Nothing screams party like a Monday night in West Hampstead. But this Monday is New Year’s Eve so all of a sudden it’s party central in NW6. Or something. Personally, I’ll be getting in a bottle of vodka and enough Haribo to sink the Bismarck and watching Jools Holland in my Christmas onesie, but no […]
After the epic review of the year, I thought it would be interesting to see what were actually the most read stories of 2012 on the website*. Fatal accident on West End Lane. This tragedy happened in November but still garnered far more attention than anything else in 2012. It was pleasing to see that […]
Did someone say bandwagon? Like any publication worth its salt, this website is not immune to the allure of churning out a review of the past 12 months. So here are the crime-fighting vicars and the organic cauliflowers that made up 2012 for West Hampstead. First, the stories you may have missed, then a fuller […]
Forget the Oscars, the BRITS, the Golden Globes or even Sports Personality. There’s only one annual award worth winning. The West Hampstead Life Tweet of the Year award. It’s here. It’s now. It’s competitive. Below are the eight tweets I’ve shortlisted. Vote for your favouite – please vote only once, and I shall be on […]
There were two accidents on Tuesday – one at the start,and one at the end of the day. Thankfully, no-one was seriously hurt. On Wednedsay, four people were rescued from a house fire on Maygrove Road. Police have released CCTV images of “vital” witnesses to the the crash on November 10th that killed Desreen Brooks […]
Today, police released three CCTV images from the night of November 10th. That was the Saturday of the car crash that killed Desreen Brooks and severely injured Amy Werner. Police believe these are all vital witnesses in their attempt to find out exactly what happened at about 8.30pm that night. The first is a moped […]
This morning I saw a tweet saying “Small house fire on Maygrove Road”. Shortly after, the London Fire Brigade tweeted “20 firefighters are tackling a house blaze on Maygrove Road”. Not such a small fire after all. After an hour, the fire at No.39 was out. According to the fire brigade, part of second floor […]
Yesterday was topped and tailed by two road traffic accidents at either end of West End Lane. In the morning there was a collision involving a police car at the junction with Dynham Road (right by where the fatal car accident was last month). Photo via Tim Blackwell Photo via Chris Padfield (I’m intrigued as […]
Douglas Hutchison, the man attacked on Goldhurst Terrace on November 29th, died in hospital. He was better known to many as “Professor Whitestick”. PC Ruth Marshall will be leaving the West Hampstead Safer Neighbourhood Team in the New Year. The dispersal zone that covered the Lymington Road/Lithos Road area was wound up in November, apparently […]
Many of us generally, if not obsessively, like to shop at local independent places if we can. Often we can’t, or convenience (or price) dictates we go elsewhere. We may simply not care. However, a study in the US has actually quantified the economic benefits to a neighbourhood of giving your trade to the locals […]
The very sad news broke this morning that the man who was attacked at the end of last month in Goldhurst Terrace has died in hospital. Douglas Hutchison, 60, who suffered from severe visual impairment, was better known to many by his pseudonym Professor Whitestick. His blog and Twitter account were widely read and his […]
Last night around 4.30pm, smoke was spotted seemingly coming out of the ground outside Sainsbury’s on West End Lane in West Hampstead. About the same time, a few businesses and residents across the road reported a power cut. Perhaps unsurprisingly it turned out the two were related. Apparently there was a small electrical fire in […]
[View the story “Camden census – some highlights” on Storify] Camden census – some highlights The Office for National Statistics released its first set of data today from the 2011 census for England & Wales. I waded through the spreadsheets to find some of the more striking figures relating to the London Borough of Camden […]
The We are Camden website seems to have struggled to gain traction since it launched some 18 months ago. The idea was to provide a community forum on a ward basis, but posts are sporadic at best. It’s slightly surprising that the venture has lasted this long, at a time of cuts. Perhaps one way […]
It was a bad week for First Capital Connect with some horrendous delays that forced several commuter trains to terminate at West Hampstead. From this week, there are timetable changes. There’s also a “Meet the Director” online forum at 1pm on Friday 14th December. Meanwhile, locals who live along the train line are in for […]
