West London Local Information: 10 top things to know... more

  • 1. History of West London

    There are plenty of historic buildings to be found in West London, from Ealing Abbey, which was first built in 1904, to Paddington Train Station, which began its life in 1854. The Notting Hill area of West London evolved in the 20th century, when people flocked there looking for cheap flats. Many houses in this area were converted into smaller properties and have since been con...Read moreverted back into houses. Shepherd's Bush is famous for being the home of the BBC headquarters, which opened in 1960. London's West End has traditionally been the theatre district of the capital since the 17th century. Read less

  • 2. Now in West London

    Much of West London is now considered an expensive area to live with high-end properties. Fulham, Putney and Notting Hill are good examples of this image. Many parts of West London are almost towns in their own right. Shepherd's Bush and Ealing are two areas that have a thriving centre of their own. Paddington Train Station is still a central transport hub for travelling in and...Read more out of the capital. Read less

  • 3. Events in West London

    One of the most famous annual events to take place in West London is the Notting Hill Carnival. This celebration of Caribbean culture attracts visitors from all over the country and all over the world. The Ealing area has festivals during the summer season including Ealing Comedy in the Park, Ealing Opera in the Park, Greenford Carnival, Acton Carnival, Ealing Global, Ealing Ja...Read morezz and Ealing Fringe. Annual events to take place in the Hammersmith and Fulham area include Fulham Fair on the Green and the Portobello Film Festival. In Chiswick, a book festival takes place every September, and the annual Bedford Park is a big community event attracting thousands of people. London Mela is an Asian festival, which takes place in Acton's Gunnersbury Park. Read less

  • 4. Attractions in West London

    The West End theatre district of London is an attraction in its own right with plenty of historic buildings to see. Ripley's Believe It Or Not, in the West End, has 700 weird and wonderful exhibits displayed over five floors. Highlights include a spinning tunnel and a replica of Tower Bridge made from matchsticks. The London Motorcycle Museum in Ealing tells the history of the ...Read moremotorcycle in Britain with 100 machines and other exhibits. In the Alexander Fleming Museum, in Praed Street, W2, visitors can find out all about the discovery of penicillin. Read less

  • 5. Things To Do in West London

    Little Venice is an area near Paddington Station where the Grand Union Canal meets the Regents Canal. It is a great place to take a walk along the towpath, and the area includes the Puppet Theatre barge, the Cascade floating art gallery and cafes and pubs. Holland Park covers around 54 acres and includes woodland, the ruins of Holland House, an orangery, a giant chess set, Japa...Read morenese garden, children's play area and more. Shepherd's Bush Common is a popular place to hang out and is surrounded by shops. Beer lovers can take a tour of the Fuller's Griffin Brewery in Chiswick and find out more about the history of the drink, before trying some for themselves. Tours of the BBC Television Centre in Shepherd's Bush give visitors a chance to see the studios where well-known programmes are made. CBBC tours allow children to see behind the scenes of their favourite programmes, visit the Blue Peter garden and play in interactive areas. Read less

  • 6. Business in West London

    There are plenty of different shopping areas to be found in West London. Ealing Broadway Shopping Centre has all the high street names, plus a supermarket and cafes. Other main shopping streets in Ealing are Pitshanger Lane, New Broadway, Northfield Avenue, South Ealing Road and The Broadway. The Westfield Shopping Centre, in Shepherd's Bush, has more than 300 shops under one r...Read moreoof, including designer stores and high street names. The complex also has food outlets and a cinema. Acton has the Oaks Shopping Centre and Chiswick High Road is the main area for shopping in Chiswick. The Notting Hill area of West London is home to the famous Portobello Market and Portobello Road. The shopping experience in this area of the city tends to be more independent names and boutiques. Hammersmith Broadway is the big shopping centre in Hammersmith and is close to the Tube Station. Read less

  • 7. Transport in West London

    The main Underground stations in the West London area are Ealing Broadway, Hammersmith, Paddington, Shepherd's Bush, Notting Hill Gate and Chiswick Park. There are many other stations in between these. Heathrow is easily accessible from West London via the Piccadilly Line, which runs through Hammersmith, Acton Town and South Ealing and goes directly to all terminals of the airp...Read moreort. By road, West London is accessible from the M4 motorway, the A40 and the A4. The main overground station is Paddington, which has good rail links to the rest of the UK. Read less

  • 8. Entertainment in West London

    The West End of London is famous for its theatres, offering big musical shows as well as comedy and drama. Among the very long list of theatres in this area are the Apollo, Lyceum, Adelphi, Prince of Wales, Phoenix, Cambridge, Aldwych, Piccadilly, Queens, Prince Edward and Savoy. In Shepherd's Bush, the Empire is a major live music venue while Bush Hall is a popular place for s...Read moremaller gigs. The Tabernacle, in Notting Hill, is a bar, theatre, dance venue and art gallery and is at the heart of Carnival Village. In Holland Park there is an open-air theatre with a roof to keep audiences out of the rain. The Holland Park Theatre is home to Opera Holland Park. The famous Jongleurs comedy club is situated in Hammersmith. There are many more venues for music, theatre and comedy in the West London area. Read less

  • 9. Famous Landmarks in West London

    Famous prison Wormwood Scrubs is in the Shepherd's Bush area. The building dates back to 1891. Trafalgar Square and Nelson's Column sit just on the edge of the West London postcode area and are probably the most famous landmarks of this part of the city.

  • 10. Interesting Facts about West London

    The famous blue door in the film Notting Hill belonged to the film's writer and producer Richard Curtis. He has since moved from the property and the new owners have painted it black.

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  • Guide dog to take part in Olympic torch relay

    Guide dog Sailor is set to play his part in the Olympics after his owner was chosen as one of the torchbearers. Wheelchair user and former warrant officer with the army, Eileen Hobson, who is partially sighted, has been announced as one of the people to carry the torch through the streets of Hammersmith and Fulham on July 26. Eileen, 63, will be accompanied on her section of the route by her guide dog Sailor, who has been with her …

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  • High hopes for charity swim

    Organisers of a charity swimming gala are planning to double the success of last year’s event. HAFAD (Hammersmith and Fulham Action on Disability) is hoping swimmers will cover more than 50 miles between them in the charity’s second Swimathon. It also hopes the sponsored event will raise more than £12,000 for the charity when it takes place on May 20 at Fulham Pools. Organiser James Coke said: “Last year’s swim was great and we are keen to replicate its success. …

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  • Sweet idea for Jubilee party

    A group of mums came up with a sweet way to raise enough money for a Jubilee street party. The parents, in Murray Road, South Ealing, put on their aprons and went baking crazy to ensure they could have a slice on the action on June 5. The cake sale raised more than £300 for refreshments and a bouncy castle in the street as part of celebrations for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Anna Ebdon, who helped organise the sale, said: …

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  • Dustman launches charity

    Dustman Wilbur Ramirez is urging people to donate to his charity to help refuse collectors in Indonesia.Wilbur, who works for Hammersmith and Fulham Council, has launched the charity to help his fellow refuse collectors after spending 10 days with them for a television programme. The dad-of-four took part in the project for BBC series Toughest Place In The World, where he was filmed working on the round of Imam Syafii, a refuse collector and street sweeper in Jakarta. The show …

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