West Hampstead Life

Locals objecting in numbers to Liddell Road plans

by Jonathan Turton / January 30, 2015/10 Comments/in Frontpage Article, Planning & Development /

Camden has extended the deadline for comments on its Liddell Road redevelopment planning applications to February 12th. In practice, if you still want to comment, then submissions will be considered right up to the time of the vote, which is likely to be in early March.

Of the non-statutory responses Camden has published so far:

Objections: 32 (including two residents associations)
Sitting on the fence: 1 local organisation (WHAT)
In favour: 1 (a WHAT member)

The nature of the objections vary; many are about the scale of the development, but some are very specifically about the details of the school, including the admissions point problem.

The Neighbourhood Development Forum’s response is not online yet, but West Hampstead Life has a copy. It’s long but the key message is in the final paragraph.

“Overall, it is clear to us that this scheme – as reflected in the two planning applications – is in breach of a number of key policies in the NPPF [National Planning Policy Framework], the London Plan, Camden Council’s LDF [Local Development Framework], and in the Neighbourhood Plan. The two proposals must therefore both be refused as together neither are planning policy compliant. The NDF remains committed to working with Camden Council and local residents to bring forward a scheme that is compliant with adopted and emerging planning policy – and which reflects the wishes of our community.”

If you wish to read the whole submission, it’s embedded below.

The statutory responses from Thames Water and London Underground give the developers (that’s the council remember), no cause for concern. The response from TfL concludes, however, by saying:

“There are some question marks about how the mixed uses’ ‘shared’ needs will work in practice in a way that does not create extra activity at the kerbside especially in view of the increase in vulnerable road users associated with the Primary School and nursery.”

It also states,

“Unfortunately the applicant has not responded to pre-application advice that its blue-badge [disabled parking] space allocation is wholly inadequate and does not meet London Plan Standards (aminimum of one space per ten residential units).”

Read the full TfL response.

Whether the councillors on Camden’s planning committee, who include West Hampstead councillor Phil Rosenberg and Fortune Green councillor Richard Olszewski, will be swayed by the antipathy to the details of this proposal remains to be seen.

The one thing they should not be swayed by is the argument that the development of 156 West End Lane will deliver substantial affordable housing and that this mitigates the dire lack of it at Liddell Road. Whether this turns out to be the case or not, no scheme has yet been brought forward for 156, and thus a decision on one proposal cannot be made on the basis of a hopeful promise.

If you feel strongly about any aspect of the development – whether it’s for or against – do submit your comments to Camden and/or contact one of the West Hampstead or Fortune Green councillors: James Yarde, Phil Rosenberg, Angela Pober, Lorna Russell, Richard Olszewski and Flick Rea [firstname.lastname @ camden.gov.uk].

NDF Response to Liddell Road Consultation by WHampstead

Confusion over Liddell Road school admissions point

by Jonathan Turton / January 30, 2015/0 Comments/in Education, Frontpage Article /

The school due to open at Liddell Road in 2016 (assuming Camden councillors vote in favour of the council-led scheme), is an extension of Kingsgate School rather than a separate school. We’ve discussed the reasons for this before. But what does this mean for the admissions point of the new split-site school?

Over the past two years, council officers have consistently indicated, according to NDF Chair James Earl, that they would like an admissions point equidistant from the two school sites. Indeed, this is what the consultation document stated in 2013.

Logical? Yes.

Possible? Possibly not.

The fact that this problem has come to light so late in the day is yet another cause for concern in a proposal that continues to vex many locals on the grounds of building height, lack of affordable housing, and intransparent costings.

Admissions points matter because it is from these that the calculations are made regarding applications for the school. There are no catchment areas as such but admissions are based, after criteria such as a sibling already at the school, on distance from the child’s home to the admissions point measured in a straight line.

Right now, the admissions point for Kingsgate School is Kingsgate School. So far so normal. But with the extension being so far away – the best part of a mile as the child walks if not as the crow files – is that still the right place for it?

An alternative would be to move the admissions point to Liddell Road. This might seem just as strange as keeping it at Kingsgate. Splitting the admissions point by age is believed to be unworkable. The most obvious options would either be to have two admissions points – one at each school – or one point inbetween the two sites. Yet according to the council, both these options could be subject to legal challenge. It seems strange that this fundamental problem is coming to light now rather than when the consultation for the school was launched more than a year ago.

Where does this leave parents wondering whether they will or won’t have a good chance of geting their child into Kingsgate School? As part of a wider consultation on school admissions (that unfortunately seems to have dropped off Camden’s revamped website), the council is asking people for their views on three options:

a) Keep the admissions point at Kingsgate
b) Move the admissions point to Liddell Road
c) Any other options that local people would like to propose

The inclusion of c) suggests that the whole proposal has been ill thought through.

A split-site school in Greenwich operates with two admissions points, with the point nearest to the child’s home used as the determining distance-based factor. However unlike the Liddell Road scheme, both Greenwich sites operate as full primary schools rather than having younger children on one site and older children on the other. Again, given the admissions problem, perhaps this setup should have been given more consideration by Camden?

Locals dig deep to push Alliance fundraiser over target

by Jonathan Turton / January 29, 2015/1 Comment/in Frontpage Article, General News /

The organisers of the campaign to raise funds to send the body of Natalia Czekaj back to her mother in Poland would like to express their gratitude to locals for giving generously to the cause. In total, they raised £8,400, which means that they can also help Natalia’s mother cover the funeral costs as well.

Dear Friends of The Alliance, Mill Lane, West Hampstead,

The sudden and tragic loss of Natalia has revealed that we are blessed with a local community full of kindness and generosity. The fund, originally set up to repatriate Natalia’s body to her mother in Poland, has been swollen by your goodwill to such an extent that we can hopefully now cover the funeral expenses as well.

Of course, we cannot ease the emotional suffering that sudden bereavement brings, but we have shown a devastated family that we care about their loss, and that Natalia was a loved and appreciated member of our community.

The funeral has been arranged for Saturday 31st January so it is our intention to close the fund on Friday 30th January.

Please accept our sincere thanks for your generosity and kindness; on behalf of Natalia’s family and the staff of The Alliance.

What have I missed since January 19th

by Jonathan Turton / January 26, 2015/0 Comments/in Digest, Frontpage Article /

Thameslink services will not run between St Pancras and Farringdon Monday due to the flooding. Here’s a train going through the standing water.

Camden released its viability report on the controversial Liddell Road development. The NDF chairman called it “an insult to the local community“. There’s yet another (though probably final) chance to discuss the Liddell Road scheme with Camden officers 11am-1.30pm at Sidings Community Centre on Tuesday 27th.

A rather macabre incident on Hemstal Road involved criminal damge to a car involving a pig’s trotter and some hearts. The police are appealing for witnesses but do not suspect a religious motivation at the moment.

Frozen Angel at Hampstead Cemetery this morning via Natasha Back

The Alliance is raising money to repatriate the body of staffmember Natalia Czekaj to Poland after she was found dead earlier this month at her home.

The West Hampstead Life Forum launched. Sign up, join in the conversation and start your own discussions. If you’re not sure how to start, here’s a how-to guide to get you going.

All five main parties have now announced their election candidates; we take a look at the candidates and the latest thinking on the outcome. Put March 31st in your diaries for the West Hampstead Life hustings in association with the Sherriff Centre.

The Benham & Reeves property of the month is a 1-bed in West Hampstead Square that’s come back on the market.

There will be no farmers’ market this coming Saturday Jan 31st due to major engineering works that mean southbound Thameslink trains will be terminating at West Hampstead.

Police are searching for a man in connection with West Hampstead burglaries

The Culture Hub pick of the week is Aisling Bea’s stand-up at the Good Ship this Monday. See our other top culture choices this week.

We reviewed Sonia Jalaly’s one-woman show at the Tricycle Theatre.

Clothing shop Social is up for sale, with a sign outside the shop saying it’s moving to a new location (though not where that location is!).

Geoffery Lederman, the driver convicted of causing the death of Desreen Brooks, is appealing his sentence (18 months custodial and lifetime driving ban).

Tweet of the Week

Little @waitrose in @WHampstead rubbing salt in the wounds of @PizzaExpress #redundant pic.twitter.com/gvzwl5DGaL

— Alexander Cannon (@sweetnage) January 25, 2015

Blackout: Council redacts Liddell Road viability report

by Jonathan Turton / January 25, 2015/4 Comments/in Frontpage Article, Planning & Development /

Camden council claims that it cannot reveal the costings and valuations behind its proposal for Liddell Road “in accordance with the legal advice we have received.”

This led to a farcical response to a Freedom of Information request made by former Conservative council candidate Andrew Parkinson. Andrew had asked to see the Liddell Road viability report, which many locals are keen to look at in order to understand how the council has come up with a scheme that involves an 11-storey tower block, a mere 4% affordable housing and a sizeable surplus.

Copyright issues on FOI responses are a bit confusing, so to be on the safe side, I’ve only published the appendices of the report. Appendix A is the Financial Appraisal and Appendix B is the Cost Plan.

All the numbers in the report – both in the body and the appendices have been redacted.

Andrew Parkinson said, “I personally don’t think its acceptable for the Council to entirely redact the figures in the report.”

James Earl, chairman of the Neighbourhood Development Forum, said:

“We welcome the publication of the Viability Report, which we believe should have been published with all the other documents relating to the planning application. However, the decision to redact every figure in the report is ridiculous and is an insult to the local community. This is not a private development – it is a scheme proposed by Camden Council which involves public land and public money. Local residents have a right to know about the financial position on which the proposed development is based.”

From the outset, Camden has been reluctant to show its workings. Promises to publish its survey on Liddell Road employment numbers evaporated over time, despite the council’s figures differing substantially from those cited by the businesses on the estate who were being forced to relocate.

Stephen Nathan, QC, chairman of local residents’ association WHGARA, said of the redacted report “This is absurd. Camden keep on forgetting that they are acting as a statutory planning authority.”

This latest move will do little to persuade sceptical locals that West Hampstead is getting the best deal here. A recent survey by the Neighbourhood Development Forum revealed that the broad concept for the land is popular, but the details – specifically the tall tower block and the lack of affordable housing – are far more contentious.

Have your say: WHL Forum is up and running

by Jonathan Turton / January 25, 2015/0 Comments/in General News /

Heaven knows the people of West Hampstead have opinions. You hear them expressed loudly at every local meeting, anyone with a local twitter timeline will be drowning in them, and they fill the WHL inbox.

But not everyone can attend (or enjoys) those meetings; Twitter is a noisy place littered with sunset photos and hashtags, and my inbox can’t take much more! Time for a place where locals can debate and discuss both great matters of import and the banalities of modern life in a civilized fashion.

Welcome to the West Hampstead Life Forum.

To participate in the Forum, you have to sign up. It’s a small hurdle to jump over but helps to create a genuine virtual community rather than a room where people pop their heads in, shout an obscenity, and disappear back into a hole.

How to register

Go to the Forum homepage and click on Create Account. This is top left on a desktop and accessed via the three vertical line drop-down menu on a mobile.

Fill in the usual questions. You don’t have to use your real name, though we’d prefer it if you did.
Answer the very easy security question to prove you’re a real person (hint: both a single word and two words will work, capitalisation irrelevant)

In the bottom right of your browser, a message pops up telling you to confirm your e-mail address. Don’t click the “resend again” button until you’ve gone to check your mail and confirmed. The mail may be in your Junk or Promotions folder but it’s from West Hampstead Life.

Once you’ve clicked on the link in your e-mail to confirm you’ll be taken back to the Forum page with a thank you message and after a few seconds you’ll be taken to the main page

How to use the Forum

It’s pretty simple. The main page lists the categories we have at the moment with a brief description.

Clean mobile design

Clicking on any category title takes you to the discussions or threads in that category, and then click on any thread title to read the latest posts.

The first time (and only the first time) you click on a discussion, you get a summary of the rules. You may not get this on a mobile. The rules are simple:

1) no commercial advertising. Anything that the moderators deem to be advertising will be removed and membership will be revoked for persistent offenders.
2) if you wouldn’t say it to someone’s face or in a crowded room, don’t say it here. Robust debate is absolutely fine, insults, or language that is deliberately used to cause offence are not. We trust you to use your judgement, but we will happily use ours if need be. Anyone publishing anything potentially libellous will of course be removed immediately and that user blocked until we have investigated.

Close that pop-up and you can read/reply etc. with all the usual formatting you’re used to.

To reply, hover your mouse over the comment and “Reply” pops up at the bottom of the comment; click to reply. On a phone, just tap the comment to get the same option. Or just fill in the text box below to add a comment to the thread.

To simly like a comment, hovering over/tapping also brings up a heart icon you can click on.

If you want to start a brand new discussion, then click “Start a New Discussion” (we’re tricksy like that), or on a mobile click the three vertical dots top right to get the drop-down menu.

Make sure you assign the comment to the right category and away you go.

There are some other bells and whistles, but that’s the basics. If you write something you want to change, you have about 10 minutes after posting when an “edit” option appears.

If you want to get e-mail notifications when someone replies to your comment, go to Preferences, which are under “You / Edit Profile / Set Preferences”.

Play around with it – leave comments, start threads, lets see how it goes. Any problems, drop us a mail .

Comments are not moderated before they are posted, but we will be monitoring them closely and anything we believe violates our very simple rules will be removed without warning.

Let us know your thoughts on the forum… on the forum.

Election 2015: Hampstead & Kilburn candidates line up

by Jonathan Turton / January 24, 2015/2 Comments/in Frontpage Article, Politics /

The five big parties have now all announced their candidates for the Hampstead & Kilburn constituency in May’s general election. We take a look at the runners, the latest thinking on the outcome, and the critical role West Hampstead will play in the final vote count. Put March 31st in your diaries for the West Hampstead Life hustings at The Sherriff Centre.

The candidates

For Labour, which holds a 42 vote majority, Tulip Siddiq will be aiming to replace the retiring (though never shy) Glenda Jackson. Jackson has held the seat since 1992 though her margin of victory in 2010 was a nailbiting 42 votes. Tulip, who, unlike Glenda, lives in the constituency, was a Camden councillor for Regents Park ward until she stepped down in 2014.

Simon Marcus is the Conservative candidate. He was selected in an unusual open primary way back in January 2013. He is a councillor for Hampstead Town ward and may be unique among modern day politicians for appearing to concede that this might not be his year as far back as January last year.

Maajid Nawaz will stand for the Liberal Democrats. He was the replacement after their original choice jumped ship for another job back in early 2013. Maajid has a relatively high profile and regularly appears on TV and radio talking about Islamic radicalism. He is a former Islamic extremist who now runs Quilliam, “the world’s first counter-extremism think tank”.

The Greens are putting forward Rebecca Johnson. Rebecca is a well-known figure in the campaign for nuclear disarmament, and is a relative heavyweight. This is a high-profile area where Green Jenny Jones polled well in the mayoral election, so it’s understandable the party would want a credible candidate.

Finally, UKIP has turned once again to Magnus Nielsen. Magnus is the only candidate from 2010 contesting the seat again. He made the headlines most recently at the West Hampstead Life local election hustings where he suggested that perhaps universal suffrage hadn’t been such a great idea.

Who’s going to win?

Lets turn to the bookmakers first. Ladbrokes has Labour as comfortable odds-on favourites to hold the seat. Currently at 1/4 (slightly tighter than the 1/5 they were at last week). The Conservatives are second favourites at 5/1 (slightly out from 9/2), with the Lib Dems third at 10/1. The Greens are at 33/1, and Magnus isn’t given much of a chance as the 100/1 outsider.

Ladbrokes odds January 24th

Lord Ashcroft’s well-regarded polls also give Labour a comfortable lead, although the last poll was conducted back in August before the mansion tax issue came to a head. That put Labour ahead on 47% (+14 points from the 2010 result), Conservatives down 3 points at 30%, Lib Dems at 13% down from 31% in 2010, Greens at 6% and UKIP at 2%.

Lord Ashcroft poll August 2014

Conservative blogger Iain Dale raised a few eyebrows earlier this month when he called Hampstead & Kilburn as a seat that would change hands at the next election and be a Conservative gain. What leads Dale to the contrarian position? “A lot of new info”, though he doesn’t care to share what that might be.

What is the likely outcome? Few would predict a repeat of 2010, when the seat was the closest three-way seat in the country with just 841 votes separating Labour from the Lib Dems in third . The polls suggest that the Lib Dem vote will crumble (though not as much as it will nationally) and that more of those voters will go red than blue, bolstering Labour’s majority considerably.

The Conservatives are making much of the mansion tax issue – that is Labour’s proposal to raise an additional levy on homes worth more than £2 million. According to estate agent Knight Frank, this consitutency has 4,783 properties that fall into that category at the moment; though not everyone who lives in one is necessarily cash rich. The question is surely whether there are more traditional Labour voters who would defect over the issue than there are disillusioned Lib Dem voters who’ll go back to Labour. If the predictions for the collapse of the Lib Dem vote is accurate, then the answer is clearly no.

In Maajid Nawaz, the Lib Dems might have a candidate who will outperform the polls. Despite being hit hard in the local elections by Labour, the local Lib Dems’ came out ahead of the party nationally beating the Conservatives into third in West Hampstead, Fortune Green and Kilburn (though coming fourth behind the Greens in Conservative-held Swiss Cottage). This die-hard Lib Dem vote in at least part of Hampstead & Kilburn should ensure their third place; and Maajid’s unusual background might bring in some votes from those disillusioned with “normal” politicians. Nevertheless, it’s hard to see him springing the big surprise.

What of the other two? UKIP is not expected to do well here; it struggles in urban areas. The Greens might have wondered whether they had a shot at third, but Maajid is probably too strong a candidate for that. So they are likely to finish fourth, with UKIP in fifth.

The most marginal wards in the most marginal seat

Whichever way the seat goes this year, the result is unlikely to be as tight as that in 2010 although it is a relatively evenly split constituency: Hampstead, Belsize, Frognal and Swiss Cottage are reasonably secure Tory areas, Kilburn and the Brent side of the constituency are pretty dominantly Labour, which leaves West Hampstead and Fortune Green as the swing wards in a marginal seat. Voters might have evicted all but one of the Lib Dem councillors last year, and delivered a thumping Labour win, but with a higher turnout and the growing affluence of the area, it very much feels that the streets around West End Lane are where the battle for Hampstead & Kilburn could be won or lost.

Alliance fundraising appeal to help Natalia Czekaj’s mother

by Jonathan Turton / January 20, 2015/0 Comments/in Crime, Frontpage Article, General News /

On January 6th, Natalia Czekaj was found dead at her home in Harrow. Natalia worked behind the bar at The Alliance pub on Mill Lane where she was much loved. A 34-year-old man has been charged with her murder.

Locals are raising funds to help Natalia’s mother repatriate her daughter’s body to Poland, which she otherwise cannot afford. In a tragic coincidence, Natalia’s father, who was a policeman, was apparently also killed when she was young.

Michael Keating, landlord at The Alliance, is collecting money behind the bar, but a bank account has also been set up so people can contribute directly:
Account name: Natalia Fund
Account no. 63772314
Sort code: 20-74-63

Donations can be made online, or in person at any Barclays Bank. Barclays will transfer the money to Poland free of charge, and any other admin costs will be covered by the campaign’s organisers.

West Hampstead Life understands that some £600 has been raised already, but the target is £3,000.

One of the campaign’s organisers said “Let’s show Natalia’s family that we, as a community, sympathise with their tragic loss and stand beside them in their time of need. She was brave enough to try to make a life in our city and we should be generous enough to send her home with dignity.”

It would take only small contributions from all our readers to reach this target, and I can’t begin to imagine the emotions Natalia’s mother is feeling right now having lost her daughter in such a manner, and being unable to bring her home.

If you feel able to help, please do make a donation.

What have I missed since January 12th

by Jonathan Turton / January 19, 2015/0 Comments/in Digest, Frontpage Article /

What appears to have been an electrical fault caused the O2 centre to be evacuated early Sunday evening and it will reopen Monday. Cinema-goers, shoppers and gym members were all turfed out in the cold.

The Neighbourhood Forum passed its exam and got a £6,000 lottery grant. The referendum is likely to be in the summer. Monday night’s NDF meeting to discuss the Overground plans and the latest on Liddell Road was a bit fractious with TfL taking some stick for a poor consultation on the former, and frustration and anger over the Liddell Road school admissions point.

A barmaid who worked at The Alliance was found dead at her home in Edgware earlier in the month. A man has been charged with her murder.

Frosty leaves by Dilys Hoffman

We reviewed the Tricycle’s latest play, A Series of Increasingly Impossible Acts; and you can WIN tickets to Thursday’s performance.

A revamp of our Culture Hub means we select the picks of the week for you across the arts. This week’s top tip is Le Passé, screening by the Belsize Park Film Society. See what else has made the list this week.

T.S. Eliot lived for a couple of years in Compayne Gardnes, during the time that Prufrock was published. Here’s a short film about Eliot’s West Hampstead stay.

In 1945, loitering in West Hampstead was a serious offence.

In the mid 19th century, there was a laundry school opposite where the Thameslink station is today. It struggled financially and soon folded.

Election news
Tory blogger Iain Dale surprised many by including Hampstead & Kilburn in his list of 100 seats that would change hands at the election. Ladbrokes currently have Labour at 2/9 and the Conservatives at 5/1 (lengthening slightly from 9/2 a week or so ago). Dale claimed to have “a lot of new info” on the seat, but declined to say what it was.

William Hague joined Conservative candidate Simon Marcus at JW3. Neither man looked especially excited despite the best efforts of JW3 boss Raymond Simonson.

Tweet of the Week

Not sure that the lengthy BBQ safety video on repeat in the West Hampstead medical centre is entirely timely. #winter

— Hare and Goose (@hareandgoose) January 14, 2015

Only one hurdle left for Neighbourhood Plan

by Jonathan Turton / January 14, 2015/0 Comments/in Frontpage Article, Planning & Development /

The West Hampstead and Fortune Green Neighbourhood Development Forum has had two good pieces of news in the past week. Yesterday it announced a £6,000 grant from the Lottery, which will help enormously in setting up a sustainable Forum that can last beyond the delivery of the plan. Secondly, and even more importantly, the draft plan was passed by an independent examiner – a critical step in the process.

The Neighbourhood Development Forum has been featured on these pages for so long that some readers must be wondering whether the plan it has been developing is ever going to come into force. However, last week’s decision by John Parmiter, an independent planning examiner, to pass the plan means that it’s now assured of going to a referendum later this year.

The independent examination, to which all Neighbourhood plans must be sumbmitted, tests whether or not the plan [latest version] meets certain basic conditions that are in line with planning law. It is not a test of the plan itself and whether it’s “good” or not; more whether it is viable. The examination of the West Hampstead plan, rather unusually, took the form of a public hearing. These are used only when the examiner feels there are issues that need to be discussed or specific views that need to be heard – generally from people who have submitted comments in the consultation phase.

That meeting took place in December and the findings were published last week. You can read the full report here. The tone of the examiner’s remarks is notably constructive and although there is some criticism of the lack of supporting evidence for some of the plan’s policy recommendations, the report talks positively about the level of community engagement and the attempt to reflect the community’s aspirations.

The examiner has recommended (which is code for “insisted on”) some wording changes, some of which inevitably water down NDP policies that simply won’t work as they stand because they are not in line with national or local planning policy. Both building height and the protection of views are affected by this though the spirit of the NDP’s proposals stands.

For most people, the most signifcant change the examiner made is to strike out completely the policy on basements. The plan said there should be “a presumption against basement development more than one storey deep or outside the footprint of the property (excluding lightwells)”. The examiner found “no, or insufficient, evidence to support the… policy”.

Overall, however, the examiner’s report is good news for the NDP. Once the changes are made and Camden gives final approval, the plan will go to a referendum of people in the area – that’s everyone living in West Hampstead and Fortune Green wards. A simple majority of the people who vote is all that is needed to pass the plan. Although it would seem to make sense to combine the referendum with the general election on May 7th, Camden apparently does not like this idea, so the vote may now be in early July.

West Hampstead Neighbourhood Development Plan map

The boundary of the area covered by the plan, which is the same as the two wards of West Hampstead and Fortune Green

1,300+ areas #neighbourhoodplanning. Latest successful referendum in Acle, @BroadlandDC and exam in @WHampsteadNDF pic.twitter.com/kq18UgCQ94

— DCLG (@CommunitiesUK) January 14, 2015

What have I missed since January 5th?

by Jonathan Turton / January 12, 2015/0 Comments/in Digest, Frontpage Article /

The West Hampstead & Fortune Green Neighbourhood Development Plan passed its independent examination and will now go to a referendum. More on this later in the week.

New Year means gym memberships sky rocket, but what’s the right deal for you? We crunched the numbers, weighed up the pros and cons, and cut through the spin to round-up all the local offerings.

The full responses to the West Hampstead NDF Liddell Road survey were released. The bottom line: plenty of support in principle from locals, but the details please very few.

#JeSuisCharlie support of sorts in @WHampstead via Simon Benson

Tweet of the Year was announced… and the winner was Freddie Gavita.

West Hampstead resident Liz Bingham was awarded an OBE for promoting equality in the workplace.

An initial visit to The Petite Corée suggests West Hampstead’s newest restaurant could do well.

To many people’s dismay, it seems that election season is already upon us. In this week’s news, Tulip Siddiq opened her office on the Kilburn High Road with Alan Davies in attendance, Simon Marcus took some stick on Twitter for a mansion tax flyer mocked up to look like an official council letter, and Maajid Nawaz was all over the media talking about Islam.

Thursday was the 70th anniversary of the V2 rocket landing on Iverson Road. Amazingly only three people died, but hundreds were affected by the attack, with many forced out of their homes.

We learned that actress Kristin Scott Thomas used to live above a fish & chip shop on West End Lane.

Gig of the Week is something very different – Vuong10 at JW3 is a contemporary dance piece, but if you don’t think that’s your thing… think again!

Foxcatcher is our Film of the Week, and there was a great turnout for the Film Club screening of Birdman.

For anyone who still doesn’t know.. your Christmas trees need to be recycle. Until the 15th, you can take them to Fortune Green or Kilburn Grange park. The council won’t collect them from the street.

(NB: the website is undergoing a bit of maintenance, apologies for any glitches you see over the next 24 hours or so)

Tweet of the Week

The 2015 West Hampstead & Kilburn gym guide

by Nicky Jones / January 8, 2015/3 Comments/in Frontpage Article, General News, ZENW6 /

The 2017 version of the West Hampstead gym guide is now available.

New Year, new fitness regime? It may be a cliché, but the statistics bear out that January is the most popular time to join a gym. If you want to make sure you’re not part of the other cliché – giving up in February – then make sure you choose the right gym for your budget, lifestyle and fitness needs. Here’s the third annual West Hampstead Life gym guide to help you.

The biggest change from last year is that Gloves Boxing Club, on Broadhurst Gardens, closed in March. It’s been replaced by HIIT Gym, which took over the premises and opened in October.

Luxury (£££)

Virgin Active, O2 Centre Swiss Cottage

Spacious and well-equipped, with multiple fitness studios and a pool, this is more health club than gym, which is reflected in the membership cost. I can imagine just going for a dip in the pool followed by a spell in the sauna or steam room, and a rest in the café afterwards. Mmm. Not that I’m recommending this as a viable fitness regime, of course.

NB There’s also a Virgin Active in Cricklewood, for those based that side of West Hampstead.

