September 2025
Dear Cornwall Gardens Key Holder and/or Resident
A short bulletin this time focusing on the up and coming Second Event of the Queen’s Gate Ward Freedom Pass Dining Club; two musical events being put on by the choir of the 21st Century; and, a table of events in and around the Gardens.
There is also an important announcement about waste collections by The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea.
COMMUNITY AND PRIVATE EVENTS
Please find a table here with information about community and private events in and around Cornwall Gardens.
The Queen’s Gate Ward Freedom Pass Dining Club - Dinner on Tuesday, 16 September 2025 at 6 pm in Jakobs Restaurant, Gloucester Road, SW7 4RB
If you live in Queen’s Gate Ward and qualify or nearly qualify for a Freedom Pass, you are cordially invited to the Second Event of the Freedom Pass Dining Club (along with your companion or carer, if required) on Tuesday, 16 September 2025 at 6 pm for Dinner in Jakobs Restaurant, 20 Gloucester Road, SW7 4RB.
The Second Event is being hosted by Jakobs, and will comprise a three course dinner with drinks, followed by bingo and karaoke sessions featuring pop songs from the 1960s and 1970s.
Please see flyer for more details.
The event is free of charge and there is no need to book in advance.
Tania and her team looks forward to welcoming you to Jakobs for this Second Event of the Freedom Pass Dining Club.
Report of the Inaugural Event of the Queen’s Gate Freedom Pass Dining Club
The Mayor of the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, Cllr Tom Bennett (see photo), officially launched the Queen’s Gate Ward Freedom Pass Dining Club on Tuesday, 7 July 2025 with High Tea at Jakobs Restaurant. Jakobs provided a delicious spread of sandwiches, pastries and scones with bubbly and beverages. There were supporting appearances from two Chelsea Pensioners, gleaming in full ceremonial dress, and sharing memories of their life time of service to the nation. Providing live and thoroughly enjoyable music was an accomplished accordion player.
The event was a great success and well-attended with the Mayor saying he was delighted that RBKC is supporting the initiative to bring local older residents together in a convivial social setting, all made possible with a grant from RBKC’s City Living, Local Life fund, sponsored by the Cornwall Gardens Residents Association and organised by Jakobs.
Come and Sing - 4 October 2025 in St James’s Church, Prebend Street, London N1 9PF
Please see flyer here with details. Although not in our area, the event is being hosted by the Choir of the 21st Century (CC21), whose musical director is Richard Gowers. They normally perform at St Stephen’s but, on this occasion, all of you who love singing are invited to St James to join in and perform too.
Choir of the 21st Century - Requiem by Durufle and the Salisbury Cantata by Patrick Gowers on 15 November 2025 in St Stephen’s Church, Gloucester Road, London SW7 4RL
More details of this concert, featuring a work by the Grandfather of Richard Gowers (mentioned above) as well as probably Durufle’s greatest work, will follow in the next bulletin.
WASTE COLLECTIONS IN CORNWALL GARDENS BY RBKC – IMPORTANT CHANGES ANNOUNCED
Many residents have complained repeatedly about their neighbours dumping refuse bags and other waste along Cornwall Gardens on the wrong days and at the wrong times. This results in the bags being ripped open by vermin and the waste scattered around. Other forms of waste have also been dumped, usually as a result of a Flat refurbishment or deep clean, for which special arrangements have to be made by the householder and their contractors as they will not be collected with the bin run.
From now on, all refuse for bin collections must be kept in the vaults of your building and securely wrapped at all times. The bin crew will carry the refuse bags up the stairs and pile it up on the pavement for easy collection. No waste must be put out the night before: it can now only be put in the hour or so before 7 am on Mondays and Thursdays.
Please check RBKC’s website for more details: https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/waste-and-recycling/rubbish-collections/rubbish-collections This also explains when normal collections are suspended for Christmas and the August Bank Holiday etc.
Enforcement is also being stepped up to tackle the root of the problem, which is often linked to unlawful subletting and inappropriate use of Flats. Written in 1959 into every deed of transfer of property in Cornwall Gardens is the following restrictive covenant:
". . . the residential property hereby transferred shall not at any time be used otherwise than for high class residential purposes. . . . "
Case law has determined that using the property for a series of short lets is a commercial use and therefore falls foul of this covenant. This can lead to enforcement action up to and including forfeiture, which will also be the case for other forms of unlawful commercial activity in residential property.
Building Owners, Flat Owners and Managing Agents are encouraged to make use of this provision in order to maintain Cornwall Gardens as an area for top quality and safe residential living by a stable and law-abiding community.
A more detailed bulletin will follow in due course.
In the meantime, please accept our best wishes.
John Varley
Chairman, Cornwall Gardens Committee & Residents Association
07775 552050
Alan Lester
Secretary, Cornwall Gardens Committee & Residents Association
07816 324335
