Christmas carols are returning to Clapham Common on Sunday 6th December! 🎄🎶
The Royal Trinity Hospice is hosting a festive afternoon of Christmas carols, hot drinks and community spirit at the Clapham Common Bandstand, from 3pm.
Bring along family, friends and neighbours to enjoy some festive cheer while helping to raise funds to support the hospice's care for local people and their families.
📅 Sunday 6th December, from 3pm
📍 Clapham Common Bandstand
All donations welcome!
The next Mega Skip Day takes place from 9am this Saturday 14th November, in seven locations around Wandsworth, including Balham. Skips will close when they're full, or at 12pm – whichever comes first.
Mega Skip Days are an opportunity for people to dispose of bulky items for free. Large skips are placed in neighbourhoods around the borough for all local residents to use.
The skips are open to residents of the London Borough of Wandsworth only. Proof of address may be required on the day.
The skips will be in the following places:
📍 Balham Park Road, SW12 8EA
📍 Barringer Square, SW17 8EE
📍 Bartholomew Close, SW18 2HH
📍 Burr Road, SW18 4SQ
📍 Eastwood Street, SW16 6PT
📍 Shuttleworth Road, SW11 3DL
📍 Wildcroft Road, SW15 3NG
More info, including details of what you can bring and when the skips will be open, visit the Wandsworth Council website HERE.
FREE concert! Join St Mary's Balham for 'Autumn Reflections', an a cappella concert by the Brislinga Singers, spanning five centuries of choral music, from Thomas Tallis and William Byrd to contemporary composers, this Saturday 14th November at 5pm.
Free admission, with a retiring collection in aid of St Mary's Choral Scholars' Fund.
All welcome!
Christmas is coming to House of Ora!🎄 The fantastic Tooting venue has three festive experiences for local kids & families - meet Father Christmas, get creative, and make great memories!
🎫 ALL TICKETS for the below events can be purchased via House of Ora.
🛷 Package 1 - Meet Father Christmas in His Magical Sleigh
🎅 Meet Santa in his sleigh, share your Christmas wishes and get a sweet treat -
bring your camera for family photos! (~5 min visit) 📅 Wed 18 Nov, 5–8pm · Fri 27 Nov, 5–7pm · Sun 29 Nov, 12–4pm 🎟️ Child £8 · Adult £2
🍪 Package 2 - Mrs Claus’ Magical Christmas Workshop
🤶 A festive workshop of creativity & surprises: write your letter to Santa, decorate cookies, make tree decorations and reindeer food. Every child takes home their creations! 📅 Fri 4 Dec, 5–6:30pm 🎟️ Child £15 · Adult £5
⭐ Package 3 - A Magical Journey to Santa’s Wonderland
🎅 A 90-min adventure with Mrs Claus & her elf - find the five magic stars, festive games & dancing, write to Santa, then meet Father Christmas in his sleigh for a treat & photo. 📅 Sat 5 Dec, 1:30–3pm 🎟️ Child £19 · Adult £7
📍 House of Ora, 48A Mitcham Road, Tooting Broadway, SW17 9NA
🥟 Food & drinks available to buy
Advance booking recommended, places limited. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
Are you a small business owner looking to make better use of Instagram, save time creating content and reach more potential customers?
If so, Small Biz Network London is holding a practical, interactive workshop Tooting Works on Wednesday 18th November, designed to help small businesses, entrepreneurs and anyone running a side hustle get more out of Instagram.
The workshop will cover useful tools, features and strategies to help businesses improve their Instagram presence, engage with the right audiences and make better use of the content they already have.
Topics covered will include:
* How to make the most of your Instagram profile, including using pinned posts to introduce your business, build trust and encourage enquiries.
* Smarter ways to engage with potential customers and grow your business.
* Time-saving Instagram tools and features you might not know about.
* How to reuse existing content without constantly having to create something new.
* An introduction to Trial Reels and how they can help businesses reach new audiences.
The session will include practical demonstrations, opportunities to put what you learn into practice and time to ask questions, share challenges and connect with other local business owners.
The workshop will take place Tooting Works on Wednesday 18th November, from 10am to 12pm.
Tickets are £30 at the early bird rate or £40 at the standard rate, with refreshments included.
Attendees are encouraged to bring their phones and Instagram questions!
For more information or to book a place, visit the Small Biz Network website HERE.
London Underground drivers are to stage a series of 24-hour strikes in a long-running dispute over working arrangements, the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union has announced.
A series of walkouts will begin on 26 November, with further strikes planned for 17 December, 19 December, 4 January, 6 January, 17 February, 23 February and 25 February.