Is Camden council doing enough to help new businesses in West Hampstead? Local Lib Dem councillor Gillian Risso-Gill thinks not, and had a hefty swipe at the council in a letter to the Ham & High this week to say just that: “Empty retail and business units have been allowed to stay empty for years, […]
Planning law is a strange beast. Let me refresh your memory. Linden Wates recently won an appeal to build very low-impact homes on the resevoir site in Gondar Gardens. In a considered review of the application, the Planning Inspector believed that any negative impact on the open space would be offset by the benefits of […]
Fortune Green is on the up. QEII status beckons. Which could mean some funding and additional planning protection. The Friends of Fortune Green are excited. Phase one of the major improvements to the green took place two years ago: resurfacing paths, expanding the dog-free area, improving the entrance by the bus stop and new planting. […]
Abercorn School is a three-site private school based in St John’s Wood and Marylebone that takes children from 2 1/2 to 13. Each site takes a different age group. Now, the school is seeking to open a school for 7-13 year-olds in the vacant unit of Alfred Court (also known locally as the Sager Building) […]
Turn on BBC1 tonight for early evening magazine programme The One Show to see West End Lane’s very own Wired make an appearance. A One Show researcher contacted me yesterday trying to track down a number for Wired (hint: you need a website guys!), and the crew and a reporter turned up this morning at […]
The Neighbourhood Development Plan published its draft core policies, which were discussed at a meeting last Thursday. There was a violent assault on Goldhurst Terrace on Thursday. A woman died on Sunday morning in a fire in a flat in West End Court on the corner of Priory Road and Greencroft Gardens. Fire station cuts […]
A little over a year ago proposals came forward to allow more contraflow cycling in South Hampstead. Some people thought this was madness, but it went ahead anyway. One thing that seemed clear was that for it to work safely, the signage both in terms of road signs and on-road markings, would have to be […]
It was a relatively small group that assembled in the creche room of Emmanuel Church last night. Thankfully a heater was blasting away (the church is apparently investing in underfloor heating at some point – very fancy), keeping the cold at bay. Under discussion was the second draft of the Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP), and […]
[updated 2.15pm] Following heavy twitter activity about a major police incident on Goldhurst Terrace yesterday afternoon, it transpires that an 18-year-old German man has been arrested in connection with an unprovoked assault on a 60-year-old man who was found unconscious and is still in a critical condition in hospital. The German may have mental health […]
Many of you will remember an article back in July about artist Martin Robertson who was interested in finding out what we thought symbolised West Hampstead. Many of you gave your thoughts on this and Martin went away to work on his interpretation. Lots of West Hampstead landmarks there – bonus points for spotting the […]
Navigating between the three West Hampstead stations is already challenging, with narrow pavements, crowds of people and at least one road to cross whichever change you’re making. Now imagine that you’re not so good at walking – or can’t walk at all. That minor hassle becomes a major hassle. Or would be if it was […]
On December 8th, West End Green will host the third successive West Hampstead Christmas market. It starts at 10am and there’ll be stalls on the green. In previous years these have been a mixture of local crafts, some food (hot and cold), and a couple of community groups. It’s not a German-style market, which I […]
West Hampstead police station may be for the chop, but is our fire station safe from the latest round of cuts? The most recent proposal to close stations in London puts Belsize station on the chopping block, while West Hampstead is neither slated for any changes, nor has the security of being on the protected […]
There’s a new momentum on Mill Lane. This motley collection of independent shops has tried before to unite behind some self-promotion but these efforts have largely come to nothing. Now, the West Hampstead street that’s often seen as West End Lane’s poor relation has some impetus behind it thanks partly to the arrival of Monsters […]
We’re inching nearer to a final Neighbourhood Development Plan. There’s a meeting this Thursday to discuss the second draft plan. At the time of writing the draft, the issue of the southern boundary had not been resolved. Since then, however, the results of the WHGARA (West Hamsptead Gardens Area Residents Association) vote on the matter […]