Prices have gone up a little from last year’s rates, and this year there’s no “get the rest of January free” joining offer. Both memberships include access to the gym, classes in the studio, pool and sauna.

Full Flexi Monthly (rolling monthly contract): £102/mth + £30 joining fee
Minimum 12-month contract membership: £95/mth + no joining fee

Movers and Shapers, 148 West End Lane, West Hampstead
Positioned as an alternative to a conventional gym, Movers and Shapers offers 30-minute intensive classes in small groups using Power Plate machines, and they have also recently added a HIIT (high-intensity interval training) studio with TRX suspension equipment. Free trials are available if you want to find out more. Read about my experience at Movers and Shapers here.

Course of 10 classes: £149 (limited offer; classes valid for 3 months)
Course of 20 classes: £259 (limited offer; classes valid for 6 months)
Full Monthly membership – £125/mth (access to unlimited classes at any time)
Off Peak Monthly membership – £99/mth (access to unlimited classes at off-peak hours: 12pm-5pm Mon-Fri, and all day Sat and Sun)

No joining or admin fees; includes initial and ongoing health consultations.

CrossFit Evolving, 50-52 Kilburn High Road (under HSBC bank)
CrossFit is a fitness philosophy that began in the US and has now spread to hundreds of CrossFit gyms (or “boxes”) across the world. It claims to help you work on all aspects of fitness through tailored workouts using a wide variety of different exercises. It’s not cheap, but if you’re looking for a serious training regimen, this may be the club for you. There are free taster sessions on Wednesday evenings if you want to see what you’re getting yourself into!

Full, peak-hours membership: £170/mth
Off-peak membership: £140/mth (Off-peak hours: 8am-6pm; after 8pm)
Single, off-peak WOD (workout of the day) session: £15

Mid-range (££)

Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre, Adelaide Road, Swiss Cottage
A Camden-run sports centre with plenty of equipment – I visited on a Saturday afternoon and thought it was busy but didn’t notice queues for any machines. There are lots of classes too, though the popular ones get very booked up. The standard membership covers access to gym, classes and pool. There’s also a climbing wall, sports hall and squash courts, for all of which sessions can be paid for separately. See the full price list of memberships, concessionary rates and pay-as-you-go prices on the Better website.

Standard monthly membership, with access to gym, pool and classes: £54/mth (£55/mth from February)
Premium monthly membership, as above + access to sauna, steam room, and other gyms and spas in the network: £77.50/mth

There’s also a joining fee of £35, though it was unclear from my phone enquiry whether this could be waived or not: “Yesterday we charged it, today we didn’t”… so it’s probably best to drop in to the centre and negotiate in person.

Bannatyne’s, Marriot Maida Vale, 4 Greville Road (just off Kilburn High Road)
This is quite a good-value choice if you’re after a gym membership that includes extras like a sauna and swimming pool. There’s also a fitness studio, and classes are included in all memberships.

12-month minimum contract – Off-peak (Mon-Fri 6.30am-4pm): £29.99/mth
12-month minimum contract – Peak (valid any time): £39.99/mth
Flexible contract (on a rolling monthly basis, with 30 days to cancel) – Off-peak (Mon-Fri 6.30am-4pm): £36.99/mth
Flexible contract (on a rolling monthly basis, with 30 days to cancel) – Peak (valid any time): £47.99/mth

On top of this, there’s a £25 one-off joining fee (though apparently they’ll give you a goody bag and possibly some sessions with a personal trainer “to soften the blow”) and if you want to use the gym towels, add £6 to the monthly membership fee.

HIIT Gym, 198a Broadhurst Gardens, West Hampstead

Post by HIIT GYM.

The recently-opened HIIT Gym is located in Gloves’ old premises, a cool industrial-style building that was originally the ticket office of the Metropolitan Railway. The gym’s instructors lead small classes in HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workouts, mixing it up with a variety of different techniques and equipment. There’s also the option to monitor your progress with a heart-rate monitor belt (available from the gym at £50). There are three levels of membership available, all on a rolling monthly basis with no contract. Free one-week trials are available if you want to try before you buy.

Primary: £39 for 4 sessions a month
Standard: £49 for 8 sessions a month
Champion: £69 for unlimited sessions a month

My Fitness Boutique, West Heath Yard, 174 Mill Lane, West Hampstead
My Fitness Boutique, up by West End Green, offers some 50 classes a week including Zumba, spinning, yoga and circuits. All are pay-as-you-go, so if you like trying out different classes without having to commit to a contract, this is a good choice. Prices haven’t gone up since last year.

Example prices (from website):

Introductory 5-class package (intro offer only): £25
Single class: £12
30-day pack (unlimited classes): £75
90-day pack: (unlimited classes) £165

Budget (£)

The Gym Group, Unit D2, 41 Fortune Green Road, West Hampstead
No-frills budget gym open 24/7 with card entry. There’s no need to sign up to a minimum contract.

£20.99/mth (+ £20 joining fee)

Fit4Less, 34a-36 Kilburn High Road
Another gym with functional workout equipment and none of the luxury extras. As well as free weights and cardio machines, there’s TRX equipment and kettlebells. Personal training is available too.

Anytime gym membership: £22.99/mth + £29.99 admin fee
Anytime gym membership + locker hire: £32.99/mth + £29.99 admin fee

Outdoor gyms: Kilburn Grange Park, Swiss Cottage, Maygrove Peace Park

I must admit I haven’t tried these, but they look like a great idea. According to Camden’s website, they are “suitable for people of all ages and fitness levels”, so give them a go next time you’re out for a run! Best of all, they’re free!

Kebab shops and Question Time: Tweet of the Year winner

by Jonathan Turton / January 6, 2015/0 Comments/in General News /

The votes are in and have been independently counted and verified. Which means I looked at them.

With a staggering 42 percent of the vote, we had a runaway winner for Tweet of the Year. Congratulations Freddie Gavita.

We had a tie for second place, both with 11 percent of votes. Well done Shirley Cooney and Daniel Walker.

Woman tending to plants outside her house on Sumatra Rd threw a snail that almost hit me. Does that make her an assnailant? #WestHampstead

— Shirley Cooney (@shirleycooney) July 10, 2014

Overheard girl on the phone: "Yeah I'm in @WHampstead. It's nothing special, it's not flash, but it's tidy"

— Daniel W (@damawa42) July 22, 2014

Freddie joins the Hall of Fame:

Just seen schoolboy in Costa ordering latte and biscotti before school while his mum tried to hold the 139 bus for him. Only in @WHampstead!

— Corinne Gladstone (@CGladstone) June 5, 2013

Overheard conversation in #WHampstead a little boy saying to his Nan 'I'm 9th fastest in the class but I know what I'm best at-politeness'

— Heather (@misshkwilson) May 16, 2012

I'm walking through West Hampstead with a Poundland carrier bag, single-handedly bringing down the property market.

— Jon Kelly (@mrjonkelly) February 24, 2011

WHL will be catching up with Freddie to give him his (very local) prize as soon as possible. Congratulations to everyone who made the shortlist.

What have I missed since December 22nd?

by Jonathan Turton / January 5, 2015/0 Comments/in Digest, Frontpage Article /

Happy New Year!
It’s a bumper fortnight round-up this week

The plan was submitted for the major overhaul of the Overground station, enabling it to cope with the increasing number of passengers passing through.

More than 125 people responded to the NDF’s survey on Liddell Road and there is overwhelming opposition to the council’s scheme.

Recycle your Christmas tree. Camden will collect them from various points around the borough including Fortune Green (see photo below) and Kilburn Grange Park until January 15th. Do NOT leave them on the street, they will not be collected.

Wow the tree grave got slightly inundated….! via @fleurchaffe

It was unusually “lively” on West End Lane on New Year’s Eve, with a fight breaking out in the street and enough unrest to bring the police helicopter out.

We looked back over 2014 month by month to see what were the biggest stories of the year in West Hampstead. They spanned the post office, new shops, and the appearance of Sachin Tendulkar.

We also collected the best sunset and sunrise photos of the year; and there are some stunners in this set of 16 photos.

Elsie, 13, reviewed the Tricycle’s Lionboy, which runs until January 10th

NW6 Film Club is off to see Hollywood satire Birdman on Sunday January 11th. Come and join us for the first Film Club of 2015.

The 85-year-old man found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving on West End Lane in late 2012 was given an 18 month jail sentence and banned from driving for life. Ben Brooks-Dutton, whose wife died in the incident, took the opportunity to encourage everyone to tell someone who should give up driving that now is the time to stop.

Londonist spoke to Ross, a West Hampstead firefighter, about working on Christmas Day

There’s yet another proposal for developing Gondar Gardens

Fortune Green’s resident blogger looked at canine fashion. With pictures.

It looks like Adam’s Grill is on the market already.

As of Monday January 5th, Thameslink trains from Bedford will no longer call at London Bridge due to the major works there.

Sodi Cookey is our Gig of the Week at The Good Ship as local live music cranks back into gear after the holidays.

Tweet of the Week

New Year resolution – more challenging exploration of #wild places. So, @TKMaxx_UK Kilburn High Rd here I come…

— Sheila Wren (@SheilaWren2) January 3, 2015

Only 13% of locals support Liddell Road tower

by Jonathan Turton / January 4, 2015/0 Comments/in Frontpage Article, Planning & Development /

The West Hampstead Neighbourhood Development Forum has been running a survey since the start of November to gauge locals’ reactions to the council’s proposals for Liddell Road.

In total, there were 128 responses, and the full results will be published on Monday; however West Hampstead Life has been given an exclusive preview of some of the findings.

James Earl, chairman of the NDF, said “The NDF will submit the results of the survey to Camden Council as part of its response to the planning application”.

16 glorious West Hampstead sunrises and sunsets

by Jonathan Turton / December 31, 2014/0 Comments/in Frontpage Article, General News /

As the sun sets on 2014, we thought you might like a little reminder of some of the best sunrise and sunset photos taken and tweeted this year.

James Taylor, March

Michael Sheehan, March

@SteveWhamp, April

@RicksterLondon, May

Michael Hadwin, July

Joanna Miller Betts, July

Steven Tart, September

Daniel Walker, September

Morten Schultz, September

James Taylor, September

Matt Beveridge, September

Sean Patterson, October

@okeely, October

Michael Sheehan, November

Michael Sheehan, December

@RicksterLondon, December

Vote now for Tweet of the Year

by Jonathan Turton / December 31, 2014/0 Comments/in General News /

It’s as much a part of the Christmas holidays as being left hanging under the mistletoe or getting the gristly bit of the turkey… the West Hampstead Life Tweet of the Year competition is back for 2014. Who will join the roll of honour that stretches back to Jon Kelly, Heather Wilson, and Corinne Gladstone?

First up – the tweets, read them all, then vote at the end. They are served in chronological order. Voting closes on Sunday at 10pm.

The 'caution wet surface' sign at finchley road station just slipped over under its own weight. Brilliant…

— Hattie McCall Davies (@HattieMcD) March 25, 2014

Just saw a man drinking double cream straight out the tub outside tesco. @WHampstead, you really outdo yourself, sometimes.

— Rebecca Cukier (@rebeccacukier) April 8, 2014

you get a different class of noise pollution in #westhampstead. neighbours are blasting richard burton under milk wood into the morning sun.

— gwilym lawrence (@its_me_gwilym) April 13, 2014

I have seen Hell and its name is Kilburn High Road. What madness drove me there? (I needed pants)

— Gary Budden (@gary_budden) June 15, 2014

Woman tending to plants outside her house on Sumatra Rd threw a snail that almost hit me. Does that make her an assnailant? #WestHampstead

— Shirley Cooney (@shirleycooney) July 10, 2014

Overheard girl on the phone: "Yeah I'm in @WHampstead. It's nothing special, it's not flash, but it's tidy"

— Daniel W (@damawa42) July 22, 2014

You know you're in west hampstead when the kebab shop is showing question time…

— Freddie Gavita (@freddiegavita) October 30, 2014

Enjoyed Thameslink's scary halloween-themed messages on the station this morning. "This train is formed of 4 coaches". Terrifying!

— Simon Treanor (@simontreanor) October 31, 2014

And now the vote

West Hampstead Life Review of the Year

by Jonathan Turton / December 30, 2014/0 Comments/in Digest, Frontpage Article /

West Hampstead is changing fast (too fast perhaps for some). Lets take a look back at the stories that made the news in 2014 (click the images to go to the full story)

January

12 months later, the building still hasn’t been repaired. The year began with a violent storm that ripped down the tube station sign and a brewing pharmacy war in Mill Lane.

February

West Hampstead made the news over some pebbledash and some street “art”. We also featured on Location, Location, Location, though an important detail was omitted from the programme.

March

Thankfully everyone got out of a Broadhurst Gardens house fire, though one woman jumped and broke her leg. Smokehouse One Sixty opened its doors, and we contrasted the sale of Stephen Fry’s former house with the cheapest flat for sale in the area.

April

There was a false security alarm at JW3 that closed the Finchley Road, West End Lane Books celebrated its 20th anniversary, and an eviction on Lymington Road drew protestors and police.

May

The elections dominated May’s news, as Labour won five of the six seats across West Hampstead and Fortune Green from the Lib Dems. At the pre-election hustings, it was UKIP who predictably stole the headlines after its candidate questioned whether women should have the vote.

June

Local vicar Father Andrew Cain married his partner Steve Foreshew. The Church of England grumbled, but for many the surprise was less that the local vicar was gay and more that his new husband was an atheist.

July

The first of two tetchy Liddell Road development meetings conveyed locals’ displeasure with the plans as they stood. Vintage jewellery shop Passionate About Vintage opened on Mill Lane.

August

Three men were found guilty of murdering Sabrina Moss last year.

September

It was a quiet month!

October

The Railway closed until March 2015 as the upper floors are converted into self-contained flats. A spate of burglaries started with a break-in at Toomai. Foxtons got permission to open in the former post office building in West End Lane. Kilburn made it into the Financial Times and The Economist. Capital City motorbike shop failed to comply with an enforcement order (and has since been evicted from its Fortune Green premises). Oh, and the Hoff turned up to the Kilburn Nando’s.

November

After years of clamouring, a butcher finally opened in West Hampstead. A rail replacement bus caused some major damage to parked cars in Broadhurst Gardens, and a snake was spotted (and captured) in Parsifal Road. The portacabin classrooms were finally rmoved from Lymington Road ater two years.

December

Liddell Road wasn’t the only major planning application to go in over Christmas; the Overground station plans were also submitted. Posh frozen food shop Cook opened, and the air ambulance came twice to NW6 within an hour. The 85-year-old driver convicted of killing Desreen Brooks on West End Lane in November 2012 was given an 18 month jail sentence and was banned for driving for life.

Photos via West Hampstead Life, Mark Amies (Ballymore cranes), Richard Clegg (Waitrose), Dan Hiral (Travis Perkins lorry), John Mennis (Sachin Tendulkar), John Oris (Tricycle)

New Overground station should absorb growing passenger numbers

by Jonathan Turton / December 29, 2014/14 Comments/in Frontpage Article, Transport & Travel /

The planning application for the redevelopment of the Overground station has been submitted. The Overground network has seen an enormous increase in passenger numbers over recent years. West Hampstead’s position as a major interchange point means that 13 million people pass through each year, of whom 5.6 million used the Overground station (TfL, 2012 estimates), the new station has been designed to cope with even more passengers than pass through today.

The plan is for a modern station frontage just to the south of the existing station building that will lead to a wide walkway running broadly perpendicular to West End Lane that connects to stairs and lifts down to the platforms. The existing staircases will be retained but will be for emergency access only but the existing station building will be removed and turned into a retail unit.

West Hampstead Overground station plan looking north

West Hampstead Overground station looking south

The number of ticket barriers will rise from the three standard and one oversized gates today, to eight regular and two oversized gates, which should ease congestion at rush hour. In addition, the footbridge over the platforms is believed to be the widest on the Overground network, with enough room for multiple wheelchairs or pushchairs as well as pedestrians. There will also be a lift down to each platform.

Part of plan – click for larger version

Tree campaigners will be disappointed to read that the tree that they successfully lobbied to be given a tree preservation order in early 2014, will have to be removed if the station development goes ahead.

Comments are being accepted up until January 14th.

What have I missed since December 15th?

by Jonathan Turton / December 22, 2014/0 Comments/in Digest, Frontpage Article /

Camden’s application to redevelop Liddell Road was finally submitted: a school (420 pupils), 106 flats (4 affordable), and a 5-storey workspace building. More details and pictures.

A new bar opened in Kilburn (no ambiguity over its location). It looks very promising.

Cook – the frozen ready meals business that cooks its meals on the premises – opened on Wednesday. One particular photo of it got more traction than others.

Tube train waits as sun sets via @WHampstead

The sun goes down on 2014 as 2015 is built before our eyes, via @WHampstead

The O2 centre and Camden have teamed up again to encourage shoppers to give a foster child an extra small gift this year.

Aldred Road once again turned on the style with the most coordinated Christmas lights in town.

Two estate agents did good: Paramount staff helped out at a kitchen for the homeless over two weeks, while Chelsea Square are the official “Housing for Heroes” partner locally.

What did we make of the menu and service at the revamped North London Tavern?

Has much changed in 27 years? Flick Rea is still campaigning and it’s still a pain walking between the stations at rush hour.

On Sunday, the Air Ambulance landed twice in NW6 within the hour.

The flagstones outside Little Waitrose are already being replaced, but as that’s where delivery lorries park it’s hard to see how it won’t keep on happpening.

Schnitzel wins Chanukah on West End Lane!

The streetfood market battled wind and cold temperatures in its last week of operation until March next year.

There was outspoken criticism of the defence team’s attempts to delay the trial of Geoffery Lederman, the driver convicted of killing Desreen Brooks in 2012.

We looked back at the Films of the Year – but what came out on top?

There’s not a tonne of live music on over Christmas week (though of course The Good Ship manages to pull out a gig on the 27th). Look out next week for our round-up of local New Year’s Eve events.

Finally, don’t forget our Christmas survival guide!

No Tweet of the Week this week – all the best ones are linked above – but look out for the illustrious Tweet of the Year competition over the holidays, along with a round-up of this year’s biggest stories, and a West Hampstead “census” kicking off before the New Year.

Will Kilburn Ironworks steal NLT’s thunder?

by Jonathan Turton / December 21, 2014/3 Comments/in Shops & Restaurants /

Barmen hard at work

On Friday evening, business partners Will Partridge and Jimi Pearce opened the doors of Kilburn Ironworks to welcome suppliers, the press and a few other invitees.

Kilburn Ironworks is where Vince Power’s eponymous bar/club used to be on Kilburn High Road near the junction with Iverson Road. It has changed almost beyond recognition with exposed brickwork, an open kitchen and a girder that almost seems to float above the bar. Some late-addition railroad tracks in the floor are a nice industrial touch, but thankfully there’s no sense of any theme being rammed down your throat.

Which leaves plenty of room for drinks.

Kilburn Ironworks front seating area

When the bar officially opens on January 1st, it will offer a wide range of beers both draft and bottled and mostly from British breweries such as Beavertown and Meantime, as well as fashionable favourites like Iceland’s Einstock.

There’s also a cocktails and shandies list – still in its early stages, but first tastings were encouraging!

The kitchen won’t open until the end of January, and if the drinks offering sounds like One Sixty’s the food will be different. Still quite meat-heavy by the sounds of it, but no pulled pork in sight, Will assured me. Their plan is to have a relatively simple menu with a focus on more British style dishes.

The bar is well positioned in that cluster of the North London Tavern and Brondes Age. It could easily take trade away from both. There’s plenty of seating, and with experience of running bars in Islington and Shoreditch, Will and Jimi should know how to get (and keep) the crowds.

School, 106 flats and workspace: Liddell Road planning application is in

by Jonathan Turton / December 21, 2014/4 Comments/in Education, Frontpage Article, Planning & Development, Uncategorized /

The Liddell Road mansion block from Maygrove Road

The council’s controversial plan to build a school, flats and employment space on the Liddell Road industrial estate took a step forward on Friday when the planning applications were submitted. Yes, applications plural.

Although all the documentation that accompanies the applications is presented as a coherent set of documents, the applications themselves are split into Phase 1 (the school) and Phase 2 (the residential and employment). Given that the school is contingent on the apartments being built and sold, this seems strange. One thought is that that council expects it might run into some problems with the residential part of the plan – which is what locals have objected to most – but doesn’t want to jeopardize the start date of the school.

The final applications are to build 106 residential units, of which four are designated “affordable“: three intermediate and one social housing for a wheelchair user. These will be split across an 11-storey tower block of 40 flats and a 5-storey “mansion block” fronting Maygrove Road of 66 flats. The school will be a two-storey infant school that is an extension of Kingsgate Primary School in Kilburn, and will house 420 pupils. The employment space is a 5-storey managed workspace falling under class B1.

B1 building use is use for all or any of the following purposes:
(a) as an office other than a use within class A2 (financial and professional services),
(b) for research and development of products or processes, or
(c) for any industrial process, being a use which can be carried out in any residential area without detriment to the amenity of that area by reason of noise, vibration, smell, fumes, smoke, soot, ash, dust or grit.

Liddell Road mansion block

There are a lot of documents to wade through if you want to get an overview of the scheme. As always, the Desgin & Access statement is the best place to start, but it runs to 246 pages. The appendix of views will be of particular interest to many locals. You can access all the documents from Camden’s planning website, but West Hampstead Life has merged all 246 pages together, which you can download here (large PDF file).

Locals have objected to the scale of the residential development, specifically the height of the tower block (which at an earlier consultation stage was going to be 14 storeys), and the lack of affordable housing (which was initially zero), when the council is expecting to make a £3m surplus from the development and has received a further £6.7m central government grant for schools.

There is one section of the document that many will find especially galling. After setting out a perfectly valid case for the low affordable housing quota (by Camden’s own standards, there should be ~50% affordable housing), the developers (remenber, that’s the council) then try to pass blame onto campaigners who wanted a lower tower block.

The precise number of flats intended for the site has always been fluid. At one point it was 120, at another 100, at another, 105. We’ve now ended up with 106. Amid all the documentation, WHL has yet to unearth the viability calculations that explain precisely how the affordable housing quota has been determined. Apparently the housing market can be thanked for this sudden largesse although quite what role it has played is of course unclear. Many will also be irked by the implication above that the council would love to have had more affordable housing if it wasn’t for those pesky locals demanding a lower tower, given that the council’s original plans had no such units until locals started clamouring for them despite a bullish housing market at the time the plans were first drawn up. There are no doubt some who would like to know how many affordable units would be possible if 14-storeys had been retained in order that people could make an informed trade-off.

Liddell Road tower block from Maygrove Peace Park

In response to the objection that such a low affordable housing quota runs contrary to Camden’s own policies on vibrant mixed communities, councillors are keen to say that the development of 156 West End Lane will deliver 50% affordable housing. It’s a bold promise they may find difficult to keep, and it is unclear how West Hampstead residents are expected to judge one application on the basis of another development, especially when the latter is not even on the drawing board after Camden “deselected” the developer last month.

Residents have also objected to the siting of the tower block at the eastern end of the site, where it most overshadows the Sidings Estate and Maygrove Peace Park. Newly-formed residents association MILAM has challenged this several times but the architects and the council have decided to retain it in the east. Their argument can be found in its extensive Q&A document. There will also be a new main access road into the development, although the existing access road will be retained.

Consultation on the applications has been extended to take account of the Christmas holidays, so anyone who wants to comment on the application has “at least” until January 30th to do so. The Neighbourhood Development Forum, whose draft plan is quoted many times in the application documents, is also running a survey to try and get as comprehensive a view as possible on locals’ thoughts. You can fill in the survey here.

Given Camden Labour’s overwhelming majority on the council, it is hard to see how this plan would be refused by the development control committee when it comes to a vote. There could still be some tweaks here and there of course, but it is a stark example of the problem in the planning system when councils are both developer and ajudicator of the same proposal.

Liddell Road tower and workspace looking east

Liddell Road mansion block from Maygrove Road artist impression

Artist’s impression of Liddell Road mansion block from Maygrove Road

Liddell Road development overview

The Liddell Road brickwork will be mostly red

View of Liddell Road development from the Black Path

Air ambulance lands in NW6 twice in an hour

by Jonathan Turton / December 21, 2014/0 Comments/in Frontpage Article, General News /

Thankfully we rarely see the London Air Ambulance hovering over West Hampstead, but this lunchtime the red helicopter landed first on Fortune Green, and then about an hour later in Kilburn Grange Park.

Air ambulance arrived at Fortune Green a little while ago with a great clatter and uprush of fallen leaves @NW6FOFG pic.twitter.com/t1EmVALBqA

— Paul Brightwell (@brightwell08) December 21, 2014

@WHampstead there was an incident at the bus stand on west end lane. LAS Police and Fire Brigade in attendance

— rekab_mik (@k1mbo999) December 21, 2014

The red helicopter was back within the hour and looked as if it was trying to find a landing spot in Kilburn. It eventually set down in Kilburn Grange park and shortly afterwards a Kilburn resident tweeted a photo of ambulance crews.

Ambulance crews and police on Priory Park Road in Kilburn via @donks80 pic.twitter.com/KQDmCyk783"

— West Hampstead (@WHampstead) December 21, 2014

Although one person had tweeted that there had been a stabbling, which was then picked up by a couple of other people, the cause of the commotion has not been confirmed. But here’s what Donks80 saw:

@AmyWorldwide @WHampstead someone just got wheeled out of the flats

— Donks (@donks80) December 21, 2014

@nickhudgell @WHampstead one of the 2nd floor flats had all its windows broken

— Donks (@donks80) December 21, 2014

Later in the evening, the police were still in attendance:

@nickhudgell @WHampstead still a police presence at 8pm.

— Donks (@donks80) December 21, 2014

Give local foster kids a gift this Christmas

by Jonathan Turton / December 19, 2014/1 Comment/in General News /

The O2 centre and Camden council are collaborating again to encourage shoppers to give a small present for one of 129 children who are in foster care in the local area this year. Last year, the scheme distributed more than 100 presents.

Homebase has donated a “Gift Tree”, whichi is standing proudly on the upper level of the O2 centre. The tree is decorated with gift tags that have the name and age of a local foster child. Choose a gift tag and then buy a present – pretty simple, and with Tiger and Waterstones both on hand, there’s really no excuse. Gifts can be dropped off at the centre management offices (easy to find) and will be distributed in time for Christmas Day.

Jason King, who runs the O2 Centre said, “We hope the ‘Gift Tree’ will help bring some Christmas magic to more children and young people within our local community, many of whom will have had a tough year. As shoppers are picking up gifts and stocking fillers for their friends and families, we hope that many of them will also be inspired to pick up one extra gift that will make a big difference to a child in foster care.”

129 children and young people are currently in foster care within Camden for a wide variety of reasons. Some may have been affected by an illness in the family, others have suffered abuse or neglect, or a breakdown in family relations, while others have come to the UK unaccompanied from abroad.

North London Tavern misfires with new menu

by Joanne Paisner / December 17, 2014/2 Comments/in Frontpage Article, Shops & Restaurants, Tom's Diner /

North London Tavern; a tavern, in North London (Kilburn to be precise) offering “traditional British meals.” It has recently been refurbished but I am glad that the ambience has not changed. It is still busy, friendly and noisy with intellectual conversation.

The brand new menu is certainly very British, with a whole section dedicated to chops, and mains consisting mainly of meat and poultry, two fish dishes and one vegetarian. It also features an interesting ‘Morsels’ section (meaning mouthfuls) including British favourites such as pig’s head croquettes, and old spot scratchings.

