see you back again soon This morning’s bright sunshine certainly helped make it another big turnout at Osterley parkrun joggers and walkers took part including 74 participants were paying their first visit to Osterley parkrun Saujan and Simon were taking part in their first ever parkrun we hope to see you back at Osterley Park again soon Jenny Watson and Joseph Sheppard who all ran their 100th parkrun this morning and well done too to Abi Garrett and Ross Henderson who reached their 50th parkrun milestone this morning Further credit to goes to Alice Goodwin and Claire Shepherd who took part in their 25th parkruns along with Mia Avery who reached the first milestone of 10 parkruns for junior runners The first finisher was Simon Shaw from Ealing Southhall and Middlesex AC who crossed the line in 17.29 Isobel Rea from West 4 Harriers was the first female to reach the finish funnel in 21.06 Simon and Isobel also achieved the highest age gradings of the day with 85.03% and 77.57% respectively 29 people also achieved PBs this morning; well done everyone Ealing Eagles Athletics Club were once again the most represented running club today with 20 of their members running 38 other running clubs were also represented Akita Anzac-Jackson from Halifax Harriers and Athletics Club appears have been our furthest flung parkrun tourists of the day It was also good to see from the results that there were also people attending from Buckinghamshire Hertfordshire and Kent plus various closer visitors from our neighbouring boroughs in Surrey and Greater London Special thanks to Duke of Edinburgh volunteer Noah Morley who did a stirling job as Run Director for the first time and what a rousing welcome he was given when Chris Maybin presented him to those gathered ready for the start Thanks also to the other 27 volunteers who gave their time so generously to make Osterley parkrun run so smoothly I really enjoyed my first visit to Osterley parkrun I’ll certainly be back later in the year to hopefully get a course PB myself Published on 12th October 2021 by ianVisits in Transport News Osterley station on the Piccadilly line became London’s 89th tube station to offer step-free access from the ticket hall to the platform Osterley has two new lifts giving customers step-free access from the street to the station platforms along with tactile paving along the full length of both platforms The planning permission for the lifts to be added to the station was granted in 2009 but was put on hold on the grounds that its a quiet station and relatively close to Hounslow East which is step-free The application to resume work at the station was made in September 2015 The two lifts were added to the existing footbridge on the opposite side of the existing staircases Step-free access was due to be completed last year but was delayed because of the pandemic The completion of work at Osterley brings the total number of step-free stations on the Tube to 89 following the opening of two new step-free stations on the Northern Line Extension at Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station last month which are scheduled to go step-free later this year These are at Bank (Northern line only) and Paddington (Bakerloo line only) Didn’t Whitechapel also get step free access this year Be interesting to see how well the lifts look in a long shot Osterley being one of the better Holdene extension stations This week's Osterley run report comes to us from Gill Holmes who hails from the garden of England (Kent) and Gill ran her 378th parkrun at her 186th different location I left home just before 6am to get two trains and 2 tubes to Osterley parkrun Despite there being engineering works on many of the underground lines I arrived at Osterley station just after 8am for a short walk to Osterley Park which I chose as part of my LonDONE challenge - 62 London parkruns and also wanting to complete those parkruns within the M25 - a further 14 parkruns that aren’t classed as London I arrived at the parkrun to be greeted by a beautiful tree lined avenue leading up to the car park Lots of different birds including some fat and fluffy pigeons I was greeted by a friendly group of Volunteers who seemed to have everything set up before 8.30am – very efficient Did you know you can have the best of both worlds and be able to run AND volunteer on a Saturday they can help with barcode scanning after their run It is a really rewarding experience and ensures that parkruns can go ahead as they cannot do so without lots of lovely volunteers The course was a flat two lap course on surfaced paths We were fortunate that the woodland section wasn’t too muddy There were 243 runners and walkers finishing today at Osterley with 33 PBs The first finisher was Arthur Ansell with a time of 16:57 on his 1st visit here First female was Anne Boden with a time of 20:38 also on her 1st visit here The highest male age grading was 78.66% achieved by Arthur Ansell The highest female age grading was 74.20% achieved by Jean Dalby Two Osterley age category records were beaten today: VM70-74 by Tony Richards and SM18-19 by Arthur Ansell (Arthur also replaced the joint oldest record on the books There were 9 first timers starting their parkrun journey I hope they continue this journey and one day earn those lovely red 50 one of whom was sneaking in a quick parkrun before their flight to Jordan John Bowling completed his 250th parkrun today – congratulations I’m not sure if you were the supplier of the tasty cakes at the finish goes to Alan Anderson with an impressive 683 parkruns Alan has been parkrunning since the 7th July 2007 and has nearly 300 volunteer credits to give a volunteer ratio of 40% A happy birthday was also in order for Neha Rani I hope you enjoyed the rest of your birthday The exhibition will give visitors a valuable insight into the luxury objects brought from Asia by the East India Company in the eighteenth century and how such goods shaped Georgian and Victorian tastes  Until the early nineteenth century the East India Company enjoyed a monopoly on British trade with China and through this monopoly asserted a decisive impact on elite domestic interiors Principal Investigator and a co-curator of the exhibition said: "Osterley is a wonderful National Trust property that is typically represented as a Robert Adams