Fulham
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| Fulham | |
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| Administration | |
| Borough: | Hammersmith & Fulham |
| County: | Greater London |
| Region: | Greater London |
| Nation: | England |
| Other | |
| Ceremonial County: | Greater London |
| Traditional County: | Middlesex |
| Postal County: | London |
Fulham is a London district. Currently Fulham forms part of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.
Fulham was formerly the seat of the diocese of "Fulham and Gibraltar", and Fulham Palace the official home of the Bishop of London.
One of the football hotbeds of the country, the borough itself contains two Premiership teams (Fulham and Chelsea) and one Championship team (QPR).
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Transport
Fulham nestles in a loop of the Thames across the river from Barnes and Putney. It is on the Wimbledon branch of the District Line of the tube - Fulham stations include Putney Bridge, Parson's Green, Fulham Broadway and West Brompton. Fulham is popular because of its proximity to central London and the ease with which residents can escape to the country along the A4 trunk road which lies just to the north.
Politics
Fulham is a politically significant part of the country, having been the scene of two major parliamentary by-elections in the 20th Century. In 1933, the Fulham East by-election became known as the "peace by-election" taking place shortly prior to the outbreak of World War 2.
In 1986, Fulham experienced another by-election following the death of Conservative MP Martin Stevens. Labour's Nick Raynsford gained the constituency on a 10% swing - one of the first elections that heralded the slick, modern campaigning new Labour techniques that would become renowned. Posters announcing that "Nick Raynsford lives here" adorned thousands of windows in the constituency - a reference to the fact that Labour's candidate was a long-time local, while the Tory was an "outsider" from Notting Hill.
Fulham has, however, been trending towards the Conservatives since the 1960s as the area underwent huge demographic change: the tightly-packed terraces which had housed working-class families employed in the heavy industry that dominated Fulham's riverside being rapidly replaced with young professionals who had a very different political outlook. In 1971, Fulham elected 28 Labour and 2 Conservative councillors; in 2002 the figures were 16 Conservative and 10 Labour.
Since 1997 Fulham has been merged with Hammersmith in a parliamentary constituency which Labour's Iain Coleman won in its first two contests 1997 and 2001, but which Conservative Greg Hands gained in the 2005 General Election. It is to undergo further change at the next election: the SW6 part of the constituency, south of Lillie Road is to meger with Chelsea to form a very safe Conservative seat, while the north Fulham wards will combine with the rest of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham to form a constituency that leans Labour.
Culture and Entertainment
Fulham's main claim to fame is the two premier league football clubs that are based here: in the west Fulham FC (http://www.fulhamfc.com) and in the east Chelsea FC (http://www.chelseafc.com).
There is a cinema complex as part of the Fulham Broadway Centre. The world famous River Cafe is in Fulham, alongside the architects Richard Rogers Partners' HQ.
The area has a wide range of pubs catering for the vast mix of people who now live in Fulham. Traditional Fulham pubs include the Pear Tree in Margravine Road, the Wilton in Dawes Road, the Eight Bells in Fulham High Street and the Seven Stars in North End Road. More popular with young professionals are pubs like The Crabtree in Rainville Road, The Durrell in Fulham Road, and the White Horse in Parson's Green, to name but a very few.
Fulham also has some pleasant parks and open spaces of which Bishops Park, Hurlingham Park, South Park, Eel Brook Common and Parson's Green are the largest.
Nearest Places
External links
- London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham (http://www.lbhf.gov.uk/index3.htm)
- The Borough Guide from the Borough Council (http://www.lbhf.gov.uk/our_borough/bguide/default.htm)
- BBC Guide to Hammersmith, Fulham and Chiswick (http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/whereyoulive/west/hammersmith/index.shtml)
- Fulham & Hammersmith Historical Society (http://www.fhhs.org.uk/)
- Museum of Fulham Palace on www.aboutbritain.com (http://www.aboutbritain.com/museumoffulhampalace.htm)
- Bishop of Fulham's website (http://www.bishopoffulham.co.uk/)