I ordered smoked mackerel pate to start. It was as I expected, tasty, most certainly plentiful and presented in a no frills manner. There were however suggestions that it was too smooth (perhaps mixed by machine rather than by hand) and that chunks of mackerel were not decipherable.

For main I had a Barnsley lamb chop, with mash and purple sprouting broccoli with almonds. Things got a little fine dining at this stage when the broccoli arrived in its own mini casserole dish. I really liked the pairing of broccoli and almonds. When it came to the meat, it was hearty and flavoursome but slightly over done and the amount of mash was overwhelming.

I was too full for dessert (see above re too much mash) but I did sample a fellow diner’s cheese, specifically Blue Murder with truffled honey and oatcakes. Cheese and honey – a surprising combination! But one that works, even if you don’t like truffles (like me) as the truffle is so subtle that you can’t even taste it.
I will give them the benefit of the doubt and hope that the extremely slow service is purely down to new menu teething problems.

If you are looking for inventive fine dining, this is not it, but for local, hearty, meat orientated British food at a reasonable price (we paid around £35 each including ample wine) NLT is a good option.

[Jo blogs at http://dinnerwithjo.com/]

Jonathan
Service was a bit of a shambles – friendly, but far from sharp and we had to ask for pretty much everything at least twice, and Tom… well… Tom can tell you about Tom. My food was ok, but too easy to find fault – the butter on my potted rabbit should surely have been set not completely melted (no doubt left on the pass under the lights), the Barnsley Chop was ok, but for a place that specialises in chops, I’d expect it cooked as requested (it was medium-well not medium-rare), and the proportion of mash to chop was wrong. Neither of the desserts I fancied were available and it’s not that big a dessert menu so in the end, even with them comping a main course and a bottle of wine, I was left feeling like I’d overpaid. Will be a while before I return for anything more than a pint.

Tom
I love the North London Tavern, but they had an off-night on this occasion. Water and wine (twice) failed to appear, and the spinach in my starter salad hadn’t been adequately washed. The goats cheese and pear worked well, though the dish was a little insubstantial even for a first course.

My main failed to appear, and the staff were very honest and apologetic in explaining it had indeed been missed; an error in the kitchen. They also informed me they’d be knocking it off the bill, which was much appreciated. When it arrived, I was a little nonplussed to find the plaice on the bone, having checked it was to be a fillet; however it was excellently and delicately cooked. The spinach this time was great; a large portion and not overdone. The potatoes, lentils and shrimps added further dimensions and made for a pleasingly hearty dinner, but there was a lack of seasoning, and I’m still not sure whether the ‘broth’ in the bowl was intentional or just cooking liquor. Not a bad plate, but lacking refinement.

My dessert of blue cheese with good quality oat biscuits and truffled honey was an enjoyable, decent portion, though I didn’t detect much truffle and, being British, I’d like a bit of butter on the side, ideally.

I’ve enjoyed the food in NLT very much in the past, so I will be back.

Nicky
The NLT has changed a bit since my last visit. It used to be a cosy, slightly chaotic Kilburn pub, good for meeting friends on a Friday night, with a straightforward gastropub menu in its restaurant. It seems to have morphed into a slightly spruced-up Kilburn pub and embraced its ‘Tavern’ roots with an ‘English chop house’-style restaurant concept. (Seriously, reading down the list of chops, stout, oysters and Eccles cakes I felt transported to Dickensian times, or perhaps present-day Shoreditch.)

All fine, if it could deliver hearty food and a warm ambience – but there were too many errors to overlook, mainly to do with the slow, disjointed service, that all added up to a less-than-relaxing experience. On the night of our visit, it felt like the restaurant had big ambitions that it couldn’t quite match. The food was fine, for the most part – my fish and chips were perfectly pleasant – but I’m not sure why I’d choose to dine at the NLT over many of the other excellent pubs in the area.

Philip
I’ve been to the North London Tavern a few times before and I’m aware of its reputation as a decent quality gastropub, so I was expecting a hearty good quality meal from an affordable traditional British menu; this is exactly what I got.

I started with the Chicken Liver Parfait – excellent rich flavour and gorgeous creamy texture, served with a nice amount of fresh leaves and onion jam, and very tasty artisan toast. A perfect portion size for a starter – enough to feel slightly sated, but still hungry.

For the main, I went for the predictable old favourite – the ribeye steak and chips. It’s advertised as coming with either “stilton hollandaise or peppercorn”. I wasn’t sure if there was meant to be comma between the Stilton and hollandaise, or if the chef had found a way to combine these two (potentially conflicting) flavours into something edible. I guessed that the staff wouldn’t know either (they generally seemed very unsure of everything) so I ordered the steak rare and just said ‘Stilton’ for the accompaniment, expecting a creamy Stilton flavoured sauce, potentially with undertones of hollandaise. There was some amusement within the group when the steak arrived with a HUGE slab of Stilton atop. This slab melted into the hot steak, and the overall effect was extremely pleasing – though the flavour of the Stilton overwhelmed the steak to the degree that I could barely taste the meat (which was most certainly NOT rare) – yes, I could have removed some of the Stilton to prevent this, but I’m not that clever. The chips and green leaves combined with the steak to make a lovely meal, firmly within the ‘what I expected from this kind of place’ bracket.

For dessert, I had a chocolate brownie sundae – think Eton Mess but with chocolate brownie instead of berries. This was well executed, and perfect after two heavy and strong flavoured courses, with the merging of chocolate, cream and vanilla ice cream perfectly complimenting each other, and nicely light on the stomach. Overall, I was very satisfied with the food and wine for the price. The North London Tavern did exactly what is very clearly says on the tin; good quality hearty food and wine, traditional British menu, reasonable price.

What have I missed since December 8th?

by Jonathan Turton / December 15, 2014/0 Comments/in Digest, Frontpage Article /

The 85-year-old driver who caused the death of Desreen Brooks on West End Lane in 2012 was found guilty of death by dangerous driving, but cleared of grievous bodily harm against US student Amy Werner, apparently due to a lack of concrete evidence. He will be sentenced before Christmas.

A lorry apparently drove into the traffic lights on West End Lane/Iverson Road on Saturday evening.

Got a question about West Hampstead at Christmas? We’ve probably answered it in our Survival Guide!

Caught my cutey back garden fox having a casual nose around the patio via @damawa42

West Hampstead Life Christmas drinks is this Thursday, and there’s food and live music first at the West Hampstead Christmas Food Fest.

This is the last week of the streetfood market until March 2015, so why not drop by and give them a good send off.

Posh frozen food shop COOK opens on West End Lane on Wednesday.

West Hampstead councillor Angela Pober failed to secure the Labour nomination to replace Frank Dobson as the party’s candidate for Holborn & St Pancras. The seat will be contested by Sir Keir Starmer.

Contract publishers Ink Global moved its global headquarters to West Hampstead.

The final Film Club screening of the year was St Vincent with a great turnout. Film Club will return in 2015.

The Petite Corée, a Modern European/Korean fusion restaurant has opened where Elephant Walk was.

The lease for Mamacita is up for sale, though Mamacita claims that it’s merely considering relocation.

Here’s the view from the top of West Hampstead Square at the moment.

Leviathan is our Film of the Week. All the local listings here.

Alongside the carol concerts this week there’s also a Battle of the Tribute Bands this week. All the local music this week is here.

There are two more trains an hour from West Hampstead Thameslink starting this week.

Camden’s primary schools have been ranked. Of the local three, Emmanuel just comes ahead of Kingsgate, with Beckford a little further behind. All three are squarely in the middle of Camden’s primary schools overall.

Kilburn Ironworks, the bar that’s replacing Powers, finally opens officially on January 1st.

West Hampstead author Simon Inglis’s latest book Played in London topped the Londonist’s best London books of 2014 list.

Another estate agent (yes) is opening in West Hampstead – this one on Mill Lane (No. 84).

Tweet of the Week

Drunk Jemma loses belongings. If anyone happens to have found a penguin Christmas jumper on west end lane then it's mine. @WHampstead

— jemazing (@jemazing) December 13, 2014

West Hampstead Christmas survival guide

by Nicky Jones / December 12, 2014/0 Comments/in Frontpage Article, General News /

With just two weeks to go, it’s beginning to look a LOT like Christmas in West Hampstead. Here’s our seasonal guide to what’s going on around the neighbourhood in the next couple of weeks, including December 25th.

Christmas trees and wreaths outside St James’ Church

Still need to get a Christmas tree? They’re on sale outside The Sherriff Centre, on the corner of Sherriff Road and West End Lane, and if you’re at the other end of town, you can find a good selection of trees at The Mill Lane Garden Centre.

In other shopping news, there are many places locally to buy last-minute presents – see our gift guide for ideas. If you’re sad you missed last weekend’s Christmas Market, put a date in your diary to go to The Sherriff Centre this Saturday, December 13th – there will be several stalls selling crafts, scarves, bags, jewellery, and other ideal gifts. West Hampstead Food & Flea market is also open from 4pm-8pm Wednesday-Friday with craft stalls and edible treats.

The West Hampstead Life Christmas drinks will be on December 18th – we’ll be getting some dinner from the Christmas Food & Flea market before heading to The Gallery for drinks. More details coming up soon.

If you can’t imagine Christmas without a seasonal sing-song, check out our guide to local carol services and concerts.

Santa is taking time out of his busy schedule to make a couple of visits to West Hampstead. He’ll be putting in an appearance at Paramount’s grotto from December 16th-18th. He’s also finding time to drop in to The Village Haberdashery on the 22nd. Both of these events are free, but please book ahead.

Another fun activity for kids is The Village Haberdashery’s Christmas ornament making workshop on December 23rd. There is a materials fee of £5 per person.

The Community Association for West Hampstead (CAWH) is putting on some free activities for children at West Hampstead Library. There’s a storytelling session on Saturday 13th, a Christmas decoration making workshop on Friday 19th, and a gift-wrapping session on Saturday 20th. Check the calendar on CAWH’s website for details and times.

There’s no panto on in the area, but The Tricycle as usual has a family show, which this year is Lionboy. There’s more seasonal family entertainment at JW3 as part of their Chanukah programme, with Lemony Snicket’s The Latke Who Couldn’t Stop Screaming.

As for Christmas Day itself, is anywhere going to be open? There will of course be church services: St James’ and St Mary’s are both holding a Midnight Mass as well as services on the 25th. Emmanuel Church also has a guide to its Christmas services online. St Luke’s, on the Fortune Green side of West Hampstead, is holding a Midnight Communion from 11pm on Christmas Eve, and an 11am Christmas Day service for all the family.

What are the eating out options? Mill Lane Bistro and The Alice House are both open with special Christmas menus. Guglee and Toomai will also be open from 4pm to 10.30pm for dine-in, home delivery and collection.

The Christmas Day drinking scene is going to be pretty quiet I’m afraid – The Alliance, The Black Lion, The Gallery and La Brocca are all closed, so The Alice House looks like your only option.

Onto more prosaic, but just as essential things. Rubbish collections will be rescheduled if your normal collection day is Thursday or Friday – see Camden’s revised schedule here.

What about parking? Camden has confirmed that bank holiday enforcement will apply on the 25th and 26th – here’s a reminder of the parking restrictions that do not apply on public holidays.

The main supermarkets – Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose – are all closed on Christmas Day, and both Waitrose branches (West End Lane and Finchley Road) are also closed on Boxing Day. If you need an emergency item on the 25th, Nisa Local (on the corner of West End Lane and Broadhurst Gardens) will be open, as will Western Food & Wine opposite. Neither of these convenience stores stock whole turkeys though.

If it’s a pharmacy you need, the Christmas opening times rota for the area has not been fixed yet. Contact details for local pharmacies can be found here.

Local GP practices are closed on the 25th and 26th, but if you need urgent medical help you can dial the NHS 111 service, or of course 999 in an emergency.

If you need to travel during the festive period, be aware that tube and train services tend to wind down earlier than normal on Christmas Eve. There is no public transport on Christmas Day, and there will be a limited service and engineering works to contend with during the rest of the period – see here for TfL’s festive travel updates from December 21st to January 4th.

Thameslink services will also not run on the 25th or 26th, and engineering works will affect services between December 27th and January 2nd.

What have I missed since December 1st?

by Jonathan Turton / December 8, 2014/0 Comments/in Digest, Frontpage Article /

A fight broke out on Maygrove Road on Wednesday; the police stopped some men all of whom denied involvement “even the one with minor injury”, according to Sgt Ian Hutton.

The trial began of the 83-year-old man charged with causing death by dangerous driving in the accident two years ago that killed Desreen Brooks and left American student Amy Werner in a critical condition in hospital.

An inquest into the death of Dr Nazim Mahmood, who fell from his balcony above Barclays Bank on Fawley Road in June this year, found that he took his own life after telling his mother that he was gay.

Acker Bilk evening at La Brocca via Tony Penfold

The West Hampstead Life 2014 Christmas Gift Guide is out – shop local for presents for all your loved ones.

We always get asked about carol concerts… so here’s the round-up of who’s decking which halls on what days (as well, of course, as the latest on all the other music offerings in the neighbourhood).

The West Hampstead Christmas Market enjoyed glorious winter sunshine on Saturday.

Several local businesses also embraced Small Business Saturday, and one even got to go to Downing Street as a result!

NW6 Film Club is off tonight (Monday) to see St Vincent at the Tricycle.

Citizenfour is Film of the Week, but I’m afraid you’ve already missed the two screenings; there’s still time for the second screening of 2001: A Space Odyssey though – well worth seeing this classic on the big screen. Check out that and all the local film news.

December’s Property of the Month is a 2-bedroom flat on Lyncroft Gardens.

Commuters rejoice: Bond Street station is now open again for entry, exit and interchange.

Tweet of the Week

Just saw the West Hampstead Tesco staff successfully stop a shoplifter making off with loads of stock including boxes of Ferrero Rocher!

— Shirley Cooney (@shirleycooney) December 2, 2014

Small Business Saturday takes local business to Downing Street

by Nicky Jones / December 5, 2014/0 Comments/in Business News, Shops & Restaurants /

Tomorrow is Small Business Saturday – a government-backed initiative set up to support small businesses of all kinds in the all-important run-up to Christmas.

Conveniently, this year, it falls on the same day as the West Hampstead Christmas Market, so December 6th will be the perfect day for festive shopping with some refreshments along the way – if you’re in need of inspiration, check out our gift guide.

One local shop that has embraced Small Business Saturday is Passionate About Vintage on Mill Lane. Owner Natalie Leon explained why she decided to take part.

“When I first heard of it I thought ‘What a lovely concept’, because it’s something I feel very passionate about – supporting independent local businesses is the way I shop and live” she said, adding that West Hampstead is the perfect place to get involved, “as we’re surrounded by independents here”.

Passionate About Vintage’s event will take place between 1-6pm tomorrow. Customers will be treated to mulled wine and mince pies while they browse the collection of vintage jewellery and handbags, which range from the 1920s to 1960s. Natalie is also offering a 10% discount on all purchases made in the shop on the day.

Natalie also sees the event as a way to celebrate her first Christmas in West Hampstead – the shop opened in July this year – and to thank her local customers and neighbouring businesses for their support. She’s also hoping that if the event is successful, that it will inspire other independent businesses in the area to take part next year.

Natalie’s dedication has paid off – Passionate About Vintage was selected as one of 100 “Small Business Saturday Champions” across the country, and today she was invited to an event at 10 Downing Street hosted by Business and Enterprise minister Matthew Hancock.

West End Lane Books is also taking part and was featured in The Huffington Post’s Small Business Saturday picks. Tomorrow they will be offering 20% off all Walker children’s books.

You can find out more about Small Business Saturday here.

Festive fun and freebies at West Hampstead Christmas Market

by Nicky Jones / December 5, 2014/0 Comments/in Business News, General News /

The West Hampstead Christmas Market takes place tomorrow, December 6th, between 10am and 4pm on West End Green.

Images from http://www.westhampsteadchristmasmarket.co.uk/

There will be a range of stalls selling Christmas gifts and decorations, including local businesses such as Monsters of Art, The Village Haberdashery and Achillea Flowers. Edible treats will also be available – The Kitchen Table and Bake-a-boo are among the cake stalls.

It’s not all about shopping however – there are fun, free activities for kids in the neighbouring Emmanuel Church. There are music, dance and storytelling activities as well as plenty of Christmas crafts including balloon modelling and snowglobe-making.

Look out for these festive freebies around West End Lane and Mill Lane, too:

Hot mulled wine from Alexander’s estate agents
Free mince pie at The Black Lion – Say ‘Christmas Market’ at the bar
Tastings of two festive wines and cheeses at The Hampstead Butcher & Providore
Father Christmas courtesy of Chelsea Square Partnership, at their office (11am – 1pm)
Hot chicken soup tasters on West End Green, courtesy of David’s Deli, plus a discount on soup and bread when you eat at David’s Deli (12pm – 3pm)
Falafel tasters on West End Green courtesy of Chicken Schnitzel & More (12pm-3pm)
Mince pies and hot mulled wine at Passionate About Vintage, plus a 10% discount on everything in the shop (1pm-6pm)

Local promotions on West End Lane and Mill Lane

The Alliance, Mill Lane: Free glass of wine with Christmas menu 1st-24th December
Bengal Spice: 20% discount on 6th and 7th December
Crystalise Salon: 20% discount all services 6th-13th December
La Brocca: 50% off mulled wine on the day
The Eye Cube: 20% discount on everything
Headmasters: 10% discount on all treatments
Insight Optician: 10% off glasses 1st-31st December
Mill Lane Bistro: Free glass of house wine with a meal 6th and 7th December
Peppercorns: 10% discount on all food

Check out the full list of happenings at the West Hampstead Christmas Market website.

Shop local: Twelve West Hampstead Christmas presents

by Nicky Jones / December 5, 2014/0 Comments/in Frontpage Article, Shops & Restaurants /

Finished your Christmas shopping yet? If panic is starting to set in, fear not. West Hampstead Life has scoured the shops in the area to bring you these twelve hand-picked local presents. Instead of getting into fist-fights at Westfield, why not have a leisurely shopping trip without leaving the neighbourhood. And if you’re out and about on Saturday, there’ll be more gifts – and mulled wine – available at the West Hampstead Christmas Market.

1. Build A Robot kit, £14.99
West End Lane Books, 277 West End Lane

For inquisitive children – or adults for that matter – this cool kit contains all you need to build your own wind-up robots and learn about them in the process. It’s unclear whether the robots can cook or clean up after the Christmas lunch though.

2. Craft beer selection, £14.99
Brooksby Wines, 278 West End Lane

This selection of craft beers is great value and includes two chalice glasses in case you’re feeling fancy. While you’re there, Brooksby also sells a good range of champagne, wine and spirits for all your Christmas drinking requirements.

3. Gourmet hamper, prices vary
Sherriff Centre, St James Church, Sherriff Road

The Sherriff Centre has plenty of delicious treats for your foodie friends and relatives. Either pick a custom-made selection or create your own hamper of artisan goods – post boxes and bubble wrap are available at the attached post office if you need to post your gift. Also look out for Moleskine notebooks and other covetable stationery, as well as a good range of children’s gifts including pencil sets, friendship bracelet making kits, notebooks, bookends and cute cushions.

4. Vintage brooch, £95
Passionate About Vintage, 66 Mill Lane

Passionate About Vintage is a treasure trove of beautiful and unique gifts. This quirky gold-plated peas-in-a-pod brooch caught my eye. It’s a genuine Trifari piece from the 1960s and is bound to be a talking point. And on Small Business Saturday, the shop is offering a 10% discount.

5. Venison marrowbone cracker, £6.99
Nutts 4 Mutts, 108 Fortune Green Road

This cracker “for paws only” contains a satisfyingly chewy venison treat, as well as a silver hat and a joke (which your dog may or may not get). Nutts 4 Mutts, despite the name, also stocks a good range of treats for cats.

6. Silver strand bracelet, £79.95
North West 6, 122 West End Lane

Delicate strands of silver beads catch the light in this pretty and fluid bracelet, made by Navajo craftspeople. North West 6, next to the tube station, has a big range of silver and amber jewellery and is well worth a browse.

7. Ms Marmite Lover’s Secret Tea Party book, £20
Order from West End Lane Books, or buy online from the publisher

Ms Marmite Lover‘s, (aka Kerstin Rodgers) legendary supperclubs at her house just down the road in Kilburn, have made her a star of the food world not just locally, but far beyond NW6. Who better to pick up tips from on hosting your own tea party? This would be a good gift for a baking or tea fan, with the bonus that you might get invited round in the new year…

8. Beanie hat, £16
Social, 184 West End Lane

If there’s a hard to buy for, but fashion conscious man in your life, Social has some good ideas. There are wallets, scarves, shirts and jumpers, and these hats from Danish denim label Revolution.

9. Wine tasting vouchers, from £25
North London Wine School, Cotleigh Road

The North London Wine School is opening in West Hampstead in the new year, at the old library on Cotleigh Road. It will offer wine tasting courses for beginners or just for fun, as well as the more serious industry-recognised WSET qualifications. You can buy vouchers (with no expiry date) on the website.

10. Frog slipper socks, £10
JoJo Maman Bébé, 258 West End Lane

These slipper socks are perfect for keeping tiny feet warm and cosy – and with their anti-slip suede soles are perfect for first walkers. Available in sizes up to age 4-5 (Sadly, adult versions not available.)

11. Chocolate covered walnuts, £20
Cocoa Bijoux, Broadwell Parade, Broadhurst Gardens

You can find all sorts of delights at Cocoa Bijoux, including these sophisticated French walnuts coated in chocolate. There are many less expensive items too. The shop carries a great range of chocolate, conserves and other gourmet products you won’t find in the supermarket.

12. Nutcracker, £27.99
James Nicholas, 166 West End Lane

According to the shelf sticker, this is “the world’s best nutcracker”, and at that price you’d hope so. The shop staff kindly let me try it out, so I can vouch for its effectiveness at cracking an almond shell. It’s very solid and stylish, too.

Happy shopping! Let us know in the comments if you have any more local present-shopping tips.

What have I missed since November 24th?

by Jonathan Turton / December 1, 2014/0 Comments/in Digest, Frontpage Article /

A man in his early 30s died on Sunday morning after collapsing outside the North London Tavern in Kilburn. There has been no official statement by the police, but it appears he had a heart attack.

A passer-by spotted a corn snake in Parsifal Road and helped it into a recycling box before alerting the homeowner.

West Hampstead ward councillor Angela Pober has made the shortlist for Labour’s candidate for Holborn & St Pancras. The CNJ published an interview with her that’s already ruffled a few feathers.

Happy Monday! Sunrise and condensed window via Mauro Murgia

Australian batmsan Phil Hughes, who died earlier this week after having been hit by a cricket ball during a match, lived briefly in West Hampstead with his then Middlesex team mate Nick Compton.

The streetfood market is turning into a Christmas mini-market for December, opening Wed-Fri 4-8pm. Opening night is December 3rd and look out for a special event on December 18th, combining the market with West Hampstead Life Christmas Drinks.

Next Saturday is the West Hampstead Christmas Market (and Small Business Saturday), so there’s no excuse not to shop local.

The West Hampstead Business Association is holding its Christmas social on Tuesday evening at the Sherriff Centre. Come along and find out more about what the WHBA does.

Finchley Road has been added to a list of possible terrorist targets.

The Jubilee Line is stopping at Bond Street again, but it’s interchange and exit only still.

Burgh House’s World War I “Fellowship & Sacrifice” is our exhibition of the month – and ends in mid-December. Check out all the other local art exhibitions.

There’s an eclectic mix of local gigs this week, including a tribute to Acker Bilk and a laser harp!

Everyone’s starting to ask about Christmas trees! The Mill Lane Garden Centre is one option. They are also being sold by the Sherriff Centre, at Homebase, and on Kilburn High Road.

Our “Hot Ticket” is for Lemony Snicket’s The Latke Who Couldn’t Stop Screaming – a JW3 theatre production. There is an amazing array of plays out at the moment locally.

Paddington is our Film of the Week, but there’s plenty else on locally if the bear with the hard stare isn’t your marmalade sandwich.

The final NW6 Film Club of the year is on December 8th. Join the gang to watch Bill Murray in St Vincent at the Tricycle, with drinks and food at The Black Lion in Kilburn first.

Kilburn ward councillor Maryam Eslamdoust was punched in Bloomsbury as she walked her blind brother home.

It looks like the Pizza Express on Finchley Road is moving into the O2 centre. Direct competition for Rossopomodoro!

There will be a 24-hour post box outside the Sherriff Centre so locals won’t have to wait until the post office is open. There is no word as to whether a post box will return near the former post office, which would be convenient for more people.

This Tuesday there’s an exhibition on the proposals for the Overground station at the Synagogue Hall.

The Friends of Fortune Green have launched a Flickr group and are looking for submissions.

Hayes Camera shop on Mill Lane, which seems to have been there for ever, has closed. The rumour is that it’s being replaced by yet another hairdressers.

Tweet of the Week

Finally found somewhere to live and celebrating with prosecco (not champagne, it's only in West Hampstead).

— Mr. M.J.Moth (@mothmun) November 24, 2014

Man dies by Kilburn High Road pub

by Jonathan Turton / November 30, 2014/0 Comments/in Crime, Frontpage Article /

[updated]
Sometime around 1am Sunday morning, police closed Kilburn High Road between Dyne Road and Christchurch Avenue. Initial reports were that a man in his early 30s had died following an altercation at a pub, believed to be the North London Tavern. Subsequently, staff at the NLT told one customer that a man had had a heart attack and then collapsed. There has been talk on Twitter of another incident on Dyne Road.

A man in his 30's has died after a reported altercation at a North London Gastropub @NorthLondonTav on Kilburn High Road

— Zora Suleman (@ZoraSuleman) November 30, 2014

@WHampstead the victim was found collapsed on Kilburn high rd at around 230 – he was taken to a central London hosp where he died at 315

— Zora Suleman (@ZoraSuleman) November 30, 2014

@WHampstead I was in the NLT earlier & the staff said a bloke had had a heart attack in the pub, then fell & broke his neck.

— Graeme Crossley (@GraemeCrossley) November 30, 2014

Police are yet to release a statement on what happened last night.

What have I missed since November 17?

by Jonathan Turton / November 24, 2014/0 Comments/in Digest, Frontpage Article /

A rail replacement bus hit parked cars on Broadhurst Gardens on Sunday morning causing considerable damage and blocking the road for some time. This was the worst incident in a terrible weekend for local transport as both the Jubilee and Met lines were closed, there were two sets of roadworks on West End Lane, Belsize Road was partially closed to remove the Abbey estate bridge, and serious flooding at the Brent Cross end of Finchley Road all combined to cause gridlock.

A swathe of West Hampstead BT customers have been without a phone line for most of the week. If you’ve been affected, contact who is trying to put together a collective call for compensation.

Capital City Motorcycles (which we wrote about last month), was evicted from its premises by bailiffs.

I’m in love with this street via Katherine Penfold

Two years after the fatal West End Lane accident, an 84-year-old man pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving. The trial is due to start on December 1st.

Whampreview gave its verdict on Toomai.

Tube and bus fares go up again in January – what will this mean for most West Hampstead residents?

West Hampstead’s newest residents association is almost up and running.

There was a great turnout for NW6 Film Club on Monday for the Alan Turing film The Imitation Game. Meanwhile, Film of the Week is another biopic: Get on Up.