Is West Hampstead police station set to close completely? The latest fire station closure proposals were published. West Hampstead is neither slated for closure nor on the protected list. Amy Werner, the student injured in the car accident a couple of weeks ago, could be flown back to the US on Friday. A Croatian deli […]
Last Monday a small but select group of locals stood around in the bright sunshine to watch a tree being planted. This is the first tree in West End Green for more than 100 years – the previous one, in the middle of the park, commemorates the coronation of Edward VII in 1902. Cllr Flick […]
I spoke today with Rich Werner, father of Vermont student Amy who was so badly hurt in the car accident on West End Lane a couple of weeks back. Rich sounded more upbeat and the news that many of you have been asking about is that Amy continues to make good progress. She still has […]
West Hampstead police station looks certain to lose its front counter, but the murmurings that the whole station is under threat are getting louder. The Metropolitan Police has engaged in a strange consultation process regarding front counter closures. It can, at best, be described as cursory. A cynic might even interpret it as underhand. “Priority […]
As we piled into Feng Sushi in West Hampstead a couple of weeks ago I think it’s fair to say we weren’t entirely sure what to expect. Sure, we’d all had sushi before; some of us had even eaten from Feng’s menu. But I don’t think anyone had sat down to quite such a feast […]
The trouble with taking over ever larger spaces is that it takes ever so slightly longer for you to feel confident that you’ll fill them. As I rattled around The Alliance with a few early arrivals and a couple of helpful stalwarts I began to get that nagging feeling that maybe this was too ambitious. […]
The fatal accident on West End Lane a week ago continued to make the news, while dozens of readers of this site expressed their condolences and asked how they could help. Camden is imposing a 150% council tax on second homes left empty for more than two years. The tenth #whampgather was a great night: […]
Since Tuesday, I’ve spoken to Ben Dutton and twice to Rich Werner. Ben is the husband of Desreen Brooks who died in Saturday’s accident on West End Lane in West Hampstead. Rich is the father of Amy who was badly injured in the same crash and remains in hospital. Rich and his wife Gina flew […]
Today, the police released the name of the woman who was killed in the tragic road accident in West Hampstead on Saturday night. Desreen Brooks, 33, was with her husband and two-year-old son at the time. As the car mounted the pavement her husband Ben Dutton pushed their son out of the way and jumped […]
There was a tragic road accident on West End Lane on Saturday night. The cause is still unclear. The farmers’ market needs planning permission – your comments can help ensure it gets it. Students living in the new block on Blackburn Road will have to shell out at least £199 a week, but get their […]
Almost two years ago, Camden launched its 15-year(!) community investment programme. A large part of this is flogging assets in order to invest in other services. In some cases this involves quite major closures, such as at 156 West End Lane, aka the Travis Perkins building. In other instances it means looking at small plots […]
[original post Nov 11th 10am][updated Nov 11th 11.30am][updated Nov 11th 4pm] [updated Nov 12th 4pm][updated Nov 13th 8.30am] [updated Nov 13th 1.15pm][new article: http://www.westhampsteadlife.com/2012/11/west-end-lane-crash-details-emerging.html] [new article: http://www.westhampsteadlife.com/2012/11/west-end-lane-crash-can-we-help.html] Just after 8.30pm on Saturday, the 83-year-old driver of an old Mercedes on West End Lane lost control, mounted the curb, hit two female pedestrians, some traffic lights and a […]
As this Thursday’s #whampgather is Whampgather X (still can’t quite believe I’m on the tenth edition), I thought I’d do something a little different in the build-up to keep you all excited. So, X marks the spot for the inaugural #whamptreasurehunt. Ooh-arrr, my whamphearties. (I shall never ever say that again). How it worksBelow, you’ll […]
Crane over West Hampstead (c) dancoffeyphotography.com I thought it would be useful to keep track of all the major development plans in West Hampstead in map form. This is a beta version, I’m working on a more sophisticated one. This map includes everything I’m aware of, from early-stage discussions to developments that are almost complete. […]
Not that it’s exactly been “illegal” since it opened. The market has been allowed to operate without planning permission for a short period of time, but now the application is in with Camden and if you are broadly in favour of us having a farmers’ market in West Hampstead every Saturday then it would be […]
Here’s a charming short film shot entirely in West Hampstead. It’s based on a true story in director Nick Jones’ family, updated to the present day. It’s well worth watching.
