What's On

AN AFTERNOON of games, live music and a BBQ for the whole family is happening this Father's Day to raise money for charity.

There will be golf chipping, balloon sculpting, a bouncy castle, an egg and spoon race and much more in the beer garden of the Woodlands Tavern, St John's Road.

Money raised will go to ACROSS, a charity which sees sick and disabled adults and children being taken on a pilgrimage to the famous French town in a specially designed coach ambulance.

A full Sunday roast will be available from 12pm until 2pm and then a BBQ will be running until the evening this Sunday.

If you can help with any of the stalls, call John or Tina on 07973127327 or Sheila Dodd 0208 5603216.

For more information on the charity, go to www.across-uk.org

The Old Fire Station restaurant in Brentford will be celebrating 10 years in business with a charity barbecue, along with cocktails, music and dancing.

Rob Myers and Rod Eslamieh, who run the Cuban-Persian restaurant, will donate 10 per cent of all proceeds from the celebrations to local charity Excellent Development to aid their Sand Dams project.

The charity works with local partners and communities to build the dams in drylands, which are home to 80% of the world's poorest people. The Sand Dams project results in clean water and the opportunity to grow more food in drylands, helping communities to build a sustainable future.

The garden festivities at The Old Fire station will be taking place from 1pm until late this Saturday (15).

To learn more about Excellent Development's work and to get involved, visit www.excellent.org.uk

A BUDDING archaeologist could be in with the chance of winning a place on an archaeology course at Syon Park.

The Museum of London are running the competition until next Friday (7) at 12pm which will see one lucky winner going on a five day, hands-on archaeological course in Syon Park from June 24 to 28.

Professionals from the Museum of London and Museum of London Archaelogy will be on hand throughout to advise on excavating, identifying and handling Roman objects.

The course is suitable for all levels, just answer this question and explain, in less than 150 words, why you would like to win this prize:

What did the Romans call London?
a) Ludenwic
b) Londinium
c) Plowonida

Send in your answers with your full name to communityarchaeology@museumoflondon.org.uk

By Lauren Clarke

A PAIR of charities are asking Londoners to help save the nation's endangered eels at an event this evening (May 24).

A free training session will be provided to volunteers who wish to learn how to monitor and measure how many eels there are in the River Brent, Brentford at 6pm tonight, as part of a summer-long scheme.

The Canal and River Trust has been working in partnership with the Thames River Trust to allow for more accessible migration paths for the endangered species, which comes after the substantial decline of the European eels in the last 30 years.

The eels travel from the other side of the Atlantic back to Britain to mature and the volunteering scheme will not only the support this epic journey but will also improve the environment.

Leela O'Dea, environmental manager at the Canal and River Trust, said: "Volunteers are tremendously passionate about our canals and rivers, and this is a great chance to get involved in helping us understand the habits of the critically endangered European eel."

The training will take place at 6pm at Stoney Slice in Brentford. The eel monitoring takes place from April to September.

To book a place on this volunteering scheme e-mail ccockel@thamesrivertrust.org.uk

By Luke Hurst

A SPIDER-like structure will be unveiled tomorrow in Boston Manor Park to encourage youngsters to be active.

The interactive climbing frame, which has been named The Spider, will provide fitness activities for people aged eight and upwards.

Friends of Boston Manor funded the project, and its founder and top volunteer, Linda Massey said: "There are five separate games they can play, on their own or in teams. Players choose the game and the pod will tell them what to do via speakers."

The Spider will be opened at noon tomorrow (May 25), alongside new gym equipment and an outdoor table tennis table.

As part of the launch, Brentford FC Community Trust will put on a coaching session in the park and Boston Manor Tennis Club will be running a tournament. There will also be a number of food and drink stalls.

The idea is to tempt teenagers away from their screens. Mrs Massey added: "We hear so often from visitors to the park that they cannot get their teenagers away from their computers - the spider is something to tempt them into the fresh air, use their computer skills and get fit at the same time."

Activities will run from 12-4pm.

A CHANCE to see an award winning documentary about the controversial gas extraction process known as fracking is coming to the High Street.

Gasland, directed by Josh Fox, was nominated for an Oscar in 2010 and has won several other prestigious awards for its hard hitting investigation into the controversial method.

Refreshments from the licensed bar, fresh popcorn, home baked goods and real ale will be on offer for the showing tomorrow (18) at The Docking Station, 109 High Street, Brentford.

Places are limited so booking is recommended from wegottickets.com or by calling 07941 520841.

CHISWICK will become a herb paradise when a local community project celebrates the Chelsea Fringe with a range of exciting activities.

Abundance London has worked with the entire Chiswick community to turn the area into a herb haven from May 18 until June 9 to celebrate the second Chelsea Fringe, a London wide gardening festival.

Around 60 little herb gardens will pop up along Chiswick High Road, Turnham green Terrace and Devonshire Road and there will also be a herbal knot garden with a living willow structure on Turnham Green in front of the Town Hall.

The initiative will be launched next Saturday (18) when there will be free workshops all day at Union Jacks, Devonshire Road and Turnham Green.

These will include learning how to make your own herbal bread, learning about herbal medicine, creating seedballs, a willow weaving workshop, gin gardening, a fancy dress competition and a treasure trail with prizes.

For those who want to truly embrace the spirit of the event, there is a fancy dress competition which will be running all day. Come dressed as a bee or a butterfly to win prizes from Top Hat and Polomo and bee cup cakes from Whisk.

Abundance, a not-for-profit community project, has worked with a large range of people from Chiswick, including shops, restaurants, residents' associations and churches, schools, a youth offender group, a nursing home, garden centres and artists.

For more details and to see the timetable go to abundancelondon.com or follow them on @abundancelondon.

A CHANCE to experience the magic of the Kew Bridge Steam Museum at night is coming up.

The famous museum will be transformed into a mystical building with live music from Tankus the Henge - a band who describes itself as playing apocalyptic, carnival, rock and roll while James Watt and Charles Dickens characters will be there to recount Victorian tales.

The Steam Hall bar will be open for visitors to have a drink surrounded by the historic steam engines as the museum's resident artists and blacksmith mingle with guests.

Head to the Kew Bridge Steam Museum in Green Dragon Lane, Brentford next Thursday (16) from 6:30pm until 9:30pm.

Entry is free but there is a suggested donation of £10 which will go to restoring the steam engines. Advanced booking is recommended, call 020 85684757.

Tickets have gone on sale for the annual mid-summer jazz cruise aboard the Queen Elizabeth on June 14.

Popular jazz band Anacousis will serenade passengers as they cruise from Chiswick Pier to Westminster and back while enjoying a two course cold supper served by award-winning local restaurant Pissaro's.

Tickets cost £35 per person and early booking is advised as they sell out quickly.

Call 020 8742 2713 or 07594 596729 to book.

CRAZY golf, a circus skills workshop and face painting are just a few examples of the fun to be had at the Chiswick House May Fayre this Sunday (12).

The annual event in the walled gardens of Chiswick House Gardens will also include a variety of food, from seasonal risottos to hot dogs and afternoon tea. There will also be a bar and refreshments as well as a toddlers play area and a chance to see behind the scenes of the kitchen garden.

Tickets are £5 per person and are available from chgt.org.uk as well as on the day. Children aged two and under are free.

Head to the western walled garden and kitchen garden, via the A4 west gate or Rustic House gate at Chiswick House Gardens. Runs from 11am until 3pm.