Al fresco dining comes to Twickenham this summer, as Church Street will be closed to traffic for Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings until 31st August 2015, plus most of the day on Sundays and Bank Holidays.
Restaurants and bars along Church Street will benefit from being able to offer street dining for their customers - it's a lovely idea and is bound to bring a holiday feel to the heart of Twickenham, and promote a sense of open community.
Businesses will be responsible for closing the gate, at the junction with York Street and King Street, which can be shut to traffic between 6pm – 11pm on Thursdays, 6pm – 11.30pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and 10.30am – 10pm on Sundays and Bank Holidays.
Apparently procedures are in place to have the gate opened quickly in an emergency, and the far end is not gated at all. Deliveries can still be made and emergencies can still be responded to.
There are a good number of thebestof Richmond Business Members along Church Street who will doubtless be joining in the new community, such as Masaniello , Pincho Med Tapas Bar and Restaurant , Osteria Pulcinella and Twickenham Tandoori .
Be sure to use this great opportunity and make the most of our eateries this summer, and support your local businesses - after a busy day at work or with the family, you could escape on 'holiday' for just a few hours.
Comparisons are often made between the UK and the Continent in terms of eating out and their attitude to treating food and drink as a social and community event, something we generally lack.
And we can't blame the weather - I just spent a weekend camping proving eating outside in the UK is possible! Compare no more - take a break to Twickenham of an evening, and enjoy dining in England at its best.
Any business or traders’ association which would like to make a suggestion on how the Council could help improve trading conditions in other ways should get in touch through their local business association.