…at least you’d hope not if you’re a student in West Hampstead next year. You’ll have seen the large building going up on Blackburn Road over the past few months. Rising nine storeys at his highest point (furthest away from the tube lines and West End Lane), I’m sure most of you know that it’s […]
Next week is #whampgather X at The Alliance- the tenth edition of the local party to end all local parties. It’s sold out, there’s already a lengthy waiting list, and local breweries have been put on high alert. As many of you will know, a regular and popular feature of whampgathers is the raffle. All […]
The proposal to redevelop the garden centre site on Iverson Road into flats was given the green light back in the early summer but for some reason I never actually wrote about it. I did discuss the plans back in January, after they had been watered down slightly from an initially very ambitious “aeroplane wing” […]
News came in late last night that the Planning Inspector (that’s a national, not a Camden position) had upheld the appeal by Linden Wates. This was after Camden rejected Linden Wates’ original 2011 proposal to develop the reservoir site into 16 houses, largely submerged beneath ground level [full planning application]. You can read more about […]
J’s – the pizza and breakfast place on West End Lane has closed. I learned that TS Eliot lived briefly in Compayne Gardens. Find out what locals think of the neighbourhood (misty eyed or hungry for change?) These views will help inform the Neighbourhood Development Plan. There was a meeting about the plan a couple […]
Last month Camden held a development forum public meeting to discuss the revised proposals for 65-67 Maygrove Road, commonly known as “Handrail House”. The developer had withdrawn its previous application for the 1930s Handrail House office building because, it seemed, it was hard to make it economically viable while still having a chance of getting […]
Earlier in the summer, Camden held a consultation about parking in the borough, specifically around the Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs). The findings have been published, so what changes should we expect in West Hampstead and neighbouring areas? The scope of the consultation was to “gauge opinion on issues relating to the size, days and hours […]
Tomorrow there’s going to be another market opposite the farmers’ market. This is a small craft market selling greetings cards, including Christmas cards, designed by a local artist, designer watches and bracelets from Australia, as well as vintage jewellery. Will be interesting to see whether the farmers’ market shoppers will be drawn across the road […]
There was a great turnout last Monday for the West Hampstead Neighbourhood Development Forum meeting, chaired by WHAT. There were slides, there were speeches, there was a bit of heckling – but was there any fruitful outcome? This was a chance for the NDF to present its progress to the public, and for the public […]
Didi Johnson talks about La Secret Boutique and its one-year anniversary event Located in the heart of West Hampstead at 202 West End Lane (secretly hidden downstairs in Lovefood café), La Secret Boutique is a new ladies fashion boutique that believes in a different shopping experience. [update: La Boutique Secret (as it’s now called) has […]
Chilly isn’t it? Expect you’re digging out that winter coat from the back of the wardrobe to keep you nice and warm as you trudge from your centrally heated house to the hot tube to your heated office and back. Because for those minutes that you’re outside, it’s cold and you want to be warm. […]
A couple of days ago I wrote about Camden’s proposal to introduce a 20mph speed limit on all roads in the borough. Here’s a presentation Camden prepared on the subject, which is laden with stats. Camden 20mph Limit Presentation On Twitter and in the comments section, there were plenty of people wanting to express their […]
Are West Hampstead locals “misty-eyed” about the past, or driving for progressive change? Depends who you ask. A few months ago, the Neighbourhood Development Forum ran a survey1 to gauge people’s views on development in West Hampstead. It is interesting to see what common themes emerged, and where there were areas of discord. Interesting, and […]
The Gallery has raised more than £400 for The Winch from its last two whisky tasting evenings. Mill Lane Bistro has joined Twitter (@Mill_Lane). Whampsushi takes place on November 7th at Feng Sushi – sign up now for what should be a great evening. Mr Pink’s pet shop at the top of West End Lane […]
