Shepherd's Bush

Shepherd's Bush is a suburb in west London. It is bordered by Hammersmith to the south, Notting Hill to the east and Ealing to the west. The heart of the area is Shepherd's Bush Green, a large triangular patch of open grass surrounded by trees and roads, with a couple of tennis courts. It is served by two London Underground stations, Shepherd's Bush on the Central Line, and Shepherd's Bush on the Hammersmith and City Line; but be aware that it is a five minute walk between the two. Running parallel to the Hammermsmith and City line tracks there is a large permanent market, selling groceries, cooked food, clothing and bric-à-brac.

The area has long been a first home to second and first generation immigrants. While this is less true today then in the past, there is still a substantial expatriate population (including many travelling Antipodeans).

Shepherd's Bush is well known as the home of BBC Television (see also White City). It's also the fictional home of Steptoe & Son, at Oil Drum Lane.

The members of two important rock and roll groups, The Who and the Sex Pistols, grew up in Shepherd's Bush.

Shepherd's Bush is thought to have been named after the area which shepherds were said to use as a meadow. However, it is also thought that it could have been named after someone in the area, because in 1635 the area was recorded as "Sheppards Bush Green".