Posh frozen food retailer Cook is moving into the former Axminster store on West End Lane, due to open in a couple of weeks.

The council has replaced trees on Fortune Green that were either dying or were ripped up by St Jude’s storm.

A local is kickstarting a helmet for style-conscious cyclists.

The West Hampstead Business Association’s Christmas social is on December 2nd. All businesses – members and non-members welcome.

Check out all the local gigs and concerts in and around West Hampstead this week, including our Gig of the Week.

Camden apologised after a judge demanded the council repaired some West Hampstead flats in a terrible condition.

Saturday December 6th Small Business Saturday (and the local Christmas market). The WHBA explains how to get involved.

There was the usual mix of old faces and new friends at the last Whampsocial of 2014. Look out for news of the WHamp Christmas Drinks though!

In case you missed it a few weeks ago, Dr Rebecca Johnson is the Green Party candidate for Hampstead & Kilburn at next May’s election.

We’re on a mission to get Manuel and Renata together.

Tweet of the Week

Respect to the girl on Kilburn High Rd wearing flip flops in the rain. In November. I went for socks, leg warmers & wellies #weak

— Celine (@celinerkelly) November 23, 2014

Rail replacement bus hits parked cars, blocks road

by Jonathan Turton / November 23, 2014/1 Comment/in Frontpage Article, Transport & Travel /

A rail replacement double-decker bus travelling down Broadhurst Gardens crashed into a series of parked cars just past the junction with Priory Road this morning causing significant damage to the vehicles though no passengers appear to have been injured. The bus became wedged against one of the cars and was unable to move. This led to the one-way Broadhurst Gardens becoming backed up with both replacement bus services and the C11.

The middle doors of the bus were also damaged in the incident.

A group of workers from TfL’s engineering works came off the track to see what they could do. It appeared that the owner of the Golf was able to nudge the car foward, freeing up the bus which was then able to drive off.

The incident will raise questions about the suitability of Broadhurst Gardens for rail replacement services, given that it’s narrow with a tight bend and parked cars either side and that while the C11 drivers navigate it daily it’s not a common task for the stand-in drivers. It also throws into relief the poor planning this weekend, which has seen two sets of West End Lane roadworks, and the closure of both the Jubilee and Metropolitan Lines, the closure today of part of Belsize Road. Not to mention the 50,000 fans heading to Wembley for the England women’s football match.

Replacement trees planted on Fortune Green

by Nicky Jones / November 21, 2014/0 Comments/in General News /

Newly-planted limes opposite mature trees on the main avenue

Newly-planted limes face mature trees on the main avenue

If you’re a regular visitor to Fortune Green, you might have noticed the green has lost a few trees over the past months, some due to storm damage, some due to disease.

Yesterday, Camden contractors replaced some of the missing trees.

New lime trees have been planted along the main path heading towards the cemetery where several young trees have died.

Spring-flowering white cherry trees (Prunus Serrula) have been planted in the bed alongside Alfred Court to replace the diseased whitebeams. Over a period of time the plan is to replace all the whitebeams with cherries.

A Liquidambar tree has been planted in the bed opposite the Fortune Green Road entrance to replace the sycamore that was badly damaged in the St Jude’s storm.

The Friends of Fortune Green said “We look forward to watching them grow.” Keep an eye out next time you’re on the green and see if you can spot the new specimens.

If you’re interested in being involved with the upkeep of Fortune Green Open Space, keep an eye on the Friends of Fortune Green Events page – they’re always looking for volunteers.

Are fares fair for West Hampstead travellers?

by Nicky Jones / November 20, 2014/2 Comments/in Frontpage Article, Transport & Travel /

Here it comes, as seasonal in its way as twinkling fairy lights and Christmas shopping: TfL’s annual announcement about ticket price rises.

How will the changes affect the average West Hampstead resident in January? If you commute by tube into central London each day, a weekly Zone 1-2 Travelcard will increase by 2.2%, meaning a 7-day pass will now cost £32.10 instead of this year’s £31.40. The Zone 1-2 one-day travelcard is abolished, and the minimum one-day card is now for zones 1-4, which comes in at £12, as TfL tries to get even more of us to use Oystercards.

#172353488 / gettyimages.com

The cost of a 1-2 monthly travelcard will be £123.30, up from the £120.60 it is today. Don’t forget that if you use travelcards, it’s cheaper to buy it to start before January 2nd!

TfL does attempt to sweeten the pill with a nod to flexible and part-time workers by cutting the pay-as-you-go daily fare caps from £8.40 (peak) and £7.00 (off-peak) to £6.40 for journeys within Zones 1 and 2. However, this will not make any difference if you simply travel to and from work each day and do not make any additional journeys, as a return journey will come in at £5.80, which is less than the daily cap anyway. There’s no great benefit for most people of opting to use only contactless by the way – it generally costs the same as Oyster fares apart from in some particular circumstances.

There’s an increase of 3.4% on bus fares, with a pay-as-you-go single fare on Oyster rising to £1.50. TfL is also reintroducing a one-day bus (and tram) pass for £5, but you can’t buy it on board.

For those who only take the occasional trip into town at weekends and off-peak times, the cost of a single Tube journey on Oyster will go up by 10p to £2.30.

The full table of new fares can be found here. For a broader analysis, The Diamond Geezer blog has an excellent and detailed overview of what these changes mean for Londoners generally.

Development triggers new Residents’ Association around Maygrove Road

by Nicky Jones / November 18, 2014/2 Comments/in Planning & Development /

A constitution for West Hampstead’s newest residents’ association has just been finalised, and residents are now waiting for a meeting to formally adopt the constitution and elect its committee.

The MILAM Residents’ Association will represent the interests of people living in Maygrove, Iverson, Loveridge, Ariel and Medley Roads.

As with many residents’ associations, the catalyst for setting up MILAM was to fight a particular cause, in this case the disruption caused by construction work on the Regal Homes development on Maygrove Road.

Monica Regli, who lives on Maygrove Road, said that she and many of her neighbours became frustrated with the lack of communication both from the developer and Camden Council when the works started. A short stretch of the road was closed for three months, causing significant problems with traffic which affected not only Maygrove but also the surrounding streets.

Monica Regli, of the new MILAM residents’ association

A few people complained, but Monica felt that residents’ concerns were not being addressed satisfactorily. “Individual complaints were just being batted away – we needed to unite,” she said. She set up a Facebook group and Twitter account where Maygrove residents could air their views, and immediately noticed that as a group, they started to be taken more seriously. Among the group’s first followers on Twitter was Regal Homes, closely followed by many local councillors.

Fortune Green councillor Lorna Russell suggested that residents formalise the group by setting up a Residents’ Association, and also open it up to residents of the surrounding streets facing many of the same issues. The area now covers about 1,000 households. Monica said she was nervous about taking on this task, not having had experience of setting up such an association before, but received overwhelming support from Lorna and other councillors including Flick Rea and Philip Rosenberg, James Earl, chair of the West Hampstead NDF, and Sue Measures of Sidings Community Centre, where meetings were held.

James Earl, who is also chair of the Fordwych Residents’ Association, said that the FRA welcomed the establishment of MILAM. Maygrove Road used to be covered by this neighbouring group, although the other four roads were not. “We think an RA for this area is badly needed and will be able to do a very useful job in representing the views of residents in this (often overlooked) area.” he said, adding “I hope the FRA and the MILAM RA will be able to work closely and productively in the years ahead.”

Cllr. Flick Rea, too, said she hoped that MILAM would “flourish,” and explained why she is a keen advocate of such groups: “Working together achieves so much more, and gives residents a stronger voice when making representations to the Council. They can also help bring people together and create a sense of community, which can be difficult when there is no obvious focal point.”

Monica’s background in law helped when it came to drafting the constitution and ensuring that all residents’ feedback was captured. She is keen to emphasise, however, that she does not intend to take charge of proceedings and that MILAM is for all residents, whether they simply want to sign up or get more heavily involved.

What’s next on the agenda for MILAM after the Regal Homes development? Liddell Road – and its planned tower block – inevitably looms large. Even for West Hampstead, these five streets are surrounded by an unusually high concentration of planned development, and residents understandably want to be aware of, and have a say in, how these proposals will unfold in the months and years to come.

But Monica insists it’s not all about the negative. “This is also a positive way of bringing people together” she points out, saying that since the group came together on social media, her road has felt like more of a community. Social events and street parties are some of the plans on the horizon. “It’s great to feel that we’re keeping an eye out for each other and making the area feel more secure.”

You can contact the group through its Twitter or Facebook pages, or by emailing .

Pan-Asian food definitely Toomai liking

by Jonathan Turton / November 18, 2014/0 Comments/in Frontpage Article, Shops & Restaurants, Tom's Diner /

Toomai was a long time coming, with delays over both planning permission and building works (an entire wall had to be reclad). When it opened it was overwhelmed with customers and the service groaned under the weight of expectation. Now, several months in, and having finally formalised its menu, has it found its feet? It’s definitely popular; it’s busy every night with a youngish crowd taking advantage of the relatively low prices and the obligatory jam jar cocktails. But is it good?

The industrial pared back design works well in what is a surprisingly large space. As with sister restaurant Guglee, the kitchen is visible at the back, which is always a nice touch. The Moroccan tiles on the floor are very Instagrammable and a mix of individual tables and shared seating helps create a buzzy informal atmosphere.

Chicken satay

Any attempts at reviewing incognito didn’t last long as Toomai kindly gave us a welcome drink on the house. I can confirm that they make a good vodka martini. We ended up trying pretty much all the starters between us, with the chicken satay and the paneer chilli being the stand-outs, though I have a soft spot for the pepper chilli lamb too. Service was prompt and friendly, even if some customers can be hard to reach depending how packed the restaurant is.

The main course options are reasonably limited, allowing for the fact that many come with the usual beef, chicken or prawn options. I went for chicken thai chilli kaprow, which had a kick but nothing overwhelming.

Toomai likes to big up its streetfood credentials, which always implies fresh, hot and cheap. It is, whatever it claims, a restaurant not a food shack on the Khao San Road. Nevertheless, the food definitely has fresh flavours, the place is bustling and open enough to make it lively rather than staid, and with not a single dish over £7 it’s not going to break the bank. It’s a great addition to West Hampstead, and I’m glad to see that it doesn’t seem to have hurt Banana Tree either.

Nicky
Toomai combines all the essential ingredients for a good night out with a group of friends. There’s a list of good strong cocktails (and fresh fruit smoothies for the abstainers), a great selection of appetising and very shareable dishes, and a relaxed-but-buzzy ambience. Why take a group? That way, you get to sample as many of the tasty little morsels as possible. My highlights were the fresh papaya salad – crisp slivers of fruit anointed with a spicy dressing; fiery paneer chilli; and green curry with tofu and vegetables. Grab five of your best friends and go.

Green and red vegetable curries

Debbie
This was only my second visit to Toomai and my first since they’ve expanded their menu so I was keen to find out if the quality of the food that made my first visit so enjoyable had suffered at all now that they have more dishes on offer.

Just to prove the point about the size of the new menu our first course was very much a shared dining experience as we managed to end up with every available starter on the table in front of us. A personal favourite was the Honey Chilli Veg, bite size vegetable patties with a wonderfully sweet and sticky coating – these were balanced out well by some suitably light and crispy vegetable spring rolls.

For a main I opted for the red curry with vegetables and, for the second time in as many visits, was suitably impressed. As a non-meat eater you often have to contend with vegetable curries that mostly rely on carrots and whatever tinned veg happen to be to hand. Happily this is not the case at Toomai – my curry was reasonably mild and jam-packed with both flavour and copious chunks of fresh veg. I counted at least six different types of veg in there – happy days indeed! If you want a bit more of a kick then a taste of Nicky’s green curry proved that to be the spicier of the two.

Our hosts were determined not to let us leave without sampling dessert which was just as well, the delicately battered apple and accompanying coconut sorbet was a very light and refreshing end to what had been another hugely enjoyable and flavoursome meal.

Emma
Eschewing the selection of beer, wine and martinis I started my evening with a fresh green smoothie (I’m taking my reviewing seriously here!). It was served with the flourish and care usually reserved for a signature cocktail and the concoction is well balanced and delicious, a theme which continues throughout the evening. Since its opening weeks, Toomai now seems to have got into its stride and found a welcome niche in West Hampstead. My calamari starter is a beautiful bowl of crisp and succulent bites which I am enjoying until I discover the paneer chilli and realise that this is a real winner. I went for the Penang chicken curry for my main. A good sized portion with a lovely thick fragrant sauce, the crunch of the green beans makes a pleasing contrast and stops it feeling too heavy. The menu describes this dish as ‘hot’; mine was more on the mild side and could have been spicier, but it was still enjoyable. I will happily be making this a regular destination. Toomai offers a good selection of dishes with great flavours and an enjoyable atmosphere with professional and attentive service at a reasonable price.

Mark
You visit for the tiles but you stay for the food. Toomai has already established itself as a Whamp landmark due to the imported Moroccan tiles that decorate the floor. These colourful tiles contrast well against the stripped back walls and industrial (yet stylish) lighting.

Photo via Barry McGee

A particular highlight for me was the paneer chilli starter. I’m a fan of paneer but had never tried it combined with chilli which is an interesting blend that works really well. I was also impressed that the calamari and chicken satay were both tender and each cooked “a su punto” as we say back home meaning, tender and cooked to their optimum point. Honourable mention goes to a rather moreish chilli lamb starter. I had a red curry main with equally tender chicken and vegetables. Portions were generous and the staff friendly and attentive. The fact its location is very convenient is not the only reason I’ll be going back.

Tom
First thing to comment on is the design inside Toomai; it is absolutely superb. The subtle lighting in the ‘bar’ area, the filament bulbs all over a maze of piping on the wall (brilliant!), the modernity offset by colourful floor tiles (which Mark learned were from Morocco)… all genuinely impressive.

Equally so, the starters; lots of variation, vibrant colours, satisfyingly unctuous textures, and a feeling that everything had been cooked with enthusiasm and panache (even though that’s “pan ache” if split into two words). My favourites: the paneer dish and the veggie fritter type things. Delicious.

Pad Thai was nice, with fresh, soft prawns. Flavours were subtle, and I’ll perhaps try something spicier next time. Enjoyed the house white, too; a South African Chenin Blanc which worked with everything. A clever dessert of lightly-battered apple and a soothing sorbet rounded things off very nicely.

What have I missed since November 10th?

by Jonathan Turton / November 17, 2014/0 Comments/in Digest, Frontpage Article /

Camden “deselected” the developer for 156 West End Lane (the Travis Perkins building), but insists it’s still seeking 50% affordable housing there.

Talking of affordable housing, what will the West Hampstead property market look like next year?

The portacabin classrooms at Hampstead Cricket Club were being dismantled as the girls school returns to its permanent building.

Stunning sunrise over Mill Lane this morning. Feeling blessed, via @dalzette

Tom, long sceptical about Sarracino, finally went for a proper meal.

The site of Elephant Walk on West End Lane is becoming a new restaurant. It appears to be another pizza place.

The Acol Bridge Club raised £8,000 for a breast cancer campaign.

Film of the Week and Monday’s Film Club screening is The Imitation Game.

This Wednesday is the last Whampsocial of the year. See you there!

Whampdinner at One Sixty was a great success. There won’t be a December whampdinner, but look out for news of our informal Christmas Drinks.

Residents of a West Hampstead street bemoaned the loss of neighbourly love.

WHAT published the minutes of its meeting about the local rubbish problems.

A fourth polling station has been restored in West Hampstead ward – at Brondesbury Christian Centre, 9 Iverson Road.

It appears Jerry Sadowitz will be at the O2 on Finchley Road, though quite why is hard to decipher from this video.

A newsagent in Kilburn was forced to close after becoming infested with mice.

There’s a wide range of musical talent on show this week in the local area – our Gig of the Week is Judith Owen at the JW3 on Sunday.

West Hampstead councillor Angela Pober’s hat is officially in the ring for Labour’s Holborn & St Pancras parliamentary candidate. Here’s her personal statement. She was also the only councillor to abstain in a council vote regarding the mansion tax.

An update from Ballymore: the tallest West Hampstead Square tower block will reach its final height by the end of February.

Bake-a-boo, West End Lane Books, Little Bay, One Sixty, The Wet Fish Café, the North London Tavern and B&J Fisheries either won or were runners up in the Time Out Love London awards for NW6.

A woman was killed after being hit by a tube train at Swiss Cottage. Police are not treating the death as suspicious.

Tweet of the Week

Friday evening in Roni's bakery: half the clientele buying challah, other half sourdough. That's pretty much West Hampstead in a nutshell.

— Penny Liechti (@PennyLiechti) November 14, 2014

Is affordable housing promise at risk as developer “deselected”?

by Jonathan Turton / November 13, 2014/4 Comments/in Frontpage Article, Planning & Development /

The minutes from the last Neighbourhood Development Forum meeting contain an interesting snippet towards the end.

156 West End Lane: Stuart (representing Travis Perkins) reported that the site was marketed last year and Mace was selected as preferred developers. Mace have now been ‘deselected’ by the Council and a shortlist of developers have been asked to submit new bids by 21 November… …It was pointed out that the Council’s promise of 50% affordable housing on the site (as made by Cllr Phil Jones at the Liddell Road meeting in September) may now be in doubt. James [Earl, NDF chairman] asked to be kept informed of developments. Local councillors should also be asked for information and greater clarity about the sale process.

This matters because one of Camden’s key arguments for having so little affordable housing in its Liddell Road proposal – just four units out of 100 – was that 156 West End Lane would deliver 50% affordable housing (note that this meets the quota for the site, it doesn’t actually compensate for the lack of affordable housing on Liddell Road). This has been “promised” several times, as noted in the minutes.

Camden’s extensive Liddell Road Q&A document says “At 156 West End Lane the Council is seeking 50% affordable housing from the sale of the site to a private developer.” Words like “promise” tend not to appear in print. Of course the only way that a planning decision on one site could be made contingent on what happens on another site, is for the two sites to be treated as one development and consulted on and voted on accordingly. That has never been on the cards.

Tom’s finally won over by Sarracino

by Tom Vanheems / November 13, 2014/6 Comments/in Frontpage Article, Shops & Restaurants, Tom's Diner /

I seem to be experiencing a strange sequence of meals where the starter is the star performer. This trend continued happily at Sarracino the other day, via grilled smoked cheese and aubergine. What a delectable dish! Presentation managed to be both artistic and rustic, with little touches like peeled-back tomatoes making the plate look classy (in stark contrast to the diner), and a combination of flavours and textures that made for a really inspiring introduction.

A smokin’ starter

Spaghettini with cherry tomatoes, Parmesan and basil followed. I always consider it brave to serve such a simple dish, and perhaps it’s hard to see how a ton of garlic and some mushrooms wouldn’t have enhanced things, but I was nevertheless pleased with my choice. A decent sauce reminded me of my own efforts where the tomato base is enhanced with a dash of Marmite (try it, if you haven’t already) – though I imagine the recipe here was somewhat different! The basil wasn’t distributed throughout the perfectly al-dente pasta, which meant a couple of herb-intense mouthfuls, and the Parmesan was dried, which some might frown at. The latter wasn’t an issue for me personally, though I did confer with local Italian foodie (and wine buff) @Gio_Mosel, out of interest, and was assured that this doesn’t break any protocols. I’d prefer the whole dish of Parmesan being left at the table though (as happens at La Brocca), so I can greedily spoon in the whole lot as I go along.

Porcini – but no pork – pizza

A ‘white’ (no tomato base) pizza of porcini mushrooms, rocket, pecorino shavings and truffle oil was also a success, being pretty-much perfect (though inevitably customised by madam, who requested removal of Italian sausage) – in fact far better than a similar variant I tried earlier this year, which (very uncharacteristically, I gather) was rather flabby and lacking seasoning.

The side salad was also excellent with good quality and fresh ingredients.

Shockingly, I was off the booze on this occasion, so I’ll plan on returning to Sarracino soon to see what I can pair up with a pizza of my own.

What have I missed since November 3rd?

by Jonathan Turton / November 10, 2014/0 Comments/in Digest, Frontpage Article /

The rash of commercial burglaries in the area continued unabated with Remix salon among the latest victims. The number of businesses hit over the past few weeks has hit double figures.

The Hampstead Butcher & Providore opened its West Hampstead branch on Saturday.

Govia, Thameslink’s new operator, has got off to a very shaky start. We looked at the statistics to see just how bad it has been.

Bloody cold but beautifully fresh morning in West Hampstead via Steve Lowy

Love & Liquor got into a Twitter debate over whether it was in Kilburn or Maida Vale. Par for the course… apart from the amazing coincidence of a relevant Wikipedia article being edited at the same time. We tracked the story.

WHAT’s public meeting about our local rubbish problem was well attended. No immediate solutions beyond the issues that need to be addressed when the waste collection contract with Veolia is renegotiated, and that Camden will be asking central government for the ability to spot fine fly tippers.

The Neighbourhood Development Forum wants your views on the controversial Liddell Road development. It is hoping as many people as possible contribute, so whether you’re fully in favour, totally against, or somewhere in the middle, do take two minutes to fill in the questionnaire. There’s also an NDF meeting on Tuesday evening. All welcome.

We delved into the history of the West End Lane school that’s now a teacher training college.

The JW3 ice rink opens for a month from December 7th. You can buy tickets already

When the Dallas Cowboys took on the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley on Sunday, in the last of this season’s NFL games, one Cowboy was Kilburn’s very own Jack Crawford. He made the most of his trip home.

Property of the Month is a £2 million doer-upper in Pandora Road.

West Hampstead councillor Angela Pober has launched her campaign to be the Labour candidate to replace Frank Dobson in Holborn & St Pancras. This appears to be her fourth attempt to stand for parliament after failing to make the shortlist in Salford & Eccles or Hampstead & Kilburn, and making the shortlist but not getting the nomination in Reading East.

Whampbooks at West End Lane Books on Thursday night was another great event. There’ll be a pre-Christmas sale there too towards the end of the month.

TfL’s plans to make the Swiss Cottage gyratory system properly bike friendly were described as “radical” (in a good way) by local councillors.

Paramount is holding its annual collection for your unwanted winter coats, which go to a deserving home via charity Wrap Up London.

Interstellar is our Film of the Week and on the 17th, the film club is off to see Alan Turing film The Imitation Game with Benedict Cumberbatch.

A filmmaker is trying to crowdsource the finances for a film about Sabrina Moss, the young mother who was fatally shot in Kilburn last year.

F-IRE Collective Rhythm & Jews is our Gig of the Week at JW3 on Saturday. Check out all the local music listings.

Tweet of the Week

A man walks into the Kilburn library, reconsiders, exits, removes + discards tin of Special Brew from tracksuit bottoms, re-enters. Class.

— Luke Robinson (@LondonYank) November 3, 2014

Butcher and deli opens on West End Lane

by Jonathan Turton / November 8, 2014/2 Comments/in Frontpage Article, Shops & Restaurants /

The Hampstead Butcher and Providore opened its doors this morning fulfilling the wishes of many people over the years who’ve demanded a butcher return to West End Lane. It’s the second bite of the cherry for owner Philip Matthews, who came close to opening in West End Lane a couple of years ago.

Ready for our first customers. Looking forward to seeing you @WHampstead pic.twitter.com/Kkg4TtIM9f

— Hampstead Butcher (@ButchandProv) November 8, 2014

The business, which continues to operate its Rosslyn Hill branch in Hampstead, has taken over the greengrocer’s site next to The Wet Fish Café. Alongside the fresh meat, the shop also has a charcuterie and cheese section (which I suspect may outperform the meat), a selection of deli items both fresh and tinned, and a reasonable selection of wine and beer (predominantly from popular local brewery Camden Town).

Photo via Simon Whiteside

There was a steady trickle of people investigating the shop on this drizzly morning though it was noticeable that the farmer’s market was positively busy, while owner Philip Matthews prowled around with his snagging list clipboard. The floor apparently isn’t right, and the original floor tiles need an additional treatment (though the casual observer would never know).

The great challenge the Hampstead Butcher faces is whether enough West Hampstead residents are willing to pay frequently for the high quality traceable meat it sells. Matthews will be hoping that the clamour for a butcher over the years will marry with the tough economics of delivering high quality fresh meat. He also offers a home delivery service. For West Hampstead, it’s another sign that the area is increasingly seen as one of growing affluence.

Sensibly, the shop will stay open reasonably late in the evenings to capture the commuters returning from work. The opening hours are 10am-8pm weekdays, 9am-8pm Saturday and 9am-6pm Sunday. Due to a lack of space, the butcher’s popular tasting sessiona and events will be available only in its Hampstead branch for the time being.

Love & Liquor’s location: Made in Kilburn or Maida Vale?

by Jonathan Turton / November 7, 2014/0 Comments/in Frontpage Article, Shops & Restaurants /

In an interesting exchange this afternoon on Twitter, locals called out Love & Liquor (formerly The Westbury and before that The Red Lion) on Kilburn High Road for trying to perpetuate the idea that it was really in Maida Vale and not Kilburn.

In an astonishing coincidence, while this was happening someone made a small edit to the Wikipedia entry for Kilburn High Road Station, which placed the station in Maida Vale.

Read the exchange below (or go to Storify if you can’t see it).

Remix latest victim in West Hampstead burglary spree

by Nicky Jones / November 6, 2014/5 Comments/in Business News, Crime, Frontpage Article, Shops & Restaurants /

Remix’s new bar/salon on Broadhurst Gardens is the latest victim in a spate of break-ins to West Hampstead businesses that’s now reached double figures in the past few weeks.

Remix’s new premises on the north side of Broadhurst Gardens was the latest target after its salon opposite had already been hit

After West End Lane Books and La Brocca suffered burglaries at the weekend, Remix’s new premises was burgled in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Intruders broke in at the back of the building and stole the till, a company laptop, alcohol from the salon’s new bar, and hairdressing equipment. Salon manager Nick Petkov said he was bemused by some of the items stolen, which included scissors, clippers and top-of-the-range shampoo.

Danny Van Emden from West End Lane books said it was “utterly inspiring how lovely everyone’s been”, adding that since the incident in which £140 was stolen but no books were touched, sympathetic customers had brought biscuits, croissants and flowers, and that the shop had received around 400 supportive tweets. “The response of our customers, both in person and on Twitter, mitigated the sadness we felt on Saturday morning.”

A couple of doors down, La Brocca was also broken into on Saturday night, and had bottles of alcohol stolen.

Other West End Lane businesses that have been targeted recently include Toomai, hairdresser Holistic, health food shop Health Town, Remix’s other Broadhurst Gardens premises, Pro Arte the violin shop, the Sherriff Centre, and a couple of businesses on Finchley Road.

Tim Khoshsima of Health Town said that his shop’s front window and glass shelves were smashed, and thieves made off with the till and items of stock including protein supplements and beauty products. He said “I love West Hampstead as an area to do business, but this has made me realise we need to be more careful”. He added that he planned to take more precautions agains burglaries, including fitting a shutter.

Sergeant Ian Hutton from the West Hampstead Safer Neighbourhood team believes the burglaries may be linked, and the burglary squad is investigating. CCTV footage exists of at least one of the break-ins, in another case, the CCTV unit itself was stolen.

Sgt Hutton advised businesses not to keep large amounts of cash on premises, as this is the main target for thieves. He also advised that if people see anything suspicious especially at the rear of shops that they call the police then, not leave it until the morning. If you are suspicious, 101 is appropriate, but if you believe a crime is taking place 999 is the correct call.

The police can also give free crime prevention advice to any business that requests it. Just call 101.

