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London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham

{{Use British English|date=June 2013}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}

{{Infobox settlement

| name =

| official_name = London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham

| other_name =

| settlement_type = London borough

| image_skyline = {{multiple images|align=center|perrow=2|total_width=250|image1=OdeonHammersmith.jpg|image2=London Classic Car Show Olympia 2020.jpg|image3 =Hammersmith Bridge 04.JPG|image4 =London Stamford Bridge 5.jpg|image5=Fulham Palace 14.JPG|image6=London Craven Cottage Riverside Stand.jpg}}

| image_caption = {{ubl|Left to right|Top: Hammersmith Apollo and Olympia|Middle: Hammersmith Bridge and Stamford Bridge Stadium| Bottom: Fulham Palace and Craven Cottage}}

| image_shield = Coat of arms of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.svg

| shield_size = 125px

| shield_alt =

| shield_link = Coat of arms of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham

| image_blank_emblem = Lb Hammersmith and Fulham logo.svg

| blank_emblem_type = Council logo

| blank_emblem_size = 125px

| blank_emblem_alt =

| blank_emblem_link =

| motto = Spectemur agendo
(Let us be judged by our actions)

| image_map = Hammersmith and Fulham UK locator map.svg

| map_alt =

| map_caption = Hammersmith and Fulham shown within Greater London

| coor_pinpoint =

| coordinates =

| coordinates_footnotes =

| subdivision_type = Sovereign state

| subdivision_name = United Kingdom

| subdivision_type2 = Constituent country

| subdivision_name2 = England

| subdivision_type3 = Region

| subdivision_name3 = London

| subdivision_type4 = Ceremonial county

| subdivision_name4 = Greater London

| established_title = Created

| established_date = 1 April 1965

| established_title1 =

| established_date1 =

| named_for =

| seat_type = Admin HQ

| seat = King Street, Hammersmith

| government_footnotes =

| government_type = London borough council

| governing_body = Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council

| leader_title2 = London Assembly

| leader_name2 = James Small-Edwards (Lab) AM for West Central

| leader_title3 = MPs

| leader_name3 = Ben Coleman (Lab)
Rupa Huq (Lab)
Andy Slaughter (Lab)

| leader_title4 =

| leader_name4 =

| total_type =

| unit_pref =

| area_footnotes =

| area_magnitude =

| area_total_km2 = 16.40

| area_total_sq_mi =

| area_total_dunam =

| area_land_km2 =

| area_land_sq_mi =

| area_water_km2 =

| area_water_sq_mi =

| area_water_percent =

| area_urban_footnotes =

| area_urban_km2 =

| area_urban_sq_mi =

| area_rural_footnotes =

| area_rural_km2 =

| area_rural_sq_mi =

| area_metro_footnotes =

| area_metro_km2 =

| area_metro_sq_mi =

| area_rank = {{English district area rank|ONS=00AN|GSS=E09000013}} (of {{English district total}})

| area_blank1_title =

| area_blank1_km2 =

| area_blank1_sq_mi =

| area_blank2_title =

| area_blank2_km2 =

| area_blank2_sq_mi =

| population_footnotes =

| population_total = {{English district population|ONS=00AN|GSS=E09000013}}

| population_as_of = {{United Kingdom statistics year}}

| population_rank = {{English district rank|ONS=00AN|GSS=E09000013}} (of {{English district total}})

| population_density_km2 = auto

| population_density_sq_mi=

| population_blank2_title =

| population_blank2 =

| population_demonym =

| timezone = GMT

| utc_offset = ±00:00{{!}}UTC

| timezone_DST = BST

| utc_offset_DST = +1

| postal_code_type = Postcodes

| postal_code = {{postcode|NW}}, {{postcode|W}}, {{postcode|SW}}

| area_code_type =

| area_code =

| geocode =

| iso_code = GB-HMF

| registration_plate =

| blank1_name = ONS code

| blank1_info = 00AN

| blank2_name = GSS code

| blank2_info = E09000013

| blank_name_sec2 = Police

| blank_info_sec2 = Metropolitan Police

| website = {{Official URL}}

| footnotes =

}}

The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham ({{audio|En-uk-LBHammersmithAndFulham.ogg|pronunciation}}) is a London borough in West London and which also forms part of Inner London. The borough was formed in 1965 as the London Borough of Hammersmith from the merger of the former Metropolitan Boroughs of Fulham and Hammersmith. The name was changed to Hammersmith and Fulham in 1979. The borough borders Brent to the north, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea to the east, Wandsworth to the south, Richmond upon Thames to the south west, and Hounslow and Ealing to the west.