The action will be taken in opposition to Transport for London (TfL) plans to introduce changes to conditions, which would include a four-day working week.
The union says drivers will face longer hours driving trains and work longer days, but TfL said the change would be voluntary and would mean drivers work fewer hours overall.
Full story via BBC News HERE.
Sales Property Of The Week from Keating Estates, Balham: “A spacious and unique architecturally designed three bedroom ground floor apartment with a private, spacious garden, occupying the ground floor of a handsome Victorian property on the desirable Hayter Road, inbetween Brixton and Clapham.
“The leafy residential street is within the catchment area for Sudbourne School.
“Combining period character with an impressive contemporary living space, this beautifully presented home offers a thoughtfully arranged layout with a wonderful connection to the outdoors. A central courtyard brings another welcome pocket of outside space into the heart of the apartment.”
For full info, visit their website www.keatingestates.com, visit the team at 61 Bedford Hill, email balham@keatingestates.com or call 020 8079 3161.
Are you looking for a local decorator to freshen up your home in time for Christmas? Marek Ciechanowski Decorating have been busy working on all sorts of properties recently in & around Balham (interior, exterior and wallpapering), and have availability for new jobs in November & December.
Check out these great examples of their work!
Owner, Marek tells us more:
“I’ve run my decorating business for over 20 years, offering high-quality work on all types of projects, including interior and exterior painting, wallpapering, ceilings, woodwork, furniture, doors, windows, as well as revitalising old kitchens and completing new ones.
“You can let me know your preferred colours and materials, and I can help with ideas too. I pride myself on my customer service, great reputation and delivering on time and in budget.”
To get a free quote & find out more, email Marek at genren2000@hotmail.com, call 07584 654679 or DM Marek Ciechanowski Decorating
You can also visit his website at mcdecorating.uk
Better-tasting drinking water, fewer plastic bottles and help tackling limescale – all from a local team! 💧
Congratulations to long-standing Clapham plumbing business IMAA Plumbing on opening their new London Water Filter showroom in Upper Tulse Hill!
Here, owner Leo takes us on a tour of the new showroom.
Pop in to see working displays, compare systems and get straightforward advice on what suits your home, space and budget.
From under-sink drinking water filters and reverse osmosis systems to water softeners and whole-house filtration, the team can help you choose the right setup – whether you want better-tasting water for drinking and cooking, less reliance on bottled water or a softener to reduce limescale around your home.
Leo says: “We wanted somewhere local people could see the systems working, ask questions and feel confident about what they’re buying.”
Backed by the family-run team at IMAA Plumbing, London Water Filter takes care of supply, professional installation and ongoing servicing, giving you one team to call from start to finish.
To find out more, DM London Water Filter with “BALHAM”, your postcode and a photo of the space under your kitchen sink for initial advice – or visit the showroom to explore the options.
📞 07428 223052
🌐 londonwaterfilter.co.uk
📍 21 Upper Tulse Hill, SW2 2SD
Had knee, hip, back or shoulder surgery, or have an operation coming up? The physio you get afterwards can be as important as the operation itself!
Just ask local resident Alan. Just four weeks after a total hip replacement, he’s already doing much more than he expected to at this stage, thanks to his rehab at Instant Physio on Balham High Road. There’s still a way to go, but he’s loving the process, which has been a nice surprise for him!
Ed Thompson, founder of Instant Physio, tells us, “We regularly see patients months or even years after surgery who skipped their physio, and their pain, stiffness and movement aren’t where we’d expect them to be.
“The reason for the lack of progress often comes down to fear. People worry about undoing their surgery or doing too much too soon, so they avoid exercise altogether. This fear of movement even has a name, kinesiophobia, and it can hold back recovery for a long time.
“It’s amazing helping patients through this journey. More often patients return to a level way above where they were expecting.
“We can help before your operation, straight after it, or months or even years down the line. The earlier we see patients after an operation the faster the outcomes typically.”
To book a FREE discovery session at Instant Physio, or to find out more, get in touch!
📍 261 Balham High Road, Tooting Bec (opposite The Sewing Shop)
📞 020 3488 2698
🌐 instantphysio.co.uk
🕗 Mon–Thurs 8am–8pm | Fri 8am–4pm | Sat 8am–12pm
UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT! 🐾 Longstanding Balham dog groomers The Handsome Hound have a new owner – Kathy, who has taken over from founder Andrew after almost 15 years.
