Wandsworth Business Guide &Directory 2017/18

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activity and health and attracts around
10,000 visitors.
In April, around 250,000 spectators
gather in Putney to watch the start of
one of the oldest sporting events in the
world, the annual Oxford and Cambridge
University Boat Race.
Wandsworth has over 490 listed buildings.
They include: Battersea Power Station;
the Royal Patriotic Building; and the Pump
House Gallery. The Grade I listed Gala
Bingo Hall in Tooting, formerly the
Granada Concert Hall where the likes of
Frank Sinatra once performed, is one of
the borough’s lesser known gems.
ARTS & CULTURE
Some of the country’s most prestigious
cultural institutions are located in
Wandsworth. These include; the National
Opera Studio, the Royal College of Art,
the Pumphouse Gallery, StudioRCA –
run by the RCA as a test-bed and
exhibition space – and The Tooting Arts
Club. The borough’s thriving theatre
scene includes: Battersea Arts Centre;
Putney Theatre; Tara Arts and Theatre
503, whilst the annual Wandsworth Arts
Fringe (WAF) in May brings together
more than 140 events, performances and
productions in an array of indoor and
outside venues across Wandsworth.
Annual street events such as Old York
Road Unplugged and the St John’s Hill
festival feature live music and free family
entertainment as well as an opportunity
for independent traders
to showcase their wares.
The BAC Moving Museum cares for
the Wandsworth Collection of historical
objects and the stories they represent,
tracing the history of the borough and
the surrounding areas.
With its iconic landmarks, varied
architecture and stunning open spaces,
the borough has long been a favourite
filming location for film directors and
production companies shooting
Blockbuster movies, TV adverts and
shows. Wandsworth has featured in films
such as A Clockwork Orange, Alfie
(1996), Love Actually, Dark Knight Rising
and The Fast and the Furious. You must
have a licence for commercial filming
and photography on council property in
Wandsworth.
THE FOOD LOVER’S BOROUGH
There is an abundance of award-winning
restaurants and eateries in Wandsworth,
and the borough is fast becoming a food
lover’s haven. Locals can choose from
a wealth of fine-dining restaurants such
as the Michelin-starred Chez Bruce
(Wandsworth Common), Gordon
Ramsay’s London House (Battersea) or
Lambert’s (Balham). In 2017, newcomers
Goose Island, an iconic Chicago brewery,
which recently opened its first UK
venue in Balham and Plot, a plate
sharing eatery in Broadway Market,
both featured in Time Out’s “Best New
Restaurant in London” list. Thanks to its
diverse global cuisine offering, Tooting is
regularly cited in the national press as
being the capital’s latest food destination.
Annual food events in the borough
include Tootopia, a three-day festival
celebrating Tooting’s diverse food, drink
and live entertainment scene and
Foodstock LDN, a music and food
festival held in Battersea Park in July.
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