Traversed by the east–west main roads of the A4 Great West Road and the A40 Westway, many international corporations have offices in the borough.{{Cite web|url=https://www.london.gov.uk//in-my-area/hammersmith-and-fulham|title=Hammersmith and Fulham|date=23 November 2015|website=London City Hall}} The local council is Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council. The borough is amongst the four most expensive boroughs for residential properties in the United Kingdom, along with Kensington and Chelsea, the City of Westminster and Camden.[https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-house-price-index-england-october-2018/uk-house-price-index-england-october-2018 UK House Price Index England (2018)]. National Statistics HM Land Registry

The borough is unique in London in having three professional football clubs: Chelsea, Fulham and Queens Park Rangers.

History

The area of the modern borough broadly corresponds to the ancient parish of Fulham, which was historically part of the county of Middlesex. The manor (estate) of Fulham can be traced back to the seventh century when it was granted to the Bishop of London.Edward Walford, 'Fulham: Introduction', in Old and New London: Volume 6 (London, 1878), pp. 504-521. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/old-new-london/vol6/pp504-521 [accessed 1 August 2021]. The chapelry of Hammersmith was given its own vestry in 1631, making it a separate civil parish from Fulham.{{cite web |title=Hammersmith Chapelry / Civil Parish / Vestry |url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10164618#tab02 |website=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |access-date=9 April 2024}}

From 1856 the area was governed by the Metropolitan Board of Works, which was established to provide services across the metropolis of London.Metropolis Management Act 1855 (18 & 19 Vict. c. 120) In 1889 the Metropolitan Board of Works' area was made the County of London. From 1856 until 1900 the lower tier of local government within the metropolis comprised various parish vestries and district boards. From 1856 until 1886 the two parishes of Fulham and Hammersmith were administered together as the Fulham District. The Fulham district was dissolved in 1886 when the vestries for its two parishes took on district functions.{{cite book | first=Frederic |last=Youngs | title=Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England | volume=I: Southern England | year=1979 | publisher=Royal Historical Society | location=London | isbn=0-901050-67-9}}

In 1900 the lower tier was reorganised into metropolitan boroughs, the two parishes becoming the Metropolitan Borough of Fulham and the Metropolitan Borough of Hammersmith.London Government Act 1899 (62 & 63 Vict. c. 14)

The modern borough was formed in 1965 under the London Government Act 1963, covering the combined area of the former metropolitan boroughs of Fulham and Hammersmith.{{cite book | first=Frederic |last=Youngs | title=Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England | volume=I: Southern England | year=1979 | publisher=Royal Historical Society | location=London | isbn=0-901050-67-9}} The new borough was originally called the London Borough of Hammersmith, but the council changed the borough's name to the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham with effect from 1 April 1979.{{cite web |title=Historical information from 1973 onwards |url=https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ordnancesurvey.co.uk%2Fdocuments%2Fboundary-legislation-changes-from-1973.xls&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK |website=Boundary-Line support |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=17 February 2023}}

Fulham saw industrialisation and urbanisation from the start of the 19th-century, with the establishment of the world's first energy utility company, at Sands End in 1824, followed by road and rail transport development to the east of the borough.{{cn|date=March 2025}} Vacant land by the new railway sidings on the boundary with Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council led to the development of the Earls Court Exhibition Centre, visited by Queen Victoria in 1879 when she attended Bill Cody's Wild West Show at West Brompton.{{cn|date=March 2025}} There followed numerous international fairs and exhibitions for a century until the construction of Earls Court II in the borough in the 1980s. This was dismantled by developers in 2015.{{cn|date=March 2025}}

At the other end of today's borough, in 1908, the Franco-British Exhibition and Olympic Games were hosted in Hammersmith, at White City, London, but the site then took many decades to be redeveloped. In 1960, the BBC opened the BBC Television Centre. Westfield London opened in 1988, a large development with new transport links and a shopping centre.

Districts

The borough includes the areas:

:see also parks and open spaces in Hammersmith and Fulham

Governance

{{main|Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council}}

The local authority is Hammersmith and Fulham Council, which usually meets at Hammersmith Town Hall.

=Greater London representation=

Since 2000, for elections to the London Assembly, the borough forms part of the West Central constituency.

