The heavy horses are back in Wandsworth Common this week!
These traditional conservation techniques help create healthier habitats for wildflowers, pollinators and other wildlife, while giving residents a chance to see these magnificent working horses in action.
🐴 25 September (approx. 9am) - Wandsworth Common, Bellevue Field
🐴 28 September (approx. 9am) - Wandsworth Common
More info via Enable Parks
The next Mega Skip Day takes place from 9am this Saturday 26th September, in seven locations around Wandsworth, including Balham. Skips will close when they're full, or 12 noon – 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:
📍 Larch Close, SW12 9SY
📍 Acanthus Road, SW11 5TY
📍 Church Lane car park, SW17 9PP
📍 Tildesley Road, SW15 3AA
📍 Lindsay Court, Battersea High Street, SW11
📍 Malva Close, SW18 2JU
📍 Putney Park Lane, SW15 5HU
More info, including details of what you can bring and when the skips will be open, via the Wandsworth Council website here.
The next Not Just Things market takes place this weekend Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th September from 10am - 4pm (3pm on Sunday).
The Not Just Things antique and vintage market is located in the Balham Boxing Club near the Tooting Triangle playground off Cavendish Road (under the railway bridge).
For more information, send an email to notjustthings@mail.com
There’s an Open Morning at White House Prep School in Balham on Saturday 3rd October!
The Open Morning will begin at 9:30am with guided tours with pupils from Year 6.
This year, an incredible 60% of children achieved scholarships in their 11+ exams with over 100 offers for 28 children, at schools such as St Paul’s Boys, St Paul’s Girls, Dulwich College, Alleyn’s, Emmanuel, JAGS, Francis Holland, City of London Girls, Wimbledon High, Brighton College and more.
On the tour, you will be able to find out about their Super Curriculum which includes Nurture in Reception, Enterprise lessons, Choice and their Futures programme in Year 6 - areas where they can develop children’s natural curiosity to enhance their learning and interests outside the classroom.
The school offers wrap around care from 8am-6pm with 14 weeks of holiday camps if required.
The White House Prep welcomes children from ages 3-11 years old, celebrated its 40th Anniversary recently and is proud to still be family-owned and run, emphasising their core family values of Positivity, Respect, Kindness, Integrity and Perseverance.
BOOKINGS: Places for the event are limited so should you wish to attend, please RSVP by email to admissions@whitehouseschool.com
You can also find out more on their website at whitehouseschool.com
The White House Prep School is located at 24 Thornton Road, Balham, SW12 0LF.
Musical charity event! Please join local resident Ayla Hill for a magical musical soirée at The Bedford Pub on the 24th November – an intimate evening of songs celebrating love, friendship, our world and the things that matter most – all just in time for Christmas!
Ayla will bring together some of her favourite music from the West End, the big screen and the Sixties accompanied by Musical Director and pianist Nathan Martin, Claudia Martindale on violin and Dr Anna Forrest-Hay on cello, with special guest singer and actress Charlotte Clitherow.
All net proceeds from this event will be donated to St George’s Hospital Charity, supporting the hospital where Ayla was treated for bowel cancer in 2022.
Music is now a central part of Ayla’s life. In 2021, in her forties, Ayla finally decided to pursue her passion for singing, releasing her debut single Just Don’t Hold Back. Since then, she has performed a series of solo and charity shows, with live recordings from previous performances now available across all streaming platforms.
For more info or to buy tickets, please visit https://thebedford.com/event/november-24th-2026/
Congratulations to local business PUNCH, the innovative food topper brand created by Balham chef Gabi, which has just launched on the Holland & Barrett website!
PUNCH’s blends are designed to add flavour, fibre and crunch to everyday meals with just a sprinkle.
Gabi tells us more:
“PUNCH is on a mission to make healthy eating easier, tastier, and more exciting, so we’re thrilled to be working with the home of health and wellness! Just one sprinkle of our blends adds flavour, fibre and crunch in seconds.
“Holland & Barrett is the one-stop shop for functional ingredients and all things health. Launching on their site feels like a perfect fit for us, because we combine function with flavour in the easiest possible way. PUNCH is a health habit that’s easy to stick to, because it works with the food people are already eating, rather than adding a new ritual or routine.”
For more info, or to view the products, visit the PUNCH website here.
Sales Property Of The Week from Keating Estates, Balham: “A beautifully presented two double bedroom apartment, set within a handsome semi-detached Victorian conversion on the sought-after Byrne Road, moments from the heart of Balham.