Camden’s proposed 20mph speed limit on all its roads certainly got ample press coverage when it was announced a couple of weeks ago. [update: you can see Camden’s presentation on the issue] It’s not a new idea, it was actually being mooted back in 2004. Nor is Camden the first place to make such a […]
There’s been clamouring for a sushi event in West Hampstead for about as long as I can remember. Finally it’s happening. On November 7th we’re taking over Feng Sushi, West Hampstead’s newest addition to the sushi scene. We’ll be giving their autumn menu a roadtest, with a set price menu comprising: All this for £30/head […]
Camden is offering up to £25,000 to council tenants willing to downsize (this may also mean moving out of the borough). Apparently, bailiffs seized Elephant Walk on West End Lane Thursday. Full coverage of the Boundary Commission’s review of Hampstead & Kilburn constituency. Does saving the Queensbury in Willesden, mean accepting the new library development? […]
Tomorrow night, St James’ Hall in Sherriff Rd (next to the church) hosts what is apparently an annual African-Caribbean night. The fun kicks off at 7.30pm and is in celebration of Black History month. There’ll be delicious national dishes such as curry goat, plantains, and, rum punch. I am also assured that you will also […]
I know there’s a Willesden Green contingent among readers, so although this is outside my normal patch (and because The Queensbury featured in the Sunday Lunch periphery round-up), this seemed worth covering. As I’m no expert in all things NW2, I’ve handed this post over to local resident Esther Foreman (@estherforeman), who finds herself in […]
Tonight, Camden council is holding a public meeting about transport issues in the borough. Isabel Dedring, London’s Deputy Mayor for Transport, and Councillor Phil Jones, Camden’s Cabinet Member for Sustainability will discuss residents’ ideas for improving transport. Officers from Camden Council and TfL will also be on hand to answer your questions. Thanks to WHAT, […]
It always sounded improbable. How could Fortune Green ward disappear off into the clutches of a Barnet-dominated parliamentary constituency, leaving behind its southern neighbours? There was lobbying from all three parties; there was wailing; I heard a rumour that some Liberal Democrats actually gnashed their teeth. The end result: the Boundary Commission’s revised proposals have […]
You may well have had a leaflet through your door recently about quite major changes to the way Camden handles recycling. The council plans to do away with the always-disappearing blue bags and the never-quite-big-enough-for-all-my-wine-bottles green boxes and replace them next summer with one wheelie bin. This bin will be the sole receptacle for paper, […]
Claire – by Julian Gordon Mitchell Julian Gordon Mitchell, an artist who’s exhibited at the Royal Academy, will be hosting a series of events at the West Hampstead Community Centre over the next few weeks. The first one is this Friday evening and it’s a workshop. Step–by-Step Portrait Drawing starts at 8pm, (get there at […]
The redoubtable Friends of Fortune Green have an Action Day coming up at the end of the month. They say “day”, but really it’s more of an Action Afternoon. This isn’t action in some vague fist-waving “we really must do something about those damned [insert bête noir here]”. This is proper action (the words “hard” […]
Plans for driverless Jubilee trains are shelved. The WHGARA vote on whether to support the proposed southern boundary of the Neighbourhood Development Forum was cancelled. The decision will be made at a public meeting on October 22nd. Loud explosions heard late last Monday night weren’t fireworks but railway engineering work apparently. There is a proposal […]
The Affordable Art Fair returns to Hampstead Heath at the start of November. And, as a West Hampstead Life reader, you can get 2-for-1 entry (or 50% off if you’re a solo whamper). Nice right? The Affordable Art Fair (and here I’m quoting from the blurb) “showcases contemporary collections from household names and emerging talent, […]
Three years ago, I walked, somewhat nervously, up West End Lane to the first whampgather. The turnout was better than I’d expected. Maybe, I thought, just maybe, I’d do a second one. This November, you are all invited to the TENTH whampgather. Yes, we’ve made it to double figures.[UPDATE: We’re sold out, but there’s a […]