Demographics

File:Hammersmith and Fulham population pyramid.svg

{{Historical populations

| title= Population census

| percentages =

| 1801 |10016

| 1811 |13276

| 1821 |15307

| 1831 |17602

| 1841 |23022

| 1851 |30012

| 1861 |57562

| 1871 |85112

| 1881 |112662

| 1891 |185350

| 1901 |223755

| 1911 |270177

| 1921 |275905

| 1931 |281757

| 1941 |258720

| 1951 |237567

| 1961 |211150

| 1971 |187682

| 1981 |144614

| 1991 |156085

| 2001 |165243

| 2011 |182493

|footnote=Note:{{cite web |url=https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10168703/cube/TOT_POP|title=Hammersmith and Fulham District through time |access-date=1 February 2021|date=2017|work=A vision of Britain from 1801 to now. Including maps, statistical trends and historical descriptions |last=GB Historical GIS | publisher=University of Portsmouth}}

}}

According to the 2001 census Hammersmith and Fulham has a population of 165,242. 60% of the borough's population is White British, 20% white non-British (among which are large French, Polish, Portuguese and Irish communities), 5% black Caribbean, 8% black African with various other ethnicities (including Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Chinese) making up the remaining 11 per cent.

The borough has the second-highest proportion of single adults of any borough in England and Wales (55%), and a higher than average proportion for the London area of young adults aged 20–29 (24%).

Around 50% of households are owner–occupiers, and 22% of households were listed as "other" – that is, not single persons living alone or families. These are generally two or more unrelated adults living together, such as students or cohabiting couples.

The borough comprises a patchwork of extremely affluent as well as some less affluent neighbourhoods; The areas of Fulham, Parsons Green, Brackenbury Village, Brook Green, Ravenscourt Park and the Riverside compose of highly expensive Victorian and Edwardian houses, contrasting to the areas of White City and Shepherd's Bush. The unemployment rate is well below average at under 5%, although of these, 29% were listed as long-term unemployed.

See external links below for more census information from the borough.

File:shepherds bush road london.jpg

=Ethnicity=

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right"

! rowspan="3" |Ethnic Group

! colspan="12" |Year

colspan="2" |1971 estimations{{Cite web |title=Migration and London's growth |url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/74375221.pdf#page=94 |publisher=LSE}}

! colspan="2" |1981 estimations{{Cite journal |date=1985 |title=Ethnic minorities in Britain: statistical information on the pattern of settlement |url=https://jstor.org/stable/community.28327806 |journal=Commission for Racial Equality |language=English |pages=Table 2.2|last1= Equality|first1= Commission for Racial}}

! colspan="2" |1991 census{{cite web |title=1991 census – theme tables |url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/query/asv2htm.aspx |access-date=20 January 2017 |publisher=NOMIS |archive-date=30 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180930205650/https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/query/asv2htm.aspx |url-status=dead }}

! colspan="2" |2001 census{{cite web|url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/query/construct/submit.asp?forward=yes&menuopt=201&subcomp= |title=KS006 - Ethnic group |publisher=NOMIS |access-date=30 January 2016}}

! colspan="2" |2011 census{{cite web|url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/census/2011/QS201EW/view/1946157259?cols=measures |title=Ethnic Group by measures |publisher=NOMIS |access-date=8 January 2016}}

! colspan="2" |2021 census{{Cite web |title=Ethnic group - Office for National Statistics |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/TS021/editions/2021/versions/1/filter-outputs/d2f0a39a-75b6-4995-b4bd-a5b68ff79027#get-data |access-date=2022-11-29 |website=www.ons.gov.uk}}

