New stories added to this website

Two new stories have been added to the Heroes of Chiswick website here. 

The first describes the role the Vicar's wife, Mrs Shelford, during the early years of the newly built and consecrated St Michael's Church in Elmwood Road and during World War 1.

The second tells the story of the Hostel for Belgian Refugees at Wellesley House, 20 Wellesley Road. The house was generously placed at the church's disposal by Dr and Mrs Grevile of Kew and the parishioners rose the challenge of creating and sustaining a hostel for the refugees who began to arrive soon after the outbreak of war.

Soup lunch on 7th March 2015

We are pleased to report that the soup lunch to raise money for the Red Cross and the St Michael's Church Memorial Regilding Appeal was well attended and a total of £200 was raised. This is being divided between the two charities. We would like to thank all those who generously gave and also those who gave time and energy in producing the home made soups, cakes and other lunch items on offer.

St Michael’s Remembrance Sunday service

Today's Remembrance Service at St Michael's Church, Elmwood Road W4 was well attended. 

Amongst those present were David Phillips (great nephew of Rodney Bowdidge who was killed at the Battle of Arras in April 1917) and Sallie Vallins and Hugh Bailey (niece and first cousin once removed of brothers Leslie and Frank Coombs who lost their lives in the battle of the Somme in July 1916.

Neither Sallie nor Hugh were knowingly aware of each other until recently. Hugh found out about Sallie on the Heroes of Chiswick website when browsing the web and wrote to both her and Vicar, Martine Oborne about some photographs of the Coombs family that were amongst some family records.

They met for the first time at today's remembrance service and to read more about this story and see some photographs click here.

Heroes of Chiswick video feature on new Chiswick Calendar website

The Chiswick Calendar is a new website which celebrates Chiswick, its inhabitants, institutions and enterprises, in photography and video. As part of their November 2014 events calendar, they produced a video of the Heroes of Chiswick project. The video includes interviews with Revd Martine Oborne, vicar of St Michael's and Steve Newbold, a project team member. Click here to see the eight minute video.

'My Darling Boy' video now available to view on this site.

Following the initial screening of 'My Darling Boy' on 9th October at St Michael's Church, the 25 minute video is now available to view here: View the video

Video showing of My Darling Boy, 8pm on Thursday 9th October

On Thursday, October 9th at 8pm there will be the first public screening of The St Michael’s Players performance of ‘My Darling Boy’ at the church. The video lasts approximately 30 minutes and was recorded during the Players’ performance on 14th June when the Exhibition opened.   

The play is a fictionalised account, written by Rev Martine Oborne, based on the lives of some of the men who appear on the memorial at St Michael’s Church. Refreshments will be available afterwards when you will be able to speak with those involved in the play and with members of the Heroes of Chiswick project team.

Heroes of Chiswick on display at Chiswick Library

On Monday 22nd September, the 'mobile' Heroes of Chiswick exhibition moved from a successful first showing on Sunday 21st at the Orangery 'Open House' in Gunnersbury Park to Chiswick Library, Duke's Avenue, Chiswick, W4 2AB.

The table top displays are situation in the upper lending library and present most of the information that is still showing at St Michael's Church, Elmwood Road, W4 3DY.  A great opportunity for you to see the stories of the 33 men who are listed on the memorial inside the church - either come to the church which is open daily between 9.30am and 5.30pm, sometimes later or visit Chiswick Library.

We much appreciate the help from the Local Studies Section in setting up the exhibition at Chiswick Library. The Local Studies resources proved invaluable to much of the research into the 33 men. The Local Studies Section at Chiswick Library is open Monday, Thursday, Friday 10-1 and 2-5; Thursday 5-8 by appointment; Alternate Saturdays 10-1 and 2-5.