Welcome to the Middlesex branch of the Western Front Association.
Venue: Hewitt Room, Whitton Community Centre, Percy Road, Whitton TW2 6JL
The Community Centre is a single story building shared with the Whitton Corner Pharmacy which is situated between Twickenham School/Whitton Sports and Fitness Centre and the Whitton Health and Social Care Centre and across the road from Twickenham Cemetery. See news item dated 9th May 2023 for picture of Centre as seen from Percy Road. The Hewitt Room is on the right at the end of the entrance corridor.
If driving the nearest main road is the A316 (Chertsey Road). Come off at the Hospital Bridge Roundabout heading north taking the exit signposted 'B358 Whitton' onto Hospital Bridge Road and then the next right onto Percy Road at the Health and Social Care Centre which is just past the Church on your right. The entrance to the Community Centre's car-park (which includes disabled spaces) is then on your right. This is free for those using the building but is quite small so if this is full then local roads have unrestricted street parking.
NOTE that the Centre being in the London borough of Richmond now lies within the ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone) area so suggest you check your car on the TfL website (Check your vehicle (tfl.gov.uk) to see if you would be liable for the £12.50 daily charge for driving in the zone.
However if using public transport the Centre is a 10-12 minute walk (around 800m) or short bus ride (see below for details) from Whitton Station- turn left on leaving station. The station is in TfL fare zone 5 and is served by South West Trains semi-fast London Waterloo to Windsor and Eton Riverside service or the stopping Waterloo-Hounslow loop service. Note that the latter service is limited to peak hours so will allow access to the meeting but to return after the meeting you would have to change trains perhaps at Richmond or Putney having used the Windsor service or using buses as below- check your journey on the National Rail or Transport for London journey planner websites to find the best option for you.
It is also on H22 and 110 bus routes both of which pass Whitton station and link to Hounslow or Richmond respectively for London overground (from Richmond) or underground (Piccadilly or District line respectively) services. If travelling from Whitton station get off the 110 bus at the Ryecroft Avenue stop and walk on past the School to the Centre or the H22 at the Whitton Corner Health and Social Care Centre stop, then walking back into Percy Road to the Centre. Travelling towards the station both buses use the stop directly across Percy Road from the Community Centre again named as Whitton Corner Health and Social Care Centre. The 481 bus from Kingston to West Middlesex Hospital in Isleworth also serves the Whitton Corner Health and Social Care Centre but offers a limited service ending before 8pm so again whilst it could be used to reach the meeting it could not be used to return.
NOTE there are no refreshment facilities at the Community Centre but The Winning Post pub is close-by on the Chertsey Road with access from Percy Road and there are a number of restaurants, supermarkets and takeaways on Whitton High Street to the right of the station.
Dates: The First Thursday of each month (except January and August when no meeting is held)
TIME: 7:20pm for 7:30-9:20.
Donation (£4 suggested) requested to cover branch costs
Follow us on Twitter: @WFAMiddlesex
Upcoming Branch Events
The Chinese Labour Corps on the Western Front - a talk by Wenlan Peng
When Britain realised that the war would last longer than expected and was taking its toll on their soldiers at the Western Front, they looked east to China to recruit a labour force of men to work behind the lines. Nearly 100,000 men were shipped over from the province of Shandong to northern France and Flanders. This was the Chinese Labour Cor...
Event Details
‘Most of the Work, Most of the Blame, None of the Credit. Platoon commanders in the Great War’ a talk by Fraser Skirrow
Great War subalterns were mocked and satirised, then and now, as enthusiastic and patriotic but naïve and ignorant public school boys. They led gallantly from the front, looking after their men, but with few tactical responsibilities and little autonomy. Later, the platoon became the key tactical attack unit, a flexible group of specialists with...
Event Details