Number

!%

!Number

!%

!Number

!%

!Number

!%

!Number

!%

!Number

!%

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

style="text-align:left" | White: Total

!–

!88.8%

!118,916

!84.7%

!122,513

!82.5%

128,60277.8%124,22268.1%

!115,679

!63.2%

style="text-align:left" | White: British

|–

|–

|–

|–

|–

|–

95,90958.0%81,98944.9%

|70,105

|38.3%

style="text-align:left" | White: Irish

|–

|–

|–

|–

|–

|–

7,9834.8%6,3213.5%

|4,812

|2.6%

style="text-align:left" | White: Gypsy or Irish Traveller

|–

|–

|–

|–

|–

|–

––2170.1%

|93

|0.1%

White: Roma

|–

|–

|–

|–

|–

|–

|–

|–

|–

|–

|1,485

|0.8%

style="text-align:left" | White: Other

|–

|–

|–

|–

|–

|–

24,71015.0%35,69519.7%

|39,184

|21.4%

style="text-align:left" | Asian or Asian British: Total

!–

!–

!–

!–

!7,211

!4.85%

8,6365.2%16,6359.5%

!19,306

!10.5%

style="text-align:left" | Asian or Asian British: Indian

|–

|–

|–

|–

|2,343

|

2,733%3,4511.8%

|4,100

|2.2%

style="text-align:left" | Asian or Asian British: Pakistani

|–

|–

|–

|–

|1,174

|

1,711%1,6120.8%

|2,010

|1.1%

style="text-align:left" | Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi

|–

|–

|–

|–

|685

|

1,011%1,0560.5%

|1,277

|0.7%

style="text-align:left" | Asian or Asian British: Chinese

|–

|–

|–

|–

|1,100

|

1,303%3,1401.7%

|4,253

|2.3%

style="text-align:left" | Asian or Asian British: Other Asian

|–

|–

|–

|–

|1,909

|

1,878%7,3764.0%

|7,666

|4.2%

style="text-align:left" | Black or Black British: Total

!–

!–

!–

!–

!15,138

!10.1%

18,39711.2%21,50511.8%

!22,453

!12.2%

style="text-align:left" | Black or Black British: African

|–

|–

|–

|–

|3,717

|

8,534%10,5525.7%

|13,243

|7.2%

style="text-align:left" | Black or Black British: Caribbean

|–

|–

|–

|–

|8,820

|

8,072%7,1113.8%

|6,626

|3.6%

style="text-align:left" | Black or Black British: Other Black

|–

|–

|–

|–

|2,601

|

1,791%3,8422.1%

|2,584

|1.4%

style="text-align:left" | Mixed or British Mixed: Total

!–

!–

!–

!–

!–

!–

6,3003.8%10,0445.5%

!12,318

!6.7%

style="text-align:left" | Mixed: White and Black Caribbean

|–

|–

|–

|–

|–

|–

2,008%2,7691.5%

|3,157

|1.7%

style="text-align:left" | Mixed: White and Black African

|–

|–

|–

|–

|–

|–

1,033%1,4950.8%

|1,777

|1.0%

style="text-align:left" | Mixed: White and Asian

|–

|–

|–

|–

|–

|–

1,609%2,6491.4%

|3,142

|1.7%

style="text-align:left" | Mixed: Other Mixed

|–

|–

|–

|–

|–

|–

1,650%3,1311.7%

|4,242

|2.3%

style="text-align:left" | Other: Total

!–

!–

!–

!–

!3,640

!2.45%

3,3072.0%10,3875.5%

!13,400

!7.3%

style="text-align:left" | Other: Arab

|–

|–

|–

|–

|–

|–

––5,2282.8%

|5,534

|3.0%

style="text-align:left" | Other: Any other ethnic group

|–

|–

|–

|–

|3,640

|2.45%

3,3072.0%4,8592.6%

|7,866

|4.3%

style="text-align:left" | Non-White: Total

!–

!11.2%

!21,441

!15.3%

!25,989

!17.4%

36,64022.2%58,27131.9%

!67,477

!36.8%

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

style="text-align:left" | Total

!–

!–

!140,357

!100%

!148,502

!100%

165,242100%182,493100%

!183,156

!100%

=Religion=

The following shows the religious identity of residents residing in Hammersmith and Fulham according to the 2001, 2011 and the 2021 censuses.

class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible"

! rowspan="2" |Religion

! colspan="2" |2001{{Cite web |title=KS007 - Religion - Nomis - 2001 |url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/datasets/ks007 |access-date=2022-10-18 |website=www.nomisweb.co.uk}}

! colspan="2" |2011{{Cite web |title=KS209EW (Religion) - Nomis - 2011 |url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/census/2011/ks209ew |access-date=2022-10-18 |website=www.nomisweb.co.uk}}

! colspan="2" | 2021{{cite web |date=29 Nov 2022 |title=Religion - 2021 census |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/TS030/editions/2021/versions/1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221129115419/https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/TS030/editions/2021/versions/1 |archive-date=29 Nov 2022 |access-date=16 Dec 2022 |website=Office of National Statistics}}