I know normally I’m exhorting you to go to Kilburn for comedy on a Monday night, but on October 22nd I suggest you head down a bit later. Why? Because there’s a public meeting that is really worth turning up to if you want to understand and contribute to the shaping of West Hampstead over […]
Rained a bit didn’t it? Gondar Gardens first appeal came to a conclusion. The student accommodation being built on Blackburn Road had its topping out ceremony (ie, it won’t get any higher). Powers has reponed after some remedial refurbishment. For National Poetry Day, a few locals penned some verse. There was a public meeting about […]
The redevelopment of Handrail House has been on the cards for a while. A proposal last year was refused, but the developers are back with revisions and more ambition – at least in terms of scale. No plans have been submitted to Camden yet, but on Wednesday there was an open meeting at Sidings Community […]
Those damn supermarkets crowding out the little guys. Am I right? Well, that’s the received wisdom and it’s held true on West End Lane where the arrival of Tesco and then Sainsbury’s killed off Best One (literally as that was where Sainsbury’s moved into), Atlanta Food & Wine, and one of the newsagents. So, it’s […]
It’s the most successful film franchise of all time (probably, I have no idea – but it’s got to be a frontrunner, right?). Now Bond is back with Daniel Craig’s third outing as 007. Skyfall opens in the UK on October 26th and you can get to the 19.30 Imax screening that very night at […]
I came across an article from Fast Company this morning. It’s about a trend in the US to ask local residents to contribute to civic improvements – so-called “crowdfunding”. A Tampa-based organisation called Citizinvestor has been pushing this. The recession has left hundreds of parks un-renovated, and hundreds of basketball courts unpaved. Without funds, municipalities […]
The tale of the proposed development of the Gondar Gardens reservoir site is a lengthy one. In essence, a couple of years ago, developers Linden Wates put forward a plan that would have seen the disused site turned into a series of semi-sunken homes, that became known as the Teletubby development. Planning permission was refused, […]
West Hampstead police stables featured on ITV news as a former performing horse joined the ranks. There’s a democratic paradox south of the tube lines in West Hampstead. If you’re advertising for a flatmate, then I’ve teamed up with Apartli to offer vouchers for local businesses for adverts you place. Brent cyclists propose a more […]
Here’s a good thing. Win vouchers at West Hampstead businesses simply by advertising for a flatmate. Lots of you use Twitter as a way to find flatmates. You post a tweet and, as long as I see it, I RT it adding the #whampflat hashtag. You can see the most recent tweets on the website […]
October is “Kilburn month” at the Kingsgate Workshops. As part of a collaboration between the front-of-house volunteers at Camden Arts Centre and the Kingsgate Workshops Trust, Kingsgate Gallery’s exhibition project is focused on the artistic exploration of the Kilburn area and its history, and especially the engagement with the local community. What’s on? Let me […]
Got this in an e-mail from the people behind Locally Sourced, which, if you don’t know, is a group organising words & music events in Brioche every so often. Anyway, it’s a blatant advert for a storytelling course, but I thought it sounded a bit different and the tutor seems to have good credentials so […]
Short notice, yes, but I just got confirmation that the second Friends of Fortune Green outdoor film screening will happen this Saturday evening. It’s Stand By Me. If you came along to Breaking Away earlier in the summer you’ll know how this works. Basically, the film is powered by bicycle. Now, Breaking Away is a […]
The local Neighbourhood Development Forum (which is now on Twitter by the way), held its latest meeting last week. I just perused the minutes and was intrigued by a paradox of democracy. Walk with me. The NDF has to determine the precise boundaries for its local plan. Ward boundaries are not necessarily the solution, but […]