Teachers are now pupils at former West End Lane school

by Dick Weindling and Marianne Colloms / November 5, 2014/0 Comments/in Education, History /

The London Diocesan Board for Schools has taken over the old St Mary’s School in West End Lane to use as its training centre. Over the years St Mary’s School has occupied four different buildings, all within a short walk of each other.

The West End Lane school site today

Until the mid 1870s all new churches provided their own day school. The foundation stone for St Mary’s Church in Abbey Road was laid in 1856 in the midst of open fields. When the main building opened in 1862, the neighbouring streets were still being built. Once the money was raised, the church tower and spire were added ten years later.

The first St Mary’s School was established near the corner of Upton Road and Kilburn Priory, backing onto the railway line. Upton Road was the original name given to the stretch of Belsize Road between Abbey Road and Kilburn Priory. The school appears in the 1861 census as St Mary’s District School and on the 1866 OS Map as St Mary’s National School. It occupied rooms that stood behind 1 Upton Road, today’s 195 Belsize Road. The OS Map made the unsubstantiated claim that this had been the site of Kilburn Priory.

The site of the school in 1866 marked in red

Scenery painter Charles Marshall lived at 1 Upton Road from at least 1853 to 1855. He was employed by several theatres, including Drury Lane and Her Majesty’s. He originated and developed transformational scenes and is credited with introducing limelight on the stage. Marshall also exhibited his paintings at the Royal Academy. His studio was the space referred to in the 1859 sales particulars for the property, when specific mention was made of a ‘large school room or studio’ adjoining the house. This was the space occupied by the first St Mary’s School until Spring 1868.

In 1869, £510 was paid for the freehold of an existing ‘incommodious’ school that served St Paul’s Chapel in Kilburn Square. The school stood at the Kilburn end of West End Lane. The old building was demolished and the second St Mary’s School was built on its site by Manley and Rogers, at a cost of £1,648. Until it opened in 1870, pupils were taught in rented rooms in Priory Mews. When the school opened the school mistress originally lived on site: in 1871 it was 24 year old Emma Watson, when the school roll was 162 boys, 70 girls and 80 infants.

Over the years the buildings were extended and improved but the site was very restrictive and finally a new school was opened at the corner of Quex Road and West End Lane in November 1991. Costing £1.75 million, the school was designed by Professor Hans Haenlein and was one of the most modern in the country. The hall is in a central covered courtyard with a slide back roof, the classrooms opening off the hall on three sides. Ex-pupils of the old school include the actor Peter Egan and Fred Housego, the taxi driver, who won Mastermind.

The old building at 2 West End Lane was taken over by ‘Teddies Nursery’ in 2004 for about 100 children. This was one of a chain of nurseries run by BUPA. In 2014 the London Diocesan Board for Schools (LDBS SCITT), took the building to train teachers. It works with more than 70 Church of England schools in London to provide school-based training for students.

Can Govia get Thameslink service back on track?

by Nicky Jones / November 3, 2014/2 Comments/in Frontpage Article, Transport & Travel /

Regular commuters on the Thameslink line have faced frustrating delays and cancellations since Govia took over the running of the line from First Capital Connect on September 14th.

Govia has released its performance figures and they bear out the public perception that the service has got worse: the Thameslink Public Performance Measure (PPM) for Period 7 (the period since Govia took over) was just 81.10% against a target of 87.36%. Commuters who berated First Capital Connect might like to know that in the same period in both the last two years, the PPM exceeded 90%. PPM is the industry standard performance measure and refers to the percentage of services that reach their final destination on time.

The blue bars show this year’s performance against target (orange)

In the train operator’s latest stakeholder newsletter, CEO Charles Horton apologises and admits that his company was to blame for some of the shaky service. “Some of this disruption has been caused by external events which are very difficult for us to control, such as several fatalities. But there have also been delays caused by things which we in the rail industry manage.”

How is Govia planning to address these issues and get the service back on track (and disgruntled West Hampstead commuters to work on time)?

Horton adds that a summit was held last week with the management team to discuss recent poor performance and put in place a plan “to improve performance urgently”. You can see the whole of the chief executive’s letter below.

Will this be enough to convince regular users of the service? One local rush-hour commuter said that although he accepted “occasional delays are inevitable,” there had “hardly been an incident-free day since Govia took over” – citing problems such as overcrowding on four-carriage trains, more frequent delays, and the odd cancellation due to “staff shortages”. Looks like Govia has some work to do to win over increasingly frustrated passengers.

What have I missed since October 27th?

by Jonathan Turton / November 3, 2014/0 Comments/in Digest, Frontpage Article /

Waitrose opened on West End Lane. ~~Barely anyone noticed~~. It was all Twitter could talk about all day. But by the end of the week the backlash had begun.

Last Sunday night, Toomai was burgled – thieves took cash, alcohol and prawns! West End Lane Books was also burgled on Friday night and La Brocca was also broken into that night. Brocca also suffered a broken window earlier in the week allegedly caused by some people it had thrown out earlier. They were charged by the police.

This Tuesday WHAT is holding a public meeting in the library (7.30pm) to discuss the rubbish/litter situation with Cllr Sally Gimson. This is the place to come if you want to find out how Camden is (or isn’t) tackling the problem.

Photo via @WHampstead

Organised public firework displays are in short supply around here. Roundwood Park and the Queens Park open space (not Queens Park itself) just north of the Harrow Road are your best options on the 5th.

The Sherriff Centre, not content with café, shop, post office, soft play area and, er, church, is hosting a silent disco on Nov 15th as well!

Cream guitarist and singer Jack Bruce, who died on October 25th, lived in and around West Hampstead in the 1960s and played Klooks Kleek.

Mamako on Broadhurst Gardens is on the market.

This Thursday is #whampbooks at West End Lane Books. 20% off everything, free wine, and loads of lovely locals. It’s a surefire winner (and a great way to cheer them up after the burglary).

Thursday is also the scheduled opening date for Hammpstead Butcher & Providore on West End Lane (next to the Wet Fish Café).

Kilburn’s art installation You Are Here, ran all week. The Kilburn Literary Festival also started and runs through to Tuesday.

The Diamond Age and The Episodes at The Good Ship on Friday is our Gig of the Week. Check out all the other local music listings.

WHalloween Food Fest at the streetfood market took advantage of the balmy temperatures as well over 100 people came for some food, some music and some chat.

Mill Lane Bistro has reopened after a refurb, with a new chef and a new menu.

More people around here are native French speakers than any other non-English language.

Nightcrawler is the Film of the Week. Check out NxNW6’s thoughts on other local offerings.

TimeOut made it to the Sanctuary Café in the church, and liked what it saw.

Tweet of the Week

Enjoyed Thameslink's scary halloween-themed messages on the station this morning. "This train is formed of 4 coaches". Terrifying!

— Simon Treanor (@simontreanor) October 31, 2014

Brent to the rescue for public firework displays

by Nicky Jones / October 31, 2014/4 Comments/in General News /

Wondering where to go to watch fireworks on Bonfire Night?

from Brent.gov.uk

Your only local option for a big free display is Brent Council’s show at Roundwood Park on 5th November. This is a big display and is always very popular and busy. If you’re planning to take children, there’s a children’s display earlier in the evening at 7pm, which is less noisy than the main one, which kicks off an hour later. There’s also a funfair and food stalls. From West Hampstead, take the Jubilee line to Dollis Hill or Willesden Green and then walk or take the 226 bus to the park entrance.

A couple of other local-ish displays (thanks to the commenters below for telling us about them!) will be held at Queen’s Park Gardens from 6pm on 5th November, and the Alexandra and Ainsworth estate on the 9th. The former is not to be confused with the larger Queen’s Park; the nearest station is Kensal Green.

The Alexandra and Ainsworth estate, just off Abbey Road, will be a great setting for a fireworks show on Sunday 9th November, and is open to all, including non-residents.

There are no big public displays in the borough of Camden; in fact police will be cracking down on anyone caught lighting fireworks or Chinese lanterns.

Alexandra Palace is holding a fireworks display on Saturday night, but the problems that blighted last year’s event clearly haven’t affected ticket sales this year – it’s already completely sold out.

If you’re up for travelling further afield, Londonist has a good round-up of fireworks displays around the city.

Witch Halloween party is right for you?

by Nicky Jones / October 28, 2014/0 Comments/in Shops & Restaurants /

‘Tis the season to be… scary, so here’s a roundup of Halloween happenings in West Hampstead.

First you’re going to have to get a tasteful costume sorted in time for Friday. Party Party on Kilburn High Road or Oscar’s Den on Abbey Road are your friends here. And if you go to Oscar’s Den on Friday or Saturday, staff are offering free face painting if you quote “SCARY” (this may be more aimed at young trick-or-treaters though).

The next task on your list must surely be pumpkin carving, and where better to find a good specimen than West Hampstead Fruit and Veg?

In terms of going out, Mexican restaurant Mamacita is celebrating Day of the Dead all week with a special cocktail and food menu – details on its website.

The Black Lion on West End Lane is opening until late on the 31st and promises “all things unholy” including Halloween-themed ales.

The Alice House of Horrors party is on Saturday November 1st, and fancy dress is, er, strongly encouraged. “Those not in costume will suffer an unspeakable fate” apparently. There’s a prize for the best costume and a DJ from 9pm.

Also on West End Lane, La Brocca is offering “tricks and treats all night” on Friday, and a DJ from 11pm.

Over on Kilburn High Road, nightclub Love & Liquor is putting on a night of surprises at its “Rehab”-themed night on both Friday and Saturday until 3.30am. Entry is £20, and a costume is required. Find full details on the Facebook page.

If you were planning to go to The Gallery‘s Halloween party on Friday, unfortunately it’s been cancelled. Refurbishment work in the bar has overrun, so it will now re-open on November 5th.

Finally, if you want to avoid the trick-or-treaters with a spooky night at the cinema, keep an eye on the film listings page (updated Thursday) for local horror highlights. And of course don’t forget WHalloween Food Fest on Thursday night.

Toomai thieves steal cash, champagne and… prawns

by Nicky Jones / October 28, 2014/0 Comments/in Crime, Shops & Restaurants /

Burglars broke into pan-Asian restaurant Toomai on Sunday night, making off with the weekend’s cash takings and causing damage to the premises.

Sachin Mulane, proprietor of the West End Lane restaurant, said that the intruders had entered the building by climbing onto the roof and breaking a window to gain access to the kitchen at the back. Guglee, also co-owned by Sachin, was broken into earlier this year.

Although they were unable to open the locked till, they took envelopes of cash from the basement office, as well as five bottles of champagne and, bizarrely, a bag of prawns that had been left out to thaw. A cash collection towards a staff Christmas party was also taken.

Worse than the missing cash, Sachin said, was the chaos and vandalism he discovered throughout the premises. Electronic point-of-sale equipment was damaged, and the kitchen’s order printer destroyed. Food in the kitchen that had been prepared in advance had to be discarded in case it had been tampered with. The thieves had even tried to remove the large TV screen in the front window, but were unable to wrench it off its metal pole.

Despite the setbacks, Toomai was open as usual for lunch on Monday.

The waiting is over. Waitrose is here

by Jonathan Turton / October 27, 2014/4 Comments/in Frontpage Article, Shops & Restaurants /

You’d think it was the second coming. Excitement levels on Twitter – where usually everyone is so level-headed and calm, right? – have been reaching fever pitch. But even yesterday it looked as if the fitters had their work cut out to get West Hampstead’s newest supermarket ready in time for this morning’s 7am opening. The mad dash to get the place finished has been disruptive for local residents, who have complained about lorries blocking access to the mews to the side of the building during the works.

Photo courtesy of Richard Clegg

Spit & polish…

Hoovering up the crumbs

The store manager is now open

Jennifer Brown, Chair of the West Hampstead Women’s Centre, and Geoff Berridge of the West Hampstead Community Centre were there for the ribbon cutting. Waitrose West Hampstead will share £6,000 and 100 staff working hours a year between these two organisations and the C4WS Homeless Project.

Store manager Nicky Clifford-Goss, flanked by Jane Brown and Geoff Berridge and assorted staff (sorry, partners)

The new store, which has taken over from Pizza Express (causing the buggy brigade to both fret and rejoice simultaneously), does not, unsurprisingly, have a fresh meat or fish counter. So, the Hampstead Butcher & Providores should manage to cling on to that business when it opens across the road in a week or so’s time. There is coffee though, out of a machine and free to myWaitrose card holders, and some seating outside at the front, which may not please West Hampstead’s café owners, despite Waitrose’s development director Nigel Keen stating that he welcomes the chance to “play our part in ensuring [West Hampstead] remains a vibrant village”.

Local resident and early-riser Mandira Bhimjiyani was excited by the new store. “I love a good Waitrose,” she said. “Any supermarket that thinks tiramisu is essential is ok with me.”

Inside, one quickly realised how rarely you see a fully-stocked supermarket. The shop seemed to have a reasonable range of products, including a few things for the anti-Waitrose brigade to mock, such as milk alternatives and the world’s pricest mac & cheese.

Full fat also available

An oddly precise price

Little Waitrose, as the retail chain’s convenience store format is branded, has been some time in the offing. It’s never entirely clear why the levels of reverence Waitrose elicits are directly proportional to the dislike heaped on its rivals – especially Tesco. Yes, it probably sells slightly better quality food but perhaps people are genuinely impressed that even though it’s a chain, it’s a chain owned by its employees. We wrote about the original John Lewis, whose son lived in Kilburn, back in May.

The store’s opening hours are 7am to 10pm daily. Deliveries – always a bane for local motorists – have been planned to cause less disruption than Tesco’s, though will be early for local residents.

Is it a posh hotel? A boutique? No, it’s a Little Waitrose. Photo via @bubela

Be a tourist in Kilburn’s dispersed art installation

by Nicky Jones / October 27, 2014/0 Comments/in Art, Shops & Restaurants /

Think you know Kilburn? A new art project invites you to (re)discover Kilburn High Road and the surrounding streets.

Sculptures by Yunsun Jung

For the project, entitled You Are Here, the organisers have brought together artists and local businesses to create a number of diverse artworks scattered throughout shops, cafés and public spaces. It runs until November 2nd.

Kingsgate Project Space, on Kingsgate Road, has been transformed into a “tourist information office” for the duration of the experiment. When I dropped in on Sunday, the day after the project’s launch, I found it complete with postcard racks, maps, and welcoming “Tour Agents” on hand to answer questions about the art on display around the neighbourhood.

A map of exhibits and selection of Kilburn postcards

One of the tour agents, or project organisers, was Sam Mckeown, who told me many of the artists had been inspired by Kilburn and their surroundings, and hoped to engage with the community through what they had created. He said the hope was “to get people visiting places and seeing things they might usually just walk past”.

After taking a brochure and map, I set off, excited to be sightseeing in my own area. After checking out the artworks on display in and around the Kingsgate centre itself, including some sculptures crafted from discarded cardboard found on the streets of Kilburn, I made my way to Folkies Music on the High Road – a fascinating shop in its own right – where artist in residence Vesta Kroese has spent the past few weeks working with the shop’s spaces and contents to create an exhibit entitled 13 Ways of Looking at a Guitar.

Down the road at Cara Cosmic Coffee, there’s an installation by Chloë Morley, a video installation in the basement, and an interactive drawing game for families intriguingly titled The Doughnuts for Peace Union.

It is an interesting and quirky celebration of an area I thought I knew well, and I liked having the opportunity to slow down and discover some of the shops and sights I’d usually walk past, whilst finding hidden artwork in and among. There are many sculptures, installations, performances and other art in various locations, so it is possible to visit just one or two, or devote more time to following one of the self-guided art trails. Whichever you choose to do, I’d recommend the tourist office at Kingsgate Project Space as a good starting point.

So in the words of the tour brochure, why not “Come and celebrate Kilburn High Road’s uniqueness before the inevitable onslaught of gentrification!”

The “tourist office” entrance

“Object idea” by Vesta Kroese, on display at Folkies

Shop basement transformed into gallery space by Vesta Kroese

Shop basement becomes gallery space for Vesta Kroese. Even the door that’s ajar is art!

Read more on the You Are Here Tumblr page or follow them on Twitter or Facebook.

October 30 event: Make new friends at the streetfood market

by Jonathan Turton / October 27, 2014/0 Comments/in Shops & Restaurants /

The weeknight street food market has been a roaring success, so we thought what better way to ward off the spirits around Halloween than by gathering together and sharing some delicious street food and hot spiced punch… with discounts!

On the evening of October 30th, starting at 7.30pm and running until about 9pm, come join us around the candle-lit pumpkins. Afterwards we’ll be retiring to Frida’s bar at Mamacita for those who might want a drink with a bit more kick!

The stallholders are offering 20% off all food and Frida’s is ALSO giving us a 20% discount on drinks – but to take advantage of the discount you’ll need to register.

Mail with the word WHalloween (typed exactly like this – any variants and it won’t work!) in the subject line and you’ll get a reply with the invite flyer. Please check your spam/junk mail if you don’t receive it.

You can print out the flyer or show it on your phone on the night when you pay for the food. This registration is to give us a rough idea of numbers, which should mean we don’t run out of food!

The stalls will be serving burgers, crêpes, falafel, Caribbean, Indian and Venezuelan food, mac & cheese, and the BBQ Collective.

Should the weather takes a turn for the worse, the event will be postponed, but at the moment, the forecast is fine.

What have I missed since October 20th?

by Jonathan Turton / October 27, 2014/0 Comments/in Digest, Frontpage Article, Uncategorized /

A fire at the Brondesbury Medical Centre on Kilburn High Road on Tuesday night caused the Tricycle Cinema to be evacuated. Although some damage was done to the upper floor of the GP practice, no-one was hurt and the surgery reopened on the Thursday.

Camden granted estate agent Foxtons the change of use permission it needed to open in the former post office on West End Lane. This prompted a flurry of interest in a 2013 piece that sought to find the collective noun for estate agents.

The Area Action Group meeting (the first public meeting since the council election) was suitably lively, with the usual complaints about council services and mixed reactions to the proposed Overground station. WHL live tweeted proceedings.

Pimp my bins via @HandyAndyNW6

This Thursday we’re hosting WHalloween Food Fest at the streetfood market. Find all the sign-up details here.

A date was set for the start of the 24hr tube service on Fridays/Saturdays. But what about the noise for people living near stations?

Waitrose opens on Tuesday – having caused considerable excitement among (almost) everyone. The ribbon will be cut at 7am(!) by the chair of trustees of the West Hampstead womens’ centre. The bench outside Waitrose that has been removed during the works is to be replaced.

A former England cricketer cut the ribbon at the official opening of Aqua Pharmacy’s new premises on Mill Lane.

The Gallery’s refit started. And Mill Lane Bistro is closed until Wednesday for a refit.

Kilburn chippy Fin City tweeted a plea for more customers.

Some curiously possessive stickers appeared around the area.

There’s always a petition to sign – the latest one is for a pedestrian crossing on Shoot Up Hill.

The London Review of Breakfasts tried Café Bon.

Police were alerted to a man who exposed himself just off Lymington Road.

A local Labour faction have lambasted the (Labour-dominated) council’s plans for Liddell Road. Much of what they say resonates with some residents’ comments, though completely ignoring the school being built rather weakens their argument.

Meanwhile, a Nora Connell has been writing the same letter to all the local papers (a hard-to-decipher ramble about UKIP). She claims to be a parliamentary candidate for Hampstead & Kilburn representing the “Connell Canto Party”.

Apparently, Hampstead & Kilburn is the 8th most pro-immigrant constituency in the UK and the 12th most pro the EU. Doesn’t bode well for UKIP’s chances here next year. [paywall]

The Wet Fish Café’s wall-mounted guitars are all made my a local luthier. A relaxed gig earlier in the week showcased the instrument.

An inquest heard that a former Broadmoor patient died after slitting his wrist at his Maygrove Road flat in a supported housing block.

It was the 50th anniversary of the Beatles second ever performance at the Kilburn State. They were paid £850.

A new teacher training institution opened at the Kilburn end of West End Lane.

After The Economist looked at Aldi in Kilburn last week, this week the Financial Times covered the High Road’s Afghan restaurant Ariana II.

Fury is our Film of the Week. Read our take on all the local film offerings this week.

REHAB Halloween at Love & Liquor is our Gig of the Week.

Lots of local businesses are in the running for Time Out’s favourite places awards. Click on NW6 (Kilburn) to see the categories and contenders. Monday’s the last day of voting.

The premises that used to be Helena’s Hair Care at 78 Fortune Green Road is apparently destined to be… another salon.

Tweet of the Week

Guy outside West Hampstead Thameslink attempting to sweep leaves, in what can only be described as heavy wind. .. 10 points for effort.

— Michael W. Evans (@eton_mess) October 21, 2014

Wall of sound: Art guitars on display at local restaurant

by Nicky Jones / October 25, 2014/0 Comments/in Art, Frontpage Article, Music, Shops & Restaurants /

The Wet Fish Café on West End Lane often showcases artists’ work on its tiled walls but, for another week, there’s a different kind of artwork on display.

West Hampstead resident Steven Marlow, builds professional-quality guitars for musicians, celebrity clients and collectors from all over the world, working closely with each customer to create bespoke instruments to their specifications. His guitars are in many celebrity collections, including those of Queen’s legendary guitarist Brian May and The Kooks’ frontman Luke Pritchard.

For his ongoing Art Guitars project, he collaborates with established and up-and-coming artists, most notably leading British artist Stuart Semple, to create these unique and striking works.

Steven said the Wet Fish Café was the logical place for his latest exhibition as “I’ve been going to the Wet Fish for years”.

For anyone interested in seeing Steven’s work, you have until 30th October to go and check out these beauties over brunch…

Steven Marlow, guitar maker, with Wet Fish Café owner André Millodot

24-hour tube: Mind the gap between PR and reality

by Nicky Jones / October 24, 2014/1 Comment/in Frontpage Article, Transport & Travel /

From September 12th 2015, the tube will run all night on Fridays and Saturdays on the Jubilee, Victoria and most of the Piccadilly, Central and Northern lines. Around six trains will run every hour on the “night tube”.

Map showing where the 24-hour service will run (image from http://www.tfl.gov.uk/)

No doubt many West Hampstead and Kilburn residents will rejoice at the arrival of a more convenient way to get home from town after a night out, but what about the noise disruption to those who live near to the station or tube line?

Gareth Powell, London Underground’s Director of Strategy and Service Development, told us: “We will of course work with residents to help resolve any problems. However, as our services already run for up to 20 hours each day and we carry out engineering work overnight, the potential for disturbance from night time services at weekends is expected to be limited.”

This rather assumes that those late night/early morning services, and the engineering work aren’t already disturbing the sleep of those who live right alongside the railways or by stations. Indeed, it’s unclear how much TfL has considered the possible impact to people living in areas such as West Hampstead, which is relatively unusual with both station and tracks located above ground and very close to a densely-populated residential area (tube-facing apartment in West Hampstead Square anyone?).

As well as the (admittedly relatively quiet) noise from trains running along the line, will there be irregular bursts of sound coming from platform announcements and raucous passengers disembarking in the early hours.

Of course, for central London businesses, there is little downside. Kate Nicholls, chief executive of the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers said: “This move will give more customers the chance to enjoy a drink or meal out in the city centre with the peace of mind that they will be able to get home safely and quickly.” and also makes the point that “a later-running London Underground will offer more chance for the gradual dispersal of customers from the busy city centre.”

How do West Hampstead locals feel about this? Nervous about the potential for disrupted sleep, or looking forward to late nights out in town without the exorbitant taxi fares? Over to you in the comments below.

Tricycle escapes damage from Kilburn fire

by Nicky Jones / October 22, 2014/0 Comments/in Frontpage Article, General News /

A fire broke out in a kitchen on the upper level of the Brondesbury Medical Centre on Kilburn High Road last night, meaning customers at the neighbouring Tricycle Cinema had to be evacuated.

Last night’s scene on Kilburn High Road – photo from Twitter by @bartnowak79

The theatre performance had ended for the evening; however around 400 cinemagoers were in the building for a screening of Gone Girl when fire crews arrived at around 9.40pm. London Fire Brigade confirmed on their website that the fire was under control by 11.10pm. They managed to contain it to the kitchen where it started, so the only damage to the public area was to one TV screen, and some smoke damage to the adjoining areas.

Staff at the Tricycle box office today confirmed that the theatre and cinema complex was unaffected by the fire, with no smoke or water damage.

However, the doctors’ surgery was closed, with notices on the door advising patients of alternative medical services.

The door to the Brondesbury Medical Centre this morning

Train to teach in West Hampstead

by Sponsored Post / October 20, 2014/1 Comment/in Education /

With excellent employment prospects, good starting salaries and highly rewarding work, becoming a teacher is a viable option for those with degrees either looking to go back to work or changing careers.

LDBS SCITT, one of the UK’s most dedicated teacher training institutions, has recently relocated to West End Lane. Providing a highly personalised teaching approach with trainees spending more time in school classrooms, its employment rate for graduates has been 100% over the past four years.

There is a growing demand for teachers in London, particularly in inner city schools. Once employed, newly qualified teachers earn a minimum of £27,000 with the government planning to introduce £70,000 salaries for top-performing teachers. With a range of benefits including a substantial teachers’ pension and school holidays, teachers also gain an incredible sense of satisfaction from seeing the difference they make as their pupils progress and strive to reach their potential in life.

LDBS SCITT’s new premises on West End Lane

To become a teacher, those who have three years work experience can train via the School Direct programme in a local school whilst earning a salary, or study for a PGCE.

Why West Hampstead?

“With its thriving village feel, West Hampstead is popular amongst educated professionals and young families who may be interested in switching to a teaching career and the idea of giving something back to society and the community,” says LDBS SCITT Programme Director Liz George. “We attract high-quality graduates from varied backgrounds and our school-centred teacher training leads our trainees to become successful, confident, effective teachers who often go on to teach in their local primary or secondary school.”

Liz George, LDBS SCITT Programme Director

LDBS SCITT is hosting Open Days on November 13th and January 15th for those considering a career in teaching.

Katy Forsdyke, Headteacher of Hampstead’s Christchurch Primary School, adds, “Many career changers are now retraining as teachers via School Direct, a one year, school-led route into teaching. Providing entirely ‘on-the-job’ training, the programme allows you to gain the qualifications and skills required to becoming a teacher whilst working in the school.”

Teaching requires excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to speak confidently in public so it’s a good idea to get some classroom experience to ensure this is the right career choice for you. Contact several schools in your area to find out where you can volunteer as there may be a waiting list, or you can attend one of our Teacher Taster days held every month.

Sponsored post

Middlesex star opens relocated Mill Lane pharmacy

by Nicky Jones / October 20, 2014/0 Comments/in General News, Shops & Restaurants /

Former Middlesex and England cricketer John Emburey came to West Hampstead to cut the blue ribbon at a Mill Lane business this morning.

Aqua Pharmacy moved from its former premises at 102 Mill Lane to number 59 a few months ago, causing some controversy at the time. No. 59 used to be home to upholstery business Escott’s.

Business owner and cricket fan Sanjay Patel invited the former Test bowler to the pharmacy’s official opening today. Emburey has a vested interest in boosting Mill Lane’s appeal; his daughter Clare owns popular Mill Lane florist Achillea Flowers.

After the ribbon was cut, Emburey stayed to chat to customers and staff, even signing a cricket bat for a starstruck young fan.