Number

!%

!Number

!%

!Number

!%

|

|

|

|

Holds religious beliefs

!121,898

!73.8

!123,667

!67.8

!111,843

!61.0

Christian

| align="right" |105,169

| align="right" |63.6

| align="right" |98,808

| align="right" |54.1

| align="right" |83,673

| align="right" |45.7

Muslim

| align="right" |11,314

| align="right" |6.8

| align="right" |18,242

| align="right" |10.0

| align="right" |21,290

| align="right" |11.6

Jewish

| align="right" |1,312

| align="right" |0.8

| align="right" |1,161

| align="right" |0.6

| align="right" |1,228

| align="right" |0.7

Hindu

| align="right" |1,801

| align="right" |1.1

| align="right" |2,097

| align="right" |1.1

| align="right" |2,209

| align="right" |1.2

Sikh

| align="right" |318

| align="right" |0.2

| align="right" |442

| align="right" |0.2

| align="right" |450

| align="right" |0.2

Buddhist

| align="right" |1,271

| align="right" |0.8

| align="right" |2,060

| align="right" |1.1

| align="right" |1,723

| align="right" |0.9

Other religion

| align="right" |713

| align="right" |0.4

| align="right" |857

| align="right" |0.5

| align="right" |1,227

| align="right" |0.7

No religion

! align="right" |29,148

! align="right" |17.6

! align="right" |43,487

! align="right" |23.8

! align="right" |56,059

! align="right" |30.6

Religion not stated

! align="right" |14,196

! align="right" |8.6

! align="right" |15,339

! align="right" |8.4

! align="right" |15,298

! align="right" |8.4

|

|

|

|

Total population

! align="right" |165,242

! align="right" |100.0

! align="right" |182,493

! align="right" |100.0

! align="right" |183,200

! align="right" |100.0

Economy

Sony Mobile Communications has its UK headquarters in the borough."[http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2e/summary_0286-18966576_ITM Sony Ericsson at a glanc.(Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)(Sony Corp.)(Brief Article)]." Employee Benefits. 2 March 2005. Retrieved on 18 November 2009.

Iberia operates the Iberia House in the borough."[http://www.lata.org/member.php?mid=353&c=sr&lang=es Iberia Airlines] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928024737/http://www.lata.org/member.php?mid=353&c=sr&lang=es |date=28 September 2020 }}." Latin American Travel Association. Retrieved on 6 September 2011. "Contacto Iberia House 10 Hammersmith Broadway London W6 7AL Reino Unido" All Nippon Airways operates the London Office on the fourth floor of Hythe House."[http://www.ana.co.jp/eng/flights/ticketoffices/europe/index.html ANA City Offices/Ticketing Offices Europe] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304191928/http://www.ana.co.jp/eng/flights/ticketoffices/europe/index.html |date=4 March 2016 }}." All Nippon Airways. Retrieved on 22 December 2008. "London Office 4th floor, Hythe House 200 Shepherds Bush Road London W6 7NY""[http://www.lbhf.gov.uk/Images/Wards_tcm21-70850.pdf Ward Boundaries] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090319054815/http://www.lbhf.gov.uk/Images/Wards_tcm21-70850.pdf |date=19 March 2009 }}." London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Retrieved 22 December 2008. South African Airways has its United Kingdom office in the South African Airways House."[http://www.flysaa.com/legal/legal_european_requirements_content.html Legal Information – (EU)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090912071258/http://www.flysaa.com/legal/legal_european_requirements_content.html |date=12 September 2009 }}." South African Airways. Retrieved on 20 September 2009. CE Europe, a subsidiary of Capcom, has its head office in the George House in Hammersmith in the borough. As of May 2011, it relocated to the Metro Building in Hammersmith."[http://www.capcom-europe.com/contact Contact]." Capcom. Retrieved on 12 August 2011. "UK: CE Europe Ltd 26–28 Hammersmith Grove, 9th Floor London W6 7HA" and "Germany: CEG Interactive Entertainment GmbH Barmbeker Strasse 4 b 22303 Hamburg, Germany" and "France: Capcom Entertainment France 30 bis, rue du Viel Abreuvoir FR.78100 Saint Germain En Laye""[http://www.maris-interiors.co.uk/#/news/2011/office_relocation_for_ce_europe_to_the_metro_buiding/ Office Relocation for CE Europe to the Metro Building]." Maris Interiors. May 2011. Retrieved on 13 August 2011. "Maris are pleased to announce the commencement of the office fit-out for CE Europe Ltd, who are relocating offices to the Metro Building, Hammersmith, London, W6." and "Maris are relocating CE Europe's London operations from their present offices in George House, 26–28 Hammersmith Grove to Hammersmith's Metro Building." Iran Air's London offices are also located in the borough."[http://www.iranair.co.uk/news/iranair-moves-to-new-offices IranAir moves to new offices]." ([https://web.archive.org/web/20120218163925/http://www.iranair.co.uk/news/iranair-moves-to-new-offices Archive]) Iran Air. Retrieved on 29 February 2012. "177–179 Hammersmith Road, London, W6 8BS" The airline moved there by Wednesday 4 January 2012."[http://www.iranair.co.uk/news-index News from Iran Air]." ([https://web.archive.org/web/20120218165134/http://www.iranair.co.uk/news-index Archive]) Iran Air UK. Retrieved on 29 February 2012.Disney and L'Oréal also all have UK headquarters in Hammersmith, as well as a number of other major businesses.{{Cite web|title=L'Oréal Group UKI Pages Group|url=https://www.loreal.com/en/uki/pages/group/contacts-uki/|access-date=2021-10-23|website=L'Oréal|language=en}}