“The property enjoys neutral presentation, with both the internal and communal areas recently redecorated to create a fresh and attractive blank canvas.
“The home is positioned within an elegant Victorian house with excellent kerb appeal, painted white and set back from the street behind a low stone wall. A charming porch frames a smart grey front door, offering a welcoming entrance to this characterful building.”
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.
If you have a baby and are ready to start venturing out to classes with your little one, local group Baby Sensory would love to welcome you along to join in some sensory fun!
Local residents, Alex & Sonia have been running Baby Sensory classes across the Balham & Clapham area for nearly 10 years.
They tell us more!
“We know how daunting those first few trips out with your baby can feel, which is why we’re passionate about creating a warm, welcoming and friendly environment where you can relax, meet other parents and enjoy some special time with your little one.
“Classes are suitable for babies from birth to 13 months, and every week is different, so you can join at any point during the year. And if you also have a toddler, we offer toddler-focused sessions Toddler Sense!
“We’ve had the absolute privilege of meeting thousands of parents and their gorgeous babies along the way, and look forward to welcoming new local mums and their babies to one of our classes soon!”
Baby Sensory Balham & Clapham Timetable:
📅 Mondays
📍 Balham Scout Hall — 10:00am / 11:20am / 12:40pm
📍 Millie & Maisie Play Café — 9:15am / 10:10am
📅 Tuesdays
📍 St Mary & St John’s Church — 10:00am / 11:20am / 12:40pm
📅 Thursdays
📍 Clapham Methodist Church — 10:00am / 11:30am
Ready to join in the fun? 🌈
To find out more & book your space, visit www.babysensory.com/balham
Balham businesses! It’s been two and a half years since local consultancy CoLab Marketers first launched, and founders Lottie and Alex have marked the milestone with a brand-new website.
The small team is growing too, with CoLab officially welcoming its newest team member, Ty, this September.
From the beginning, CoLab’s goal has been to invest in local independent businesses and give back to the community they love working in.
Lottie and Alex tell us more:
“Marketing never stands still, and we want to practice what we preach. To mark this milestone and make sure our own foundations are solid, we’ve just launched a brand-new website.
“If you’re feeling stuck or overwhelmed with your own marketing, we’d love to help. We’re offering local founders a free 30-minute chat to talk through your current setup and figure out exactly where you should be focusing your energy.”
Following the chat, CoLab will send over practical quick wins and suggestions that can be implemented straight away, to provide useful advice regardless of whether businesses go on to work with them.
To take a look at the new website or book a free chat, visit their website here.
Meet Kellie Davies, the new Operations Manager at Nightingale Place Village, Clapham South!
Kellie would love to welcome more local residents to their beautiful venue, located by Clapham Common – and one thing she’s keen to shout from the rooftops (!) is that, although their No3 Restaurant is located within the same building as the luxury retirement village, the restaurant and adjoining bar, bistro & terrace are open to EVERYONE – and they’ve got some fantastic facilities for the local community to enjoy!
Kellie tells us more about the venue and her plans:
“I’m excited to takeover this role and to bring some fresh impetus! No3 has always suffered a little bit from being located in the same premises as an independent living retirement village, as many people think that we’re not available for the public - but that’s completely wrong. Although many of our residents dine at No3, we’re open to all – and we have a lot to shout about!
“Our stunning restaurant serves Modern British & European cuisine and is open daily for casual dining – lunch, afternoon tea and dinner, with superb roasts available on a Sunday.
“We’ve just launched a new autumn menu and together with our Head Chef, Marcelo, we’re planning lots of special themed dining events and supper clubs over the coming months.
“We also have a beautiful private dining room, available for private hire for special occasions with family, friends & colleagues – and can devise a bespoke menu to suit.
“What a lot of people don’t know is that we also have a gorgeous private cinema downstairs in the building – perfect for special occasions for both adults and children!
“I’m here to bring fresh ideas to our wonderful venue, and am very much looking forward to welcoming local residents to enjoy it for the first time – whether for a get-together over a fantastic meal with friends & family, a coffee after a walk on the common, or a drink on the terrace after work!
Nightingale Place Village & No3 Restaurant are located at 3 Nightingale Lane, by Clapham South tube.
To find out more & book a table in their restaurant, see their website here or call 0203 510 4807.
Autumn’s here and roasting joints are flying off the shelves at Balham’s Chadwick's Butchers! Whether it’s beef, lamb, pork, chicken or game, the family-run organic butchers have everything you need to cook up the perfect Sunday roast!
You’ll find the family-run Chadwick’s Butchers located at 109 Balham High Road, open 9am-5.30pm, Monday to Saturday.