neo-classical home one is immediately struck by the quantity and quality of Asian material goods dating from the 18th century." Osterley House was extensively remodelled between 1761 and 1780 by the Scottish architect Robert Adam also played key governance roles in the East India Company subsequently lavishing a large portion of their wealth on Adam's neo-classical improvements Widget Placeholderhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKfh3Q2Frxw?list=PL794B0AE51832BE14 Collections and Premises Manager at Osterley said: "When you walk round the house you are surrounded by objects from Asia Today these objects are too often relegated to the background but in the eighteenth century they would have been conspicuously present and emblematic of the family's power and wealth." The exhibition represents a confluence of research streams highlighting new findings by volunteers at Osterley National Trust staff and the UCL-based Leverhulme Trust-funded East India Company at Home project It also showcases the histories and material objects of twenty-first century Hounslow's British Asian communities said: "The Trappings of Trade seeks to illuminate the company's forgotten influences on Osterley's interiors Hounslow is today a vibrantly global British community; so too in the eighteenth century was intimately connected to the peoples and trade of Asia."  The Trappings of Trade runs from the 27 July - 3 November Entry is £9.95 for adults and £5 for UCL students and children UCL 'East India Company at Home, 1757 - 1857' project blogUCL HistoryOsterley Park and House Police release image of suspect after spate of offences in the area Man Fights for Life After Being Stabbed Near Gunnersbury Avenue More Jail Time for Serial Brentford Shoplifter Isleworth Drug Dealer's Cash Hoard Given to Charity Teenager Shot Himself in Foot on Lionel Road North Armed Police Detain Man on Brentford High Street A e-fit image has been issued of a man police wish to speak to in connection with a number of robberies including one that took place in Osterley Park The man sought is described as being in his mid-twenties of small build and between 5’4’’ and 5’6’’ tall Officers want to speak to him regarding three robberies in the area including the one at Osterley Park which took place at around 1:20pm on Friday 6 January Another offence took place in Hanworth Park on Friday 3 February at around 2:20pm and the third robbery was on Hounslow Heath on Tuesday 7 March at around 11:30am Each time the suspect approached his victim in an open area and then produced a knife before demanding they hand over property None of the victims suffered any physical injury Anyone who recognises the person shown in the images above is asked to call 101 quoting 4126/03FEB We've always done that and won't be changing If you do support us in this way we'd be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor Our regular roving reporter Rana Mainee returns to pen this week's run report with his usual style and panache Read all about what Rana thought of Osterley parkrun #452 below: Meteorological winter provided a shock to the system with the freezing temperatures giving the inhabitants of Osterley Lake the chance to improve their skating skills Osterley Parkrun #452 was a slightly leaner than usual event as many of our regular runners had ventured to Gunnersbury Park for the inaugural West London 10K The colder temperatures and gloomy skies may have deterred some but there was still a very significant group of walkers most of us keep an eye on the weather forecasts to help us decide on what to wear when we venture out For most runners this develops into their winter running clothing strategy which typically centres on the number of layers that they wear as well as the assortment of hats This is also a difficult time for those of us who are afflicted with Raynaud’s Syndrome (please seek medical advice if you suffer from very cold fingers and toes while running) it is always refreshing to see the brave and hardy runners that rock up wearing shorts and t-shirt and then proceed to achieve great times before running off for another few laps of the course This was exactly what our first finisher Oliver Bartlett did today running a comfortable time of 18:18 in his preparation for next week’s Malaga Marathon where it should reach 20C was also in shorts and t-shirt so this maybe the winning strategy for the winter Chris Maybin was the Run Director for today with a warm welcome to all those lined up; Chris put together another great event together with the assistance of 24 inspiring volunteers There were a few tourists at Osterley with runners from as far as Ipswich and Hemel Hempstead Of the 188 brave people who completed the course there were 15 first timers at Osterley parkrun and 14 runners who came away with Osterley Personal Bests Special mentions to Osterley regulars Damian Tillson Amina Haider and Alicia Crane for achieving notable Personal Best times Osterley regular Dougal Shaw celebrated his 50th parkrun milestone by finishing in 50th place while Robert Bedborough celebrated his 100th Parkruns today by persuading his partner to volunteer for Barcode Scanning for the very first time – a task which she performed admirably There were 3 palindromic times today with David Cato clocking 31:13 Grace Leung with 34:43 and Jim Marshall with 35:53 Our heartiest of congratulations to Osterley regulars Emily Hutchinson and Ivo Tedbury on their upcoming nuptials next week - after their parkrun It was the last volunteering stint today for Cian Mullaley as a part of his 3 months of volunteering for the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze award We will hopefully see him back if he does his Silver award Abigail Hallam returned from Leeds to celebrate her 21st birthday and 170th Parkrun on her home course Abigail is a graduate of the Osterley Junior parkrun and runs with her father and this event would not be possible without their combined efforts of the volunteers - not least the Marshals and Tail Walkers who are on hand for anyone who may need support We always welcome new volunteers so please do check out the Volunteer Roster page at https://www.parkrun.org.uk/osterley/futureroster/ and email the team at osterley@parkrun.com if you can help Geoff and the team of volunteers for a memorable