A couple of months ago I went to have a look round the show apartment at the Mill Apartments. Back then they were called the Mill Apartments Hampstead, though they have since been rebranded – extremely sensibly – as the Mill Apartments West Hampstead (although the website address hasn’t changed). I saw a 3-bed flat, […]
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to make the first West Hampstead Farmers’ Market last Saturday, but intrepid correspondent Nimet was on hand to record it for posterity in both words and pictures. “Shortly after 10am on a crisp Saturday morning on the Thameslink station forecourt, in front of a small gathering, Cllr Gilllian Risso-Gill rang the […]
I’ve been two weeks out of the saddle, so what’s been happenng in Wild West Hampstead? The West Hampstead Farmers’ Market opened this Saturday. Everyone seemed very pleased. A plaque to author George Orwell was unveiled, followed by a reading in West End Lane Books by his son Richard Blair. The Red Arrows swooped over […]
Sadly, I couldn’t make the grand unveiling of the plaque to George Orwell last week, but mercifully (and appropriately), Danny from West End Lane Books could – and kindly penned a few words about it. “I’ve got something in common with George Orwell it seems! I gleaned this priceless piece of dinner-party ammo the day […]
Everyone went back to school this week – even though the Paralympics and the weather are there to remind us of the summer. What marked the new term in West Hampstead? Well, actually this week is rather dominated by Kilburn news! The Guardian reviewed the latest exhibition at Kilburn’s Tin Tabernacle. HungryInLondon reviewed Ariana – […]
As the literary world turns its gaze on Kilburn in the light of Zadie Smith’s new book, Kilburn is also the focus of a short film by Mark James. Give it 10 minutes of your time. For a different cultural take on Kilburn, watch this music video from Jonny Granville, supported by Camden Calling (a […]
“I do not claim to know what happens in villages” Zadie Smith Zadie Smith is everywhere at the moment, and yet this media ubiquity also has a very firm geographic focal point: North-west London. No great surprise there, after all, Smith has become some sort of literary symbol for the cultural melting pot of this […]
In a week when we gawped at the exploits of Paralympians, and prepared to go back to school (with or without help from Michael Gove), what was happening closer to home? The farmers’ market cow suffered a slight mishap at the start of the week. The market is on Facebook as well, and a banner […]
This Tuesday, The Gallery on Broadhurst Gardens is hosting the next in its occasional whisky tasting sessions. This time around it’s whisky & cheese. Tickets are £10, for which you get to try seven whiskies and matched cheeses. All the profits (i.e., whatever’s left after paying for the cheese) will go to The Winchester Project. […]
Tuesday’s meeting about the proposed West Hampstead dispersal zone was less “drop-in” and more “sit around a table” than I’d been led to believe. As a result, and because the door was locked when I arrived, I missed the start and thus (presumbaly) the set-up and the police’s perspective. Nevertheless, I was there to hear […]
West Hampstead has its fair share of local celebrities – Black-cab driving Stephen Fry might have deserted us but there’s still the A-list thesp set of Jim, Imelda, Phyllida, Emma and Greg. There’s the permanently louche Bill Nighy. There’s actress Angela Griffin, singer Chaka Kahn (although no-one ever seems to see her), and many more. […]
It’s 25 years since Wally appeared on the pages of children’s book, leading to a generation of kids with strained eyesight and a Pavlovian reaction to anyone wearing a red-and-white striped hat. In honour of this literary anniversary, West End Lane Books has organised a treat for Wally spotters young and old this weekend. If […]
Bank holiday weekend means the newsletter is a day late. It’s got nothing do with a lion rampaging through NW6. So, what HAS been happening over the past seven days? A cow appeared to advertise the forthcoming farmers’ market. The market is still seeking a manager. Have the ice cream van and hot dog stand […]
Early Tuesday evening, there’s a drop-in consultation meeting about whether a dispersal zone should be implemented in part of West Hampstead. Whether you’re an arch libertarian or in the hang ’em and flog ’em brigade (or perhaps somewhere inbetween), this is your chance to get your views across. The idea is to “specifically target the […]