A new autumn menu has launched at The Regent Balham!
The Regent’s new autumn menu features a number of seasonal cosy classics, including cumberland sausage ring with creamy mash & onion gravy, shepherd’s pie, fish pie, fish & chips, panko chicken caesar salad, house burgers, with vegetarian options too!
The Regent is located at 21 Chestnut Grove, SW12 8JB
A new premium cocoa based chocolate beverage stall Fat Boys Cocoa has opened at 92A Balham High Road! Co-founders, and cousins, Benita and Corrine, tell us more:
"Our journey started in a Rage Room. It’s bittersweet where grief can lead you. Ours led us here, whilst discussing over some delicious hot chocolate and had us dreaming of making our own.
"Very quickly we did a deep dive into the chocolate making process, decided to give it a try, becoming homegrown chocolatiers.
"We have mastered our recipes for milk, dark and white chocolate, to be used for Iced chocolate, Hot chocolate and Mocha drinks.
"Our inspiration comes from the nickname of a beautiful ‘Fatboy’ Zachariah who lost his battle to a rare form of Leukaemia at 10 months old. In his honour we have turned our grief into something sweet."
For more info, visit Fat Boys Cocoa
4 Ingredients, a new bakery and coffee shop, has now opened at 80 Balham High Road, in the former Pura salon unit!
The new spot is owned by Ricardo, who is also behind Sweet Smile Clapham, the family-run bakery on Lavender Hill in Clapham.
With roots in Portuguese artisanal baking traditions, 4 Ingredients specialises in freshly baked, preservative-free sourdough, homemade cakes and light brunches, all made in-house.
4 Ingredients is open 7 days a week from 8am - 4pm.
Local resident Mark Hoffman has launched Breathe to Evolve, a new breathwork practice offering Conscious Connected Breathwork sessions St Mary's Balham!
Mark is the founder of Talk to Evolve Counselling and is a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). After experiencing breathwork as part of his own personal development, he went on to complete more than 400 hours of facilitator training over the course of a year.
Mark tells us more:
“Through my own journey, I experienced how breathwork could support personal growth, change and a deeper connection with myself, which inspired me to train as a breathwork facilitator and work with clients and groups.
“I now offer Conscious Connected Breathwork groups in Balham, creating a space to slow down, connect with yourself, explore emotions and experience the power of the breath.”
The next series starts on Thursday 1st October at 7pm at St Mary’s Balham.
Four sessions will take place fortnightly across October and November, each exploring a different theme: Letting Go & Welcoming In, Inner Child, Grief & Loss and Inner Clarity.
The sessions are open to everyone, including complete beginners, and there’s no need to sign up for the full series. Participants can attend one, some or all four.
Mark also runs a monthly Breathwork & Reflective Practice group specifically for qualified counsellors and psychotherapists, with the next session taking place at St Mary’s on Saturday 26th September at 3pm.
For more information about Breathe to Evolve and the upcoming Balham sessions, visit his website here.
Huge congratulations to Gurkhas Balham, who raised an incredible £5,500 for victims of the recent catastrophic flooding in Nepal at their fundraising buffet last Sunday.
The local community came out in force to support the longstanding Nepalese restaurant on Balham High Road, enjoying a delicious Nepalese feast – and the Mayor of Wandsworth also attended to show her support.
Every penny raised by Gurkhas Balham will go towards helping those affected by the devastating flash floods that struck the Nepal-Tibet border region in late August – a disaster that has claimed more than 1,100 lives and affected at least 65,000 people, including over 22,000 children.
The restaurant would like to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who came along, donated, and helped make the day such a success.
You’ll find Gurkhas Balham at 1 The Boulevard, Balham High Road, SW17 7BW.
Artist call out! 🎨 Submissions are now open for the Woodfield Pavilion 'Dark Bloom' exhibition commencing in October!
Local artists are invited to submit work for an upcoming exhibition celebrating the darker season and the richness of storytelling.
The exhibition will explore themes around the changing of light to dark, ancient magic, the fragility of life, root and bone, and all things gritty and mystical.
Submissions are welcome across a range of mediums, including painting, drawing, photography, textiles, original prints and some sculpture, as long as the work is original and can be hung.
Mass-produced digital or giclée prints will not be accepted.
Last date for submissions is Wednesday 7th October.
The exhibition will lead into the popular Festival of the Dead event and will also form part of the Streatham Festival Art Trail.
For more info, visit the 'What's On' page on the Woodfield Pavilion website here.
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