Aqua Pharmacy owner Sanjay Patel with John Emburey

John Emburey cuts the ribbon

What have I missed since October 13th?

by Jonathan Turton / October 20, 2014/2 Comments/in Digest, Frontpage Article /

Stained glass windows were broken, but nothing was taken in a “bungled break-in” of St James’ church and post office.

After looking at Kentish Town a few weeks ago, this week’s Economist suggests that the success of Aldi in Kilburn should have the big supermarket chains worried.

Staff at South Hampstead’s Tesco committed a howler, and threw out a blind customer because they didn’t realise her dog was a guide dog. The company has since apologised and offered to make a £5,000 donation to a charity of the customer’s choice.

The Railway pub closed on Wednesday for five months as work is done to convert the upper floors of the building. The Gallery closed Sunday night for two weeks for some less drastic work to take place – it reopens for a Halloween Party.

The tiny Christmas trees went up on West End Lane (a little early thought some), after Camden found external sponsors to cover the costs of Christmas decorations across the borough.

A new delivery service is bringing West Hampstead restaurants’ food to your door.

Keep your eyes peeled over the next couple of days – there’s a new event coming up on October 30th that I’m sure you’ll want to come along to! In the meantime, the next whampsocial is this Wednesday at Frida’s bar in Mamacita from 7.30pm.

Are we heading for an oversupply of rental properties in West Hampstead?

Tom checked out the gnocchi at The Salt House on Abbey Road. Did it meet his exacting standards?

Sirous has a new name and a new chef. El Rocio, as it’s now to be called, will apparently be 100% tapas.

Cyclists should pedal over to Sidings on Monday evening to learn more about proposals for cycling in the area, and London more broadly.

Tuesday’s Area Action Group meeting will be the first since May’s council elections. Come along and catch up on the local news.

Parts of Cholmley Gardens were evacuated on Tuesday after a gas leak.

The Little Waitrose is due to open on October 28th.

A residents association for Maygrove, Iverson, Loveridge, Ariel and Medley Roads came a step nearer to forming after a midweek meeeting.

There’s a petition to install a lift at West Hampstead tube station. Not sure how much good such things do, but it’s free to sign so…

Although a slightly odd petition to get people to stop spitting on the Kilburn High Road has at least encouraged some businesses to start putting signs up.

Kilburn station now has a well-established herb garden.

The Judge is Film of the Week, check out all the latest film news locally.

Lost a Beckford School PE bag? George the greengrocer on Mill Lane has it!

Loud sirens around the Thameslink station once again disrupted residents’ weekends. The noises are believed to be safety sirens alerting crews working on the Midland Main Line when other trains are coming through.

Swedish folk band Thisell is our Gig of the Week (Thursday at the Earl Derby). Check out all the local music listings.

Tweet of the Week

There is a surprisingly large number of people wearing slippers at finchley road station.

— Emily hilton (@emilyhilton) October 19, 2014

Deliveroo brings local restaurants to your door

by Nicky Jones / October 17, 2014/2 Comments/in Shops & Restaurants /

Deliveroo is a new food delivery service that allows you to enter your location and order dishes from a list of your local restaurants. Sound familiar? Deliveroo claims to be different from the other food delivery platforms you already know, love and feel faintly guilty about using quite so often. Its approach is to curate a selection of good local restaurants rather than overwhelm you with lists of takeaways you’ve never heard of, or that in some cases may not even exist.

The Deliveroo people kindly offered us a complimentary trial run of the service, as it’s recently expanded its delivery zone to include West Hampstead. So one chilly Wednesday evening, when quite frankly I had no inclination to shop or cook, three of us got together at West Hampstead Life HQ to put it to the test.

First impressions were very positive. The website has a clean, user-friendly interface. After entering the postcode, the list of restaurants that appeared was not overwhelmingly long and contained only names we recognised. Favourite West End Lane haunts such as La Brocca, LaDuDu and Banana Tree were there, as well as a couple of O2 Centre places, such as Falafel City, and a surprise appearance from Bake-a-boo for those weekend cupcake cravings.

After a bit of deliberation we decided to order from Locanda 311 (formerly known as Hidden Treasure) on West End Lane, as it’s a restaurant that doesn’t offer its own delivery service. As Deliveroo uses a fleet of its own drivers, even restaurants not usually geared up for home delivery can take part, which is a great service if you fancy eating something a little different from the usual takeaway options.

Indeed, there are some ambitious-sounding dishes offered for home delivery on Locanda 311’s online menu. We resisted the temptation to go for the “Superbia di Crostacei” to see how an elaborate seafood platter – with a centrepiece of a whole lobster – would be packaged up for home delivery. (Is this now a contender for poshest takeaway in West Hampstead?) By contrast, La Brocca has opted for a shorter, more transit-friendly menu, offering mainly pizza and baked pasta dishes. Probably a wise move.

As we started to add dishes to our virtual shopping basket, a delivery fee of £2 and a card fee of 50p appeared, along with the option to tip our delivery driver. This is where Deliveroo starts to feel a little pricey – £2 is a fairly low delivery charge, but many restaurants offer free delivery for a minimum spend. For example, Bengal Spice (a Deliveroo restaurant) will deliver an order of £10 or over for free if you order directly.

All our details entered, we settled in to wait, wondering if the promised 30-minute delivery time was a bit ambitious.

However, just 28 minutes later, dinner arrived. A slight technical hitch (my fault) had meant that we had to enter our order twice, and the (very friendly) driver’s tip wasn’t automatically re-added even though our food was, so we gave him a cash tip in person. Our main dishes of pasta, gnocchi and aubergine parmigiana were good, but the tempura seafood starter was a bit less successful outside a restaurant setting. It turns out that fried calamari and accompanying chips go a bit soggy in sealed plastic containers. Errors like this aren’t Deliveroo’s fault, but the company encourages feedback and promises to “help rectify the situation”.

Overall, we found the Deliveroo experience smooth, and were impressed with the list of good-quality restaurants and takeaways. The delivery charge is reasonable when ordering from restaurants that wouldn’t normally deliver, or placing an order that comes in under the restaurant’s minimum spend. I can see time-pressed local professionals using the service after a long day at work, when something more reliable and decadent than the average takeaway is called for.

One final thing to mention is that Deliveroo doesn’t seem to deliver alcoholic drinks, so you might still need to pop out to the corner shop for a bottle of wine to go with that lobster.

What have I missed since October 6th?

by Jonathan Turton / October 13, 2014/0 Comments/in Digest, Frontpage Article /

Capital City motorbikes on Fortune Green has failed to comply with Camden enforcement notices regarding parking.

Camden cuts mean no Christmas trees this year in West Hampstead but there’s already a campaign going to raise the money to at least put one on West End Green.

The Railway closes on the 15th, and isn’t due to reopen until March while work goes on to convert the upper floors into self-contained flats.

Burt Reynolds in West Hampstead via Simon Borkin

Tesco’s trial of changing delivery times for its West End Lane branch to help ease traffic flow has been postponed until the New Year.

October’s Property of the Month is a 2-bed flat for rent in Hilltop Road.

David Hasselhoff turned up in Nando’s in Kilburn, much to everyone’s suprise.

Amid much speculation over its opening date, Waitrose put an “opens here soon” sign outside the old Pizza Express building that its currently refitting.

Rouge Lounge appears to be up for sale.

’71 is our Film of the Week. Check out our verdict on that and other new releases in the area. It’s also next Sunday’s NW6 Film Club screening at The Tricycle, it’s on at 5.30pm so plenty of time for a drink later.

A West Hampstead filmmaker has uncovered more details about The Great Train Robbery.

Remote View is at The Good Ship on Friday is our Gig of the Week. Check out all the local music listings.

The West Hampstead Christmas market is on December 6th; there are still some stalls available (£45), visit the website for contact details.

West End Lane Acts dodged the showers and held events for kids and adults on West End Green on Sunday.

There’s a proposal for a snazzy looking new café on the corner of Belsize Road and Kilburn High Road.

On Twitter, @exies posted a photo of her grandparents’ shop on Hemstal Road from the 1950s. Here it is today.

Tweet of the Week

Last night we witnessed a complete stranger pay the bill of a lonely old man in the Chinese restaurant in Swiss Cottage. Moving. #kindness

— Jane Staiano (@yourPollyanna) October 12, 2014

Scooter showroom fails to comply in bike parking row

by Nicky Jones / October 9, 2014/2 Comments/in Frontpage Article, General News, Planning & Development /

Residents in Fortune Green have become increasingly unhappy with motorcycle showroom Capital City on Fortune Green Road, and have persuaded Camden to take action. Capital City has, however, failed to comply.

According to locals, who are reluctant to be named after what they claim have been some altercations with the showroom owners, the business continues to break numerous rules: parking motorcycles for sale on the pavement and road and thereby making it hard for pedestrians to pass (especially those with pushchairs or in wheelchairs), trading at unauthorised times, and causing noise disturbance.

The business is, they point out, also unauthorised to place vehicles on its own forecourt, as the premises is classified for A1 retail use, not a motorcycle showroom. Nearby neighbours complain that the parked vehicles can at times occupy up to five parking spaces in an area where parking is already limited, and that they are being disturbed by the noise and fumes of cycle repairs being carried out.

Camden’s planning department has issued two enforcement notices, the first of which was issued in March and concerns a timber structure erected to the rear of the building used as a garage, for which Capital City has no planning permission. Elizabeth Beaumont, Appeals and Enforcement Team Manager at Camden, confirmed in an email that “The enforcement notice for the rear extension was not complied with and prosecution procedures have begun.”

The second enforcement notice deals with the various breaches of planning controls. Capital City was given the choice to either cease using the unit as a motorcycle showroom, or to cease storing bikes on the forecourt, cease causing disturbance with repairs and only open for trading during designated hours and days. It had to either appeal or comply with the notice by October 4th, but Elizabeth Beaumont confirmed that this, too, had received no reaction: “A visit yesterday [Oct 7th] confirmed the notice had not been complied with and we are now commencing with prosecution procedures for this matter as well.”

This was also verified by a local resident who photographed the shop the day compliance was required. It clearly shows bikes parked outside.

Motorcycles on the forecourt and road

Open for Sunday trading against regulations – note the ‘OPEN 7 DAYS’ sign

The same resident also alleges that Capital City has been using the road outside its premises and that of its neighbour, Nautilus, to park its motorcycles for sale, contravening the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 which prevents more than two motor vehicles from being sold outside on a public highway within 500m of each other.

West Hampstead Life spoke to Capital City about these alleged breaches of the planning regulations and asked if it planned to comply. Nick, one of the business’s owners, claimed not to have received the enforcement notice concerning the planning breaches, but said that he was in discussions with Camden’s planning department about making alterations to the wooden garage structure. He was unhappy to have received “abusive letters from people” and been “shouted at” whilst “trying to adhere to the rules”.

He said he was aware of the rule preventing vehicles to be advertised for sale on the road, but that motorcycles parked on the street were in fact “customers’ bikes brought in for repair”, and were legally parked on a stretch of the road which is available for public parking after 12pm, not residents’ parking bays.

This is countered by a photograph taken by another neighbour, who also claims Capital City had two cars for sale outside its showroom.

It now seems that the only end to this situation is if Camden successfully manage to prosecute the business. Residents meanwhile are increasingly frustrated by Capital City’s unwillingness to change its behaviour, and by the slow-moving processes of the planning department – the issue was first flagged to Camden at least 12 months ago.

Local filmmaker sheds light on Great Train Robbery mystery

by Nicky Jones / October 9, 2014/0 Comments/in Film, Frontpage Article, General News /

Simon Howley, a West Hampstead film maker, has spent two years producing a new documentary about the Great Train Robbery.

A Tale of Two Thieves features interview footage with one of the last surviving gang members, Douglas Gordon Goody, now 85 years old and living in Spain. He reminisces about the notorious 1963 robbery that shocked the nation. More than £2.6 million was stolen (the equivalent of almost £50 million today), and the train driver was badly beaten.

Simon, who has lived in West Hampstead for 20 years, travelled regularly to Spain during the production of the film to meet Goody and gradually built up a relationship with him. It wasn’t the original plan. “We set out to make a TV series about a rock legend, which never happened, but through our meeting with his management team we were introduced to Gordon Goody.”

Film producer Simon Howley (right) with Douglas Gordon Goody

Through meetings with Goody, the truth behind another kind of legend was uncovered – the identity of the man known only as “The Ulsterman”, the insider who passed vital information to the rest of the gang that enabled them to carry out the robbery. Goody broke a 50-year silence to name The Ulsterman as postal worker Patrick McKenna. The film production team hired a private detective to track down and identify the man in an attempt to piece together the missing elements of the story. It turned out McKenna had died some years earlier.

Simon says he and his team were not initially drawn to the project, thinking that the Great Train Robbery had been covered so many times that it was “old hat”; but upon meeting Goody “we realised that there was actually lots of life left in the story and a very strong new angle – first naming and then finding the mysterious insider.”

The film’s UK release was last Friday. No local screenings are slated as yet, but the documentary is available to buy on DVD from Amazon, or look out for it when it airs on TV in the new year.

What have I missed since September 29th?

by Jonathan Turton / October 6, 2014/1 Comment/in Digest, Frontpage Article /

The West Hampstead free school campaign did not receive approval from the Department for Education.

The CNJ reported on the revised plans for Liddell Road (and locals’ discontent) with them.

Whampbooks is back – Books, bargains and booze on November 6th at West End Lane Books.

Sunset at Finchley Road Homebase. Late Turner anyone? via Sean Patterson

Maygrove Road residents are looking to set up a residents assocation, also including Iverson, Ariel and Loveridge Road. There’s a meeting on October 15th about it if you’re interested in being part of it.

The planning application for the Iverson Tyres site finally went in. (As always, the Design & Access statements are the best documents to start with).

Tom was cheesed off with a £10 sandwich at The Black Lion in Kilburn.

The overnight Overground work has resumed and will continue for the rest of the year. Meanwhile, the sirens that accompanied the points work on the fast lines by Thameslink were driving many of you crazy.

You’ve certainly passed it on the 328 bus, but do you know the history of Kilburn’s Animal War Memorial Dispensary?

Gone Girl is our Film of the Week. Rather than full listings, we’re trialling a brief round-up of what else is on in the area. Feedback welcome.

Pressure continues to build on the council (and local councillors) to do something about the rubbish problems on the streets of West Hampstead.

Gig of the Week is the Silencio Sessions at Heath Street Church on Tuesday.

The Kilburn Literary Festival announced its programme (from Oct 30th-Nov 4th), including a talk by local historian and former parliamentary candidate Ed Fordham on the history of Kilburn’s authors.

We had another great whampsocial; the next one is Oct 22nd.

JW3 celebrated its first anniversary (and has a stellar season of talks lined up for the rest of the year).

A Sangiovese from Vini Vivi was September’s Wine of the Month.

Sidings Community Centre’s Heritage Fair was a big hit.

Toomai is now operating its full menu.

A combination of transport woes on Wednesday led to some impressive crowds building up at St Pancras station as people tried to get home.

Boris Johnson decided to leave the decision on the Swiss Cottage tower block to Camden, which has already refused it. Campaigners were delighted.

Next Sunday a new event takes place on and around West End Green.

Dominos on Finchley Road has closed. I have it on good authority that the West Hampstead one just isn’t as good…

Some news we missed from earlier in the month, The Garden Friends of NW2 group – responsible for the tree pit gardens on Fordwych Road among other things, was awarded 2nd prize in Camden in Bloom’s Best
Community Project category.

Urban Leisure Group, which owns The Gallery and The Alice House among others, won Caterer.com’s Best Employer in Hospitality 2014 award.

If you think Fortune Green is the bestest Green ever, you can vote for it here (doesn’t work from phones I’m afraid and is a wee bit faffy, but would mean a lot to the Friends of Fortune Green).

Apparently, shisha bar Monte Cristo will be appealing Camden’s decision to refuse it planning permission.

Police are trying to find this man, after a woman was flashed at in Kilburn.

Tweet of the Week

I think Kilburn stresses me out more than Margate and that's saying something

— Annie (@annie_cole1) October 1, 2014

West End Lane Acts on Sunday October 12th

by Jonathan Turton / October 5, 2014/0 Comments/in General News /

Next Sunday, a new West Hampstead event is taking place on West End Green. West End Lane Acts is the brainchild of newish resident Julia Testa.

Her aim is to get people meeting and talking over a range of events on the Green, and to encourage locals to support West End Lane businesses, with whom she’s negotiated various offers.

Expect to see the posters springing around the area this week. As part of the build up, Julia was offering face painting for kids at the market today.

The kids activities on the green next Sunday include face painting, acting classes and “Games with Antidote” (more details here). For adults, there’s mindful meditation, movemement training, zumba/salsa classes, those Games with Antidote again, and massages. All the events are free (although donations are requested for the massage), and you’ll be able to sign up on the Facebook page.

There are various offers from Oddbins, Art4Fun, Toomai, Health Town, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Peppercorns, Pizza Amante, and La Brocca. Julia’s hoping to sign up other local businesses this week.

Fingers crossed for good weather.

You can find out more on the Tumblr page, Facebook page, and Twitter account.

Overground work to resume for rest of the year

by Jonathan Turton / September 30, 2014/0 Comments/in Transport & Travel /

After a short break over the summer, the works are resuming on the Overground station and platforms. Here’s the latest communication from TfL so you can be prepared for the noise and service disruption to follow.

West Hampstead Overground works by WHampstead

What have I missed since September 15th?

by Jonathan Turton / September 29, 2014/0 Comments/in Digest, Frontpage Article /

A double-edition this week covering the past fortnight.

There was a second public meeting about the Liddell Road development. Camden has knocked three floors off the height of the tower, bringing it down to 11 storeys, and added (from a base of zero), four affordable units out of the 100 now proposed. Residents at the meeting remained underwhelmed.

The Hampstead Cricket Club celebrity cricket match was another star-studded occasion, and a suitably fun close to the season before next season’s 150th anniversary year kicks off

La Smorfia is up for rent – could be a prime spot given its proximity to the new Waitrose.

Urban ornithology via Morten Schultz

Did Jack the Ripper live in West Hampstead? Obviously depends on who you think the Rippper was!

The campaign to get a lift installed at West Hampstead tube station intensified.

Property News looked at the impending arrival of Foxtons – how bad could it be?….

Remix opened its new salon/saloon on Broadhurst Gardens – a bar in a hairdressers… what will they think of next!

The weekday market continues to impress – and now even local restaurants are getting in on the act as Ladudu set up stall.

After a bit of dithering about, the new local councillors have decided to continue to hold a joint West Hampstead/Fortune Green wards meeting every few months. The next one will be October 21st – it’s a good chance to meet your new councillors and find out what’s been happening since May.

Tweet of the Week

"Our restaurant in NW6, is sandwiched between the vibrant centres of West Hampstead and Maida Vale, near Finchley Road" JUST SAY KILBURN!

— Oliver (@memorablequinox) September 22, 2014

What have I missed since September 8th?

by Jonathan Turton / September 15, 2014/0 Comments/in Digest, Frontpage Article /

Three men on trial for the murder of Sabrina Moss in Kilburn just over a year ago each received a life sentence.

There’s a second public meeting on Wednesday about the plans for Liddell Road, at which the council is expected to present a revised proposal.

The Railway will be closing for six months on October 16th and reopening in March while the upper floors are converted into flats.

Dynham Sunset via @damawa42

Camden councillors rejected the plan for a 24-storey tower block at Swiss Cottage despite council planners recommending it for approval. Expect the developer to appeal or submit revised plans.

Tom’s Diner roadtested the menu (most of the menu) at Wagamama’s new Finchley Road restaurant

Some local cooks knocked up a delicious tart from ingredients at the farmers’ market.

More cranes arrived at West Hampstead Square.

We reviewed True West at the Tricycle Theatre

Another week, another whampsocial… If you haven’t come along to one yet, why on earth not? The next one is October 1st.

It looks like a new residents association is forming for Maygrove Road, probably including Iverson, Ariel and Loveridge Roads.

A West Hampstead teenager has won a national volunteering award.

The annual celebrity cricket match takes place this coming Sunday. Well worth going along to.

Tweet of the Week

Just like West End Lane, my twitter feed on “West Hampstead” is overrun with estate agents. #whampstead

— James Taylor ? (@jamesctaylor) September 9, 2014

What have I missed since September 1st?

by Jonathan Turton / September 8, 2014/0 Comments/in Digest, Frontpage Article /

The Hampstead Butcher & Providore is set to open next month in the unit previously occupied by the greengrocer next to The Wet Fish Café. As owner Philip Matthews said, you asked for it – now use it! Here’s what it’ll look like.

The new daily streetfood market aimed at the evening rush hour opened to acclaim.

The final draft of the Neighbourhood Development Plan has been submitted to Camden. We’ll get the chance to vote on it early next year.

Thameslink sunset by @StevenTart

Camden’s planning officers are recommending the planning committee votes in favour of the large tower block development at 100 Avenue Road in Swiss Cottage. Protestors are planning a large presence at the Town Hall for the vote on Thursday evening.

Debate continues over whether closing Billy Fury Way makes sense

NW6 Film Club is back from the summer break with Pride on September 14th at The Tricycle.

September’s Property of the Month is a doer-upper in Gondar Gardens.

A professional tennis tournament took place this week at the Cumberland Club. Top seed Dan Evans sadly withdrew during his opening round match.

The Fortune Green Choir’s autumn season starts on September 16th. “Wide-ranging repertoire and no auditions”. All welcome.

Wet Fish Café owner André appeared on London Live answering some deep philosophical questions.

Local author and historian Simon Inglis gave an entertaining talk on his new book Played in London at West End Lane Books. If you’re interested in London history then it’s well worth a read.

The Film on Fortune Green was another success. Well done to all who pedalled their way through it!

Tweet of the Week

Looking at the surprisingly handsome young driver on the C11 bus made me trip over a step and I made a fool of myself #whamp

— Giorgia Martinucci (@g_martinucci) September 2, 2014

West Hampstead’s Neighbourhood Plan enters final phase

by James Earl / September 4, 2014/0 Comments/in Frontpage Article, Planning & Development /

After two and half years work, the Fortune Green & West Hampstead Neighbourhood Development Forum has produced the final draft of the Neighbourhood Plan for our area – which has been formally submitted to Camden Council.

The Plan is based on extensive consultation, engagement and research – as well as the previous seven drafts of the Plan drawn up before this version.

The final document has been amended to reflect the comments submitted during the consultation period on the “pre-submission (7th) draft” during January and February, help from Camden Council planning officers and advice from independent planning consultants.

The Neighbourhood Plan – and supporting documents – can be seen in full on our website: www.ndpwesthampstead.org.uk

The Plan covers the two Camden Council wards of Fortune Green and West Hampstead (see Map 1 in the Plan). The main focus of the Plan is set out in the Vision and Objectives (see page 10). The objectives cover six areas: housing, design & character, transport, public & community facilities, economy, and natural environment.

The Plan contains 18 policies (in blue boxes) on a range of issues from housing to business, from cycling to trees. If the Plan is adopted, these policies will be used in deciding planning applications in area – so could have a direct impact on your street, as well as the wider area.

What happens next?

Camden Council will carry out a six week consultation on the Neighbourhood Plan from 18 September to 31 October – when further comments can be submitted.
The Plan, and comments received, will then be submitted to an independent examiner – who will write a report and decide if the Plan can proceed to a referendum.
If all goes well, the referendum on the Plan will take place in early 2015 – everyone on the electoral register in the area will get a vote.

The NDF will keep people posted as to how things progress over the coming months:

To be added to our mailing list, please email:
For more frequent updates, follow our Twitter account: @WHampsteadNDF

We’re also looking for people who can help with the referendum campaign – if you’re interested, please let us know.

Finally – a big thank you to everyone who’s played a part in helping the NDF and the Plan reach this important stage.

James Earl
(Chair, Fortune Green & West Hampstead NDF)

A butcher arrives in West End Lane – finally

by Nicky Jones / September 3, 2014/2 Comments/in Frontpage Article, Shops & Restaurants /

It’s a cry that has reverberated round the streets and social media networks of the area for years: “Why can’t West Hampstead have a butcher?” Now the (non-vegetarian, at least) residents of West Hampstead have reason to celebrate.

Beef ribs will be aged and matured on the premises (Photo: http://www.hampsteadbutcher.com/)

The Hampstead Butcher and Providore, a well-known fixture on Rosslyn Hill in Hampstead, has announced that it will open a second branch on West End Lane in October. The shop will be situated at the site next door to the Wet Fish Café, which is currently a greengrocer’s.

Like its Hampstead shop, the West End Lane branch will stock fresh cuts of meat as well as a range of prepared terrines, pies, pâtés and convenient “oven-ready choices”. Those who place importance on the provenance of the meat they buy will be pleased to hear about the company’s ethos, which promises “British, fresh, traceable, ethically-reared meat”. It will also sell wine, which may soften the blow of nearby Brooksby Wines closure.

Philip Matthews, owner of the business, said that West Hampstead was the logical choice of area to open a second shop: “It’s always been number one on our shortlist of London villages – many of our customers travel over from West Hampstead anyway, so the demand for quality meat is clearly there”. The business had investigated opening here a couple of years ago, but the deal fell through, much to the anguish of many locals.

Philip is keen for the business to engage with and become a part of the local community, with plans for wine and food tasting events in the future. He commented “Now it’s time for West Hampstead residents to uphold their end of the bargain and come in and shop with us”.

Let’s hope the carnivorous locals cries for a butcher translate into support for the new venture. The meat stalls at the farmers’ market are always busy, and with Waitrose soon to open just across from the new butcher as well, the demand for good quality meat may just about be sated soon.

Streetfood market opens to praise

by Jonathan Turton / September 2, 2014/0 Comments/in Frontpage Article, Shops & Restaurants /

Yesterday was the first day of a new West Hampstead venture. A daily streetfood market by the Thameslink station, aimed at the evening commuter crowd.

Up to eight stalls will be on site, and the selection will change slightly each week. This week, commuters can choose from Jamaican specialities, gourmet burgers, Indian curries, falafel wraps, sweet and savoury crepes, and roast meat sandwiches. Fresh bread from Tomi Bakery is also on sale.

Feedback yesterday was positive, and the Mumbai Mix stall tweeted proudly that they’d sold out of chicken curry before 8pm when the market closes.

Alison and Max at their crepe stall (Amelia not pictured)

Falafel fresh from the fryer

The chicken curry was a hit at Mumbai Mix

Sticky Beaks setting up

Some early customers to the market

The market is on every weekday from 4pm-8pm. It will be interesting to see if it can sustain momentum after the novelty wears off, especially earlier in the week – but with a good selection of stalls and customers willing to support an innovative idea, it could become a West Hampstead institution.

What have I missed since August 25th?

by Jonathan Turton / September 1, 2014/0 Comments/in Digest, Frontpage Article /

Starting this Monday there’s going to be a street food market every weeknight from 4-8pm by the Thameslink station. The aim is to catch the commuter crowd on their way home.

And… a butcher is coming to West Hampstead. The owner is staying tight-lipped about details and West Hampstead Life has been sworn to secrecy, but it is happening.

Residents of Narcissus Road held a street party to celebrate the street’s 125th anniversary.

Narcissus Road 125th anniversary street party via Eugene Regis

Brooksby Wines, West End Lane’s independent wine shop, is up for sale as a going concern.

A local councillor is raising the question of whether Billy Fury Way should be closed. Have your say.

What did Tom make of his visit to Bombay Nights? Surely it couldn’t live up to the Tiffin Tin?