Kathy has also taken over the former Balham Bark dog shop from Trevor, bringing both businesses together under The Handsome Hound: expert grooming alongside a dog deli and shop stocked with carefully chosen treats, eco toys and provisions.
Kathy, who trained under Julie Lalou, an educator and member of the Guild of Master Groomers and Groom Team England, tells us:
“I’m thrilled to be taking over The Handsome Hound. Andrew and Trevor built something really special here. I feel very lucky to carry on the legacy and keep looking after the wonderful Balham dog community that’s grown around it.
“Every groom is tailored to the dog in front of us – their coat, their temperament and how they like to be handled – so nervous dogs and first-timers are in calm, capable hands.
“Most of our visitors are regulars, which is the best review we could ask for – and I can’t wait to meet lots of new faces too, on two legs and four! Do pop in and say hello. Barry, my rescue Chihuahua, will be at the door supervising – he thinks he runs the place!”
Grooming is by appointment only. To book, call 07809 463939 or visit their website HERE.
📍 72 Emmanuel Road, Balham, SW12 0HR
🕘 Tuesday to Saturday, 9am-5pm (closed Sunday & Monday)
A new Lebanese food stall, Balham Lebanese Cuisine, has opened outside of Balham tube station!
Serving falafel wraps, rice with chicken, chicken shish wraps, halloumi wraps and more, they are open from Wednesday - Sunday from 10am - 5pm.
Congrats and good luck!
A new women's wellness business The Empress Heals, offering massage therapy, with Hatha yoga coming soon, has opened at local yoga and pilates studio Revive Yoga London.
Founder Kira tells us more:
"I'm a graduate of the London College of Beauty Therapy, specialising in Swedish, Deep Tissue, Pregnancy and Postpartum Massage, as well as Manual Lymphatic Drainage Massage.
"The Empress Heals aims to help women prioritse relaxation, movement and wellbeing through every stage of life. From the moment you arrive, my intention is for you to feel comfortable, cared for and able to switch off from the outside world."
Massage appointments are available now, with Hatha Yoga classes planned for early 2027, once Kira has completed her yoga teacher training.
You can find The Empress Heals inside Revive Yoga London at 45 Balham High Road.
For more info, visit Kira's website HERE.
Are you planning to upgrade your bathroom? Evenflow Heating and Plumbing is a small business run by Balham resident, Matthew Bridle, which specialises in complete bathroom refurbishments.
Their small team include dedicated plumbers, tilers, plasterers, electricians & carpenters – and you can find them on Checkatrade, with over 240 reviews & an average score of 9.88 out of 10.
Evenflow offer free quotes and also a 10% discount for bathroom refurbs quoted and booked in for January to March 2027.
Please reference code ‘WINTER10’ when contacting to claim.
Matthew tells us more about his business:
“Customer communication is key – from pre-work communication such as discussing options, clients sending me links to items to check suitability, to a daily progress update. Customers really appreciate being kept up to date.
“Our attention to detail and design ideas help make the sometimes disruptive process of removing a bathroom way more manageable.”
Evenflow also undertake all heating works – from changing radiator valves to complete heating installations.
To get in touch & request a free quote, call 07799 190 790 or email even.flow@hotmail.co.uk
You can also see more great examples of their work Evenflow Heating and Plumbing
Donations needed! Local church Balham Baptist has launched its Christmas Appeal in support of Ella's, a charity helping women who have survived trafficking and exploitation to recover and rebuild their lives in safety and freedom.
The church is hoping to provide each of the 77 women supported by Ella’s with a Christmas gift box containing pyjamas, slippers, gloves, a scarf, hat, chocolates, toiletries, socks and a small gift such as perfume, a mug or journal.
Local residents are being invited to support the appeal by donating any of the items listed above, or by making a monetary donation to help provide the gift boxes.
All donated items must be new and unused and can be dropped off at Balham Baptist Church reception at 21 Ramsden Road, between Monday - Friday, by 30th November.
SATURDAY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Looking for a meaningful way to spend your Saturday? Join Little Village's friendly team at their Wandsworth warehouse and help support local families.
Little Village makes a big difference to families with babies and young children living in poverty across London. Via their network of baby banks, they gift pre-loved baby goods from one family to another: clothes, shoes and coats so that children are clean and dry; toys and books to support play and development; beds for a safe and cosy night’s sleep.
📍 Wandsworth Warehouse (Jews Row, Wandsworth SW18 1TB)
🕙 Saturdays, 10am-3pm (November-February)
👉 Sign up and book your session today, visit their webiste HERE or email Volunteer@littlevillagehq.org for more information.
No experience needed – Little Village would love to welcome you!
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