For a 15-year period Air France had its UK and Ireland office in Hammersmith. In 2006 the UK and Ireland office was moved to Hatton Cross, London Borough of Hounslow."[http://www.airfrance.co.uk/GB/en/local/toutsurairfrance/actualites/pr_inauguration_afkl.htm AIR FRANCE and KLM celebrate official inauguration of new office in London.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227181016/http://www.airfrance.co.uk/GB/en/local/toutsurairfrance/actualites/pr_inauguration_afkl.htm |date=27 February 2012 }}" Air France. 6 July 2006. Retrieved on 13 February 2010.

Until 2013, Virgin Group Ltd. had its corporate headquarters at The School House, Brook Green. The office was moved to the Battleship Building, near the Westway in Paddington, in the City of Westminster.{{cite web |last1=Idle |first1=Tom |title=How Virgin HQ is fostering creativity, and helping to save the planet |url=https://www.virgin.com/virgin-unite/business-innovation/how-virgin-hq-fostering-creativity-and-helping-save-planet |website=Virgin Group |access-date=22 April 2020 |language=en |date=30 October 2015}}

Also, TAP Portugal runs an administrative office in the Borough, near to Hammersmith Bus Station.

Sport

The borough has a proud sporting heritage going back to at least the second half of the 19th-century when the fledgeling Amateur Athletic Association of England came to the Lillie Bridge Grounds, followed there by football, boxing and First-class cricket. The borough is home to the world-governing body of Polo at The Hurlingham Club in Fulham and upholds the traditions of racketts and championship tennis at the Queen's Club, also in Fulham.

The borough is home to a number of sports teams and athletes:

=Football=

Chelsea Football Club is based in the borough and plays Premier League football having won the English national championship on six occasions (1955, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2015 and 2017) as well as the UEFA Champions League in 2012 and 2021. London's oldest professional football club, Fulham F.C. playing in the Premier League and Queens Park Rangers (playing in the Championship) are also based in the borough.

;Footballers

=Rugby=

Hammersmith & Fulham RFC have been playing in the borough at Hurlingham Park for over 30 years. They boast four senior men's sides and one Ladies XV. The men's 1st XV currently compete in London's NE2 League with the remainder of the sides participating in the Middlesex Merit Tables.

=Tennis=

Public and private courts are available throughout the borough.

=Boxing=

=Rowing=

File:Thomas Luckett Medal 01.jpg

Lower Mall hosted several rowing clubs at the end of the 19th century, of which there are two survivors and one founded slightly later. Among those who moved elsewhere or were disbanded were those in the headquarters of the national governing body, British Rowing, The Priory.

The first half of the Boat Race course, which is known as the Championship Course, hosting hundreds of eights the weekend before and many other races, is on the borough's most obvious boundary: its section of the Tideway – the upper estuary of the Thames.

Transport

The numerous London Overground and London Underground stations in the borough are:

The London Overground line now connects the borough with the North London Line via Willesden Junction station and direct services to Watford Junction station to the north and services to East Croydon station to the south, via Clapham Junction railway station.

Two main road arteries, the A4 road and the A40 road cross the borough.

Hammersmith bus station at Hammersmith Broadway, above the District and Piccadilly lines tube station, is an important bus hub to most parts of London.

In March 2011, the main forms of transport that residents used to travel to work were: underground, metro, light rail, tram, 26.8% of all residents aged 16–74; bus, minibus or coach, 8.8%; on foot, 8.8%; driving a car or van, 8.2%; bicycle, 5.1%; work mainly at or from home, 4.2%; train, 3.1%.{{cite web|title=2011 Census: QS701EW Method of travel to work, local authorities in England and Wales|url=http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/census/2011-census/key-statistics-and-quick-statistics-for-wards-and-output-areas-in-england-and-wales/rft-qs701ew.xls|publisher=Office for National Statistics|access-date=23 November 2013}} Percentages are of all residents aged 16-74 including those not in employment. Respondents could only pick one mode, specified as the journey’s longest part by distance.

Culture

File:Fulham Palace courtyard - geograph.org.uk - 835758.jpg

File:Posk.JPG

The See of London has occupied the Fulham Palace riverside grounds for close on 900 years. The Palace is leased to the borough since 1977 and is now a museum.