Sadly the Film on Fortune Green had to be postponed from this Saturday to next – September 6th. In the meantime, the rest of this week’s cinema listings are here.

The late Doris Lessing’s extensive collection of books is to leave West Hamsptead for the southern hemisphere.

Barclays is closing its tiny Kilburn High Road branch.

The final draft plan of the Neighbourhood Development Plan will be published Monday.

In the never-ending war against the fly-tippers, the local environmental officers are to get warrant cards to help them punish any perpertrators.

Sunday’s African Edutainment Festival in Kilburn Grange Park got a lot of locals’ backs up due to excessive noise levels.

There seems to have been a spate of nails left in roads, and then going into people’s car tyres of late. Not clear whether it’s a result of a lot of careless builders or is deliberate.

Degree of Arc at the Good Ship on Saturday is our Gig of the Week. All the upcoming music listings are here (including a flautist at JW3 and a Hammond organist at La Brocca).

Advance warning that the NLT is closing for a 3-week refurb from the 7th-26th September.

One Sixty’s opening its doors this Monday evening to show off its new internal artwork (and Camden Brewery is providing beer – all welcome).

Tweet of the Week

The Kilburn High Road's like the Forth Bridge. They dig it up from end to end. Pause. Then come back and dig it up again. For fun.

— TonyCross (@Lokster71) August 27, 2014

Weeknight street food market targets commuters tired of Tesco

by Nicky Jones / August 31, 2014/0 Comments/in Shops & Restaurants /

West Hampstead is getting a new street food market on weekday evenings, starting tomorrow September 1st. The market will be on the Thameslink forecourt (where the farmers market is) Monday to Friday evenings, timed to meet the home-time rush-hour crowd between 4pm and 8pm.

Alexandra Gee, who runs the West Hampstead Food & Flea market on Sundays, is also the driving force behind this new street food venture. Having been a West Hampstead commuter herself, she noticed that “I’m always tired and hungry after a long day at work, and end up going to Tesco for the same old pasta. I thought it would be great to be able to pick up something different and tasty on the way home.”

The plan is that each evening, between six and eight street food traders will pitch their stalls along the forecourt. According to Alexandra, a number of diverse traders have already signed up, serving food including wood-fired pizza, Indian street food, Malaysian, and West Indian barbecue. Market traders have been briefed to serve their wares in easily-portable containers for those planning to take food home to eat.

If you’re passing the market tomorrow, why not drop in to check out the selection of dinner options available – and let us know about your visit using the comments form below.

Should Billy Fury Way be closed?

by Nicky Jones / August 29, 2014/16 Comments/in Crime, Frontpage Article /

If you’ve ever needed to get from West End Lane to Finchley Road on foot, chances are you’ve peered down Billy Fury Way, the footpath linking the two roads, and then decided to keep walking and taken a brighter-lit alternative, such as Lymington Road or Blackburn Road.

The Billy Fury mural as seen from West End Lane

Now, Cllr Philip Rosenberg is questioning whether the path, which was given a makeover only three years ago, should be kept open at all, and is inviting locals to give their opinions on what the future of the footpath should be. Discussion has already started on Twitter, with different viewpoints being aired:

Close Billy Fury Way?

Philip Rosenberg recently met with representatives of the Lithos Road Residents’ Association, who complained of the antisocial behaviour the path, which links through to their road, seems to attract, such as drinking, drug use, people “loitering”, and dumping of rubbish.

A pile of cans close to the Finchley Road end of the path

At yesterday’s Safer Neighbourhoods meeting, he raised the issue with local police, who confirmed it is a problematic area to patrol, and often used as an escape route by criminals.

There seem to be a few options to make Billy Fury Way a safer, more salubrious footpath: the first is improving it with better lighting, a thorough clean-up, and more police patrols. Philip Rosenberg points out that this would require investment which, after the last round of police and council funding cuts, may be better spent elsewhere especially if the path is not well-used by locals. This is why he wants to understand locals’ thoughts on a second option of permanently closing the path altogether. This would probably mean closing the middle section from the path at the back of the Blackburn Road student accommodation to the path into the Lithos estate. This would still provides access at either end but cut off any getaway route.

Over to the residents of West Hampstead: Is Billy Fury Way a convenient cut-through, or a crime hotspot? Do you use it at present, and would you be more inclined to walk down it in the daytime or nighttime if the lighting was better or if it felt safer somehow? Let us know in the comments below, or tweet Cllr Rosenberg @PhilR_R

View of the railway bridge section of path, looking towards West Hampstead

The even less salubrious Finchley Road end of the path

What have I missed since August 18th?

by Jonathan Turton / August 25, 2014/0 Comments/in Digest, Frontpage Article /

Foxtons has submitted a change-of-use application for the former post office site on West End Lane.

Three men were found guilty of the murder last year of Sabrina Moss in Kilburn.

Chuka Umunna, Labour’s business spokesperson, visited the Sherriff Centre to talk to local businesses. He described the church/post office/café/shop/play area as an “inspiration”.

Look at these beauties from @WHampstead Farmers Market this morning. Stunning colours! via @k2kfruitharvest

Paramount provided a round-up of local rental news (and there’s a poll too!).

Skunk Anansie guitarist Ace has become a teacher at Kilburn’s Institute of Contemporary Music Performance.

Another office-to-flats conversion is planned for Kilburn High Road, this time at the junction of Quex Road.

Whampsocial attracted a good crowd – apparently even someone from Edgware! The next one is September 10th.

Two Days, One Night is Film of the Week. Full local listings here.

The flats at 163 Iverson Road (former garden centre site) are starting to rise above the neighbouring station).

Hampstead Women’s Cricket Club beat Harrow Town by 2 wickets.

Thameslink trains won’t be calling at London Bridge for the rest of the month due to the major rebuilding works there.

Free Wifi via O2 is now available at West Hampstead Thameslink.

Tweet of the Week

Foxtons starts process of moving into former post office

by Jonathan Turton / August 20, 2014/3 Comments/in Frontpage Article, Planning & Development, Property /

It’s been a persistent rumour ever since the post office announced it was moving from its site on West End Lane to St James’ Church. Now it looks like the rumour is true. Estate agent Foxtons – it of the ubiquitous green and yellow Minis – has applied to the council for a change of use for the post office site so it can open there.

Those who argue that West Hampstead already has a lot of estate agents might find it hard to come up with strong objections – taking over an empty site is always going to be an easier sell to the council. Objectors would have to hope that Camden considers the claim that “the occupation of the unit by Foxtons would contribute to the vitality and viability of the town centre” is nonsense and that instead another estate agent on a street that already has about a dozen instead contributes to the creeping homogenisation of the town centre and adds very little to what is already a crowded market.

The supporting documentation for the application can be found here, and is the most interesting read. The full application is here. Consultation runs until September 9th. If consent is given, expect Foxton’s “modern, café-style, open environment” to be appearing on West End Lane very soon.

What have missed since August 11th?

by Jonathan Turton / August 18, 2014/0 Comments/in Digest, Frontpage Article /

Having come under considerable pressure, the Tricycle appeared to backtrack and resolved its dispute with the UK Jewish Film Festival. Although no films will be screened there in this year’s festival, it’s expected to be part of next year’s event – even if the Israeli embassy remains a sponsor.

After the death of Robin Williams, it emerged that he’d once done an impromptu set in West Hampstead.

A cloudburst on Monday caused flash flooding at the O2 centre and West End Lane. This of course was followed shortly after by a wave of rainbow photos.

West Hampstead meet West Hempstead #Whamp / #Whemp via @west_hampstead

We finally gave One Sixty a full review.

Monte Cristo has been given three months to stop trading as a shisha bar and to remove its decking and awning.

Our film of the week was Jurassic Park, but it was a one-off screening… check out the full listings for the rest of Mark’s Must See Movies.

A reminder that there’s no access to Kilburn High Road from Iverson Road or Cavendish Road for some weeks.

Our first rental property of the month is a one-bed flat in Crediton Hill.

Local author Simon Inglis will be on the Robert Elms show this Monday at noon (94.9 FM) talking about his new book Played in London.

Tweet of the Week

Just been to George's Fruit & Veg on #milllane . Always such polite service and great selection too! Love #westhampstead

— Simon Hoten (@yoga360uk) August 11, 2014

Robin Williams’ impromptu gig at The Railway in West Hampstead

by Anna Chen / August 13, 2014/0 Comments/in General News, History /

To add to the current wave of global misery, Robin Williams was found dead yesterday morning, suspected of committing suicide after well-known bouts of depression. Deepest sympathy to his family and friends.

The story I was told shortly after I moved into leafy West Hampstead was that Robin Williams occasionally visited da hood because he was mates with the owners of The Railway pub in West End Lane, back when it was a much respected, if somewhat down-at-heel, venue. The Railway sits a few yards from the tube station and next door to the English National Opera rehearsal studios in Broadhurst Gardens which previously housed the Decca recording studio where, famously, the Beatles failed their audition in 1962, and where the great John Mayall albums with Eric Clapton and Peter Green were recorded.

In those days, West Hampstead was mostly students in bedsits and artists who couldn’t afford Islington or proper Hampstead. It wasn’t called “East Kilburn” for nothing. Great parties, though.

Anyhow, apparently Robin was visiting his mates when he was overcome by the urge to do an impromptu set. Like a bird that has to sing, he got up and did loads, presumably secure with a relatively small no-pressure audience that loved him.

No pix, no video, just happy memories of a very lucky audience. We need a blue plaque.

Reader Lisa Minot was at the gig.

He turned up at the end of the weekly Comedy Club that was held in the back room (and we were very loyal regulars, went every week) – he had asked to impro to a UK audience before a Princes’ Trust concert. When the normal comedy acts finished, a guy came on and just said: ‘Some American guy wants to try some new material, if you stay, we’ll keep the bar open’

Easy choice and when Robin walked out on stage, our first thought was: ‘Hey, that’s the guy from Mork and Mindy’

He then proceeded to perform, non-stop, for nearly two hours, seemingly without any material, just improvising and interacting with the very small audience of mainly students. It was utterly brilliant and even now, nearly 26 years on, I can remember knowing that night was special.

A few months or year later, Good Morning Vietnam came out and the rest is history.

RIP Robin Williams — one of the funniest and saddest guys ever.

[Ed: This is an updated version of a post that first appeared on Anna’s blog here.]

Review: One Sixty does its own thing – and does it well

by Jonathan Turton / August 13, 2014/0 Comments/in Frontpage Article, Shops & Restaurants, Tom's Diner /

One Sixty is no longer the new kid on the West Hampstead restaurant scene since the arrival of Toomai. But has the novelty of the smokehouse concept worn off for locals yet, or is the quality of One Sixty’s food good enough to sustain it.

We decided that a few anecdotal meals wasn’t enough to judge – it was time to give it the full whampreview treatment, which meant unearthing at least a couple of local die-hard fans of this genre of food.

Lets clear one thing up right away. One Sixty does not really cater to vegetarians. There are vegetarian options (mac & cheese, for example), and they’ve expanded these since opening, but at One Sixty, the carnivore is king. You may feel this is an awful misjudgement, or you may feel that as long as people know in advance, then it’s up to them. We deliberately didn’t take any vegetarians along because why would you want to take them somewhere where there wasn’t much for them to eat. That’s just cruel.

The menu isn’t a straightforward starters/mains menu, though in reality the side orders function just fine as starters. The menu also changes a bit every time, though a few stalwarts are always there and the specials have been the same the past few times I’ve been. I’m a sucker for the chicken wings, which started off in the restaurant’s early days as juicy but fairly mild, but are now definitively hot. And good. A bowl of these and a pint of the new Meantime Brewery Fresh beer (the one that’s pumped through the amazing silver tanks installed at the entrance) would make a good lunch for anyone. We tackled the wings (£6.50) and crubeens (£6, a snack made from pig’s trotters – a little fatty for or some, but good flavour).

The Meantime tanks by the front door

Beer can be piped “Brewery Fresh” to your glass

Crubeens

Mains are served in white enamel trays, which maybe looks a tad gimmicky but suits the low-brow smokehouse decor quite well, and is infinitely better than putting everything on chopping boards, especially given the sauces!

I had the full rack of pork ribs (£14), this time ordered with the sauce on the side to test how tender they were when served dry and what the rub was like on its own (the answer is “pretty tender”, and “maybe not as interesting as you’d hope”). With the sauce on, however, these become a sticky delicious treat.

Full rack of pork ribs (sauce yet to be added!)

Dishes come with a side – the chips are pretty good, the pickles are outstanding – in fact between One Sixty and Chicken Schnitzel & More, West Hampstead may just be the pickles capital of London. With all the meat available, you’re unlikely to go hungry unless you have a voracious appetite (or perhaps the burger, which as you’ll see below couldn’t satisfy Tom).

The tarte tatin is apparently for two. I conclusively and single-handedly proved that this must be a mistake on the menu.

It’s worth mentioning the drinks – the bar at One Sixty (where you can also eat the full menu if you wish, though there is a separate smaller bar menu), has an impressively extensive range of craft beer. So extensive in fact, that you wonder whether they have the turnover of some of the more obscure beers to keep them reasonably fresh. There’s also plenty on tap – more from London brewers Meantime, Fullers and Camden Brewery as well as one or two more exotic options such as Sierra Nevada.

The wine list isn’t particularly long and pricewise could probably benefit from one or two more wines at the lower end. It’s a shame there’s not slightly more wine, because actually the rich, complex, smoky flavours of this slow-cooked meat (One Sixty refers to the Fahrenheit temperature all the meat is cooked at) match with many robust red wines very well. We went for a Malbec (£22) that worked well, but a few south-west France wines would also hold their own and might be better value.

Wiping our hands from the enormous roll of kitchen paper plonked on every table, the consensus was that One Sixty delivers memorable, if not always perfect, food. I think it’s an excellent addition to the neighbourhood and it deserves to do well.

In whampreview tradition, I’ll hand you over to the others to give you their verdicts

Will
Barbecue is always local for its partisans, many of whom pride themselves on being “downmarket” – all about the familiar, as in family, tribe and region. That, and taking your time. Smoking and slow cooking can’t be hurried, so its’ provincial culinary traditions steep and thicken. The chefs stare into the pit, ruminate on burnt tips, smoke and fire. It’s elemental; don’t overthink it.

So, when I read that the owners of Pied a Terre had decided to open a ‘smokehouse’ in West Hampstead, I sniffed, “What will this pricey Bloomsbury haute cuisine landmark dish up on West End Lane? Will it be Barbecoa without the view?“ But the basics at One Sixty bode well. There’s no hush puppies, cornbread or baked beans, but their red cabbage slaw is top notch, and the hot chicken wings are better every time I try them.

The darkened interior keeps your attention on the fare, and these are not expensive morsels plated on oversized porcelain and set against crisp white tablecloths. Pound for pound, the price points please, with ample portions served on the wooden tables, dining in the rear, and some tables on the street in these blissful long summer evenings. One Sixty has doubled up on its smokers as well, as demand has risen. If they stay the course and double down on their high volume/medium price strategy, everybody wins. Chef Andrei Lesment’s menu triangulates between the Carolinas (a succulent pulled pork sandwich), Texas (beef ribs) and some comfort food from here, the isle of the Angus and the Durham Ox. The ox cheeks at One Sixty are their specialty, served up like a brisket, flaking on the fork, a generous portion of tender meaty fibre.

Ox cheek on mash with gravy and pickles

Many of the dishes come served with solid no-nonsense mash, that British Sunday staple, and Paris, Texas doesn’t do puddings like One Sixty’s spongey, elegant profiteroles. One Sixty gets high marks for being itself, and knowing its customers.

Tom
First thing to say, delightful Malbec – would definitely have that one again. The cheaper of the two on the wine list, and available by the glass, this was soft and supple, with sweet notes of chocolate (my dullard taste buds) or caramel (Nicky’s more subtle ones)

I opted for the burger, and although the bun had gone soggy underneath, the patty itself tasted good. Perhaps a little small though, to be honest. A nice touch was the refreshing, simple slaw with fennel seeds, and a light vinaigrette. Definitely a sensible match for all the richness of the main meals.

Chips were of an enticing, golden colour, and although not especially crispy, were nicely done, though for me personally I didn’t take to whatever they’d been cooked in. This is probably just me; the most adventurous I get with such things is goose-fat roasters at Christmas. I’m a bit traditional with potatoes, me; fry them in olive oil or butter, and I’m happy.

Desserts thoroughly smile-inducing. A rather fun, wonderfully-flavoured banoffee cup thing, and a pleasing tart tatin.

Service was excellent and there’s a really great atmosphere there. Good fun!

Claire
Feeling woefully inadequate sitting next to the Barbeque-ipedia that is Will, I chose Pulled Pork for my main, so I didn’t have to comment in the ribs/rubs debate! I swapped the chips for the great slaw – no mayo and with the zingy addition of fennel seeds. The pork was moist and I liked the fresh red cabbage topping. I’d have been happy with a few more crunchy bits of pork and a well toasted brioche bun, as it was a little soggy, but it was a well executed dish and I didn’t suffer from food envy! For dessert, just order the drunken banoffee, you will find room for it!

Pulled pork in a bun

Nicky
I have to admit that a hearty, industrial-style smokehouse restaurant isn’t my natural habitat. Although no longer vegetarian, I’m usually happier tucking into a tofu steak than a ribeye; and a colourful lentil salad is more likely to get my pulse (ha!) racing than a plate of sticky pork ribs.

However, I really enjoyed our evening at One Sixty. Yes, the menu is unashamedly focused on flesh, and you’d need to be in a carnivorous mood to fully enjoy a visit here, but unlike in the macho “dirty rib” joints beloved of certain sections of the food blogosphere, these dishes feel high-quality and well thought out.

Beef shortrib – small but mighty

As you’d expect, a delicious smoky aroma pervades the meat which forms the centrepiece of each dish, but the accompaniments were a welcome surprise – really crisp, fresh-tasting pickles and slaw cut through the richness of the barbeque flavours of my beef shortrib.

The atmosphere is smokin’ too. The huge craft beer selection draws in a lively crowd to the bar at the front, and there’s a chatty and convivial vibe in the dining room too. I’ll definitely be back to this great new West Hampstead hangout.

One Sixty
291 West End Lane
London
NW6 1RD
T: 0207 7949 786
E:
@onesixtylondon

What have I missed since August 4th?

by Jonathan Turton / August 11, 2014/0 Comments/in Digest, Frontpage Article /

The Tricycle Theatre has been all over the national headlines this week after it requested that the UK Jewish Film Festival turn down sponsorship from the Israeli embassy, which festival organisers refused to do. The Tricycle then said it would not be part of the festival. There were protests outside the cinema on Thursday.

The Tricycle also had a brief run of its successful youth theatre project, The Kilburn Passion.

Camden has slapped an enforcement notice on Capital City – the motorbike showroom on Fortune Green that has been angering residents with its cavalier approach to parking its bikes.

The WWI Centenary spotlight shone all week. Captured here by @RobertTimothy

The WWI Centenary spotlight shone all week. Captured here by @MrRobertTimothy

We also looked back at the Zeppelin that flew over Kilburn later in the war.

A West Hampstead based police officer was on trial after allegedly letting off an uninsured driver in exchange for his phone number.

There’s a rumour that Tesco on West End Lane might start trialling alternative delivery arrangements soon to help ease congestion.

The Accurist building on Blackburn Road took a step nearer to being converted into flats as a change of use planning application was submitted.

It’s getting to the stage where you can furnish a flat from the fly-tipping around West Hampstead. This week we had a mattress, a toilet and a freezer.

The Friends of Fortune Green announced their photography competition winners.

Gig of the week is Megan Johns at The Good Ship on Saturday.

Wakolda is the Film of the Week – full local listings here.

Two Italian wines from different regions are August’s wines of the month.

Kilburn Ironworks, the bar that’s replacing Powers on Kilburn High Road, said it’s now expecting to open in early October.

Tweet of the Week

People on Kilburn Highroad think they're invincible. Always walking in the road like cars can't run them over

— Shanice Angol (@ShaniceSN1) August 9, 2014

Tricycle Theatre rejects Jewish film festival over Israeli embassy sponsorship

by Jonathan Turton / August 5, 2014/0 Comments/in General News, Theatre /

The Tricycle, Kilburn’s highly regarded theatre and cinema, has found itself embroiled in controversy this evening after announcing that it will no longer be part of the UK Jewish Film Festival.

The cinema was due to screen films at the festival, which takes place in November.

In a statement, the artistic director of the theatre, Indhu Rubasingham said

The Tricycle has always welcomed the Festival and wants it to go ahead. We have proudly hosted the UK Jewish Film Festival for many years. However, given the situation in Israel and Gaza, we do not believe that the festival should accept funding from any party to the current conflict. For that reason, we asked the UK Jewish Film Festival to reconsider its sponsorship by the Israeli Embassy. We also offered to replace that funding with money from our own resources. The Tricycle serves many communities and celebrates different cultures and through difficult, emotional times must aim for a place of political neutrality.

We regret that, following discussions, the chair of the UKJFF told us that he wished to withdraw the festival from the Tricycle.

To be clear, at this moment, the Tricycle would not accept sponsorship from any government agency involved in the conflict. We hope to find a way to work with the UK Jewish Film Festival to allow the festival to go ahead at the Tricycle as it has done so successfully for the past 8 years.

The theatre has, unsurprisingly given the strength of feeling on this emotive topic, come in for a fair amount of criticism for its decision, with many pointing out that other festivals it holds receive funding from governments that some people would consider parties to conflicts. The statement above does specify that it is the specific conflict in Gaza that it is objecting to, but that will be of little comfort to those who feel its actions are politicising the arts.

Judy Ironside, executive director of the UK Jewish Film Festival, said

The Tricycle Theatre have shown themselves unwilling to work with what is clearly an apolitical cultural festival is tremendously disappointing. They have chosen a boycott over meaningful engagement – to the great detriment of this celebration of Jewish culture, which is of course intrinsically connected to the state of Israel.

We pride ourselves on showing a diverse programme of films, which present a comprehensive view of international Jewish life and Israeli films are of course an important part of that.

We have always sought to convey a wide perspective on the conflicts in the Middle East and initiate open dialogue with our audiences and guest speakers; and the Israeli Embassy have always supported us in this. The Tricycle have refused to take this into account in their decision.

On social media, accusations have also come of anti-Semitism from some critics, which given the Tricycle’s long-standing association with the festival seems a spurious argument, but there’s no doubt that the decision will rankle for a long time within the Jewish community.

Today should have been a day for celebration for the Tricycle as its Youth Theare project The Kilburn Passion returns to the stage.

What have I missed since July 28th?

by Jonathan Turton / August 4, 2014/0 Comments/in Digest, Frontpage Article /

Glenda Jackson officially opened West Hampstead’s new post office in St James’ church on Friday – even though her novelty ribbon-cutting scissors didn’t do the trick.

A man died after falling from his Fawley Road balcony on Wednesday during the evening rush hour.

Is West Hampstead’s housing bubble bursting or just deflating?

“The era of beautiful sunsets in West Hampstead is over” via Luca Bonatti

If you think Fordwych Road is smelling a little…er… agricultural, here’s why.

Boris has mooted the idea of London Orbital Railway that would pass through West Hampstead.

Whampsocial was a hit – the next one is August 20th.

The film on Fortune Green on August 30th will be Groundhog Day, as voted for by you.

Mill Lane Bistro is on the market, the owner Cyril said he was looking forward to “our new venture, bigger, better and in NW London.”

The people behind hair salon Remix on Broadhurst Gardens have applied for an alcohol licence at premises across the road, where Eastern European deli Old Bridge was. They’re putting the bar back in barbers!

Jazz singer Elaine Delmar at JW3 next Sunday is our Gig of the Week. Full local music listings here.

Guardians of the Galaxy is Film of the Week. Full local cinema listings here.

Advance warning of a four-week closure of the junction of Iverson Road and Kilburn High Road, starting August 14th. This is part of a traffic light modernisation program.

Tweet of the Week

Once again some idiot flytips in front of my fire exit in #kilburn @camdentalking sign being ignored pic.twitter.com/MNKTLd5KSw

— Coded Raving (@DaveCording) July 31, 2014

Balcony fall kills West Hampstead doctor who ran local Face Clinic

by Jonathan Turton / August 3, 2014/2 Comments/in General News /

On Wednesday evening, locals were shocked as Dr Nazim Mahmood lay on the pavement outside Barclays Bank at the corner of West End Lane and Fawley Road having fallen from the balcony of his top floor apartment above.

Depsite the best efforts of ambulance crews, Dr Mahmood, 34, was pronounced dead at the scene by a doctor from the London Air Ambulance. Police came under fire for being unable to find a tent to put around the body, which was instead covered in a blanket and lay there for some hours before being removed as commuters walked past during the late evening rush hour.

Dr Mahmood – known to locals as Dr Nas – had opened a new branch of his Face Clinic business last August at Health Town, the relatively new West End Lane shop a few yards down the road that both sells health-related products as well as offering treatments from a variety of practictioners.

He and his partner, Matthew Ogston, and only moved to West Hampstead a few months ago and the clinic in Health Town was their third after branches in Soho and Harley Street.

Although the cause of death has not been determined, police are treating it as non-suspicious. Local osteopath Ben Posen, who also operates out of Health Town tweeted earlier today, “Very sad to return to work and discover that the man who died on West End Lane was Dr Nas. He was a lovely man.”

[CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article said that the the West Hampstead clinic was yet to open. This was wrong, and West Hampstead Life apologises for the mistake]

Glenda Jackson opens West Hampstead’s new post office

by Jonathan Turton / August 1, 2014/0 Comments/in Frontpage Article, General News /

It may have technically opened a couple of weeks ago, but today was the official opening of the post office in St James’s church on Sherriff Road. A large crowd turned out, some primarily there for the soft play area, some for the grand opening. Hampstead & Kilburn MP Glenda Jackson cut the ribbon with some good old-fashioned scissors, having failed with the novelty scissors she was given first.

What have I missed since July 21st?

by Jonathan Turton / July 28, 2014/0 Comments/in Digest, Frontpage Article /

The Liddell Road development plans were this week’s main story:

We drew up a Bluffers Guide to the proposals.
There was a public meeting that got very tetchy.
We’re told that 156 West End Lane will have 50% affordable housing (Camden numbers from earlier this year citing 25% are apparently out of date).
We also looked at what “affordable housing” actually means.
There are now petitions against the block led by the Conservatives and by the Trade Union Socialist Coalition.
All three parliamentary candidates are opposed to the current scheme, including Labour’s Tulip Siddiq despite it being a proposal from Camden Labour. Opposing and getting it changed are two very different things.

“Waitrose nearly ready to open” Clickbait via @bubela

Also plenty of news from the tower blocks that are already approved at West Hampstead Square

The cranes are due to arrive on site on Monday & Tuesday.
The first block to be built in the West Hamsptead Square development will be affordable housing. The flats should be available from spring next year via A2 Dominion.
The new entrance to the Overground station, which will be part of this development, will be wheelchair and buggy acccessible.
With all the open market properties now sold, Ballymore’s marketing suite will be removed within the next few weeks.

A piece of piping fell off the roof above Ladbrokes on Friday, luckily not hitting anyone.

Property of the Month is a 2-bed in Mill Lane.

Whampsocial is back this Wednesday at Frida’s bar – the World Cup is over, so get yourself along for cocktails and chat.

Joe is our Film of the Week. Full local listings here (yes, there’s still time to catch Boyhood!).

Gig of the Week is John Bull & The Bandits on Thursday at The Good Ship. Full local music listings here.

