Our second local story in the series takes place in Twickenham as well, before we move further into London. In this interview, I dig into what makes Twickenham so appealing with someone who knows the town like the back of his hand. It provides some great clues into the future of London neighbourhoods.
I meet Michael Butlin at a café in Strawberry Hill, just by the station. It’s a popular spot for locals. As the owner Tony described in an area bulletin, “mums, lecturers, local business people, builders and dog-walkers” all come to socialise here. The café is quiet and peaceful when I arrive, and I sit by the window in the soft morning sunlight. Tony sees Michael walking in first, and begins making his coffee.
“This is my second office” Michael tells me.
“Yes, it is,” Tony calls from behind the counter.
Michael Butlin is a councillor for South Twickenham. Locals will likely recognise his pick-up truck, recently with a big stack of neon-orange Lib-Dem signs poking out of the load space. His party just had a good result in the Richmond and Twickenham elections, and Michael is in a great mood. Then again, I’ve met with Michael before (family connections), and he’s always in a pretty good mood – quick with an interesting fact or story, and fantastic knowledge of port and cheese.
For this interview, I’ll leave the politics with more practiced hands than mine. Michael has been a councillor for Twickenham for years, so it’s his exceptional knowledge of the area that I’m after.
A view of the Thames
When I said, in Foxtons head office, that I was interviewing Michael Butlin, a co-worker from Twickenham cut in with, “ask him about the Riverside!” (That’s the handy thing about writing at Foxtons, I can find a local opinion for pretty much any spot in Greater London.)
So, the very first question I ask is, “what’s this I hear about a Riverside development?”
“It’s going to happen,” Michael says, and he talks me through the disputes, the 40 years of uncertainty, the plan to finally move forward. It has been a hot topic in Twickenham for a very long time.
Sheepishly, I ask, “And what is the Riverside development?”
“A pretty small piece of real estate,” he laughs.
If you head down Water Lane in Twickenham, towards the River Thames, there’s this strip of land to your right that’s mostly taken up by a parking lot. “There’s always a complaint about parking,” he admits, “but then, the whole of London has got a problem with parking.”
The planned development will include two new buildings bookending Diamond Jubilee Gardens with retail units on the ground floor, and a new open area with native trees, a climbing wall and space to lounge and play. Water Lane will be widened and pedestrianised, and there will be an event space right on the river. Michael says, “Essentially, it’ll be a space that people can use for a fair down there, parties, a band… There are so many community activities that you can’t do there at the moment.”
Hello from Heath Road
I then ask Michael about Twickenham’s appeal, “The top end of Heath Road, from the Tesco’s down to the traffic lights is in my ward. It’s the bit from Tennyson Avenue to the – I’ve started calling in – Twickenham West End,” he says with a grin.
“There, you’ve got all the shops. Oh!” Michael holds up a pouch with his phone peeking out. “[Everything About Stitch] made me that…And if you want any sort of adjustments, clothing adjustments, or dresses – she makes her own clothes as well…”
Michael lists the shops and services in Twickenham’s West End with incredible ease, “…four coffee bars and they’re all different. The Italian one’s just newly arrived, Buongiorno, you point at the cake and they make it. You don’t eat that cake, they make you one.” He talks about SOUL’s vegan food, Sapori’s sandwiches, and an international selection of restaurants. “On the election morning, we didn’t have the final thing declared until 6:30 on Friday morning. I was…” He shakes his head in mock exasperation, “So, I went to Heath Cafe and got myself a bacon sandwich at 6:45. It was great. Where else can you go get yourself a great bacon sandwich at 6:45 in the morning?”
There and back in 20 minutes
Michael’s guide to the area reminds me of something I’ve been hearing more and more, especially by politicians in the latest election. The 20- or 15-minute (or 10-minute if they’re ambitious) neighbourhood. The goal for healthy local neighbourhoods is to have everything to meet the residents daily needs available within a 20-minute walk. That includes things like local shopping, healthcare, places to gather, public transport, education, employment, green space, etc. I asked him about the goal for 20-minute neighbourhoods, and how this fits in.
Michael says, “This is a real 20-minute neighbourhood. There’s a nail shop, a cleaners, an undertaker, a dentist…This area probably has the best facilities – Crane Park, the Twickenham Rough (which I’d like to make 24-hours). You’ve got public transport, the train line runs in both directions. Education wise, you’ve got so many options,” Michael rattles off a whole host of nurseries, just around Twickenham green, and a range of great secondary schools.
“Here in Strawberry Hill, down that road over there is a nice little golf course – 9 holes…you’ve got, well, all kinds of rugby.” We laugh. Rugby is a very big deal here, with Twickenham Stadium as the official home of England rugby.
“You like rowing? There’s’ a rowing club in Twickenham. Become a member there and row backwards and forwards to your hearts content! There’s a pretty intensive club – it’s called Twickenham Cycling Club, they meet there at the corner of Twickenham green.”
This, we think, is what makes Twickenham such an exciting place to be right now. The access to resources is brilliant here, and with plans like the Riverside development, it’s improving all the time.
Innovation in your neighbourhood
In our previous Local Stories blog, we talked to Ricardo Garcia about how Twickenham's Church Street was pedestrianised during Covid, and how the change became a real asset for community spirit and local business after Covid’s peak. Twickenham's successes make the concept of a 20-minute neighbourhood especially interesting.
London has grown up organically into what it is today, summarised in the London Plan as, “Over many decades, London has evolved, resulting in an extraordinary web of distinctive residential streets, squares, markets, parks, offices, and industrial and creative spaces. The built environment we see today – the legacy of previous generations – has not just shaped the way our city looks but has had a profound impact on how and where we live, work, study and socialise with one another” (The London Plan 2021).
Throughout the interview, this quiet café has fill with conversation and laughter, people sitting down for a coffee and a chat, commuters filtering through on their way to the station, the low rumble of trains passing by. Something about the atmosphere, friendly faces warming up the bustle of a busy morning, has made this an especially enjoyable start to my day. A place for community seems good for the soul, and I can see, all the more clearly, why locals like Michael and Ricardo are so proud of this charming town.