The borough has four theatres (Riverside Studios, Bush Theatre, the Lyric Hammersmith and Curtains Up). LAMDA is based in the borough. There are several cinema complexes. [https://web.archive.org/web/20160110011659/http://studio106artgallery.org/ Studio 106 Art Gallery] holds regular exhibitions and workshops.

The Lyric Hammersmith, on Lyric Square off King Street, is considered one of the most notable theatres outside the West End in London.

The borough is also home to the Hammersmith Apollo and O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire, which play hosts to major concerts and stand-up comedy performances.

Hammersmith has been the seat of the Polish Social and Cultural Centre, known as POSK in King Street, for several decades. It houses a number of organisations which serve Polish expatriates and others interested in Polish culture, including a theatre, an exhibition space, a library and archives as well as retail and dining facilities. It occasionally hosts other organisations in the borough, including the Fulham Symphony Orchestra. It is also the home of the Polish University Abroad.{{Cite book |last=Murawski |first=Michal |title=The alternative guide to the London boroughs |publisher=Open City |year=2020 |isbn=9781916016910 |editor-last=Hatherley |editor-first=Owen |location=London |pages=226–233 |chapter=The Palace of Culture}}

Education

{{See also|List of schools in Hammersmith and Fulham}}

File:hammersmith town hall2.jpg is guarded by Old Father Thames, Hammersmith's tutelary deity. (September 2005)]]

File:Hammersmith Library in London, spring 2013 (1).JPG

Public libraries in the borough include Askew Road Library, Avonmore Library, Fulham Library, Hammersmith Library, Sands End Library, and Shepherds Bush Library."[http://www.lbhf.gov.uk/Images/Libraries_tcm21-70854.pdf Libraries] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090319054808/http://www.lbhf.gov.uk/Images/Libraries_tcm21-70854.pdf |date=19 March 2009 }}." London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Retrieved on 22 December 2008. The Borough Archives, open to the public Mondays and Tuesdays, staffed mainly by volunteers, are accessed in Hammersmith Library.

The borough is the home of an 1893 establishment, the Sacred Heart High School, Hammersmith on Hammersmith Broadway, and of Lady Margaret School (LMS) on Parsons Green, a school that welcomes girls of all academic abilities aged 11–17 years. It has been at the forefront of girls' education for over 95 years and has its origins in Whitelands College School which was founded in 1842. When that school was threatened with closure Lady Margaret was established in September 1917 by the redoubtable Miss Enid Moberly Bell.{{cite web|url=http://www.ladymargaret.lbhf.sch.uk/school-history|title=Lady Margaret School, a CofE academy for girls aged 11-18, Parsons Green, London - School History|website=www.ladymargaret.lbhf.sch.uk}} The borough is also home to two prestigious independent girls' schools – St Paul's Girls' School in Brook Green (often ranked in first place in the country in league tables, with nearly 50% of each year group gaining entry to Oxbridge), and the Godolphin and Latymer School, situated a few minutes' walk from Hammersmith Broadway.{{citation needed|date=July 2019}}

The London Oratory School is a leading Roman Catholic secondary school in East Fulham.

Latymer Upper School, an independent co-educational school, is also in the borough, on King Street in Hammersmith.

The exclusive independent girls' preparatory school Bute House is also in Brook Green.

There are two notable independent French language primary schools: Ecole Jacques Prevert in Brook Green and the Ecole Marie d'Orliac in Hurlingham.

Twinned towns

The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham has formal twinning arrangements with:

  • Anderlecht, Belgium{{cite web|url=http://onfoodandwine.wordpress.com/2013/07/14/a-is-for-anderlecht-commune-dinners-in-brussels/|title=A Is For Anderlecht - Dinners in Brussels|date=14 July 2013|publisher=wordpress.com|access-date=10 October 2013}}
  • Boulogne-Billancourt, France{{cite web|url=http://www.completefrance.com/language-culture/twin-towns|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130705094933/http://www.completefrance.com/language-culture/twin-towns|title=British towns twinned with French towns [via WaybackMachine.com]|access-date=20 July 2013|archive-date=5 July 2013|work=Archant Community Media Ltd}}
  • Neukölln, Germany. The twinning is commemorated by a street light from West Berlin that now stands on Hammersmith Riverside, in Furnival Gardens, and was given by Willy Brandt when he was Mayor of West Berlin in 1963.{{cite web|url=http://www.londonremembers.com/memorials/west-berlin-street-lamp|title=West Berlin Street Lamp|publisher=londonremembers.com|access-date=10 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160316040021/http://www.londonremembers.com/memorials/west-berlin-street-lamp|archive-date=16 March 2016|url-status=dead}}