There’s still time to vote for the next Film on Fortune Green, which is on August 30th.

A fire at Swiss Cottage leisure centre caused the pool to close for a time.

Tweet of the Week

Toilet seat has been, er, dumped on our wall. This is really taking the piss @WHampstead @camdentalking pic.twitter.com/F4ZjIw9plW

— Dan Myers (@ddanmyers) July 26, 2014

Is Liddell Road tower a “middle finger to West Hampstead”?

by Jonathan Turton / July 23, 2014/6 Comments/in Education, Frontpage Article, Planning & Development /

Last night’s public meeting to discuss Camden’s proposals for Liddell Road was always going to get tetchy. Alex Bushell from Camden’s planning department struggled to keep on top of an audience that grew increasingly frustrated as the evening drew on.

The seeds of dissent were sown when architect Prisca Thielmann from Macreanor Lavington failed to bring the one slide everyone really wanted to see – the cross section of the site showing the 14-storey block. She also found it hard to talk about the development in terms that lay people understand. Phrases such as “the tower block will animate the park” didn’t go down well with an audience that seemed predisposed to be sceptical.

View from Maygrove Peace Park looking east

Readers of West Hampstead Life wouldn’t have learned much new about the proposals. One fact that came to light is that the £6.7 million Camden received from central government to build a new school is now going to Liddell Road. However, this simply means that another £6.7 million from the site can be spent elsewhere in addition to the £3 million surplus the scheme will already generate, so it’s having no material impact on the scheme.

Apparently, West Hampstead residents are expected to take this on the chin because the new Emmanuel School building was funded by money that came from outside of West Hampstead. It’s a fair point, but overlooks the fact that West Hampstead residents are experiencing an incredibly rapid period of growth that has been forced upon them and that will irreversibly change the fabric of the community. If money generated by this growth then leaves the area when it could be used to mitigate or alleviate some of the pressures this change will bring, it’s no suprise that residents are unimpressed. To expect otherwise would be to expect a degree of altruism that few communities would be likely to display. More school places are, after all, a statutory requirement not a frippery.

Naturally, there were plenty of questions last night about the height of the tower block and whether there is any way in which it could be lower, or moved to the other end of the site, or both. The block was memorably described by West Hampstead NDF chairman James Earl as a “middle finger to West Hampstead” in his barnstorming speech last night. There were also questions about the school – although it’s worth remembering that the school has already been approved by Camden. There is still debate about the catchment area, however, and lots of questions about the traffic impact.

There was strong feeling about the lack of any affordable housing, especially in light the additional £6.7 million funding, but the argument remains that for the scheme to be financially viable there can be no affordable housing. Financially viable means also generating that £3 million surplus, although why this is £3 million and not £2 million or £4 million is not clear.

Five of the six West Hampstead and Fortune Green councillors were present (Angela Pober (West Hampstead) was at Frank Dobson’s grand farewell announcement instead – an apology for her absence would probably have been appropriate). Phil Rosenberg (West Hampstead) and Lorna Russell (Fortune Green) both spoke, requesting that the scheme be looked at again to see whether there wasn’t some way to reduce the massing and to work with the community to improve the scheme.

Cllrs Flick Rea and Richard Olszewski chose not to comment specifically on the plans, as both are on the planning committee and speaking now can prejudice their position and leave them unable to vote. Cllr Rea did however suggest to the chairman that another such meeting would be valuable given the strength of feeling and the numbers of people in the room who were unable to get a chance to speak. No such commitment was forthcoming.

The lack of clarity and transparency over the economics of the site is a problem Camden councillors and officers must address (and is one that’s been raised before in conjunction with the loss of jobs on this site). The better understanding residents have of the business case, the more likely they are to appreciate the challenges that the council faces in delivering the much-needed school. It’s a long shot to suggest that it will bring everyone on board with a 14-storey tower block, but greater transparency on the proposals might at least foster a more sensible debate and give residents some confidence that West Hampstead is not simply seen as a cash cow by the Town Hall.

Bluffers Guide to Liddell Road

by Jonathan Turton / July 22, 2014/5 Comments/in Planning & Development /

Ahead of tonight’s public meeting about the Liddell Road redevelopment proposals, West Hampstead Life tries to cut through all the jargon and give you the bluffers’ guide to what’s going on.

What’s being proposed?
A school, some housing, some offices.

What’s there now?
It’s an industrial estate with a mix of businesses, including car repair places. It’s tucked off Maygrove Road, bordering Sidings estate and the mainline railway lines.

Who owns the land?
Camden council.

Do we need a new school?
Yes. It’s a primary school and the projections are that this part of Camden does need a new primary school.

Isn’t there going to be a “free school” though?
Maybe, maybe not. One free school has approval in Kilburn, another free school is waiting to hear about approval. Irrespective of that, Camden has to provide enough school places for the area.

Well, a brand new school – that’s nice?
Not quite a “new school”. It’s an expansion of Kingsgate School, which is about a mile away.

That seems odd?
Yes. Camden Labour argues that it’s simply expanding an outstanding school. Critics argue that this is the only way it can build a new school that isn’t an academy or free school.

But the new school’s a done deal?
Yes. And no. The school was approved despite a consultation process in which only three parents submitted responses and less than 40% of respondents were in favour of siting the infant school at Liddell Road. However, to pay for the school, the council needs to build (and sell) the housing and office space and that’s a separate planning decision.

What happens if that’s not passed?
Good question. Although with Labour’s enormous majority in the council it’s pretty inconceivable that it wouldn’t pass in some form.

So, the housing and offices pays for the school. I guess they’ve done the sums and that adds up exactly?
The last reckoning had them making a £3m profit from the scheme.

Three million? Where’s that being spent?
We don’t know – it’s going into the general pot of Camden money.

OK. But didn’t the government give Camden some money for a new school?
Yes, £6.7 million.

So that’s included in the calculations right?
Wrong. That’s also being spent elsewhere.

You’ve lost me now. Camden is going to build lots of houses and a school and come out of it with almost £10 million still to spend?
Yes. Clever eh? And that’s based on assumptions from last year, that number might have gone up or down in the meantime. Given the property market, up seems more likely.

Still, with such a profit, the council’s clearly got some leeway to include some much needed affordable housing, right?
Um…

There is affordable housing right? Aren’t they building 120 homes and isn’t there some law about 50% affordable housing?
It’s not a law, just a policy. As things stand, this development will have no affordable housing. Camden argues that the community benefits come from the school and employment and that the affordable housing should be at 156 West End Lane.

Wait, what? Where?
156 West End Lane – that’s the Travis Perkins building to you and me – is up for redevelopment. Camden has sold it, and is saying that the affordable housing will be there.

Well, that sounds reasonable. If that’s all affordable housing then overall West Hampstead still benefits.
It won’t be all affordable housing. The latest information is that the developers have bought the site on the condition that they submit a plan that includes 50% affordable housing. However, as there’s no planning application to look at it’s hard to know for sure. It’s possible some additional affordable housing could be paid for by the redevelopment but not be in West Hampstead.

Er…
So we could end up with two large developments that between them have approximately 20% affordable housing.

Is the Liddell Road site big enough for 120 homes, offices and a school?
Apparently so. If they build a tower block.

Another tower block? Wasn’t there a right kerfuffle over that one opposite the tube station?
West Hampstead Square. Yes – that has a 12-storey tower block. Camden is proposing a 14-storey block for Liddell Road.

Fourteen storeys? That’s, er, high?
Yep.

I’m surprised Labour did so well at the local council elections if it was promising to build a 14-storey tower block in the area.
We didn’t know about the tower block then

Oh, but I thought these plans had been floating around for a while?
They have – but the plans people looked at last year didn’t show a tower block.

So, they’ve added more housing to the scheme since then, hence needing to build higher?
Funnily enough, no. It was 120 flats then and it’s 120 flats now.

It all sounds very strange to me, but no doubt the council knows what it’s doing.
Perhaps – it’s selling off a lot of land to cover the drop in funding it gets from central government. Obviously that only works once. There are lots of complicated calculations to be made, for sure, but it’s hard for residents to understand that if those calculations aren’t made readily available or digestible.

Let me check I understand. Camden wants to build 120 flats to pay for a school. There’ll be no affordable housing even though it’s received money to help build the school and plans to make a profit on the site. The nearby site won’t have enough affordable housing to offset the lack of it at Liddell Road. There’s a 14-storey tower block, which wasn’t in the original plans when the school was approved. And a load of local businesses are having to move out so we lose jobs too?
That’s pretty much it. There is going to be office space though apparently aimed at fast-growing small companies.

Is there a demand for that?
It’s not clear – office space a hundred yards down the road couldn’t be let for two years, but the economy has picked up by then, so maybe. And there are jobs for teachers being created.

And I guess the teachers can live in the new apartments!
Doubt they’ll be able to afford them.

Camden already assuming just 25% affordable housing at 156 West End Lane

by Jonathan Turton / July 22, 2014/4 Comments/in Frontpage Article, Planning & Development /

Camden councillors have been claiming that they expect the redevelopment of 156 West End Lane to deliver 50% affordable housing, but figures from their own 2014 report into primary school provision predict only 25%.

[UPDATE 5.30pm: Cllr Phil Jones has left a comment below explaining that this 25% number is outdated, and the sale to the developers was made on basis of 50% affordable housing]

There is heightened interest in this because the Liddell Road redevelopment proposals have no affordable housing component. Camden is arguing that Liddell Road and 156 West End Lane need to be considered together (which is difficult when one is at planning stage, and the other is nowhere near).

The data used for Camden’s recent work into determining future primary school provision shows assumptions about the housing mix at both 156 and the (much further off) O2 car park redevelopment. In neither case is 50% affordable housing on the cards.

The data given is based on number of units, while the quota for affordable housing in a development is based on floorspace. Nevertheless, it’s quite possible to do some back-of-the-envelope calculations to make a good guess at the floorspace figure. All the data can be found in Camden’s Primary School Places Planning Report 2014.

At 156 West End Lane, Camden is assuming a total of 93 units will be built of which 65 would be market and 28 would be affordable (there’s actually an error in their arithmetic in the table, so this could be 27). Assuming it’s 28 units, then that’s 30% of total units. But what about floorspace?

To get an idea of floorspace, we can use the size of flats at the West Hampstead Square development. They vary slightly but roughly speaking 1-beds are 52 square metres, 2-beds are 80 sqm, and 3-beds 94 sqm. There are no four or five bed properties listed at the moment at West Hampstead Square, but there’s a 4-bed flat on the market locally that’s 110 sqm. Modern five-beds are rare and older properties tend to be larger, so lets guess on the low side (which would help Camden’s formula work) and say 140 sqm.

This would give us market unit floorspace of 5,294 sqm

If we assume (again to give Camden the benefit of the doubt) that the error in the table is due to an affordable housing 4-bed flat not being recorded then affordable floor space would come to 1,814 sqm.

Total floorspace: 7,108 sqm of which 25.5% is affordable.

Clearly there are a lot of assumptions here – but unless there’s an enormous discrepancy in the size of affordable and market properties with the same number of bedrooms, it’s impossible to see a situation where we get close to 50% affordable housing.

What have I missed since July 14th?

by Jonathan Turton / July 21, 2014/0 Comments/in Digest, Frontpage Article /

The West End Lane post office closed and the Sherriff Centre post office opened in St James’s church alongside a café, shop and soft play area. BBC London covered the opening.

There’s a meeting on Tuesday about what’s fast becoming the very controversial Liddell Road redevelopment scheme.

West Hampstead Cllr Phil Rosenberg raised some of the Liddell Road issues at last Monday’s council meeting.

A new Twitter account has started @noto14storeys – it’s spearheaded by local Conservatives who claim they want cross-party support, although the first “demo” appeared to be have been publicised only to Conservative supporters.

At a council meeting about schools, there was more clarification (if that’s the word) about the demand for school places. You’ll need to read the documents for Agenda point 9.

The Tornado in action at the funfair in Kilburn Grange Park Friday night via ?@UKColin

Tom visited Mill Lane Bistro for brunch – a concept that clearly confused him.

Charles Dickens’ brother lived in West Hampstead for a time.

Finding Vivian Maier is our Film of the Week. Check out that, the new releases and full local listings.

Tonight (Monday) is NW6 Film Club’s trip to The Tricycle to see the acclaimed Boyhood. Why not join us?

You can also now vote for the next Film on Fortune Green. Predictions are for a tight race between Groundhog Day and The Princess Bride.

Fruitful Earth at The Earl Derby on Thursday is this week’s Gig of the Week.

Aldi in Kilburn got the Daily Mail treatment.

A Kilburn Neighbourhood Development Forum is in the offing – ambitiously planning to span the High Road and cover two boroughs.

Kilburn High Road is also to be cleaned twice a day – at least the Brent side is.

There was consternation after a tree was felled on Fortune Green. The sycamore was damaged during the St Jude’s storm last October and is one of a few trees that need to be removed over the next few weeks.

Fortune Green is taking part in Love Parks Week starting Friday. Full details here.

Tweet of the Week

Fox wandering through @WHampstead screeching, closely followed by an old drunk man singing. Great day for keeping the window open

— Lucie Natalia Heim (@lucienatalia) July 15, 2014

Post office moves to local church

by Jonathan Turton / July 18, 2014/4 Comments/in Frontpage Article, Shops & Restaurants /

The bell rang at 1pm and the first customers for the new post office trundled into St James’s Church on Sherriff Road today. The West End Lane post office was supposed to close at midday, but in fact closed yesterday putting even more pressure on the Sherriff Centre team to be up and running bang on time.

Father Andrew Cain and Sherriff Centre project manager Jane Edwards (photo via @churchnw6)

Never one to shy away from publicity, Father Andrew Cain had invited BBC London to the opening and anchor Alice Bhandukravi was there to speak to Fr Andrew (and ask me about the quality of the cake). The news report is here.

Paid first visit to St James church's new post office, cafe and post office this afternoon. Well done @churchnw6! pic.twitter.com/s66KQiEpY9

— Keith Moffitt (@KeithMoffitt) July 18, 2014

Most of the early arrivals to the post office/café/shop/playarea/church seemed impressed. For many, it was their first sight of the transformed space. It is believed to be the first full-time post office located in a functioning church and certainly the first in London.

Everything is in “soft launch” stage at the moment, with the official opening taking place on August 1st. For the time being though, the café makes a very cool escape from the humidity outside (and there’s underfloor heating for the winter!).

Protect your PIN – someone may be looking over your shoulder

Liddell Road raised in council meeting

by Jonathan Turton / July 15, 2014/0 Comments/in Planning & Development /

At Camden council’s full council meeting yesterday, Phil Rosenberg, newly elected Labour councillor for West Hampstead, used the open session section of the meeting to share some of the feedback so far on the Liddell Road scheme.

He mentioned the height and the lack of affordable housing and mused – somewhat tentatively – that maybe these issues could be looked at again. However, as this was not a Q&A session no-one from the Camden cabinet was obliged to respond and one suspects that a far more robust argument will need to be put forward by councillors and locals if they really want to see some change to the plans as they stand.

There is another drop-in event tomorrow (Wednesday July 16th) at the library from 5pm-8pm where you can find out more about the plans, but the real fireworks should be at the public meeting on the 22nd.

What have I missed since July 7th?

by Jonathan Turton / July 14, 2014/0 Comments/in Digest, Frontpage Article /

Camden revealed its revised plans for Liddell Road. They include a 14-storey tower block, but still no affordable housing. There’s a public meeting about this on the 22nd July.

The affordable housing will be at 156 West End Lane instead – and WHL investigated what affordable housing actually means.

What makes West Hampstead great? The West Hampstead Business Association has made a short video extolling the virtues of our transport connections. (They’ve also paid for all the hanging baskets).

Just your average residents of #Whampstead via @Seprothia

After Pizza Express closed last Sunday, the builders wasted no time in moving in to start the refit for Waitrose. Still no opening date though.

NW6 Flm Club is back with a Monday night screening of Boyhood on July 21st. The film also remains our Film of the Week. Full local listings here.

The post office moves from West End Lane to St James’s Church this Friday. The post office counters, the café (called The Sanctuary) and the, er…., children’s play area are all almost finished. The church will still be available for private prayer. The old post office sign has already come down.

Local photographer Robert Timothy met – and of course photographed – Glenda Jackson MP, who has less than a year left before she retires.

Whampsocial made a football-related move to Thursday for one week only. It returns to Wednesday nights on July 30th.

New vintage accessories store Passionate About Vintage opened on Mill Lane.

Gig of the Week is at The Priory Tavern on Wednesday, when students from USC in Los Angeles come to Kilburn

In a new feature, we picked a West Hampstead Wine of the Month – a Portuguese red from Oddbins.

The beach at JW3 opened Sunday and is there for the rest of the summer.

A new dessert café is opening on Kilburn High Road.

Hampstead Women’s cricket team won their second consecutive match.

Tweet of the Week
West Hampstead can pick a winner

Based on shirts and flags on West End Lane, would appear that @WHampstead leans heavily pro-Germany.

— Michael (@Michael_Hartt) July 13, 2014

Hampstead Women win again

by Harriet Millard / July 14, 2014/0 Comments/in Sport /

Hampstead CC secured another 18 points following a positive performance at Hemel Hempstead on Sunday, taking control of the second innings with the ball.

The tourists were put into bat on a green wicket and totalled 116 off their 30 overs with only one wicket in hand.

Skipper Lucy Horitz top scored on 40 not out, with a 38 run partnership with Jenny Heppell (17). A few mix-ups as well as excellent catches saw some early returns to the clubhouse, but Hampstead’s tail wagged, with the lower order all making useful contributions.

It was in the field that Hampstead excelled, with one of the best fielding and bowling displays of the season.

Opening bowlers Jenny Heppell (2/2 off 6) and Jess Black (1/11 off 6) stopped Hemel from leaving their starting blocks, and at the fall of the first wicket in the third over the score was 5/1.

The pressure intensified as the rest of Hampstead’s bowling arsenal was unveiled. Fast bowler Ange Bonora (1/4 off 6) and Emma Edwards (1/20 off 6) helped the wickets fall, and Ruth Charles (2/21 off 6) took two wickets with precision and focus.

With 10 overs to go, Hemel needed 74 runs to win but they never looked likely and finished well short of the total.

Hampstead’s fielders supported the bowlers well with solid performances from all.

“I’m so pleased with today’s result. We never allowed Hemel to get a foothold in their innings. The whole team were inspirational today.”, said captain Horitz.

Affordable housing for 156 West End Lane

by Jonathan Turton / July 13, 2014/3 Comments/in Frontpage Article, Planning & Development /

The surprisingly large 156 West End Lane site

The proposed redevelopment of Liddell Road includes 105 flats of which precisely none are currently designated for affordable housing. Camden’s policy is that 50% of floorspace in any development of more than 50 units should be affordable (although understanding what affordable means in practice is not easy, as we’ll see later).

Why then does a development Camden is pushing itself have no affordable housing when its own quota is 50%? The council argues that it’s to pay for the school that will also be built on the same site. This starts to make more sense, although critics have pointed out that Camden is set to make a £3m surplus from the redevelopment and is redirecting central government funding of £6m – specifically earmarked for schools – to other parts of the borough.

Camden’s other argument is that the redevelopment of another large site it owns – 156 West End Lane, aka the Travis Perkins building – will reach the affordable housing quota. You can see the Twitter conversation where Cllr Phil Jones confirms this.

It doesn’t take a genius to work out that one development meeting quota doesn’t offset another that doesn’t; however, if you are prepared to accept the argument that the market rate housing pays for the school then it’s a lot better than nothing.

The challenge is that the 156 West End Lane plans are still some way off and plans can change – as we’ve seen with Liddell Road.

Liddell Road proposal from last year (acknowledging it might change)

Revised Liddell Road plan with 14-storey tower block

The Travis Perkins site has been sold to a private developer (sources tell me for “top dollar”), it will be interesting to see how Camden plans to enforce that 50% quota. Failing to do so would continue to propel West Hampstead down a track of becoming an increasingly homogenous affluent youngish community.

Many might think that sounds quite nice. Others might think that the best communities are those that are more mixed, offering suitable employment and accommodation to a wide range of people. There is a risk that the existing council estates in the area become more marginalised, that any sense of social cohesion is eroded and that the services and shops in the area cater increasingly for one – well heeled – section of the community only. Bear in mind that a key tenet of Camden’s core strategy is that it aims “to minimise social polarisation and create mixed and inclusive communities across Camden”.

Still empty above the ground floor

Underpinning much of this is the question, “what does affordable mean?”. It’s a simple question that turns out to be almost impossible to answer in a way that means much to most people.

Lets look first at the definition, then at the types of housing included and then at what the catch-all term “affordable housing” means in terms of actual units built on the ground.

What’s “affordable”?

Affordable housing should:

meet the needs of households whose needs are not met by the market and who are eligible for affordable housing, and
be provided at a cost they can afford, taking into account local household incomes and market housing costs, and
be affordable to future households unless arrangements are in place for subsidies to be recycled into alternative affordable housing provision.

Three types of affordable housing

Social rented housing is primarily housing managed by local councils and housing associations. The cost of social rented housing is controlled by a national rent regime. Other affordable housing providers may manage social rented housing under the same rental arrangements. This is what most people think of as “council housing”.

Intermediate affordable housing costs more than social housing but less than equivalent market housing. Camden controls the cost of intermediate affordable housing taking into account market costs and the eligible income groups. The Mayor’s February 2011 review indicated that eligible households were those with incomes of less than £64,000 per year (gross). The draft replacement London Plan indicates that he intends to raise the eligible income to £74,000 per year for intermediate affordable homes with 2-bedrooms or more.

How does income covert into housing costs? At the moment, in London, intermediate affordable housing should cost no more than 3.5x the household income threshold to buy and no more than 40% of net household income including rent and service charges.

Most intermediate affordable housing in Camden has been provided by housing associations. Intermediate affordable housing can include a range of tenures such as: rented housing, shared-ownership housing (where occupiers buy a share and rent the remainder) and low cost homes for sale.

Affordable rented housing means rents up to 80% of market levels, although the individual housing associations that manage this sort of affordable housing set their levels. Clearly, 80% of market levels is still far too high for many people. The Valuation Office’s October 2013 data put the average monthly rent of a 3-bed house in Camden at £2,976, 80% of which would be £2,380 – well beyond the reach of many.

Affordable rent was introduced as the grant available for affordable housing development for 2011-15 was halved from its previous level. It allows social housing providers charge up to 80% of market levels, and use the increased rental income to support additional borrowing to compensate for reduced grant.

Housing associations operating in areas with high land and market rental values such as West Hampstead will often have to manage affordable housing developed as part of private developments rather than developing their own – as is happening at West Hampstead Square, for example.

The associations have to cover their costs, so in expensive areas, they may be forced to charge the maximum 80% level, even though that is still a high absolute amount.

What does it mean on the ground?

Camden has changed its affordable housing quota recently. It used to be 50% of floorspace in any development of more than 10 units had to be “affordable housing”. It’s now moved to a sliding scale so 50% of any development of more than 50 units must be affordable, 40% of developments of more than 40 units, and so on.

In terms of the split between the various types of affordable housing, this has changed to 60% social rented and 40% intermediate housing, down from 70/30. This is, says Camden, because it believes that just over half of Camden residents in need of affordable housing could afford intermediate housing.

Video highlights West Hampstead’s first class transport links

by Jonathan Turton / July 12, 2014/0 Comments/in Business News, Frontpage Article, Transport & Travel /

The West Hampstead Business Association (of which West Hampstead Life is a member) has been busy in the past couple of months. It’s worked with local filmmakers Krishna Govender and Tom Jones to produce a video extolling the virtues of West Hampstead’s transport connections.

The idea is to show prospective businesses that West Hampstead is a good place to do business (though no doubt estate agents will be using it freely to show why it’s also a great place to live). This is intended to be part of a series of short videos that focus on different aspects of what makes West Hampstead great.

Alongside the video, the WHBA is also responsible for the lovely hanging baskets that now adorn West End Lane and Mill Lane. It also hosted a summer party at the Cricket Club with a discussion on rent and rate reviews courtesy of Jeremy Manuel and Philip Waldman, and a sprinkling of celebrity glamour from Imelda Staunton.

Imelda Staunto captures the WHBA’s attention. Photo courtesy of David Jacobs @ Colour Division

Camden plans 14-storey tower block for Liddell Road

by Jonathan Turton / July 11, 2014/2 Comments/in Education, Frontpage Article, Planning & Development /

The redevelopment of Liddell Road is a cornerstone of Camden’s plans for West Hampstead. The site is presently occupied by a dwindling number of businesses. Dwindling because Camden, which owns the land, has already begun to terminate their leases and they are trying to find alternative premises.

Liddell Road is slated to be the site for a new local authority primary school opening in September 2016. Technically, this is an expansion of Kingsgate School – although it’s very much a satellite expansion as the two sites are almost a mile apart.

To pay for this school, cash-strapped Camden is planning to build residential flats for private sale on the site alongside an office block. The original plan has been revised and the bulk of the 105 flats will be in a 14-storey high building as well as lower-rise units. That’s higher than the tallest Ballymore block at West Hampstead Square. There is also criticism that Camden has been awarded £6m in central government funding for school building and plans to make a £3m profit from the development, but all that money is to be spent elsewhere rather than some (or all) of it being used to enable some affordable housing in the Liddell Road scheme.

Camden’s quota for affordable housing in any private development is 50% of floorspace. This is rarely met in reality, but many will find it hard to swallow that a development led by the council itself has absolutely no affordable housing whatsoever. It should put more pressure on the development of 156 West End Lane to deliver at or even over quota if West Hampstead is to remain an even slightly mixed community and not become a neighbourhood dominated by two-bed flats of affluent young professionals.

The original proposals was for commercial space for around 130 jobs, which has been raised to 160. This is now being mooted as flexible office space for fast growing small busineses.

School places
The West Hampstead International School – a campaign for an enormous primary/secondary free school – would like the Liddell Road site for its school, and a new free school called Kilburn Grange free school already has Department for Education approval.

It plans to move into the former College of North West London on Priory Park Road in Kilburn once the Marylebone Boys free school, which opens there this September, moves to its permanent home in Paddington a year later. It will offer 420 places, which is precisely the number of primary places locally that are needed. Interestingly, both its consultation meetings are being held in Kingsgate Community Centre, the Camden side of Kilburn, and firmly within the catchment of any expanded Kingsgate School.

Would this mean that the Kingsgate expansion school is still needed? Would it mean that the primary school component of the West Hampstead International School was still needed? To move from too few primary places to too many – and all at the cost of the tallest tower block in West Hampstead – would seem perverse.

Find out more
There are meetings about this (of course). Next week there are public drop-in events
Tuesday July 15th
9am-12pm Sidings Community Centre, 150 Brassey Road
1pm-4pm West Hampstead Community Centre, 17 Dornfell Street
6.30pm-8.30pm Sidings Community Centre
Wednesday 16 July
5pm-8pm West Hampstead library.

The big meeting though is on July 22nd from 7-9pm when there’s a “Devlopment Management Forum” at Sidings Community Centre. If you’re interested in this – for, against, or want to know more – this is the place to come. For more info on the proposal, Camden has a dedicated page.

How to register

How to use the Forum

The candidates

Who’s going to win?

The most marginal wards in the most marginal seat

Luxury (£££)

Mid-range (££)

Budget (£)

What’s “affordable”?

Three types of affordable housing

What does it mean on the ground?

Further reading

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