Below it is a plaque which reads:

{{Blockquote|{{center|The lamp above this plaque was formerly used}}

{{center|to light a street in West Berlin}}

{{center|It was presented by}}

{{center|Herr Willi Brandt, Mayor of West Berlin}}

{{center|to}}

{{center|Councillor Stanley Atkins, L. P.}}

{{center|The Worshipful the Mayor of Hammersmith}}

{{center|As a token of friendship between the two communities}}

{{center|On the occasion of the Jumelage held in this Borough}}

{{center|1st June 1963}}}}

Freedom of the Borough

The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.

{{Incomplete list|date=July 2020}}

=Individuals=

  • George Cohen: 19 October 2016.{{Cite web|url=https://www.lbhf.gov.uk/articles/news/2016/10/fulham-fc-legend-george-cohen-recalls-his-roots-ahead-freedom-borough|title=Fulham FC legend George Cohen recalls his roots ahead of freedom of the borough|date=13 October 2016|website=LBHF}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.fulhamfc.com/|title=Fulham FC|first=Fulham|last=FC|website=Fulham FC}}

=Military Units=

  • Headquarters Squadron 31 Signal Regiment (Volunteers): 1981.
  • The Royal Yeomanry: 26 January 2011. {{Cite web|url=https://www.steppingforwardlondon.org/civic-honours-granted-by-the-london-boroughs.html|title=Civic Honours granted by the London Boroughs|website=www.steppingforwardlondon.org}}

Swaps controversy

In June 1988 the Audit Commission was tipped off by someone working on the swaps desk of Goldman Sachs that the Borough had a massive exposure to interest rate swaps. When the commission contacted the council, the chief executive told them not to worry as "everybody knows that interest rates are going to fall"; the treasurer thought the interest rate swaps were a "nice little earner". The Commission's Controller, Howard Davies, realised that the council had put all of its positions on interest rates going down and ordered an investigation.Duncan Campbell-Smith, "Follow the Money: The Audit Commission, Public Money, and the Management of Public Services 1983-2008", Allen Lane, 2008, chapter 6 passim.

By January 1989 the Commission obtained legal opinions from two Queen's Counsel. Although they did not agree, the commission preferred the opinion that it was ultra vires for councils to engage in interest rate swaps (ie. that they had no lawful power to do so). Moreover, interest rates had increased from 8% to 15%. The auditor and the commission then went to court and had the contracts declared void (appeals all the way up to the House of Lords failed in Hazell v Hammersmith and Fulham LBC); the five banks involved lost millions of pounds. Many other local authorities had been engaging in interest rate swaps in the 1980s.Duncan Campbell-Smith, "Follow the Money: The Audit Commission, Public Money, and the Management of Public Services 1983-2008", Allen Lane, 2008, chapter 6 passim. This resulted in several cases in which the banks generally lost their claims for compound interest on debts to councils, finalised in Westdeutsche Landesbank Girozentrale v Islington London Borough Council.[1996] [http://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKHL/1996/12.html UKHL 12], [1996] AC 669 Banks did, however, recover some funds where the derivatives were "in the money" for the Councils (ie, an asset showing a profit for the council, which it now had to return to the bank, not a debt).Duncan Campbell-Smith, "Follow the Money: The Audit Commission, Public Money, and the Management of Public Services 1983-2008", Allen Lane, 2008, chapter 6 passim.

The controversy surrounding interest rate swaps reached a peak in the UK during the 2008 financial crisis where banks sold unsuitable interest rate hedging products on a large scale to SMEs. The practice has been widely criticised{{cite web|url=https://lexlaw.co.uk/solicitors-london/uk-parliament-condemns-rbs-grg-mistreatment-sme-bank-misconduct-litigation-solicitors-london/|title=HM Parliament Condemns RBS GRG's Parasitic Treatment of SMEs Post date|date=26 January 2018}} by the media and Parliament.

See also

{{Portal|London}}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

{{Commons category}}

  • {{Official website}}
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20100419184124/http://openlylocal.com/councils/29-London-Borough-of-Hammersmith-Fulham Open data about Hammersmith & Fulham from OpenlyLocal]

{{LB Hammersmith & Fulham}}

{{London}}

{{Authority control}}

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Hammersmith and Fulham

Hammersmith and Fulham

Category:1965 establishments in the United Kingdom